This sourdough discard sandwich bread is soft and reliable like a sandwich bread should be, but with the added tanginess of sourdough discard. It is quick and easy to make and it is a great way to use up that sourdough discard you have hiding in the back of the fridge.
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I am a big fan of sourdough baking. I enjoy the process from feeding the starter, to stretching and folding, to bulk fermenting, and finally crossing my fingers and hoping for that perfect oven spring. But sometimes (most of the time lately) I just don't have the time. So I shove my starter to the back of the refrigerator and try to ignore it.
I can only ignore it for so long before giving it some love, and as a result I have accumulated a large jar of sourdough discard in my refrigerator. I like to sneak it into all kinds of recipes like my sourdough discard banana bread, sourdough pancakes, basic pizza dough ( I am working on a discard recipe!), and into my honey white sandwich bread. Well I finally decided to start adding these sourdough discard recipe variations to my blog, starting with this sourdough discard sandwich bread.
Why you will love this sourdough discard recipe
Flavor: This sourdough discard sandwich bread has a subtle tanginess from the sourdough discard and a hint of sweetness from the honey.
Texture: This sandwich bread is soft but has a nice tight crumb - meaning your toast toppings and sandwich fillings will not fall through any holes. This can sometimes be an issue with long fermented sourdough breads.
Quick and Easy: If you are reading this recipe, I'm betting you know how labor intensive some sourdough recipes can be. Well this sourdough discard bread is super quick and easy to whip up thanks to the addition of commercial yeast.
Ingredients for this recipe
Yeast: because we are using unfed sourdough starter, or discard, we need the yeast to help the bread rise. I use active dry but you can use instant if you prefer.
Honey: For a little sweetness to balance the tanginess of the discard. You can substitute with sugar.
Butter or Oil: I use salted butter but you can use unsalted or any neutral oil you prefer. Make sure the butter or oil is at soft room temperature.
Sourdough Discard: Sourdough discard is just unfed sourdough starter. It can be room temperature or cold. I scoop mine out of a big jar straight from the fridge and mine is quite tangy at this point. You can use a less ripe discard but will get less of a tang to the finished bread.
All Purpose Flour: I like to use unbleached and often organic. King Arthur is one of my go-to brands.
Salt: I test all of my recipes with Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt. If you use a fine table or sea salt you will want to use about half of what the recipe calls for.
How to make sourdough discard sandwich bread
Here are a few step-by-step photos of the recipe process. Since all sourdough starters are different, I can't predict how much flour yours will need to form a dough. Just make sure to add extra flour, a tablespoon at a time, until your dough pulls away from the sides and bottom of the bowl while mixing. This is a nice, soft dough with a tiny bit of stickiness. It should not be super sticky though.
Sourdough Discard Sandwich Bread FAQs
Sourdough discard is simply unfed or inactive sourdough starter. It is called discard because typically you will discard a portion of the inactive starter before feeding. Many sourdough bakers, including me, prefer to use this discard rather than wasting it.
Sourdough discard, or unfed sourdough starter, is inactive and does not have the rising properties of an active, bubbly sourdough starter. This sourdough discard sandwich bread recipe uses yeast as well as discard because the starter is unfed.
Yes! You can begin by mixing in a bowl with a wooden spoon and then transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead by hand for about 10 minutes. This is a nice soft dough so it won't take too much elbow grease, just a bit of hands on time.
You can use sourdough discard for so many recipes. It adds a nice tang to baked goods so keep that in mind when using it in sweeter applications like cookies, muffins, or cakes.
Sourdough discard lasts for weeks or even months in the fridge when tightly sealed - I speak from experience! As long as it smells pleasantly sour and shows no signs of mold or spoilage it is good to go. It will develop a dark liquid on top; this is called hooch and is totally normal and safe. You can either pour it off or stir it into the starter before using in sourdough discard recipes.
Sourdough Discard Sandwich Bread
- Total Time: 3 hours
- Yield: 1 9x5 loaf 1x
Description
This sourdough discard sandwich bread is soft and reliable like a sandwich bread should be, but with the added tanginess of sourdough discard. It is quick and easy to make and it is a great way to use up that sourdough discard you have hiding in the back of the fridge.
Ingredients
- 1 cup water, warmed to 100-110 degrees F
- 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
- ½ cup sourdough discard
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons butter, at soft room temperature
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Place warm water, yeast, and honey in the bowl of a stand mixer, mix well and allow to bloom for 5 minutes.
- Add sourdough discard and mix well before adding flour, butter, and salt.
- Mix on low with dough hook for about 1 minute and then increase speed to medium low and continue mixing for 7-10 minutes until a smooth dough forms. If the dough looks very sticky during this, add more flour 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough pulls away from the sides and bottom of the bowl.
- Cover dough and allow to rise until doubled in size, this takes about 1 hour in a warm place. I like to do this in my oven with the light on or you can use a bread proofing setting.
- Generously butter a 9x5 inch loaf pan and set aside.
- After dough doubles in size, transfer dough to a floured surface and press into an oval/rectangle about the same width as the loaf pan. Roll dough up tightly and place in prepared baking pan. I like to press down on it gently but firmly to distribute it into the pan. Cover and let rise for about an hour or until the dough has risen an inch above the top of the baking pan. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F while the dough rises.
- Bake dough in center of preheated oven for 35-40 minutes or until the loaf registers 190-200 degrees F in the center. Tent loaf with foil after 20 minutes to prevent over-browning if desired.
- When loaf is done, remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Since all sourdough starters are different, I can't predict how much flour yours will need to form a dough. Just make sure to add extra flour, a tablespoon at a time, until your dough pulls away from the sides and bottom of the bowl while mixing. This is a nice, soft dough with a tiny bit of stickiness. It should not be super sticky though.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes plus rising
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: bread, yeast bread, sourdough
- Method: baking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: sourdough discard sandwich bread, sourdough discard sandwich bread recipe, sourdough discard loaf bread, sourdough discard sandwich bread with starter, sourdough discard sandwich bread with yeast,
oh i LOVE this anita, I'm always looking for ways to use up discard AND for good sandwich bread recipes (the current one I"m using is just ok). I will have to try yours =)
Thank you Sam! We really like this one and I hope you do too!!