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
I just made this sandwich bread and am truly amazed! It was simple and oh my goodness – it is absolutely delicious!!!
Could I Make this without sugar
Hi June, sugar feeds the yeast, increases its activity, and tenderizes the dough. We haven’t tested it with any sugar alternatives so we are unsure if the results would be the same or not. But let us know if you decide to give anything a try!
This bread recipe is just what I’ve been looking for. It makes a nice soft sandwich loaf. I kept it wrapped tightly in saran wrap and it stayed nice and soft until we finished the whole loaf. Will definitely make this again.
Absolutely love this recipe this is what I use for my weekly bread making also these make great cinnamon rolls
First time bread baker here.. absolutely loved the detailed instructions and helpful baking guides! The bread was easy to make, rose beautifully, and was a gorgeous golden brown. The texture was exactly what I was looking for. However, the flavor was strangely flat. The crust had an odd flavor and the bread itself was flavorless.
I am sure this is pilot error but not sure what I did wrong. Maybe I forgot the salt or sugar or mismeasured? I don’t think so, but maybe.
I also could not find Red Star yeast and instead used Fleishmans instant yeast. is that the issue?
Definitely making again but I think I need some help
Hi Shelley! It could be an issue of leaving an ingredient out, yes. Could an ingredient be expired, like your flour? Using a different yeast shouldn’t be a problem.
Happy to say it was definitely pilot error! Made this again and it was perfectly delicious! I did a couple of things differently but I’m not sure if that made the difference or if I truly mis-measured the first time:
Oiled the bowl rather than using cooking spray
Reduced the time on first rise as I read that over proofing might cause a sour taste
Whole milk rather than 2%
Wonderful!
Another banger from sally. This bread is incredible and her notes are always so helpful, I highly recommend reading them. I have a convection oven and mine baked in less than 22 mins. Thankfully due to her notes, I checked it at the 20 min mark to tent it. Other than that, no notes!
Hi! So excited to try this out as I’m fairly new to the bread making world. Does the yeast have to be red star platinum or can I use Fleischmann’s active dry? It’s the only one sold at the grocery store near me.
Hi Mary Grace, you can use Fleischmann’s, that’s fine!
I loved this recipe. My first tinned loaf at home and it tasted great and was fluffy….however, there were some huge caverns under the crust, do you know what I could have done wrong? I think to start, I didn’t roll tight enough. Im not good with my rolling technique, I made some oddly shaped cinnamon bread ‘rolls’ the other day 😀
Currently trying this recipe for the first time and the dough got very dense very fast. Zero stickiness whatsoever. It’s currently on the first proof, but I’m worried there’s too much flour. Any way to remedy this, or do I see how it goes until the second proof? I spooned the bread flour and everything, but I think I still managed to add too much.
Hi Sarah, how did your bread turn out? Do you happen to have a kitchen scale to measure the flour? It’s the most accurate way to measure!
This is an excellent recipe. It turned out perfect. I have not made bread from scratch in years. It was easy! Thank you
Can I let the door sit in the refrigerator and let it ferment for a day or so and then bake it
Hi Dan, yes, the overnight instructions are in the Notes section beneath the recipe. Enjoy!
I love this recipe but I am having a problem! The first time I made this it turned our perfect! The second time I made it, it turned out beautifully but then the bread deflated in the middle (it was still good to eat just didn’t look very nice). Just finished making it again and it came out beautifully – until 5 mins later when it deflated in the middle again. I followed your recipe to the tee and didn’t do anything different from the first time I made it. The temps were all checked and everything was good. What am I doing wrong?
Hi T, how long did your bread rise? It sounds like it may have been over-proofed, which can cause the bread to deflate and collapse when placed in the oven. For that second rise in the pan, be sure to let it rise only until it’s about 1 inch over the pan. Hope this helps for next time!
Thank you for the reply! My bread deflates once it has been out of the oven. Once it is done baking, its golden brown, the temp of the bread is correct. Then 5 minutes of cooling on the cooling rack on the counter it deflates in the middle.
