Easy Homemade White Sandwich Bread Recipe

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Without any fancy equipment!

This easy homemade white sandwich bread recipe is excellent for beginners and first time bread makers. Not only is this recipe easy to recreate, its also achievable without the use of expensive tools and equipment. And to add, the bread this recipe yields is absolutely delicious. With its soft buttery notes, chewy insides and beautiful golden crust, it’s sure to be a fan favorite and a new staple in your household!

Ahh yes, bread. One of life’s simple pleasures. Nothing compares to a slice of warm bread fresh from the oven with a little butter, raw honey or homemade jam on top. This homemade white sandwich bread is sure to hit the spot.

While store-bought bread is readily available and easy to come by, there truly is something to be said about the fresh, homemade kind. Once you try that first slice it’s hard to go back to the pre-packaged loaf you were using before.

what is white sandwich bread?

Sandwich bread (sometimes called sandwich loaf) is bread that is specifically prepared to be used for the making sandwiches.
A typical sandwich loaf is a bit easier to slice than regular bread. It may also have a fine crumb (the soft, inner part of bread) and fluffy texture.

But does it have to be white bread? Nope! Sandwich breads come in many varieties, including white, rye, wheat, multigrain and sourdough.

The reason I chose to share this recipe for homemade white sandwich bread rather than a whole wheat, sourdough, rye, etc is because it’s a great place to start for beginners who may be a little nervous about trying to make that first loaf. Everyone is familiar with classic white bread and has a general idea of the flavor to be expected with it.
Another reason I chose this recipe is because it’s so delicious and versatile! Whether you want to use it for making sandwiches for your next lunch, French toast for the morning, or some grilled cheese for dinner, this loaf covers all the bases.

Okay, now that we know the basics, let’s get started!

Here’s a list of the equipment I used

1-2 Quart saucepan

This will be used for heating up our milk and water.

Candy Thermometer

We will be using this for checking the temp of our liquids when we activate the yeast. This is important because if the temperature of the liquids gets too high it could potentially kill the bacteria in the yeast, causing the dough to not rise properly. If you don’t have a candy thermometer a digital meat thermometer will work as well.

LARGE MIXING BOWL

Keep in mind that your dough is going to roughly double in size during its rising process. So take that into consideration when choosing your mixing bowl. I prefer to use a glass or ceramic bowl for this but again, it’s your choice!

Clean Kitchen towel/aluminum foil, or plastic wrap

This will be used to cover the yeast while allowing it to activate. Also for covering up your dough during the rising process.

Whisk

I don’t use anything special or fancy for this tool. Just a plain ol whisk will get the job done beautifully.

Wooden Spatula

I use this for scraping down the sides of the bowl while I’m mixing and preparing the dough. I prefer using wood rather than plastic in the kitchen for the same reason I prefer glass. Because It is safer and healthier. But, plastic or stainless steel will work fine as well.

Measuring Cups & Measuring Spoons

For accurately measuring your ingredients

Rolling Pin

We’ll be using this to roll out and shape your dough. Confession: I’ve been cooking from scratch for years and I just bought my first rolling pin back in December. Wine bottles for the win!

Hands

The most underrated, all-in-one kitchen tool. They are free, don’t take up extra space on your counter, last a lifetime, and require little maintenance (other than a little washing and hand lotion here and there.)
We will be using our hands for kneading the dough. It is absolutely okay to use a stand mixer for this part if you have one, I myself do not. And do prefer using my hands as much as I can in the kitchen. It just gives me more of an old-fashioned, hands-on feel. But the arm workout if not for everyone, so break out that mixer if you’d like!

9×5 Loaf Pan

I have found that a 9×5 bread pan works the best for this recipe because the loaf gets super tall and needs all the room it can get to work its magic.

While stainless steel, nonstick, or aluminum bread pans are all fine options, I tend to stick to my trusty glass bread pans. But that is just my personal preference, it’s totally up to you and what your personal preferences are. If something is working for you than stick to that! No need to change it.

One of the reasons I like glass is because I can see through it and keep an eye on the bread as Its baking. When I was first learning how to make bread I used aluminum pans and time after time my loaves looked beautifully golden brown on top yet the centers would still be doughy. Yuck. And also disappointing. Sure, that could have been happening for a handful of others reasons but I immediately blamed the darn pans. So I made the switch to glass and my loaves have been perfect ever since.
The other reasons I prefer to use glass is because it does not rust. And finally glass is a healthier and safer option. It’s free from potentially toxic metals, BPA and other harmful chemicals. Okay, end of my bread pan rant.

bread knife

What makes a bread knife different than a regular kitchen knife is that it’s straight edge easily cuts through hard crusts. While the serrated center section grips and smoothly slices to easily cut your loaf into slices without crushing and damaging it. You will want to be sure your bread knife is nice and sharp to be able to achieve this.
Don’t have a bread knife? No need to fret, I’ve used standard kitchen knives in a pinch with no issues. But once you hop on the bread-making wagon be sure to invest in a proper bread knife. I purchased mine second-hand at an antique store for just $1. Score!

