The Best White Sandwich Bread
This is the best white sandwich bread ever! It is surprisingly easy to make and is perfect for sandwiches and toast (French toast, too!)!
Nothing compares to this soft, fluffy, PERFECT white sandwich bread.
It is amazing! And really easy to make. No fancy ingredients. No time consuming method. It’s straightforward and simple!
My Mom’s Famous Bread Recipe
This amazing, tried-and-true recipe is my mom’s famous and spectacular white bread recipe. She made it all the time when I was growing up.
I have fond memories of her mixing the dough together in a huge blue bowl with a wooden spoon (she didn’t – and still doesn’t – own an electric stand mixer).
The dough is forgiving enough that it is the perfect bread recipe for beginning and expert bread makers alike.
How I Make It
I am not as hardy and definitely more lazy than my mom, so I always opt to make this bread dough in my mixer. I have a Bosch stand mixer but the recipe should work just as well in a Kitchenaid or other type of stand mixer that has a dough hook.
The dough is soft and smooth and a dream to work with.
I divide the dough in half and then press each half into a rectangle and then roll up into a log (pinch the seam!) to place in the bread pan.
Perfect Homemade Bread
The baked loaves are tall and sturdy. The crumb is soft but tight, so it makes the perfect bread for sandwiches.
Just in case you care, the bread also makes the most fantastic grilled cheese sandwiches and French toast you’ll ever have.
Good thing this recipe doubles well! It doesn’t last long in our house. (I usually double the batch and then freeze two of the loaves for later…I like to call it freezer self-control.)
Here’s the equipment I use for homemade bread:
- Stand Mixer
I use my Bosch stand mixer for this (and all breads). I also have a KitchenAid mixer but usually say very bad words when I use it to make bread; I know many of you have better luck using your KA mixer for bread, but I’m a creature of habit, and the Bosch is unparalleled for bread making. This recipe makes two loaves which is doable in a KitchenAid; I usually double the recipe in my Bosch so I can get four loaves out of the deal. Having said all of that, you can definitely make this bread by hand, too. - Bread Pans
I always bake our everyday sandwich bread in 8 1/2-inch by 4 1/2-inch bread pans (vs 9X5-inch pans). I have a mix of Chicago Metallic pans and USA Bread pans. I love both brands, truly. If I had to choose, though, I’d probably opt just slightly more in favor of the USA bread pans (nothing sticks!). As a sidenote, I never wash my bread pans when making homemade sandwich bread (banana bread and other quick breads are a different matter). Sounds icky, but after a decade plus of homemade bread making and pan cleaning, I haven’t had an issue. Instead of washing and submerging in water, I get a clean dishrag and run it under very hot water. I wipe out each pan, paying particular attention to the crevices, let them air dry, and call it good. This has helped avoid rust in the edges of the pans. I’ve had a few of my bread pans for almost 10 years and they are going strong. - Scale
I use my trusty kitchen scale to weigh out the dough when dividing into loaves. You certainly don’t have to, but I like the loaves to be as similar in weight as possible so they bake evenly. - Bench Scraper
Another optional but super handy tool, this bench scraper/cutter is the perfect thing to use when dividing bread into loaves (plus, it’s one of the most-used items in my kitchen since it has a million different purposes). - Flour Sack Towels
A great alternative to using greased plastic wrap, I throw these lightweight towels over my bread while it is rising in the pans. - Unbleached All-purpose Flour
When using white flour, I always use unbleached all-purpose flour vs bleached all-purpose flour. I’m sure you could use bleached white flour in this recipe, too; I just haven’t tried it (but I’m 99.9% certain that’s what my mom used for decades when I was growing up). - Bread Bags
A few years ago, I bought a case of 1,000 bread bags. Yes, that’s right: 1,000. I’m still working through them (obviously), but it’s cemented the preference that real, live bread bags (instead of stuffing that loaf into an ill-fitting ziploc bag) is the way to go. This is the case of bread bags I have, but I bought these bread bags for a friend and she loves them (bonus: you don’t have to buy a gazillion at once). I always use plastic clips like these (I snag them at IKEA when I’m there once a year) to close the bags. - Bread Knife
This is my favorite bread knife. So inexpensive, and the long blade design makes for very even, neat slices!
If you’ve been looking for the perfect, white sandwich bread, this tried-and-true recipe should end your search! Simple, delicious, and so fluffy!
One Year Ago: Soft Baked Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookie {Egg-Free}
Two Years Ago: Fudgy Coconut Oil Brownie Bites
Three Years Ago: Incredible Chocolate Pudding {Dairy, Egg and Gluten Free}
The Best White Sandwich Bread
Ingredients
- 6 ½ to 7 ½ cups (923-1065 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
- 2 ½ teaspoons salt
- 1 ½ tablespoons instant yeast
- ¼ cup sugar or honey
- 2 ¾ cups very warm water
- ¼ cup neutral-flavored oil, like grapeseed, canola, vegetable, avocado
- Butter for top of loaves, optional
Instructions
- In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the dough hook (or in a large bowl, if making the dough by hand), combine THREE cups of the flour, salt, yeast and sugar.
- Add the water and oil and mix until combined. The mixture will be thinner than bread dough.
- Cover the bowl and let the batter rest for 10 minutes; it will be slightly bubbly at the end.
- With the mixer running (or stirring by hand), gradually add another 3 to 4 cups of flour, until the dough comes together in a cohesive ball that clears the bottom and sides of the bowl and doesn’t leave a lot of doughy residue on your fingers when touched while still being just slightly tacky (not overfloured and dense).
- Knead for about 2 minutes until the dough is smooth and supple.
- Lightly grease a large bowl. Transfer the dough to the prepared bowl, cover with greased plastic wrap or a light kitchen towel, and let rise until doubled, about an hour or so, depending on the warmth of your kitchen.
- Lightly punch down the dough and divide it into two equal pieces.
- Grease two 8 1/2-inch by 4 1/2-inch bread pans.
- Press each piece of dough into a thick rectangle about 8-inches long; roll it up, pressing on the seams, and pinching the final seam together.
- Place the dough loaves into the prepared pans.
- Cover with lightly greased plastic wrap or thin kitchen towels and let rise until doubled and the dough has risen about 1-inch above the top rim of the pan, about an hour or so, depending on the warmth of your kitchen.
- While the dough rises, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Bake the bread for 30-32 minutes until golden and baked through.
- Remove from the oven and turn the bread out onto a wire rack. Immediately brush the tops of the loaves with melted butter (or use a stick of butter, peeling the paper back and rubbing it on the top of the hot bread).
- Let the bread cool completely.
- The bread can be stored at room temperature, covered in a bread bag, for a couple days, or frozen for up to a month or so.
Notes
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502 Comments on “The Best White Sandwich Bread”
It really is the best white bread I’ve ever made! I baked some for my sick kiddo and the whole family has been enjoying it. You weren’t kidding about the grilled cheese. We are looking forward to trying it as french toast, once we get a loaf to last awhile 🙂
It really is the best white bread I’ve ever made! I baked some for my sick kiddo and the whole family has been enjoying it. You weren’t kidding about the grilled cheese. We are looking forward to trying it as french toast, once we get a loaf to last awhile 🙂
This has become my family “go to” recipe for bread and buns! It’s the only recipe that all members of the family love ❤️ Thank you !
I’ve made sourdough before with good success but this was my first time baking with instant yeast. Total failure. It didn’t rise. But I had read that you can turn failed yeast breads into flat breads so I divided it up into 16 balls and rolled them out to 10 inches and cooked them in my cast iron skillet. I’m giving it 3 stars because I was able to salvage it. The breads I made were soft yet strong enough for wraps. Not much taste though. If I were to make it again I would add some bran or something to give it more flavor.
Making homemade bread takes some time and practice. If your yeast is expired or the water is too hot it won’t rise. But i don’t think it is the recipe’s fault that your bread didn’t rise. I’ve made this bread a million times and it has good flavor and is delicious. Seems strange to rate a recipe low based on inexperience.
Wow, what a rude remark. Inexperience? Boy, you sure want to scare off newbies to baking with your attitude.
No the yeast wasn’t expired nor was the water too hot (because I measured it with a thermometer).
I just made another yeast bread recipe today using the same yeast and it came out great. Everything rose quickly and I didn’t even take the temperature of the liquid this time around, just followed the recipe instructions about heating it.
Next time, I suggest you don’t put down commenters.
How can it be the recipes fault that your yeast didn’t rise the bread….
Great basic white bread, simple to make with great results!
Just made this wonderful bread. I always have good luck with it. Turns out perfect everytime! Now, could anyone give me a hint for having the same luck with Mel’s Quinoa Bread? I have made at least 10 loaves and they always sink while baking and turn out gummy. The dough always clears the sides and bottom of the bowl, I’ve used various amounts of white whole wheat flour and bread flour, warm quinoa, cool quinoa. I sure will feel like a rockstar if I can get this bread to be soft and fluffy!
Hi Tamara, it sounds like adding more flour to the quinoa bread recipe will help! Depending on where you live or how you measure flour (compared to how I measure flour), you may need quite a bit extra flour so don’t panic if you have to keep adding until the dough is nice and soft but sturdy enough to clear the sides of the bowl. Sometimes as it kneads and the flour continues to absorb the liquid in the dough, it will get sticky again, even after several minutes of kneading, so add flour during that step, if needed.
So delicious! The first bread I can actually make successfully.
