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
- 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!
This isn’t really sourdough, as it has no starter in it.
We know that because it was stated in the recipe.
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!?
The author of recipe made it clear several times that it was not a true sour dough but that they were trying to mimic the sour taste.
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
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 !