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.
I love homemade bread! I’ve tried numerous recipes for various breads over the years. My weakness will always be, white breads… Rather it be rolls, loaves, logs… I’m in. This is a simple, easy to follow recipe, though the bread it produces definitely has that “Grandma’s secret recipe” taste! Thank you for sharing.
I just pulled my first batch out of the oven. If it tastes even half as good as it looks and smells, it will be a family favorite for sure!
My two loaves are in the oven as I am typing this. I can’t wait to try it. Thanks for the easy recipe.
Question– do you find the loaves, if frozen, get crumbly after being thawed? I’m trying to gauge if I should make extra as I have run into this problem with recipes in the past.
I haven’t noticed they get crumbly after coming out of the freezer (as long as I let them defrost at room temperature vs microwaving to speed up the process).
Cool, thanks!
Mel OMG I a on pins and needles! I thought I would take a look at the Bosh Mixer you mentioned, then I watched the video all I can say is WOW!! For someone who bakes a lot of bread thats better then any bread machine (I tried one once Hated it) The capacity alone is astounding!! The speed absolutely awe inspiring unfortunately I have to wait a month to order it but I will be!!! I make 2-3 dozen loaves a week for my family and my sisters families. The time it will save me is mind boggling. I have a KA and I love it but it falls a bit flat when making some things. (My daughter called dibs when I get the Bosh not sure if I am ready to part with it just yet it does have a ton of attachments I use)
i wanted to make mini loafs of bread and freeze and when i ahve peoepl to dinner give them each a small loaf of bread have you ever done this?i was wondering how long to bake them
I’d probably check the mini loaves after about 18 minutes.
Hi. If I used the USA 10 x 5 x 3 pans, do you think I would need to make much adjustment to the baking times? How much longer do you think I would need to bake?. Thanks. I am preparing. I have a Bosch being delivered next week.
I think the bread would do great in those pans (it makes a really large loaf in the smaller pans and I think would fill up those larger pans just fine). I wouldn’t adjust baking time; should be ok!
Great bread recipe! It’s been years since I’ve made White bread and not just my quick French bread recipe. I used my daughters Bosch machine….Perfect. Thanks for your great tried and true recipe. My husband asked me to please not give any of this batch away. Ha!
This bread is so, so good. Thank you for sharing your mom’s wonderful recipe.
Mel, you have been my go-to gal for so, so many recipes and I’ve been trying to master my yeast bread skills for the last couple of years, with your help. I’ve had much success with rolls and many things but have still struggled with wheat bread. But, I decided to give this white bread a try right away and holy smokes!!! It was so easy!!!! Absolutely perfect loaves with delicious flavor and texture on my first go ’round. I’m about to pop another batch in the oven right now and they look equally good. Thank you, thank you for tutoring me in yeast and helping me give my family so many delicious meals!!
Yay!!!
HI MEL–I’ve made the bread twice and it was delicious…one loaf still in the freezer. I did have a question though: on the yeast: Is it TABLESPOONS? Seems like so much. My first batch–the bread rose up over the pan a bit. Yesterday’s batch–the 2nd rise was huge at 20 minutes. I’ve usually used just 1 packet of instant rise, but this is nearly 3 x as much. Worth it for such amazing and tempting bread, but have you ever used less ?
The measurement in tablespoons is correct, but you could certainly cut down the amount!
The only thing I would add to this is the best way to slice homemade bread is with an electric turkey knife. I worked in a bakery when I was in high school. I spent hours slicing freshly baked bread with an industrial slicer. An electric knife works equally as well. Perfectly sliced bread that isn’t smashed by my kids. Awesome!!
Made this recipe today. First time in 20 years baking white loaf bread. I doubled the recipe as 2 loaves wouldn’t cut it around here. First loaf always goes just for a snack fresh out of the oven, this bread was divine. Thanks for sharing.
The real purpose of this response is to tell you I get my bread bags at Smart and Final. They are called Food and Bread storage bags and easily hold a 1lb. loaf. And you don’t have to buy 1000 at a time!!
Thanks, Jane!
I was very nervous about making this bread recipe. I ordered new bread pans that you recommended and the bread knife and finally found the time to make your recipe today. I have been unsuccessful in the past so with your awesome recipe and instructions, I was SUCCESSFUL in making this very easy but delicious recipe. Thank you so much. Love the bread knife too!!
I’m so happy to hear this, Jennifer!
