This ain’t your average store-bought loaf: Dive into Homemade Heaven with This Perfect Sandwich Bread Recipe!
Remember the feeling of biting into a sandwich made with fresh, homemade bread? The soft, pillowy texture that cradles your favorite fillings, the subtle sweetness that elevates every ingredient? This recipe is your gateway to that bakery-worthy experience, all made in the comfort of your own kitchen.
This isn’t a complicated process, but the results are pure magic. We use simple ingredients – flour, water, yeast, a touch of sugar and butter – to create a dough that kneads into a beautiful, silky texture. The reward? Slices that are cloud-like yet substantial, perfect for toasting or devouring fresh.
Forget the preservatives and mystery ingredients found in store-bought bread. This recipe lets you control every element, ensuring a perfect loaf every time. Imagine the warm aroma wafting through your kitchen, the satisfaction of crafting something delicious from scratch, and the pure joy of savoring a sandwich made with love.
So ditch the plastic bags and embrace the homemade goodness! This recipe is your key to unlocking a world of flavor and creating unforgettable sandwiches that will have you wondering why you ever settled for store-bought bread again.
Our favorite homemade sandwich bread will quickly become yours too.
Why You’ll Love Making Your Own Bread
Taste: Fresh-baked bread blows store-bought out of the water. Imagine the heavenly aroma filling your kitchen as it bakes, and then biting into a slice that’s soft, fluffy, and bursting with flavor. No preservatives or fillers here, just pure, delicious bread.
Customization: You’re the baker, you make the rules! Want a touch of sweetness? Add some honey. Craving a nutty flavor? Throw in some walnuts or flaxseeds. This recipe is your canvas, allowing you to experiment and create a bread that perfectly suits your taste buds.
Better For You: Control the ingredients! Homemade bread lets you avoid hidden sugars, sodium, and preservatives often found in commercially produced loaves. You can choose whole wheat flour for added fiber or even explore gluten-free options.
Frugal: Believe it or not, making your own bread can be budget-friendly. The ingredients are generally simple and affordable, and can easily be bought in bulk. And you can avoid the markup of store-bought loaves. Plus, one batch can yield multiple sandwiches, stretching your grocery dollars further.
Therapeutic: The repetitive motion of kneading the dough can be surprisingly therapeutic. It’s a great way to de-stress, clear your head, and connect with a simpler time.
Endless Possibilities: Homemade bread opens up a world of sandwich creativity. Experiment with different fillings, cheeses, and spreads, knowing your homemade bread will be the perfect base for every culinary adventure.
Storage Tips for Homemade Sandwich Bread
The magic of homemade bread doesn’t have to be fleeting! Here are some tips to ensure your delicious creation stays fresh and flavorful for days:
Room Temperature (1-2 Days):
- Paper Perfect: Wrap the cooled loaf completely in clean, unbleached paper towels. This allows the bread to breathe while protecting it from drying out. Place it in a cool, dry place like a pantry or breadbox.
- Breadbox Bonanza: A breadbox provides a dedicated, well-ventilated space for storing bread. It helps retain moisture while preventing mold growth.
Fridge (3-5 Days):
- Plastic Wrap Protection: Tightly wrap the cooled loaf in plastic wrap to create an airtight seal. This method is ideal for slightly humid climates or if you plan to eat the bread within a few days.
Freezer (Up to 3 Months):
- Slice and Conquer: For longer storage, slice the completely cooled loaf. This allows for quicker thawing and easier portion control.
- Double Wrap: Wrap each slice or small group of slices in plastic wrap or parchment paper to prevent freezer burn.
- Airtight Container: Place the wrapped slices in a freezer-safe container or a heavy-duty zip-lock bag, squeezing out as much air as possible.
Reheating Tips:
- Fresh from the Freeze: For a fresh-out-of-the-oven experience, thaw frozen slices overnight in the refrigerator.
- Toasty Treat: Toasting, even for room temperature bread, is a great way to revive any loaf and bring back its crispness.
Signs of Spoilage:
- Mold: The most obvious sign is mold growth. Discard any bread with visible mold.
- Off Odors: If the bread develops a sour or unpleasant smell, it’s best to toss it.
- Rock-Solid Texture: Extremely dry or hard bread can be attempted to be revived by toasting, but if it’s unpleasantly tough, it’s time for a new loaf.
By following these storage tips, you can enjoy your homemade sandwich bread for longer, ensuring every bite is as delicious as the first.
This is probably the best homemade sandwich bread recipe I have ever found, and I’ve certainly tried a lot. The crumb is nice and even, not crumbly at all. The crust is actually really soft and even a little chewy in a good way.
