Overnight Sourdough Sandwich Bread

(fresh milled, of course)

Last summer I shared a same day sandwich loaf that takes about 12 hours from proof to bake. While that recipe works well in the warm summer temperatures, I find the dough needs a lot more time to proof on cold winter days.

Over the course of the past two weeks, I took to the test kitchen to adapt and create an overnight version of the recipe, for those of us who like to final proof our sourdough in the fridge.

After mixing in a stand mixer, or by hand, the dough spends an 8-12 hour bulk proof on the counter with a few stretch and folds throughout the day (4-6ish sets.)

Then the dough moves into the bread pan(s) to spend the overnight hours in the fridge, before baking the following morning.

This has become our go-to sandwich bread, and makes the most yummy, nourishing pb+j’s, or grilled turkey and cheese sandwiches, dipped in tomato soup, of course.

I made this recipe SIX times over the past week - just to make sure all of the measurements and bake time were perfect. Also, because every time I pulled a loaf out of the oven, it was gone in less than 2 hours.

I recommend using glass pyrex loaf pans - I am not as happy with the crust when baked in stainless steel loaf pans.

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Overnight Sourdough Sandwich Loaf

makes one loaf (I usually double it)

Overnight Sourdough Sandwich Bread

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• 500 grams hard wheat flour, freshly milled

• 345 grams water, room temp

• 45 grams butter, room temp

• 45 grams honey

• 100 grams fresh sourdough starter

• 10 grams salt

Mix dough. Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer and and mix with dough hook for 8-10 minutes on low. Dough should come away from the sides of the bowl and gather onto the dough hook by the end of mixing. Dough will be sticky but smooth. If kneading by hand, knead for 10-12 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, and let dough sit, covered.

Bulk ferment / stretch and fold for 10-12 hours. Stretch and fold every 30 minutes to one hour - whenever you walk by the bowl and think about it. Let the dough sit out on the counter for between 10-12 hours, depending on the temperature of your kitchen. Dough should be puffy and almost doubled when it’s ready.

Move dough to a loaf pan. Thoroughly butter a loaf pan and remove the dough from the bowl. Roll dough in a log shape, the same length as your bread pan, tucking the ends in before transferring. I use a 4.5'“x8.5” glass Pyrex loaf pan.

Move loaf into the fridge overnight. Cover loaf with a cotton or linen towel, and then a shower cap or bees-wrap. Move loaf to the fridge for 12 hours. Option to proof on the counter in the loaf pan for 3-4 hours - see note below.

Take loaf out of the fridge and preheat oven. The next morning (or 12 hours later), remove loaf from the fridge and set on the top of the stove while the oven is preheating. Preheat oven to 375º, with rack in bottom 1/3 of the oven.

Bake loaf. Bake at 375º for 30 minutes, then turn temperature down to 350º, and bake for another 25 minutes. You can put a cookie sheet on the rack above the bread if the top is getting too dark. Thermometer should register at 205º in the middle of the loaf, if you want to ensure it’s baked all the way through.

Let cool. Remove loaf from the oven and let cool in the bread pan for 10-20 minutes, then remove from the glass pan and set loaf on a wire rack. Let cool for 30 minutes to an hour before slicing.

Can be stored in a covered cake stand or in a bread bag for 1-2 days.

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Here is the bakers schedule I often use for this recipe:

• 9am - mix dough and bulk proof for 10-12 hours on the counter, stretching and folding a few times

• 7-9pm -shape dough and move to loaf pan & into fridge

• 7-9am - bake loaf

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NOTE: I prefer proofing in the refrigerator overnight and baking in the morning. If you want to skip the refrigerator proof, you can move dough to the loaf pan(s) and proof on the counter for an additional 3-4 hours, until dough is puffy and just to the top of the loaf pan before baking.

If you’re really in a pinch, I have a fresh milled honey wheat yeasted sandwich loaf that whips up in 3 hours. But, if you are comparing the flavor with this recipe, the sourdough wins every time, in my opinion. The tangyness of the sourdough and the added health benefits of the long fermentation are worth the wait!

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