The Easiest Sourdough Discard Sandwich Bread Recipe (Dairy-Free)

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 the instant 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 instant 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Sourdough discard is a leftover sourdough starter that is no longer active and ideal to use as a leavener in recipes like sourdough bread and cinnamon rolls.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 

• Instant 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 to about 120 degrees F.
• 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. 

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 that is about 120℉. 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!