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
My loaf pan is 13×5″. How can I adjust the recipe for a larger pan?
Hi Christina, we haven’t tested a larger version of this recipe, but let us know if you do any experimenting.
Recipe sounds great! After baking, should you slice the whole loaf right away? Or slice as needed? What’s the best way to store the loaf?
Hi Jann, we usually just slice as needed, but you could really do it either way. We recommend wrapping the loaf and storing it in an airtight container to keep it tasting fresh.
Easy to make and produced a high loaf that was fantastic!
We made your Whole Wheat Bread yesterday. I have been baking Sourdough loaves for a number of years, but I needed a sandwich loaf for some catering. Your recipe is brilliantly simple and unique: I love the rolling and folding; it’s a great way to get an even loaf. I used instant yeast, but next time I might try some of my Rye sourdough starter. I’ll let you know how it goes. Cheers from Paynesville, Victoria, Australia.
Best recipe ever. I now only make my bread. I haven’t bought store bread in a few months now. Thank you for this. Absolutely love this recipe and so many others on this site.
First time ever making bread. This recipe was so easy to follow. My family absolutely loved it. Sally NEVER disappoints. Thank you
Im not sure what i did wrong but the texture of my bread is more of a crumble than chewy
Hi Yanlee, this is a soft bread, so a little crumbliness is normal. Over-baking can cause the bread to be dry/crumbly. Also make sure not to add too much flour to the dough (spoon and level or use a kitchen scale instead of scooping). Hope these tips help for your next loaf!
Hi, I really enjoy all of your recipes. They are all so yummy. I was wondering if I could make this bread in a dutch oven?
Hi Alexis! This bread is best made in a loaf pan. Or homemade artisan bread can be baked in a dutch oven!
Hi, I really like this recipe.
Question: The last few times I’ve made this I’ve been noticing that the dough after the first rise is too ‘elastic’ — i.e. it shrinks rapidly even as I’m rolling it. What might the problem be, please?
Thank you,
haj
Hi Haj, when that happens, you can take a clean kitchen towel, cover the dough, and let it rest for just a few minutes. That relaxes the gluten and will make it easier to roll out. So glad you’re enjoying this recipe!
Just made this in the bread machine with the dough program, then baked in the oven. It is the most delicious loaf of bread I’ve ever made. The texture is exactly what I was looking for — dense, but soft. I did have to use oil instead of butter, but will definitely try with butter next time!
Hi,
I am recently lactose intolerant so I need to figure out how to remake homemade bread. I was thinking of just using lactaid milk since it’s the closest. But without the sugar of lactose will that affect the bread? What could I use to substitute the butter? I was thinking of ghee or olive oil.
Hi Riley, you need softened butter in this dough so we don’t suggest an oil substitute (liquid). You can try room temperature (solid) coconut oil instead (expect a different taste). We haven’t tested baking with ghee, so are unsure of the results. If you try it, please let us know how it turns out!
I used lactose free milk as that’s all we drink, and it was fine. It rose beautifully.
Same here; I’ve used fairlife milk in this recipe many times without any problems! I’m not sure about the butter though.
Hi,
I absolutely love this recipe, it’s the least fuss and most forgiving that I’ve tried so far.
Two questions: I read from the comments that the milk has been substituted with water by another cook and that worked. Might Greek yogurt work too?
More importantly, the last few times I’ve been noticing that the dough after the first rise is too ‘elastic’ — i.e. it shrinks rapidly even as I’m rolling it. What might the problem be, please? (It’s been baking just fine, but I’d like to educate myself.
thank you,
haj
Hi Haj, thank you for trying this recipe! We haven’t tried using yogurt instead of milk, but let us know how it turns out if you do. A lot of factors go into this such as mixing time, speed, weather, yeast, and temperature of water. Feel free to add a little more flour to make a soft, yet workable dough.
Thank you!
But: my question about the dough turning out too elastic, please?
I’ve used this recipe twice and both times it deflates when I put it in the oven. I’m using home milled wheat flour. What am I doing wrong? It rises properly but as soon as I put it in the oven it falls inwards and doesn’t rise back up..
Hi Stephanie! We can’t speak to using home milled flour as we don’t have any experience, but usually when breads collapse in the oven, they’re been over-proofed. We would try shorter rise times next time.
Okay, I will give that a try. Thank you so much for your input!
I made this bread with some of the bread flour being substituted with approx 50 grams of flax seed and 25 grams of chia seeds. It turned out great. I even did first rise overnight in fridge. Worked great. I love all your storing, freezing etc advise. So helpful
I have previously made this recipe as written . It’s a great 5 star recipe. However, my husband has just been put on a low sodium diet, so this time I made a few adjustments to the recipe. I used water instead of milk, no salt, olive oil instead of butter and only 1 Tablespoon of sugar. I couldn’t be happier. I checked the label of bread that’s in my freezer and 2 slices are about 335 mg of sodium!
I have used many of Sally’s baking recipes, each one has turned out terrific.
