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 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.
- 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.
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 and it provides the best texture when mixed with whole wheat flour when making Homemade English Muffins.
After you make 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 recipes like Breakfast Casserole and Herbed Sausage & Apple 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
- 1/4 cup (60ml) whole milk, warmed to about 110°F
- 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; 60g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 3 and 1/3 cups (416g) all-purpose flour or bread flour (spooned & leveled)*
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 rubber 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 rubber spatula. It will take a bit of arm muscle!*
- Knead the dough: Keep the dough in the mixer and beat for an additional 3 minutes or knead by hand on a lightly floured surface for 3 minutes. (See video tutorial above if you need a visual of kneading dough by hand.)
- 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 with aluminum foil, plastic wrap, or a clean kitchen towel. 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 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°F (90°C). 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.) Remove from the oven and allow bread to cool for a few minutes before slicing and serving. Feel free to let it cool completely before slicing, too.
- Cover leftover bread tightly and store at room temperature for 2-3 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.
- 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). 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 my whole wheat dinner rolls.
- 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 Cinnamon Swirl Bread
Keywords: bread, loaf, sandwich, white bread
So delicious! I have made it twice and my family loves it! I agree with many other comments, I don’t plan to buy store bought bread again
Question though- is it okay that I’ve had to extend the bake time to about 39-40 min total? I am in south Florida- warm kitchen so I’ve lowered the rise times also. Thanks so much!
★★★★★
Hi Karli! Yes, all ovens are different and bake times will slightly differ. Glad you love this bread 🙂
I have now made this bread 4 times and my family loves it! My picky five year old prefers it warm with unsalted butter & honey!! My only issue is we go through it so quickly =) do you recommend making single batches of dough ahead of time and still baking in the smaller loaf pan or do you have a recipe for a large loaf pan?
Hi Karli, we haven’t tested this bread in a larger pan, so we’d recommend making them in individual batches in a 9×5 pan and then freezing for later. We’re so glad this is a favorite for your family!
A perfect bread recipe that has not failed me the 4 times I’ve made it. The entire household loves it and a loaf never lasts beyond 36 hours. I personally prefer thick slices for my French toast breakfast while everyone else has a traditional eggs and bacon with toast for breakfast. We then cut thin slices for sandwiches for lunch and follow up with a slice of garlic toast with dinner.
I manage to get perfect results every time because:
1. I use a breadmaker to mix, knead, and rise the dough (first rise). I use this site’s recipe but I add the ingredients according to the breadmaker instructions manual. The breadmaker beeps when it’s time to punch down the dough and remove it for rolling and shaping.
2. I measure the ingradients using a digital scale for exact measurements. I convert all measurements to grams or ml depending on ingredient (dry vs liquid). I found a food measurement conversion site so that I can specify the ingredient I’m trying to measure and to get the correct conversion value.
3. I microwave the milk and water mixed together in a cup and then use my liquid thermometer to ensure it’s at 110 degrees before putting it in the breadmaker. Hint: don’t microwave the thermometer. Put thermometer in after remove milk-water from microwave. Observe the temperature until it cools down to 110 degrees.
4. I avoid the cheaper yeasts and instant yeasts.My past experiences with these have been abysmal. Instead I use Bob’s Red Mill gluten free active day yeast.
5. Rolling and shaping the dough is the easiest part. I don’t have a rolling g pin so I use a tall plastic cup instead. The mouth is wider than the base but this doesn’t matter. I rub flour on the outside surface of the cup and use it as a rolling pin on a flour’d plastic cutting sheet. I then roll up the dough, not too tightly but not too loose. I then use a pinching method to seam the edge to the loaf.
★★★★★
What are the calories per loaf?
Hi Haley, 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
I’m allergic to dairy, can I use a non dairy milk? Thinking almond milk.
Hi Anne, 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!
Can you use a lactose free milk or a reduced fat milk?
Yes. not a problem.
I love this recipe and it’s been my go to for years! I typically bake it in a nonstick loaf pan and it always turns out perfect, but I recently switched over to an aluminum Nordicware loaf pan and started running into troubles. Although the top browns nicely and the inside is cooked all the way through, the sides and bottom of the loaf don’t brown at all. My pan is already set on the lowest oven shelf, so I’m not sure what else I can do. Any advice before I’m forced to find a new go-to sandwich bread recipe?
Hi Kristine, Any chance your new pans are a lighter color than your old pans? You can try tenting the top with aluminum foil and baking for a few minutes longer next time.
This is the best bread recipe. Easy to follow, simple ingredients and it came out perfect!
★★★★★
Along with a few other comments, I never review these recipes I come across. This one is the winner, after trying and failing so many loaves this recipe is delicious and simple
★★★★★
This came out perfectly
★★★★★
This was my very first time baking bread and it was so fun! This recipe was so easy to follow for beginners! I just love all of these recipes on this website including this one
This was delicious! I made it in a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment and it was perfect. So light and airy and has amazing flavor.
Hi! I am really struggling with getting my dough to the point where it pulls away from the sides of the bowl. It seems to stay sticky forever! This time I added what felt like a ton of extra flour, but it still wouldn’t come off. Could it be because my mixer bowl is stainless, not glass? I’m weighing out the flour to 400 g— could it be because I’m weighing and not scooping and leveling?
