Soft, buttery sourdough bread made in a bread machine is the next best thing since, well, sliced bread. Super easy to make, you just dump the ingredients in and allow the bread machine to do all the work.
Recently, I’ve had some requests for a sourdough bread recipe in a bread machine. SoI bit the bullet and made one that is so delicious.
This bread is a take on my sourdough sandwich bread, but made to fit in the bread machine. It is super light, fluffy, buttery, and everything wonderful you want in a sourdough bread, but totally hands off.
The bread machine does all the work. After you dump in the ingredients, you push some buttons and it goes to work.
It really couldn’t be easier, and if you are wanting fresh baked bread for dinner or lunches (a great way to stretch the grocery budget if you ask me), then you have to try this recipe.
Why You Will Love This Recipe:
Hands off: This is a dump and go recipe. Add the ingredients and push the knead button. Kneading and baking all happens in the bread machine. So if you want fresh bread without yeast, but maybe don’t have the time or ability to make bread by hand, this recipe is a must.
Super simple: Goes along with the whole hands off thing. This recipe couldn’t be simpler.
Delicious: This recipe is one of my absolute favorites. It is so fluffy and buttery with a hint of sweetness. Any sandwich would be happy to have this as its main component.
Tips For Making Bread Machine Sourdough Bread:
- Although you can make this bread from start to finish without ever touching the dough, you have the option to remove the dough from the bread machine after kneading and remove the paddle. This will keep you from having to pull the kneading paddle out of the finished product.
- Though you could get away with just one knead cycle, I actually like to do it one more time. This ensures proper gluten formation for soft bread.
- Spritz the top of dough with water a few times to make sure the dough doesn’t dry out on top during rising. This is an optional step, but also helps the crust to turn golden in the baking step.
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FAQ:
Do all bread makers make sourdough?
Yes! Thought this will depend on the type of sourdough you are trying to make. It will make soft sourdough bread, but not that crusty, no-knead sourdough from start to finish. To get that crusty type boule, it will need to be baked in a dutch oven.
Can you use machine to knead sourdough?
Yes. You can definitely just use the bread machine to knead the dough, and then bake in the oven, if desired.
Is it cheaper to make your own sourdough?
Yes! Making sourdough bread is very inexpensive (about $.75-$1 a loaf by rough estimation using the cheapest organic flour I’ve seen at Costco). Buying a similar loaf at a bakery can cost you easily $7-8 or more.
Ingredients:
- Water – Preferably filtered.
- Unsalted butter – Using unsalted butter allows you to be able to control the salt in recipes.
- Bread flour – Bread flour yields a softer, fluffier bread. All-purpose can be substituted. Bread flour has a higher protein content, which allows more gluten strands to be produced giving you a fluffier bread.
- Granulated sugar – This helps feed the sourdough starter and gives it a slightly sweet flavor.
- Salt – Bread without salt is blah. I promise.
- Active sourdough starter – This is sourdough starter that has been fed within 4-12 hours and is super bubbly and active.
Tools you may need:
Measuring cups and spoons
How To Make Sourdough Bread In A Bread Machine
Add the water and melted butter to the bread machine.
On top of that, add the bread flour, sugar and salt.
Lastly, add the sourdough starter.
Use the kneading function on the bread machine (for my machine this is function 8). Mine is set to knead for 25 minutes. Though you could get away with just one knead cycle, I actually like to do it one more time.
After the first knead cycle finishes, I press the button again and let it knead the dough one more time, for an additional 25 minute cycle.
Next (optional), remove the dough from the dough machine and take out the paddles. That way you don’t have to pull them out later after baking.
Allow the dough to sit in the bread machine for about 6 hours, or until the dough nearly rises to the top of the bread pan.
I like to spritz the top with water a few times to make sure the dough doesn’t dry out. This is an optional step, but also helps the crust to turn golden in the baking step.
After the dough has risen for several hours, I go to the baking function (function 13 on my bread maker) and select the option for dark crust. This makes the bake time one hour.
Allow the bread to cool, then remove from the pan.
Storage:
Unsliced bread can be stored in a paper or linen bag. Once cut, store cut side down on a cutting board lightly covered or in a storage bag.
Baker’s Schedule:
9 PM: Feed sourdough starter so it will be nice and active the next morning.
8 AM the next day: Add ingredients to the bread machine and allow it to work its magic. Do two rounds of kneading.
9 AMish: Allow the dough to rise for about 6 hours.
3-5 PM: Bake for 1 hour. Usually it will take 6-8 hours for your bread to double to be ready to bake.
6 PM: Slice and serve.
Find More Sourdough Recipes:
- Spelt Sourdough Bread
- Sourdough Oatmeal Cookies
- Best Sourdough Banana Muffins
- Sourdough Pizza Dough
- Sourdough Pumpkin Bread
If you try this recipe and love it, I would love if you could come back and give it 5 stars!
Sourdough Bread In A Bread Machine
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups water
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 4 cups bread flour
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/2 tablespoon salt
- 1/2 cup sourdough starter, bubbly and active
Instructions
- Add the water and melted butter to the bread machine.
- On top of that add the bread flour, sugar and salt.
