With step-by-step pictures, a full video tutorial, and plenty of helpful tips, learn how to make simple white sandwich bread using a few baking ingredients like flour, water, yeast, salt, and milk. Bread flour promises a super soft interior with an extra chewy crust. This recipe yields 1 loaf, so it’s perfect if you only have 1 loaf pan.
If you’re new to working with yeast, reference my Baking with Yeast Guide for answers to common yeast FAQs. This recipe is brought to you in partnership with Red Star Yeast.
Let’s make homemade sandwich bread. This is a basic staple in any bread baker’s repertoire, but it’s also a recipe that shouldn’t be overlooked. There’s nothing on earth quite like homemade bread and my recipe is loaf perfection—rising tall, tasting buttery-soft, and making the most epic sandwiches. It’s truthfully the best homemade bread I’ve ever tasted and it all comes from just 7 ingredients. And if you’re nervous to bake with yeast, I guarantee you will finally feel confident with this no-fuss recipe.
This Sandwich Bread Is:
- Soft white bread with an extra chewy exterior
- Crisp right out of the oven!
- Made from 7 easy ingredients
- Golden brown with a super impressive rise
- Extraordinary on its own or as the base of a sandwich
- Simple to make
- Easy to make ahead or freeze
Looking for a no yeast alternative? Here’s my no yeast bread.
Just 1 Loaf of Bread
Besides the simplicity of the process, you’ll appreciate that this sandwich bread recipe yields just 1 loaf. You don’t need a crazy amount of flour, multiple loaf pans, and you’re not left with 2-3 leftover loaves on your hands. (Which wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing.) Just 1 loaf to prepare, rise, shape, and bake—convenient, approachable, and straightforward. My recipes for multigrain bread, homemade cinnamon swirl bread, and honey oat bread both produce just 1 loaf as well.
Overview: How to Make Sandwich Bread
- Make the dough. Continue below to learn more about this dough recipe.
- Knead the dough. Reference my How to Knead Dough video tutorial for extra help with this step.
- Cover the dough and let it rise. The dough rises in about 1-2 hours in a relatively warm environment.
- Punch down the dough to release the air.
- Shape the dough into a large rectangle, then roll it into loaf.
- Let the loaf rise for about 1 hour.
- Bake for 30-34 minutes until golden brown.
As shown in the video tutorial below, the dough comes together with a mixer. You can use a paddle attachment or a dough hook. You can also make the dough by hand, but it requires a bit of arm muscle. After the dough comes together in the mixing bowl, it’s time to knead. You can continue beating the dough with the mixer for this step or you can knead the dough by hand. If you’re new to bread baking, my how to knead dough post and video can help with this step.
Sandwich Bread Ingredients
You need 7 ingredients—practically the same as my homemade cinnamon swirl bread but less sugar. Likewise, they’re basically the same ingredients as my soft dinner rolls too, but in order to bake a bread that rises tall and has legitimate structure, we’ll leave out some of the fat. Swap some of the milk for water and leave out the egg.
- Water: Liquid activates yeast. I use mostly water in this dough because we need a bread that has structure. Using all milk, like I do for my dinner rolls, would yield a flimsy bread without much texture.
- Milk: To make a soft bread, you need fat in the dough so make sure 1/4 cup of the liquid is milk. Low fat milk works too, but whole milk produces phenomenal texture.
- Yeast: You can use active dry yeast or instant yeast. If using active dry, the rise times will be a bit longer. I recommend Platinum Yeast from Red Star, which is an instant yeast blended with natural dough improvers. It’s my go-to for all bread.
- Sugar: Sugar feeds the yeast, increases its activity, and tenderizes the dough.
- Butter: Butter promises a flavorful loaf. I tested this recipe with melted butter, softened butter, and even olive oil. We liked the loaf made with softened butter the best because it had pronounced buttery flavor and a softer (yet still sturdy) interior.
