Copycat Homemade Schlotzsky’s Sourdough Bread
Copycat Homemade Schlotzsky’s Sourdough Bread Recipe: An easy way to make the iconic bubbly yeast sandwich bread at home!
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 mouth full, but you will certainly want to get a big mouth full of this Copycat Homemade Schlotzsky’s Sourdough Bread. 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.
Some bakery sourdough loaves are wimpy and fall apart when you load them up with your favorite fillings.
Others are too dry and hard to choke down, or they crumble when you pick them up. Not this Bread. Copycat Homemade Schlotzsky’s Sourdough Bread is an ideal balance of tenderness and stability.
Who doesn’t need a little tenderness and stability in their lives… And in their recipe collection?
When I think of sourdough I recall that slimy gooey starter for “friendship” bread that was so popular in the 70’s.
My mom would keep it in the fridge and whenever she wanted to bake bread she would have to feed it, let it grow, and wait until it was ready before she could bake.
An Easy Sourdough Bread Recipe For Beginners
This bread has a starter too, but the wait time is much reduced. It is great for beginners.
You need only a five-minute wait for the yeast to activate, then one proofing prior to baking. Best of all, the bake time is a brief twenty minutes. No more keeping starters in the refrigerator for your sourdough recipes.
Copycat 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.
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 Sourdough Bread
Step-by-Step Instructions…
In a medium-sized bowl, gently whisk together the yeast, warm water, and sugar. Let it stand at room temperature for 5 minutes until bubbly, (you can cover with a towel like you would a lid). You can use a large bowl/large mixing bowl if you want to make a bigger batch.
Whisk in the warm milk, vinegar, baking soda, salt, and 1 cup of flour until smooth. Then mix in the remaining flour.
Spray two 9-inch cake pans (or pie pans) with nonstick cooking spray and dust the bottoms with cornmeal (instead of lining them with a piece of parchment paper). Divide the dough between the pans and spread it out a little. The yeast will do the rest. (You can flour your counter to help divide the dough with a sharp knife or bench scraper).
Spray plastic wrap with nonstick cooking spray and lightly cover each pan. Proof for 1 hour in a warm place in the house… Or in a proofing drawer.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Remove the plastic wrap and bake for 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Brush the tops of the bread lightly with melted butter and cool in pans completely.
Dust off the loose cornmeal from the crust. Slice the bread loaves in half horizontally, and start creating your sandwich masterpiece!
Get The Full (Printable) for Step-by-Step Guide for Easy Sourdough Bread Recipes + VIDEO Below.
How to Make a Schlotzsky’s Sandwich
Once in the pans, the proofing chemistry takes control and beautiful bubbles fill the dough. Though it doesn’t rise much higher than the pie pan, it is the ideal height for a hearty sandwich.
If the Schlotzsky’s bread was any thicker, your sandwich would be too thick and bready to fit in your mouth. Any thinner and it would be too difficult to slice.
Once the bread is baked, you are ready to build amazing copycat Schlotzsky’s sourdough bread sandwiches.
Slice the bread open. 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 at home!
Frequently Asked Questions
How to make it the Schlotzsky’s Way?
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.
How far in advance can I make this bread? Does it freeze well?
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.
What temperature should I set the oven for toasting with cheese?
To make Schlotzsky’s sandwiches, roast the bread in the oven at 375 degrees F until the cheese melts.
Why does this bread not need a sourdough starter?
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!
Can I Use Bread Flour?
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!
Is This Bread Gluten Free?
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
- Panini Sandwich with Creamy Pesto Sauce
- Almond Sandwich Cookies
- 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
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!
Thank you so much for sharing an Awesome copy cat recipe of one of my favorite breads.
I followed the recipe Exactly and it did not disappoint. So many possibilities, someone mentioned pizza and that got me thinking.
My family devoured it and declared it to be their favorite bread recipe.
Forgot to rate the recipe…
Absolutely Wonderful Bread! The addition of the vinegar gave a very slight tang. I’m making this for the 3rd time today! We love this bread! Thank you for an excellent and simple bread recipe!
My husband and I used to love to go to Schlotsky’s years ago. We now live in Michigan and no one here even knows what it is. I have made this bread and used the copycat recipe for building the original sandwich. It may seem like a lot of work, but it’s not. It is well worth the effort, so good. The bread is the key to the sandwich.
Thank you!
This is a wonderfully easy sandwich bread recipe. Who know, sourdough in a little over 2 hours total.. We have to drive an hour for Schlotzky’s so this is perfect to have at home. I did have an issue w my plastic wrap wanting to stick, but next time I will do better. And there will be a next time! We think this would make a great homemade pizza crust too.
Wow, we all loved this sourdough bread!! It was so easy to make and turned out perfectly!! Thank you!
It was my first time making this Schlotzsky’s sourdough bread. Glad, it turned out so fine and delicious. And its texture is notable!
