Kate's Soft Sourdough Master Recipe (2024)

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As someone who is somewhat recipe obsessed- not in terms of following and trying new recipes, but in reading them and gleaning tips and tricks and methods to improve my cooking and baking, when I came across a sourdough sandwich bread recipe the other day with a different method...I knew I needed to play around with it.

Kate's Soft Sourdough Master Recipe (1)

My Sourdough Sandwich Bread is a weekly bread for so many families and for that, I am honoured. I am tagged on Instagram on a daily basis in peoples' baking posts and it never ceases to thrill me.

The ingredients in this recipe are basically the same, albeit in slightly different measurements. It's also measured in cups not grams, which many find so much more approachable and easier to get into sourdough baking without the added step of figuring out weighing ingredients too.

Kate's Soft Sourdough Master Recipe (2)

What's different is the method: you're going to mix up your starter with specific measurements the night before. Many refer to this as a levain, pre-ferment, sponge...if that feels overwhelming, just think of it as feeding your starter a specific amount, because that's all you're really doing.

Next is the proofing. You've got an overnight variation or a "make it one day" variation. For the make it one day method; it doubles and you punch it down after 2-3 hours and then let it rise another 2-3 before shaping. You may be saying but Kate - never has my dough ever been ready to shape after such a short time! I'm here to tell you, my dough, which is NEVER ready to shape after such a short time...is ready after such a short time. Like, hold my beer and watch this. Even if my house is cold, it still works. If my house is like REALLY cold...I'll turn the oven on for a minute, turn it off, then put the shaped bread to rise in there.

The next drastic change is the temperature. For those who have struggled with dark crusts and dark bread at high temps; breathe a sigh of relief, this bakes at 375F. After it comes out of the oven, I slather the top in butter and leave it in the pan to cool. The bread 'sweats' in the pan a bit and softens the side crusts. It's not as sweaty as it sounds, I promise, it works well.

Now the REAL magic in this recipe...is that without needing to be heavily enriched with eggs, oil or sugar...it's soft enough to make cinnamon buns, french bread, and dinner/sandwich buns. Yes friends, one recipe, FOUR ways to bake it. And I'm not done experimenting. I have more up my sleeve.

While I love the original sourdough sandwich bread recipe, it's not super versatile. It's a loaf of bread only. This is the sort of recipe I need. One that I can make over and over and use it all sorts of ways. One that doesn't require loads of butter or eggs to make soft cinnamon buns. A loaf of french bread for soup. A dough I can make a big batch worth and make it a few different ways: some buns to go with dinner, cinnamon buns for a treat, and a loaf of bread for tomorrow.

Your starter to make the preferment needs to be fed somewhat recently, but it can be falling/needing to be fed. It doesnt need to be at optimal bread baking state.

The recipe is written to make one loaf, but if you hold your mouse/tap your finger over the recipe card where it says "servings: 1 loaf," a little slider should pop up where you can adjust it to fit your needs. While I never make just one loaf, it made the most sense for using the dough for other variations to write up the master recipe as one loaf's worth of dough.

OVERNIGHT TWEAKS - In my extensive testing of this recipe, I have found if you are doing an overnight rise, you can skip the autolyze rest before kneading AND skip the first punch down and rise. Just let mix, knead, let it rise, punch down and shape in the morning.

EXCESS EGGS IN YOUR HOME?! You can swap ¼ cup of milk for an egg! Add the egg in step 3. It adds an awesome boost to your dough and when you've got extra eggs, why not?!

Kate's Soft Sourdough Master Recipe (3)

Kate Schat

This one sourdough bread dough can be made into loaves, french bread, cinnamon buns or buns, all soft and fluffy like you didnt know sourdough could be.

4.85 from 133 votes

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Cook Time 45 minutes mins

rising time 6 hours hrs

Total Time 6 hours hrs 45 minutes mins

Course Bread

Cuisine American

Servings 12 servings

Calories 187 kcal

Ingredients

Pre-Ferment

  • ½ cup sourdough starter it needs to have doubled, but can be falling and needing to be fed, it does not need to be at 'optimal bread baking state'
  • ½ cup warm water
  • cups all-purpose flour

Dough

  • Pre-ferment from above
  • 1 tablespoon butter, coconut oil or olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon honey sub 1 tablespoon honey for 1 tablespoon maple syrup or 2 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup milk (save buttermilk from making butter for this if you have it!) sub non dairy milk or yogurt/cultured buttermilk watered down to to milk consistency.
  • 2 ¼-2 ¾ cup all purpose flour
  • Butter to brush crust after baking

Instructions

  • I recommend reading the blog post before the recipe, there is some different steps here that may feel confusing, but are explained in the post. Happy Baking!

Pre-ferment

  • Mix the pre-ferment of sourdough starter, flour, and water up 8-24 hours before you want to bake. The longer beforehand, the more sour your end product will be. If I plan to mix the dough in the morning, I make it before bed. Cover with plastic wrap or a plastic bag and let sit on the counter.

