Easy Rosemary Garlic Sourdough Sandwich Bread
This post may contain affiliate links, please read our privacy policy for details.
This Rosemary Garlic Sourdough Sandwich Bread is soft, flavourful, and perfect for everyday meals. Made with garlic, fragrant rosemary, and a bubbly sourdough starter, it’s a simple, homemade loaf that fills your kitchen with the smell of gourmet bread.
Rosemary garlic sourdough sandwich bread is a frequent visitor in our home, and for good reason. The combination of rosemary and garlic is a perfect match, creating a flavourful loaf that’s perfect for sandwiches, dipping into soups, spreading with a generous layer of butter for toast, turning into croutons, grilled cheese or making garlic bread—all the good stuff!
This loaf was a later addition to my business’ bread offerings, but it quickly became a favourite. What’s not to love about the combination of garlic and rosemary? It’s garlicky, warm, with a hint of earthy rosemary flavour.
While garlic isn’t always the best companion for sourdough starter cultures, bringing them together is absolutely worth it for the incredible flavour and aroma it adds to the loaf!
Sourdough Starter
If you’re here, I’m assuming you have a sourdough starter and generally know how to use it. It is beyond the scope of this post to teach you how to create and maintain a sourdough starter.
If you haven’t made one already, read my post on how to make a sourdough starter from scratch.
Once you have an established sourdough starter and you know how to identify when it’s active or needs a fresh feeding, you’re pretty much good to go. It doesn’t matter much whether its thin, batter-like, or stiff, a healthy starter will make healthy bread.
If you have a sourdough starter but are having trouble understanding it, learn more with the ultimate guide to understanding your sourdough starter.
Flour
A kernel of wheat consists of three parts: the bran, the germ, and the endosperm. The fermentation process in sourdough baking helps unlock the nutrients stored in the bran and germ. By using whole-wheat flour, you incorporate these beneficial parts of the grain into your bread, resulting in a loaf that is not only more nutritious but also better for your gut health.
In this recipe, I use a blend of all-purpose white flour and whole-wheat flour. I don’t see much point in learning how to make an all-white flour loaf. White flour is made of only the endosperm of a wheat kernel, mostly starch, which is void of any nutrition or fibre and can do harm to your gut, even if it’s sourdough.
Whole-wheat also adds protein to your loaf which improves its strength and ability to hold water.
Where can I source freshly milled, whole-grain flour?
If you’re living in a city, you can mostly likely find a bakery or fancy grocery store that sells fresh-milled whole-grain flour. If you’re living in the country and you can source whole-grains, you may want to consider milling your own flour. You can start without making a large investment by using a powerful coffee grinder or blender that you already own. A step up would be purchasing a KitchenAid grain mill attachment.
If you’re really enjoying working with fresh-milled whole-grains and you have a reliable source of grain, you can also consider a Harvest NutriMill which is the one I use almost everyday and love both for its beauty and practicality.
Get your Harvest NutriMill when you’re ready to invest using this link and my discount code BRONSBREAD20 at checkout to get $20 off your order!
Water
The type of water you use in sourdough is often debated. In my experience, I’ve used everything from well water to city water—even chlorinated tap water—and haven’t noticed a major difference in the final loaf. While water quality can influence the health of your starter, it has little impact on the bread itself. If you can drink your water, you can bake with it.
Salt
Salt choice also stirs debate. While most salts work fine, less refined options like Himalayan pink, Celtic grey, or Redmond Real Salt contain trace minerals that naturally support fermentation. Highly processed table salt, on the other hand, may slightly inhibit it.
Warmth
Fermentation loves warmth. The ideal dough temperature is between 23–26°C (73–79°F) for good rise and balanced flavor.
- Too cool: Slower fermentation, more sour flavour, tighter crumb.
- Too warm: Over-proofing, sticky texture, and overly acidic flavour.
You can adjust easily: use cold water in hot weather, warm water in cold, or tuck your dough in the oven with the light on to maintain ideal temperature.
Time
Fermentation time depends on temperature, hydration, and starter strength.
- Warm, wet doughs ferment faster.
- Cool, stiff doughs take longer.
With practice, you’ll learn how your dough behaves in your kitchen and adjust accordingly.
Scoring Your Rosemary Garlic Sourdough Sandwich Loaf
Scoring helps your loaf expand evenly in the oven and develop that beautiful golden crust. Many sandwich loaves don’t require scoring because enriched doughs (made with butter, eggs, or oil) naturally expand without tearing.
