The BEST Homemade Sandwich Bread
Light, fluffy, delicious, and EASY — This sandwich bread will make you think twice before ever buying store-bought bread again!
Sandwich bread is a staple in our home. Whether it be toast with breakfast or a BLT for lunch, we use it in so many meals and snacks. When I started my bread journey, sandwich bread was one of the first things I wanted to master, simply because we eat it so often. The dough, however, had other plans, and it took me years to feel like I had finally gotten down this alley of baking. From dough that wouldn’t rise to the thickest, least-fluffy sandwich bread you can imagine, I have made pretty much all of the mistakes along the way. But, that’s okay because all of these mistakes have led me to what I now believe is the best sandwich dough recipe around!
If you are just starting your bread-making journey, have been struggling to perfect your sandwich bread recipe, or are simply looking for some new ideas — Look no further! I have the recipe for you 🙂
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Equipment
Bread has been around for thousands of years, baked in both the nicest and most rudimentary kitchens you can imagine. There are very few things you actually need to make this recipe happen! However, here is a list of equipment I think makes the baking process a little bit easier:
- Loaf Pans. This one is essential, as you need something to bake your bread in. I would recommend 2 loaf pans, as this recipe makes 2 loaves. Here are some loaf pans I enjoy baking with.
- Stand Mixer with Dough Hook. You absolutely do not need a stand mixer. I started my bread-making journey with a bowl, a spatula, and a dream. However, a stand mixer will make your bread-making endeavors SO MUCH EASIER! I invested in a KitchenAid mixer a couple of years ago and absolutely love it. A dough hook attachment is a must as well!
- Thermometer. Again, this is absolutely unnecessary. If you follow the baking instructions and check on your bread, you really do not need to check the temperature to know when it’s done. However, if you find yourself questioning whether your loaf needs 5 more minutes, this will give you some peace of mind. Bonus: You can use it as a meat thermometer too, just make sure you clean it well between uses.
Ingredients
- Yeast. You can use active dry yeast or instant yeast in this recipe. Either one works great! Just make sure if you are using active dry yeast that you give your yeast time to proof before continuing with the recipe.
- Whole Milk. I have only ever used whole milk in this recipe, as I feel it adds a moistness and tenderness you do not get from other milks. That is not to say you cannot try though, many other milks work just as well in baking! I have heard soy milk works best as a non-dairy substitute.
- Honey. Just a touch of honey adds a sweet flavor and also feeds your yeast! It is my favorite way to sweeten this bread, but you can also use an equal amount of granulated sugar.
- Salt. Just a pinch of sea salt makes a world of difference for flavor in this bread!
- Butter. Unsalted butter is excellent for adding some moisture and richness to your bread. In a pinch, salted butter will work just fine as well — it just increases your salt content in the bread.
- Flour. You can use bread flour or all-purpose flour for this recipe. Bread flour can give the loaf a chewier texture, but I think all purpose flour works just fine as well.
- Cooking Spray. This is for greasing your loaf pans. Any cooking spray you use will work; you can also just use an additional 1 tbsp of butter.
Instructions
- Pour yeast, warm milk, and honey into the bowl of your stand mixer (or just a regular mixing bowl if you do not have a stand mixer). If using active dry yeast, stir mixture together, cover and allow to sit for 10 minutes. You will know your yeast has proofed once your mixture has a bubbly, frothy appearance. If using instant dry yeast, no need to allow for proofing time, just stir mixture together and move on to step 2.
- Melt butter and add to mixture. Add salt. Mix together well.
- Add 2 cups of flour to the mixture. Using the dough hook attachment, mix on low speed until roughly combined, about 1-2 minutes. If you do not have a stand mixer, mix with a spatula.
- Add the additional 2 1/4 cups of flour. Mix on low-medium speed until well combined, about 5 minutes. If you do not have a stand mixer, mix as much as you can with a spatula, then knead the dough with lightly floured hands until well combined.
- Cover the bowl and allow the dough to rise in relatively warm conditions for 1 hour, or until it has doubled in size. Room temperature is fine, as long as your house is 65°F or above. If your house is colder than this, you can preheat your oven to the lowest temperature possible for a few minutes, then turn it off. Your oven should now feel like a mild summer day, and you can place your dough in there to rise.