To Make the Dough

  • Melt butter, honey, and salt on low in a saucepan. When it's melted and combined, turn off the heat, add your milk, and stir to combine. With a thermometer or your finger, test the temperature of the mixture. By thermometer, it should be no more than 105F. By your finger...you should be able to comfortably hold it in for 10 seconds. If it's not this warm, turn the heat back on to warm it. If I use a heavy bottom pot, there is enough residual heat to heat the milk, if I use something like a thin enamel pot, there isn't.

  • Add the warm liquid to your mixer (or bowl you plan to mix the dough in) and add your pre-ferment.

  • Stir to combine; it's not going to combine super well until you start adding flour.

  • Add your flour, starting on the low end, and mix the dough, adding more flour as needed just until it's combined, but not a cohesive, nice dough.

  • Let sit 15-30 minutes, then knead the dough.

  • This dough takes more kneading than most- my mixer kneads on low for 10 minutes, so if kneading by hand, you're going to knead about 10-15 minutes.

  • If the dough sticks to the bowl or your hands, add a little more flour, but try not to add too much. It's not a stiff dough, it's on the softer side. Try wetting your hands/counter for kneading if it's sticking and you've already added a lot more flour.

Bake in One Day Method

  • Cover your dough with plastic wrap or a plastic bag and let rise 2-3 hours until it looks like it's kind of doubled (don't overthink it, as long as it's 1.5'd its original size).

Overnight Method (see notes)

  • Cover your dough with plastic wrap or a plastic bag and let sit overnight. It will be gigantic and beautiful in the morning. Skip the second rise with the overnight method. see notes

For Bake in One Day Method: Continue as Below

  • Punch your dough down, give it a few kneads. Yes, you are letting it rise twice before shaping. For more on this, read the blog post above the recipe card.

  • Cover with plastic wrap or a plastic bag and let sit 2-3 hours until it's doubled. To test if your dough has doubled, dip your finger in flour and poke the dough. If the dough bounces back- it's got more to give and needs to keep rising. If the dough stays indented, it's given all it has to give and you can proceed.

To Shape your Loaf

  • If you're using this recipe for French Bread, Cinnamon Buns, or Normal Buns, this is where you switch over to that recipe. To use as sandwich bread, proceed as follows.

  • Dump your dough onto a lightly floured counter, press out with your hands to make a rectangle roughly the size of your two hands flat, side by side (roughly 6"x10"). Fold the dough like you were folding a piece of paper to go in an envelope, flip seam side down and let rest 10 minutes.

  • This is called a bench rest or par-shape. It helps your dough keep shape in its final shape and your loaf of bread will be taller.

  • After ten minutes, flip the dough seam side up, flatten out to the same size. This part is funny to describe but fold your rectangle so it's now a triangle, and then starting at the point of the triangle roll it inwards. When it's all rolled up, tuck any non-conforming parts in to make it a good size to fit in your loaf pan. Pinch the seam together, flip seam side down onto a piece of parchment paper. Pop it into your loaf pan.

  • Cover with a tea towel and let rise 2-3 hours, until it's doubled. If your house is like REALLY cold- 60F or lower...I suggest turning your oven on for a minute or two (put a cast iron pan in there to hold some heat!), turn oven off, then put covered loaf pan in the oven to rise.

  • When it's doubled and ready to bake, (don't forget to take it out of the oven!) preheat oven to 375F.

  • Slash the top of the dough with a sharp knife to allow for expansion.

  • Bake for 20 minutes, flip around and bake another 20 minutes.

  • After the second round of 20 minutes (40 min total) check the internal temp of your loaves- this is the most reliable way to know your bread is ready. Your bread should be 190-200F, if not put it in for another 5 minutes.

  • When your bread is done, take it out of the oven, leave it in the loaf pan to cool, and brush butter on the top. This can be melting and using a brush or just rubbing a stick of butter over the top. This step is technically optional but it REALLY makes a nice soft crust that stays soft.

  • Now the easy part...enjoy your bread! I prefer to slice it all right away. Anything you wont eat within 2-3 days pop in freezer in a bag once its cooled.

Notes

  • OVERNIGHT TWEAKS - In my extensive testing of this recipe, I have found if you are doing an overnight rise, you can skip the autolyze rest before kneading AND skip the first punch down and rise. Just let mix, knead, let it rise, punch down and shape in the morning.
  • EXCESS EGGS IN YOUR HOME?! You can swap ¼ cup of milk for an egg! Add the egg in step 3. It adds an awesome boost to your dough and when you've got extra eggs, why not?!

