Baking Great Bread at HomeThe Same Soft Loaf, Built on a Levain and an Overnight Cold Proof
IntermediateSourdough Multigrain SandwichBread
by Henry Hunter
Naturally leavened, seven grain, sandwich shaped
Fermentation
10 to 12 hours for the levain, 4 to 5 hours bulk, 12 to 16 hours cold
Bake Time
40 to 45 minutes
Yield
Two 9 by 5 inch loaves, about 16 slices each
- Tested by Henry Hunter
- Last updated July 30, 2026
- Yields Two 9 by 5 inch loaves, about 16 slices each
- 5 equipment items
Perfection is not required
"Perfection is not required. Progress is."— Henry Hunter
By Henry Hunter Jr., founder of Crust & Crumb Academy and Baking Great Bread at Home.
About HenryAuthentic Flavor
People ask me all the time whether the sourdough version of a loaf is worth the extra day. Here it genuinely is. The soaked grain and the long cold proof work on the same problem from two directions, and what you get back is a whole grain slice that still holds together on day three. Bake the yeasted one first if you're new to this. Then bake this one and taste them side by side. That comparison teaches more than either loaf on its own.
Equipment Needed
Ingredients
The Levain (Day 1, Evening)
A small overnight build. Ready when it's domed, smells sweet and yeasty, and a spoonful floats.
The Soaker (Day 1, Evening)
Same soaker as the yeasted version. Two parts boiling water to one part cereal, built at the same time as the levain so you only dirty the kitchen once.
The Dough (Day 2, Morning)
The levain and soaker go in together with everything else.
The Top
Brushed on cold, straight out of the refrigerator, right before the loaves go in the oven.
Pro Tip
Feed your starter the morning of Day 1 so it's genuinely active when you build the levain that evening. A sluggish starter is the single most common reason a sourdough sandwich loaf comes out short and dense. If yours has been living in the back of the fridge, give it two feedings a day apart before you start.
Day 1, Evening
Build the Levain
A small , about 6% of the total flour as ripe starter. Small on purpose. A big inoculation moves fast and gives you sour without the sweetness this loaf wants.
Click each step to mark complete
Mix
Stir the ripe starter, flour, and water together in a jar until smooth. Mark the level with a rubber band so you can see how far it climbs.
Ferment Overnight
Cover loosely and leave it at room temperature, ideally around 72F to 76F (22C to 24C), for 10 to 12 hours. It's ready when it's roughly doubled, domed on top, and webbed with bubbles underneath.
⏱ Wait Time
10 to 12 hours
Pro Tip
If your kitchen sits below 68F (20C) overnight, use water at 85F (29C) and put the jar somewhere warm, like inside the oven with just the light on. Cold levain is slow levain, and a levain that hasn't peaked will not carry a loaf this heavy with grain.
Day 1, Evening
Make the Soaker
Do this while the levain is getting mixed. The cereal needs the whole night to soften, and soaked grain is what keeps a whole grain loaf from drying out by the next afternoon.
Click each step to mark complete
Scald the Cereal
Put the cereal and salt in a medium heatproof bowl. Pour the boiling water over it and stir well until there are no dry pockets at the bottom.
Cover and Hold Overnight
Cover and leave it on the counter next to the levain. By morning it's a thick, cool porridge that holds its shape on a spoon.
⏱ Wait Time
10 to 12 hours
Pro Tip
The salt in the soaker is not for flavor. Grain sitting wet and warm all night starts converting its own starch to sugar, and a sourdough dough is already acidic enough to loosen the crumb. Salt slows those enzymes and keeps the crumb from turning sticky.
The day-two crumble
You've had this loaf. It's good out of the oven and by the next afternoon a slice falls apart in your hand. That's not bad technique. That's bran. Baked bran keeps pulling moisture out of the crumb around it as the loaf cools and sits, which means the bread dries from the inside while the crust still looks fine.
Bran drinks more than you think
Wheat bran takes on 96% of its own weight in cool water and 168% in boiling water. Whole wheat flour is roughly 15% bran, so every 200g of whole wheat in a formula is carrying about 30g of the thirstiest material in your kitchen. If that bran doesn't get its water before the bake, it takes it from the crumb afterward.
Two ways to beat it
Give the bran time and water up front. A soaker handles the cracked grain. A long autolyse and an overnight cold proof handle the bran in the flour. That's why this loaf gets both, and it's why a slice holds together on day three instead of day one.
The Takeaway
Bran will get its water either before the bake or after. Before means soft bread. After means crumbs on your shirt.
Day 2, Late Morning
Mix the Dough
One mix, everything in. Sourdough gluten develops more slowly than a yeasted dough, and the grain adds shear, so this dough asks for a little patience up front and pays it back later.
Click each step to mark complete
Check the Levain
Drop a teaspoon of levain into a glass of water. If it floats, you're on. If it sinks, give it another hour or two and check again. Don't push forward with a levain that isn't ready.