Came out absolutely perfect!! 10/10 no notes, I did very lightly brush with butter around the 20 minute mark and let it bake moreso around 40ish minutes, but otherwise this is I think the best loaf of bread I’ve ever made. Seems like it could be very versatile to, considering throwing in some caraway seeds in my next loaf (my favorite part of rye bread). Came together super easy too, didn’t have to knead for that long!! I don’t have any fancy equipment, and I just kneaded it right in the bowl (didn’t have to add any extra flour!), and it came together and passed the bounce and window pane tests fast. Thank you, I think I’m going to make this loaf a staple. I’ll report back if I try adding in any other flavors 🙂
If you don’t have a hand mixer, can you use a food processor for step 2, combining the ingredients to form the initial dough before hand kneading it in step 3?
Hi Sophie! You can make the dough by hand, but it requires a bit of arm muscle. We don’t recommend using a food processor.
I used a food processor for that step. It only took a few pulses and I took it out as soon as it started to pull away. I also made my milk and water slightly cooler to account for the heat from the food processor with the dough hook attachment. I kneaded it by hand after. Turned out perfectly.
Can I use melted coconut oil if I’m out of butter?
Hi Bri, You can try room temperature (solid) coconut oil in place of the butter, though (expect a different taste and a slightly denser texture).
Hello, today, I used your whole wheat bread process and made white sandwich bread using bread flour. I added additional flour during the kneading process in my mixer…probably 1/2-3/4 cups to get to a tacky dough. The bread turned out absolutely perfect and delicious! In my mind, it is the sponge process that makes it “work”. I have made the whole wheat bread also and it also came out perfect and delicious. Thank you!
I don’t have any whole milk, is there anything I can use instead I have heavy cream but I know it’s not the same
Hi Carlina, you could use a lower fat or non-dairy milk option. We don’t recommend heavy cream—it’s a bit too heavy for this bread.
Hi Sally! LOVE this sandwich bread recipe. Could I use a 9×20 instead of the standard 9×5 loaf pan? If so, would I need to make any changes to the recipe or just adjust measurements when rolling the log?
Hi Thalia, a 9×20 is quite a bit larger than a 9×5 so it would likely take some tweaks to the dough. We recommend sticking with a 9×5-inch pan for best results!
Oh my goodness, I just realized I said 9×20. I meant to type 20×5, it’s just a longer loaf pan.. not wider! Do you still recommend sticking with the 9×5?
Hi Thalia, that would yield a very short loaf, so we’d stick with the 9×5 pan if you can!
At what temp do you bake the bread?
Hi Lisa, see step 8 of the instructions – 350°F (177°C). Enjoy!
Hi! Do you have the nutrition values for this bread? You have it for the artisan and it is so good! Trying to be healthier eating homemade food instead of store bought. ❤️
Hi Lisa, we don’t typically include the 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
I’m waiting for the day you guys add a recipe for the brazillian cheese bread balls.
Sounds delicious!
Can you reduce the amount of sugar?
Hi EmmaKate, sugar feeds the yeast, increases its activity, and tenderizes the dough. We haven’t tested it, but you could try reducing the sugar; we wouldn’t recommend leaving it out entirely.
Sugar isn’t necessary if you know your yeast is fresh. The yeast feeds on the flour, which is basically sugar. Sugar in bread is not needed unless you like the added sweetness.
Great recipe! However when I go to slice the bread it mushes together and doesn’t stay upright/firm. Should I have let it bake more?
Hi Renata, we’re so glad you’re enjoying this bread! It’s possible the loaf just needs a few extra minutes in the oven to finish baking through. Otherwise, be careful not to over-proof or over-knead the dough, as it can cause the bread to bake up a bit dense. Hope this helps for your next loaf!
I make this bread every week and I absolutely love it! I have noticed that some of my loaves are a bit dense at the bottom and get crumbly as the week goes on. I store the loaves in ziploc bags and I don’t slice it before I store it (maybe i should??) I use active dry yeast and usually let my loaf proof for about 2 hours-2.5 hours for the first proof and an hour for the second. I’m not sure if i’m under or over-kneading my bread or over proofing my dough?? Please help!!
Hi Emily, we’re so glad this is a favorite for you! Is the dough overkneaded by chance? Or was your flour overmeasured (here’s more on how to properly measure baking ingredients)? Either can cause bread to bake up a bit more dense like you mention and also contribute to a crumblier texture. Both easy fixes for next time!
We love this bread!! Would it be possible to split a loaf into two mini loaf pans? We’d love to gift it to teachers and staff.
We’re sure you could, Courtney!
I have been making white sandwich bread ever weekend for the last month, trying new recipes to find that perfect loaf. I found it! Your recipe is AMAZING, the bread is perfect! Thank you so much I can’t wait to try more of your recipes. And the information that you give I found to be way more helpful than anything I have read before!
How do you store this? Sliced? Or only slice when you need to make a sandwich? I want to start making bread rather than buying the store crap full of chemicals and preservatives! Plus it might help save money. I just wasn’t sure how long each loaf would last.
Can’t wait to try this for my family!!
Hi Janyssa, we tend to slice it and then store it. Cover leftover bread tightly and store at room temperature for 6 days or in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.