The sanity take: Good sourdough doesn't need much. The bread itself is the flavor. Most of the best uses are the simplest ones, where the bread is the star, not the topping.
Breakfast
Butter Toast
Don't underestimate this. A thick slice of good sourdough, toasted until the crust is crispy and the inside is still a little chewy, with a generous amount of good salted butter melted into it. This is one of the best things you can eat for breakfast. No recipe needed. Slice thick, toast well, butter generously.
What makes it better: Use real salted butter, not unsalted. Let it melt into the hot toast before you eat it. Flaky sea salt on top is optional but excellent.
Avocado Toast
Sourdough is the reason avocado toast became a thing. The tang and structure of the bread holds up to the richness of the avocado in a way that regular sandwich bread simply doesn't. This is the version worth making.
Ingredients
- 2 thick slices sourdough
- 1 ripe avocado
- Juice of half a lemon
- Flaky sea salt
- Red pepper flakes
- Optional: 1–2 eggs (fried or poached)
Method
- Toast bread until genuinely crispy — you want it to hold up under the avocado.
- Halve the avocado, remove pit, scoop into a bowl.
- Add lemon juice and a pinch of salt, mash roughly with a fork. Leave it a little chunky.
- Spread on toast. Top with flaky salt and red pepper flakes.
- If adding an egg, fry or poach it and place on top.
Sanity note: Don't over-season the avocado. The bread has its own flavor — you want the two to work together, not compete. Lemon juice, salt, a little heat. That's it.
Soft Boiled Egg Toast
Butter toast, two soft boiled eggs halved on top, flaky salt and black pepper. The runny yolk soaks into the bread. One of the most satisfying breakfasts you can make in under 10 minutes.
- 2 thick slices sourdough, toasted and buttered
- 2 eggs
- Flaky salt and black pepper
Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Lower eggs in gently, cook exactly 7 minutes for a set white and jammy yolk. Transfer to cold water for 1 minute, peel, halve, place on buttered toast. Season well.
Sandwiches
The Good Grilled Cheese
Sourdough grilled cheese is categorically better than any other grilled cheese. The tang of the bread plays against the richness of the melted cheese in a way that makes every other version taste flat. Use good cheese and low heat.
- 2 slices sourdough (medium thickness)
- 2–3 oz good melting cheese (gruyère, fontina, sharp cheddar, or a mix)
- Butter
Butter one side of each slice. Place butter-side down in a cold pan. Add cheese. Top with second slice, butter-side up. Turn heat to medium-low. Cook 4–5 minutes per side, pressing gently, until deep golden and cheese is fully melted. Low and slow — don't rush it.
Open-Face Tomato Sandwich
Only make this in peak tomato season — July through September. A good in-season tomato on good sourdough with good olive oil is genuinely one of the best sandwiches that exists. Out of season, it's not worth making.
- 1 thick slice sourdough
- 1 ripe summer tomato
- Good olive oil
- Flaky sea salt
- Optional: fresh basil
Toast the bread lightly. Slice tomato thickly. Drizzle olive oil on the toast. Layer tomato slices, overlapping. Season generously with flaky salt. Add basil if using. Eat immediately.
Classic BLT
The structure of sourdough holds up to the BLT in a way that soft sandwich bread never can. The slight chew and tang are the missing ingredient most BLTs don't have.
- 2 thick slices sourdough, toasted
- 4–6 strips thick-cut bacon
- 2–3 leaves romaine or butter lettuce
- 2–3 slices ripe tomato
- Good mayonnaise
- Salt and pepper
Cook bacon until crispy. Season tomato slices with salt and pepper directly. Spread mayo generously on both pieces of toast. Layer lettuce, tomato, then bacon. The order matters — lettuce against the mayo prevents the bread from getting soggy.
Using Stale Bread
Sourdough goes stale differently from commercial bread — it dries out rather than going soft and gummy, which makes it perfect for a few specific uses.
Breadcrumbs
Tear or cut stale sourdough into chunks, pulse in a food processor, toast in a dry pan or oven until golden. These breadcrumbs are significantly better than anything from a can and will keep for weeks in an airtight jar. Use them on pasta, roasted vegetables, or anywhere you'd use panko.
Croutons
Cube stale sourdough, toss with olive oil, salt, and whatever dried herbs you like. Roast at 375°F for 15–20 minutes until crispy throughout. Better than any store-bought crouton.
Panzanella
The Tuscan bread salad was invented for bread exactly like yours — slightly stale, sturdy, flavorful. Cube day-old sourdough, combine with ripe tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, basil, olive oil, and red wine vinegar. Let it sit 20 minutes so the bread soaks up the tomato juices. This is one of the best things you can do with sourdough in summer.
Ready to bake? The Sourdough Sanity: Full Bake Guide app walks you through every step with timers and push notifications, so you can focus on the dough, not the clock. Free on Android and iOS.