Copycat Homemade Schlotzsky’s Sourdough Bread
by Sommer Collier — last updated on Apr 26, 2025 
If you are a fan of Schlotzsky’s, you can easily learn how to make their signature sourdough bread! This Copycat Homemade Schlotzsky’s Sourdough Bread Recipe is crafted to captivate its tangy aroma and delicate texture for the absolute best sandwich ever… While making it eaier to make than traditional sourdough bread!
Make Schlotzsky’s Sourdough Bread At Home!
Copycat Homemade Schlotzsky’s Sourdough Bread is perfect for that extra-special meal. This buttery, delicious, homemade bread will hold up to some serious sandwich fillings.
I know the name is a mouthful, but you will certainly want to get a big mouthful of this sourdough bread loaded with sandwich fillings. It is so simple to make and nothing like those store-bought loaves of sourdough bread that seem to always disappoint.
This “sourdough” is quick-made using a combination of yeast and vinegar for the sourdough tang, not with a traditional sourdough starter that has to ferment.
Sommer’s Recipe Notes
An Easy Sourdough Bread Recipe For Beginners
This bread has a starter, but the wait time is much reduced compared to traditional sourdough starter. It is great for beginners. There’s no need for a banneton proofing basket, ceramic baking bowls, a bench scraper, or other specialized tools.
You need only 5 minutes for the yeast to activate, then one proofing prior to baking. Best of all, the bake time is a brief 20 minutes. No more keeping starters in the refrigerator for your sourdough recipes.
Homemade Schlotzsky’s Sourdough Bread has a very sticky dough that is more like a batter. You may be tempted to think you made a mistake and want to add more flour, but don’t. Sticky dough equals extra soft and fluffy bread!
What Ingredients You Will Need
- 1/2 cup warm water (110 degrees)
- 1 packet quick-rise active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup warm milk (110 degrees)
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt – or for a deeper flavor you can use fine sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon cornmeal
- 1 tablespoon melted butter
- Nonstick cooking spray
How To Make Easy Sourdough Bread
Find the full copycat sourdough bread recipe below with ingredient proportions, step-by-step instructions, and a video tutorial in the printable form at the bottom of the post.
How to Make a Schlotzsky’s Sandwich
Once the bread is baked, you are ready to build amazing copycat Schlotzsky’s sourdough bread sandwiches.
Slice the bread open with a sharp knife. Layer on garlic dressing, cheeses, ham, salami, mustard, and sliced olives. Then toast in the oven until the cheese melts.
Add lettuce, tomatoes, and onions, and you have Schlotzsky’s Originals or any Schlotzsky’s sandwich at home!
Frequently Asked Questions
To make copycat Schlotzsky’s original sandwiches, layer on creamy garlic dressing (or Caesar dressing), cheddar cheese, Parmesan cheese, ham, salami, mustard, and sliced black olives. Toast in the oven until the cheese melts, then add lettuce, tomatoes, and onions.
Yes, it does freeze well. Wrap it tightly in plastic and you can freeze it for up to 6 months. If not freezing, use the bread within 3-4 days after baking.
To make Schlotzsky’s sandwiches, roast the bread in the oven at 375 degrees F until the cheese melts.
Sourdough starter… Bakers use them so that they don’t have to add quick-rising yeast. The flour itself has wild yeast and bacteria that, in the right situations, will make your bread come alive. The best flour to use for this kind of starter is whole wheat flour which has higher protein and microorganisms to provide better food for the yeast. The recipe doesn’t need a lot of time because we are adding yeast. It’s great for beginner breadmakers!
For this sourdough, I would recommend that you use all-purpose flour over bread flour, so it’s very soft and light. However, if that is all you have on hand, then use it! The bread will not be as delicate, but it will still be delicious!
No, classic sourdough does have gluten. You can make it with a good 1-to-1 ratio gluten-free baking mix; however, the bread will not be quite as flexible.
Other Sandwich Recipes You Might Like:
- Vietnamese Banh Mi Sandwich
- Greek Chicken Salad Sandwiches
- Easy Sesame Chicken Burgers
- Panini Sandwich with Creamy Pesto Sauce
- Choripan Argentino (Chorizo Sandwich)
- New Orleans Muffaletta Sandwich
- Dutch Oven No Knead Bread by Bowl of Delicious
- Sous Vide French Dip Sandwiches from Simply Recipes
Disclosure: We noticed in the comments that some people struggled to get their bread to rise. This recipe has been thoroughly re-tested and adjusted below. Happy Baking!
Copycat Homemade Schlotzsky’s Sourdough Bread
Video
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup warm water (110 degrees)
- 1 packet quick rise active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup warm milk (110 degrees)
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon cornmeal
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- Nonstick cooking spray
Instructions
- In a medium-sized bowl, gently whisk together the yeast, warm water, and sugar. Let it stand for 5 minutes until bubbly.
- Whisk in the warm milk, baking soda, and 1 cup of flour until smooth. Then mix in the vinegar, salt, and remaining flour.
- Spray two 9-inch cake pans (or pie pans) with nonstick cooking spray and dust the bottoms with cornmeal. Divide the dough between the pans and spread it out a little. The yeast will do the rest. Spray plastic wrap with nonstick cooking spray and lightly cover each pan.
- Proof (let the dough rise) in a warm, draft-free place for 1 1/2 – 2 hours until double in size. (If you have a proof setting on your oven, use it.)
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Remove the plastic wrap and bake for 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Brush the tops of bread well with melted butter and cool in pans the completely.
- Dust off the loose cornmeal. Slice the bread loaves in half horizontally, and start creating your sandwich masterpiece!
When you give the nutrition info you say it is “per wedge”. What size is that wedge?
The bread was good but it’s not sourdough. Sourdough either has sourdough starter in it or you let the entire dough sit overnight or 24 hours or even longer, before baking it.
This is good and makes a good sandwich. But it is not like the Schlotzskys bread that I am looking for. The texture isn’t the same. I am going to tweak it a little and use an actual sourdough starter in it. And add a little more salt. We thought it tasted a little flat.
This was so bland. add more salt and Italian seasoning, garlic powder.
I have made this bread and sandwiches several times and think it is great, and very authentic. I also have been baking sour dough bread weekly with a natural starter I created about 8 years ago. My issue is that this is referred to as sour dough. It is certainly NOT sourdough as there isn’t a speck of sour dough starter in it. It is, however, a great match for the original bread.
It’s not that important to be so concerned. No one but you cares about that…it was stated in the recipe that it wasn’t a true sour dough.
“…not a true sourdough”… it isn’t any kind of sourdough, even a fake one. :) It should have been called Traditional Schlotzsky’s Bread or something along those lines.
Practically an exact match to the restaurant’s buns. Only modification I’m making next time is to double the salt. Was blandish as-is. Thank you so much for this recipe. I’ve been compiling bread recipes and this one definitely makes the cut.