How to Make Same Day Whole Wheat Sourdough Sandwich Bread (No Overnight Rise)
This same day whole wheat sourdough sandwich bread is a simple, family-friendly recipe that makes sourdough baking approachable—even for busy moms. It’s baked in a regular loaf pan, so there’s no need for a Dutch oven or specialized tools, and it fits easily into your home rhythm. I guide you through each step, so even if you’ve never baked sourdough before, you’ll feel confident and supported. This recipe is perfect for providing your family with wholesome, nourishing slices of homemade bread every day.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Ready the same day. No overnight ferment required. You can mix, bake, and enjoy fresh sourdough sandwich bread in just one day — perfect for busy family schedules.
- Soft, sliceable sandwich texture. This loaf is tender and easy to slice, making it ideal for sandwiches, toast, grilled cheese, and packed lunches.
- Nutritious whole wheat goodness. Made with 60% whole wheat flour for extra flavor, fiber, and nourishment — without the heaviness that some whole wheat loaves can have.
- Simple, practical process. No complicated shaping, special equipment, or advanced techniques. If you can mix and fold dough, you can make this bread.
- Baked in a loaf pan. No Dutch oven or proofing basket needed. Just shape, place in the pan, and bake — perfect for everyday home baking.
- Perfect for batch baking. Easy to double or triple so you can bake several loaves at once and stock up for the week.
- Mild, family-friendly flavor. Gentle sourdough tang that even kids love — great for everyday eating.
Why Sourdough?
If you’ve spent any time in natural living or homesteading circles, you’ve probably noticed just how popular sourdough baking has become. When I first started experimenting with sourdough back in 2011, there simply wasn’t as much information available as there is today — and honestly, a lot of what was out there wasn’t very helpful. I baked plenty of dense, poorly risen, brick-like loaves before I finally learned the ins and outs of sourdough through a lot of trial and error.
Sourdough, of course, is the traditional way bread was made long before commercial yeast became widely available. Instead of packaged yeast, sourdough bread relies on the natural fermentation of dough by wild yeast and beneficial bacteria living in a sourdough starter. This slower fermentation takes more time, but it develops deeper, more complex flavor and often makes the bread easier to digest.
What Is the Best Flour for Sourdough Bread?
I recommend using bread flour and whole wheat flour for this recipe. If you mill your whole wheat flour at home, try to grind it at least a few days before baking. Allowing freshly milled flour to rest makes it easier to work with and helps improve the rise and overall texture of your bread.
If you’re short on time, grinding your flour the day before baking works well too — for example, when you take your starter out to feed it in preparation for baking day.
When I first started baking sourdough years ago, the common advice was to grind flour right before baking to prevent nutrient loss that supposedly happens during storage. But from what I’ve learned there’s very little solid evidence to support that claim.
More importantly, if you’re a beginner baker, you want flour that behaves predictably and is easy to handle. Letting freshly milled flour rest for at least a day helps relax the bran, improves hydration, and makes the dough much more manageable — which leads to better results and a more enjoyable baking experience.
Tips For The Perfect Loaf
- Making sourdough sandwich bread in a loaf pan is my favorite way to bake. I don’t need proofing baskets or a Dutch oven, and I can bake three loaves at once — which really matters when baking for a busy family. Our family of six goes through about six loaves of bread each week, so I usually bake three loaves one day and three the next. Then the bread baking is done for the week, which helps me stay efficient and keeps our kitchen rhythm simple.
- I always use a digital scale to weigh my ingredients. In my experience, weighing is far more accurate than using cup measurements and gives much more consistent results. If you’re new to sourdough baking, I strongly recommend working in metric and investing in an inexpensive digital scale. It gives you better control and makes success much more repeatable.
- Use your phone as a helpful baking tool. Set timers for resting periods, stretch and folds, and rise times. This makes it much easier to stay on track and helps prevent overproofing — one of the most common sourdough mistakes.
- I bake my loaves in glass loaf pans. To keep them from sticking, I oil them well with olive oil (tallow works beautifully too) and dust them generously with whole wheat flour. That said, any loaf pan will work. If you’re using metal pans, be sure to grease and flour them well or line them with baking paper for easy release.
- I used a whole wheat sourdough starter when developing this recipe, but any active starter will work. The most important thing is that your starter is well established, bubbly, and strong enough to raise the dough.
Ingredients
- Filtered water (or whey) at room temperature. For extra nutrition and a subtle tang, you can replace some or all of the water in this recipe with whey.
- Active sourdough starter used here as a natural leaven. Your started should be bubbly, risen (doubled or more), and the top should be slightly domed (which shows that it is at its peak of activity).
- Whole wheat bread flour adds nourishment and flavor without heaviness.
- Bread flour for softness and structure.
