Sourdough Discard Sandwich Bread

This Sourdough Discard Sandwich Bread is light, fluffy and ready the same day! It's perfect for your morning toast or to make lunch sandwiches. And it's a great way to use up some of your sourdough discard, while still making a loaf of bread!

If you're looking for other sourdough discard recipes, try these Sourdough Discard Rolls, this Sourdough Discard Pizza Dough, and these Sourdough Discard Pretzel Bagels.

If you're new to working with sourdough starter, check out these in-depth posts on how to feed sourdough starter, how to use sourdough discard, and tips for struggling sourdough starter.

Ingredients

You only need a few simple ingredients to make this Sourdough Discard Sandwich Bread.

• Water: It's important that the water is warmed to help activate the yeast.
  • Fun fact: Yeast will start to die if the temperature of the water is over 120 degrees (F). You want your warmed water to be around 110 degrees (F) so it's warm enough to activate the yeast, but not too warm!
• Non-dairy milk: This should also be warmed to 110 degrees (F). I use unflavored almond milk, but this recipe will work with regular dairy milk as well.
• Active dry yeast: Even though we are using sourdough discard, we need to use a leavening agent (in this case, yeast) to ensure the dough rises predictably.
• All-purpose flour: AP flour gives us a light and fluffy loaf.
• Sourdough discard: The sourdough discard should be unfed and at room temperature for this recipe. This recipe is designed for a starter with a 1:1 ratio (when you feed your starter, it's with 1 part flour and 1 part water). If your starter uses a different ratio, you may need to adjust some of the ingredients in this recipe.

See full recipe below for detailed directions.

Substitutions & Variations

This is a very adaptable recipe and below are a few easy substitutions and variations you can try.

• Use active sourdough starter - If you'd rather use active sourdough starter instead of discard, you can. To do so, omit the yeast and replace the discard with active starter (1:1 substitution). You will also need to increase the rise times. You'll want to look for those visual cues of the dough doubling, etc.
  • You will still add the sugar if you are using active starter in the recipe.
• Add inclusions - This is a great base loaf to add inclusions. After you roll out the dough, spread or sprinkle with your inclusions, then roll into your loaf shape. If your inclusions contain moisture (for example, cheese), you may need to bake the loaf longer. I'll be doing some testing with different inclusions, so there is more to come here!
• Use different flours - This is something I'm going to be testing further (looking at you, whole wheat sandwich bread) and will report back!

I have not tested this recipe with other variations, but if you do, let us know how it turns out in the comments! I always love to hear how you're adapting these recipes and use those as ideas for future recipes as well!

How to make Sourdough Discard Sandwich Bread

There are only a few steps to making your own fresh sandwich bread!

1. Step 1: Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large mixing bowl. Mix until a rough dough forms.

2. Step 2: Transfer the dough to a smooth work surface and knead until smooth and soft.

3. Step 3: Place the dough in a large oiled bowl. Cover and let rise 1 ½ - 2 hours, or until doubled in size.

4. Step 4: Roll the dough out into a 9x18-inch rectangle. Roll the dough into a log from the short side of the rectangle.

5. Step 5: Place the dough log into the baking pan, seam-side down.

6. Step 6: Cover with greased plastic wrap and let rise until the dough is about 1 inch above the edge of the pan.

7. Step 7: Bake until golden brown and the internal temperature of the loaf reaches 190 degrees F.

8. Step 8: Let the loaf cool for at least an hour before slicing.

What is sourdough discard?

Sourdough discard is what is leftover after you feed your sourdough starter. You can either literally discard it (in the trash or compost), or you can use it to make sourdough discard recipes like this one!

This recipe is designed for a sourdough starter with a 1:1 ratio (when you feed your starter, it's with 1 part flour and 1 part water). If your starter uses a different ratio, you may need to adjust some of the ingredients in this recipe.

If you're new to working with sourdough starter, check out these in-depth posts on how to feed sourdough starter, how to use sourdough discard, and tips for struggling sourdough starter.

Shaping the Loaf

When it comes to shaping your loaf, we want it to be as even end-to-end as possible. We don't want it to be leaning to one side, big on one side and small on the other, or anything else in between! There are a few things to keep in mind:

• Keep in mind the width of your pan - You don't want to roll your dough to be wider than the width of your pan, otherwise your dough won't easily fit.
• Roll it like a burrito - The dough doesn't need to be tight, but we also don't want it to be too loose. Think about it like rolling a burrito. You want it to be tight enough to keep the fillings in there, but not so tight as to tear your tortilla!
• Place the dough seam-side down - Place the dough seam-side down in your loaf pan. You don't need to do anything with the ends. They'll press against the ends of the pan and seal up on their own!
• Cover loosely for the second rise - Cover the dough loosely with greased plastic wrap (or a kitchen towel). You don't want this to stick to the dough, but you also don't want it to restrict your dough in any way while it's rising. This will help to give you an even final loaf shape after baking!

Storage

Room Temperature Storage: Once the bread has cooled completely, store this sandwich bread in an airtight bag or container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Freezer Storage: Once the bread has cooled completely, place it in a freezer-safe plastic bag or container and remove as much air as possible. Freeze for up to 2 months. This will work for either the whole loaf, or with individual slices.

• Thawing the whole loaf: When you're ready, let the bread thaw at room temperature until no longer cold. You can refresh the bread by reheating it in an oven at 350 degrees F until it's warmed through. Slice and serve.
• Thawing individual slices: You can let the slices thaw at room temperature until no longer cold, or you can pop them in the toaster to warm them up.

Then, refresh the loaf and return it to near-fresh quality by reheating it in an oven preheated to 350 degrees Fahrenheit; take it out when it is warmed through.

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