Sourdough Discard Sandwich Bread

This Sourdough Discard Sandwich Bread is soft, tender, and perfectly sliceable, with just a hint of sourdough tang. Made with unfed sourdough discard and instant yeast, it doesn't require feeding your starter, long fermentation, or an all-day rise. Instead, you'll have a soft homemade sandwich loaf ready in about 3 hours.

If you've got a jar of sourdough discard in the fridge, this easy sandwich bread is one of the best ways to use it up. The loaf slices perfectly for sandwiches, makes excellent toast, and freezes well, so I almost always keep one on hand.

Unlike my Sourdough Sandwich Bread recipe, this one relies on instant yeast for the rise, making it much faster and more beginner-friendly while still giving you that subtle sourdough flavor.

If you're looking for another everyday sandwich loaf, my Soft Whole Wheat Bread recipe is another family favorite. It's made with yeast instead of sourdough discard and has a soft, hearty texture that's perfect for sandwiches and toast.

Why Use Sourdough Discard Instead of a Starter?

If you keep a sourdough starter, you know the discard pile-up problem well. Every time you feed your starter, you're left with discard that either goes in the compost or the fridge, waiting for a recipe to use it up.

This sandwich bread is one of the easiest ways to put that discard to work. Because the recipe also uses instant yeast, you get the tangy flavor and fermentation benefits of sourdough without waiting on a long natural rise. The yeast handles the rise, while the discard adds flavor and a touch of extra softness to the crumb.

The Secret to Soft, Fluffy Sandwich Bread

The most common mistake with any sandwich bread is over-flouring the dough during shaping. It's tempting to keep adding flour to keep the dough from sticking to your hands, but too much flour at this stage gives you a dense, dry loaf instead of a soft, tender one.

Rub a little flour on your hands and use just enough on your work surface to keep the dough from sticking. Resist the urge to keep adding more, or you'll end up with a denser loaf.

Ingredients & Substitutions

• Bread flour. Bread flour gives this loaf a taller rise and a chewier texture than all-purpose flour. You can substitute all-purpose flour if that's what you have, but the loaf will be slightly softer and may not rise quite as high.
• Sourdough discard. Use unfed discard from active sourdough starter straight from the fridge. There's no need to feed it first. This is a great way to use up discard before it turns overly sour.
• Warm water. Aim for around 90°F. It should be warm to the touch but not hot. Water that's too hot can kill the yeast, while water that is too cool may slow the rise. 
• Instant yeast. Instant yeast can be mixed directly into the dry ingredients with no proofing required. Active dry yeast works too, but bloom it in the warm water for 5-10 minutes first.
• Salt. Regulates the yeast's rise, strengthening the dough and balancing the flavor. 
• Olive oil. Adds richness and helps keep the crumb soft. Melted butter works as a substitute.

How to Make Sourdough Discard Sandwich Bread

Mix the Dough. In a large bowl, combine warm water, sourdough discard, and olive oil. I use a large bowl, but you can also combine the ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment. 

Add the flour, yeast, and salt, and mix until a shaggy dough forms, then ditch the spoon and use your hands to form it into a ball. Once everything is incorporated into a rough, tacky ball, stop mixing. Cover with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 60-90 minutes. (I like to put it in my oven on the PROOF setting or just with the oven light on.)

Shape the Loaf. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Gently press or pat the dough into a 9x12-inch rectangle. Starting with the short end, roll the dough tightly into a log, then pinch the seam and both sides tightly so it doesn't unravel during baking.

The Second Rise. Place the loaf seam-side down into a greased 9x5-inch loaf pan. Cover and let rise until the dough is 1 to 1½ inches above the rim of the pan, about 1 hour.

Preheat and Score. Preheat your oven to 390°F. Score the top of the loaf with one long slash down the center, about ¼-inch deep, to control where the loaf expands as it bakes.

Bake, covered. Cover the loaf with a second greased loaf pan turned upside down and bake for 25 minutes. This traps steam around the loaf, much like a Dutch oven, keeping the crust soft while the bread gets its final rise in the oven. The result is a taller loaf with a soft, tender crust.

Uncover and finish. Remove the top pan and bake 8-10 minutes more or until the top is golden brown. 

How to Store & Freeze

Store the cooled loaf in an airtight bag, a bread bag, or a container at room temperature for up to 4 days. Because this bread doesn't contain preservatives, it will dry out faster than store-bought sandwich bread, so plan to use it up within that window. I don't recommend refrigerating the bread, as it dries out more quickly than storing it at room temperature.

To freeze, slice the loaf first, then store the slices in a freezer bag with the air pressed out for up to 3 months. Pull out slices as you need them and toast straight from frozen, or thaw at room temperature first. My Air Fryer Toast tutorial shows you exactly how to get crisp, golden toast every time.