However, this sourdough is a lean dough—just flour, water, and salt. Its strong gluten structure can trap gas and create large pockets, also called tunneling, if not scored. A simple, shallow slash across the top will give you the perfect rise and texture.
Scoring the top of the loaf allows the gas bubbles inside the dough to release in a controlled manner, preventing the formation of large, uneven holes at the top of the loaf.
The Feud Between Garlic & Sourdough
Dehydrated garlic is less potent which means it imparts the flavour without disrupting the fermentation process too much.
Materials You’ll Need
Medium-Sized Mixing Bowl: A heavy set ceramic mixing bowl would work best.
Bowl Cover: Anything that covers and seals the bowl. I use these reusable elastic bowl covers but you can use a plate or wet kitchen towel.
Dough Whisk (optional): It is cleaner to get things started with a dough whisk but it’s definitely not necessary. I like using my hands to mix, it probably makes the dough better.
Plastic Bench Scraper: I find this tool very handy for cleaning and scraping the dough out of the bowl. It can also be used for dividing dough and pre-shaping.
Metal Bench Scraper: I use this tool for dividing dough, pre-shaping, and cleaning the table. Not essential though, as the plastic bench scraper can serve similar purposes, but I like using both.
Kitchen Scale or Measuring Cups and Spoons: I prefer using a kitchen scale but if measuring cups and spoons is all you have then that’s all you need to get started.
Two Bread Pans: I really like 8″x 4″ size for this recipe but you can use a bigger bread pan, your loaves might just be a little shorter.
Razor Blade or Sharp Knife: I haven’t found a bread lame I really like so I just use razor blades as is. They’re cheap and sharp and easy to control, you just have to be cautious not to cut yourself.
You can also use a sharp kitchen knife or any bread lame of your choice. A bread lame is a tool used to hold razor blades for scoring.
Parchment Paper: For lining your pans so your loaf doesn’t stick. Or you can grease and flour your pans. I rigged up my own silicone loaf pan liners but I don’t think you can buy a product like that at the moment.
Cooling Rack: For cooling down your loaf.
Ingredients
White Flour: I use Rogers all-purpose flour, nothing fancy.
Whole-Wheat Flour: I use fresh-milled organic whole-grain flour but any whole-wheat flour from the store will get the job done.
Active Sourdough Starter: An active sourdough starter is bubbly with large bubbles, a domed top, double to triple in size, sweet and sour smelling, and floats in water. A perfectly active starter is essential for the perfect loaf but it’s not essential to make sourdough bread. You can work with the starter you have even if it’s not perfectly active, just expect inferior results.
Salt: I use Himalayan sea salt but any salt is good. Avoid highly processed table salt. The more mineral content, the better.
Water: Any drinking water can be bread-making water.
Garlic: Dehydrated minced garlic works, tastes, and looks the best.
Rosemary: Fresh is also best but whole leaf dried rosemary works great too.
How To Make Rosemary Garlic Sourdough Sandwich Bread
Mix the Dough: In a sturdy mixing bowl, combine lukewarm water and active sourdough starter. Break up the starter into small, shaggy pieces using your hands or a spatula.
Add Flours: Add white flour, whole wheat flour, garlic and rosemary. Mix until all ingredients are incorporated, and there are no dry bits. Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 1 hour.
Add Salt: After the rest period, add salt with a splash of water and squish into your dough until dissolved and fully incorporated. Let rest for 1 hour.
Stretch-and-Fold: After the rest, perform the first round of stretch-and-folds, gently stretching the dough and folding it over itself until the dough becomes tight (4-8 times).
Second Stretch & Fold: After 30 minutes, repeat the stretch-and-fold process, making sure the dough becomes tight. This makes a total of 2 rounds of stretch-and-folds.
Bulk Fermentation: Let the dough rest until it has doubled in size. This could take anywhere from 4-12 hours, depending on the temperature of your house. If your house is cold, it will take longer, and if it’s warm, it will take less time.
Shape the Dough: After bulk fermentation, turn the dough onto the counter. Shape into a round ball and let it rest for 30 minutes. If the dough still feels tight after 30 minutes, let it rest for an additional 30 minutes.
Prepare Loaf Pan: Use either a non-stick pan, grease with butter and flour your pans, or line with parchment paper.
Final Shaping: After resting, flip the dough ball over so the smooth side is down. Gently shape the loaf by folding in the sides and creating tension to form a strong oval loaf. Place the shaped dough seam side down into loaf pan.
Cold Proof: Cover the loaf pan. Let the dough rise on the counter for another hour and then place in the fridge for 8-24 hours for a cold proof. The longer the cold proof, the more complex the flavour.
