The Easiest Sourdough Discard Sandwich Bread Recipe (Dairy-Free)
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If you are looking for bread you can make within a few hours, this Sourdough Discard Sandwich Bread is for you! This bread is super fluffy and soft and is super easy to make with a very forgiving timeline. It is also dairy-free and refined sugar-free making it the perfect bread choice for a variety of needs.

This bread is my kid’s favorite, which says a lot when they have tried all of my sourdough recipes! This bread is the best of both worlds, you get a quicker rise with active dry yeast while still getting the sourdough flavor from the sourdough discard. It has a soft crust and is the perfect bread for a PB&J or grilled cheese sandwich. If you want to make bread with a sourdough starter instead of dry yeast, check out my Sourdough Sandwich Bread recipe!

Reasons why you will love this recipe
- This bread has a forgiving timeline and can be made on the same day, in as little as three hours. It is the perfect recipe when you need bread quickly!
- It is the perfect way to use up extra sourdough discard!
- Made with active dry yeast for a quick and easy sandwich bread.
- The bread is sweetened with honey or maple syrup, making it a refined sugar-free recipe.
- It is dairy-free and made with oil instead of butter.
- It is made with whole wheat flour and bread flour giving you the nutrients without sacrificing a soft crumb.
What is Sourdough Discard?
Sourdough discard is a leftover sourdough starter that is no longer active and ideal to use as a leavener in recipes like sourdough bread and cinnamon rolls. However, it can be added to recipes to add the signature sourdough tang and helps add moisture. With this recipe, using the sourdough discard gives the bread the sourdough flavor you love, but without having to wait for the long fermentation and rise that comes with using an active sourdough starter. You can learn more about sourdough discard and its uses here.
Sourdough discard can be added to a wide variety of baked goods. Everything from crackers, muffins, cookies, and pancakes! You can find all my sourdough discard recipes here.

Recommended tools to make sourdough discard bread
Mixer
You can knead this bread by hand or use a Kitchen Aid stand mixer with a dough hook attachment. You can also use a Bosch Mixer! I recently upgraded and love how easy it is to make multiple loaves at once.
Loaf Pan
I love my USA 1lb Bread Pans for sourdough sandwich bread. My loaves come out of the pan easily and bake evenly.
Bread Knife
Once you bake your loaf, you will need a good bread knife to achieve clean, even slices. I always reach for my Mercer Bread Knife.
Warming mat
If your house runs cold this proofing mat (use code country10 for 10% off) works great for keeping your dough warm while rising.

Ingredients for Sourdough Discard Sandwich Bread
- Active Dry Yeast – The yeast is added to leaven the bread, making the rise time much quicker than bread leavened with a sourdough starter.
- Water – You can use tap water or filtered water but I highly recommend heating up the water
- Sourdough discard – Discard is used to give the sourdough flavor.
- Honey – You can also swap for pure maple syrup
- Salt – Any type of salt works!
- Flour- A combination of whole wheat flour and bread flour is used in this recipe.
- Oil – I recommend olive oil or avocado oil but any kind will work.
Instructions to make Sourdough Discard Sandwich Bread
Kneading
First, add the warm water, honey, and yeast to a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer and let it sit for 5 minutes until the mixture gets bubbly. This will help activate the yeast.


After the mixture is nice and bubbly, add in the remaining ingredients. Knead all together for 15 minutes in a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment or by hand. The dough should be soft and pliable and be able to pass the windowpane test.
Windowpane Test

The windowpane test is performed by gently pulling a section of the dough thinly enough that you can see light through it. If you can see light through the dough, it is a sign the dough is strong and elastic enough to move forward. Be sure to let the dough rest for 2-3 minutes before performing the test to ensure the dough is relaxed. If the dough tears when pulled thin continue kneading it up to 20 minutes.
First Rise
Shape the dough into a ball and add to a large bowl. Cover with a tea towel and let rise in a warm place. If the dough stays above 80F this will take as little as 40 minutes.
Shaping
Once the dough doubles in size, punch the dough down. Place the dough on the counter, lightly flouring if needed, and divide the dough into 2 equal sections. Gently pull the dough into a rectangle. Fold the top of the dough one third of the way on top of the dough. Then bring one side of the dough to the middle followed by the other side. Roll the dough up like a cinnamon roll. Pinch the sides of the dough to seal the seams. Repeat with the other loaf.

