Easy Whole Wheat Sourdough Sandwich Bread With Honey

This easy overnight whole wheat sourdough sandwich bread is soft and airy with a delicious, slightly nutty flavor. 

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Like my staple sourdough sandwich bread, I have created this recipe to be beginner-friendly. I love it when a recipe is so easy that I can memorize the ingredients in just a few bakes!

Though it is simple to make, don’t underestimate this delicious loaf. Its mouthwatering flavor makes it a perfect sandwich loaf, and the slices are irresistible when toasted and slathered in butter!

This recipe features whole grains, white flour, honey, salt, and sourdough starter. You do not need a stand mixer to make it; no stretch and folds are required.  

Find more simple sourdough recipes here, and get my delicious enriched sourdough sandwich bread loaf right here. 

Why You’ll Love This Recipe:

This bread loaf is dreamy and delectable: it’s soft and fluffy, the flavor is out of this world, and the bread slices like butter.

I tested this recipe multiple times, looking for the easiest recipe that produced the most amazing loaf of bread.  

Using minimal ingredients and NO dairy, the loaf is amazingly soft and delicious. With only a few simple ingredients and very little hands-on time, you can create an indulgent Artisan sandwich bread. 

This bread recipe is easy: you do not need a stand mixer; just mix the dough with your hands. There are also no stretch and folds required.

Ingredients

• 200 grams whole wheat flour
• 300 grams bread flour or all purpose flour
• 100-gram active sourdough starter: starter that has been fed 4-8 hours before starting the recipe and is active and bubbly. (Learn how to feed your starter here).
• 1.5 tsp Salt:  Salt strengthens the gluten and adds flavor to the dough. 
• 1 Tablespoon Olive oil:  One tablespoon of olive oil gives the bread a soft, pliable texture. 
• 2 Tablespoons Honey:  This delicious sweetener adds a warm flavor to the bread – a perfect contrast to the wheat. 
• 300 grams of Warm Water:  I like to use filtered water to prevent chemicals from infiltrating the recipe.  I typically use water that is around 80-84 degrees F. 

Notes:  You can substitute maple syrup or sugar for the honey. 

Baker’s Timeline

Here is the exact timeline I used to make this delicious loaf. Keep in mind that room temperature affects bulk fermentation time. 

• 1:00 pm: Feed sourdough starter a ratio of 1 part starter to 2 parts flour and water. 
• 10:00 pm: Mix the dough, cover, and let rise. 
• 9:00 am:  Shape dough, place in pan and cover.
• 12:00 pm:  Bake

Same-day timeline: This loaf takes 12-14 total hours to rise, depending on your home’s temperature. However, I have baked this whole wheat bread on the same day, starting around 7 am and baking around 9:30 pm.

When I use this timeline, we enjoy the loaf the next morning for breakfast. 

Adding Water To The Oven

Adding a pan of water to the oven at the beginning of the bake will encourage the bread to stay moist and improve oven spring. It can also lessen cracking along the sides of the bread.

Add a pan with 2 cups of water underneath it while it bakes for the first 15 minutes.

I only do this occasionally, but if you value perfect-looking bread, include this step!

How To Make Whole Wheat Sourdough Sandwich Bread

I recommend using a simple scale like this one to weight the ingredients for this recipe.

Step 1:  Mix + Bulk Rise

Add the water and active starter to a medium or large bowl and whisk together. Add the whole wheat and white flour, salt, olive oil, and honey. Mix very well using damp hands or a spatula.

Cover the dough with a damp tea towel or plastic wrap. The dough will be wet and slightly sticky. This is the start of bulk fermentation.

Let the dough sit until it has doubled in size and has a slight dome. There may be a few bubbles in the dough when it is done.  

Step 2: Second Rise

Prepare a 9×5 pan by greasing it with oil or butter and dusting it with flour. This step is important, as the dough tends to stick in the pan if you don’t thoroughly grease it.

After the first rise is complete, gently dump the dough onto a clean work surface. Shape your bread dough by stretching it into a rectangle and then rolling it from one side to the other to form a log.

Tuck the ends in as you roll. Set the dough into the pre-greased loaf pan. 

Cover the dough loosely with a damp tea towel or put the pan in a ziplock bag (leaving the end open). Let the dough rise for a second time until the top reaches the edge of the loaf pan.

Step 3: Bake

Set a pan with two cups of water on the lower rack of your oven to create steam. Remove 15 minutes into your bake. 

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown. Remove the bread from the oven, let it sit for five minutes to cool, and then transfer it to a wire rack to finish cooling.

For best results, wait an hour before slicing into the loaf. 

Shaping

Roll the dough out onto a clean surface and pat it into a rectangle. Roll one side of the dough towards the middle, then tuck in the ends. Finish rolling the bread to create a log.  

To create tension in the dough’s top, you can flip the dough over and stitch the seams (as shown) or pull the dough towards you.  

Use your hands or a bench scraper to tidy up and final shape your dough, then put it in the greased pan. 

Storage

Make sure the bread is completely cool before storing it. 

Store your whole wheat sandwich bread in an airtight container, such as a plastic bag.  It will stay fresh for several days. 

To freeze, wrap the bread tightly in plastic wrap, then again in aluminum foil.  Store in the freezer for up to three months. 

​Tips

• Both ambient and water temperatures will affect this dough’s rise time.  I created and tested this recipe in a kitchen that hovers between 71 and 72 degrees F.  In a colder environment, it may take longer to bake. 
• The bread is done baking when the internal temperature reaches 190 degrees F. 
• If life gets in the way and you can’t bake your bread, just stick the dough into the fridge until you are ready to bake!
• If the dough is not rising to the rim of the pan, consider using a small heating pad to warm it up. Set the dough on the pad and turn it low to speed up the rise. 

Try my Jalapeno cheddar, chocolate chip, and whole wheat loaves for more delicious sourdough bread recipes.