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Sandwich Bread with Pre-Ferment

Soft, tender sandwich bread with complex flavor from an overnight pre-ferment. Slices clean for sandwiches and toast. Freezes well.

By Henry Hunter, founder of Crust & Crumb Academy and Baking Great Bread at Home.

Prep
30 minutes
Rise
12 hours overnight
Bake
35-40 minutes
Total
~15 hours
Yield
2 sandwich loaves
Difficulty
intermediate

Ingredients

Pre-Ferment

Mix the night before for complex flavor development through fermentation

  • 235g (1¾ cups) Bread flour
  • 1g (½ tsp) Instant yeast
  • 5g (1¼ tsp) Salt
  • 150g (⅔ cup) Cold water

Dough

The main dough built on overnight flavor

  • 715g (5½ cups) Bread flour
  • 65g (½ cup) All-purpose flour
  • 7g (2 tsp) Instant yeast
  • 15g (3¾ tsp) Kosher salt
  • 40g (3 Tbsp) Sugar
  • 75g (5 Tbsp) Butter, room temp
  • 480g (2 cups) Cold water
  • 40g (½ cup) Milk powder
  • all (all) All of the prepared pre ferment

Equipment

Method

Pre-Ferment (Day Before)

Build flavor overnight with this simple pre ferment.

  1. Mix the pre-ferment. Mix flour, instant yeast, and salt. Add water, mix until moistened.
  2. Rest and refrigerate. Place in oiled bowl, cover. Rest 1 hour at room temp, then refrigerate 12 hours for slow fermentation.

Wait: 12 hours

Tip: Put pre-ferment in a Ziploc bag sprayed with nonstick spray. When ready, tear bag open and cut dough into mixer.

Mix Dough

Combine all ingredients and develop the gluten structure.

  1. Combine dry ingredients. Combine all dry ingredients in mixer bowl.
  2. Add pre-ferment and water. Cut cold pre ferment into chunks, add with water.
  3. Knead. Kneading on speed 1 for 5 min, then speed 2 for 4-6 min until dough cleans bowl.

Add Butter

Incorporate butter for a tender, rich crumb.

  1. Add butter. Add room-temp butter.
  2. Continue kneading. Continue kneading on speed 2 for 3-5 min until smooth, elastic, and slightly tacky.

First Rise

Let the dough rise until nearly doubled.

  1. Prepare for rising. Place in oiled bowl, turn to coat. Cover with plastic wrap.
  2. Rise. Rise at room temp ~1 hour until nearly doubled.

Wait: ~1 hour

Shape

Divide and shape into loaves for the pans.

  1. Divide. Turn onto floured surface. Divide in two equal pieces.
  2. Pre-shape. Shape into rounds, rest 25-30 min.
  3. Final shape. Flatten each into rectangle, fold lengthwise into thirds, roll into tight log.
  4. Pan. Place seam-down in greased loaf pans.

Second Rise

Final proof until dough rises above the pan rim.

  1. Cover and proof. Cover loosely with floured plastic wrap.
  2. Rise. Proof 1-2 hours at room temp until dough rises above rim of pan.

Wait: 1-2 hours

Shaping

Classic loaf shaping for even slices and great oven spring.

Standard Loaf (recommended)

Traditional sandwich loaf shape for even slices.

  1. Divide dough. Turn onto floured surface and divide in two equal pieces.
  2. Pre-shape. Shape into rounds and rest 25-30 minutes.
  3. Final shape. Flatten each into rectangle, fold lengthwise into thirds, roll into tight log.
  4. Pan the loaves. Place seam-down in greased 9x5 inch loaf pans.

Baking

Bake until golden brown with an internal temperature of 190°F.

Standard Oven (recommended)

Bake until golden brown and internal temp reaches 190°F.

Equipment: Two 9x5 inch loaf pans,Oven

  1. Preheat. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).
  2. Optional steam. For crustier loaf, add 3-4 ice cubes to hot pan on oven floor.
  3. Bake. Bake 35-40 min until golden brown. Rotate pans halfway through.
  4. Cool. Cool in pans on wire rack 5 min. Remove from pans. For softer crust, brush tops with melted butter. Cool completely before slicing.

Note: Internal temp should reach 190°F (88°C) when done.

Storage

  • Room temperature: Store in an airtight bag at room temperature for up to 3 days. The pre-ferment helps it stay fresh longer than typical sandwich bread.
  • Frozen: Slice before freezing for easy grab-and-go portions. Freeze for up to 2 months. Toast frozen slices directly without thawing.
  • Refresh: Refresh day-old slices in a toaster or 300°F oven for a few minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I skip the pre-ferment?

You can, but the pre ferment adds significant flavor complexity through slow fermentation. If skipping, add all flour and water to the main dough and increase yeast slightly.

How do I know when it's done?

Use an instant-read thermometer—internal temperature should reach 190°F (88°C). The crust should be golden brown.

How long does this bread stay fresh?

Store in an airtight bag at room temperature for 3 days, or freeze for up to 2 months.

Nutrition

Per serving (1 slice (about 45g)): 105 calories, 18g carbohydrates, 4g protein, 2g fat, 1g fiber, 180mg sodium. Makes 24 servings.