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
Followed the recipe by weighing out ingredients and checking temp of water with a meat thermometer. I used a package of Fleischmanns quick rise instant yeast. I’ll admit I don’t think I’ve ever made a bread recipe except for the stint I had with a bread maker which always produced sub par bread. This was far from that! I can’t speak to how it lasts on the counter after a day or two because I just baked it, but it’s so delicious fresh out of the oven!
I am a 30 year old man and this was my first attempt ever at making bread. I followed this recipe exactly and it came out AMAZING! I even used a thermometer to check and it came out of the oven at a perfect 195. It was delicious and I cannot wait to make it again and try more recipes from you!
I have tried this twice so far. I measured the ingredients by weight using the exact amounts in the recipe. Both times the dough was VERY sticky. I ended up having to add flour as I kneaded. Probably a half cup to a full cup. Am I doing something wrong??
The bread did come out very tasty and soft. I’d give 5 stars if I didn’t have to add flour.
Hi Jessica, this dough can definitely be more on the wet side. There are a lot of variables that go into the consistency of dough, even down to the weather and humidity in the air. There’s nothing wrong with adding just a little more flour to bring the dough into a less sticky and knead-able consistency. Thank you for giving this one a try!
This was the first bread I made that wasn’t a fail. I made it exactly to the letter. It’s crisp on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside. The flavor is out of this world.
I’m 48 and have been baking bread since high school. Due to those pesky life circumstances the bread recipe I used back in the day disappeared somewhere along the way and I stopped my favorite hobby for a couple decades. About 15 years ago I decided I wanted to try it again. I have been trying to find that perfect recipe again.
I have finally found it! I have to add an additional 1/8-1/4 flour. But I have to do that for cakes too. I think it is due to the altitude we live at, we are high up in the Rocky Mountains. But this bread is soft, with a beautiful light crust. It makes toast, holds together for sandwiches, makes French toast, and grilled cheese. The recipe is super easy to follow, but then I can say that for every recipe you give us. I am a devoted follower! Thank you for bringing my childhood back!
We’re so glad this recipe is a new favorite for you, CB!
My bread turned out awful. :/ I don’t want to give it a 1 star, because I feel like it’s my fault. But I followed the recipe to a T, even having the exact same type of yeast and milk. My dough didn’t rise- I even let it proof an extra hour. It not only came out flat, but even with added baking time- it came out doughy in the middle. Did I use too much oil when proofing? Was my water & milk not warm enough? I don’t know! I’m going to try this recipe again and I hope I can make it better this time. Thank you for making this recipe:)
Hi Kendall, we’re happy to help troubleshoot. Was your milk/water mixture a bit too hot? If the liquid is too hot, it can kill the yeast and prevent it from activating properly. Over-proofing can cause the bread to collapse in the middle when baked, which likely caused the doughy middle that you mention. Our Baking with Yeast Guide may be a helpful resource to review, too. Hope this helps for next time!
In addition to having the water the right temperature for the yeast in the begining, the dough needs a warm room to rise in. In my house dough will not rise at room temperature. In the summer I use a cold grill on the back porch as a proof box in the 95 to 110 degree range (I live in the hot part of Texas) and in the winter I have a hot computer(around 80-100f) that I rise on top of (closing the room to hold the heat in). Without a warm spot the yeast can’t work.
I have started baking this bread recipe weekly! Just one question, is there a way to minimize how much the bread crumbles? Especially after a few days on the counter, if I try spreading peanut butter or butter it just layers the knife with crumbles and then the slice of bread starts falling apart.
Hi Janelle, this is a pretty soft bread, so a little breaking/crumbling is normal. However, be sure not to overbake (even by just a minute or two) as that can dry out the bread and make it crumbly. So glad you enjoyed this recipe!
This bread is SO good! Easy to make! What is the best way to store this bread to keep it fresh for the longest amount of time?
So glad you enjoy it, KP! For optimal freshness, keep the bread tightly covered and store either at room temperature for 2-3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.
can I braid this dough?
Hi Jill, we haven’t tried that with this dough but let us know if you do!
This is the perfect sandwich bread. Easy to make, baked great. It made wonderful toast with some homemade peach jam on it.
This looks great. Do you know if dairy-free milk would work?
Hi Jamie, you can use non-dairy milk in a pinch. The bread may not be as soft. Hope you enjoy it!
Made the bread with KA all purpose flour. Followed the recipe precisely, weighing all the ingredients. So very good. Will make again using KA bread flour for comparison. Thank you so much Sally for the recipe.
I made this recipe with bread flour for my family it was a HUGE hit! I’ll be making it again!
I was hoping to try to make a gluten free version for my father in law using 1-to-1 gluten free flour by Bob’s Red Mill. Has anyone had luck making this substitute with this recipe? I could also try it and let you know
Great recipe, my first every attempt on making bread and it’s just . The inly downside was it sometimes breaks when spreading butter and crumbles a bit when cutting it, but that’s probably normal, i don’t know.
Hi Annette, this is a pretty soft bread, so a little breaking/crumbling is normal. However, be sure not to overbake (even by just a minute or two) as that can dry out the bread and make it crumbly. So glad you enjoyed this recipe!
This has been my intro to making bread. I’ve made it three times now and it’s turned out so great! Easy and delicious
Made this recipe and it turned out great, just curious if it would still work as well if I left out the sugar completely? I normally make sourdough so there is no sugar at all but wanted to try this one for a quick loaf in a pinch. Would love it I could do it without sugar.