- Lastly, add the sourdough starter.
- Use the kneading function on the bread machine. (For my machine this is function 8) Mine is set to knead for 25 minutes.
- Optional: After the first knead cycle finishes, I press the button again and let it knead the dough one more time, for an additional 25 minute cycle.
- Next, I just allow the dough to sit in the bread machine for about 6 hours, or until the dough nearly rises to the top of the bread pan. I like to spritz the top with water a few times to make sure the dough doesn't dry out on top. (Optional , but also helps the crust to turn golden in the baking step.)
- After the dough has risen for several hours, I go to the baking function (function 13 on my bread maker) and select the option for dark crust. This makes the bake time 1 hour.
- Pull the bread out of the bread maker and allow to cool.
Notes
- Although you can make this bread from start to finish without ever touching the dough, you have the option to take out the dough from the bread machine after kneading and remove the paddle. This will keep you from having to pull the kneading paddle out of the finished product.
- Though you could get away with just one knead cycle, I actually like to do it one more time. This ensures proper gluten formation for soft bread.
- Spritz the top of dough with water a few times to make sure the dough doesn’t dry out on top during rising. This is an optional step, but also helps the crust to turn golden in the baking step.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I would be curious to know if you think this can be made gluten free this way? I have a gluten free recipe (flours etc)- any experience with this? Or tips?
It would probably need to be adjusted quite a bit if using gluten free flours. I have not personally tried it.
Love this and can’t wait to try it. I’ve been intimidated by sourdough. Making it in the bread machine- does this give it enough time to ferment the added flour to make to gluten free?
Sourdough bread technically is not gluten free as it will always contain some gluten. It does have less gluten though. It all depends on how you tolerate and how much fermentation you need to make it more digestible.
Hi! I’m making this now in my machine but plan to bake it in oven. What temp and approximately how long to bake it do you think?
I have the same question. I don’t have a bake only function on my bread maker so want to transfer to bake in the oven. Thanks!
I would do 375 for about 45 minutes in a loaf pan. I would also suggest adding an egg wash to give it a golden crust.
Hi Lisa. If I wanted to cook this in a loaf pan in the oven, should I let in rise in the bread machine and then transfer to the loaf pan before baking in the oven. Or should I transfer the dough into the loaf pan right after the two knead cycles and let it rise in there? Thank you in advance 😊
I would just let it knead in the bread machine, but then shape it and put it in your bread pan before rising.
375* for 45 mins was a little too long. The crust was a little darker than I like. Should I reduce the time? or the temp? Thank you.
I think either would work. It may take some experimenting with your machine.
I’m lactose intolerant, can I substitute olive oil for the butter? I wish I didn’t have to…love butter.
Yes that should work just fine!
Thank you so much for this recipe! It worked magnificently.
Hey! My bread machine only has a 1.5 hour dough setting, and warms a bit after 30 minutes. Do I need to do anything differently? My loaf didn’t work as expected.
It needs to rise for 6-8 hours at least for a loaf to come out well. I’m not sure exactly how to adjust that for your particular bread machine.
Hi Allie! My machine is like that too so what I do is use the express bake or rapid bake setting just to knead but I stop it and repeat the kneading once it stops. After the second kneading round stops I then take the pan out to cool as the machine warms up for that setting. Once your dough has risen a good bit you can put the pan back in and set the bake function.
As if I couldn’t love your recipes enough! This is amazing. Do you think I could let the dough rise in a loaf pan on the counter? I feel like my bread maker makes stumpy loaves. Thank you!
Yes, you definitely can!
Thank you so much for this recipe! This bread was so easy and delicious, and with my programmable bread machine, I love starting it before bed and waking up to fresh bread! Do you think this recipe could work with some whole wheat flour added? If so, how much would you suggest, and are there any adjustments to make to the other ingredients/timing? Thank you again!
Glad you enjoyed it. Usually with whole wheat you can substitute about 50% without too much issue. May need a touch more water. I’ve never tried it with hard red wheat (typically found in whole wheat flour from the store), I usually use fresh milled hard white flour.
I’ve tried twice now and I don’t know why my bread isn’t rising 😭 I made sure the water and butter weren’t too hot. Using bread flour. Sourdough started fed within the last 12 hours. Any ideas? I’m going to make it by hand and maybe try again in the future but it’s a little disheartening using so much bread flour and it being wasted (prices are just ridiculous, ya know?) the dog is dragging around a dough puck though 😀
Oh no! So sorry. Have you made successful bread with your sourdough starter before? I’m wondering if your sourdough starter isn’t active enough, maybe the rise time isn’t enough or too much. So many things it could be. I usually turn bad loaves into bread crumbs, croutons, stuffing, strata, bread pudding, etc.
This recipe turned out great for me (I have a programmable bread machine so it worked from start to finish)! Do you think it would be possible to make this as a whole wheat sandwich bread at all, and if so what ratio of flour would you use? Thank you so much!
I would try to substitute up to 1/2 of the flour to whole wheat. Usually, this can be done without too many changes to a recipe.
Thank you for giving us this recipe! I will absolutely try it.
Wonderful! Hope you enjoy.