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.
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
This bread is gorgeous! Fluffy on the inside & has a chewy moreish crust! The smell when its cooking is to die for♡
This recipe is a no fail delicious bread, I will definitely make it again and again!
Thank you for such a fabulous recipe, I love it!
I absolutely love the taste of this bread however every time I make it it is really really sticky! I have added up to a full cup of flour more than the recipe calls for and it is still sticky. Do you have any suggestions? Could the temperature of the water affect that or how long I knead it for?
Hi Brooke. Mel is out of town, but I will make sure she responds to this when she gets back. She is the bread expert for sure :). In the meantime if you want to make it again, just keep adding flour until it isn’t sticky. Even if it quite a bit more than the recipe calls for. Flour is so variable based on how people measure, humidity, elevation, etc.
Hi Brooke, do you live at high altitude or toward sea level? So many factors contribute to the exact amount of flour used, but it’s ok if you need to add more flour. If you’ve been using really warm water, try using lukewarm water and see if that helps.
This is my situation too. I recently started to bake bread again after a many years break. I have followed a number of recipes and I have found the same thing. I add the flour suggested in the recipe and then a bit more and the description of what the dough should be like, is not even close. I live in Seattle so very low elevation and pretty high humidity, so that is probably the reason.
But I have had a very interesting outcome. I decided to dump the dough, more like thick batter, into the oiled bowl and let rise. I don’t hand knead it, I let the dough hook do it. Them when I form the loaves I use extra flour on the counter and my hands and I handle it gingerly. And even though it isn’t at all a stiff dough, it turns out very well! Today I had planned to just keep adding flour until it wasn’t sticky, but I ran out of flour after about 7.5 cups! So I went with it. Luckily it worked.
I have used this recipe over and over again. It is perfect every time!
I’ve been making this bread 2-3 times a week! It’s hands down the BEST! I haven’t bought bread since making this the first time. Thank you so much for sharing!!!!
Amazing bread. I make about 4 loaves a week. My family just loves this bread. I will no longer buy bread from a store again.
Hi Mel! So many of your other recipes have turned out great for me, but I think I need a little advice on this one. When I sliced the first piece of this bread it looked and smelled great, and the only thing I noted was that it might need a little more rising and baking time next time. The end pieces tasted great but by the time I got to the third piece in, the bread smelled and tasted strongly of yeast.
Any idea why the yeast would be so strong? And any suggestions on what I can do with the yeasty tasting bread?
Excited to try it again!
Hi Elise, what type/brand of yeast did you use? You can try cutting the yeast down (even by half), just keeping in mind the rising times will be longer and the bread might not be quite as light and fluffy.
40+ yr baking vet. If you put the initial 3 c of flour in the bowl, make a crater in the flour then add your liquids in the hole along w you yeast and let the yeast bubble in the hole for 10 min, take a spoon and mix the liquids w tge yeadt to mske sure there are no yeast nuggets THEN. Start the mixer, thst should help evenly distribute the yeast throughout the dough. I had that happen to me on my first breads too.
Try that and see if it helps. It helped me. 🙂
I really want to make this bread sounds delicious , but only have 9×5 baking pans , would I make 2 two loaves instead of three for this recipe, also have a kitchen aide stand mixer 600 series would I still kneed this on level 2
I’ve never made this in a Kitchen Aid so you’ll need to experiment with speeds. I think you could use 9X5-inch pans for this recipe just fine (it makes very large loaves).
Yes on the Kitchen Aide and yes on 9 x 5 pan….rises an inch and a half over bread pan….just more to LOVE
did you make the bread in the 9×5 pans? That’s what I have as well and I don’t want to try it if the bread doesn’t work in that size pan..
thanks
I was always afraid to try yeast bread. I finally tried your French bread recipe (in my KA) and it was amazing! Just made the white bread recipe and it was perfect! So yummy! I love knowing exactly what is in there! Thank you for giving my the confidence to just do it!
Way to go, Dawn! So proud of you!
Hello,
I recently came across one of your receips on Pinterest which led me to reading your bread recipes on your website needless to say I am in love with so many of them! I received a bread machine for Christmas this past year and I’m wondering if you recipes can be utilized inbread machines?
Nicole
Hi Nicole – that’s a great question, but unfortunately I’m not 100% positive since I’ve never used a bread machine. If the quantities in the recipes match up with the quantities of a typical bread machine recipe for your size of machine, they might stand a good of working.
Can you give me an idea of the weight of the finished batch, or each loaf? Thanks! I’d like to try some modifications, and that info would really help!
My loaves usually end up about 30-31 ounces each.