Hi Piper, sugar is what feeds the yeast and keeps the dough nice and tender—we don’t recommend leaving it out if you’re planning to make the loaf with yeast. We haven’t tried it with sourdough so we’re unsure how the loaf would be without sugar there. Let us know if you try anything!
Made this twice so far and just love it! New family favorite and tastes so much better than store bought. Thank you!!
Made this for this first time today and it turned out perfectly. So easy and delicious!
Wow thank you so much for the recipe! The bread I’ve been searching for to replace store bought! Didn’t have instant so I used active dry yeast, mixed water and milk and dash of sugar and warmed it and mixed in the yeast and let it sit for a few. Lazily put all the flour sugar salt in the mixer pot. Only had 1/2 cup measuring cup so I lazily eyeballed the correct amount of flour. Thought I over-mixed it in the mixer running around after the kid, seemed a little dry but high hopes. Cheated and proofed it in the warm oven both times then had to put it on pause for an errand. But had to let it run to about 37/38 minutes in the electric oven. And wow it came out excellent! I can only imagine if I actually followed the recipe haha. And after I popped it in I thought of brushing it with butter.. I’d like to use my sourdough starter and tweak the ratios instead of the yeast and give that a whirl. Thank you for your time Ten thumbs up!
Love this! It was the perfect recipe for a nice soft loaf of bread, super simple and easy perfect every time
This is my go to bread recipe! I’ve been making it at least weekly for the last 2 months and it comes out perfect every time. I sometimes use 2 c whole wheat and 1 1/3 white flour and it works great too.
This is my go to weekly bread making. I use Sally’s baking addiction for most tof my recipes. I would love to see weights in the future, especially as infrequently cook with children.
This is my absolute favorite recipe for bread. I even make my cinnamon raisin bread with this recipe and it is awesome. Only problem I have with the cinnamon bread is the gaps so I am working on how to correct that problems. Any tips?
Hi Anna, we’re so glad you’re enjoying this bread! Some gaps are normal with swirled breads, but the best way to eliminate or reduce the gaps is to poke a toothpick in a few places on top of the bread right before baking. This helps that steam escape (which is creating the gaps). Hope this helps!
Hi! I’ve made this recipe at least once a week for the past few months, and it always tastes delicious! I love the video and the instructions to follow. I have a question, however, as I’m not sure my dough “comes together” like the video. I started increasing the volume of flour to 450 g+ and it’s still a very wet dough. I still shape it and it tastes amazing but I worry about the structure when baked, as it’s quite soft. I watched the video and realized my dough doesn’t form a ball like Sally’s! Can you think of a few reasons why not?
Hi Amanda, we’re so glad that you’re enjoying this bread! This dough can definitely be more on the wet side. There are a lot of variables that go into the consistency of dough, even down to the weather and humidity in the air. There’s nothing wrong with adding just a little more flour to bring the dough into a less sticky and knead-able consistency. Thank you for giving this one a try!
Finally a sandwich bread recipe I love. Goodbye now to store bought bread. Easy to make and I like to make one loaf at a time which this recipe is for one perfect loaf
This recipe was my first attempt at making bread and it’s perfect, I make it every week now. My husband did ask last week if I could make a wholewheat version. I have seen with other recipes that they do a combo of different flours. I have AP, Bread and whole wheat on hand what amounts would I need? Thank you for such a good recipe!
Hi Sara, we’re so glad you’ve had success with this recipe! We don’t recommend whole wheat flour with this bread because it doesn’t have the same baking properties as white flour or bread flour (the gluten levels are different). It’s best to stick with bread flour, but you can try half whole wheat flour and half bread flour (or all-purpose flour). The texture and taste will be different. Or you can try these whole wheat dinner rolls or this multigrain bread instead.
This recipe is EVERYTHING!! I stopped buying sandwich bread from supermarkets after realizing the amount of E numbers that goes into them. I’m so happy I found this recipe. Super easy and delicious!
Could I make this in a 16×4 loaf pan?
Hi Amber, we’re not 100% certain about exactly how much of this particular dough is ideal for that size pan. Your best bet would be to make 2 separate batches of dough and combine them and then use what fits, making sure you leave enough room for some expansion in the 2nd rise and baking steps. (Doubling the recipe is fine if absolutely needed, but the dough takes longer to rise and you’ll have to knead it longer– that’s why I recommend 2 separate batches.)
I’ve made this over 5 times and loved them all. This time in Oct I made it and the dough was VERY sticky, made biscuits from another site with same issue. I thought if anyone could suggest it would be you and your team. I ended up in both recipes adding about another cup of flour????????
Hi Colette! This dough can definitely be more on the wet side. There are a lot of variables that go into the consistency of dough, even down to the weather and humidity in the air. There’s nothing wrong with adding just a little more flour to bring the dough into a less sticky and knead-able consistency. Thank you for giving this one a try!
Bread seems very heavy.
Not sure if I didn’t bake long enough or let rise enough
Amazing I’m in an Airbnb I had a bowl a spoon and these really thine cheapo loaf pans from the dollar store. Omg it’s beautiful I wish I could attach a picture thanks for this recipe if anyone posts a negative review every one knows it’s not the recipe if you got a bowl, a tablespoon and a foil pan you can make this bread