Sourdough Discard Sandwich Bread

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Soft, sourdough discard sandwich bread with a beautiful golden brown crust. This easy homemade bread recipe makes two loaves and is the perfect white sandwich bread.ย 

sourdough discard sandwich bread on a table with a napkin

If you’re looking for a way to use up sourdough discard, this recipe is it! No need to have active, bubbly starter for this sourdough discard sandwich bread recipe. It’s quick. It’s easy, it’s delicious…and perfectly sliceable for sandwiches.

Whether you are fixing peanut butter and jelly, a BLT, or a loaded meat and cheese sandwich, this is the sandwich bread you need.

About this Sourdough Discard Sandwich Bread recipe:

We call this a “lazy” sourdough discard bread. If you are looking for an artisan sourdough sandwich bread, this is not it. Those type of loaves have to rise overnight. This recipe is for when you want a quick loaf of bread, which is why it still uses yeast.

This sourdough recipe isn’t as chewy as an artisan loaf, but if you use bread flour has a chewier texture than traditional white bread. It’s a great way to use up sourdough discard since it still has yeast to help it rise.

Once you have the sourdough starter discard, mixing the bread is just like any other bread. This is an easy recipe we’ve made over and over again and had turn out perfectly every time. I love how the crust browns into a beautiful color that reminds me of autumn.

This bread is perfect alongside a bowl of soup, as French toast, in casseroles and sliced for sandwiches.

Sourdough Starter Discard

It’s important to know that you need a sourdough starter before you make this homemade bread. Active starter takes at least 48 hours, but has better flavor the longer it sits. You can find complete instructions on how to make sourdough bread starter here.

As you grow the active sourdough starter, you remove a portion of the starter and feed it. The part you removed is called “discard” and can be used in recipes along with another leavening agent (like in our sourdough pie crust and sourdough pumpkin pancakes. You still get that great sourdough flavor with less work!

The sourdough does not have to be active to use in this recipe. The same as with our whole wheat sourdough bread. Use the sourdough discard.

Tips for this Sourdough Discard Sandwich bRead

When I mix up yeast breads I use my stand mixer to knead the dough. If you happen to have a bread maker, you could use the dough setting and knead the dough that way.

But don’t worry…if you don’t have either of those appliances you can still make this bread! Simply mix the dough up in a large bowl and then knead the dough by hand for about 5-6 minutes.

  • About the milk: You want the milk to be warm, about 110-115 degrees so that the yeast can start to activate. Be sure it isn’t too hot!
  • About the yeast: The most important thing to remember about yeast is to make sure it is fresh. There’s nothing worse than getting part way through your homemade bread recipe and realize that the bread isn’t rising due to old yeast. Our favorite yeast is Red Star Platinum Yeast. It produces beautiful, tall loaves, every time. This yeast is an instant yeast so you don’t have to wait 5 minutes for the yeast to “proof”. Add the yeast to the warmed milk and then you’re immediately ready to add in the rest of the ingredients and mix.
  • About the flour: To make a rustic, chewy loaf of bread, you’ll want to use bread flour, which is a high gluten flour. If you want your bread softer in texture you can use all-purpose flour. The recipe calls for 4 ½ cups of flour. The dough should be slightly tacky when you touch it. If you feel you need to add a little more flour (especially if kneading by hand), add the flour a tablespoon at a time. I wouldn’t add more than an additional ½ cup flour. The more flour you add, the drier and harder your bread will be.
  • About rising bread dough: To allow the bread dough to rise until it is almost double in size. I like to set my oven to 170ยบ for a minute or two to let it warm. Then turn off the oven and place the covered bowl (with the dough inside) on the oven rack. Close the oven door and your dough will have a cozy, warm place to rise. My dough normally takes about 30-35 minutes to rise. This can potentially take around 60 minutes though, so be sure you plan enough time. Temperature, humidity and altitude can all play a part in how long it takes bread dough to rise.
  • The second bread dough rise: After the dough has risen once, you’ll divide the two in two, shape them into loaves and place them in a greased 9×5 or 8×4 loaf pan. Either size will work. Cover the pans and allow the loaves to rise for an additional 20-25 minutes before you bake them. Preheat the oven while the dough rises so they are ready to pop in the oven.
two loaves of sourdough discard sandwich bread

Bread Wash

To get this lovely golden brown color on this sourdough loaf, whisk together an egg and one tablespoon of water. Brush this on top of the loaf before baking. You can also brush a tablespoon of oil on top of the loaf of bread once the bread loaves have risen. The oil gives it a soft crust.