I just love this bread! I keep coming back to this recipe over and over again. Thanks Mel!
Can you do the first or second rise in the fridge overnight to slow it down/spread out the prep time?
I think so! If you want to do that, I’d decrease the yeast a bit so it doesn’t over rise in the fridge.
Hi Mel, love this white bread. I’m wondering if you have a suggestion on maki g it with Cinnamon and raisins. My partner asked if i could
Just not sure how.
Hi Lynda, are you wanting to make it a swirled-type bread?
So I love this recipe and have made it several times, but I keep running into an issue. My bread always comes out quite crumbly and does not ever look like your bread pictured. Am I not adding enough flour? Or am I underkneading the dough?
What is the consistency and texture of the dough before you shape it into loaves?
I absolutely love this recipe! Out of all the times I’ve made it, it always comes out perfectly and it is soooo delicious. It’s been my go to bread recipe since I got my Bosch mixer.
I made a half recipe, just one loaf, because it’s just husband and me. I ordered the Chicago metallic loaf pan and the bread bags and used my KitchenAid mixer. I sweetened it with honey as directed. Wasnt hard to make. Tall, beautiful loaf with perfect flavor. Nice tight crumb, light and fluffy and it slices well. We can’t quit eating it! I just had the best grilled cheese ever. It toasts beautifully! Thanks for another keeper recipe!
Have you ever placed the dough in the bread pan into the fridge overnight for the second rise?
I haven’t, sorry! It might over rise in the refrigerator – if doing that, I’d suggest cutting the yeast down in the recipe a bit.
Are there any recommended changes for high altitude? I would like to try this recipe this weekend but live in Denver, CO and sometimes struggle with baked goods. Thank you.
I live at 4700 ft and today just made this recipe as written. It turned out well – rose nice and high and didn’t sink.
Made this bread a couple of weeks ago. Came out great!! Even my friend likes it, so I’m making it again tonight. Can I use this dough to make cinnamon roll s
I haven’t tried that, but you could definitely experiment.
I’m about to make this bread for the 4th time. I love it and better yet my family loves it! It’s the easiest, most beautiful yeast dough I’ve worked with and it freezes great, when you thaw it out it’s as fresh as the day you made it. I made it by hand and not one step was difficult. If you’re debating whether or not to try this recipe I can’t stress enough – do it! On a personal note I’d like to add, my mom passed 9 years ago last month and the smell of fresh baking bread brought her back like few other things have. Thanks for this recipe.
I followed the recipe but I could have got 4 loafs out of it mine.
This bread was absolutely beautiful! It was the prettiest loaf of bread I have ever made, and was soooo easy. It made my snow day much more fun! My sweet (late) sister-in-law taught me that snow days are for baking, so this week it was the Sandwich Bread, Donut Muffins, and White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies. Looking forward to another snow on Tuesday.
This is the prettiest bread I’ve ever made!
Hi Mel! First, I noticed that in the gray “equipment” box, you have the bullet point about your favorite bread knife labeled as “bread bags.”
Second: does this dough work for hot dog and hamburger buns? I have another, dedicated bun recipe which calls for milk and eggs, but on the other hand it seems like a basic white bread would work fine for buns. Just curious if you (or any of your readers) have tried that.
Thank you!
Thanks for the catch on that, Nicole. I’ll fix it! I haven’t used this recipe for hamburger or hot dog buns, but I use this recipe all the time for those two things: https://www.melskitchencafe.com/french-bread-rolls/
I think it’d be worth trying out this bread recipe for buns as well!
I made a big mess. I weighed everything but when it came to the yeast I hv packs. So I used one. Should I hv used 2. It was a soupy mess after 8 cups of flour. I want to make it again but was very confused. It was so soupy would not mix in the flour. I used dough hook with kitchen aid. Ended up throwing away.Help
Hi Barbara, the amount of yeast shouldn’t impact the amount of flour used. Is there any chance the water was measured incorrectly or too much added? It’s probably ok to add upwards of 8 to 8 1/2 cups flour because the exact flour amount will vary depending on elevation, humidity, how we each measure flour, etc. But if it was soupy like you described, I’m not sure what might have happened.
Thks for answer. I used 2 3/4 cups water. should I just add slowly until compound then stop adding water.. I will try again. Live in FL. Humidity was low along with temp. Just one more question before I buy more flour. Do I have to open prepackaged yeast and measure or can you include the number of packages of yeast needed. I know I am “kneady” sorry. Fingers crossed.
I would use the full amount of water, but I would add flour gradually and only stop adding flour once a soft dough is formed that clears the sides of the bowl. Florida is much more humid than where I live so it’s not a surprise that you might have to add more flour than I do. Should be fine! Keep mixing and adding flour until the dough is soft and tacky to the touch but forms a ball in the bowl. As for yeast, I believe a packet of yeast has 2 1/4 teaspoons, so for this recipe, I’d use two packages of yeast.
Made the recipe again using the recommended 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 loaf pans and also used bread flour I had on hand. Made all the difference and looks just like the picture! Now my go to white bread recipe! Thanks again!
Mike & Dan
Glad it worked out, Mike and Dan! Thanks for the report back!
Thank you! I’ve been trying white bread recipes for months now and glad I came across this one. The texture and taste is perfect! I used my 9×5 pans so not as tall and pretty as yours but still delicious! Thanks again!
Mike & Dan
Thank you! I’ve been trying white bread recipes for months now and glad I came across this one. The texture and taste is perfect! I used my 9×5 pans so not as tall and pretty as yours but still delicious! Thanks again!
Mike & Dan
Amazing! Works every time whenever I need the perfect sandwich bread. Kids love it for school lunches!
Amazing! Works every time whenever I need the perfect sandwich bread. Kids love it for school lunches!
So simple and absolutely delicious! Perfect fluffy sandwich bread that can easily handle having butter spread on it without crumbling or tearing. My whole family couldn’t get enough of this bread! I made 3/4 of the dough in my Pullman loaf pan and the other 1/4 of the dough in a smaller bread pan. I kept the Pullman loaf in for longer than the smaller loaf to ensure it was cooked through. Thanks for this delicious bread recipe!
I made this recipe for my first loaves ever and they turned out beautifully! I used 9×5 pans since that’s all I had on hand and it worked out. Super yum recipe. Can’t wait to make it with honey and top with honey butter next time.
Made this recipe today. Success! It’s a trad soft, white sandwich bread that was easy to make. Bakers should follow Mel’s suggestions on adding flour to keep the dough soft and the bread moist. Thanks for another great recipe!
Like many, I have made A LOT of bread over the past year and a half. For sandwich bread, this one wins every time. I’ve made it with bread flour, added wheat, used long bread pans (12″) and it really doesn’t matter. Good. Every. Time. Mel is a recipe magician. It doesn’t matter what I make of hers, it’s always good.
can you explain how u did 12 in pan? like instead of 2 pans used a 1 12in pan? and adding wheat, how did u do that? thank you in advance
Would you mind posting the weight of all your ingredients in grams? I always weigh mine. Thank you!!
Hi Melisa, I’m actually going through my recipes one by one right now and adding gram amounts. You should see the recipes update soon!
Couple questions if you have the time:
1. How would I need to modify this to work in a 13x4x4 Pullman Pan?
2. What’s your thoughts on AP Flour vs Bread Four? Like which one would make a softer, fluffier and less dense loaf like store bought?
Hi Bruce, I’m not entirely sure about the quantity of dough for a pullman pan, but I’m thinking that 2/3 of a single batch of this dough might work? I always use all-purpose flour in this bread recipe. Bread flour works well, too, although it makes a slightly denser, chewier loaf.
I’ve been making this bread all summer long and have officially decided to stop buying store bought. This is truly the best! Since I’ve been making this bread exclusively I have everything down to a science except one thing. We are a family of four and there is no way we can eat an entire loaf before it goes bad. So I’ve been baking, cooling, cutting, than freezing the loaf and pulling out one or two slices at a time. No matter how I do this it seems like the slices stick together in the freezer and it is really hard to get them apart (aside from thawing the loaf). Do you have a suggestion for this? Also, how long do you let your bread sit at room temp before it’s no longer fresh? Thanks!
Hi Nancy, I have the same problem sometimes with homemade bread (and even storebought bread that has been sliced and frozen). It is sometimes difficult to separate the slices if they are frozen. I don’t know of a good workaround other than slicing a piece of wax or parchment paper inbetween each slice prior to freezing OR freezing the slices individually and then putting them in a bag together, but that would be a royal pain. I’m sorry I’m not more help! We usually keep a loaf of this bread for 2-3 days before noticing that it is getting a bit crumbly (although it makes great toast or french toast after that).
I always cool the bread, then put it in a plastic bag in the refrigerator overnight. The next day it ‘s easier to slice. Then I put the sliced bread in the freezer. The slices easily pull apart one at a time.
Your idea of putting the loaf in the fridge before slicing works perfectly. Thanks for the suggestion!
i use the papers you use to put in between you hamburger meat patties and it works great.
I turn my unused bread into bread crumbs. Super easy and you never have to buy store bought bread crumbs again…. Win win!
Mel, this is absolutely THE BEST recipe indeed. I’ve made it several times and my family loves it. I would ideally like to feed them your quinoa whole wheat bread, or something with a little more nutrient-density, but they, particularly my granddaughters, totally refuse, so this is my go-to recipe. At least I can feel good about the simple, wholesome ingredient list.