Okay, now that we gathered up all of our equipment, its time to fetch our ingredients.

• 3/4 cup water warmed to about 110 degrees F
• 2/3 cup whole milk warmed to about 110 degrees F
• 2 ^1/4 teaspoon dry instant yeast (if using individual yeast packets use 1 packet)
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 5 tablespoons butter at room temperature
• 1 ^1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 ^1/4 cups all purpose-flour ( if using bread flour, use the same measurements )
• Roughly 1 tablespoon coconut oil, olive oil or cooking spray for greasing bread pan and mixing bowl

And finally, the process..

Before we get started, I created a step-by-step picture guide for the more visual learners, like myself, out there. Or for the folks that might want to see what my dough looked like through the entire process. You can find that here

Step 1: In your mixing bowl (or in your stand mixer) add the 2 Tablespoons sugar, and 2 _^1/4 teaspoons (or 1 packet) of dry activated yeast.

Step 2: Warm the 2/3 Cup milk and 3/4 Cup water in the saucepan until it reaches about 110 degrees Fahrenheit. Next, pour your warmed liquids into your bowl with your sugar and yeast. Mix with your whisk or with your stand mixer until the yeast and sugar is dissolved. Cover the mixture with your clean kitchen towel, plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Allow to sit for 5 minutes while the yeast is activating.

Many bread recipes that I’ve tried in the past have said that after the five minutes your yeast should be very bubby. And if it isn’t bubbly than the yeast is no longer active and the bacteria is dead. As you can see by my picture, my yeast is not at all bubbly. In all the times that I have made bread my yeast has actually never turned bubbly. Yet my bread still rises the way it should and tastes amazing. So, as long as your yeast is used within date, and has been stored and prepared properly it should work as intended even if it doesn’t bubble up.

Step 3: After the five minutes are up you can mix in the 1^1/2 teaspoons of salt, the 5 Tablespoons of butter and 1 Cup of flour. Using your whisk or dough hook on your stand mixer set on low, mix together the ingredients just until combined.

Step 4: Once combined, you can add the remaining 2^1/4 Cups of flour. For this step mix together using your wooden spatula. The whisk tends to get gummed up during this process as the dough is starting to form and doesn’t work.

Step 5: Now it’s time to knead the dough. Lightly dust your clean counter top with some flour to avoid sticking and rub a little bit together in your hands. Put your dough on the counter and knead for 2 minutes, pushing it down and then outward, only using the heels of your hands. Then, fold the dough in half and press down. Again using the heels of your hands to push down and outward, lengthening and stretching the strands of gluten and fibers and your dough.

Step 6: After the two minutes are up, you can grease a bowl with oil and set your ball of dough in there to begin its rising process. Cover with a clean kitchen towel, plastic wrap or aluminum foil and allow to set for an hour or two. Mine usually rises in about an hour and a half.

Bread tends to rise fastest when placed in a warm environment. Rise times may need to be adjusted during warmer months or in warmer climates. When rising, I like to place my bowl either on a heating pad or in the oven with the light turned on. Another great place is on top of your refrigerator, it tends to be fairly warm up there.

Step 7: Next, prepare a loaf pan by evenly spreading some oil on the insides and set it aside for later. Using your hands, gently push down and squish your dough into the bowl, this allows any excess air it created during the rising process to escape.

Step 8: Again, sprinkle some flour onto your counter and onto a rolling pin. Remove your dough from the bowl and place it onto the counter to begin rolling it out. Roll dough into a rectangle shape approximately 12 inches long and 9 inches wide. Once complete, begin rolling up the rectangle, starting on the short end. You want it to be a very tight cylinder. Pinch to seal the seams and the ends, and tuck the ends of the roll until the bread. After that, place your roll into the greased loaf pan. Cover again and allow to rise for another hour in a warm environment.

A foolproof way of telling when your dough is done rising is to lightly press two fingertips about one-half inch into the dough, if an indention remains when fingertips are removed your dough is ready to go.

Step 9: Place your oven rack on its lowest placement and preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. The reason we want the rack on the bottom of the oven is so our bread cooks evenly without burning on top. Set your oven timer for 30 minutes to start. Mine is usually cooked to perfection at 35 minutes, but it could take up to 40 depending on each individual oven, so time yours accordingly.

This sounds silly but this is the best way that I’ve been able to tell if my loaves are done baking. Take the bread out of the oven and knock on it a few times. If it sounds hollow it is usually done. But a surefire way to tell is to take the internal temp with a meat thermometer, it should read 195 degrees F.