Preheat the Oven: After the cold proof, preheat your oven to 500°F (260°C). Place a metal baking tray or muffin tin at the bottom of the oven to pour hot water into later to generate steam (this is optional but highly recommended for a crisp crust).
Score the Loaf: Once the oven is preheated, take the loaf out of the fridge. Lightly flour the loaf and score them with a sharp knife or lame.
Bake the Bread: Open the preheated oven and carefully place the loaf inside. If you added a steam tray, pour 1 cup of hot water into the vessel at the bottom of the oven immediately after placing the loaf in. Close the oven door to trap in the steam.
Lower the Temperature: Drop the oven temperature to 375°F (190°C) and bake the bread for 40-45 minutes, or until the crust is golden and crispy.
Cool the Loaves: Once baked, remove the loaf from the oven and place it on a cooling rack. Let it cool for at least 1 hour before slicing.
Enjoy: Once cooled, slice your garlic and rosemary sandwich bread and enjoy with a generous amount of butter, or use it for sandwiches, toast, or any other delightful dish!
Rosemary Garlic Sourdough Sandwich Bread Video Tutorial
Recipe & Method
Rosemary Garlic Sourdough Sandwich Bread
Ingredients
- 250 g White Flour
- 125 g Whole-Wheat Flour
- 250 g Water
- 150 g Active Sourdough Starter
- 10 g Salt
- 1/2 tbsp Garlic Flakes
- 1/2 tbsp Rosemary Leaves
Instructions
- Mix the Dough: In a sturdy mixing bowl, combine lukewarm water and active sourdough starter. Break up the starter into small, shaggy pieces using your hands or a spatula.
- Add Flours: Add white flour, whole wheat flour, garlic and rosemary. Mix until all ingredients are incorporated, and there are no dry bits. Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 1 hour.
- Add Salt: After the rest period, add salt with a splash of water and squish into your dough until dissolved and fully incorporated. Let rest for 1 hour.
- Stretch-and-Fold: After the rest, perform the first round of stretch-and-folds, gently stretching the dough and folding it over itself until the dough becomes tight (4-8 times).
- Second Stretch & Fold: After 30 minutes, repeat the stretch-and-fold process, making sure the dough becomes tight. This makes a total of 2 rounds of stretch-and-folds.
- Bulk Fermentation: Let the dough rest until it has doubled in size. This could take anywhere from 4-12 hours, depending on the temperature of your house. If your house is cold, it will take longer, and if it’s warm, it will take less time.
- Shape the Dough: After bulk fermentation, turn the dough onto the counter. Shape into a round ball and let it rest for 30 minutes. If the dough still feels tight after 30 minutes, let it rest for an additional 30 minutes.
- Prepare Loaf Pan: Use either a non-stick pan, grease with butter and flour your pans, or line with parchment paper.
- Final Shaping: After resting, flip the dough ball over so the smooth side is down. Gently shape the loaf by folding in the sides and creating tension to form a strong oval loaf. Place the shaped dough seam side down into loaf pan.
- Cold Proof: Cover the loaf pan. Let the dough rise on the counter for another hour and then place in the fridge for 8-24 hours for a cold proof. The longer the cold proof, the more complex the flavour.
- Preheat the Oven: After the cold proof, preheat your oven to 500°F (260°C). Place a metal baking tray or muffin tin at the bottom of the oven to pour hot water into later to generate steam (this is optional but highly recommended for a crisp crust).
- Score the Loaf: Once the oven is preheated, take the loaf out of the fridge. Lightly flour the loaf and score them with a sharp knife or lame.
- Bake the Bread: Open the preheated oven and carefully place the loaf inside. If you added a steam tray, pour 1 cup of hot water into the vessel at the bottom of the oven immediately after placing the loaf in. Close the oven door to trap in the steam.
- Lower the Temperature: Drop the oven temperature to 375°F (190°C) and bake the bread for 40-45 minutes, or until the crust is golden and crispy.
- Cool the Loaves: Once baked, remove the loaf from the oven and place it on a cooling rack. Let it cool for at least 1 hour before slicing.
- Enjoy: Once cooled, slice your garlic and rosemary sandwich bread and enjoy with a generous amount of butter, or use it for sandwiches, toast, or any other delightful dish!
Recommended Reading
Good – I should definitely pronounce, impressed with your site. I had no trouble navigating through all the tabs and related information ended up being truly easy to do to access. I recently found what I hoped for before you know it at all. Quite unusual. Is likely to appreciate it for those who add forums or something, web site theme . a tones way for your customer to communicate. Nice task.