There is one step I’ve added that I think makes an enormous difference in the end product, and it is worth mentioning in case anyone might like to give it a go. Part A is I reduce the amount of yeast to about half a teaspoon, and Part B is that I bulk ferment the dough in the refrigerator for 6–8 hours before shaping and continuing with the recipe through baking. There is a significant difference in both the flavor and texture of the final product that is just incredible in our family’s opinion, and there is really no hands-on difference in terms of difficulty or added hands-on time.
I’ve tried this extended cold fermentation after shaping, but I think that doing it beforehand gives me more control over the final rise, which is important in preventing over-proofing.
Thank you for yet another amazing recipe.
How long does the second proof take since the dough has been in the fridge? I want to try this method overnight so I can bake first thing in the morning
I just was wondering if there was a preferred bread slicer you used? I have used the same one (Presto) for over 20 years and I cannot find anything that seems to be as good.
Hi Jan, I use a pretty basic Rada bread knife to slice bread.
Wonderful recipe. This is my family’s favourite bread for toasting.
Have you ever made this in a Pullman bread pan? I am looking to make it slightly more sandwich shaped as my bread pan often has it with a very rounded top. Thanks for a great recipe!!
I love this recipe and make 2 loaves a week. My granddaughter loves this bread as well but wants to make it in a bread machine. Do you know if it would be successful ? Or Have you had any comments on someone doing it in a bread machine.
I don’t have a bread machine so I’m not sure how it would fare…I think the quantity of dough might be too much for a standard bread machine.
It was amazing! Thank you!
Is it ok to substitute melted butter for the oil?
I love your recipes, my favorite so far is Gloria’s cinnamon rolls.
Yes, you can do that.
Hello Mel!
These loaves look AMAZING. Can you tell me if the crust is soft, suitable for sandwiches? I find that I have to wrap mine in plastic wrap while its cooling to get a soft crust. I would prefer not to do this, as the moisture collects on the crust of the bread.
Thanks!
Yes, this bread is great for sandwiches.
I made this today and it is so amazingly delicious! So easy it seems fool-proof. I won’t be making it too often cuz it’s dangerous but when I do make white bread, this will certainly be my go-to!
Best recipe ever! Always my go to! I divide the dough… 1/2 for a loaf and the other half I make a dozen buns.
I find a total of 6 cups flour works best for me. I do use unbleached.
I have made this bread weekly for the last year and it always turns out amazing! It is my favorite white bread recipe. Thanks Mel!
Hi Mel! First off, love this recipe. Question on doubling… Do you make any changes to double the recipe or do you just exactly double the recipe?
I double everything straight across, except I only 1 1/2 the yeast.
Can you recommend a bread knife to slice the bread?
My favorite bread knife is the inexpensive Rada bread knife (I got mine on Amazon).
TERRIBLE recipe!! Followed instructions and ingredients EXACTLY as written. WORST BREAD EVER!!!! Definitely going back to my old recipe!!!
How interesting Notgiven, I also followed it exactly and it came out light, airy and delicious.
I find that interesting as well…. After years of making a much more complicated recipe (that I swore by), I decided to give this one a try. My family and I liked it so much (and it was so easy!), I deleted my “former favorite” from my recipe app. This has since been my go-to bread recipe — I’ve made it dozens of times and never had a fail — light and fluffy EVERY.SINGLE.TIME. ❤️❤️❤️❤️
Thank you for the lovely recipe. While I have made quite a few other types of bread in the past I was convinced that I couldn’t make a good sandwich bread (I’m pretty picky about that type of bread) but I was wrong! This bread is soft, yet sturdy – perfect for sandwiches. Easy too!
Thank you so much for this bread recipe. I have been baking loaves of bread and delivering them to friends and neighbours along with a printed recipe. Everybody loves it. So easy and tasty.
Hi there! Can you please share the steps for using the Bosch mixer? Do you begin with a different attachment other than the dough attachment?
Yes, I use the dough hook the entire time.
I’m making a stuffed bread and was wondering if this dough would be a good option. My moms recipe always called for frozen white bread loaves but I’d love to do fresh. Thoughts?
I think it would be fantastic used for a stuffed bread recipe!
Delicious, and worked well!
eureka!, I have found the perfect white sandwich bread recipe!! I made my own bread many years ago (am now 92 yo] but it was quite involved then.. During this time in our lives I have been baking many things, my favorite being bread….some were quite good but I was looking for a softer one…and after spending lots of time on Pinterest I found you. I did not have instant yeast so just added a little to my active yeast. Mixed it by hand following instructions to the letter, got the dough in the pans…two 9-1\4 x 5-1/4 pans. And it more than doubled in 45 minutes, punched it down and formed them, put in the pans ,let raise again and baked them. House smelled wonderful. Let them cool,and couldn’t wait for the first slice. WOW. This recipe is my keeper. Thank y
Made this recipe in my bread machine and then in my 13” Pullman. Divided the original recipe by 1.5 and it came out perfectly!! Baked at 350, 25 minutes lid on, 15 minutes lid off. Best white bread I’ve tried so far!
Can you elaborate how you used your machine for this recipe? I’m brand new to bread making and got a new machine. It makes 1lbs and 2lbs loaves. Can I just add these ingredients to my machine and choose the white bread option?
About what weight of dough are you putting in your bread pans?
Usually right around 30-32 ounces.
Worked just awesome. Sturdy enough for sandwiches, but still soft and absolutely delicious. This is my saved, favourite recipe.
I made this bread and it really is delicious. Like you said makes great toast! Can I ask you if you use a bread slicer and if so which one?
I don’t have a bread slicer – just a serrated bread knife (the Rada brand).
I don’t use oil. Would melted butter work?
You can definitely try that – should work just fine.
I think I’m doing something wrong. The bread rises in the bowl and again in the tin. It’s still looking great until about5 to 10 minutes to cook. When times up it goes flat to just above tin height. The bread tastes ok …..a little doughy maybe but it does toast great. The taste is very similar to a good quality muffin!!! Can you help me out please with what I’m doing wrong. I’ve done it a couple of times with the same result
Hi Ray, from what you describe, it sounds as though the dough is over rising before going in the oven – that can cause it to flatten. Try letting it rise for a bit less time.
Hi Mel I dropped the rise time to 40 minutes each. A lot better but still dropped a bit. I’m in a tropical climate. Would that be the cause?
Hi Mel
I shortened time the to 40 minutes and much better. Still got to shorten the time again because it worked much better . Bread was delicious though. Quick question….. does living in a tropical climate affect it?
Thanks for your help
Hi Ray, humidity can definitely make a difference in bread making and baking, so that might be a factor! I’m glad this round turned out a bit better for you.
Ray,
Don’t give up on it. Keep playing with the rise times and you’ll get the results you’re looking for.
I’m in Oklahoma, in winter, and I find that I have to watch it for the same reason. My first loaves went from flat like you described, to almost round, to nice picture quality, tasty loaves. Once I got it dialed in, I’ve been baking a couple of loaves a week. I can’t keep up with the demand from my family.
Just made this bread (in the new Bosch mixer that I gave myself for my birthday). Great instructions. This was so easy to make, and it is absolutely delicious. Couldn’t wait, so I ate a slice hot out of the oven with lots of butter. Also shared a warm loaf with a friend/neighbor, and she loved it, too. THANK YOU THANK YOU, Mel !!!
Great recipe! Bread turned out amazing. I did 1/2 the flour with whole wheat flour, don’t know if
that was appropriate but my loaves rose beautifully and tasted amazing.
Mel’s Kitchen is often my preferred go to for recipes.
I halfed the recipe to get one loaf and used honey and oh man, I wish I would have baked two! I also proofed the bread in my instant pot on the “yogurt” setting so it cut my proofing time in half! Basically took me almost no time AND effort for this recipe as I let my kitchen aid do the hard work.
My whole family looooved the bread and we finished it in one go! Will definitely do this recipe again! Probably tomorrow lol
Thank you for this amazing recipe!
This makes too much dough for my bread pans, so I take out about 1/4 and make some kind of treat with it. Sometimes sweet rolls , today some flatbread with chopped Castelventrano olives and herbs.
Mel I just have to say this is the best homemade bread hands down. I have been making bread for years but since COVID hit have been making more and have made my share of different recipes. My husband loves this one the best as do I. He tells me I seem to change the recipe and it turns out differently all the time but not this one. Made grilled cheese last night and I have never had homemade bread grill up as well as this recipe. I have to delete all my bread recipes from Pinterest except this one. I want to give you 100 stars instead of 5. Thanks for the BEST bread recipe ever!!!!!!
Just wondering if the pan size in the instructions should be 9×5 instead of 8 1/2 x 4 1/2? An 8 1/2” loaf pan seems quite small for a loaf of sandwich bread, and in your recommended products section, you included a 9×5” loaf pan. I thought maybe it was an error, but decided I would try following the instructions as written. .When I put the dough the 8 1/2” loaf pan, it rose to an inch over the pan within 15 minutes in a cool house in December. It was shaping up to be a mushroom-looking loaf, which I did not want, so I carefully transferred the dough into my 9×5 inch loaf pans and they seemed to fit much better. They still rose at least two inches over the top of the pans when they baked. Turned out amazing! Your recipes are always fantastic.
Hi Tara, I do use the 8 1/2 X 4 1/2-inch pans (sorry about the wrong recommended product – I’ll fix that). However, it makes a tall loaf so I think baking them in a 9X5-inch pan is a great option, too!