Mel! I have to tell you that I’ve been eyeing this recipe since you posted it. I’ve been a long time wheat bread maker, but white bread comes more in the form of rolls or cinnamon rolls – things my kids have learned are special treats. For the last couple of months my 5-yr-old has been getting a taste of Grandma Sycamore bread every week and EVERY week he leans over and asks why I can’t make bread as “fresh” as that. Apparently, my wheat bread has nothin on Granny. So, today I decided to regain my title as amazing bread maker and this recipe did not disappoint. Only “oohs” and “ahhs” at dinner and my son told me that my bread was WAY better than that other stuff. Mission accomplished. 🙂 Also, I made one loaf a cinnamon/sugar swirl – so so good. Thanks for saving the day Mel!
Haha, love that! And major bonus points for the cinnamon swirl version!
5 stars. Have had the link saved for this recipe ever since you posted it. Finally got to try it out today. It made 2 gorgeous loaves, one went to a neighbor with sick kids and the other was half gone in 5 minutes between my 3 little kids. Very delicious, was not disappointed and super easy to make. Thank you so much for sharing!! I will be trying your no bake chocolate cheesecake this week as well.
I tried this recipe this week and the bread was wonderful. The taste and texture was great, I especially loved the height of the loaves. Will definitely be making these again. Thanks!
I made this yesterday and it was so so good! Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Mel, loved this bread – turned out perfect as I knew it would because all of your recipes do, especially the yeast recipes. Right when I planned to reduce gluten…….
This is a fantastic bread recipe…and so easy! I’m going to make several batches and freeze it! Thx so much Mel!
Hi Mel! Tried this recipe and it was fluffy! Could I half the recipe foe just one loaf? My standard kitchen aid mixer struggled to mix the dough towards the end. Also, freezing the loaf, do you use a bread bad or is there a certain “technique” I should use when freezing a loaf? Thank you in advance.
Yes, you could definitely halve the recipe. For freezing, I just put the baked and cooled loaf in a bread bag, get as much air out as possible and pop it in the freezer. 🙂
Okay – talk to me about making this recipe into mini loaves. About how many mini loaves would you divide this up into? I have 8 mini loaf pans that are 5 3/4 x 3 x 2 1/8 (it’s printed on the pan, no way would I be that precise with the measurements!). I’m wondering if one loaf would split well into four mini loaves of that size, or if I should go for three mini loaves from one loaf. I will probably experiment one day soon, but just wondered if anyone had tried this yet with this particular recipe. I did make it into regular loaves last week and it’s delicious!
I haven’t made it into mini loaves, but I’d probably split the dough into three mini loaves, not four.
I’ll try it and let you know how it turns out! Would you bake for the same amount of time or shorten the baking time slightly?
I’d probably cut the baking time by a few minutes…a lot will depend on your particular oven and how fast/hot it bakes.
Didn’t fall apart and rose beautifully. Walked in the house after swim lessons and thought yum it smells like rising bread. I had forgotten I made it. Lol
I have tried many white bread recipes and this is by far the best one! We all loved it. Thank you!
Yay!
Made this today – so good! Thank you!
I just made this bread this morning and I am really impressed. I have a little bread baking experience, but I’m no Pro! I must say, It came out beautifully, just like the picture. The crumb, texture and flavor are wonderful. I am going to slice and freeze the second loaf. Tomorrow I believe we will be having french toast for a lovely Sunday morning breakfast. I can’t wait. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Great job, Barbara!
I don’t have a heavy duty stand mixer, so I’d be kneading by hand. Do you know how long the dough should be kneaded? Is it the same 2 minutes as the mixer would do? (I know nothing about bread making, so this may be a dumb question.)
Not a dumb question! You probably want to hand knead it for 4-5 minutes.
I don’t have a stand mixer and make everything by hand. I think it is actually best when you are learning because you learn more about how the dough looks and feels.
If I were making this, in Step 4 after I incorporated enough flour to make it hard to stir, I’d dump it out and start kneading – adding flour to your surface and dough surface no more than 1/4 cup at a time, and in between additions, knead until the dough is sticky and flour cleaned off the counter. STOP adding flour when the dough nearly cleans your hands. I learned from Mel that I probably over-floured for many years 🙂 !!!
Anyway, at the point where the dough is cleaning your hands, continue kneading until it is smooth and elastic. If you get tired but think it needs more just cover and let it rest and then knead a little more before going to step 6.
I totally agree with you, Liz, about making bread by hand to really familiarize yourself with the texture and feel of it. Thanks for your input!
