Easy White Sandwich Bread

5 from 19 votes

This Easy White Sandwich Bread is the easiest homemade bread recipe that's hearty and tender, and turns out perfectly every time with the best golden crust!

Course Baking, Bread

Cuisine American, Canadian, Western

Keyword Easy White Sandwich Bread

Prep Time 20

Rising Time 1 30

Total Time 2

Servings loaves

Calories 191kcal

Author Chrissie (thebusybaker.ca)

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

US Customary - Metric

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.

Video

Notes

Store each loaf of bread in a plastic bag or airtight container to keep fresh.

This bread freezes well in a plastic bag for up to one month.

After punching 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.

Nutrition