This Easy White Sandwich Bread is the easiest homemade bread recipe that turns out perfectly every time. It’s hearty and tender and it’s perfect for sandwiches or for dipping in soups or stews!
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It’s almost time for back-to-school and that means a 180-degree turn in my cooking and baking routine. Pretty soon I’ll be leaving behind all my favourite grilling recipes and fresh summer salads and embracing meal prep dinners for busy weeknights and lots of kid-friendly lunch recipes for school. This Easy White Sandwich Bread is my favourite stand-by homemade sandwich bread recipe for school lunches and I know you’re going to love it!
I’ve been making homemade bread for over 15 years and this Easy White Sandwich Bread Recipe is a simplified version of my grandma’s original sandwich bread recipe I enjoyed growing up. It’s a simple combination of water, yeast and honey, mixed with all purpose flour and salt, made into basic loaves and baked to crispy crust perfection!
How to Shape Sandwich Bread
There’s one trick I always use when making sandwich bread that makes it SO easy to shape the loaves to look just like sandwich bread from a bakery. When you punch down the dough after the first rise, flour your work surface and let the dough rest on the work surface in a ball for about 5-10 minutes. This will allow the gluten in the dough to relax, and it’ll make the dough SO much softer and easier to shape! It’s a simple trick that works every time!
To shape the loaf perfectly for sandwiches, follow these steps:
- After letting it rest, shape the dough into a rectangle (with the short end about the same length as the long side of your loaf pan).
- Fold one short end into the middle and press with your fingers to seal.
- Fold the other short end into middle and press with your fingers to seal.
- Pinch the sides and pull them in slightly.
- Flip the whole thing over and tuck the ends under again.
- Place the loaf into the greased loaf pan and let rise a second time.
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After making homemade bread for so many years I’ve learned that using the right loaf pan makes all the difference. This large loaf pan from Jamie Oliver is my favourite loaf pan of all time (affiliate link). It’s non-stick, easy to clean, and it has high sides which creates the perfect loaf shape for sandwiches. It’s the best loaf pan I’ve ever used and I can’t recommend it highly enough!
Looking for more delicious bread recipes? Try my Easy No Knead Artisan Bread or this Easy No Knead Cinnamon Raisin Artisan Bread!
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I hope you love this Easy White Sandwich Bread as much as we do! Let me know in the comments below, what’s your favourite sandwich to make with classic sandwich bread? I’d love to know!
KITCHEN TOOLS I RECOMMEND:
Looking for even more delicious bread recipes? You’ll LOVE these:
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Garlic Butter Dinner Rolls
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Healthier Cornbread
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Pumpkin Cornbread Muffins
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Easy No Knead Artisan Bread
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Easy No Knead Cinnamon Raisin Artisan Bread
Recipe Video
Watch the video below to see exactly how I make this recipe. You can find more delicious recipe videos on my YouTube channel
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Easy White Sandwich Bread
Recipe: Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups lukewarm water
- 1 tablespoon instant yeast (or use active dry yeast)
- 1 tablespoon honey or other vegan honey substitute
- 6 1/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
Egg Wash (optional):
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon water
Recipe: Instructions
- Add the water, yeast and honey to the bowl of your stand mixer and mix with a fork just until the yeast is moistened and the honey is dissolved.
- Let sit for about 4-5 minutes.
- Add the flour to the bowl of the stand mixer on top of the water and yeast mixture and then add the salt.
- Turn the mixer on low speed and mix until a soft dough forms.
- Continue mixing on medium-low speed and let the mixer knead the dough for about 4 minutes. The dough should have formed a soft ball and the sides of the bow should be clean. Only if the dough is too wet and sticking to the side of the bowl, add a tablespoon or two more flour as it kneads.
- Shape the dough with your hands into a ball and place it back into the bowl (oil the bowl, if you wish). Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise for 60 minutes in a warm, draft-free place.
- Grease 2 loaf pans with butter or a high-quality non-stick baking spray.
- After the dough rises, punch it down and turn it out onto a floured work surface and divide it in half.
- Roll each piece of dough into a ball with your hands, eventually shaping it into an oblong round shape.
- Place each piece of dough into one of the greased loaf pans and cover the pans with a clean kitchen towel.
- Let them rise again in a warm, draft-free place for about 20 minutes.
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Whisk together the egg and water to make the egg wash (if using).