Thank you, mel and liz! I appreciate your suggestions. I am diving into bread baking!
Mel, we tried your Broccoli Cheese Soup (the one with Swiss cheese) last night and loved it!
Oh, yum, I LOVE that soup!
If I wanted to do half all purpose flour and half white whole wheat would I need to make any other changes to the recipe?
Nope, just keep an eye on the flour level so the dough doesn’t get too stiff (whole wheat flour absorbs more liquid than white flour).
I’ve made it twice now and it turned out perfect both times. My kids “showed off” at lunch with their sandwiches I hear, and are so disappointed when I haven’t made home made bread. Oh boy, I need to limit their homemade white bread eating now! You’ve got them hooked! 🙂
Haha, love this!
This is very similar to the “recipe” I use (really it’s just a guideline). Only I’ll sub in bacon fat if I have it. It adds just a bit of flavor and makes for a crispier crust. When it’s done just right the crust will “talk” to you as its cooling. You can hear the crackling. It’s so good! It also lends itself well to making crusty rolls. Just for fun we’d take some of the dough and make “crazy buns”, rolling out long ropes, twisting them up and placing them in greased muffin tins. Makes for lots of great crevasses for butter and jam.
Beautiful loaves, Mel!
re freezing. I bake for 1. I do have freezer space but I mostly bake a loaf at a time and I slice (when completely cool) and then freeze slices. I use parchment paper to separate/wrap and then into a zip bag. I do this with artisanal crusty breads as well as with the Quinoa-whole wheat. To thaw, a brief time on the counter and maybe a light toasting works for sandwiches, otherwise normal toast with the “frozen” setting. This works well for me and my rate of consumption vs a family which would go through a loaf in a sitting 🙂
Hi Mel, similar to my recipe and yes there is something special about plain white homemade bread. A suggestion or two for bags if people don’t want so many. My sister lives close to a Dillon’s (Kroger) store and they still sell gallon plastic bags that are not zippered. She bought me some and they are nice, so it might be worth checking other stores also. I just sweet talked the bakery manager into selling me a couple dozen or their bread bags, which do when I checked come a thousand at a time. Depending on the store, this might also work for others who aren’t sure yet how many bags they will want. Also, I have occasionally cut loaves of bread in half before bagging them to give away or freeze. This is especially handy for folks who live alone and might not use a full loaf.
Great tips!
I’ve been making your quinoa bread, I just made this bread and it is delicious! Thank you so much for sharing all your recipes.
Happy you loved it!
My husbands jaw is going to drop when he sees white bread. I only make wheat bread and he enjoys it, but I know his heart belongs to white. Also, do you know why the ingredients list does not show up in reader view?
Hi Kayla – that’s strange. Are you on an iPad or other tablet?
I am on an iPhone. I use it frequently while making your recipes and this is the first one I have noticed. It has everything before and after the ingredients, but the list of ingredients and amounts is missing.
That is really strange, Kayla. I just checked on my iPhone and my husband’s and I can see the ingredients. Try clearing the browser cache/history on your phone; hopefully that will do the trick!
Yum! My recipe is very similar. I don’t make it too often as is, but I sometimes make it, roll out each loaf, cover with cinnamon sugar, and then roll it into a loaf, let rise and bake. It makes great cinnamon bread, and feels a little healthier than cinnamon rolls (like it can actually be breakfast), but still a treat!
Yum!
You work so hard for all of us! Thank you! I too make whole wheat bread but I love a good white bread too. This bread looks delicious. I wish my loaves looked as good as yours. You are the best.
Thanks, Susanne. 🙂
This bread looks amazing!
Thank you so much for the menu plan and grocery list you sent in the email newsletter! Grocery shopping was a cinch, and I know what to say when my kids ask, “What’s for dinner?” You’re the best!!!
Thanks, Kristi! So happy the menu plan was helpful!
How do you make such perfect slices of bread-I am a true fan of your blog-you & the blog are awesome-I can’t figure out how to make the slices evenly & look like yours.
Thanks for all the time you put into posting the recipes. I read your food blog regularly & refer to it often.
Maybe part practice, but I think a lot of it has to do with this super inexpensive but amazing bread knife I got a year or so ago. The long blade design makes for even, neat slices. (I just updated the post with the info – I meant to and forgot so thanks for reminding me!).
https://www.amazon.com/Rada-Cutlery-Aluminum-Handle-10-Inch/dp/B000H24H1O/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1487653128&sr=8-1&keywords=rada+bread+knife
Mel, I love your blog. I am reading your recipe for white bread. How much should each loaf weigh if using the size of bread pan you use?