Yes, that can be caused by over-proofing. If you try again, let the loaf (second rise) rise for less time before baking. Hope this fixes it!
This recipe is so very easy to follow, and the bread comes out perfectly! I also used a Bread Maker most recently just for the steps before shaping the bread. My bread maker has a Dough setting, which actually includes 3 rises, and takes about 1.5 hours. I used all of the same measurements in this recipe, and it turned out perfectly.
Here are some basic steps:
1. Combine the water, milk, sugar and yeast in a bowl.
2. in a separate bowl, combine melted butter and salt
3. Measure out 3-1/3 cups bread flour into the bread maker bowl.
4. Add the melted butter/salt, and mix slightly
5. Pour in the yeast mixture on top.
6. Set the bread maker to Dough setting. When finished, follow the rest of recipe, starting at Shape the Bread.
Help! I have tried this recipe in a million others and somehow what should be such a simple recipe has been so difficult for me! Every time I get to the needing process the first time whether I’m handing or using my mixer with a dough hook I can never get the dough to bounce back or pass the window pane test(watched your kneading video!) It always just seems sticky and every time I bake that loaf, it definitely does not rise like it is supposed to. I have been checking the temperature of my water before adding yeast to it and have tried instant yeast and active dry. I’m not sure how much of a difference it might make but our house is always set between 62 and 65 °. The last time I tried to make a homemade loaf I started off in my stand mixer for about 5 minutes and then hand needed for almost 30 minutes and still could not pass the bounce back test or window pane test. What am I doing wrong?!
Hi Nicole, happy to help troubleshoot. Where are you letting your dough rise? If your room temperature is on the colder side, you could try preheating your oven to 150F and then turning it off and placing the bowl of dough in the oven with the door cracked to rise. And when you’re kneading, are you adding a little more flour as you go, to keep it from being too sticky?
I had the same problem. It was a sticky mess during the mixing/kneading step before the rise, not related to the house temp, and never got to the right consistency. I eventually gave up and just put it in the bowl to rise anyway. However, I just took another look at the recipe here on the site and it says to use more flour than the version I’d printed out a while back which says 3 cups (375g) flour! Was this recipe updated recently? Nicole, maybe this is a factor for you too? Regardless, the site version now says 3 1/3 cups, and I definitely added at least 1/3 cup when it was in the mixer plus another 1/3-1/2 cup while attempting to knead and it still never got to the right consistency. Thoughts?
Thank you! So the sticky part starts before the rise, at the initial mixing of ingredients. I do add just a little bit of flour to my counter and my hands just like in your tutorial. After a half hour I stopped kneading and did let the dough rise in a preheated oven with the door open and a damp towel but the loaf turns out just like the one in the pictures that isn’t kneaded properly and always turns out dense.
Hi Nicole, half an hour of kneading is much too long, so it was definitely over-kneaded for a start. Let’s back up to making the dough: is your dry active or instant yeast fresh, not expired? Did you use the proper temperature of liquid to activate it (not too hot or too cold)?
I used instant yeast and a cooking thermometer to check for 110°F for the temp of the wet. I’ve tried previously using both milk and water with different recipes, proofing dry active, making sure to use brand new yeast, keeping it refrigerated after opening, cover with a cloth, not covering with a cloth. I wonder if it is the temperature of the house being so low maybe when I’m mixing?? Making the counter and bowls cool faster?? I’m at a loss
I plan making this very soon, have looked through several comments & haven’t seen this question yet but I may have overlooked it.
Can you substitute honey for the sugar? I’ve used honey before making other bread and love the flavor it adds.
Hi Brandie, yes, the same amount of honey will work here. Enjoy!
This bread is absolutely perfect.
Could this be made with 1:1 gluten free flour? The breads I have made also use psyllium as added ingredient.
Hi Nicole, we haven’t tested this recipe with gluten-free flour, so we’re unsure of the results. Let us know if you do give it a try.
