5 Fast Food Chain Sourdough Items You Should Try

In tough times, Americans have always turned to sourdough and ever since it made a resurgence in home kitchens during the pandemic, the tangy fermented bread has increasingly appeared on the menus of fast food chains; swapping traditional white burger buns and other basic sandwich breads for hearty sourdough slices. The distinctive sour flavor cuts through rich, fatty ingredients like beef, bacon, and cheese, while its sturdy yet soft interior and crusty, chewy edges complement everything from breakfast sandwiches to hot, melty burgers. Some chains have quietly been serving items on sourdough bread for decades, giving them a leg up in terms of perfecting both the bread and the ingredients inside. Others have introduced sourdough more recently, proving the bread's appeal extends well beyond artisan bakeries and homemade loaves.

Sourdough bakers and eaters know that not all sourdough bread tastes the same, and the flavors and textures also differ between fast food restaurants, but what's sandwiched between the two slices plays a role too. The best sourdough strikes a balance between being sturdy enough to stand up to juicy fillings without becoming soggy and being distinctive enough in the flavor department to shine alongside the ingredients it holds. Whether you're a longtime sourdough lover or simply sourdough-curious, these five fast food chain sourdough items check both boxes; making them well worth ordering, according to reviewers and diners across the internet.

The sourdough on Dunkin's Sourdough Breakfast Sandwich is extra tasty because it uses an actual sourdough starter. Sourdough starter is the source of the bread's signature tang, which results from the fermentation used to naturally leaven the bread. Unlike most mass-produced sourdough breads which rely on commercial yeast and acids for their rise and sour flavor, Dunkin's sourdough bread is made using a true sourdough starter made from scratch, according to the chain. The rest of the bread's ingredients align with the simplicity of traditional homemade sourdough and include enriched wheat flour, water, rye flour, whole grain rye flour, salt, and malted barley flour (to enhance browning and provide a more complex flavor).

Altogether, the authentic tang and texture of this bread pairs well with the richness of the bacon strips, two eggs, and melty white cheddar cheese, while also providing a strong foundation to hold the hearty ingredients together. Reviews across the internet are mixed, with many stating the sandwich lacks flavor, while others praise its generous portion. Still, few fast food chains use an actual starter for their sourdough bread, which requires an added layer of attentiveness; making Dunkin's Sourdough Breakfast Sandwich a notable option for anyone wanting to enjoy a more authentic sourdough while on-the-go.

With the word "bread" in the chain's name, it shouldn't come as a surprise that Panera Bread has been a pioneer among fast food chains that offer sourdough. The company was supposedly founded upon its secret sourdough starter, and its Country Rustic Sourdough bread is still made with a starter today, similar to Dunkin'. It's the default bread for Panera's Grilled Chicken & Avo BLT, Tuna Salad Sandwich, and Turkey & Cheddar Sandwich.

What makes Panera's Turkey & Cheddar Sandwich a standout from the others served on the Country Rustic Sourdough is its combination of classic sandwich ingredients — turkey, white cheddar, greens, onions, tomatoes, and mayo — which strike the perfect balance of flavor and texture without overpowering the bread's signature tang. Instead, the mild ingredients allow the sourdough to remain a noticeable part of every bite. Many Panera Bread sandwich reviews online say the sourdough on the Turkey & Cheddar sandwich adds a nice tanginess, has a soft texture, and pairs especially well with the subtle flavor of the turkey.

Potentially one of the most underrated sourdough fast food items is Starbucks' Crispy Grilled Cheese on Sourdough. Part of the reason this sandwich flies under the radar could be because the word "sourdough" wasn't originally included in its name. Judging by the bread's ingredients, it's not too far off from Dunkin's simple, traditional sourdough bread recipe, although Starbucks hasn't said whether its bread is made with an actual sourdough starter.

There are several reasons why Starbucks grilled cheese is so good, and crisping up the sourdough is one of them. This was a pro move on Starbucks' part because the bread's flavor really comes alive when it's warm and toasty. Its slight tang cuts through the ultra-rich layers of cheddar, mozzarella, and parmesan cheese as well as both the garlic cheese butter and parmesan cheese butter. 

According to social media, it tastes just as good as it looks. One TikTok food reviewer not only captured an impressive cheese-pull from the sandwich in real time, they also praised the sourdough itself, saying it's "very good." While plenty of reviewers mention the sandwich's $7 price tag, many say the quality of the bread, rich cheese blend, and buttery spreads make it feel like a worthwhile upgrade from ordinary grilled cheese sandwiches offered at other fast food chains.

You can swap a regular old bun for sourdough bread at Culver's and it'll feel life-altering. It's not just that Culver's makes some pretty darn good burgers and sandwiches — it's that the Wisconsin-born chain treats its sourdough right. Similar to Starbucks, Culver's butters and toasts the sourdough to create a sturdy, rich foundation that can hold up to the Sourdough Melt fillings: a ButterBurger patty (or two or three), slices of Wisconsin-aged Cheddar, grilled red onions, and any added sauces; like ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, or the highly recommended side of Wisconsin Cheddar Cheese Sauce. A soft burger bun wouldn't stand a chance against this kind of stack and the hungry grip of two hands.

Culver's sourdough bread ingredients are among the least traditional among the chains on this list. Rather than relying on a sourdough starter, Culver's sourdough bread uses a few different types of acid to help give the bread tang. If that doesn't bother you, the acids do their job well to cut through the sandwich's rich, fatty flavors. Sure, one could say Culver's sourdough bread is merely white bread manipulated to resemble sourdough, but hey, if it works, it works! The "fakeness" of the sourdough doesn't seem to matter to customers, who consistently rave about how phenomenal the melt tastes online.

Jack in the Box's Sourdough Jack is another fast food item that has featured sourdough bread for decades. Jack in the Box began serving the Sourdough Jack as an official menu item in 1997, and it's considered one of the most popular Jack in the Box menu items today. The non-traditional, thick, circular sourdough slices are a toasted vehicle for a seasoned beef patty, hickory-smoked bacon, tomato, melty Swiss cheese, mayo, and ketchup. A regular burger bun would simply not have done this item justice the way the sourdough does.

Similar to Culver's, the ingredients in Jack in the Box's sourdough bread are nowhere near those of a traditional sourdough recipe. However, fans love it. A Reddit post titled "What Makes Jack in the Box's Sourdough Bread So Good?" has several Redditors stating it's the generous amount of butter used to coat the slices before they get nice and toasty on the grill. One Redditor speculated it's the bread's tang, saying, "Citric acid is an ingredient in their sourdough. I am guessing this may be the difference." The slight tang of sourdough, whether it's from a starter or an added acid, is a strong common denominator that helps unite the savory flavors of fast food burgers and sandwiches.