- Finely ground unrefined salt adds flavor and strengthens the dough.
Tools & Equipment
- Mixing bowl
- Spoon or hands for mixing
- Loaf pan
- Clean towel or simple cover
- Oven
How to Make Sourdough Sandwich Bread Step-by-Step
Step 1
Add your sourdough starter and water to a large mixing bowl, then stir until fully combined.
Step 2
Add the bread flour, whole wheat flour, and salt to the bowl.
Step 3
Use a wooden spoon or dough whisk to mix everything until a shaggy dough forms. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp tea towel, and let it rest (autolyse) for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Step 4
After the resting period, gently bring the dough together by folding all the edges toward the center.
Step 5
Flip the dough upside down, cover, and let it rest for another 30 minutes.
Step 6
Over the next 2 hours, you’ll perform stretch-and-folds to strengthen the dough. Lightly wet your hands and the work surface to prevent sticking. Lift one side of the dough upward and away from you, while holding the rest of the dough down with your other hand.
Step 7
Fold the lifted portion of dough back onto itself, like closing an envelope. Rotate the dough ¼ turn and repeat the stretch-and-fold process three more times. Continue performing stretches and folds every 30 minutes, keeping the dough covered between sessions to prevent it from drying out.
Step 8
After completing the stretch-and-fold sessions, transfer the dough to a pan or bowl for bulk fermentation. I like to use a loaf pan, which makes it easier to judge the rise. Cover the dough with a damp tea towel or loosely tent it with plastic, and let it rest in a warm spot until it increases by about 30–50%, becoming slightly puffy and airy but not fully doubled.
Step 9
Once the dough has risen, gently turn it out onto a lightly wet work surface. Stretch it into a rough rectangle roughly as wide as your loaf pan is long.
Step 10
Beginning at one of the shorter sides, carefully roll the dough into a tight log.
Step 11
Tuck the ends of the log underneath to create a smooth, rounded shape. Your dough is now shaped and ready to place in the loaf pan.
Step 12
Grease your loaf pan and dust it lightly with flour, then place the shaped dough inside. Loosely tent with plastic and let it rise in a warm spot until it increases by about 50–70%, coming close to the top of the pan without overflowing.
Step 13
Once the dough has risen, preheat your oven to 180°C / 350°F. Bake the bread for 25–30 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and it sounds hollow when tapped. Let the loaf cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then transfer it to a cooling rack to finish cooling completely.
Timing Options
Same Day
For a same-day whole wheat sourdough loaf, you’ll want to start early enough to allow all the rises and baking. Here’s a simple example timeline:
- 7:00 AM – Feed your starter so it’s active and bubbly.
- 9:00 AM – Mix dough and begin autolyse (45–60 min).
- 10:00 AM – Pre-fold and rest 30 min.
- 10:30–12:30 PM – Stretch-and-folds every 30 min.
- 12:30 PM – Bulk ferment until dough is puffed (~30–50% rise).
- 3:00 PM – Shape dough into loaf, place in pan.
- 3:00–4:00 PM – Second rise until ~50–70% increase.
- 4:00–4:30 PM – Bake at 180°C / 350°F for 25–30 min.
- 4:30–5:30 PM – Cool slightly in pan, then on rack.
By late afternoon, your fresh, wholesome sourdough sandwich bread is ready to enjoy!
Please also note that it’s important to let the dough rise somewhere warm, otherwise the rising time maybe longer and the bread might not be ready to bake until later in the evening.
Overnight
- You can easily adapt this recipe for an overnight rise to fit a more relaxed schedule. Simply mix the dough as usual, then place it in the refrigerator after the initial stretch-and-folds or after shaping in the loaf pan. Let it slowly ferment overnight (8–12 hours), then bake the next morning — the flavor will deepen, and the loaf may rise a little more slowly, but the texture will still be soft and sliceable.
- If you plan to do the second rise in the fridge, you can shorten the bulk ferment slightly so the dough isn’t fully puffy before shaping. Aim for a lightly risen dough (about 25–30% increase) — this gives the dough room to continue rising slowly in the cold, which helps develop flavor while preventing overproofing.
Storage, Shelf Life & Freezing
- Room temperature (best for everyday use): Store your sourdough sandwich bread well wrapped or in a bread box. If left loosely covered (like in a paper bag or tea towel), the loaf will dry out quickly — especially in dry climates. A bread box works beautifully if you plan to use the loaf within 2–3 days.
- Refrigerator (for extending freshness): Refrigeration helps sourdough last a little longer, especially in warm or dry environments. Keep the loaf well wrapped so it doesn’t absorb fridge odors or dry out.
- Freezer (best for long-term storage): Sourdough freezes very well as long as you take care to wrap it tightly to prevent freezer burn. You can freeze whole loaves or slice before freezing for easy grab-and-toast portions. Properly wrapped bread keeps well for several months. To defrost, simply thaw at room temperature — no need to reheat unless you want a freshly baked texture.