Step 10: Allow to cool for 10 minutes, then remove from the pan and let it finish cooling on a cooling rack before slicing. Personally I like to leave it as a full loaf and only cut into it as I’m using it rather than slicing it all at once. This way it stays soft and chewy and won’t dry out as fast.

How to store your Homemade white sandwich bread and how to keep it fresh

As with most things homemade, your homemade white sandwich bread will not last as long as bread from the store. This is due to the lack of preservatives. But that’s why we’re choosing to make our own food, right? No preservatives, added colors or other yucky and harmful additives. Even if it means our homemade goods might not last quite as long as we are used to.

The purpose of properly storing your homemade bread is to prevent exposing it to extreme dryness or moisture. Properly storing your bread ensures it stays at just the right level of moisture for optimal taste and texture. While there are several different ways of doing so, it all comes down to the type of bread, and how long you intent to store your bread for. After all, you want to make sure you get to enjoy your freshly made loaf before it spoils.

Since this recipe is focusing on homemade white sandwich bread, we will be following those guidelines when we discuss proper storage.

First, it is important to keep your homemade white sandwich bread in a well-ventilated container. What you don’t want to do is leave your bread out on the counter exposed to the dry air. We all know what happens when we leave a slice of bread on the counter for too long. While this method is great for preparing bread for homemade stuffing, it’s not ideal if you were hoping to enjoy a fresh slice the next day. However, if the outer edges of your bread have become dry and stiff, the bread inside is typically just fine. Simply slice off the hardened outer portions with a bread knife and you’re golden. 

Now, lets get into some storage methods.

Storing Your Homemade White Sandwich bread in plastic

Wrapping your homemade white sandwich bread in plastic can be a great way to store it.

When bread is double-wrapped in plastic and then stored in a cool, dry place, it can help to extend its life. This is especially helpful if you live in a drier climate or in the cooler winter months, when bread can dry out quickly. However, due to plastic being a non-breathable material, if even a drop of moisture finds it’s way into your bread or is present on your plastic it could potentially incubate, causing your bread to become mushy or even moldy.

Storing homemade bread this way can give it a fresh-life of about 6-8 days. But do be mindful of moisture content and watch for mold.

storing your bread in a bread box

Bread boxes are a very ideal way to store your homemade bread. Some older houses may even come equipped with built in bread drawers. Ugh, what I wouldn’t give to go back to these days! They give your bread the ability to breathe without exposing it to so much air that your bread dries out, while also keeping your homemade bread covered and safe from exposure to moisture or bugs.

If you don’t have access to a bread drawer in your home, a bread box would work just as well. Luckily there are a variety of different models to choose from. These boxes are normally made from wood, but can also be found in ceramic or metal. The best part is they are small enough to sit right on your counter or on top of your refrigerator.

Another option for storing your bread in a similar fashion is to wrap it in a clean kitchen towel and then wrap that up into a paper bag. Just note that this method may not have the same effect for moisture and bug control.

Storing your homemade bread in a bread box is also a more green and eco-friendly way of storage and preservation since it requires no use of disposable plastic or paper products.

This method of storage keeps your homemade bread fresh for 3-4 days.

Freezing your homemade white sandwich bread for longer storeage time

Another option for storing your homemade bread is to freeze it. This method is great for keeping your homemade bread fresh for longer periods of time. Homemade bread can be stored in the freezer for up to 2 months. However, It is possible to store bread in the freezer for up to 6 months, but you may lose that yummy, fresh flavor if stored for too long.

To store your homemade bread in the freezer you must first wait for your bread to cool completely, once its ready wrap the dry bread thoroughly in plastic wrap. Be sure there is no moisture or condensation. A tip for freezing bread is to cut it into slices prior to storing. Doing so will save you time in the long run. Sliced bread thaws quicker, and you can be easily placed into the toaster for quick warming.

the worst way to store your homemade white sandwich bread

Sliced or unsliced, the worst way to store your fresh homemade white sandwich bread would be to stick it in the fridge. Storing homemade bread in the fridge will cause it to dry it.

what to do with dry or stale bread

Just because your homemade white sandwich bread may be past its best days for enjoying as toast or a PB & J doesn’t mean you have to toss out the leftovers! While you could always give the rest of your loaf to your chickens or as a treat to your goats, there are a few things you can do to enable you to enjoy every slice.

Homemade croutons for fresh spring salad or homemade stuffing are both easy to make and great choices for that bread that’s a little past its prime. Of course, if your homemade white sandwich bread is pushing the 1-2 week mark, do always check for mold before repurposing into another dish. If you do find mold on your homemade white sandwich bread it’s best to just throw it away.

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King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

Fleischmann’s Active Dry Yeast

Pink Himalayan Sea Salt

Pure Cane Sugar

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