This is the best sandwich bread recipe! It is the only sandwich bread recipe I use. I love it is made with oil instead of butter because it is faster (no waiting for room-temperature butter, no melting) and vegan if you use sugar and skip the butter on the top. Sometimes if I don’t have the time, I put all the ingredients together in the machine skipping the 10-minute rest with great results. After making the recipe many times I figured out I need exactly 1kg of flour.
If you are looking for a sandwich bread, give this recipe a try. It is easy and it works. Thanks you Mel so much for this recipe. Even though I still buy sandwich bread I do it much less often than before. And this 2-loaf recipe is perfect for my family since the bread stays fresh for two days.
Hi! Will it be necessary to “steam” the oven (via water / ice cubes)? Also, I only have a 9×5 Farberware loaf pan – do I still halve the dough or eyeball half the pan for the amount of dough (given that it’s supposed to double in size & rise 1″ over the top)? For the balance dough, I’m thinking of making little rolls – will the texture be the same as your dinner rolls? Will subbing milk for water be okay? Thanks!
For that size of pan, you’ll probably use about half the dough. I’m not sure if the texture of the rolls will be the same (I have a lot of dinner roll recipes so I wasn’t exactly sure which one you were referring to) but it’s worth a try. Using milk in place of water may change texture or taste, but you can experiment!
Hi! Thanks for the quick reply 🙂 I made this earlier on, using butter instead of oil and using 2c water + 3/4c milk (played safe for 1st attempt, so did not change too many elements). I made 2 loaves – 1 in the farberware pan & the other freeformed. The bread turned up alright (I think), texture feels soft & fluffy like regular sandwich bread. It’s just the smell seems slightly off? Kinda sour/alcohol smelling? Googled and read that it could be cos my dough was overproofed? 1st proof was an hour, 2nd proof was 45mins.. This is my first attempt at breadmaking so am still pretty clueless about what to look for when proofing dough.. Would love some advice on indicators besides the loaves doubling in size.. Thank you!
Hi, looks like you bake a lot not just for yourself but for others too. I am looking to bake and ship, any tips on what’s the best way to ship.
Hi! I just wanted to tell you I made this bread with Cup4Cup Gluten free flour and it works great! It doesn’t rise as much and the crust gets a little crumbly after a day or two. But my son who hasn’t been able to eat any gluten for the last two months says it is delicious! I halved the recipe so I only made one loaf.
Haven’t made this yet……is it a soft sandwich bread? I have tried 3 other recipes, they all came out kind of not like sandwich bread I am used to, not soft or fluffy kind of more like a ciabatta bread. Not good at all. PLEASE say this is soft and fluffy!!!
Hi Nancy, yes, I think this bread is on the soft side.
I can’t believe I am only writing this today since I have been making this bread every week since March! I halve the recipe and it gives my husband and I a beautiful loaf every week.
I am originally from Australia and have struggled to find a good sandwich bread in the US that doesn’t taste like a cup of sugar.
This is perfect Mel, thank you for sharing!!
I can’t believe your recipe save my frustration in making loaf bread again. I was gonna give up in making our own loaf because i can’t make it good enough. Thank you for sharing this Mel it’s really the best recipe. My husband can’t even wait for tomorrow. We both ate for night snack. And I think it will not last until weekend (I just cut half the recioe) and I need to make one again.
Again, thank you!!!
I am the only one in my household that eats bread ( there are two of us here) . I would love to try this recipe but for one loaf at a time. How much yeast would I use if I half the recipe for one leaf?
I would use 2 teaspoons yeast for a halved batch of bread.
This bread is wonderful! I’m on a low sodium diet, so I reduced the salt and it still tastes great! I plan to use it for my stuffing bread for Thanksgiving, if I don’t eat it all first 🙂
Can you use bread flour instead of all purpose. If so does the water amount need to be adjusted
Yes, bread flour works great – no need to adjust the water.
Yummy loaf recipe! My very first time to make loaf bread. I added a wee bit of sugar (I have a sweet tooth 🙂 ). I used my USA loaf pan but removed the lid. What happens if I use the lid when I bake next time? Will the dough over flow? Do you have a different recipe for that square loaf? Thank you!
I don’t have a recipe for a lidded loaf (or Pullman loaf) – not sure how this recipe would fare with a lid. Sorry I’m not more help!
Made this and it’s very good! Really tasty too.
Many people claim to the have the best white bread recipe…. for once, Mel is right. This is the easiest bread I’ve ever made and is also the most eaten in my house now. It rises like the yeast is on steroids (I stop the first proof at 40min because it rises so fast), it never fails to have the perfect fluffy crumb, and tastes amazing. This is now the most used bread recipe in my house. Thanks Mel!!
For once? You run a better blog?
Ha! God love the internet. There should have been a comma between the for once and Mel. The implication being that lots of bloggers claim to have “the best” recipe. This one really is the best. I was not suggesting that Mel is usually wrong. I would have hoped that the rest of my review would have provided you with some indication if my intent but then again, you’ve provided me an opportunity to clarify, which I appreciate. Mel is awesome, this recipe is awesome. I hope you and yours are doing well in this difficult time. Cheers all! Happy bread making!!
Hi Mel,
You replied earlier that a 10″ x 5″ x 3″ USA pan should work for this recipe with no change in baking time. How many of these pans would I need for the full recipe as written? Please advise! Thanks.
Probably two pans (I’ve never used these pans, but that’s a good guess).
If I double this recipe, is it just a straight double or do I have to do some fractions?
You should be able to double all the ingredients.
I made the bread today & I totally agree with everyone’s comments it is the best bread! Soft & absolutely delicious!
Awesome recipe!! Delicious!!! I let my bread machine do all the work and then baked it in the oven.
I always make a double batch and add some whole wheat and it’s always soft and fluffy! Our absolute favorite bread! Love all your recipes Mel! I tell people about you all the time. Be well!
I feel so fortunate to have found your recipe! I was trying different loaves for about the last 3 years and my husband just didn’t like any of them, especially for sandwiches. Then I started making this one and he is now completely on-board with home made bread. It is easy and so far I’ve never had a bad result and it’s been at least 6 months of making it. Thank you, thank you!!!!!
This bread turned out amazing.. I’ve made it twice now and both times were exactly the same! AMAZING! Now, I did substitute butter for the oil… but that’s the only change I made! I totally recommend this recipe!
As a novice bread baker, I have had more fails than successes. I have tried different proofing techniques, different flour, different yeast, different temps, etc. I have finally found the great balance in this recipe. I live in a very humid area and that may also have played a role but today…success! Beautiful BIG loaves. Might be a bit boofy for some theyʻll make beautiful sandwich slices where I wonʻt have to make another sandwich because the slices are too small. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
I’m a total newbie. First time I made this it came out a bit sour and rather springy/rubbery, somewhat like an english muffin, i think?
Could it be the honey I used instead of sugar? Proofed too long? (I left it for 4 hours) Did I add too much flour while kneading? Tropical weather and it rained early this morning, the dough was really sticky, so i kept applying flour to my hands and surface after each knead. I might have added a whole cup or even more. Or could it be the oven temperature too low? My oven is very low tech: it sits on my gas stove, has no temperature gauge, and i can only guesstimate by eyeballing the size of the flame. My loaves were done after an additional 20 minutes.
I will have to finish eating this one before trying another. Any advice in the mean tome would be much appreciated.
Hi Opel, if it rose for 4 hours I think that’s the culprit. This is a relatively fast rising bread and I think 4 hours might be too long.
Wow! This really is the best recipe for white bread that I have ever used! I used unbleached bread flour and it came perfect! I love the light crust; it is not tough or chewy like with other recipes I have tried.
Thank you for sharing!
Fantastic bread recipe! I add some white whole wheat maybe 30% and still super soft and fluffy. Kids and adults love it. Mel where would my bread baking be without you??!!
I double the batch now (thank God for the Bosch)
Your the best Mel!
We have a ton of active dry yeast at home. Could I substitute that for instant yeast? Is so, how?
Hi Beth, here’s a post about using active dry yeast for instant: https://www.melskitchencafe.com/guide-to-baking-with-yeast/
I just used this recipe for bread and even goofed with the yeast as I didn’t realize active rise and instant yeast were different (except that one rose faster), and it still performed amazingly well by producing two large beautiful loafs! I would only suggest to users to not be tempted to take them out too early, and to not be disappointed if the top of loaf seems hard-ish. Shortly after the butter is applied, it softens so perfectly. Tomorrow I am going to make two more but will proof the yeast first. I’m excited to experience the difference-especially since these look and taste as good as they do with a mistake!
What temperature is considered very warm? I don’t want to mess this up & kill the yeast or anything like that. Thank you!
I always make sure the water is between 110 and 110 degrees. Any hotter and it will kill the yeast.
Around 110 degrees should be just about right. 🙂
I began making bread again during the quarantine and was looking for a white bread to use for sandwiches that tasted like white bread. This hit the spot! It was easy to make and tasted delicious. It is just what a white bread should be. I love that it makes two loaves because one loaf of bread is never enough. Oh, and I made it by hand in the bowl and kneaded it on the counter. It came together easily without a mixer.
Can I use melted butter instead of oil?
I haven’t tried that substitution, but you could definitely experiment.