It was quick and easy. We loved it the first time. The second and third time it wouldn’t rise. I am an old hand at measuring water Temps and proofing my bread. Just can’t figure out why the last 2 didn’t rise as I made them all the same. But they all tasted very good and like Schlotzsky’s. Thanks for sharing the pop-ups made it difficult to comment
I forgot to add that this looked and tasted so much like the real deal!! And I have an electric oven with proofing feature that I used. It shows a temp of 100′ so I don’t think a much warmer temp works! I also read that 90′ is the warmest.
This was simple and easy and turned out delicious! We used Boar’s Head meats. The sandwiches were so good. We have a 90 mile round trip to get to the closest Schlotzsky’s so we never get to eat it as often as we would like. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe!
really sticky dough, don’t add more flour. Made individual buns with mine, place dough into rings to rise, then bake according to directions. Amazing, will make many more times. ate at Schlotzsky’s yesterday, and these came out very close to the original. ‘
Thanks for the copycat recipe.
I tried this twice in the same day and both times it came out flat and a little sweet. Checked my steps several times. Used tap water 1st time, distilled on the second, and a little less sugar with the same result. I am getting good yeast activation but wonder if the 175 to proof in the oven is too high because I’m not getting much activity after placing in pans?
Wow!! This recipe is almost exactly like the real thing! I will say, I had my doubts when I plopped the VERY sticky batter into a lump in the pan, but an hour later, it looked exactly like the pictures here. And exactly 20 minutes in the oven seemed perfect! I always get nervous taking bread out, but after letting them cool and then cutting into them, I was shocked at how perfect they looked! I thought for sure I would mess this up, but it turned out to be pretty simple and very delicious!
Excellent, and so easy to make.
Thank you.
After years of missing schlotzkys sandwiches, I finally travelled and stopped for one. Then another on my way home. I came across this recipe after craving more. I must say, these are delicious! I can’t say that it didn’t rise enough to cut horizontally, but I did cut in quarters and stacked them instead. I’m on my second recipe to in hopes it will rise more. If not, still fabulous!
After years of missing schlotzkys sandwiches, I finally travelled and stopped for one. Then another on my way home. I came across this recipe after craving more. I must say, these are delicious! I can’t say that it didn’t rise enough to cut horizontally, but I did cut in quarters and made them that way. I’m on my second recipe to in hopes it will rise more. If not, still fabulous!
I tried this one first and it was perfect!! No need to search any further, this IS Schlotzsky’s Original Sandwich!!
I make this bread often, I have found that kneading slightly with
a little extra flour and shaping into flat roll before covering with oiled plastic will ensure a even rise and plastic will come off easier . I lower oven temp to 370 F and bake for 32 minutes. I end up with a sponger texture. My family loves this bread and toast for breakfast or just warm in microwave and spread jam.
Hello! I made this once already and it was delicious. However, I was wondering if there is a way to incorporate some of my sourdough discard to make it a bit more tangy? If you have any suggestions I would love to give it a try and let you know how it comes out! Thanks so much!
I know you asked this a long time ago, but you can replace part of the liquid and flour for an equal amount of sourdough by weight. For example, If you want to use 100g sourdough, put in 50 fewer grams of flour and 50 fewer grams of water.
This isn’t really sourdough, as it has no starter in it.
Easy to make, yes. Tastes as good and as light as Schlotzskys? No. My bread was too hard around the outside, too flat, and didn’t have the right flavor.
Not bad but I wouldn’t make it again.
I made this and while it was pretty good, it wasn’t like the Schlotskys bread. It doesn’t have the flavor or the same chewy texture. Both may be solved by letting the dough set for 12 hours at least. It will build flavor and also the gluten strands that will give it that nice chew.
Ouick and easy, and delicious!
where is the sour dough starter? my sour dough is old and still make great sour dough, but stll requires quite a bit of time to make. this recepie appears to be a simple bread recepie without a srarter????
So yeah prep time of 26 min is not actually true when proofing takes an hour right!?
How far in advance can i make this bread? Does it freeze well?
Hi Donna,
Yes, it does freeze well. Wrap it tightly in plastic and you can freeze it up to 6 months.
I made the recipe with two 9″ cake pans. Bread came out great. Have used three 6″ pans and the dough doesn’t seem to rise very much. Bread comes out flat and tough. Same yeast and flour. Yeast is active and all other ingredients are fresh. Water and milk temps were measured at 100-110 degrees. What’s wrong?
Pan Size (Inches) Number of Pans
9 2
8 2.5
6 4.5
5 6.5
4 10.1
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Have you every tried this in smaller pans, so you have individual rounds? Was wondering is cupacake or Whoopi’s pie pans would work?
Made it this morning! It is a wonderful recipe. Thank you!
I love sourdough bread. Thanks for posting this great easy-to-make recipe.
I was wondering what temperature for oven toasting and if the sandwich is toasted open face layered as instructed with cheese on bottom?
Roast it at 375* until the cheese melts. :)
Got it, thankyou Sommer.
Heaves! This looks so great ! Thank you !