Soft American Sandwich Bread

Sandwich Bread is a soft American loaf with a fine crumb and tender crust, made for everyday toast and sandwiches. A simple dough of flour, yeast, salt, a touch of sugar, warm milk or water, and butter or oil comes together in one bowl, then gets kneaded until smooth and elastic. After rising until doubled, the dough is shaped into a loaf pan, allowed to rise again, and baked until golden and domed. A quick brush of butter over the hot crust keeps it soft. The result is a tall, pillowy loaf that slices cleanly and feels familiar yet tastes fresher than store-bought bread.

Sandwich Bread Recipe

Soft American Sandwich Bread is a tall, fluffy loaf with a fine crumb and tender crust, perfect for sandwiches and toast, made from a simple enriched dough baked in a loaf pan.

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Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Rising Time 1 hour hr 45 minutes mins

Servings: 12 slices

Course: Dish

Cuisine: American

Calories: 160

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 3 cups all-purpose or bread flour about 375 g, plus a little extra for kneading
• 2¼ tsp active dry or instant yeast one standard packet
• 1½ tsp fine salt
• 2 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1 cup warm milk or water, about 110°F
• ¼ cup warm water about 110°F
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter melted and slightly cooled (or neutral oil)
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter melted

Equipment

• Large mixing bowl
• Measuring cups
• Measuring spoons
• Wooden spoon
• Small saucepan or microwave-safe cup
• Clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap
• 9×5 inch loaf pan
• Oven mitts

Method

 

Mix the liquids and yeast

1. Pour 1 cup warm milk and ¼ cup warm water into a large mixing bowl with measuring cups; the liquid should feel warm but not hot to your finger.
2. Add 2 tbsp sugar and 2¼ tsp yeast to the bowl and stir with a wooden spoon until the sugar dissolves.
3. Let the mixture sit for 5 to 10 minutes until a foamy layer appears on top, showing the yeast is active.

Form the dough

1. Stir 3 tbsp melted butter into the yeast mixture with the wooden spoon.
2. Add 2 cups flour and 1½ tsp salt to the bowl and mix with the wooden spoon until a thick, sticky batter forms.
3. Add the remaining 1 cup flour gradually, about ¼ cup at a time, stirring after each addition until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and forms a soft mass.

Knead and first rise

1. Lightly flour your work surface, then turn the dough out of the bowl onto the flour.
2. Knead by pushing the dough away with the heel of your hand, folding it back over itself, and turning it, sprinkling just enough flour to prevent sticking, for about 8 minutes until the dough feels smooth, stretchy, and slightly tacky but not sticky.
3. Shape the dough into a ball and place it back in the large mixing bowl lightly greased with a few drops of oil, turning the dough once so the top gets a thin coat.
4. Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm, draft-free spot for about 1 hour until the dough doubles and leaves a soft indentation when pressed gently with a fingertip.

Shape and second rise

1. Grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan.
2. Punch down the dough gently in the bowl with your fist to release excess gas, then turn it out onto a lightly floured surface.
3. Pat the dough into a rectangle slightly shorter than the length of the loaf pan, then roll it up tightly from the short end into a log, pinching the seam closed with your fingers.
4. Tuck the ends under slightly and place the dough seam side down in the loaf pan, then cover with the kitchen towel and let it rise for 35 to 45 minutes until it domes about 1 inch above the pan.

Bake

1. Place the loaf pan on the middle rack of a preheated 350°F oven using oven mitts.
2. Bake for 28 to 32 minutes until the top is golden and the loaf sounds hollow when you tap it lightly with your fingers.

Finish and cool

1. Remove the pan from the oven with oven mitts and immediately brush the hot top with 1 tbsp melted butter to soften the crust.
2. Let the bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn it out onto a rack or cutting board and cool completely before slicing so the crumb stays tall and doesn’t compress.

Notes

• Liquids should be warm, not hot; overly hot liquid can kill the yeast and stop the loaf from rising.
• The dough should feel soft and slightly tacky after kneading; adding too much flour will make the loaf dense instead of light.
• This bread stays soft for a couple of days in an airtight bag and freezes well sliced; toast or thaw slices as needed.