This sourdough sandwich bread made with fresh milled flour is a great way to step into fresh milled flour sourdough! It is a super relaxed overnight recipe that is generally pretty forgiving. Mix it up before bed, wake up, shape, rise, and bake!
I love this recipe because you can toss your ingredients in the mixer before bed, bulk fermentation happens while you’re sleeping, and then you can shape, do your second rise and bake the next day! It is a pretty relaxed process, but you’ll need to learn your dough as you bake with fresh milled sourdough. When I say relaxed, I mean it! I have had batches that have the “perfect” bulk fermentation and I am on time and I’ve also had the bulk fermentation go a little too far and I thought it might not turn out. In both cases they turned out just fine! Obviously if it’s majorly overproofed it may fail, but you could turn it into focaccia bread or something!
What You’ll Need To Make Sourdough Sandwich Bread Made With Fresh Milled Flour
Water
Active Sourdough Starter
Fresh Milled Hard White Wheat Flour
Oil– Avocado or olive oil will work. Some people prefer the lighter flavor of avocado oil versus olive oil.
Honey
Sunflower Lecithin Powder
Vital Wheat Gluten– Also known as gluten flour.
Salt
**At this time I have not experimented leaving out the sunflower lecithin or vital wheat gluten. So far my attempts to make sourdough sandwich bread without additives aren’t as good as I’d like them to be. If this changes I will update.
How To Shape A Loaf
Why Is There Such a Big Time Range For Rise Times?
When using a sourdough starter instead of yeast you will have variables like dough temperature, room temperature while bulk fermenting and rising, and how strong your starter is. You are using wild yeast and bacteria to raise your bread and this is so much different than using commercial yeast. If you have a very warm house, like 70 degrees Fahrenheit or more your dough is going to bulk ferment and rise much faster versus a home that is 60 degrees Fahrenheit or even 65.
Here is an example timeline for making this recipe:
Extra Notes For Making Sourdough Sandwich Bread Made With Fresh Milled Flour
So when I mention above that you will need to learn your dough I recommend you taking notes on your date and time you start your bulk fermentation, room temperature, how long it takes for your dough to be done bulk fermenting at that temperature, and the same information for the second rise.
After you get some loaves under your belt you should start to get more comfortable with the process. Trust me I have failed with sourdough and I am not an expert by any means, but I have honestly learned the most in my sourdough journey by failing and then seeing how it should be as I learn. So don’t be discouraged if you get a dense or gummy loaf when starting. If this happens you’ll know to push your bulk fermentation or second rise longer. It doesn’t mean this recipe doesn’t work or that you failed! I promise!
Click here to read my fresh milled flour sourdough 101 article. In it you’ll find definitions to common words used in the sourdough world, learn about hydration and feeding ratios, under/over proofing, making your very own fresh milled flour sourdough starter, and more!
If you are looking for a Boule/Batard sourdough recipe you can see mine here.
Does The Pan Size Matter?
You can bake this with any loaf pan. If you stray away from a standard 9×5 or 8 1/2″ x 4 1/2″ pan you may need to adjust the bake time and your loaves may look a little different. I tested this recipe in a stainless steel 9×5 loaf pan and an 8 1/2″x 4 1/2″ cast iron loaf pan. See the results below. It really comes down to preference of the shape you’re going for and crust color. The bake time for me was the same in these 2 pans.
How To Store Sourdough Sandwich Bread Made With Fresh Milled Flour
This bread can be stored in an airtight bag or container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
If freezing, make sure the bread is cooled completely and you can either freeze the whole loaf or slice it and freeze with parchment paper in between for easy individual slices for toasting. Thaw at room temperature. Slices will take approximately 15-20 minutes or can be put in the toaster from frozen. Whole loaves can take upwards of 4-5 hours at room temperature.
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Sourdough Sandwich Bread Made With Fresh Milled Flour
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Add all of your ingredients to a stand mixer and knead for 6-8 minutes or until windowpane is reached. *I use a Bosch mixer. If you are using a KitchenAid you may want to halve the recipe and it may take longer to knead.
- Move dough to an oiled bowl or container to bulk ferment on the counter overnight. Make sure it is covered with plastic wrap or a lid. Bulk fermentation can take between 8-12 hours until the dough has risen 75%-100%. (slightly less than doubled or doubled). If your house is cooler than 68F this can take longer.*I like using cambro containers so it's easier to gauge the rise.
- When bulk fermentation is done remove dough and place on an oiled counter/surface. Gently flatten the dough to release any large air bubbles. Divide the dough into 2 equal portions, shape, and place in buttered/greased loaf pans for the second rise. Cover loaf pans with plastic wrap while rising. The 2nd Rise can take between 2-4 hours. Again, it may take longer if your house is cooler than 68F.You'll know it's done when it's risen above the side of the pan. It will be rounded on the top. When you poke it it will leave a slight indent but spring back nice and slowly.*Butter works best for loaves to not stick to pans.
- Bake at 375F for 45-50 minutes or until the internal temperature is 190-200F. *My baking time is 45 minutes, but ovens can vary so please start watching yours at the 40 minute mark when first making this recipe.
- When done remove and transfer to a cooling rack. While still warm brush with butter to give a softer, shinier crust. COOL COMPLETELY before slicing. *The loaves will seem like they are very hard right out of the oven, but they soften as they cool.
- This bread should last 3-5 days at room temperature stored in a bread bag/container.
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