An easy whole wheat sandwich loaf recipe that’s made with a potato flake sourdough starter. Bake this perfectly soft, fluffy, and flavorful loaf, that’s the perfect bread for any sandwich. It’s sure to become a family favorite!
When making homemade bread sometimes it’s hard to beat the store bought convenience, especially when many homemade bread recipes leave you with a dense loaf. This recipe is by far my favorite sandwich loaf I’ve made.
You’ll use a potato flake sourdough starter to naturally rise your bread. A combination of whole wheat flour and bread flour makes this loaf so soft and delicious. Perfect for any sandwich or toast!
If you want to learn more about a potato flake starter check out my post on Everything you need to know or What is a potato flake starter?
This wheat bread is perfect all on its own, but I love to add a little something extra. Add sunflower seeds in the dough and top with oats for an even tastier bread. This recipe can be made with just about any added seeds or nuts and topped with oats or your favorite topping.
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Tools you will need:
Stand mixer like this KitchenAid (optional, but does make it easier)
Dough hook attachment
Measuring spoons and cups
Parchment Paper (optional, but makes removing the loaf a breeze)
Basting brush
Whole wheat dough ingredients:
1/2 cup potato flake starter – I like to use an active starter, this means that you have fed it and it has had time to feed and become bubbly. However, you can use a starter that wasn’t fed that day, but it will just take a longer time for it to rise.
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour – I used Bob’s Red Mill® 100% Stone Ground Whole Wheat Flour that was purchased from kroger. Any good quality whole wheat flour should work fine.
1 1/2 cups bread flour – I used the members mark bread flour from Sam’s Club. You could also use all purpose and probably wouldn’t see much of a difference.
1/4 cup sugar – This could be substituted with honey, although I haven’t tried it.
1/4 cup canola oil – You could use another oil that isn’t strong in flavor or you could use butter. I have just always great results using canola oil and don’t want to mess up a good thing!
1/2 Tablespoon salt – any salt will do, but don’t skip it, it helps add flavor.
3/4 cup warm water – Be sure that your water isn’t too warm or it will kill your starter before it has the chance to rise your dough. Also, if your water is high in chlorine, I would suggest using a filtered water. I use tap water and never have had any problems though.
Optional:
Sunflower seeds (unsalted) – incorporated into the dough for a yummy seeded bread.
Rolled oats – put on top of the bread for a yummy and beautiful addition.
1 egg- this is for the egg wash on top of the bread to help the oats stick.
How to make a potato flake whole wheat bread loaf:
36 hours before you want to bake bread, feed your potato flake starter so that it will be nice and bubbly.
After about 8 hours or so, when your starter is nice and active, add all of the ingredients except the sunflower seeds, to your stand mixer bowl.
I always add my starter first, then flour, followed by the rest of the ingredients. There may not be any exact science behind that order, but I’ve always done it this way and have always had delicious bread.
Knead the bread until all of the ingredients are almost combined then add the sunflower seeds until incorporated. It is not necessary to kneed this dough much at all.
Oil a large bowl and place the dough in it. Cover with plastic wrap to hold in the moisture. If you only use a wet tea towel, it will dry out and the top of the dough will become hard. A beeswax wrap would be a good alternative to plastic wrap.
Allow the dough to rise in a warm place for about 8-12 hours, or until doubled. I typically like to place mine, overnight, in the turned off oven with only the light on. This keeps it just warm enough to help it rise by morning. If keep your home warm, simply leaving it out on the counter would be sufficient. Leaving it out in a cooler home will still allow it to rise, but at a much slower rate.
After the first rise, shape into a loaf and place in the pan.
Grease a bread pan, or line with parchment paper. I prefer the parchment paper method.
Shape the loaf by pressing into a rectangle and tightly rolling into a loaf shape. Pinch the seam and the ends together. Place into the pan and cover with plastic wrap.
Allow it to rise again for 8-10 hours. Waiting for the bread to rise until doubled will give you a fluffier loaf.
Once it has doubled, baste the top of the bread with an egg wash and sprinkle oats on the top. Lightly press down to help them stick.
Bake in a 350 degree oven for 25 minutes or until the top of the bread is golden brown and sounds hallow when thumped.
After baking, allow bread to cool, remove from the pan, slice and enjoy!
Other Potato Flake Recipes to try:
POTATO FLAKE SOURDOUGH RECIPE – PANCAKES
POTATO FLAKE SOURDOUGH RECIPE – CINNAMON ROLLS
POTATO FLAKE SOURDOUGH ENGLISH MUFFINS
HAWAIIAN ROLLS MADE WITH POTATO FLAKE STARTER
SIMPLE HAMBURGER BUNS RECIPE USING POTATO FLAKE STARTER
SIMPLE HOAGIE BUNS MADE WITH POTATO FLAKE SOURDOUGH STARTER
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Potato Flake Sourdough Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread
Equipment
- Stand Mixer optional
- Dough hook attachment
- Measuring spoons and cups
- Loaf pan
- Parchment Paper optional
- Basting brush needed if adding egg wash
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup potato flake starter fed and active
- 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
- 1 1/2 cups bread flour
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- 1/2 Tablespoon salt
- 3/4 cup warm water
- Optional:
- 1/4 cup Sunflower seeds unsalted
- 2 Tablespoons Rolled oats
- 1 beaten egg for egg wash
Instructions
- 36 hours before you want to bake bread, feed your potato flake starter so that it will be nice and bubbly.
- After about 8 hours or so, when your starter is nice and active, add all of the ingredients except the sunflower seeds, to your stand mixer bowl.