I would like to try this recipe and if you don’t mind me asking will you taste the sugar or it is mild. I made an Amish bread which was quite sweet so looking to make a bread that is not as sweet. Thank you.
It’s fairly sweet in my opinion. Not Kings Hawaiian Sweet, but sweeter than your average sandwich white bread I would say.
This bread does not have an overly sweet flavor.
Excellent bread recipe, easy to follow .I have made the one pot,no knead bread recipe by Mark Bittman, also great. Your recipe is now my favorite!
Thank you . Sharon from Ottawa ,Ontario,Canada
Thanks, Sharon!
I’ve made this many times. It’s foolproof (for me, so far) and versatile, and I’ve used the dough to make cinnamon rolls and pizza crust that have been quite tasty. It’s a popular item whenever I make it. Thanks for the recipe and great directions.
Best white bread recipe I’ve made so far! 🙂
Hi Mel, I am excited to try this recipe. Could you tell me if I would use the same amount of dry active yeast or if I need to convert and if so how much?
Yes, you can use the same amount – just proof it in a few tablespoons of warm water first until it is bubbly and foaming.
Thanks so much! I made it and my husband went nuts! It is so good!! I made French toast and later grilled cheese with it and it was amazing!!
love your recipe for white sandwich bread but my dough does not get to cohesive ball that clear the bottom and sides of bowl. Dough sticks to everything. Help, could it be that I’m not kneading enough?
Sounds like you need to try adding more flour until it does form a ball and isn’t over sticky. Keep adding flour gradually and it should come together!
I’m new to making homemade bread but I’m annoyed that I can’t find one that is sturdy. It doesn’t have to be as sturdy as store bought but I find I typically have to cut slices twice as big so they don’t fall apart and sometimes they still do. Do you find that this recipe is able to cut in thin slices? Or do you have any tips on something I may be doing wrong?
Hey Katie – try not to let the bread rise too long in the pans before baking. That can create an airy, fall-apart texture. I find this bread is super sturdy! Easy to cut into slices.
I just tried this and have made it twice in the last three days it’s such a hit! I only have one loaf pan, so I take the second loaf and split it into 15 rolls in a 9×13 and bake at the same time for five minutes fewer.
My kids and husband declared we no longer need to buy store bread or King’s Hawaiian rolls, because these are better. WOO HOO!
Awesome idea to transition part of this into rolls!
Spectacular taste and texture!
My 9 year old has been asking “can we ever just have white bread?!” I’m taking a parenting class encouraging me to connect individually with each of my children. So I’ve got this one in the oven now so I can deliver a sandwich on white bread for him to eat during play practice break. He’ll thank you!
On all your breads you instruct to move the dough to a bowl to rise. Any reason it can’t just rise in the Bosch?
Thanks!
You are a good momma, Natalie! I love this so much! And as for rising, you can leave it in the Bosch if there’s room for it to rise. but I find the dough is less sticky if I let it rise in a greased bowl. And also, it’s just habit for me to do that. 🙂
He exclaimed “it’s just like Subway!” All four boys went crazy over the white bread! Sandwiches, plain, spread with Nutella…. it was gone in 24 hours. Both loaves. A couple made it to sandwiches in the freezer (my school morning life saver!) Thank you!
Haha. 🙂
This bread turned out amazing!!! I have tried tons of bread recipes, this one is the best, by far. I make bread a few times a month for school lunches and my husband’s lunch, I hadn’t found a recipe to stick with. I think this is the one!!! I’m thrilled!! Thank you!!
Do you use bread flour or regular flour?
I use unbleached all-purpose flour.
We made the recipe and it’s good, but the crust was not as…crusty as expected. We did leave it in the pans for too long, so we’ll try it again.
Your website is very annoying. It’s obvious you’re trying to make money from your blog, as there are ads all over this page (14 ads, in total!). Also, put a link at the top that lets you skip to the recipe.
Thanks.
This is a really rude, entitled comment. If you don’t like the website, stop visiting. Seems simple enough to me.
Umm,, rude. And good for her for making $ at what she has a passion for. If you don’t like it, go elsewhere. Also, white bread is not….crusty….but you sure are.
This is my first time baking bread and I’m so pleased! This is a fantastic recipe and bonus points for it being so easy!
I know you use a different mixer but maybe you know the answer. I use a kitchen aid stand mixer on level 2 and it takes a long time to incorporate all the flour into the dough without me scraping the sides. Am I supposed to scrape or just let is slowly mix in? I think my mixer started to burn out (smelled a bit funny) by the time I was done kneading.
I don’t use my KitchenAid very often to make bread, but when I do, scraping down the sides really helps and helps the dough come together faster (but again, I’m definitely not an expert with making bread in the KA!)
