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 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
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 or paddle 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 30-34 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
Keywords: bread, loaf, sandwich, white bread
I just made the most wonderful loaf of sandwich bread using your recipe – thank you! The instructions were easy to follow and I only made the following change: I substituted Vegetable Oil for both Whole Milk and Unsalted Butter measurements.
This was also the first time in a long while that my bread actually rose (both in the first and final rise), I noticed a few people had mentioned that. And I was skeptical rolling up the dough into a loaf shape but it actually is a great idea and I cant believe I never read that anywhere before!
Thank you for a fantastic recipe which I cant wait to make again and which I will treasure. It is so hard to find a simple and easy recipe for sandwich bread and I am glad I continued my search until I found yours.
Thank you so much for this recipe! I pulled it out of the oven an hour ago, and just tasted it – it is delicious ! I have been looking for a recipe for a smaller loaf. So many recipes call for 5 cups of flour or more and make gigantic loaves. This one is a “normal” size. FYI I live at 7522ft. I followed the recipe exactly and it turned out perfect and gorgeous at my altitude.
★★★★★
Really fun recipe to try as a beginner! The house smelled great and the bread is delicious. I kept feeling like I wasn’t doing things right but it seems quite foolproof. Any recommendations for a sturdier texture? I followed the directions pretty closely – I used bread flour and had to use a bit extra because the dough was so wet; I do not have a mixer so my mixing and kneading was done by hand. My bread is a little soft – not quite crumbly, still a really nice texture, just wouldn’t hold up to peanut butter for sure. Wondering if there’s anything I could experiment with for a sturdy bread. Thanks so much, have really been enjoying working through your recipes as a beginner.
★★★★★
This was easily one of the best breads I’ve ever made, can’t recommend it enough! I don’t have a great knack for bread and it often takes me 2-3 arrempts before I can get a new recipe right, but this came out perfect on the first try. I followed the recipe almost exactly, I just subbed the whole milk with 2%. The end result was soft and fluffy, and delicious both toasted and as is.
★★★★★
Today was the first time I baked a Loaf of Bread. I liked that this recipe only needed 7 ingredients. My son is lactose intolerant, so I used Lactose free milk, whole milk and it came out very tasty. My problem was that the bread was shaped as beautiful as in your video, but it made the whole house smell great and tasted delicious. My Son and I have decided to say good-bye to store bought bread. This will be a staple in our house now.
★★★★★
Have made this 6 times as written and each was perfectly formed and exactly what it says – sandwich bread. Then started experimenting adding powered buttermilk to the water (half plain water, half buttermilk mix) and it was just fine. Next up was 3/4 bread flour, 1/4 whole wheat. This worked great but you need to up the liquid to 1 1/2 cup total or add 2 Tbs of honey and let the initial mixture rest for 15 minutes before cranking up the dough hook for kneading (WW absorbs and needs more hydration). That also turned out great. Adding herbs, some seeds, or anything else makes this your go to bread. I like some fresh rosemary or basil (not too much or it will overpower the finished bread – just a tablespoon chopped of fresh herbs is enough). This is an excellent basic recipe that you can fuss with around the edges and it won’t go wrong. I bake to an internal temp of 200-205 F and immediately remove from pan and cool on a rack. It it will be primarily used for toast, I push it to 210 by cooling in the pan. You can tent the top to keep browning at bay, or paint some butter on the top right after removing it from the oven. It doesn’t stay around long so going rancid is not an issue.
★★★★★
Thank you Sally! This turned out perfect in texture and taste! I wish I could post a photo of my bread! The only change I made is to I decrease the sugar to 1 1/4 tbs . I have tried your artisan bread and now this- my family thoroughly approve of both!
★★★★★
Made this today in my Zojirushi Supreme machine. Just basically “tossed” everything in on light crust basic cycle. I did add 1 tbsp gluten flour (always add some to my bread). Excellent results. Also made toast for a sandwich that was good too
★★★★★
Turned out fabulous. Subbing a couple tablespoons of dried milk and olive oil for butter worked fine. It had a nice close structure, good no big pockets, and taste is super.
Making another loaf today, pretty much the same but using multi grain whole wheat for the 1/4 cup of flour. We shall see.
★★★★★
I love this recipe so much! I made it with white bread flour. Can I use whole wheat flour and get great results too ?
Hi Lizzy! Whole wheat flour will yield a dense loaf. You may love our multigrain bread recipe!
Just made this for the second time because we loved it so much! I’ve always wanted to make bread, but have been too intimidated. This was a great first experience!
Question though. In checking my second rise just now, I must have been too rough on the pan and I apparently deflated my rise. Do I just let us go longer and hope for the best? Bake it without the rise? I left it for now, will see how it looks in a half hour and go from there.
★★★★★
Hi Miranda, I’m so glad you’re enjoying this bread! I would just let the dough rise a bit longer. How did the loaf turn out?
Sally – I have a medical condition called “Interstitial Cystitis” (inflammation of the bladder). This requires a very strict bland diet and no preservatives. I have struggled for over a year trying to find bread without Ascorbic Acid and other preservatives. I bought a bread machine but was not satisfied with the final product and did not like the shape of the loaves. I have spent hours and hours researching recipes and a few days ago came across your Sandwich Bread recipe. I tried it today and I am over the moon. It was the only bread I tried with my kitchen Aid bread hook that actually rose correctly. It look and taste is absolutely amazing. Thank you for the detailed recipe and accompanying video. My husband says it is the best bread he ever tasted and I totally agree. I am excited to try more of your recipes as most of your ingredients as safe for my diet. PS – This is the first review I have ever done on a recipe.