Read our complete guide to bread washes to see different results you can get on your sourdough discard sandwich loaf.

This is what bread looks like when you cut it while it is hot. It smooshes! But sometimes it is soooo worth it. It’s unbeatable with melted butter and honey on top.

closeup of a soft piece of sourdough discard bread with butter

How to Store Sourdough Discard Sandwich Bread

Store any leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.

You can also freeze this bread. Wrap once in plastic wrap, then wrap again in foil or another airtight container. Freeze for up to 2 months. When you are ready to use it, thaw the bread completely at room temperature before opening the packaging to ensure the bread stays fresh.

face on shot of sourdough bread
face on shot of sourdough bread

Sourdough Discard Sandwich Bread

4.80 from 269 votes
Soft, chewy sourdough discard sandwich bread with a beautiful golden brown crust. This easy homemade bread recipe makes two loaves and is the perfect white sandwich bread.ย 
Servings 20
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Rise Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes

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Ingredients
 

For the bread:

  • 1 1/2 cups warmed milk (110-115 degrees Fahrenheit) 12 ounces
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast (I love Red Star Platinum) 7 grams
  • 1 cup sourdough starter (discard works great in this recipe) 250 grams
  • 1/4 cup canola oil 2 ounces
  • 1 teaspoon salt 6 grams
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar 12 grams
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 3 grams
  • 4 1/2 cups bread flour (plus an additional ½ cup for handling the dough) 585 grams

For the bread wash:

  • 2 tablespoons canola oil OR
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tablespoon water

Instructions
 

  • Pour the warmed milk into the bowl of a stand mixer*. Sprinkle the yeast over the milk. 1 ½ cups warmed milk, 1 cup sourdough starter
  • Add the sourdough starter, canola oil, salt, sugar, baking soda and flour. 1 cup sourdough starter, ¼ cup canola oil, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, ½ teaspoon baking soda, 4 ½ cups bread flour
  • Using the dough hook attachment, mix the ingredients on medium speed until they are combined. Then set the mixer to medium speed and knead for 4-5 minutes. The dough should be slightly tacky to the touch. If you think the dough is too wet, add additional flour 1 tablespoon at a time, being careful not to add too much flour.ย 
  • Transfer the dough to a large bowl sprayed with cooking spray. Cover the bowl with a tea towel and allow the dough to do its first rise in a warm place for 30 minutes or until double.
  • Divide and shape the dough into two loaves and place them seam side down in greased 8ร—4 or 9ร—5 loaf pans. You can also line the pans with parchment paper for easy removal. Cover the loaf pans and allow the dough to rise for another 20 minutes.
  • Preheat the oven to 400ยบF.
  • Uncover the bread pans. To get a lovely golden brown color, whisk together an egg and one tablespoon of water. Brush this on top of the loaf before baking. OR you can also brush a tablespoon of oil on top of the loaf of bread once the bread loaves have risen. 2 tablespoons canola oil OR 1 large egg, 1 tablespoon water
    Both will give you a brown top, but the egg wash makes a shiny top.
  • Bake the bread loaves for 25-30 minutes. The top should be golden brown and the loaves should sound hollow when you tap it.
  • Allow the loaves to cool 10 minutes in the pans, then move them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

Notes

*If you don’t have a stand mixer, just mix the ingredients in a large mixing bowl and then knead by hand for 5 minutes.
**We call this a “lazy” sourdough bread. If you are looking for an artisan sourdough bread, this is not it. Those type of loaves have to rise overnight. This recipe is for when you want a quick loaf of bread, which is why it still uses yeast.**
Refer to the article above for more tips and tricks.
The calories shown are based on the recipe making two loaves, each being cut into 10 pieces. 1 serving is 1 slice of bread. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate. **We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information. **

Nutrition

Calories: 156kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 153mg | Potassium: 68mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 30IU | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 1.3mg
Course Bread
Cuisine American
Calories 156
Keyword comfort food, sourdough
About JulieJulie Clark

About Julie Clark

I'm Julie Clark, CEO and recipe developer of Tastes of Lizzy T. With my B.A. in Education and over 30 years of cooking and baking, I want to teach YOU the best of our family recipes.