5 stars! I forgot to rate it on my last comment.
I just made this recipe. I am a novice bread Baker and this turned out FANTASTIC! So soft on the inside. If I can do this anyone can. I am wanting to attempt making bread for my family to be confident of the ingredients. This will be my go-to recipe for our bread! Love it! In your spare time would you update the recipe with the weights you use? Thank you for sharing this gem of a recipe.
I second the request for weight measurements! These loaves came out amazing last night – thank you!!
Hi Elizabeth and Corrinne – I hardly ever give exact weight measures for the flour in bread recipes because it can differ (sometimes pretty widely) based on so many factors. Even with this recipe, I find that sometimes I have to add a bit more or a bit less depending on the day. However, if it helps, I always use about 5 ounces of flour per cup. So the range for this recipe would be somewhere between 32.5 and 37.5 ounces. 🙂
Hi Mel – I am a cooking teacher with only 1 hour per day per period with my students. Can we make the dough, let I ride for one hour and then refrigerate it to finish the following day? Thank you!
Hi Becky – you should be able to do that, although I’d recommend putting it in the fridge before it rises and then taking it out in time to let it rise completely (so maybe that would mean taking it out before class starts??)
Made this yesterday (first time making bread!!) and it was DELICIOUS! My loaves were huge! How do I freeze it?!
I let it cool completely, slide each loaf into a bread bag, tie it closed and freeze it that way (press out as much air as possible from the bag without squishing the bread).
It truly is the best white sandwich bread recipe I’ve tried. The kids really enjoyed it. I recently got a new oven, hadn’t made homemade bread in 3 months and my blessed children(and the husband) were starting to turn on the store stuff. This one is a keeper.
Thank You
By far the best white bread recipe I have ever come by! So soft big and fluffy so easy to make as well. Thanks sooooo much ! ❤️
Thank for the easy and awesome recipe me and my husband made this bread and we are so pleased thank you. Love and blessings The Johnsons
The flavor is really great, especially for white bread. I live at high altitude, so my proof to oven shape on the loaf ended up a little wonky. Who cares? I’m gonna eat it, not put it in a museum. Definitely will be making again.
Just put my first rise in the oven (proof oven). Can’t wait to see how they bake up. I love finding recipes, hoping this becomes my go to for white bread! I used my Kitchen Aide it worked great, I do however, have the 1.3 hp. It is the commercial one and can stand up to pasta dough without a flinch.
Hello Mel.
Just found your blog the other day and I’m having a blast trying your recipes.
I’d love to stop buying all store bought breads, however my schedule is a bit tricky. I’m wondering if there is a way to start the bread in the morning and finish it in late afternoon.
Can you put it in the refrigerator after making the dough and letting it rise a bit, then finish later?
Yes, you can definitely refrigerate the bread dough until you are ready to let it finish rising and form into loaves!
Never fails the recipe♥️Over and over again almost every week I’m baking it since last year when I discovered.
Thank you!
Hi Mel,
I scrolled through all the comments to see if anyone had asked about preparing the dough in a bread maker, but I didn’t see any comments related to this. I’m a distracted mother of three littles. I’d like to use the bread maker for the dough portion (including rise) then mold them in the bread pan. Have you tried doing this? If not, what would be your recommendation? I’ve done the recipe as written but my mixer struggles towards the end it just does not turn out. Any tips or suggestion would be so much appreciated. Thanks!
I don’t have a bread machine and haven’t ever used one, so unfortunately, I don’t dare give a recommendation. As long as the dough amount fits in your bread machine, you should be able to mix it that way, though. Good luck!
Can you double the white bread recipe?
Yes.
This bread is surprisingly simple to make (thanks for the step-by-step pictures!) and has the perfect texture and it slices so well! It makes our house smell wonderful for hours 🙂
This bread was fantastic! I put cinnamon, raisins and a bit of sugar in the middle and made cinnamon swirl bread. Yum! I also was short on time so I cut out the first rise. I just kneaded, shaped, placed in the pans, let rise, and baked. I’m sure it would benefit from 2 rises, but my bread turned out amazing anyway. It’s a wonderful and adaptable recipe!
Thank you for this recipe! It’s so simple and the bread came out super nice. It’s perfect. I don’t have a mixer or bread maker but doing it by hand wasn’t that big of a deal. I’ve already sliced some up for my lunches at work.
Mel, I have made French bread loaf a few times and it is so delicious I wanted to make it today but I can’t find your recipe on your website
Sorry about that! It’s offline for the next few hours while I update the recipe. Should be up again soon!