- Salt: You can’t make flavorful bread without salt!
- Flour: You can use all-purpose flour or bread flour. All-purpose flour is convenient for most, but bread flour produces a chewier crust. There are no other changes to the recipe if you use bread flour. For best taste, I highly recommend bread flour. It’s what I always use when I make artisan bread. If you wish to use whole wheat flour, follow my recipe for whole wheat bread instead.
After you make and knead the dough, let it rise. Then, punch it down to release the air:
Roll it out into an 8×15-inch rectangle:
Roll it up tightly starting with the 8-inch side, so you have an 8-inch roll to fit into your 9×5-inch loaf pan. (Unlike cinnamon rolls where you roll up the dough starting with the larger side.) Let it rise until it’s 1 heaping inch above the rim of the pan:
Bake until golden brown, about 30-34 minutes.
Uses for Homemade Sandwich Bread
- Any sandwich. Like the Ross Geller’s Turkey Moist-Maker Sandwich 🙂
- BLT or grilled cheese
- Avocado toast or bacon & egg sandwiches
- Soup dipper
- Make croutons
- French toast or Blueberry French Toast Casserole
- Or in savory recipes like Breakfast Casserole and Sausage & Herb Stuffing
But our favorite way is simply warm toast with regular butter or honey butter & jam. Honestly, toast made from mass-produced bread doesn’t even compare. You can actually taste the soft and buttery toasty crumbs here. Or make an easy turkey sandwich—store-bought bread can’t make a sandwich taste as PERFECT as this.
I understand there’s a major convenience with store-bought bread and I’m not asking you to only make homemade bread for the rest of you life, but try it at least once. It takes a few hours one afternoon and most of the work is hands-off while the dough rises. Fresh-baked sandwich bread smells incredible, tastes even better, and I’m confident there’s no better baked good than this perfect loaf. You won’t regret trying this.
More Easy Bread Recipes
- Focaccia
- Multigrain Bread
- Artisan Bread
- Cheesy Breadsticks
- Pizza Crust
- Homemade Soft Pretzels
- Bread Bowls
- Homemade Breadsticks
- Olive Bread
- Cranberry Nut No-Knead Bread
Sandwich Bread
- Prep Time: 3 hours, 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 32 minutes
- Total Time: 4 hours
- Yield: 1 loaf
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
You only need 7 ingredients to make this simple sandwich bread. Soft and buttery with a chewy/crisp crust, this fresh loaf of bread will quickly become a staple in your kitchen. See recipe notes for freezing and overnight instructions. You can also reference my Baking with Yeast Guide for answers to common yeast FAQs.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (240ml) water, warmed to about 110°F (43°C)
- 1/4 cup (60ml) whole milk, warmed to about 110°F (43°C)
- 2 and 1/4 teaspoons (7g) Platinum Yeast from Red Star instant yeast (1 standard packet)
- 2 Tablespoons (25g) granulated sugar
- 4 Tablespoons (1/4 cup; 56g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 3 and 1/3 cups (about 420–430g) all-purpose flour or bread flour (spooned & leveled), plus more as needed
Instructions
- Prepare the dough: Whisk the warm water, warm milk, yeast, and sugar together in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment. Cover and allow to sit for 5 minutes.
- Add the butter, salt, and 1 cup flour. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, scrape down the sides of the bowl with a silicone spatula, then add another cup of flour. Beat on medium speed until relatively incorporated (there may still be chunks of butter). Add the remaining flour and beat on medium speed until the dough comes together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, about 2 minutes. *If you do not own a mixer, you can mix this dough with a large wooden spoon or silicone spatula. It will take a bit of arm muscle!*
- Knead the dough: Keep the dough in the mixer and beat for an additional 5–8 full minutes, or knead by hand on a lightly floured surface for 5–8 full minutes. (If you’re new to bread-baking, my How to Knead Dough video tutorial can help here.) If the dough becomes too sticky during the kneading process, sprinkle 1 teaspoon of flour at a time on the dough or on the work surface/in the bowl to make a soft, slightly tacky dough. Do not add more flour than you need; you do not want a dry dough. After kneading, the dough should still feel a little soft. Poke it with your finger—if it slowly bounces back, your dough is ready to rise. You can also do a “windowpane test” to see if your dough has been kneaded long enough: tear off a small (roughly golfball-size) piece of dough and gently stretch it out until it’s thin enough for light to pass through it. Hold it up to a window or light. Does light pass through the stretched dough without the dough tearing first? If so, your dough has been kneaded long enough and is ready to rise. If not, keep kneading.