Hi Olivia, it could be due to the humidity in the air/the climate you’re in. A stainless mixer bowl is fine to use, and I always weigh the flour. But sometimes I need to add quite a bit more to get the dough to pull away from the sides, so that’s still the best thing to try! Just add it a tablespoon at a time, until the dough is workable. Hope this helps and your next bread turns out great!
Great recipe that rendered delicious, soft, and even bread.
★★★★★
Unbelievable! It is so delicious and has amazing flavor. It also was so easy to make I let the mixer do all the work! Just ate my first sandwich with and wow just wow… never buying bread again.
★★★★★
Can you use 2% milk instead of whole milk? Thanks!
Hi Anna, The higher fat content of whole milk will yield a very slightly softer bread. But 2% should work just fine in a pinch!
What size loaf pans did you use for the two loafs?
Hi Debby, you need one 9×5-inch loaf pan.
This recipe is a keeper. I followed the steps as spelled out above and it turned out to be perfect. Will bake this bread over and over again.
★★★★★
I only have 4c loaf pans (roughly 8×3). Will those work, and if not what modifications should I make? Thank you!
Hi Laura! This dough will be too large for that size – perhaps you could try shaping two smaller loaves using your pans? Let us know if you give it a try!
This is second time I’ve made this. First time I added too much flour. This time I took a nap after first rise BUT WOW, THE Best TASTING WHITE BREAD I HAVE EVER HAD. NO KIDDING, MOIST AND TASTY. It just didn’t rise the second time really high but I’m into flavor and texture more that looks! ; )
★★★★★
My loaf wasn’t as high as the first attempt BUT IT IS MOIST, AND DELICIOUS!!!!!!
I never ever leave reviews but this bread was PERFECTION. This will help my family get away from store bought bread! Thank you so much!
We’re so glad you loved it, Emilee!
Can you substitute buttermilk for the milk in this recipe? I made your cheesy bread recipe and I have a lot of buttermilk left over Thank you!
Hi Shawna, Yes you can use buttermilk. Enjoy!
This was the first bread dough i‘ve ever had actually rise! It tastes great and is perfect for sandwiches. If your kneading by hand it takes a lot more time though. I also recommend you spread butter on top of the crust while baking, around 5-10 minutes before its finished.
★★★★
Made this recipe for the first time this weekend and it is the best bread! Easy to make and the result is so worth all of the proofing time! Thank you, Sally! I’m going to try the multi grain next!
I love this recipe but for some reason it doesn’t rise at all in the oven. If anything I think it deflates some. My first and second rises do great. Any suggestions? I am at 7000ft elevation.
★★★★★
I wish we could help, but have no experience baking at high altitude. Some readers have found this chart helpful: https://www.kingarthurflour.com/learn/high-altitude-baking.html
I loved this recipe. It made great sandwich bread with stuff I already had in the house, unlike a lot of other recipes which call for ingredients that feel a little like cheating (looking at you king arthur). I used half AP/half whole wheat flour. My husband and I love it but, full disclosure, my daughter does not. I think because it doesn’t taste like commercial bread.
★★★★★
This turned out SOOOOO good! I made two loaves but I followed your advice and made them separately. Amazing!! Thank you so much!!
Hi Sally! Everything I bake from your recipe tastes delicious! I just made this bread; however, my bread came out “on steroids”, to double its size!! Any tips? What do you think I did wrong? When it rose the second time, it was about 2 inches above the bread loaf rim. Thank you!
Hi Yolanda, was your kitchen particularly warm when the dough was rising? It sounds like it rose too much during that 2nd rise. You can reduce the time so it doesn’t rise as much before baking.
I NEVER leave reviews. I’ve been trying and trying to find the perfect bread recipe. Seriously no complaints!!! I adore this. Even the crust has an amazing taste and texture.
★★★★★
Haven’t tried it yet but love the procedure, time and how beautiful it rose.
★★★★★
Amazing bread! I love the flavor and the directions! I am hoping someone can give me a tip though. The center of my loaf collapses when baking. I use a glass 9×5 loaf. I tried it at 350 & 325 and it happened at both temperatures. I only let it rise an inch above the loaf pan a directed. Maybe I proofed too long? User errors for sure, highly recommend this recipe!
★★★★★
Hi Lacey! When bread collapses, it’s usually been proofed too long or at too high of a temperature. Try less time or a cooler spot next time!
Hi Sally! I do love this recipe for 1 loaf and it’s easy. However, why does my dough never come together in my mixing bowl? It is too sticky and never separates from the bowl. I have tried adding more flour but I was afraid that would make it too dense. Needing by hand results in dough sticking to those as well. What am I doing wrong?
★★★★
Hi Maria! You’re not necessarily doing anything wrong– 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.
Mine turned out dense, how do I make it more fluffy? I used all purpose flour, would bread flour help? Taste is magnificent! Very pleased! Just want a little more fluff.
Hi Sierra, if the bread seemed dense, your dough could have been over-proofed—if it rises too long, it can collapse when baked, leading to a denser texture. Try letting the dough rise for a slightly shorter time next time, until just doubled in size. Our baking with yeast guide may be a helpful resource as well. The bread will be soft with either, but will be a bit chewier if using bread flour. Hope this helps!