Soft Whole Wheat Sourdough Sandwich Bread

Whole wheat flour makes this sandwich bread hearty and robust, while the oil and hydration level keep it soft.

The interior of this bread is soft and spongy, while the exterior is extra crisp and brown and earthy. It is a delightful combination!

I'm calling this a sandwich bread because it's soft and baked in a loaf pan, but don't be constrained to just sandwiches - this bread is good in just about every application!

Broiled with cheese on it, as a perfect spongy bread with soups, sliced thick and slathered thicker with butter, use any leftovers for strata or homemade sourdough croutons... and really, my favorite way to eat it is on its own while it's still warm.

I know the bread police tell us to wait an hour before slicing into our loaves, but I can never resist with this one. It's so, SO good while it's still steaming.

Okay, onward with how to make it.

The dough

This is a really easy dough to throw together, and probably you already have all the ingredients for it. This recipe is adapted from this white sourdough sandwich loaf, which is one of the most-loved recipes on the site!

Start by mixing water, starter, sugar, and oil in a large bowl. You can use any kind of oil you like here. I usually use olive oil or avocado oil.

Add the whole wheat flour, bread flour, and salt and mix until no dry spots remain. Cover the dough and let it rest for 15-30 minutes.

Do a round of stretch and folds to shape the dough into a tight ball. Keep in mind this is a fairly stiff dough, so it really won't stretch all that much - this is okay! Just get it into a ball, cover it, and let it rise until it's doubled in size - this takes 12-14 hours in my kitchen.

Shaping + Baking

Once the dough has doubled in size, it's time for the most fun part - shaping.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Press it into a round or a rectangle or whatever shape it naturally wants to take.

Fold it into thirds like you would a letter, starting at one side and folding it in toward the middle, then folding in the second side so it completely overlaps the first and forms a narrow strip of dough.

Starting at the end closest to you, roll the dough up, keeping the ends as even as you can while rolling. Pinch the edges to seal and place the loaf seam side-down in an oiled loaf pan.

Cover and let it rise until it's doming over the rim of the pan - about 1-3 hours.

Bake in a 375 degree oven for 45-50 minutes, until it's baked through and browned.

Cool it for 10 minutes in the loaf pan before inverting to release. Let it cool an hour before slicing into it or your bread will be ruined so don't you dare rush it!!

Just kidding, give it a solid 30ish minutes then enjoy some hearty, steamy bread. It is so good!

One more, because I can't stop thinking about this bread.

Okay, I'm done. Go make this!