Easy Overnight Sourdough Sandwich Bread

You don’t need a special equipment to make this easy overnight sourdough sandwich bread! As long as you have an active sourdough starter, flour, water, and salt, you’ll have fresh bread baking in the oven before you know it!

So I have a little secret…I don’t own a Dutch oven and have never made sourdough bread in one! Did you even know that was possible?? You won’t think so with all of the beautiful pictures of sourdough bread boules with fancy designs circulating on the internet.

Don’t get me wrong, I have had some very delicious bread made in Dutch ovens that others have made, and it for sure deserves attention. I would love to learn the art of baking sourdough bread in a Dutch oven someday (and I even have my eye on a certain Dutch oven!), but for now, loaf pans do the trick for the kind of bread that I make. Whenever I get close to purchasing a Dutch oven, I talk myself out of it because I already make bread that is consistently good, so easy to make, and requires no special tools. As a mother of five, it just is too easy to keep doing what I’m doing!

If you are busy and want to start making sourdough bread, don’t let a Dutch oven hold you back. I’ve been making sourdough bread for almost six years now and have never owned own. But I have learned a few tricks that have completely changed my sourdough game. I have figured out how to have successful bread time after time. You can do it too!

How to achieve moist, chewy sourdough sandwich bread

Use an active sourdough starter – The single most important part of making any sourdough bread! If you’re pulling your starter out of the refrigerator, then it’s important to give it three feedings to activate it before using it for bread. Measure/eyeball what you have and feed it 1:1 ratio of flour and water (filtered water is best). For example, if you have 1/3 cup starter, feed it 1/3 cup filtered water and 1/3 cup unbleached all-purpose flour. Follow this same pattern for two more feedings, stirring with a plastic or wooden spoon each time until the flour and water are fully incorporated.

Example feeding schedule for activating sourdough start for making bread:

• First feeding: 8 AM
• Second feeding: 8 PM
• Third feeding: 8 AM the next day
• Make sourdough bread dough 8 PM that night and then feed what you have left, or place back in the fridge

If you feel like you’re ending up with more start than you can use for bread, you may like to try making my vegan sourdough pancakes with spelt or easy vegan sourdough English muffins!

Choose a High-Quality Unbleached Bread Flour – This may be the single most important tip I can give you when making bread. Okay, I know I said that your starter is the most important but hear me out. The flour you choose will be used for feeding your start and in the bread recipe. The bulk of your bread is made up of this flour, so make a good choice! This is the flour I use. Here is another option that I have heard is good. I’ve never used that particular brand but know people who have success with it! The key is to getting an unbleached bread flour.

Stretch and Fold – This has been my most recent addition to my bread making and it has made a world of difference. I had no idea what this technique would do to my bread, but you cannot skip this step! This is what gives your bread the delicious chewy, airy texture. You are essentially adding air to your dough as you stretch and fold and it works wonders.

Don’t give up! – Sourdough isn’t complicated. In fact, it is by far the easiest bread I have ever made. There is somewhat of a learning curve though when it comes to feeding the start and the timing of it all. Don’t let this scare you away! It is worth taking the time to have a healthy, bubbly start and it is possible! The satisfaction of mixing bread dough with your hands and having that fresh bread smell wafting through your home is worth the effort! And this sourdough bread is just the beginning of all the sourdough goodness that will come as you discover different recipes. Keep trying and don’t be afraid to fail.

Equipment You’ll Need

Bread Pans-I love these 4.5″x8.5″ standard bread pans. Instead of Teflon, they have a silicone coating that acts as a non-stick surface. I still use parchment paper or oil the pans to prevent sticking.

Food scale

Parchment paper-or use oil to grease the pans

How to make easy sourdough sandwich bread

The Night Before

The night before you would like your bread to be done, add your active sourdough starter, water, and sea salt to a bowl. Give it a mix with a dough hook or wooden spoon. Add the flour to the mix and stir with dough hook or hands until the dough becomes a rough dough mixture.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rest for 30 minutes, and then perform a stretch and fold. You’ll do this by wetting your hand, and pulling the section of dough that is furthest away from you up and folding it toward you. Then, give the bowl a quarter turn and do it again. Continue this method of stretching the dough up and pulling toward you until you have done four total stretch and folds, or one for each quarter of the dough.

At this point you will cover the bowl and let it sit until morning on the counter.

The Next Morning-Stretch and folds and final rise

After the dough has sat covered all night or for at least 8-12 hours, it will have more than doubled in size.

At this point you will do another series of three stretch and folds. These will be about 15 minutes apart. After the final stretch and fold, let the dough rest for an additional 15-30 minutes before dividing into the loaf pans.

Prepare your loaf pans by lining with parchment paper or olive oil. Divide the dough in half by either eyeballing or weighing it and gently form into loaf shapes. This is done by carefully folding into itself while rolling into an oblong shape. Place the dough in the prepared loaf pans and cover for the final rise lasting 2-3 hours. During this time, the dough should rise to the top of the pans.

About 20 minutes before the final rise is complete, preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Baking sourdough sandwich bread

Bake the bread for 15 minutes at 400 degrees. Then, leave the bread in the oven and turn the temperature to 375 degrees. Bake for an additional 25-28 minutes. You’ll know the bread is done when it is a golden brown color on top. Baking times can vary slightly depending on the specifics of your own oven.

Convection baking

I often bake my bread on the convection setting in my oven. This reduces the bake time by about 20%. So, bake at 400 degrees for 12 minutes and 375 degrees for 22 minutes.

Yield: 2 loaves

Easy Overnight Sourdough Sandwich Bread

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You don't need a special equipment to make this easy overnight sourdough sandwich bread! As long as you have an active sourdough starter, flour, water, and salt, you'll have fresh bread baking in the oven before you know it!

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Additional Time 12 hours

Total Time 12 hours 50 minutes

Ingredients

• 140g active sourdough starter
• 440g filtered water
• 675g bread flour
• 15g sea salt

Instructions

1. The night before you would like your bread to be done, add your active sourdough starter, water, and sea salt to a bowl. Give it a mix with a dough hook or wooden spoon. Add the flour to the mix and stir with dough hook or hands until the dough becomes a rough, shaggy dough mixture.
2. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rest for 30 minutes, and then perform a stretch and fold. You'll do this by wetting your hand, and pulling the section of dough that is furthest away from you up and folding it toward you. Then, give the bowl a quarter turn and do it again. Continue this method of stretching the dough up and pulling toward you until you have done four total stretch and folds, or one for each quarter of the dough.
3. At this point you will cover the bowl and let it sit until morning on the counter.
4. After the dough has sat covered all night or for at least 8-12 hours, you will do another series of three stretch and folds. These will be about 15 minutes apart. After the final stretch and fold, let the dough rest for an additional 15-30 minutes before dividing into the loaf pans. Prepare your loaf pans by lining with parchment paper or olive oil. Divide the dough in half by either eyeballing or weighing it and gently form into loaf shapes. This is done by carefully folding into itself while rolling into an oblong shape. Place the dough in the prepared loaf pans and cover for the final rise, lasting 2-3 hours. During this time, the dough should rise above the pans.
5. About 20 minutes before the final rise is complete, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Bake the bread for 15 minutes at 400 degrees. Then, keep the bread in the oven and turn the temperature down to 375 degrees for another 25-28 minutes of baking. You'll know the bread is done when it is a golden brown color on top. Baking times can vary slightly depending on the specifics of your own oven.

Notes

*Convection baking: I often bake my bread on the convection setting in my oven. This reduces the bake time by about 20%. So, bake at 400 degrees for 12 minutes and 375 degrees for 22 minutes.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 325Saturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mg