Whole Wheat Sourdough Sandwich Bread Recipe

This whole wheat sourdough sandwich bread is easy and simple to make. More importantly, there’s no-kneading necessary.

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The use of a sourdough starter allows the the introduction of fermented grains into your diet which is important for digestion. It is nutritious, acts as a prebiotic for the gut, and easier to digest than other breads.

Did I forget to mention that it’s natural? Fermenting your own sourdough starter at home is just amazing. It also saves you from the trouble of trying to find yeast at the grocery store. That was the one thing that I thought wouldn’t be out of stock during the pandemic and boy was I wrong.

Down below are some benefits are some impressive benefits of using and making your own sourdough starter from scratch.

Benefits of using a Sourdough Starter

• Easier to digest
  • the fermentation process allows the breakdown of the gluten so it’s easier to digest
  • slow fermentation process
• Great for gut health
  • Acts as a prebiotic that provides food for the good bacteria in the gut
  • By making digestion easier
• Low glycemic food
  • less likely to spike your blood sugar immediately like conventional breads
  • slow increase of blood sugar and insulin
• natural wild yeast
  • oldest way of fermenting grains
  • doesn’t use conventional yeast
• low phytic acid
  • due to the fermentation process
  • This makes the bread easier to digest

How long will this Whole Wheat Sourdough Sandwich Bread last?

• On the counter, the sandwich bread will last about a week. Just wrap in cling wrap.
• In the freezer, the sandwich bread will last about 3 months.
  • Make sure it has cooled all the way.
  • Wrap in cling wrap and then place in a gallon size freezer bag.
  • Make sure you get all of the air out.

Tools for success:

• large loaf pan
• mixing bowl
• dough whisk and bench scraper

Ingredients for Whole Wheat Sourdough Sandwich Bread:

• 3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 cup bread flour
• 2 cups + 2 tablespoons water
• 1/2 cup sourdough starter (active)
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoon oil (+ a little more to coat the top of the dough)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter (softened)

How to make this Easy Whole Wheat Sourdough Sandwich Bread:

First, feed your sourdough starter 4 to 12 hours before you need it.

Day 1

Next, gather all ingredients needed.

Afterwards, combine the whole wheat flour, bread flour, active sourdough starter, olive oil, sugar, water and salt into a large bowl. Use a dough whisk or wooden spoon. Then, let the whole wheat sourdough mixture rest for 30 minutes to allow autolyse to happen.

It’s time to do some folds!

• Perform 1 fold every 20 minutes for 1 hour (3 folds done) (first)
• Perform 1 fold every 30 minutes for 1 hour (2 folds done) (second)

Subsequently after all the folds (5 total) are done, cover the large bowl with plastic wrap (leave a small gap) or a towel and let the mixture rise to almost double in size. This can take anywhere from 3 to 5 hours depending on the temperature in your home.

Place the bowl in the fridge covered with plastic wrap and let your whole wheat sourdough sandwich bread dough ferment overnight.

Day 2

Go ahead and prepare a loaf pan with olive oil or butter (I used butter). Let your dough sit out for about an hour to come to room temperature.

Lightly flour your work surface and pour the whole wheat sourdough mixture onto your surface.

Now, slightly flatten dough with floured hands. Then, roll the dough like you would a cinnamon roll. Tuck the ends underneath. After that, place in the loaf pan with the crease side down and edges tucked underneath. Following that, coat the top of the dough with a little oil (I used grapeseed).

Moreover, let the dough rise in the loaf pan for about 2 to 4 hours covered with plastic wrap (with small gap) or a tea towel. In addition, you may need to extend the time depending on the strength of your sourdough starter. The goal is for the whole wheat sourdough to almost reach the rim of the loaf pan.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400 degrees during the last 20 minutes of rising in the loaf pan.

Afterwards, place the loaf pan in the oven at 400 degrees and bake for 30 minutes. Soon after, lower the temperature of the oven to 375 degrees for 20 minutes. Make sure you rotate the bread 180 degrees so it can evenly brown on both sides.

Later, take the whole wheat sourdough sandwich bread out of oven and place on a cooling rack for 20 minutes. Remove the whole wheat loaf from the pan afterwards. Place on a cooling rack for an additional 30 to 40 minutes.

Above all, cut a few slices and make a sandwich. Seems like the next logical thing to do right!

As always, I hope you enjoyed it!

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Check out my other post:

• Sourdough Bread (No Knead Necessary)
• Easy Homemade Sourdough Bread Loaf
• How to make a Sourdough Starter
• Soft Honey Wheat Sourdough Sandwich Bread

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