- 1st Rise: Lightly grease a large bowl with olive oil or nonstick spray. Place the dough in the bowl, turning it to coat all sides in the oil. Cover the bowl and allow the dough to rise in a relatively warm environment for 1-2 hours or until double in size. (I always let it rise on the counter. Takes about 2 hours. For a tiny reduction in rise time, see my answer to Where Should Dough Rise? in my Baking with Yeast Guide.)
- Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan.
- Shape the bread: When the dough is ready, punch it down to release the air. Lightly flour a work surface, your hands, and a rolling pin. Roll the dough out into a large rectangle, about 8×15 inches. It does not have to be perfect—in fact, it will probably be rounded on the edges. That’s ok! Roll it up into an 8 inch log and place in the prepared loaf pan.
- 2nd Rise: Cover shaped loaf with aluminum foil, plastic wrap, or a clean kitchen towel. Allow to rise until it’s about 1 inch above the top of the loaf pan, about 1 hour. (See video and photo above for a visual.)
- Adjust oven rack to a lower position and preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). (It’s best to bake the bread towards the bottom of the oven so the top doesn’t burn.)
- Bake the bread: Bake for 32-36 minutes or until golden brown on top. If you notice the top browning too quickly, loosely tent the pan with aluminum foil. (I usually add aluminum foil over the loaf around the 20 minute mark.) To test for doneness, if you gently tap on the loaf, it should sound hollow. For a more accurate test, the bread is done when an instant-read thermometer reads the center of the loaf as 195–200°F (90–93°C).
- Remove from the oven and allow bread to cool for a few minutes in the pan on a cooling rack before removing the bread from the pan and slicing. Feel free to let it cool completely before slicing, too.
- Cover leftover bread tightly and store at room temperature for 6 days or in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.
Notes
- Freezing Instructions: Prepare recipe through step 6. Place shaped loaf in a greased 9×5-inch loaf pan or disposable loaf pan, cover tightly, and freeze for up to 3 months. On the day you serve it, let the loaf thaw and rise for about 4-5 hours at room temperature. Bake as directed. You can also freeze the baked bread loaf. Allow the bread to cool completely, then freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature, then reheat as desired.
- Overnight Instructions: Prepare the recipe through step 6. Cover the shaped bread tightly and refrigerate for up to about 15 hours. At least 3 hours before you need the bread the next day, remove from the refrigerator, keep covered, and allow to rise on the counter for about 1-2 hours before baking. Alternatively, you can let the dough have its 1st rise in the refrigerator overnight. Cover the dough tightly and place in the refrigerator for up to 12 hours. Remove from the refrigerator and allow the dough to fully rise for 2 more hours. Continue with step 5.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Electric Stand Mixer or Large Glass Mixing Bowl with Wooden Spoon / Silicone Spatula | 9×5-inch Loaf Pan | Rolling Pin
- Yeast: Platinum Yeast from Red Star is an instant yeast. Any instant yeast works. You can use active dry yeast instead. Rise times will be slightly longer using active dry yeast. Reference my Baking with Yeast Guide for answers to common yeast FAQs.
