The Best White Sandwich Bread

This classic white sandwich bread is soft, fluffy, easy to make, and tastes AMAZING warm from the oven. It truly is the best white sandwich bread!

There is not much better than the taste of homemade bread warm from the oven. I love making bread, but in recent years I haven’t taken the time to make it nearly as often as I used to. When I do make homemade bread, this is the recipe I find myself turning to again and again. I actually can’t believe I haven’t shared it with you yet, but I’m correcting that oversight now. 😉

This recipe is for basic white sandwich bread. No funny ingredients or strange shaping methods, just a simple classic loaf of bread that turns out perfectly every time. The bread rises beautifully, is perfectly soft, easy to slice, and tastes amazing – no wonder I can’t stop making it!

The kids love to help make this bread. They all take turns dumping ingredients into the bowl, turning on the mixer, and of course the best part – punching down the dough!  And once the bread starts baking they beg me to turn the light on in the oven so they can keep tabs on the progress! 

I love that this recipe makes 3 loaves instead of the traditional 2 that most bread recipes make. We usually slice one loaf up as soon as it’s cool enough to handle and eat it while it’s still warm. (Note: this is not recommended – for the best texture you should always let bread cool before slicing. But we just can’t resist eating it while it’s still warm from the oven!) We slice and freeze the other two loaves once they’re cool so that there is fresh bread ready to be defrosted for dinner or toasted for breakfast. 

This bread freezes beautifully, is sturdy enough for sandwiches, is simple to make, and best of all, it’s delicious! If you like homemade bread I hope you try this recipe for white sandwich bread – you are sure to love it!

*Note: Looking for more homemade bread options? Try one of these recipes: soft dinner rolls, homemade parker house rolls, oatmeal sandwich bread, or honey whole wheat bread!

Yield: Makes 3 loaves

The Best White Sandwich Bread

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This classic white sandwich bread is soft, fluffy, easy to make, and tastes AMAZING warm from the oven. It truly is the best white sandwich bread!

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Additional Time 2 hours

Total Time 2 hours 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 4 and 1/2 teaspoons dry active yeast (two packets)
• 3/4 cup warm water
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature and cut into pieces
• 2 and 2/3 cup additional warm water
• 9-10 cups all-purpose flour
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted, for brushing the tops of the loaves

Instructions

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water with a teaspoon of the sugar.
2. When the yeast is bubbled and foamy, mix in the rest of the sugar, the salt, the butter, and the warm water. 
3. Slowly mix in 5 cups of flour, mixing on low speed until smooth.
4. Gradually add remaining flour, adding just enough to make a smooth and slightly sticky dough.
5. Knead on low speed for 10 minutes. 
6. Lightly grease a large bowl with cooking spray. Place dough in the greased bowl and turn to coat with spray. Cover and let rise in a warm place for one hour.
7. Preheat oven to 425. When the dough has risen, punch it down and divide into three equal sized pieces. Roll each piece into a rectangle on a lightly floured surface. Roll each rectangle up into a cylinder, and place each seam-side down in a lightly-greased bread pan (I used 9 inch bread pans). 
8. Cover and let rise in a warm place for one hour.
9. When the loaves have risen, place them in the preheated oven and bake 15 minutes. 
10. Cover the tops of the loaves with foil to prevent excessive browning, and bake another fifteen minutes, or until bread is done.
11. Remove from oven and brush with melted butter. Let cool before slicing. 

from The Baker Upstairs