Whole Wheat Sourdough Sandwich Bread

This Whole Wheat Sourdough Sandwich Bread is soft, fluffy, and full of hearty whole grains. A hint of honey and butter makes it perfect for sandwiches, toast, or simply warmed with butter.

Course Bread

Cuisine American

Prep Time 23

Cook Time 40

Cool Time 1

Total Time 1 40

Servings slices

Calories 125kcal

Author Ashley Petrie, RDN, LDN

Equipment

Ingredients

2 ¼ cups (270 grams) whole wheat flour
1 ¼ cups (150 grams) bread flour
1 ¼ cups (300 grams) warm water 80-90℉
⅓ cup (80 grams) active sourdough starter or "fresh" discard less than one week old
3 tablespoons (42 grams) unsalted butter melted and cooled
1 tablespoon (21 grams) honey
3 ¼ teaspoons (9 grams) Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt If using table salt or Morton’s Kosher Salt, measure by weight or use about half the amount.

Instructions

About 6-12 hours before starting, feed your sourdough starter to ensure it’s bubbly and active. The timing will depend on your kitchen temperature. If your kitchen is around 75°F, it will take about 6 hours. In cooler kitchens (65-68°F), it may take closer to 12 hours.
In a large bowl, combine the whole wheat flour, bread flour, and warm water until no dry flour remains. Cover the bowl and let the mixture rest for 1 hour.
2 ¼ cups (270 grams) whole wheat flour, 1 ¼ cups (150 grams) bread flour, 1 ¼ cups (300 grams) warm water
After the rest, add the active sourdough starter, melted butter, honey, and salt to the dough. Use your hands to mix everything together until a sticky, cohesive dough forms. Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 15 minutes.
⅓ cup (80 grams) active sourdough starter, 3 tablespoons (42 grams) unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon (21 grams) honey, 3 ¼ teaspoons (9 grams) Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt
Lightly wet your hands to prevent sticking. Grab one edge of the dough, stretch it upwards as far as it will go without tearing, and fold it over onto itself. Rotate the bowl 90° and repeat the process. Do this for all four sides of the dough, for a total of 4 folds. Gather the dough into a ball and place it seam side down in the bowl. Cover and let it rest for another 15 minutes. Repeat the stretching and folding process every 15 minutes, for a total of 6 times.
After the final fold, cover the dough and let it rise in a warm spot until it doubles in size, with visible fermentation bubbles. This can take anywhere from 4 to 12 hours depending on the temperature of your kitchen and the dough. For an easier way to track fermentation, transfer the dough to a straight-sided container and mark its starting point.
Once the dough has doubled in size, butter the bottom and sides of a 9"x5" loaf pan. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently pull it into a rectangle shape. Starting from one short end, roll the dough tightly towards the other short end, like a jelly roll. Let it rest on the seam for 1-2 minutes, then pinch the ends to seal.
Transfer the shaped dough seam side down into the prepared loaf pan. Cover it and let it proof at room temperature for 2-4 hours, or until it’s noticeably puffy and risen nearly to the top of the pan. For a more pronounced sourdough flavor, you can refrigerate the dough overnight before allowing it to proof at room temperature the next morning.
About 20 minutes before the dough is done proofing, preheat your oven to 400°F.
Place the loaf in the preheated oven and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 190°F.
Remove the bread from the oven and allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Then, transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely. Let it cool for at least 1 hour before slicing to prevent a gummy texture.

Notes

Tip: For best results, use a scale to measure all ingredients by weight (grams). If using volume measurements (cups), spoon the flour into the cups instead of scooping.
Storage: Store bread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Did you try this recipe?Let me know! Comment below, or take a picture and tag me on Instagram @everydayhomemadebyashley.