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.
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.