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Sourdough Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread

Sourdough wheat bread can be hard to get right. You don’t want it to be too dense. But this recipes is the one you want: soft, sliceable, and perfect for sandwiches and toasting. It’s a sourdough recipe that will become a weekly favorite.

sandwich loaf of sourdough whole wheat bread.

Sourdough Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread

Makes 2 loaves.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Rise Time 12 hours
Total Time 13 hours
Serving Size 20 slices

Equipment

  • Stand mixer with whisk and dough hook attachments
  • Baking spray
  • Loaf pans
  • Wire cooling rack
  • Bread knife
  • Pastry brush (optional)

Ingredients 

Bread

  • cup honey
  • ½ cup active sourdough starter
  • ½ cup unsalted butter melted and cooled (one stick)
  • 1 ¼ cups milk warmed to 90℉
  • 1 ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons vital wheat gluten
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup whole wheat flour

Egg Wash (Optional)

  • 1 egg
  • 1 tablespoon water

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Instructions 

  • Activate starter the night before. Mix together 20 grams of starter, 40 grams of both all-purpose flour and filtered water. Stir to combine and allow it to sit at room temperature for 8 hours or until it’s doubled in size. This will give you 100 grams of sourdough starter.
  • Mix. Add the honey, sourdough starter, warm milk, and salt to the bowl of your stand mixer with the whisk attachment added. Stir to combine.
  • Add flour and wheat gluten. Next, add the whole wheat flour and vital wheat gluten. Stir to combine.
    whole wheat flour mixed in.
  • Add butter. Add the melted and cooled butter. Stir to combine.
    melted butter mixed in.
  • Half the flour. Add 2 cups of the all-purpose flour and continue to stir. This dough will be very wet.
    half of flour mixed in.
  • Add rest of flour. Switch out the whisk attachment for the dough hook. Start to mix the rest of the all-purpose flour into the dough by adding about ⅓ cup of flour to the dough at a time, stirring in between each addition to incorporate the flour. You’ll know that enough flour has been added when the dough is tacky and comes away from the sides of the bowl when it is being mixed.
  • Knead. Set your stand mixer to medium speed and knead the dough for 3 minutes. You can also do this by hand by turning the dough out onto a clean, dry surface and kneading the dough by hand for 5-8 minutes. You may need some additional flour to keep the dough from sticking to the counter.
    dough kneaded on dough hook.
  • Grease bowl. Turn out the dough onto a clean surface, clean out your mixing bowl, and lightly grease it with baking spray.
  • Long Rise. Transfer the dough to the greased bowl, cover with a tea towel or plastic wrap, and place in a warm place for about 8-12 hours or until the dough has doubled in size. The best is overnight.
    dough doubled in size.
  • Prep pans. Prepare two bread pans by lightly greasing the pans and adding a sheet of parchment paper, leaving a slight overhang on both sides.
  • Divide and shape. Once the dough has doubled in size, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and cut the dough in half. Shape one of the pieces of dough into a rectangle of about double the size of the bread pan. Then roll the dough up, tucking in the edges as you go to shape the dough into a loaf form. Place the dough into one of the prepared bread pans. Repeat this process with the other dough ball.
  • Rise. Place the loaves in a warm place for about an hour covered so they can rise.
    dough in loaf pan doubled in size.
  • Egg wash (optional). Prepare the egg wash by adding one egg and one tablespoon of water to a small bowl. Stir or whisk to incorporate the egg and the water together completely. Using a pastry brush, brush the tops of the loaves with the egg wash.
    egg wash brushed on top of loaf.
  • Preheat oven. About 45 minutes into the second rise, preheat the oven to 375°F.
  • Bake. Once the oven is preheated, bake the loaves for 40 minutes or until the top is golden brown.
    golden brown baked loaf in pan.
  • Cool. Keep the bread in the loaf pans and cool on a wire cooling rack for 15 minutes. Remove the bread from the pans and cool on a cooling rack for another 15 minutes before cutting into the bread.

Notes

I used Bob’s Red Mill Vital Wheat Gluten. If you don’t have any, you can substitute the all-purpose flour for bread flour and omit this ingredient.
Calories: 187kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 14mg | Sodium: 153mg | Potassium: 77mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 167IU | Vitamin C: 0.03mg | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 1mg

I love using this bread for sandwiches. It’s nice and soft for the kids’ lunches but also great for grilled cheese.

bread loaf cooling on rack.

This bread will work for your family’s everyday needs. It’s practical but with that lovely sourdough touch.

Kitchen Wisdom

Have you ever heard the phrase, “The house does most of the work.” Letting the dough rise slowly overnight does most of the hard work for you. Instead of kneading forever, the long, slow rise develops flavor and improves texture without any extra effort on your part. This is why I love sourdough :).

Tips for Success

Watch the dough more than the clock. It should be tacky, but pull away from the sides of the bowl when enough flour is added.

Pay attention to your starter – if it’s not doubling in size before you begin, your bread won’t rise properly.

Shape your loaves firmly. Loose rolling creates gaps in the finished bread.

Look for even browning and a hollow sound when tapped to know it’s done baking.

Ingredients and Equipment

Active Sourdough Starter: Must be bubbly and active. Feed it the night before baking.

Vital Wheat Gluten: Adds necessary protein for structure. Find it with specialty flours.

ingredients measured out in bowls on counter.

Stand Mixer: This makes the process much easier but is not strictly required.

Loaf Pans: Standard 9×5 inch pans work best.

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Make It Your Own

While you can’t change this too much, here are a few things you can do.

  • Try different sweeteners like maple syrup or molasses instead of honey.
  • Add seeds to the dough or sprinkle them on top before baking.
  • For sandwich bread with more flavor, replace up to ¼ cup of the all-purpose flour with rye flour.

Storage & Serving

Great for sandwiches, toast with homemade butter, or grilled cheese with tomato soup.

  • Keep the bread whole until you’re ready to use it – this prevents it from drying out.
  • Store in a bread bag or box at room temperature for up to 3 days.
  • For longer storage, slice the whole loaf once it’s completely cool and freeze with parchment between slices.

I hope you enjoy this reliable bread recipe and that it becomes a part of your regular routine. Start it at night, shape it in the morning, and have fresh bread ready for lunch!

bread slices toasted and drizzled with honey.
picture of smiling female

By Katie Shaw

Katie lives in Virginia with her husband, three daughters, a chocolate lab, and over thirty chickens. She loves creating simple tutorials for sourdough, bread, and soap. Her recipes, articles, and YouTube videos reach millions of people per year.

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