Second Rise
Place the dough into two greased 9×5 loaf pans with the seam side down. Let the dough rise for another 30 mins-1 hour until is has doubled in size in the pan and has risen above the side of the loaf pan.

Baking
Bake in a 350F degree oven for 35-40 minutes. The internal temperature of the loaf should be 190F. Once baked remove the loaf from the pan and let it cool on a cooling rack. Brush the tops with oil for a softer crust.

How to store this sandwich bread
Once the loaf cools completely, you can store it in a bread box or ziplock bag. It usually will last 5-7 days unless humidity is high which can cause it to mold quicker.
This sourdough discard sandwich bread freezes well too. I like to keep one on my counter and one in the freezer. You can either freeze the entire loaf uncut or sliced. To freeze an uncut loaf simply wrap it in foil or place it in a freezer-safe ziplock. Once you are ready to eat the loaf place it on your counter covered overnight to thaw. To pull slices out individually, cut the loaf and place pieces of parchment paper in between each slice. Place in a freezer-safe ziplock and pull slices out as needed.

Tips for Success
- You want to ensure that the dough doubles in size and once in the loaf pan that it rises above the rim. This ensures a soft and fluffy loaf. The key to getting your dough to rise is a warm temperature. If you are having trouble getting your dough to rise or your house is on the cooler side, you can use a warming mat to speed up the process.
- Be sure to use warm water when combining with the yeast. The warmth helps activate the yeast, but be careful not to use hot water. If the water is too hot, it can actually kill the yeast! To test, you can stick your finger in the water and if it is a warm and comfortable temperature then you are good to go.
- Wait for the loaf to cool on a cooling rack before slicing the loaf. This will help the crumb to set and will keep the loaf fresher for longer.
- To make slicing easier turn the loaf on its side to cut.
More Sourdough Bread Recipes
Sourdough Sandwich Bread– This recipe will yield a similar bread to the Sourdough Discard Sandwich Bread, but is made with wild yeast from the active sourdough starter.
Simple Artisan Sourdough Bread– This is the perfect sourdough bread recipe for beginners to make a loaf with a crispy crust and soft on the inside.
Sourdough Bread in Loaf Pan– No Dutch oven? No problem! You can still make an artisan sourdough loaf with just a loaf pan!