Combine Everything but the Butter
Put both flours, the milk, honey, salt, the whole levain, and the whole soaker in the mixer bowl. Mix on low for 2 to 3 minutes until there's no dry flour anywhere. It looks rough. Let it look rough.
Rest 30 Minutes
Cover and rest. This matters more in the sourdough version than the yeasted one, because you've got a long fermentation ahead and softened bran is what keeps the crumb from going crumbly on day two.
Add the Butter and Develop
Add the softened butter in pieces on low speed, then mix on medium-low for 8 to 10 minutes. The dough should clear the bowl sides and feel supple, tacky but not sticky. By hand, use for 10 minutes with two 5 minute rests worked in.
Pro Tip
Aim for a finished dough temperature of 78F (26C). Sourdough is far less forgiving about temperature than commercial yeast. Two degrees changes your bulk time by close to an hour, and with this much grain in the dough you won't be able to read the difference by eye.
Precise Timers
Use these interactive timers to track your stages.
Autolyse Rest
Knead
Day 2, Midday into Afternoon
Bulk Fermentation with Folds
Four to five hours at room temperature with three sets of folds in the first half. is where a naturally leavened loaf earns its flavor, and where most people either stop too early or wait too long.
Click each step to mark complete
Transfer and Mark
Move the dough to a lightly oiled straight-sided container. Mark the starting level with tape or a rubber band. With this much grain in the dough, that mark is the only honest way to read the rise.
Three Sets of Folds
At 45, 90, and 135 minutes, give the dough a set of . Wet your hand, reach under one side, lift, and fold it over the center. Turn the bowl and repeat four times. Then leave it alone.
Rise Until Grown by Half
Total bulk is 4 to 5 hours at 76F to 78F (24C to 26C). You're looking for the dough to grow by about 50%, feel airy and domed, and show bubbles at the edges. Do not chase a doubling here. An enriched sourdough that doubles in bulk has nothing left for the pans.
⏱ Wait Time
4 to 5 hours
Pro Tip
A cool kitchen stretches this to 6 or 7 hours and that's fine. A warm kitchen at 82F (28C) can finish in 3½. Watch the mark on the container and the feel of the dough, and let the clock come second.
Precise Timers
Use these interactive timers to track your stages.
Fold 1
Fold 2
Fold 3
Finish Bulk
Day 2, Late Afternoon
Shape and Pan
Divide, roll tight, into the pans. Tight rolling is what buys you an even crumb instead of a big tunnel under the crust.
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Divide and Weigh
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter and divide it into two equal pieces, about 950g each. Weigh them so both loaves rise to the same height.
Pre-shape and Rest
Round each piece loosely and let them sit uncovered for 15 minutes. This relaxes the dough so the final roll doesn't fight you.
Roll Tight
Pat each piece to a rectangle as long as your pan, then roll it up tightly from the short edge, pinching the seam as you go. Press out any large pockets you feel under your palms.
Pan and Cover
Seam side down in greased 9 by 5 pans, pressed gently into the corners. Cover well so the tops don't dry out overnight.
Pro Tip
Wet your hands instead of flouring the counter if the dough sticks. Extra flour on the outside of a roll turns into a gray seam inside the finished slice.
Shaping
Shaping Options
The pan is the reason this recipe works for sandwiches. That said, the dough is strong enough for a couple of other formats.
Two 9 by 5 Pan Loaves (Recommended)
Even slices and reliable geometry, which is the whole reason to make a sandwich loaf instead of a boule.
RecommendedClick each step to mark complete
Divide
Two equal pieces, about 950g each.
Pre-shape
Round loosely, rest uncovered 15 minutes.
Roll and Pan
Roll tight from the short edge, seam side down in greased pans.
Two Lidded Pullman Loaves
Square slices, tighter crumb, and a flat top that stacks in a sandwich. Use 9 by 4 inch Pullman pans.
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Divide
Two pieces of about 950g each, which fills a 9 by 4 Pullman to roughly two thirds.
Proof to Two Thirds
Cold proof until the dough reaches about two thirds up the pan, then slide the lid on.
Bake Lidded
Bake lidded at 350F (175C) for 40 minutes, pull the lid, and give it 5 more minutes to set the top.
One Loaf and Eight Rolls
Bake one 950g loaf and eight rolls of about 120g. Good move when you want both in one bake.
Click each step to mark complete
Divide
One 950g piece for a pan, then eight pieces of about 120g.
Shape
Roll the loaf as usual. Round the rolls tight on an unfloured spot so they grip and build tension.
Bake
Rolls bake from cold at 375F (190C) for 20 to 24 minutes to 200F (93C) internal.
Proof Test: Press the side of the cold loaf gently with a floured fingertip. The dent should fill back in slowly and not all the way. Cold dough always feels firmer than it is, so read the height above the rim first and use the poke as a second opinion.