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4.80 from 269 votes (170 ratings without comment)
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Bonnie
1 year ago

Curious, instead of first rise in a grease bowl, (I cut recipe in 1/2 so no need to cut into two) can it just be placed in a greased bread pan and then cooked? I am new to baking.

Beth
1 year ago

5 stars
I accidentally left out the baking soda….is this going to cause a problem? UGH….

Nancy Marino
2 years ago

5 stars
Love this recipe! Thank you for sharing it.

Donna
2 years ago

5 stars
This is a great recipe! My son loves it – and he is very picky. I love it because I can whip this one up when I run out of bread rather than going to the store. I’ve made it with canola oil and olive oil. Both work great. I’ve also subbed honey for the sugar. Very versatile. Thank you for a quick, tasty recipe.

Melanie
2 years ago

5 stars
I just wanted to comment that I made bread last night with almond milk and it turned out beautifully. Tasted amazing too! Thank you for sharing such a wonderful recipe!!

Sadie
2 years ago

This is an excellent way of using up discard. The dough came together effortlessly by hand, and handled beautifully without adding additional flour. The baked bread had a soft, moist, loose crumb and was great toasted or plain. I used the weight measures for everything but the oil. When I weighed 1/4 cup of canola oil it was less than 56 grams so I went with the lesser amount. I also used more salt. Both the first and second rises took about twice as long as the recipe indicated. The bread was baked to 190ยฐ in 25 minutes. Perfect for… Read more »

liz
2 years ago

5 stars
I enjoyed making this bread. came out really good. son loved it.

Tara Nathan
2 years ago

5 stars
Love this recipe! One thing that would be good to note, the first rise is until double, so if the time doesn’t work you understand when to make into loaves. The second rise does not state what condition the dough should be in before going into the oven, it just says “Let rise 20 minutes”. For a new bread maker, I’d love to know what the bread should look like prior to going into the oven. Does it need to rise double again? Is it going to rise while it bakes? Thanks!

Francine
2 years ago

Can I make this in a bread machine?

Sarah
2 years ago

5 stars
I make buns out of this recipe and switch out garlic spread mix for the sugar. I also sometimes add in jalapeno and chunks of cheddar which comes out fantastic. I make smaller buns with half the recipe – 13 smaller (2oz wet dough) buns. 400 degrees for about 20 minutes. I’ve also done it with raisins and cinnamon added in for a sweet bun. Lots of fun options here ๐Ÿ™‚ Love using this as a base!

Liz
2 years ago

Can u use oat milk or evaporated milk?

Nina
2 years ago

4 stars
Tasty bread but for some reason my didnโ€™t rise as much. I didnโ€™t have milk so I used 3 TBLS of Bobโ€™s Red Mill milk powder mixed in warm water and also put 60 grams of rye flour along with the bread flour. Could these 2 minor changes possibly effect the rise?

Juliana
2 years ago

5 stars
Omg. So happy to have found your recipe. I’m so tired of the long process of artisan bread and wasting discard. You recipe results in such tasty and soft bread that will now be my go to recipe. Thank you

Marisa
2 years ago

5 stars
This was super easy and very tasty. I used olive oil instead of canola and used 1/2 cup of whole wheat instead of all white flour. I’ll be making this again and again. Thank you as I hate tossing my sour dough discard.

Yvonne
2 years ago

5 stars
Hello there.
I am so pleased with the discard loaves. Iโ€™ve been baking bread for years and this is A-one. I am going to halve the recipe and try some hamburger buns.Iโ€™d like your thoughts on the quantity of yeast and baking times. I am thinking of 375 for 20 mins. Thanks again for a winner.