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Whole Wheat Sourdough Sandwich Bread

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Use sourdough discard and whole wheat flour to make a soft and tasty loaf of bread that is perfect for toasting or turning into sandwiches.

plate with two slices of  toasted sourdough wheat bread, one spread with butter the other with honey

Make perfectly soft bread for sandwiches.  It is hearty, delicious and easy to make.  Your sourdough starter will love its new life making more bread. 

You can serve slices with butter with dinner, toast some for breakfast or roll fun fillings inside.  The possibilities are endless!

 If you are like me, you love the idea of baking beautiful crusty boules of sourdough bread but rarely actually follow through. It takes planning and time that I rarely have to give it.

 But that doesn’t mean your sourdough starter has to go to waste. Keep it in the refrigerator in case the stars ever align for bread baking. 

Of course you still have to feed it once a week, resulting in either a giant tub of starter or a weekly bit of discard. Don’t throw that discard away, it is perfect for use in so many tasty recipes!

ball of freshly kneaded sourdough sandwich bread dough

In fact, I basically keep my starter around just so I have discard to make into muffins, pizza crust, waffles and of course this tender sandwich bread.

It uses the goodness of your discard along with the boost of traditional yeast to make a tender versatile loaf.  You golden loaf of bread will make yummy sandwiches or delicious toast.

The recipe has been a hit with lots of readers since I originally posted it back in 2016. I recently baked up another loaf and thought it would be fun to update the pictures and add a quick video.

I hope you enjoy it! 

bowl of proofed sourdough sandwich bread dough with finger imprint

Original post from 2016

Ever since MiMi had a taste of my first sourdough boule, she has been begging for some of my starter.  Bertha and I were off to such a great start and MiMi wanted in on the friendship.

But sometimes good things come to those who wait.  I wanted to get a good feel for how to take care of Bertha before I gave some of her away.

That way when MiMi had questions, I had a little bit of an idea how to answer.  Plus the waiting just made her want it more!

sourdough sandwich bread dough in loaf pan

So for Mother’s Day, I finally gave MiMi some starter.  That’s right, there is a second generation out there.

She has been nicknamed granny.  Now that granny is getting used to her new home, MiMi is wanting some recipes to use her in.

So be forewarned, I will be sharing some of the favorite things I have made so far in the next few days.  Then likely more sourdough recipes here and there for a while.

I can never just leave a recipe alone.  I always have to do a little tinkering along the way to make it fit my taste or cooking style.

Even though baking recipes are supposed to be set in stone, I have to mess with them too.  I wanted a recipe that would make great sandwich bread.

Airy and delicious, but with no gigantic holes to loose your filling through. I love using whole wheat flour when I bake and I wanted to use plenty of starter to get the nutritional value and some of the flavor.

golden brown loaf of freshly baked sourdough wheat sandwich bread

This bread is great toasted with an egg on top or delicious drizzled with honey.  Heck, Little Dude ate a piece straight from the bag this morning with breakfast.

Of course it isn’t quite as soft as what you find in the bread aisle at the grocery store, but it is made completely from ingredients you can pronounce.  Besides, the kneading is good therapy!

Why use sourdough? 

Sourdough has lower phytate levels, making it easier to digest. It also contains prebiotics that are good for gut health. 

slices of soft sourdough bread ready to be made into sandwiches

What kind of starter should I use?

Use your discard or unfed starter straight from the refrigerator. No advanced planning or feeding needed!

Storing your bread

Fresh bread can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for several days. For longer storage, wrap well and freeze for up to three months. Storing bread in the refrigerator is not recommended. 

sandwich made from homemade sourdough bread, shaved chicken breast and cheese

More recipes using sourdough discard 

Turn that sourdough discard into a delicious pizza crust! It is a great way to use your starter in a quick and easy recipe.

Cherry chocolate chip muffins taste like a treat, but are really pretty good for you. They are a great way to use up some of that sourdough starter too!

Or if you like a little sweet pizzazz in your bread, try cinnamon swirl sourdough bread. It’s perfect for toasting or making french toast. 

Sourdough waffles are full of flavor, tender as can be and oh so good. So go ahead and break out the syrup and warm up those waffle irons!

plate with two slices of toasted sourdough wheat bread, one spread with butter the other with honey

Whole Wheat Sourdough Sandwich Bread

Carlee
This soft whole wheat sourdough bread is perfect for toast or sandwiches. It is easy to make, lightly flavored and delicious.
4.75 from 12 ratings
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Additional Time 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours 55 minutes
Course Bread
Cuisine American
Servings 12 servings (1 9″ loaf)
Calories 133 kcal

Ingredients
 

Instructions
 

  • Stir together warm water, yeast and sourdough starter until the starter is dissolved.
    ⅔ cup warm water, ¾ teaspoon dry active yeast, 1 cup sourdough starter
  • Mix in whole wheat flour and let sit for 7-10 minutes to hydrate.
    1 cup white whole wheat flour
  • Sprinkle in salt and begin adding all purpose flour. Start by adding 1 cup of all purpose flour, stirring until combined. Then add additional flour a little bit at a time until you have a shaggy bread dough. (The final amount will depend on the consistency of your starter and how humid it is.)
    1½ teaspoons salt, 1- 1½ cups all purpose flour
  • I like to start my kneading in the bowl to contain the mess, then turn it onto the counter once the dough comes together and starts getting a little elasticity. You can use your preferred kneading method to knead the dough into a smooth ball, about 8 minutes.
  • Place dough in a lightly greased bowl and cover with a damp towel and let rise until doubled in size (about 1½ to 2 hours).
  • To shape the dough, pat it out into a rectangle. Fold it in thirds, like you would a letter. Then fold fold it in half, pinching together the seam. (Or use your favorite loaf shaping method.) Place seam side down in a greased loaf pan.
  • Cover with the damp towel and let rise for 1-1½ hours or until it has risen over the edge of the pan.
  • Brush gently with melted butter, being careful not to deflate the dough.
    1-2 teaspoons butter
  • Bake at 450 F for 10 minutes and then at 400 F for 25-30 minutes.
  • When finished baking, turn onto a wire rack and cool completely before cutting.

Notes

You can use sourdough discard or unfed starter from the fridge in this recipe without any issues. 

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 1ServingCalories: 133kcalCarbohydrates: 27gProtein: 4gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 2mgSodium: 271mgFiber: 2g
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Recipe Rating




Msgemh

Friday 23rd of April 2021

Can you use bread flour instead of all purpose flour?

Carlee

Friday 23rd of April 2021

I can't see why not, it should work fine.

Amy

Tuesday 9th of February 2021

We love sourdough bread, and whole wheat is a bonus - thank you for sharing.

Carlee

Thursday 11th of February 2021

We do too and this bread is super soft with both! Thanks!

Anonymous

Monday 16th of November 2020

Can I double this recipe to make two loaves?

Carlee

Tuesday 24th of November 2020

Yes you can!

Terri

Wednesday 26th of August 2020

Can this recipe be made in a bread machine?

Carlee

Saturday 29th of August 2020

I haven't tried that, but I can't see why it couldn't be done.

Melanie

Saturday 1st of August 2020

Can you make this without adding the dry active yeast?

Carlee

Saturday 1st of August 2020

I haven't tried it, but I imagine it would work. The proofing will likely take longer, so you'll have to use your best judgement on that part.