Thank you,
Janalee Bernardo
It will depend on the exact flour amount but these are a thick loaves – usually weighing about 32-34 ounces each.
Thank you
Bread is my favorite thing to bake (cookies run a close second). I too try and make bread with whole wheat or multi grains …however there are times when NOTHING but a delicious loaf of white bread will do. I’ll definitely be trying your Mom’s recipe-thanks so much for sharing it. And I’m still working on making your Whole Wheat Quinoa Bread too. Good grief-there are SOOO many delicious bread recipes I want to try…I have to use restraint. We’re empty nesters, my freezer will only hold so many 4 slice packets of different breads and if I DID make all the recipes I’m dying to try and ate them? I think my scale would explode. SO not fair. 😉
Haha, I know what you mean! How will I ever try all the bread recipes I want to? 🙂
A good homemade sandwich bread recipe is hard to come by! We’ll definitely be trying this out soon!
Paige
http://thehappyflammily.com
This bread looks amazing Mel!! I have been looking for a good white sandwich bread recipe and thanks for posting this 🙂
This looks very similar to the bread recipe my dad made all the time when I was growing up. He would make it by hand (great for taking out frustration!!) in big batches, 8 loaves at a time. As I got older, he made more and more wheat bread, but white bread is always special, and a reminder of childhood. I was a bread snob too ;). Thank you for the recipe. This is the site I always check first when I need a no-fail recipe for pretty much anything!
Wow, 8 loaves at a time by hand? That’s amazing! Isn’t that funny how something like a loaf of {white} sandwich bread can be so nostalgic? That’s the same for me.
Mel, can this be made gluten free also?
Great question, Donna, but I’m not sure. You might be better off looking for a bread recipe that’s been developed to be gluten-free, like this one on my friend Nicole’s gluten-free site: https://glutenfreeonashoestring.com/quick-sandwich-bread/
We don’t eat a lot of bread anymore… When we do, we want white, fluffy, no nutritional value bread such as that which was on every grocery shelf growing up and into our adult lives.. Yup… We are in our 70’s and try our best to find the kind of bread we used to crush into a little bread balls and throw at our siblings when mom had her back turned.. Every time we choose a loaf in our various markets, we love the first few slices and then, suddenly, the rest turns hard…grrrrrr… I’m not much of a baker but, I will try to make this..
Wish it was for a single loaf as we won’t get through a loaf of any bread in a week…
You can freeze it
Hi Ross, your comment made me giggle as I remember doing the same thing with the old-fashioned Wonder bread my mom would sometimes buy. You can freeze these loaves and they are great once thawed out of the freezer.
Thank you Mel and Barb about freezing.. We do freeze bread but, we have an apartment sized fridge and it gets crammed…1st world problems.. ;o)
Wonder bread rocked but, it has changed along with lots of things.. :O)
Looks great! And those bags look good, too! I’ve just been (re)using produce bags and they don’t fit as well.
This looks similar to my mom’s recipe, which is also delicious, but it gets a bit crumbly so it’s not the best sandwich bread. Does this crumble much?
Also, I’m wanting some new kitchen scissors, and i think you’ve posted before your favorite kitchen tools – is that right? Could you give me a recommendation for kitchen scissors? And I’m actually wondering if my current ones were sharpened, they’d be just fine. Maybe I should invest in a sharpener instead?
Thank you for all your hard work and passion for cooking and sharing with the world! I’ve turned to your website almost daily for years. Love your style – not too impractical or fancy! Just my style! Thanks so much!!
Hey Abby – I’ve never tried sharpening my kitchen scissors, but that’s probably a good idea! These are the kitchen scissors I have:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0050U240O/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Also, I forgot to answer but no, this bread isn’t crumbly. It actually stays really soft as long as it isn’t overfloured.
Thank you Mel!! I’ll be trying it out this weekend!!
You are a great Lady chef. I am lucky and happy to follow your recepies.
Could I mix this dough under the “dough” setting of my bread machine? Yes, I am that lazy.
Haha, not lazy, just practical! I get it. I don’t have a bread machine, so I can’t say for sure…but as long as the quantities fit (without overflowing), it should work fine. 🙂
I was similar as a kid, white bread was a treat. I love whole wheat bread now though. However, my kids love white bread so I’ll have to try this recipe for a “treat” for them. Thanks Mel!
Sounds like us! This is definitely a treat…for my kids AND me!