- What to do if bread goes stale: Sourdough naturally firms up after a few days — this is normal and doesn’t mean it’s spoiled. Stale bread is perfect for toast, casseroles, croutons, breadcrumbs, and many other dishes. If the bread develops mold or an unpleasant smell, discard or compost it. Bread stored in plastic can mold if moisture gets trapped, while unwrapped bread typically dries out instead of molding.
- How to refresh stale sourdough: Lightly mist the crust with water. Place in a preheated 180°C / 350°F oven for 8–10 minutes. Let cool before slicing for the best texture.
Using Up Leftover Sourdough
There are so many simple ways to use up old sourdough — and most don’t require complicated recipes or extra kitchen time. Try these easy ideas:
- Cheese toasties (broiled open sandwiches): Slice the sourdough and spread with a thin layer of butter. Add sliced or grated cheese, then broil until bubbly. These toasties are perfect alongside soup for lunch or stew for dinner.
- Mini sourdough pizzas: Use slices as your base. Spread with pizza sauce or plain tomato sauce, then add your favorite toppings and shredded cheese. Broil or bake until hot and melty.
- Homemade croutons: Cut bread into cubes, then fry in butter with fresh garlic (or olive oil and herbs). Use in salads or as a topping for soups.
- Bread pudding: This is a perfect way to use up larger amounts of stale bread. You could make it either sweet (try my bread and butter pudding with bananas and dates) or savory, like this bread and butter pudding with chicken and veggies.
- French toast or baked French toast casserole: Slightly stale sourdough absorbs custard beautifully. I have several recipes for French toast bakes on the blog, like this one with strawberries, as well as this apple and cinnamon French toast casserole, or this French toast bake with apples and blackberries.
- Garlic bread or cheesy garlic bread: Spread the slices of bread with garlic butter and toast or bake.
- Fresh breadcrumbs: Pulse in a food processor for coating meats, topping casseroles, or binding meatballs.
Recipe FAQ
Final Thoughts
I hope you’ll give this easy sourdough sandwich bread a try! I’ve carefully walked you through each step so you can feel confident baking your own wholesome, homemade loaf from scratch. If you have any questions or run into any trouble along the way, feel free to leave a comment — I’m always happy to help. And if you’d like more sourdough recipes, real food inspiration, and practical homemaking tips, be sure to subscribe to my weekly newsletter, written with love for real food moms just like you.
More Sourdough Bread Recipes For You
Sourdough Whole Wheat Blend Naan
Rich Whole Wheat Sourdough Sandwich Bread
Easy Whole Wheat Sourdough Sandwich Bread
Equipment
- digital kitchen scale
- mixing bowl and spoon
- standard loaf pan
Ingredients
- 350 grams filtered water or whey
- 70 grams active sourdough starter
- 300 grams whole wheat flour
- 200 grams bread flour
- 10 grams finely ground unrefined salt
Instructions
- Mix starter and water: Add sourdough starter and water to a large bowl and stir until combined.
- Add flours and salt: Mix in strong white flour, whole wheat flour, and salt until a rough dough forms.
- Autolyse: Mix with a wooden spoon or dough whisk until shaggy, cover, and rest 45–60 minutes.
- Pre-fold: Bring edges of the dough to the center, flip it upside down, cover, and rest 30 minutes.
- Stretch and fold: Over the next 2 hours, perform stretch-and-folds every 30 minutes. Wet hands and surface slightly, lift one side, fold it over like an envelope, rotate ¼ turn, and repeat 3 more times. Keep dough covered between folds.
- Bulk ferment: Transfer dough to a loaf pan or bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm spot until puffed and increased by 30–50%.
- Shape the dough: Turn dough onto a lightly wet surface and stretch into a rough rectangle roughly as wide as your your loaf pan is long.
- Roll and tuck: Roll the dough from the shorter side into a log, then tuck the ends underneath. Place in a greased and floured loaf pan.
- Second rise: Loosely cover with plastic and let rise until the dough increases by 50–70%, nearly reaching the top of the pan.
- Bake: Preheat oven to 180°C / 350°F. Bake 25–30 minutes, until golden brown and hollow-sounding when tapped.
- Cool: Let the bread cool in the pan 10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to finish cooling before slicing.
Notes
- Room temp: Keep wrapped or in a bread box for 2–3 days.
- Refrigerator: Extends freshness a few extra days.
- Freezer: Wrap tightly; lasts several months. Thaw at room temp before slicing.
- Stale bread: Perfect for toast, croutons, breadcrumbs, or casseroles.
- Refresh: Mist with water and bake at 180°C / 350°F for 8–10 min.