Initially, I followed the recipe exactly, however, although delicious, it yielded two excessively large and still slightly dense loaves. I found by making some minor adjustments I obtained a better flavor and a yield of three super soft regular sized loaves. 1) An extra 1/2 teaspoon of salt 2) An extra 1/2 tablespoon of yeast 3) Always letting the yeast proof and adding it in after mixing the initial 3 cups of flour with the other ingredients. One of the biggest advantages is the fact that I get 50% more with the same recipe 🙂
Just made this today. Oh my goodness, divine! I made it through half a loaf by myself the second it was cool enough to slice!
I’ve been making this bread every week for a month now and it’s lovely! Amazing for sandwiches, toast points, french toast and the best grilled cheese sandwiches. I use my KitchenAid for the first part and knead by hand a few minutes.
But I was feeling bad about feeding my family so much white bread, with barely any fiber, so this time I subbed one cup of whole wheat to the dough and it was still super delicious and a bit less of a guilt trip to eat.
I usually botch any recipe with yeast but I made the most beautiful, delicious sandwich loaves. The only downside is my family ate them ENTIRELY too fast!
I used this recipe to make 2 beautiful loaves of bread. It was soft and fluffy, reminding me of Wonder bread. I used active yeast, not instant, and the proof times were both a little over half an hour. Very happy with my bread baking.
Hi Mel~ A great recipe. I’ve been using it for a few years as my go to sandwich bread recipe. Is it me or am I not seeing a place where I can pin this for pinterest?
There’s a little teal circle with the Pinterest P right in the corner where the recipe is (above the title) – that should pin the recipe!
Hi. I would like to try this recipe but I only own 1 bread pan. Can I halve this recipe or leave the second dough out while the first loaf bakes? Thanks!
Yes, you can definitely halve the recipe! You could also refrigerate the second piece of dough while the other loaf rises and bakes.
This bread is easy to make and delicious. My family really likes the sponginess of this bread, though I don’t. They really like store bought white bread and this sponginess is almost the same as that. It was an interesting technique I hadn’t used before. I’ve made this twice in 1 week, so clearly the sponginess isn’t a deterrant for me. I just prefer it toasted. The bread makes great toast, grilled cheese, and french toast.
This recipe is simple, easy, and tastes wonderful.
Thank you for posting it.
I’ve been baking bread for literally 32 years and, while I feel I’ve made tons and tons of great loaves, I never could find the “perfect” sandwich bread – until now! I’m not even joking – I found this recipe maybe 6 months ago (a year ago? Maybe longer) and it’s the one I go back to again and again when I need sandwich bread. It really is the perfect sandwich bread!!
The recipe is perfect just as written, but I’ve also subbed whole wheat for the first three cups of flower with lots of success.
Loved this recipe! Easy, delicious and hearty enough to make sandwiches. That’s been a problem w some recipes previously…..thank you so much.
This is my first time making a traditional loaf bread, and it was so easy to make. It smells so incredible and tastes even better!! I was even able to make one of the loaves with seeds throughout it. It came out so well! Thank you for sharing this recipe!! 😀 Just one of the many incredible recipes I have found on your site. 🙂
This is THE BEST white bread recipe! I’ve tried four different recipes and they haven’t been perfect until this one! It’s pillow soft and super moist. I’m so happy!
If anyone is using this recipe during the weirdness of Covid19, I just baked this bread using only half the yeast and it turned out great. Figured I might as well stretch my yeast supply until it’s back in stores I upped the rise time by about an hour (half before shaping the loaf, half after) to compensate.
Made this today and it is delicious and came out just like the pictures – this is my new go to recipe as making my own bread now being in self isolation during this pandemic – and a habit I will continue as so much healthier than bought bread – really a great recipe!
Very well named! It is the best sandwich bread recipe. Thank you for posting this. I have been looking for a recipe that would work for sandwiches. Very tasty and my family says that it tastes like Spatz bread, which is the highest complement in this neck of the world.
Thanks so much for this recipe! This bread is awesome. Light , fluffy, and tasty. I needed to use all the recommended flour and shortened both rise times as this dough poofed way up quickly.
Thank you for you detailed explanations of everything! I have been trying to bake bread and it kept coming out ao dense and heavy, I had no idea I was measuring flour wrong all these years! My bread was perfect!
Make this according to the recipe. I had to add quite a bit more flour to get the dough to a reasonable consistency. The first rise was fast and high. But nothing compared to the rocket rise in the loaf pans. After just 30 minutes, both loaves were well up over the top of the pans. At that point, I put them in the oven. And they rose still more – way too big for the 4 1/5 x 8 1/2 loaf pans. I had to bake them about 10 minutes longer than specified before they browned up a bit and reached 195 degrees. Crumb, texture and taste are very good. But this amount of dough will easily make 3 loaves in the small pans. FYI – the water I used was 127 degrees; house temp was 70 degrees.
Do you store your bread in the pantry, fridge, or freezer? Do you only use the plastic bags?
I use plastic bags and store at room temperature or in the freezer (the fridge will dry it out).
Love this recipe. Cuts easily and is very tasty and great as toast. Thanks Mel.
Awesome Recipes thank you
I’ve made this twice now and both times it proved in under 20 minutes. (70 degrees, 5000 ft elevation ) Second rise under 10 minutes. It raised in the oven way too tall. I’m using SAF red. Should I skip the sponge, use less yeast?
The taste is fantastic. Any help would be appreciated.
Hi Tim, try cutting the yeast in half and see if that helps (your high elevation may be a contributing factor – I don’t live at high elevation but I’ve read that it can cause yeast to rise faster). I wouldn’t skip the sponge step.
Another tip for high altitude baking is to do a second rise before putting it in the loaf pans to rise. The dough rises too quickly at high altitudes and doesn’t allow the gluten to develop as much as it should, so pounding it down and doing a second rise in the bowl helps the gluten have enough time to develop.
Oh yeah, This is what I have been looking for. Nice, soft crust, tasty. Perfect “sandwich” density.
So running low on yeast – will be trying it with less yeast and a longer “batter rest” to grow the yeast .. works when I make beer – … may have to try beer yeast as well (I have more of that than bread yeast…)
I’m a avid bread-baker and even used to have my own cottage bakery (specializing in sourdough boules and challah). However, I’ve ALWAYS struggled with a basic loaf of white sandwich bread. Until I tried this recipe. It was AMAZING and exactly what I was looking for to keep the kids fed during quarantine, so I didn’t have to go out and get them bread for PB&Js. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!
This is my first attempt at making a white sandwich bread….the recipe is easy to follow and the tips are helpful. It was very easy and soooo delicious! I’ll try it with whole wheat flour next time or maybe half and half? I didn’t have the instant yeast so I just used the regular or traditional yeast, it still turned out soft and delicious. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Made some today and it turned out amazing! My new go to! I wish I could post a picture. Thank you!
Hey! So ive made this rexipe a couple times now and it seems I always need way more flour to get it to pull away from the sides of the bowl. I know you said that the flour amount is flexible, is it normal to need as much as 5 cups?
The recipe calls for 6 1/2 to 7 1/2 cups total…are you using 5 cups total or 5 cups after the 3 cups used in the first part of the recipe? Either way, if you are using 8 cups total, that’s definitely fine. So much depends on elevation, humidity, how we each measure flour, so having to add an extra 1/2 cup to 1 cup is fine. Does that help? Let me know if you have other questions.
UGH! Nope, I was reading it way wrong. hahhaha I will be trying again today. It tastes yummy but that is definitely why I was having so much trouble. What’s dumb is that I read it wrong on separate occasions! lol Obviously I need more coffee in my life.
No, wait. I was reading it correctly. So I have been using around 8 cups total. Ok, I think I just need more coffee this morning.
Thank you for you help!
Yep! That’s about what I had to use to get the dough in reasonable shape!
Oh My God! I made this bread and it’s as delicious as I thought it would be! So soft and fluffy. Thank you Mel!
I made this recipe near the beginning of lockdown and it turned out great. Time for round two!
Question: do you think it’d work to put a bit of cinnamon sugar on the rectangle at the end, so as to get a flavorful spiral? I’m new to bread making.
Thank you!
Sure! I think it sounds like a great idea. For cinnamon swirl bread, I like to roll the dough into a thick rectangle, spritz VERY lightly with water and then dust with cinnamon and sugar before rolling up.
Hi Mel.
This bread was so delicious…we all loved it. My 8 year old and I are novice bread makers. The only problem we had was that the bread was really crumbly inside; it fell apart easily. Didn’t seem as dense as it should have been. Would you be able to give some troubleshooting advice? It did seem pretty tacky…maybe we should have added more flour??
Hi Larissa, try letting it rise for less time. Sometimes if bread over rises, the texture of the crumb can be really airy and crumbly. If the dough was able to be handled without leaving a super sticky residue on your fingers, I don’t think you need more flour. Also, over baking can create a dry crumbly bread as well.
Hi Mel. Haven’t tried your recipe yet but it looks scrumptious. I’ve been baking quite a lot during this pandemic. My country has basically run out of bread; i.e. when the bread gets to the hypermarket it goes missing in 5 minutes so that’s why I’ve been baking bread
Back to the point. I use a convection oven. Do I need to use both top and bottom heating elements to bake bread (any kind) or just the bottom element at first and then at the final 10 minute mark I switch on the top element as well?
Would appreciate your feed back. BTW I’m kneading by hand; can’t afford to buy Bosch or KA.
Sincerely,
Ivy Rahim
Hi Ivy, I only ever use the bottom heating element for baking bread (in my oven the top heating element is the broil function and it heats very hot – and isn’t great for baking bread through). Does that help?