- Brush the egg wash over the tops of the loaves and bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for about 25-35 minutes until the tops of the loaves are a deep golden brown colour.
- After baking, remove from the pans and place the loaves on a wire rack to cool completely.
- Slice after the loaves have cooled completely to room temperature and use to make your favourite sandwiches or serve alongside soups or stews.
Recipe: Notes
To shape the loaf perfectly for sandwiches, follow these steps:
- After letting it rest, shape the dough into a rectangle (with the short end about the same length as the long side of your loaf pan).
- Fold one short end into the middle and press with your fingers to seal.
- Fold the other short end into middle and press with your fingers to seal.
- Pinch the sides and pull them in slightly.
- Flip the whole thing over and tuck the ends under again.
- Place the loaf into the greased loaf pan and let rise a second time.
Recipe: Nutrition
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated, using Spoonacular, for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.
Nothing better than homemade! So fresh!
And that smell filling the house…YAM!
What size are the loaf pans?
Standard 9-inch loaf pans 🙂
Will this recipe work with gluten-free flour? Thanks!
I’ve never tried this recipe with gluten free flour, so I can’t comment on how this will work.
Homemade bread is the best! Absolutely perfect!
Yes, it is! Thanks for your comment.☺️
I don;t have a jamie Oliver bread pan what size would work?
Maureen Hemphill
Any standard loaf pan will work 🙂
This is such an amazing bread recipe! Easy to follow! Thank you!
Thank you! So happy you liked it!😊
So good, the crumb is so perfectly tender!
Homemade bread is always the best! This would be perfect for fall baking and will pair perfectly with soup or alongside pasta.
Yesss, we also love it with soups. Thanks Jacquelyn!😊
I was looking for a quick, easy sandwich bread. This is perfection. I never use a mixer, just my danish dough spoon and elbow grease. This turned out beautifully. Thank you.
Great! So glad it turned out perfect!!☺️
Not sure what I am doing wrong but I have tried this recipe 3 times and I cannot get it to rise like your picture. I’m in Canada, maybe my yeast is not right. It is Fleischmann’s quick-rise instant yeast. I have followed your recipe to a “T” all three times.
The first hour of rising it does great, then when I cut it apart it falls flat. Do you think I could put it right into the loaf pans, let it rise for 80 min. Then cook it?
Thanks for your question. I also use Fleischmann’s quick rise instant yeast, so that can’t be the issue. Is the dough overly sticky? Is it possible you’ve mis-measured the liquid? Also, could your loaf pans be too large? Mine are standard loaf pans with high sides, which may be the reason for the appearance of the rise.
Thank you for replying ,
I follow the recipe to a “T”.
When I mix it in my stand mixer
(on low), the bowl and spiral head comes out completely clean every time. (If it didn’t I would add a little flour).
My pans are not large at all.
The bread comes out very dense, unlike your picture.
What would happen if I put it right into the loaf pans, let it rise for 80 mins and then baked them?
Would they blow up?
I could never understand it, let it rise, pound the rise out of it, then do it over again. (Obviously there is a reason)
I will try going straight to the pan and let you know how they come out.
My mother always made bread the typical way, let it rise, then knead it, then rise again, too much work for me since I am the “bread” earner in my family. (pun intended) lol
Anyway I’ll let you know.
Thanks
The reason for the double rise (and punching it down) is that it helps the gluten develop in the bread, which gives it the soft, chewy texture. If you rise the dough only once it would likely be an uneven bake (some places soft and others dense) and it would likely be full of large holes.
I ran into this problem when using all purpose flour … when i use bread flour i never have any problems on the second rise
I have made this several times and it has turned out perfectly. I was only wondering if I could turn this recipe into dinner rolls, or would the texture not be good for that?
Thanks so much!! Happy to hear you enjoyed the bread recipe 🙂. I haven’t tried to do that, instead you could try out my Easy Homemade Garlic Butter Dinner Rolls: https://thebusybaker.ca/easy-homemade-garlic-butter-dinner-rolls/ !
I have used this recipe for rolls many times, and for me anyways it turns out perfect 🙂
Thanks so much Emily!!
Turned out perfect! Thank you for such a simple recipe !
So happy to hear that! Thank you for taking time to give me a feedback on the recipe!🙂
Is your loaf pan 9×5 or 9×4? Excited to try this recipe, just wanting to make sure I get the most rise from the bread.
