Delicious White Sandwich Bread Made Easy
This easy recipe for white sandwich bread yields a soft, buttery loaf perfect for sandwiches or toast.
Equipment
- stand mixer
- large bowl
- loaf pan
- cooling rack
Ingredients
- 1 cup warm water about 110°F / 43°C
- ¼ cup warm whole milk about 110°F / 43°C
- 2 and ¼ teaspoons instant yeast such as Platinum Yeast from Red Star
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
- 1 and ½ teaspoons salt
- 3 and ⅓ cups all-purpose or bread flour plus more as needed
Instructions
- Combine warm water, warm milk, yeast, and sugar in a stand mixer bowl and let sit covered for 5 minutes.
- Add softened butter, salt, and 1 cup of flour, mixing on low speed for 30 seconds, then add another cup of flour and mix on medium speed until combined.
- Add the remaining flour and mix on medium speed until the dough pulls away from the bowl, about 2 minutes.
- Knead the dough in the mixer for 5-8 minutes or by hand until slightly tacky and soft.
- Grease a large bowl, place the dough inside, cover, and let rise in a warm place for 1-2 hours until doubled in size.
- Punch down the dough, roll it out into an 8x15-inch rectangle, roll tightly into an 8-inch log, and place in a greased loaf pan.
- Cover the loaf and let it rise until about 1 inch above the pan, about 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and adjust the rack to the lower position.
- Bake for 32-36 minutes until golden brown, tenting with foil if browning too quickly.
- Let the bread cool in the pan for a few minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
Notes
To freeze, prepare the dough through step 6, cover tightly, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw and let rise for 4-5 hours before baking. For overnight preparation, refrigerate the shaped loaf for up to 15 hours, then allow to rise at room temperature for 1-2 hours before baking.