- Knead the bread until all of the ingredients are almost combined then add the sunflower seeds until incorporated.
- Oil a large bowl and place the dough in it. Cover with plastic wrap to hold in the moisture.
- Allow the dough to rise in a warm place for about 8-12 hours, or until doubled.
- After the first rise, grease a bread pan, or line with parchment paper.
- Shape the loaf by pressing into a rectangle and tightly rolling into a loaf shape. Pinch the seam and the ends together. Place into the pan and cover with plastic wrap.
- Allow it to rise again for 8-10 hours.Once it has doubled, baste the top of the bread with an egg wash and sprinkle oats on the top. Lightly press down to help them stick.
- Bake in a 350 °F oven for 25 minutes or until the top of the bread is golden brown and sounds hallow when thumped.
Thank you so much for this recipe can’t wait to try it!!
This looks awesome and I can’t wait to try it! My last attempt using ww flour was tasty but very dense, kinda dry, and took too long to get done, resulting in an overly browned top. I got some great suggestions from this post!
So glad you were able to find some good tips! Hope your next loaf is successful! 🙂
Do you cool in the pan completely, or move to a rack? Baking tonight!
I’ve done it both ways. Usually I allow it to cool enough to be able to handle it comfortably without burning myself and let cool completely on a rack. BUT I have left it to cool in the pan all night because I was ready to go to bed LOL
Loved this recipe- I got 3 beautiful loaves out of it – great rise! I did use olive oil in place of canola with no issue. It is part of my bread repertoire now!
Thanks Magen! 😊
Question, is it possible to replace the sugar in the recipe with honey?
Thank you!
I have had success replacing sugar with honey in other recipes with this starter! I bet it would work for this one too! Possibly might need to add just a tad bit more flour to compensate for the extra liquid, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work 🙂
I have been making potato flake starter bread for 6 months now and my starter is very strong. I made this dough last night and barely got a good rise. Does this not rise as much as the regular bread? Never had this happen.
Wheat flour usually takes longer to rise, this could be one issue. Some people have trouble using wheat flour and getting a dense loaf. I don’t have this issue with this particular recipe. You could try reducing the wheat flour to 1 cup and increasing the bread flour to 2 cups. What is your typical recipe you follow for the bread you normally make?
I tried a second time and added a tsp of rapid yeast to my water. I absolutely loved this bread!! My regular recipe I make for loafs, cinnamon rolls, dinner rolls..etc….
6 cups bread flour
1 1/2 cup warm water
1/2 cup corn oil
1/2 cup sugar
1 tbls sea salt
1 cup potato flake starter
I do like to measure my flour in grams so I use 950 grams of bread flour.
Thank you for sharing your wonderful recipes. I used your glaze recipe for my cinnamon rolls and it was also delicious
Glad you found a solution that works well for you!
Hi there, just have a quick question. In your caption, you wrote, if you want to make these. To feed your starter 36 hours prior. I only normally feed mine the night before, so it does probably 12 hours. I’ve never held my starter out 36 hours after feeding and using it. What’s the difference here?
thank you,
Susan
36 hours is the amount of time from when you feed your starter to when you bake your bread! Not from the time you feed your starter to the time you mix the dough. Sorry for the confusion!
Yes, sorry, I was apparently having a brain fart when I asked that question. Please forgive my moment of “lack of comprehension” lol My kids love this bread recipe and I do use honey in place of the sugar most of the time.
I do have issues with it being more crumbly than holding together. Do you kneed this dough very much or is it more hands off rather than to over knead? I know with just my regular potato flake sourdough, I do very little kneading so as not to over knead it. Your bread loaf pictured here looks so light and fluffy
This loaf did not require much kneading, similar to the regular loaf. However, if you find that it is not holding up well, you could give it a try to kneed it while to develop more gluten in the dough.
Definitely going to try this half whole wheat version. Curious, I mill my own wheat berries. Do you use store bought whole wheat flour for this bread recipe? Do you think this recipe would be successful with freshly milled whole wheat and, if so, any suggestions if subbing with it? Thanks so much for all the yummy and easy to follow recipes!
I currently use store bought whole wheat flour. I do think you would be successful using freshly milled, but it will likely need a bit more water added to the dough. If you have made this bread with store bought flour before. Aim for the same consistences and texture of dough and adjust water accordingly.
This bread is absolutely delicious! I was gifted a potato flake starter back I. February, after I totally failed with making a sourdough starter with flour and water. I have only made the three loaf recipe that was given to me with the starter. I am so glad I found your site. This weekend I made banana nut muffins and this whole wheat recipe. Both turned out wonderful! Thank you for sharing these recipes!!
Wonderful! I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed your bread and muffins 🙂
I am interested in this recipe as the basis for a “seeded” whole wheat bread. I plan to use a variety of seeds (flax, chia, hemp, sesame) which should be soaked. What is your experience/recommendation on adjusting this recipe to accommodate the soaker step and seeds?
Thank you!
I am still working on perfecting a seeded recipe like you are describing. It’s difficult to adjust the liquid ratios considering the soaking step. I will add my recipe as soon as I have it done! Sorry I can’t give you specifics yet.
Thank you! I have found a recipe using the traditional 100% hydration starter that I plan to try with my other starter, but I established my potato flake starter with organic potato flakes and sugar and am hoping to be able to find a suitable recipe to use it in. My other question would be how to sub my PFS in a recipe that calls for traditional starter. I’m sure there should be a formula somewhere, LOL.
Thanks again for responding.