I have tried several recipes but this was the easiest to follow and it is delicious! My family loved it!
How long does this need to be mixed/kneaded in a stand mixer? And at what speed? Mine’s been kneading now for like 10 mins and still hasn’t come away from the sides.
It sounds like you may need to add more flour if it hasn’t pulled away from the sides of the bowl yet.
I’ve read some recipes that say not to use a rapid rise instant yeast (such as Fleischmann’s Rapid Rise or Red Star Quick Rise) when a recipe calls for instant yeast (such as SAF-Instant Red yeast). For this recipe, does it matter? If so, which do you use?
Me again — nevermind! I should have scrolled back through the comments before asking my question. All I have on hand is rapid rise and, because of COVID-19, it’s going t be awhile before I get more instant. I’ll try this with rapid rise and see how it turns out.
How long does this need to be mixed/kneaded in a stand mixer? And at what speed? Mine’s been kneading now for like 10 mins and still hasn’t come away from the sides.
Oops sorry didn’t mean to post the above comment here.
So fun to make this bread as part of our weekly “cooking class” while the kids are out of school for this pandemic. But better yet, was their reaction when they tasted it for the first time. My 3 year old said she never wants “store” bread again. We used our kitchen aid mixer with the bread hook and it worked great. Somehow my parents talked their way into getting the 2nd loaf (my dad is pretty convinced I’m Betty Crocker at this point – he loved it). Thanks so very much for this recipe. I’m headed back to the kitchen to make more!
Love this recipe! I am new to bread making and had success on the first try! Making this on a weekly basis now.
Can you store the second half of the dough (second loaf) in the fridge and bake it a few days later? If so do you need to let it rise before baking it?
I haven’t tried that, but usually bread dough does fine refrigerated for a day or so (yes, it would need to rise before baking).
I love the wheat bread recipe ( large batch) but have some friends that would like white bread. Can I double this recipe? I am making it in my Bosch.
Yes!
I would love weights for this recipe 🙂
First time bread maker here. Success! Looked through lots of online recipes and found this one. This bread turned out perfect using bleached APF. My KA mixer did all the work. I skipped step 9 and just gently placed the dough into 2 loaf pans without shaping the dough. Thanks for sharing this easy and delicious recipe!
You are not kidding. This really is the BEST white bread ever. I’m even going to use this recipe to make dinner rolls. I’m sure they will be just as amazing.
I love this recipe so much! One question though — is there any thing I need to keep in mind if I want to half this recipe? I know bread freezes well, but I don’t have much fridge space. Should I keep the rising time the same but half the baking time?
*freezer space
If you are halving the recipe and making one loaf, the baking time should be the same (if it’s the same size loaf). The rising time might be a bit less.
Hello! I am a total bread making novice, so please forgive my ignorance. I have a Bosch, and was wondering if you knead your bread by hand or in the Bosch? If you knead it in the mixer, which speed do you use, and for how long? Just two minutes? Thank you!
I use my Bosch to do all the kneading! I use speed 1 or 2 and knead for 5-6 minutes.
Best (and I mean BEST) regular bread I’ve ever made!!
Would this work to make the dough in a bread maker? If so is there an order for the ingredients? Thank you!!!
I haven’t tried it in a bread maker and I don’t know if the ingredients would fit, but you could definitely try.
Have you tried this in the bread machine? If so, how did it turn out, did you have to adjust anything? I’m assuming you would halve the recipe for the one loaf, but any other changes? Thanks!
Mel, have you ever used mini loaf pans for this recipe? Or do you have guess on how long to cook them? Thank you, as always for all your recipes!!
Yes, it works great in mini loaf pans! I bake them for about 22-25 minutes.
This bread is hands down the best sandwich bread I have made. I am so grateful. My elderly parents are on lock down in their house, due to corona, and depend on me for grocery food. She forgot to mention the bread and shopping for 2 households created some confusion. I won’t have to risk going out for bread during this crisis. I just made this for them. It had so much rise, I cut the protruding end off of each end to taste and to make straight cuts for sandwich bread. I used bread flour, but I think it would be great with all purpose. I will wrap parts up for them in parchment so they can freeze part of it for the near future. It’s delicious! I make my own pizza, and have made decent rustic bread many times. But, I have never been able to make a great loaf of sandwich bread. Mom loves her bread. She will be so happy. Not ready for a delivery of goods yet.
I have never commented. Ever. And I search recipes all the time. This. Is. A. Must. I made the recipe as written. No substitutions or variances. I do love that the author left the note about how to do the final flour. It’s not a set amount. And I live a mile high. Do it by feel like she says. It works. This recipe is soooo forgiving. I originally forgot to add the sugar. I remembered after the water was not warm. I rolled it like she says but I was not careful or precise about it (we’re in the middle of Coronavirus and I wanted a fall back if the stores ran out of bread, but I also wanted mimosas. Sooo…) Even given my lack of precision and laissez faire attitude, it turned out. Soft and delightful. Give this one a try!
Great recipe! Bread is super soft and delicious! Perfect for sandwiches. I halved the recipe to make one loaf for my small family of three and it turned out wonderfully!
This looks so good! Can I make it with 1/2 whole wheat flour, or would that mess up the proportions?
Thank you!
Yes, I use half whole wheat flour often when I make this recipe.
We loved the taste of this bread! Only the top had color and was very golden. I am wondering if you cook the bread in the middle or on the lower rack of the oven. Do you cook it on convection? I want to perfect this bread because I will be making a lot of it over the next couple of months. I love your wheat breads and have great success with those just want to perfect white bread too :). Thanks a bunch!
I do not use convection for this bread…I make sure the oven rack is pretty much in the middle of the oven.
Can you double this recipe?
Yes
If you do, you’re going to have a problem with a stand mixer being able to handle that quantity of dough – unless you use a cement mixer!!
Unless you’re using a cement mixer, any stand mixer will have trouble trying to handle all that dough.
How do you make yours so soft looking.
Mine was crispy on top.
Wendy,
Brush your freshly-baked loaves (just out of the oven) with butter or even a little Crisco. The tops will become perfectly soft in a matter of minutes! ❤️❤️
Can regular yeast be used instead of rapid rise yeast? How long will it take the bread to rise? Thank you, Stephanie Bishop
Yes, you can use active dry yeast but you’ll want to proof it in a bit of water and pinch of sugar until it bubbles and foams. The rising time really depends on the warmth of your kitchen, but probably 1-2 hours.
I’m going to try your recipe this week! I’m reading it doesn’t all fit into a KA mixer? Just seperate it and mix two separately?
I was reading up on refridgerating it ahead of time- at which step do you reccommend the fridge? After it’s in the bread tins or on step 6?
I’ve read dough improvers help it last longer on the shelf, has this been your experiance?
Thank you!
I haven’t used dough improvers so I don’t know for sure. I also haven’t tried refrigerating this particular dough, although I have with other doughs. I’d probably recommend refrigerating after it’s shaped into loaves but you could really try refrigerating it as one big mass and then letting it come to room temp before shaping into loaves.
I just made it in my KA and it worked fine…towards the end I just pulled it out and kneaded it by hand as it was all gathering over top of the dough attachment
Absolutely love Mel’s sandwich bread It is the best I’ve ever tasted.
Excellent! This is my new favorite basic bread recipe.
Not sure what happened… Bland, not dense enough, and can’t stand it on its bottom or it will be crushed.
Thank you, Mel! I’ve been cooking for my family for 17 years but bread has always terrified me. I tried your French bread recipe a few times and had pretty good success. Tonight was my first try at this recipe and it came out PERFECT! I added about a cup and a half of whole wheat flour but it still came out so fluffy and delicious. I think I finally figured out the right amount of flour/stickiness. Thank you for all your tips and pictures and videos. So helpful! And today I feel like a home made bread rockstar!
All those uge amount of flour,
What about a recipe for one sandwich loaf?????
Howdy! I was wondering if you could put this recipe in The Best Recipe section? I was sure you’d had a great white bread recipe but couldn’t find it in there. I settled for someone else’s and it was just okay. Hate to miss out on a tried-and-true Mel recipe! 😉 I’ll be making this the next time! 🙂
I’ll check and add it if it’s not!
I seriously never comment on blogs when I like something, but this one worked out great! I’ve never had dough rise so well and taste so good. Whenever I make sandwich dough, it turns out too heavy and it doesn’t raise well. This rose and baked perfectly. Thank you!
looking forward to trying this recipe! I use a good whole wheat one but my kids would be happier with some white bread in their life lately. I started baking my own bread to avoid the cost and plastic bags from store bought bread. One comment I might add is; try a breadbox or a cotton or linen bread bag instead of plastic…old school, but why reinvent the wheel eh?
I previously had a bread recipe that I loved, but I lost it and have been trying out other white bread recipes ever since. I am no longer looking because I love your recipe! I’ve made it several times and it is rather simple and delicious . Thank you for sharing❣️
I’m so pleased with how this bread came out!!! I made this last night as I was in a pinch and couldn’t leave the house to get bread for my kids’ lunch today. I’ve never gotten my bread to rise, but this recipe was magic!!! It also tasted great! Thank you.
I love this recipe!! Thank you so much for sharing. I’m a beginner bread maker so this was a bit intimidating, but it turned out to be beautiful and delicious and my family is impressed (my 8-yr-old just walked by begging for “just one more slice? It’s SO GOOD!!” I’ll be making this regularly with no fear. Thank you again!
