Soft White Sandwich Bread
A soft white loaf made with water, butter and a little sugar — a tender crumb, a thin golden crust, and clean slices for sandwiches and toast.
- Measurements grams + cups
- Cuisine American
Why You'll Like This Recipe
- Six ingredients, all of which are probably already in the cupboard.
- Slices cleanly without tearing, which is the whole point of a sandwich loaf.
- A good first yeast bread — the shaping is forgiving and it bakes in a standard loaf pan.
Recipe
Soft White Sandwich Bread
A soft white loaf that slices cleanly and toasts beautifully.
Ingredients
Ingredients scaled. The method below still refers to the original quantities.
Instructions
- Step 1. Mix the dough. Combine the 260 g warm water, 20 g sugar, and 5 g yeast.
- Step 2. Add the 400 g flour and 8 g salt. Mix until no dry flour remains.
- Step 3. Knead for about 6–8 minutes.
- Step 4. Add the 25 g softened butter and continue kneading for another 3–5 minutes, until the dough is smooth and stretchy.
- Step 5. Place in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let rise for 60–90 minutes, or until roughly doubled.
- Step 6. Lightly press the air from the dough. Shape it into a tight loaf.
- Step 7. Place into a greased 9 × 5 inch / 23 × 13 cm loaf pan.
- Step 8. Cover and let rise for about 45–75 minutes, until the dough rises about 2–3 cm / 1 inch above the rim of the pan.
- Step 9. Preheat the oven to 180°C / 350°F.
- Step 10. Bake for 30–35 minutes, until golden brown.
- Step 11. Remove from the pan and cool on a rack for at least 1 hour before slicing.
Notes
- For an extra-soft crust, brush the top with about 5 g / 1 tsp melted butter immediately after baking.
- The dough should still feel slightly tacky when you stop kneading. Adding flour until it feels dry is the most common reason a sandwich loaf bakes heavy.
- Judge the second rise by the dough, not the clock. It should crown 2 to 3 cm above the rim before it goes in — that is what gives the domed top.
Soft White Sandwich Bread — Simple Table Recipes · https://simpletablerecipes.com/recipes/soft-white-sandwich-bread/
Ingredient Notes
- Butter
- Added after the dough has already come together, not at the start. Fat added early coats the flour and slows gluten forming, which gives a denser loaf. Added late, it makes the crumb tender without costing structure.
- Sugar
- Twenty grams is not enough to taste sweet. It feeds the yeast and helps the crust brown — a loaf made without it rises more slowly and bakes paler.
- Warm water
- Comfortable on the inside of your wrist, around 40 C / 105 F. Above roughly 50 C / 120 F it starts killing yeast, and cold water simply makes everything slower.
Equipment
- 9 x 5 inch / 23 x 13 cm loaf pan
- Digital kitchen scale
Substitutions
- All-purpose flour
- Bread flour gives a slightly chewier loaf with a little more height. All-purpose gives the softer crumb most people want in a sandwich bread. Either works.
- Water
- Replacing the water with milk gives a softer, richer crumb and a slightly darker crust. Use the same weight.
- Instant yeast
- Active dry yeast works in the same quantity — dissolve it in the warm water with the sugar and wait 5 to 10 minutes for it to foam before adding the flour.
Storage & Freezing
Storing: Keep in a sealed bag at room temperature for up to 4 days. Refrigerating bread makes it go stale faster, not slower.
Freezing: Slice the cooled loaf before freezing and take out what you need. It toasts straight from frozen and keeps for up to 3 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is my sandwich bread dense?
Almost always too much flour worked in during kneading, or a rise cut short. The dough should stay slightly tacky, and the second rise needs to bring the dough 2 to 3 cm above the rim of the pan. A loaf that goes into the oven under-risen will not recover.
Can I use bread flour instead of all-purpose?
Yes, in the same quantity. Bread flour has more protein, so the loaf comes out slightly chewier and a little taller. All-purpose gives the softer crumb most people prefer for sandwiches.
Why do you have to cool bread before slicing it?
The crumb is still setting as the loaf cools. Cutting into it warm compresses the slices and leaves them gummy, and the loaf dries out faster afterwards. An hour is the minimum, and it is the hardest part of the recipe.
How do I get a soft crust on white bread?
Brush the top with about a teaspoon of melted butter as soon as it comes out of the oven, then let it cool uncovered. The butter softens the crust as it sets.
How do I know when the loaf is baked through?
Golden brown on top and hollow-sounding when you tap the base. If you have a thermometer, the centre should reach about 90 to 96 C / 195 to 205 F.
Can I make this bread without a stand mixer?
Yes. Six to eight minutes of hand kneading, then another three to five once the butter goes in. The dough is a moderate hydration and stays manageable throughout.
Did you make this?
Let other people know how it went. One tap, nothing to fill in.
Thanks — that helps.