- Flour: You can use all-purpose flour or bread flour. All-purpose flour is convenient for most, but bread flour produces a chewier loaf of bread and I highly recommend it. The bread is still soft no matter which you use. Either flour is fine and there are no other changes to the recipe if you use one or the other. I don’t recommend whole wheat flour because it doesn’t have the same baking properties as white flour or bread flour (the gluten levels are different). If you wish to use whole wheat flour, try my recipe for whole wheat bread instead.
- Doubling this recipe: For best results, I recommend making two separate batches of dough. However, if you want to double the recipe all in 1 mixing bowl, double all of the ingredients except for the yeast and butter. Use 3 and 1/4 teaspoons yeast and 6 Tablespoons of butter.
- Bread Machine Questions: I don’t own a bread machine so I have not tested it, but some readers in the comments section have had success.
- Adapted from Homemade Cinnamon Swirl Bread
Reader Comments and Reviews
Definitely Keeping this recipe for future uses! I am in fl so its humid but I definitely had to add quite a but more flour. Has anyone used this recipe to make rolls though? I have a second batch in its first rise and I’m considering doing rolls instead.
Hi Ash, sure! In step 6 punch down the dough, form into individual rolls, and continue with second rise. We’re unsure of the bake time needed. Or you can follow our recipe for dinner rolls.
I agree with the previous comments indicating the dough was too moist and overly sticky. I carefully followed the recipe as provided (using the metric measurements) and ended up having to add far more than a tablespoon or two to achieve a workable dough. I easily added an extra 40 to 50g of additional flour and could have added more but was concerned it would detrimentally affect the overall balance of ingredients. The first rise wasn’t bad, but the finished loaf was disappointing. I’ll try again, using less liquid…
I have found my perfect bread recipe here! I’ve made it a few times now and it is just wonderful. It’s so easy to make one loaf at a time and we are now spoiled to having fresh homemade bread anytime we want.
My next adventure? Multi-grain bread 🙂
I normally never leave comments or reviews online, but I had to write something about how GOOD this recipe is! It’s so soft and flavorful – I’m going to be eating bread for every meal until it’s gone. Easily making this one a week from now on.
Sally, I made this bread last night for the first time and it came out great! Followed exactly as you wrote it. Thank you for sharing! My first sandwich bread ever.
This is the softest loaf of bread I’ve ever made. I’ve been searching for the perfect bread recipe for about a year now and I finally found it!!
I made this bread this morning and I’ve been praising it all day! It baked perfectly even though I cut the end piece while still warm. Oh wow! It is sooo good. Can’t wait try a slice with butter and pumpkin butter.
Thanks for another winner!
I’m on a low sodium diet and was wondering if you’ve calculated sodium content per gram or slice? What would be the effect of reducing the salt by half, say? If I reduce the sodium content do you have any ideas to enhance the flavor a bit? Thanks!
Hi Matt, We don’t usually include nutrition information as it can vary between different brands of the same ingredients. Plus, many recipes have ingredient substitutions or optional ingredients listed. However, there are many handy online calculators where you can plug in and customize your exact ingredients/brands. Readers have found this one especially helpful: https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076 The salt does add a lot of flavor to the bread so you’ll lose that if reducing the salt, but you could try doing so and adding another favorite dried herb or spice. Let us know if you do any experimenting!
this bread is very tasty and so easy to make! I do need a little troubleshooting. Mine turns out a little too crumbly making it a little difficult to use for sandwiches as it doesn’t hold together as well. Am I baking it too long? Any thoughts?
Hi Ellie, it sounds like your bread may be slightly over baked. How are you storing it afterwards? It could be drying up a bit then and causing it to become crumbly. We’re so glad you’ve been enjoying this recipe!
I wrap it in plastic wrap and then foil before freezing. Once thawed on the countertop I wrap it in plastic wrap then in a zip lock bag. I wondered about that too, because I wasn’t sure of the best way to store it. I will try reducing the bake time a little and see what happens. Thank you for the response!