★★★★★
Thank you so much for this sweet review, Janet! We’re thrilled to hear that you enjoyed this bread recipe. Let us know if you give any more of our recipes a try!
We love the Sandwich Bread. So easy even for a novice like myself. Also tried the Cinnamon Swirl bread which was great. Today trying the dinner rolls. I have given your website to so many friends and family. Love the detailed instructions and the videos.
I used bread flour and against my judgement used thefull 1 1/4 cup of water. Too wet, though our 80+% humidity might have done that. No problem, just added maybe 1/4 cup of APF while kneading.
Also used milk powder added to the dry ingredients as out of liquid milk.
Will bake in our halogen convection oven, the only one we have. If you try this watch for over browning on top, by experience. Sometimes I just take it out of the pan a few minutes early and finish upside down. Gives more of that delicious crust.
★★★★
There are so many reasons to love this recipe! First of all the bread was tasty and really liked the balance of favors. But what I loved most was how easy it was to follow the instructions to make me feel like I knew what I was doing. I definitely will try more recipes thanks to Sally’s breakdown of the steps with how to videos.
★★★★★
Ran out of bread and the picky eater absolutely needed his ‘wich so we made bread together. 10/10 mama son time 11/10 fabulous bread recipe.
★★★★★
Fabulous!! My favorite loved it.
Did not rise as much as it should have but still came out yummy!
I used the instant yeast from my local grocery store. I might try active yeast next time!
★★★★★
Hi Sally. Would it work to use 2% milk instead of whole milk?
Hi Alka, yes, low fat milk works too, but whole milk produces phenomenal texture.
This recipe is SO easy! I’ve made it a handful of times now and it always comes out so fluffy! Thank you Sally!
★★★★★
Love this recipe, have made it a few times, but this time there was hole in the center when slicing. Not sure what I did wrong. Any suggestions?
Hi Laura! Make sure you roll it up into a very tight 8-inch log in step 6. The tighter the layers/swirls, the less chance of an air bubble. Also, don’t over-proof the dough in either rise. (Don’t let it rise too long past necessary.)
Made this bread last week to save money during these tough times and it turned out soo yummy! Going to make this from now on every week for lunch sandwiches. Only question I have is: what is the point of rolling the dough out and then rolling it up to shape it? Made my bread really flaky.
★★★★★
Hi Alyssa! That’s a traditional shaping method to build structure and yield a soft dough. Glad you enjoyed it!
Literally the best recipe ever!! We are obsessed!
★★★★★
I have tried this recipe everyway( Bread maker, Ninja foodie instant pot and oven) It works great in the oven and instant pot but not in a bread maker. I have tried lots of breads in a bread maker, sorry but they always come out heavy. Sally has the best breads so don’t waste your time on a bread maker!
★★★★★
Love this recipe, soft bread with a nice brown crust. Do not use a Bread machine. I tried it and it makes the bread heavy. I’m going to try it in a instant pot this morning. I will let you know how it turns out!
★★★★★
I made this for the first time tonight and it is so good! However, it is a bit wet on the bottom. Is this normal?
Hi Valerie, sorry to hear it’s a bit wet! How long did you let the bread cool in the pan? Some readers have reported that they have had success at preventing soggy bottoms by removing the bread from the pan after just a few minutes of cooling, and finish cooling it on a wire rack.
Dough was very wet and hard to work with, but it made one fine loaf!
★★★★★
I’ve just “poured” the dough (batter?) Into the loaf pan for the second rise. So wet—really un-kneadable. Weighed all the ingredients, used bread flour. I know some doughs are supposed to be very wet, so just hoping this will come out.
★★★★
Hi Jeff! 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 next time.
I doubled this for two loaves and it came out absolutely beautiful. Thank you so much for this recipe, I’ll be making two loaves each week from now on!
★★★★★
Hello again! Another question: for my second loaf, I used 50% AP flour and 50% WW bread flour. Also, nonfat milk. Everything else was the same. The loaf came out fine except it was very crumbly—particularly in the middle. What do you think caused this? The flours, the non fat milk, ? Thanks for any insight.
Hi Matt, the whole wheat flour could certainly be the culprit for the crumbly interior. Whole milk helps give bread a rich, soft texture, so the nonfat milk could be contributing as well. Be careful not to over bake as well, which can dry out the inside. Hope this helps for next time!
I can’t have dairy. Since the idea behind using milk is the fat content, could substituting something like vegetable oil work? I’ve previously made a sourdough recipe that used oil to make the bread softer. A 1/4 cup might be too much, but I think I’ll give it a try in the next batch.
★★★★★
Hi Heidi, although we haven’t tried it, you could try using all water or a dairy-free milk in place of the milk. For the butter, you could try solid coconut oil. Expect a less soft, more dense bread with these changes. Let us know if you give it a try!
I tried this recipe for fun and I enjoyed the process. The bread came out soft and fluffy! I’m not that great at making sandwich bread, but this one came out really well! I highly suggest making this bread and I will be using this in the future.
★★★★★
This was the first bread recipe I made that actually rose. What temperature do you recommend for rising?
★★★★★
I make this recipe two to three times a week. I’ve adapted this recipe to make it dairy free by using almond milk and country crock plant butter. No matter which way I make it though (with or without dairy), I need a lot more flour than what is called for. I usually use around 500g of flour in total.
★★★★