Cloud Toast Bread

ByNatalya Syanova
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Light as air, this cloud toast bread with stiff sourdough stater will be your to go recipe for school or work sandwiches.

I’m very happy to share the recipe which was adapted from talented baker Abby (@sour.lotti )

Ingredients

Sweet Stiff Sourdough Starter

Dough

  • 250 g bread flour (100%)
  • 100g sweet stiff starter 
  • 45g milk
  • 50g heavy cream
  • 1 egg
  • 30g sugar
  • 4g salt 
  • 25g soft unsalted butter 

Directions

Day 1

Starter

  • 10 pm dissolve sugar in the water, add starter and whisk together, add flour, mix well, form a ball, place in jar, cover let ferment at room temp 74-78F until it increases in volume in 2 or more times.
  • Stiff sweet starter will have lower hydration than regular liquid starter and will help us to lower the acidity of final product (learn how to make sourdough starter from scratch here).

Day 2

Dough

  • 8 am in a bowl of stand mixer add milk, heavy cream, an egg, sugar, stiff sourdough starter (100g) ,and the flour, mix all together let autolyse for 30 min.
  • During the autolyse period the flour becomes fully hydrated. This activates gluten development.
  • 8.30 am mix dough on low speed of your mixing machine for 2-3 minutes, or KitchenAid on speed 3 for 3-4 minutes until well incorporated.
  • Add salt mix for a couple more minutes. The dough should form a ball.
  • Add soft butter, increase the speed of mixer, mix for 10 more minutes until the dough is well incorporated and comes up together. You will be able to perform windowpane test.
  • Cover the dough and let it proof for 3-4 hours at 76-80F/ 24-28C.
  • During that time perform 2 stretches and folds.
  • The dough should become puffy.
  • 1.30 pm transfer the dough to the fridge for cold fermentation for about 6-9 hours.
  • 10 pm Remove the dough from the fridge.
  • Divide on 3 equal pieces 
  • Roll it in a 3 tight rolls.
  • Transfer the shaped rolls into the baking pan.
  • Cover the loaf and let it proof overnight for 8 -10 hours 65-72F /18-21C until it will double in volume.
Cloud Toast

Day 3

  • 7 am Preheat the oven to 375F.
  • Sprinkle some flour on top of the loaf (optional)
  • Bake the loaf for 25-30 min until golden brown.

Enjoy!

Cloud Toast Bread

Cloud Toast Bread

1979kcal
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Prep 35 minutes
Cook 30 minutes
Total 14 hours 35 minutes
Light as air, this Cloud Toast Bread utilizes a sweet, stiff sourdough starter matrix to deliver an incredibly fluffy, shreddable crumb. It features a beautifully delicate sweetness that makes it your absolute go-to recipe for the ultimate school or work sandwiches.
Servings 1 loaf
Cuisine American (Sweet Artisan Bread)

Ingredients

The Sweet Stiff Sourdough Starter (Built 6–8 Hours Before)
  • 25 g Sourdough starter culture
  • 35 g Water
  • 75 g Bread flour
  • 15 g Sugar
The Ultra-Fluffy Main Dough
  • 275 g Bread flour (100%)
  • 115 g Cold milk (42%)
  • 50 g Heavy cream (18%)
  • 140 g All of your prepared mature sweet stiff starter (approx. 140g / 50%)
  • 1 Large egg (approx. 50g / 18%)
  • 40 g Sugar (14.5%)
  • 5 g Fine sea salt (1.8%)
  • 25 g Unsalted butter (9% – Softened completely to room temperature)