Tastes delicious but it rose way more than two loaf pans. I also couldn’t get them to come out of the pan no matter how hard I tried. It broke in two. Any suggestions?
What brand/type of bread pans are you using? Did you grease the pans?
I’ve made this recipe twice now with great success.I was looking for a recipe with the same ingredients as my grandma a recipe but paired down.Hers was huge and I couldn’t seem to do the math for two loaves lol.anyhow we like the soft taste and texture.What I’m wondering is my loaves are wrinkled on top after I apply the butter and go back later to see wrinkled top.They are perfect out of the oven.Does your to this?Ive never baked bread that are this soft,usually the crust if a bit crustier this isn’t.Is this why?do you have a recipe that is a bit crustier?
You can add water in a pan to the oven while the bread bakes for a crustier loaf…and yes, sometimes the tops of my loaves wrinkle a bit after adding butter.
My kids and I just used this recipe today, and the bread is so delicious! It’s soft and wonderful. Thank you so much! <3
I have been following instructions carefully but I end up using 8 cups of flour or more and the dough still ends up being very sticky when I kneed it. Could it be too much yeast? The bread is always delicious but, as a novice, it can be frustrating.
Sorry for the frustration – totally understandable! It probably isn’t too much yeast – it might be your humidity or elevation that’s causing the need for extra flour. Do you live in a humid climate or at really high or low elevation? Adding extra flour shouldn’t really be an issue as long as the dough is forming a soft ball and clearing the sides of the bowl. The exact amount of flour will often vary person to person based on a lot of different factors.
This is the best bread recipe! I just made it for the first time and it turned out perfect. I have been making bread with bread flour in my bread machine for many years but wanted a recipe that made 2 loaves, used all purpose flour and honey instead of sugar. This recipe has all that! This is delicious and its much softer texture than my other recipe- maybe that’s because of the different flour? I did use bleached all purpose flour and honey instead of sugar, like suggested in the recipe. Thank you- this recipe’s a keeper for sure!!
I was skeptical about this recipe after adding the rest of the flour and needing to add even more flour as my dough was really sticky, but it turned out perfect. I don’t even know how much flour I added after 7 cups; I just kept adding more until the dough wasn’t super sticky. I made one loaf of bread and bread rolls – so delicious! Also, the recipe works perfectly even when using a glass bread pan. Thanks for the great recipe!
This recipe is fantastic. I have made it in a number of ways:
– as written – Fantastic
– modified to use bread flour – Fantastic
– modified to use 1/4 whole wheat flour mixed with 3/4 bread flour – Fantastic. – though, I will say, it will rise higher if you add vital wheat gluten in with the bread flour.
– modified to substitute 1 cup of buttermilk in for 1 cup of the water – Fantastic.
– modified to use honey instead of sugar – Fantastic
– I have used all kinds of fats with this recipe. Canola oil, coconut oil, butter, vegetable oil, and VERY LIGHT flavored olive oil.
This recipe is EXTREMELY fool proof. Every time I have made it, it has produced an excellent product.
Thank you so much for sharing your talents!
Where did you get your bread bags from?
I usually buy them on Amazon – tried lots of different brands and I buy the kind on a roll.
The best white bread I’ve ever had :). Thank you for sharing this recipe.
This is so easy. And the smell while it’s cooking???? AMAZING!. This is so easy I won’t be buying sandwich bread any more.. and tastes great.
I haven’t made homemade bread in years until today. It was so good! My family ate it in about 20 minutes. It’s gone! I will have to make more tomorrow I guess.
Thank you so much for this recipe! I was able to easily make my first two successful loaves of white bread. I used 1/2 AP unbleached and 1/2 bread flour and it came out nice and fluffy. So tasty. And now I don’t have to go to the grocery store to pick up bread tomorrow! Lol
It IS the best white bread recipe I’ve tried. I used to make my bread but with work and life itself I’ve been too busy. With retirement on the horizon I’ve set out to find the best recipes for every type of bread that I like and you (and your mom) have won with the white bread. Thank you so much for sharing.
This is the best homemade white bread I’ve ever had. It is chewy on the outside and a little bit chewy but soft and pillowy on the inside. It is perfection! I am 57 years old and I’ve wanted to make homemade bread, without using my bread machine, most of my adult life, but was always so intimidated by the thought that it would be difficult and I would fail at it. Now that I know how easy breadmaking is, I doubt I’ll ever use my bread machine again. There is just something about that soft pillowy dough, when you work it to get it smooth then soft to the touch before you put it in the loaf pan. It’s just so satisfying, the whole process! I have looked at countless YouTube videos and Pinterest recipes and I’ve made the no knead cast-iron Dutch oven bread, which is amazing, and I’ve made whole wheat bread, but this, this is the best I’ve made so far! Thank you so much for sharing your recipe!
So happy to hear this, Karen! Thank you so much for the review!
I’m not sure why you do 2 risings but when you use the Bosch mixer, you can skip the first rising. I do the Bosch for 4 minutes and then warm my convection oven for a minute and turn off, put the dough in the bread pan and press down (no need to shape the dough as you mentioned) – then put in the slightly warm oven for 45 minutes to rise (until 1/2 inch above pan, then bake for 30. I also put the yeast in the Bosch first with very warm water and honey and let sit 5 minutes, then add flour on top, then oil and salt. I’ve been making bread for 12 years, never fails, thought you might find it helpful to save some time! 🙂 I did try your recipe with honey, it was delicious!
I know I’m late to the party but 2 provings (risings) are essential for the perfect bread! The first rise is for height & the second is for the flavour. You can skip one of the proving cycles & still get a decent loaf but do both & you have an amazing loaf.
I have been using your white sandwich bread recipe for over a year and I love it so much! It is my family’s favorite! Thank you for making a “small batch” recipe. So many other recipes out there make like 6 loaves at a time and I just don’t have the mixer capacity for that sort of thing.
Thanks, Amber!
So good! But BEWARE, if you have a standard kitchen aid, this recipe will not fit in your 6.5qt mixer (or smaller) this makes SO much dough! I made 1- 14” x 4.5” and 2- 8”x4” loaves! I had to stop and divide my mix into two bowls and keep going. But now that I know this, I can adjust in the future. This bread is great! Just be sure not to add too much flour or your dough will be tough. Mine took all 7 cups and was perfect, but I live in a very humid and hot area. Thanks for this recipe!
My family loves this bread. I’m thrilled it makes two loaves. With 8 people still living at home the first loaf is just for bread and butter out of the oven. It’s gone almost immediately ! My only question is what can I be doing wrong? I end up adding almost 2 more cups of flour than what is called for to get the right consistency. Other than that it’s my go to bread recipe these days.
Hey Jennifer – as long as the bread dough isn’t super stiff, it’s totally fine to have to add more flour. So much depends on elevation, humidity (if it’s raining or sunny, etc). It’s more important to focus on the texture of the dough vs the exact amount of flour and if the bread is turning out amazing, you should be good!
Ok, this bread recipe is so easy! BUT, if you have a standard KA mixer, you will probably overflow your bowl! Lol half way through kneading, I took half the dough out and finished kneading each half separately. This made one huge loaf (I think the pan is 14”X4”) and 2 smaller loafs, roughly 8.5”X4”. It’s on the second proof now, but looks excellent so far! I spend so much money on sandwich bread, so I hope my kids will eat this instead! Thanks for sharing.
Made the bread last night. It makes two really big loaves or two regular and one orange swirl loaf heehee
Made another batch today by request. Two regular one cinnamon babka. Yum. Love it. Come to think of it. I MUST love it. It’s 93 humid and hot as heck in Texas and I have my oven on!
Thanks a ton!! This really is super duper yum!
Excellent recipe. The bread is better than i expected as most recipes want you to use milk so i was surprised seeing water which i like better since we do not use dairy. Thank you for posting this recipe. Just wanted to say this again and mention I am not the same as the larry a few comments down who was commenting and defending Bert who was absolutely rude. So i will now go by Larry B so i am not confused with the other Larry who defends rude people.
EXCELLENT RECIPE
Excellent recipe. The bread is better than i expected as most recipes want you to use milk so i was surprised seeing water which i like better since we do not use dairy. Thank you for posting this recipe.
Can I make this in the dough cycle of my bread machine?
As long as your bread machine is big enough to fit the quantity of dough, it should work ok.
Awesome loaf, and so easy! My family approves. 🙂
Backstory: I love Grandma Sycamore’s bread but living in Texas for the last 10 years makes my indulgence in the soft, fluffy cloud of carbiness few and far between. Also, I have never been a great bread maker.
And THEN! I was trying to think of a fun way to teach my kids about the miracle of the loaves and fishes to show just how difficult and time consuming it is to make just 2 loves of bread let alone enough for 5000! My first thought was to search your site for a recipe because deep in my heart I knew you would have something perfect. Our family then discussed the Bible story and set out to complete this difficult task of turning flour and water into something amazing. Thankfully, the 2 1/2 hours of hands-off time letting the dough rise and cook was very difficult for my 11 and 8 year old, because the actual making of the bread was the easiest and greatest experience with yeast I have ever encountered. It was the perfect object lesson.
Then we ate it. Mel, this is seriously the best loaf of white bread I have ever eaten. It has the perfect texture and flavor. And I’m just going to say it right now, it’s better than Grandma Sycamore’s. Just know you’ve created the perfect storm of the easiest AND most delicious bread. It didn’t feed 5,000 but I might be making this at least 4,999 times.