Day 2 Night into Day 3
Overnight Cold Proof
Straight into the refrigerator. The does three things at once: it fits the bake into your morning, it deepens the flavor, and it firms the dough up so the loaves hold their shape going into the oven. If you mix around 10 in the morning, the loaves go into the fridge by late afternoon and you're baking before breakfast.
Click each step to mark complete
Refrigerate
Cover the pans and refrigerate for 12 to 16 hours. The dough rises slowly and finishes somewhere near the rim of the pan. Up to 20 hours is fine if your morning gets away from you, and the flavor only gets better.
Read It in the Morning
You want the dough crowning about ½ inch above the rim. If it's still below the rim, leave the pans on the counter for 1 to 2 hours until it gets there. If it's well above the rim, bake right away straight from cold.
⏱ Wait Time
12 to 16 hours
Pro Tip
Refrigerator temperatures vary more than people think. A 34F (1C) fridge nearly stops the proof, so you'll need counter time in the morning. A 40F (4C) fridge keeps it moving and might finish overnight on its own. Learn yours once and you'll never guess again.
The bran keeps drinking
Whole grain bran absorbs water slowly and keeps absorbing it for many hours after mixing. Those extra ten or twelve cold hours let the bran finish the job it started. That's the difference between a slice that holds together on day two and one that crumbles into your lap.
Acid firms the structure
A slow cold ferment produces more acetic acid than a fast warm one. Mild acidity tightens the gluten network, which is exactly the help a dough carrying 150g of grain needs. Cold retarding a multigrain loaf gives you a taller, more stable loaf than a warm proof will.
Flavor gets time it can't get warm
The bacteria in your starter work at different rates than the yeast do. Cold slows the yeast down more than the bacteria, so flavor keeps developing while the rise nearly stops. That's the whole reason overnight retarding produces bread that tastes like more than yeast.
The Takeaway
Cold time isn't a delay. It's the step that makes a whole grain crumb hold together and taste like something.
Precise Timers
Use these interactive timers to track your stages.
Cold Proof
Day 3, Morning
Bake and Cool
From cold, a little longer than the yeasted version. The chilled center takes extra minutes to come up to temperature.
Step by Step
Preheat and Top
Preheat to 350F (175C). While it heats, brush the cold loaf tops with milk and scatter the oats over them.
Bake
Bake on the lower-middle rack for 40 to 45 minutes, rotating front to back at 25 minutes. Tent with foil if the tops go dark before the 30 minute mark.
Check Internal Temperature
Pull at 200F to 205F (93C to 96C) in the center. Sourdough runs a few degrees higher than the yeasted version because the crumb is denser and holds moisture longer.
Cool Completely
Out of the pans immediately onto a wire rack. Cool a full 3 hours before slicing. Sourdough multigrain needs longer than a yeasted loaf, and cutting early gives you a gummy crumb that isn't the recipe's fault.
Bake
Cool
Butter the tops the second they leave the pans for a soft crust. Skip it for a firmer chew. Either way, get them out of the pans right away. Bread left sitting in a hot pan steams its own bottom crust soggy.
Baking Methods
Straight from the refrigerator to a hot oven. Easier handling, better oven spring, no second guessing.
Equipment: Two 9 by 5 inch loaf pans, lower-middle rack
Preheat
Preheat to 350F (175C) for at least 20 minutes while the pans stay cold.
Top and Load
Brush with milk, add oats, load both pans on the lower-middle rack.
Bake
40 to 45 minutes, rotating front to back at 25 minutes.
Verify and Turn Out
Pull at 200F to 205F (93C to 96C). Out of the pans immediately, cool 3 hours.
"Bake to temperature every single time. A sourdough grain loaf holds moisture better than any other bread in the Pantry, which means it hides an underbaked center better too."
Nutrition Facts
Per 1 slice (about 48g) • 32 servings per recipe
* Values are estimates based on standard ingredients; actual values vary by brands and portion size.
Storage
Room Temperature
3 to 4 days in a sealed bread bag or a lidded box. Grain breads hold moisture better than plain white loaves because the soaked grain keeps giving water back to the crumb.
Refrigerated
Skip the fridge. Bread goes stale faster at refrigerator temperature than it does on the counter.
Frozen
Up to 3 months. Slice the whole loaf first, freeze in a bag with the air pressed out, then pull slices as you need them and toast straight from frozen.
Refresh
Sprinkle the loaf with water and warm it at 350F (175C) for 8 to 10 minutes. The crust crisps back up and the crumb softens.
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Troubleshooting
Baker's Notes
Common questions and solutions for perfect results
Temperature is the quiet variable that makes or breaks a sourdough. SourHouse built the Goldie and the Dough Bed to hold your starter and dough in the sweet spot without guessing, without babysitting. Same tools I keep on my counter. Use code HBK23 for 10% off everything in their store.
SourHouse Goldie and Dough Bed
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