- While your dough is rising, prepare your loaf pans. Lightly grease each pan with cooking spray or butter.
- Once your dough has risen for an hour, punch it down to release any air. Then transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface. Split the dough into 2 portions. Work each portion of the dough into a roughly 8×11 inch rectangle. It does not have to be perfect! Take each rectangle and roll into 8 inch logs. Transfer into prepared loaf pans.
- Cover the loaf pans and allow to rise for 1 more hour in a relatively warm environment.
- Adjust your oven rack to a middle position and preheat your oven to 350°F.
- Uncover your loaf pans and bake for 35 minutes.
- Once dough has baked, remove the loaves and allow to cool. You will know the bread is done once its top is golden brown. You can also check the internal temperature for extra assurance; your loaves should be somewhere around 200°F internally.
- Enjoy your delicious homemade sandwich bread!
Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions
Make Ahead. You can make your dough ahead of time to be baked the next day. If you wish to do this, follow the instructions through step 4. Before your dough’s first rise, transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Once you are ready to bake your dough, remove it from the refrigerator and allow it to come to room temperature. Proceed with step 6, counting the time in the refrigerator as the dough’s first rise.
Freezing. You can also freeze the bread once it is baked. If you wish to do this, allow your baked bread to cool completely. Once cooled, place in a freezer-safe resealable bag and freeze for up to 3-6 months. When you are ready to eat your bread, thaw at room temperature on the counter or overnight in the refrigerator.
Variations
You can also modify this recipe to make several other treats! Some options include:
- Cinnamon Swirl Bread
- Dinner Rolls
- Hamburger Buns
Uses for Leftover Bread
If you are like me, you hate to waste. But sometimes bread just doesn’t get eaten fast enough, and homemade bread has to be eaten even faster. If you are looking at an old, dry loaf unsure of what to do, here are some options for you:
- French Toast
- Bread Pudding
- Bread Crumbs
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Whisk yeast, warm milk, and honey together in bowl of stand mixer (or regular mixing bowl if you do not have stand mixer). If using active dry yeast, cover and allow to sit for 5-10 minutes until it forms a bubbly, foam-like top layer. If using instant yeast, move directly to step 2.
- Add salt and melted butter. Stir together.
- Add 2 cups of flour. Using the dough hook of your stand mixer, mix on low speed for 1-2 minutes. If you do not have a stand mixer, mix with spatula until roughly combined.
- Add the remaining 2 1/4 cups of flour. Mix on low-medium speed until well combined, about 5 minutes. If you do not have a stand mixer, mix as much as you can with a spatula, then knead with lightly floured hands until well combined.
- Cover the bowl and allow dough to rise in a relatively warm environment for 1 hour or until it doubles in size.
- Lightly grease your loaf pans with cooking spray or butter.
- After the dough has risen, punch it down to release the air. Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface. Separate dough into 2 balls. Lightly flour your hands and work each ball into a roughly 8×11 inch rectangle. Roll each rectangle into an 8 inch log and transfer into prepared loaf pans.
- Cover both loaf pans and allow to rise for 1 hour in a relatively warm environment.
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 350 °F.
- Once dough in loaf pans has risen, uncover and bake for 35 minutes.
- Once dough has baked, remove from oven and let cool. You will know the bread is ready when the top is golden brown and the internal temperature is roughly 200 °F.
- Cover leftover bread and store at room temperature for 6 days or in the refrigerator for 10 days. The bread can also be stored in the freezer in a freezer-safe, resealable bag for 3-6 months.
Notes
- You can use all-purpose flour or bread flour for this recipe. Bread flour can give the loaf a chewier texture, but all-purpose flour works just fine as well!
- I typically use whole milk for this recipe, as I find it adds the perfect amount of moistness and tenderness that you cannot necessarily get from other milks. That is not to say, however, that you can’t try other milks. If you are looking for a non-dairy alternative, I hear soy milk works well.
- If you would like to make your dough ahead of time to bake later, you can do that as well. To do so, follow the instructions through step 4. After this step, transfer the dough to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Once you are ready to bake your bread, remove dough from refrigerator and let warm to room air. Count this as your dough’s first rise. Continue with the instructions starting at step 6.