Equipment

Method

Step 1 – The Sweet Stiff Levain Build
  1. In the morning (or night before): In a small glass jar, dissolve your 25g of starter culture and 15g of sugar into 35g of water. Whisk together until smooth, then stir in 75g of bread flour.
  2. Knead briefly inside the jar into a firm, tight ball. Cover loosely and let it ferment at room temperature 74–78°F (23–26°C) for 6 to 8 hours until it triples in volume, softens up, and fills the jar with an airy, sweet aroma.
Step 2 – Enriched Mixing & High-Tension Shading
  1. In your stand mixer bowl, combine the 115g of cold milk, 50g of heavy cream, 1 large egg, 40g of sugar, and all 140g of your mature sweet stiff starter broken up into a few pieces. Whisk briefly to combine, then dump all 275g of bread flour right over the liquids.
  2. Attach your dough hook. Mix on low speed for 3 to 4 minutes until a rough, shaggy mass forms with no dry flour remaining. Let the dough rest undisturbed in the bowl for 15 minutes.
  3. Add the 5g of fine sea salt. Turn your mixer up to medium-high speed and knead continuously for 7 to 8 minutes until the gluten network tightens up and pulls cleanly away from the sides of the bowl.
  4. Drop in the 25g of soft room-temperature butter. Keep running on medium-high speed for another 5 to 7 minutes until the fat incorporates perfectly and the dough becomes incredibly smooth, glossy, and elastic.
  5. Cover the bowl and let bulk ferment for 2 hours at a warm 78–82°F (25–28°C) until it looks slightly puffy and light.
  6. The Three-Cylinder Shape: Tip the dough out onto a clean workspace. Using a bench scraper and kitchen scale, divide the dough mass cleanly into 3 equal pieces. Round each piece into a smooth ball, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and let them rest on the counter for 30 minutes to relax the gluten.
  7. Take one rested ball and flatten it into an oval with a rolling pin. Fold the left third inward over the center, then fold the right third over that like a letter. Use your rolling pin to flatten this folded strip lengthwise into a long rectangle, then roll it up tightly from the short bottom edge into a dense cylinder. Repeat for the other 2 pieces.
  8. Line your loaf pan with parchment paper. Arrange the 3 shaped cylinders side-by-side inside the pan. Cover loosely and let them proof at room temperature for 3 to 4 hours until the highest curves of the dough rise to exactly 1 cm below the top rim of the pan.
Step 3 – Gentle Golden Bake
  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
  2. Slide the pan onto the middle rack and bake for 30 minutes until the top turns a gorgeous, uniform golden brown.
  3. Remove from the oven and carefully lift the hot loaf out of the pan using the parchment paper edges. Let cool completely on a wire rack before tearing or slicing into its cloud-like interior.

Nutrition

Calories1979kcalCarbohydrates321gProtein54gFat52gSaturated Fat29gPolyunsaturated Fat5gMonounsaturated Fat13gTrans Fat1gCholesterol288mgSodium2070mgPotassium638mgFiber9gSugar63gVitamin A1791IUVitamin C0.3mgCalcium260mgIron4mg

Notes

  • The Secret Power of a Sweet Stiff Starter: Utilizing a stiff, low-hydration starter built with a touch of sugar changes the entire chemical game. The sugar feeds the wild yeasts while pulling water away from bacteria cells, which drastically slows down the production of harsh acetic and lactic acids. This guarantees your Cloud Toast Bread develops an intensely sweet, milky flavor with absolutely zero sour tang.
  • Why the Double-Rolling Shape is Essential: Rolling the dough strips flat with a rolling pin twice during step 9 serves a critical structural purpose. This compression forces out any giant, erratic carbon dioxide gas pockets, refining the interior cell matrix. When it rises in the oven, it creates a tight, highly organized, feather-light crumb that tears apart into incredibly thin, silky shreds.
  • Heavy Cream vs. Milk Dynamics: This formula relies on a rich combination of cold whole milk and heavy cream to supply its hydration. The added dairy fats and emulsifiers coat the developing wheat proteins, preventing the gluten bonds from turning tough or rubbery. This ensures the loaf bakes up with a melt-in-your-mouth, pillow-soft texture.
  • Perfect Proof Leveling: Keep a close eye on the final rise timeline during step 10. Because this dough contains a heavy fat load from milk, eggs, and cream, overproofing can happen quickly if your kitchen runs warm. Be sure to slide the pan into the oven right when the dough hits 1 cm below the rim to lock in a beautifully rounded crown and prevent the loaf from deflating.

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67 Comments

      1. Hola Natasha: 1) cuál es la función del azúcar en un levain sólido?. Esto es lo llamado osmotolerancia, correcto?
        2) Si el levain sólido suma 145 g por qué no usas toda esta cantidad (en la receta solo empleas 100 g descartando 45 g).

  3. My dear if I want to use an instant yeast instead of sweet stiff sourdough starter how much I will
    need by grams??

