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With detailed step-by-step photos, a comprehensive video tutorial, and invaluable tips, master the art of crafting classic white sandwich bread using basic baking essentials such as flour, water, yeast, salt, and milk. This recipe yields a single loaf, ideal if you have just one loaf pan on hand.
For those new to yeast-based baking, consult my Baking with Yeast Guide for answers to common queries about yeast. This collaboration is made possible by Red Star Yeast.
Let’s delve into homemade sandwich bread. It’s a fundamental staple in any baker’s repertoire, offering unmatched satisfaction. My recipe delivers a loaf that rises tall, boasts a buttery-soft texture, and is the ultimate foundation for exceptional sandwiches. Personally, it’s the finest homemade bread I’ve ever tasted, and it’s achieved using just seven simple ingredients. If you’ve been hesitant about baking with yeast, this straightforward recipe will build your confidence effortlessly.
This Sandwich Bread:
- Delivers soft white bread with a chewy outer crust
- Emerges crisp straight from the oven!
- Requires only seven basic ingredients
- Sports a golden-brown hue with an impressive rise
- Stands out on its own or as the base for sandwiches
- Is straightforward and easy to prepare
- Freezes and stores well for convenience
Looking for a yeast-free alternative? Check out my no yeast bread recipe.
Crafting Just One Loaf of Bread Beyond the ease of the process, you’ll appreciate that this recipe yields just one loaf of sandwich bread. No excessive flour, multiple pans, or leftover loaves to manage. Just one loaf to prepare, rise, shape, and bake—convenient, accessible, and straightforward. Similarly, my recipes for multigrain bread, homemade cinnamon swirl bread, and honey oat bread also yield a single loaf each.
Overview: How to Make Sandwich Bread
- Prepare the dough. Details on this versatile dough are outlined below.
- Knead the dough. For additional guidance, refer to my How to Knead Dough video tutorial.
- Allow the dough to rise, covered. This typically takes 1-2 hours in a warm environment.
- Deflate the dough to release air.
- Shape the dough into a large rectangle, then roll it into a loaf.
- Let the loaf rise for approximately 1 hour.
- Bake for 30-34 minutes until beautifully golden.
As demonstrated in the video tutorial, the dough comes together smoothly using a mixer with either a paddle attachment or a dough hook. You can also knead it by hand, though this requires a bit of elbow grease. Once the dough is mixed, the next step involves kneading. You can continue using the mixer for this or opt for manual kneading. If you’re new to baking bread, my how to knead dough post and accompanying video offer invaluable assistance.
Sandwich Bread Ingredients This recipe calls for seven essential ingredients—similar to my homemade cinnamon swirl bread but with less sugar. These ingredients mirror those used in my soft dinner rolls, yet to achieve a loaf that rises well and has excellent structure, we’ve reduced some of the fat content. Swap some milk for water and omit the egg.
- Water: Essential for activating yeast. This dough primarily uses water to ensure a structured bread. A dough made entirely with milk, such as my dinner rolls, would result in a flimsy texture lacking in depth.
- Milk: Provides necessary fat content for a soft crumb. Incorporating 1/4 cup of milk enhances texture. Low-fat milk is suitable, but whole milk yields superior results.
- Yeast: Active dry or instant yeast can be used. Active dry yeast requires longer rise times. I recommend Red Star Platinum Yeast, an instant yeast blend with natural dough improvers—my preferred choice for all bread recipes.
- Sugar: Fuels yeast activity, enhancing dough rise and tenderizing the bread.
- Butter: Infuses the loaf with rich flavor. I tested this recipe with melted, softened, and even olive oil. Softened butter produced the best results, imparting a pronounced buttery flavor and maintaining a soft, yet sturdy, interior.
- Salt: Essential for flavor development in bread.
- Flour: All-purpose or bread flour can be used. All-purpose flour is convenient for most, but bread flour enhances crust chewiness. Using bread flour doesn’t alter the recipe otherwise. For optimal taste, I strongly recommend bread flour—it’s my go-to choice for artisan bread. For those preferring whole wheat flour, I recommend my whole wheat bread recipe instead.
Once you've prepared and kneaded the dough, allow it to rise. Then, gently punch it down to release any trapped air:
Roll it out into an 8×15-inch rectangle:
Once the dough is mixed and kneaded, allow it to rise. Then, deflate it to release air: Roll it out into an 8×15-inch rectangle: Roll it up tightly, beginning with the 8-inch side, to form an 8-inch roll suitable for a 9×5-inch loaf pan. (Unlike cinnamon rolls where you start rolling from the wider side.) Let it rise until it’s 1 inch above the rim of the pan: Bake until golden brown, approximately 30-34 minutes.
Bake until golden brown, about 30-34 minutes.
Uses for Homemade Sandwich Bread
- Ideal for any sandwich, like Ross Geller’s Turkey Moist-Maker Sandwich 🙂
- Perfect for BLT or grilled cheese sandwiches
- Ideal for avocado toast or bacon & egg sandwiches
- Excellent as a soup accompaniment or for making croutons
- Use for French toast or Blueberry French Toast Casserole
- Incorporate into savory dishes such as Breakfast Casserole and Sausage & Herb Stuffing
Our favorite way is simply warm toast with butter & jam. Mass-produced bread can’t compete with the soft, buttery crumbs of homemade toast. Alternatively, create an effortless turkey sandwich—store-bought bread can’t match the perfection of this loaf.
While store-bought bread offers convenience, I encourage you to try homemade bread at least once. It requires a few hours one afternoon, with most of the work being hands-off while the dough rises. The aroma of freshly baked sandwich bread is intoxicating, its taste unparalleled. I’m confident you won’t find a more rewarding baked good than this flawless loaf. You won’t regret giving it a try.
This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy.
The above recipe draws inspiration from the renowned culinary experts, Sally and Lindsay.

Ingredients
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.
😎 Total Time: 4 hours
- 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
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- 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