Variations:

  • Cinnamon Buns
  • Dinner Rolls
  • French Bread

Nutrition

Calories: 187kcalCarbohydrates: 36gProtein: 5gFat: 2gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 4mgSodium: 229mgPotassium: 68mgFiber: 1gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 59IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 26mgIron: 2mg

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Kate's Soft Sourdough Master Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How to make sourdough bread softer? ›

use some oil in the dough, lots of steam (and don't bake it super dark), and let it ferment longer- i let this dough sit in the fridge for 48 hours. You can even put your bread in a bread box or bag when it's still a little warm to soften the crust.

What is the secret to a good sourdough starter? ›

The best temperature for a sourdough starter is between 75-80ºF (24-27ºC). At a warmer temperature, a sourdough starter will rise and ferment faster. You will need to feed a sourdough starter more often in warm temperatures, and your sourdough starter might be more acidic.

What bakery has the oldest sourdough starter? ›

Boudin Bakery: San Francisco

Boudin Bakery in San Francisco has been using the same sourdough starter since 1849. Boudin is the oldest continuously operating business in San Francisco, its website says. This bakery was also the first to invent sourdough french bread, according to the same site.

What is the oldest sourdough starter recipe? ›

Blackley's sourdough starter, created from 4,500 year-old yeast, is considered the oldest sourdough starter, per Oldest. Other starters like the Saint Honoratus Wheat also are quite old. A bakery called Chrissi's Farmhouse Bakery uses it and said, “This noble starter dates back 900 years.

How do you soften sourdough bread? ›

Splash some water over the top of your bread, just enough to become slightly damp. Place the loaf in a 250°F oven for 5 to 10 minutes. Watch it closely and remove it when warm. Too long in the oven and you'll get dried-out toast.

What is the secret to softer bread? ›

One of the easiest ways our bakers follow to make bread soft and fluffy is by using 1-2 tablespoons of lubricant/fats such as vegetable oil to wet the ingredients. This will prevent the formation of excess gluten, as excess gluten makes bread chewy.

Do you have to discard sourdough starter every time you feed it? ›

Do I have to discard my sourdough starter? It would be best to discard some portion of your starter each time you feed it unless you want to continue to let it grow. Eventually, you need to discard the used food (flour and water) that's sustained your starter during the last fermentation period.

What is the best flour for sourdough bread? ›

High-protein white bread flour is one of the many classes of flour that can be used for baking sourdough bread.

Does sourdough starter get better the older it is? ›

While the age of your starter won't make your bread any better — turns out, only good sourdough practices can do that — it's a link in the long legacy of sourdough, one of the oldest forms of baking that exists. Whether your starter is a week or a decade old, you can become part of that lineage as well.

What is the most famous sourdough bread? ›

San Francisco Sourdough

Since 1849, Boudin Bakery has been the home of a San Francisco classic. The bread that began with the gold rush—local flavor and history baked into every loaf.

What is the mother of sourdough starter? ›

Mother - this is the overall dough culture that lives in a bowl in your fridge. We take portions from it to make our ferments (Starter) for our sourdough recipes. When the mother culture gets low, we add to it (feed it).

What city made sourdough famous? ›

Somehow, the bread tasted tangier and more flavourful than it did elsewhere, and thus San Francisco sourdough was born. More than 170 years later, San Francisco is synonymous with sourdough bread.

What killed my sourdough starter? ›

Things that Will Kill A Sourdough Starter

Starvation - if you don't feed your starter for a long period of time it will develop harmful bacteria and mold. This will smell terrible and look orange, pink or fuzzy and green.

Why is sourdough starter discarded? ›

When you feed sourdough starter, you must remove a portion of the starter to make room for the flour and water you're adding to the mixture. Sourdough discard is the portion of starter that gets removed as part of its routine maintenance.

How long is too long for sourdough starter? ›

Yes, it's safe and possible to store your sourdough starter if you want to take a break from baking bread. You can store your starter for short periods (up to a week or three) in the refrigerator, or months by drying it out, or even years by completely dehydrating it and saving the dried pieces in a sealed container.

Why is my homemade sourdough bread so hard? ›

Under-proofing the dough is a very common issue. You can tell if your loaf was under-proofed after it has been baked. A thick and chewy crust (that is hard to cut), a gummy and undercooked texture, a dense crumb, a few large sporadic holes…these are all signs of an under-proofed loaf.

Why is my sourdough so stiff? ›

I feel like, more often than not, the issue is under-hydrated—meaning you didn't put enough water into the dough. If your dough is too stiff, basically that means it's resistant to being blown up by the yeast. DOGU: If your hydration is low, increase it.

How to make sourdough bread less dense? ›

Use sifted flour to make your sourdough less dense

By sifting your flour and getting rid of part of the bran you can ensure that your dough will keep more of the structure formed by the gluten to make your sourdough less dense and give you a lighter loaf.

Why is my sourdough not soft? ›

One of the most common mistakes is having a dough temperature that's too low for the starter to feed on all the flour in the dough, resulting in a crumb that's dense, with fewer openings. "Starter is happiest and most active at around 75 degrees. If it's a lot colder, the process will be much slower.

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