By far the best homemade loaf of bread I have ever made! Definitely the closest rival to storebought bread in terms of flavor. I substituted the water for leftover whey from making ricotta. I think it added flavor and the loaf turned out just beautiful. I also added about 2 extra tablespoons of flour while kneading to keep it from sticking. Will be making again!
My family loved this bread….BUT, my bake time is way off of the 32-36 minute recommendation. I’m baking for 46 minutes to get to 195-200 degrees.
Is there something I’m missing about the recipe that’s causing that? Brand new oven that’s been temp’d within the last 60 days
Hi Elizabeth! Are you using a 9×5 loaf pan? Are you baking in the lower third of your oven? Some ovens just bake a little differently. So glad you loved this bread!
Okay I over estimated how long the first proof would take I thought it would take the whole 2 hours it was really at a 1.5. But I need to go get my daughter from school can and second proof be longer and it still be okay? Like 1.5 hours or just let it second proof in the fridge
Hi Robbyelle, we would do the second proof in the fridge, you can take it out when you get home to let it finish rising. We wouldn’t want it to over-proof and collapse.
The recipe is amazing, however I have tried this time to refrigerate my dough after the 1st rise then shaped and placed in the bread tin over night covered, checked it this morning and the top of the loaf has split and hasn’t risen at room temperature all day, any ideas
Hi, I want to try this recipe but would like to know if the sugar is necessary for the success of the bread? I don’t like sweet bread for sandwich bread. Thank you.
Hi Amalene, Sugar feeds the yeast, increases its activity, and tenderizes the dough. We don’t find the bread to taste sweet.
I loved the bread so much! It was delicious and easy to make. Is there nutritional information available for it?
Hi Avery, so glad you loved it. 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
Came out wonderfully! I substituted 2 tbsp of Lard for 2 tbsp Butter and substituted tbsp agave for 2 tbsp of sugar.
I loved this recipe so much! Do you have the Nutrition Facts for this?
Hi Kasey, 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
love this, made probably 5 times, it is now my go to. Despite the recommendation, most recent attempt I did substitite half the flour for fresh milled hard red whole wheat, and still it was a great end result!
How sticky is this dough before rising?
I am new to bread making. The taste is GREAT, but either the dough is extremely sticky. Or I end up using too much flour and it’s super dense.
Can anyone help?
Hi Ashely, it will be a little sticky. Try to add just enough flour when kneading to keep it from sticking, but not enough to dry it out.
My family and I enjoyed this recipe immensely! Just a couple of questions…
1) The recipe instructions do not call for scoring the dough before baking. Is this due to the relatively low baking temperature and/or because it is baked in a loaf pan? Or are there other factors at play? If I were to score the dough, would this be beneficial or detrimental?
2) I’ve been trying to collect recipes that will allow me to use my sourdough starter “discard” rather than wasting it. Would this recipe be suitable for the addition of sourdough discard, assuming I’ve done the math to offset flour and water content from the starter?
3) Your notes indicate that this recipe is not suitable for doubling, and if multiple loaves are desired they should be made in separate batches. Just out of curiosity, what is the reason for this?
Hi Kara! So glad this bread is a hit. This sandwich bread should not be scored to keep the loaf shape. We don’t have any experience baking with sourdough discard, so can’t offer any advice. Let us know if you try it! We advise against doubling this recipe because it can be difficult to properly mix and knead a large amount of dough. The yeast amounts needed can also vary with a larger batch. Best to make separate batches!
I have made many loaves of bread but this sandwich bread is outstanding. It turned out perfectly and rivals the best bakery sandwich bread.
Family loved it! I tried multiple recipes in a bread machine and then gave up and tried this one in the ove. And it is perfect. Though, I did take away 1 tablespoon flour and added 1 tablespoons vital wheat gluten since I had all purpose flour. I also added about 1 teaspoon more of water. Delicious warm with some fresh whipped honey butter.