Soft, structured, naturally leavened and done by dinner.

If you’ve ever found yourself craving a soft sourdough sandwich loaf but didn’t plan for an overnight ferment, this one’s for you. It’s the recipe I turn to when I want something reliable, sliceable, and totally doable in a single day. The texture is light and fluffy, the crust stays soft, and it holds up beautifully to everything from PB&J to grilled cheese.

The best part? It uses a high-hydration dough with a long, room-temp ferment to keep that classic sourdough flavour without needing a long cold proof.

Ingredients

Makes two sandwich loaves

• 700 g water (room temp)
• 300 g active sourdough starter (fed and bubbly)
• 40 g neutral oil (like avocado or olive)
• 45 g honey
• 1000 g Organic Better Bread Flour or All Purpose Red Fife Flour
• 20 g sea salt

Directions

1. Mix & Rest
   Combine water, starter, oil and honey in a large bowl. Add flour and salt, mix until no dry bits remain. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.
2. Stretch & Fold
   Perform 3 rounds of stretch and folds, every 30 minutes. You’ll feel the dough get stronger with each set.
3. Bulk Fermentation
   Cover the bowl and let it rest at room temperature. Depending on how warm your kitchen is, it might be a bit shorter or longer. You want the dough to rise and feel puffy. With a dough temp of 75F it takes 8 hours to rise.
4. Shape & Pan
   Divide the dough in half. Gently shape into two loaves and transfer to greased or parchment-lined loaf pans.
5. Chill & Preheat
   Cover the pans and place them in the fridge for 1-2 hours. While they chill, preheat your oven to 400°F.
6. Score & Bake
   Score the tops with a sharp knife or lame. Cover each loaf pan with another inverted pan (or use foil) and bake for 30 minutes.
7. Finish Uncovered
   Remove the covers and continue baking another 20 minutes, until golden and the tops are firm.
8. Cool & Slice
   Let the loaves cool completely before slicing. This is what gives you that soft, structured crumb.