I use 9×4 pans.
Hi
I absolutely love your bakes, I’m not so good myself but I’m starting to believe I can thanks to your recipes. I’m trying the bread just now!
I’m so glad!! Thanks for taking the time to comment!! 🙂
What if I add more salt? Also, if I wanna make only 1 loaf, should i just measure the ingredients in half?
yes, and yes!
Hi Chrissie, could you please explain step 4 of shaping the loafs more detailed? What do you mean by pulling the sides in slightly? Thank you!
Hey Christina! You should pinch the short sides together and pull them in to the middle. Turn the whole loaf upside down so the top is smooth and the pinched part is at the bottom. Make sure all the ends are tucked in. You should have a pretty loaf now that is ready to rise and bake. Enjoy!
Wow. I’ve made bread for years and I was never able to get it to rise like this. It’s perfect! It looks just like the pictures!
Thanks so much for your feedback Bekah!!🙂
The perfect sandwich bread!
Would this recipe work with white wheat flour?
If you’re looking for a sandwich bread using whole wheat flour I’d suggest using my Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread recipe (find it here: https://thebusybaker.ca/easy-whole-wheat-sandwich-bread/)
Can you do a slow rise with this bread? Using less yeast and letting it ferment overnight?
I’ve never done that with this recipe, but my instincts say it should work. Please do let me know how it goes!
Do you always bake both at once, or have you had success with keeping half in the fridge or freezer for baking a loaf another day?
I always bake both at once but sometimes I freeze one of the already baked loaves. Hope this helps ☺️
After so many not successful attempts and sourdough starter experimenting , I gave up on making bread .
Saw this simple recipe today and I have two perfect loaves !
The secret is in simplicity.
Thanks so much
You’re welcome Katya! Really glad they turned out perfect!
This was a great recipe. I needed to let my loaves rise a little longer than the recipe said but it’s lively textured bread
So glad you enjoyed it Gayle! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment! 🙂
There is no shortening, or oil in this bread recipe am I missing something
Nope, you’re not missing anything. Our recipe doesn’t call for any oil or shortening.
I make this recipe in my bread machine on the dough cycle and then take it out, let it rest for a few minutes and then shape it into a bread pan, let it rise again (about 35 to 40 minutes) and bake for 30 minutes at 350 or until a thermometer reads 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Comes out great every time. I find that the second rising needs more time or crumb in the final product has holes.
I’m so happy you enjoyed it! Thank you for taking the time to leave your feedback!
I should add that I have experimented with different flours – multigrain, whole wheat and even rye – substituting one or two cups.
Hello! Can I use bread flour with this recipe? Spoiler alert… I already did and am just doing my first rise. The dough seemed a lot drier than yours, could I have added more water after kneading for the 4 minutes?
In this recipe AP flour and bread flour can be used interchangeably. Yes, you can add a bit more water. Hope this helps. Happy baking! Let us know how it turns out.
Great recipe! I love the texture and taste but like others, there’s not enough dough volume to crest the lip of my loaf pans, and I’ve made this twice – the second time with newly purchased yeast. Checking the images in the recipe again, my loaf pans appear a bit wider than yours. I’m planning to increase the quantities to 1000g flour, 833g water, 1.3 tbsp yeast, 1.3 tbsp honey, and 1.3 tsp salt for two US standard loaf pan for the next batch.
I would suggest you don’t change the recipe but use a narrow(and taller) loaf pan that is just perfect for the best sandwich bread. We use a pan just like this one https://www.amazon.com/Zyliss-E980199-Non-Stick-Dishwasher-Guarantee/dp/B09HJCVPRJ?crid=3DCWD245KNSIN&keywords=high%2Bsided%2Bloaf%2Bpan&qid=1666700191&qu=eyJxc2MiOiIxLjUwIiwicXNhIjoiMC44MSIsInFzcCI6IjAuMDAifQ%3D%3D&sprefix=high%2Bsided%2Bloaf%2Bpan%2Caps%2C232&sr=8-7&th=1&linkCode=sl1&tag=thbuba02-20&linkId=5c0ee8110bb852176abca9f0a1b6bab9&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl (affiliate link). Hope this helps ☺️
Do I use the dough hook attachment for the entire process on the electric mixer?