This is the BEST sandwich bread recipe. It is delicious and has turned out perfectly every time.
I do have a question – I live in Louisiana and it is extremely humid. I have to add at least a half cup extra flour (when doubling the recipe) if not more. Could I reduce the amount of water instead, or would that mess up the texture of the bread?
Hi Samantha, we don’t recommend decreasing the amount of water, but you can absolutely add more flour as you mention to help the bread come together. That’s common when making breads like this in high humidity areas. Glad you enjoy it so much!
Perfection *chefs kiss* I made it with half the amount of sugar, and I did 3/4 all-purpose flour and 1/4 whole wheat. Going to make this every Sunday instead of buying bread for the week!
My family loves this bread and I love that it’s so easy to bake! How do you recommend storing it to keep it fresh?
So glad you love it! Cover leftover bread tightly and store at room temperature for 2-3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.
Wowsa! This is awesome! For those asking about bread machines…..yes, follow the exact measurements, use bread machine yeast, and use the dough setting. Roll it out and throw it in your pan! I am handicapped so I always use mine so I volunteered myself to be the official try it out girl! It’s always humid where I live so I threw in an extra 1/3 cup of flour. Turned out great! Very balanced flavor. Even toasted nicely!
Excellent bread!
This was the first time I have ever made bread. The recipe was easy to follow and the end results were fantastic!
I however did encounter one issue, the dough was extremely sticky! I had to add so much flour when I was kneading the dough because it would not come together and my hands were like glued from the dough. But it finally came together.
I also did not use a loaf pan, I just shaped the dough for the second rise into a long log, which turned out amazing.
overall this recipe was fantastic!
Two questions..What does Spoon and leveled mean? And…can I use salted butter?
Hi Deb, you can learn all about what it means to “spoon and level” (and why it’s so important!) in this post on how to properly measure baking ingredients. You can use salted butter with no other changes to the recipe needed. The slight flavor of salt in the 4 Tbsp of salted butter won’t make a difference in the baked bread. Enjoy!
Sally, this recipe is so perfect. I have never had success with any yeast or no-yeast bread recipe (and all its variations) until I found yours. I have messed up steps and it still turns out amazing. In 2 days I have tried 3 variations. Thank you so much. This is going to make me so fat!!!
I have not been able to finish the bake yet because my yeast keeps dying. No foam. I have followed the recipe to a T for the third time now and don’t know what I’m doing wrong. I even bought brand new instant yeast and am still not seeing results. Can anyone help explain what I need to do?
Hi Olivia, we’re happy to help troubleshoot. If your yeast is new and not expired, it’s likely that your water and milk are too hot. When they’re too hot, it can kill the yeast. Our Baking with Yeast Guide will also be a helpful resource to review. Let us know if we can help further!
This is my first time making bread and I wasn’t sure it was going to turn out good but it’s perfect! Super soft and yummy.i used fresh ground, whole wheat flour from hard white wheat berries. I also doubled this recipe but I ended up have to use a lot more flour than the recipe called for.
Highly recommend!!
Sally, the sandwich bread is incredible! 5 gold stars. It was easy to handle. While it was baking the whole house smelled of yeast and butter. My grandson couldn’t wait until it was ready. It sliced well, I made thin slices. Everything held form, even with peanut butter. You are a genius. I don’t even use cook books anymore. I keep your recipes on my phone. You have a gift for baking. Thank you.
Thank you for making and trusting our recipes, Lois. We’re thrilled the sandwich bread was such a hit!
I love this recipe. A few months ago I decided to transition to making my own bread instead of buying it. I use this recipe once every week or two and it always turns out great. I typically have to use 1/2 to 1 cup more flour than stated (very humid summer), and I bake it 5-10 min longer (glass pan). I like to use a mix of white and whole wheat bread flour, or all whole wheat. It is such a nice bread for sandwiches and toast! So soft with a perfect crust.