    Reply

  5. Hello! To use Brazilian flour, which is not as strong as Italian flour or bread flour, is the fermentation time the same?
    Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply

    1. Hi!
      With not strong flour, try to lower hydration to 70-72% and ferment the dough up to 40-50% mark before preshaping 🙏

      Reply

    2. very good, the softest sourdough bread i’ve tried! i prefer a bread that is not sweet though…would i get the same soft results if i omitted/reduced the sugar? or do you have a sourdough sandwich bread recipe that is soft but not sweet?

      Reply

      1. Thank you for your feedback! You can definitely omit or reduce the sugar in the sourdough bread recipe to make it less sweet. The sugar in the recipe helps feed the yeast and adds a bit of sweetness to the bread, but it is not essential for the texture. You should still be able to achieve a soft texture without the sugar.

  7. I am a big fan of your Sourdough White Sandwich Bread. Baked this Cloud Sandwich Bread last week and absolutely love it – soft & aromatic. Another great recipe.
    Note: I customised the timing to my climate & schedule.

    Reply

  8. Love this recipe! Makes the most lovely, soft bread! How do you use the leftover sweet starter for future feedings?

    Reply

    1. Thank you do much for your feedback.
      You can use leftover starter just for future, by refreshing it and let fermented…

      Reply

  11. Hi, this bread looks incredible and I’m going to try it. I already have a stiff starter (47% hydration), but it is not sweet. Can I use it directly and add the sugar to the dough? I am just thinking how this would shorten the overall time. Thank you for generously sharing your recipes.

    Reply

    1. Can I replace milk and cream? My wife is sensitive to dairy products. We usually replace with nut milk or oat milk. Is this ok? Same volume as milk and cream?

      Reply

  12. I made this…i should have let the
    Last room temp rise go to 10 hours ..it did a beautiful job overall.. But is it a no rise while it bakes? Not sure why .. Do you recommend tear vs. Slice? Thanks! Waiting to taste it now

    Reply

    1. Hi!
      It can be still underproofed if it didn’t rise much in the oven.
      Thank you do much for your feedback.

      Reply

  13. Hi, love all your recipes but in the white sandwich bread and this cloud loaf can you replace the butter with oil? And what will the difference be? Thank you!
    Monika

    Reply

      1. Thank you for your reply, but will there be a difference in texture of the bread if replaced with oil? Like in baking cakes, the cake more moist than it is with butter or should I replace with half butter half oil. What is your opinion?
        Thanks in advance, Monika

    2. I would use coconut oil, since it doesn’t melt in room temperature and is hard like butter. I would also suggest margarine/other vegan “butter” like for example naturli

      Reply

  14. First try and it was a big hit !! I can’t believe how great it turned out! French friends living in Mexico and it was sooo satisfying ! Thank you so much 💯💯

    Reply

  15. This is my first attempt at baking with a sweet stiff starter, and I made the dough into 6 rolls. They were delicious and the texture was very satisfying with a light crust and tender crumb. I will be doubling the recipe going forward. Thank you for the wonderful recipe.

    Reply

  16. “cover let ferment at room temp 74-78F until it increases in volume in 2 or more times.”
    For Day 1 starter, approximately how long are we fermenting for? Are we looking for the starter to triple in volume??

    Reply

  17. I love this recipe so much! I’ve been baking it weekly since I made it the first time a few months ago. I’m wondering if you have tried baking this in a Pullman loaf pan with the lid?

    Reply

  18. I have no idea what I’m doing wrong. Tried twice and two massive fails. Starting with healthy ripe starter but the stiff starter just doesn’t want to grow.

    Reply

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  38. For the final proof, is it necessary for it to be a cold proof? Or can it be done at a warm/room temperature over a shorter period of time?

    Reply

  40. Hi! This bread looks DIVINE. By reading the recipe, I wander what sets it apart from traditional brioche types of bread (expect for the use of sourdough).
    What makes it this cloudy? Is it the long final proof? Is cold retarding?

    Thank you for sharing!

    Reply

    1. Sweet starter and a balanced amount of fats—like butter and heavy whipping cream—combined with proper gluten development are key. These elements contribute to the cloud-like texture of the loaf. The long final proof and cold retardation also help create that airy, delicate structure while enhancing flavor.

      Reply

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