Yes!
I can’t give a true rating because mine did not turn out but I think it was my yeast. it was jut two very flat loaves. I haven’t baked this summer because of the heat & I think it got old (my yeast that is). I’ve ordered new yeast & I will try again & let you know.
Let us know how it turns out!
I am just trying this bread out for the first time. I put in the flour as per recipe but my dough was very heavy ball and not looking like yours. I have found other recipes if they provide grams and cups seem to measure quite differently where I am. Do you happen to know the grams weight you use for flour? Thank you.
Right under the ingredients list there’s a button that says “metric”. If you click on that, all the measurements will automatically convert to the metric system. We use 750 gr of flour. Hope this helps!
What can I use instead of honey with the yeast? I’m allergic to honey so that’s not an option for me.
Feel free to use sugar!
Hello, I’m a little confused…in the recipe, you say the 2nd rise is around 20 minutes, but in the video, you say to let rise for 10 minutes. Can you please clarify, and FYI I am making sandwich bread so not sure if that makes a difference. Thanks in advance!
There’s an error in the video, thanks for pointing it out to us! You can raise it for 20 minutes.
Accidentally lost the recipe for a minute, and thought I remembered 4tbsp. of honey. Added too much honey, but it was delicious. Our two loaves were gone in 2 days. We didn’t even have to store them they disappeared so quickly. Trying again now with a smaller amount of honey.
We’re so happy you enjoyed them! Thank you for taking the time to leave your feedback!
Your bread is awesome!!
Question: once frozen what is the best method for thawing and using?
How long is the loaf good for?
The loaf is good for 4-5 days at room temp or up to 10 in the fridge. After freezing I usually just put it out on the counter the night before or even pop it in the toaster right after taking it out of the freezer.
Made this pretty quickly and it turned out great!!
Thank you for sharing
soooo good and easy to hand knead. Even tastes great plain. I used bread flour instead of AP flour. had a nice thew to it
Thank you for your feedback!
This was such a simple recipe! I loved it! Is there a way to adapt this using whole wheat flour?
We’re so glad to hear you liked our recipe. If you want to make sandwich bread with whole wheat flour you can try https://thebusybaker.ca/everyday-whole-grain-bread/ or https://thebusybaker.ca/easy-whole-wheat-sandwich-bread/ Let us know how it works out for you!
First time I made this bread it was a brick. My fault!! I was using bread flour and added too much flour. I made some adjustments and the second time, beautiful bread! I will be making this bread again. Might tweak the flour a little more. Thanks for the recipe. Going to look at maybe some half white half wheat ones as well.
We’re glad you worked it out and you’re enjoying our recipe ☺️
If using the dry active yeast option, should I bloom the yeast first?
Step one and two have you blooming the yeast, so yes!
FINALLY! I have tried so many sandwich bread recipes and they never turn out how I want them to. I LOVE this recipe. My loaves turned out perfect and it is such an easy recipe. Thank you!!
Thank you for taking the time to leave your feedback! We’re happy to hear that you enjoyed our recipe.
I can’t seem to get this right… This is the second recipe I’ve tried and it’s the same problem. I don’t have a stand mixer. I have to mix by hand. The dough comes out tough and Its so hard to kneed. The dough rips instead of stretching. When I bake it, the bread comes out so dense. What am I doing wrong? It’s hard to think I’m over kneading if it’s hard to do that right from the start. I’m using bread flour and Fleischman rapid rise instant yeast. When I test the yeast it only foams a little bit. Is my yeast bad? I just bought it and it’s well within the expiration date…
Typically a dense bread and a tough dough are a result of not enough kneading, which is explainable if you’re kneading by hand. The dough is not really stretchy before the first raise . However, you might want to try our no knead bread recipe https://thebusybaker.ca/quick-and-easy-no-knead-crusty-bread/ Hope this helps!☺️
We tried it with both Bread Flour and AP Flour. The Bread Flour one is the winner for perfect airy goodness and rises at least a quarter higher than the AP Flour and also turns out with a beautiful golden brown crust (it’s the one on the left). They both were delicious though! One tip: Make sure your bowls that you rise in are at room temp or a little warm when you add the ingredients, it will really help the first rise. For the second rise in the bread pan, make sure the bread pans are warm – not hot.
Thanks for your feedback, Jen! The loaves look amazing.