Thanks for this perfect recipe! The first time I tried it, it wasn’t that great because I didn’t use the right type of flour and had made some minor changes. The second time I followed it exactly , used the recommended flour and a weighing scale. Wow! Best bread ever! It tasted so so good!
Oh thank you sally, this is the best loaf of bread I’ve ever made in my life so far!
Your little tips of letting it rise on the counter, really did help.
Thank you for caring and sharing this delicious recipe with us
You sure do know your way around the kitchen!
Thank you.
This bread is delicious and so easy to make. I used bread flour instead of APF so it has a chewier texture. I sub 40g of whole wheat flour for more flavor.
I have a convection oven. Should I turn on the fan to bake this bread?
Hi Donna, all of the recipes on this site are written for conventional settings. Convection ovens are fantastic for cooking and roasting. If you have the choice, we recommend conventional settings when baking cakes, breads, etc. The flow of air from convection heat can cause baked goods to rise and bake unevenly and it also pulls moisture out of the oven. If you do use convection settings for baking, lower your temperature by 25 degrees F and keep in mind that things may still take less time to bake.
Nice bread but if you bake using weight as opposed to measuring as I do, be aware that 3 1/4 cups of flour weighs 460 grams not 406 as indicated in the recipe.
Hi Rob, we measure 1 cup of spoon and leveled flour to be 125g, so the measurements are correct. You can read more about properly measuring baking ingredients in this post. Glad you enjoyed the bread!
I agree fully. I’ve made this several times and 3 1/4 cups spooned has not measured out to 406 g ever. I also made allowances for area temp, humidity, etc. Makes a big difference.
Is that what my problem is?! I’ve made this several times using weight and always end up needing to add several spoonfuls of flour to the dough as it kneads. Still comes out amazing, but was always wondering what my issue was.
I have been making bread for years but I find my family want sandwich bread My recipe apparently has too much milk. I look forward to this recipe. I guess the hearty breads are going away for young people
My taste buds are off due to Covid and I was craving a simple white bread without the sweet taste of commercial made bread. This bread is perfect from crumb to crust – flavorful, and full bodied right out of the oven. I used light cream instead of milk bc that’s what I had but other than that followed the recipe exactly (after reading the comments to see if there were any helpful hints). I had no idea that you could overproof dough and what the results of that would yield. If you follow this recipe exactly you will get the best homemade white bread that ever was, not to mention the bonus of homemade bread aromas. This bread is perfect as is, perfect toasted, great to sop up with soups and stews, keeps for days – truly a universal bread that is so very easy to make.
Can ypu add eggsto this recipe
Hi Ron, you can try adding an egg for an even denser bread. Let us know if you try it!
I loved this recipe so much. The inside is so fluffy and soft. Will definitely make again!
This is the best recipe ever! I’ve made bread several times! We don’t buy sandwich bread or cinnamon raisin bread anymore!
I do have a question though. My bread seems done when I pull it out of the oven but every time about 3-5 minutes after sitting on the counter the bread caves in and gets very wrinkly. It tastes done and looks done but I’m not sure why it keeps caving in. You know what could be causing this? Thank you so much!
Hi! I’ve learned that to prevent this from happening it’s best to have the bread cool on its side rather than upright. Hope this helps 🙂
Maybe the gluten was not well-developed? You may want to try doinbf the window pane test after kneading the dough to check if your gluten is strong enough.
Destiny, I have the same problem with sinking sometimes and what helps me is baking the bread at 425F for the first 5 mins, then without opening the oven door, lowering the temp to 350F for the remainder of the cooking time. I also find my bread wrinkles if I leave it covered as it cools, due to steam collection. Maybe would help to cool it uncovered if you’re not already. Good luck!!
I made this recipe today and it turned out fantastic. I did lay my bread on its side as suggested. No wrinkles no sinking in the middle! It is a little bland so I think I will make it again but put a tad more salt in it. Super easy to make and even easier to eat