The Easiest Sourdough Discard Sandwich Bread
Ingredients
- 180 grams warm water ¾ cup
- 7 grams active dry yeast 2 ¼ teaspoon
- 60 grams honey ¼ cup
- 120 grams whole wheat flour 1 cup
- 343 grams bread flour 2 ½ cup
- 180 grams sourdough discard ¾ cup
- 10 grams salt 1 ½ tsp
- 60 grams olive oil ¼ cup
Instructions
- Add the warm water, honey, and yeast to a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer and let it sit for 5 minutes until the mixture gets bubbly. This will help activate the yeast.180 grams warm water, 60 grams honey, 7 grams active dry yeast
- After the mixture is nice and bubbly, add in the remaining ingredients. Knead all together for 15 minutes in a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment or by hand. The dough should be soft and pliable and be able to pass the windowpane test. 120 grams whole wheat flour, 343 grams bread flour, 180 grams sourdough discard, 10 grams salt, 60 grams olive oil
- The windowpane test is performed by gently pulling a section of the dough thinly enough that you can see light through it. If you can see light through the dough, it is a sign the dough is strong and elastic enough to move forward. Be sure to let the dough rest for 2-3 minutes before performing the test to ensure the dough is relaxed. If the dough tears when pulled thin continue kneading it up to a total of 20 minutes.
- Shape the dough into a ball and add to a large bowl. Cover with a tea towel and let rise in a warm place. If the dough stays above 80F this will take as little as 40 minutes.
- Once the dough doubles in size, punch the dough down. Place the dough on the counter, lightly flouring if needed, and divide the dough into 2 equal sections. Gently pull the dough into a rectangle. Fold the top of the dough one third of the way down on top of the dough. Then bring one side of the dough to the middle followed by the other side. Roll the dough up like a log. Pinch the sides of the dough to seal the seams. Repeat with the other loaf. Or for an easier shaping, roll the dough out into a rectangle the length of the bread pan. Roll the dough up like a log and pinch the seams together.
- Place the dough into two greased 9×5" loaf pans with the seam side down. Let the dough rise for another 30 mins-1 hour until is has doubled in size in the pan and has risen above the side of the loaf pan.
- Bake in a 350℉ degree oven for 35-40 minutes. The internal temperature of the loaf should be 190F. Once baked remove the loaf from the pan and let it cool on a cooling rack. Brush the tops with oil for a softer crust.
Notes
Swaps:
- You can swap olive oil for a different type if you prefer.
- You can swap honey for maple syrup or sugar.
- You can remove whole wheat flour and swap for all bread flour if you want a full white bread.
I plan on making this and am wondering if it will fit in my 12×5 bread pan? Or should I split it into 2 smaller ones?
All the dough should fit in a 12 x 5 that’s a pretty big pan.
Tried this today and it turned out beautifully. I followed the recipe, except I swapped avocado oil for olive oil. The times for rising were pretty accurate for me, too, though I turned my toaster oven to “warm” and put the dough near it since it’s Jan and my kitchen is chilly. Thank you for a great recipe!
I overproofed my second rise 🤦 but it is delicious! Flat but oh so tasty!😅
This bread exceeded my expectations. So easy. So delicious!
Could you use an Active starter instead of yeast and get the same result?
Yes just expect longer rise times.
For the second rising in the pans; mine does rise above the rim like the picture, but it doesn’t seem to rise past that when baking. Am I not letting it rise long enough? Or do I need to try a smaller loaf pan? I’m using a standard Williamson loaf pan.
This is a fantastic recipe!! We loved it so much we made two more batches and sent one home with the neighbor. It doesn’t quite make two loaves in the pans I have, but the whole recipe fit perfectly in the extra long loaf pan I have. Thanks for a fantastic recipe!
I was so hungry for a soft sourdough sandwich bread and this is amazing!
I’m so glad you like it!
I have made quite a few sourdough sandwich bread recipes and this one, 100% is the best one. So easy and the texture is soft with the perfect crust. My kids loved it too! I made another batch for the feeezer because I know we will need more.
This was a great and easy recipe. My husband loves the sourdough bread but he also likes the softer version. Thank you for sharing this recipe
Curious if you’ve ever tried swapping the flours with a gluten free flour blend, meaning a cup-4-cup type flour.
I haven’t tried gluten free blends so I’m not sure sorry.
I made this following the recipe exactly. The 2 loaves were beautiful and perfect for sandwiches.
Love this recipe! Question though…My dough seemed really stiff prior to the first rise. Do you think I over mixed it?
Did it pass the windowpane test?
I was so excited to try this today. I put the dough in the oven with the light on to rise. I took it out and grabbed my pans, and there was the oil that I had weighed out for the dough. I mixed it in and let it rise again and it’s now rising in the pans. I’m hoping that it’s going to work, but I’m not holding my breath. I’ll redo it tomorrow; it’s too late to start over tonight.
Oh no hopefully it came out ok!
Would this recipe work for a 1lb bread maker?
A weekly staple in our house!
I was wondering the same thing?
About if it would work in the bread maker
I love that I can make this bread in the afternoon and have it ready by dinner time. It’s so soft and fluffy, my family loves it!!
Just made this today and it’s amazing! Great texture and so soft. The flavor is great. I will definitely use this recipe from now on when I want soft bread.
Only thing I had to do was add a little more water, as my starter may not have been as well
As I wanted it, I did 3 Batches and the other 2 were amazing, better than store bought!!!