Thank you for sharing this!!!
Thank you so much, Erika! I was reading your comment like a novel – so interested about why you chose to make this bread and I LOVED the application to the story of the loaves and fishes in the Bible. What a great object lesson!! Kind of a “why didn’t I think of that with my own kids” moment. Haha. I’m so glad you loved the bread (and I bet your kids won’t forget the experience).
Why would you post a recipe for two loafs? I assume most people, like myself, would just want to try it with one. Thanks for making me do math
Why would you be so rude. Most people, unlike you, are not!
This cannot be a real post! Someone complaining about doing very simple math?! Oh goodness. My loaf is coming out of the oven soon. Fingers crossed!
You assume wrong. Most people don’t bother dirtying the kitchen for one loaf. I always make two at minimum and freeze one for later. Quit being such a troll.
Brenda, you incorrectly assume that Bert assumed wrong.I start with one if it’s the first time I am trying a recipe. I assume that others feel as Bert and I do. Waste not, want not!
I couldn’t help but reply (even though others have already replied)… I understand wanting to maybe try just one loaf the first time around, but honestly, halving a recipe is about the easiest thing ever. What I don’t understand is questioning the person who provided the recipe on why the recipe yields a certain amount. ♀️
I assume we’re all reasonable adults that can do simple math.
Having made this recipe dozens of times, though, I can tell you that you’re going to want that second loaf. This stuff is so good, you’ll go through it fast. My family of three can polish off a loaf in under three days. And that second loaf freezes perfectly if you don’t think you’ll use it up that fast. Do yourself a favor and bake two loaves!
Really a wonderful white bread recipe. My loves came out tall and browned, just delicious.
Omg! I have searched high and low for “the best white bread” recipe and tried others but they always seemed really dense and heavy (and crumbly)… This one is PERFECT! And I do have a bread maker (Zojirushi) and I used it instead of my KitchenAid or by hand. I only use the dough cycle now and I split the dough into two loaves instead of baking it in the machine in the 2lb loaf. It worked great. I put all my wet ingredients in then put the dry with the yeast on top of the flour in a little mound. After the dough was done, (it does have a small rise period, ~10 min, in the machine) I took it out and let it rise in a covered bowl for another 20-30 min, then followed your instructions and put into two pans and let rise again before baking. Turned out very good! Thank you!!
I started diving into the bread-baking world for the first time ever this year. This recipe was the 4th ever try for me and it turned out perfect the first time. I don’t have a mixer and am nervous my food processor won’t work quite as well, so I do it by hand each time. I double the recipe and make it at least weekly now because my neighbors and parents all love it. I haven’t worked out the cost vs store-bought bread, but even if it’s more expensive, I’ll never be buying my sandwich bread again. Thank you for this!!
This is excellent sandwich bread. I made it this week and it turned out perfectly. Rather than freezing the second loaf next time, I’d prefer to cut the recipe in half. Is it as simple as halving all the ingredients? Or is there another adjustment to be made for a single loaf recipe? Thanks.
You should be able to halve everything! Just keep an eye on the flour amount. You may not need quite as much flour.
Thanks. ( BTW: I adopted your “add flour gradually” advice many months ago, and it has vastly improved all my dough-making skills. It really makes a difference!)
can make this in pullman bread (with lid) please help thanks
I haven’t tried that so I’m not sure; sorry!
The recipe works fine in one Pullman pan but I don’t use the lid.
This is an amazing recipe!!!
I made this bread last week after going on a long stretch of making only wheat, and my husband’s reaction was something similar to a child being handed a piece of candy. Haha. It was quite a treat, I guess. I have a question about bread pans. I have both the USA and the Chicago metallic pans and they bake differently. The Chicago metallic takes usually 5-10 minutes longer to have the bread baked through, so I’ve had to started covering the loaf with foil during the extra baking time and use my therma pen to make sure I know when it’s done. Have you experienced anything like this? I know they are different metals, so they conduct heat differently, but my naive brain was hoping they would be the same. I thinking I just need to buy another USA pan to keep baking time consistent. Oh darn. 😉
I know what you mean! I’ve noticed the same thing. I have two USA pans and four Chicago Metallic; I often use both of them in the same oven if I’ve doubled this recipe to make four loaves and the USA pans conduct heat differently and usually the bread is done a few minutes sooner. I just keep my eye on it (also use my thermometer to see if the middle of the loaf is about 185-190 degrees) and take out the USA pans a bit sooner if I need to. I’ve been tempted to just upgrade to all USA pans but haven’t done it yet since my Chicago Metallic pans work perfectly fine!
My mom taught me to make amazing bread too, but her recipe makes 4 big loaves, and I haven’t had much luck halving the recipe. Since it’s just me and my little, I have been on the hunt for a smaller yield recipe that stands up to my mom’s recipe… And I found it!!! This recipe fit perfectly in my Bosch compact mixer, and the results were gorgeous, and delicious. I used bread flour. That’s what I had on hand. I have nothing bad to say about it. I’ll use this recipe again and again. Thank you for sharing.
I am trying the Paleo/Keto diet and want to know if I can us Coconut or Almond flour in place of the ALL Purpose Flour..
I don’t believe that will work – but I haven’t tried it. This recipe has been tested using flour with gluten – subbing in a flour without gluten won’t produce the same result, unfortunately.
Best white bread recipe ever!!!! So simple and so easy. I made it with “00” italian flour and everything organic. Load 1 didn’t make the whole cool down phase before it disappeared. This was exactly what my family wanted…this recipe is going into my saved favorites. I hope load 2 makes it until the morning….THANKS….
5 STARS
Hi there, this recipe seems like exactly what I’m looking for. However, I don’t have and can’t afford a mixer. Is it possible to make this without the mixer? I’m assuming yes, but I’m such a newbie that I’m afraid to attempt. If you wouldn’t mind, how would I substitute hand kneading for the mixer? Any advice will be appreciated. 🙂
This is my favourite white sandwich bread recipe. I have made it countless times by hand. Google “how to knead bread by hand” and you will have lots of little videos to watch from and learn. The bread will be delicious.
This is the perfect white bread recipe. It is very easy and the taste is wonderful. You actually have enough salt in this recipe that makes it excellent as far as flavor goes. I recommend this to anyone desiring to make great sandwich bread. Every time I give bread to someone they ask for my recipe. Thanks Mel.
I was wanting to ask you on different types of yeast, I’ve never used a Lotta used that you just stir in.
So when you’re talking about yeast and making this Bread are you talking about the quick baking yeast? Quick rise yeast?
I also wondered if you knew where someone could get a bread cloth?
Are that I could make one somehow I would just like to have one that would be easy to use,
I’ve made a lot of potato bread and I really like that but I do you like the sandwich bread better, my mother grew up making potato bread, but it’s two dance for me, Would you consider making a video of this recipe? Thank you so much for taking time to read my comment, I making your bread tonight. I’ll check back and let you know but I think it will turn out good I liked it as oil in it. Thank you so much
I use instant yeast for this recipe. I’ve heard before that instant yeast and quick rise yeast can be used interchangeably. Good luck if you try this! I use plain white kitchen towels for covering the bread (but have never made my own).
I buy tea towels from Walmart they’re very very lightweight and work wonders for bread. They come in a package of six I think and I not only use it for that I use it to make Jun and kombucha
Wow ! Looks yumm … how much is the cup measurement ? Or is it possible for you to give me the flour weight in grams ? Thanks wil try out and comment soon
It’s about 30-35 ounces flour (I’m not sure how that converts to grams but there are a lot of free online conversion calculators).
I made the bread with this recipe and it turned out AMAZING…. this is exactly the kind mastery I was trying to reach. It’s soft and airy; it tastes perfect. No strong yeast smell, just perfect blend of everything. This is one recipe that can pass through generations.
Gorgeous loaf
Hello I was wondering if I can use this recipe in a bread maker ?
I haven’t tried because I don’t have a bread maker – sorry!
Made two beautifully perfect and delicious loaves of bread! Did not change one thing!
I’ve made this a couple times and it is, hands down, the best bread I have ever made. It holds up for more than one day, its texture is outstanding, and it still works even without any salt in it. Thank you and thank your mom!
I am so excited to make this! How does the bread compare when using sugar or using honey, other than the healthiness factor? Does one turn out much different than the other? Thanks!
It turns out about the same!
Honey seems to make a more rosey glow. A.k.a browning. Sugar feeds the yeast as does the honey but thru 40 years of baking, ive found yeast responds a but more to honey vs sugar. Mostly the sweets are for the yeast so. In the end, if you want less sugar in the bread, make a hole in the middle of the flour and add your liquids to the hole, then your yeast. Let the yeast proof there until really bubbly then mix. That gives the yeasty beasties more acces to the initial sugar and theyll eat more. Hope that helps
Anna
Delicious.
This is my new “go-to” recipe for bread. It was easy to follow the recipe and it turned out perfect. I am new to bread making but you can’t tell by how this turned out. I have only one loaf pan so I made one loaf and one that was the French bread roll style. Both amazing!
Great job, Clydia!
Mine turned out really flaky and crumbly how do I avoid this in the future. Total bread novice here.
Hi Laura, what was the texture of your dough before baking? If the baked bread is dry and crumbly, it often means the dough was overfloured.
Thank I will try again but it’s was sticky before. So I don’t know. Just have to try again