I am not a huge fan of crust. As a kid I cut it off, as an adult, I eat it, but not a fan. I absolutely adore the crust on this bread. It’s just delicious. I’ve even been known to dip it in soup or spread a little butter on the crust too. Delish!
If you’d like a light crust, use a glass loaf pan. For a medium crust, use a metal loaf pan for baking.
What Can I Use Homemade Sandwich Bread to Make?
Homemade sandwich bread is a versatile blank canvas for a world of delicious creations! Here are some ideas to inspire your culinary adventures:
- Classic Sandwiches: Elevate your everyday lunch with fresh-baked goodness. Pile on your favorite deli meats, cheeses, veggies, and condiments for a satisfying and flavorful sandwich experience.
- Grilled Cheese: Take your grilled cheese game to the next level. The soft, pillowy texture of homemade bread pairs perfectly with melty cheese, creating a gooey, delicious masterpiece. Experiment with different cheeses, herbs, and fillings for a flavor explosion.
- French Toast: Indulge in a decadent breakfast or brunch. Thick slices of homemade bread dipped in a custard batter and cooked to golden perfection are a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. Top with fresh fruit, maple syrup, whipped cream, or even chocolate chips for a truly heavenly experience.
- Breads and Dips: Tear or cube your bread to create the perfect accompaniment for dips and spreads. From creamy hummus and guacamole to chunky salsa and tapenades, the soft texture of homemade bread will soak up all the delicious flavors.
- Bread Pudding: Don’t let leftover bread go to waste! Transform it into a delectable bread pudding. Cube the bread, soak it in a sweet custard mixture, and bake until golden brown. Top with fresh fruit, nuts, or a drizzle of caramel sauce for a warm and comforting dessert.
- Stuffing: Homemade bread adds a whole new dimension to stuffing. Use it to create a flavorful and satisfying stuffing for your Thanksgiving turkey, roast chicken, or any other dish that calls for this classic side.
- Breadcrumbs: Don’t toss those crusts! Pulse them in a food processor to create homemade breadcrumbs. These can be used for breading chicken, fish, or vegetables, adding a delightful textural element to your dishes.
- Crostini: Thinly slice your bread and toast them until crisp. These homemade crostini are perfect for appetizers or light bites. Top them with savory ingredients like pesto, goat cheese, and sun-dried tomatoes, or explore sweet options with ricotta cheese, fresh berries, and a drizzle of honey.
These are just a few ideas to get you started. With homemade bread as your base, the possibilities are endless! Let your creativity run wild and discover your own favorite ways to enjoy the deliciousness of homemade bread.
While many of you probably have stand mixers, and if you do, feel free to use it to mix the ingredients (about five minutes), but I just do it the old fashioned way. There is something very therapeutic about kneading dough. Since I do it the old fashioned way, I usually knead it for about 10 minutes.
Oh yeah, and make sure you take off your rings, because otherwise, it’s a lot of fun to try and get the dough out of all the little crevices. Or not.
A quick repost of my favorite homemade sandwich bread.
Do you make your own homemade sandwich bread? If not, you have got to try this recipe. Once is all it will take to get you hooked on the texture, the flavor and the ease.
Not to mention the frugality of it all.
Looking for more fun bread recipes?
Two Ingredient Ice Cream Bread
This recipe was originally posted October 27, 2011
Making the Recipe
Our Favorite Homemade Sandwich Bread
Ingredients
- 2 cups warm water
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoons dry active yeast
- 1 teaspoons salt
- 5½ cups all purpose flour
- 2½ tablespoons butter softened
Instructions
- Take the time to proof your yeast first. In a bowl, pour the water and the sugar. Mix until dissolved. Add the yeast. Again, mix until dissolved. Set it aside for 10 minutes. When you come back it should have bubbles formed all over the top of it. This is how you know it’s “alive” and ready to go.
- Next, throw in the flour and the salt. Then, slice up the butter into smaller pieces and add it. This just makes it easier for it to blend when you’re mixing.
- Now comes the fun part. Knead the ingredients together for about 10 minutes by hand, about 5 minutes with a mixer. You can usually tell it’s done when it feels slightly elastic, smooth and isn’t sticking to anything.
- Knead the dough into a ball and place it in a clean bowl. Cover it with some plastic wrap that you have sprayed with cooking spray or rubbed with some oil. Set the bowl in a warm place. I actually just cover mine with two kitchen towels and put it on the counter in the back out of the way. Allow it to rise for one hour.
- After an hour uncover the dough. It should be pretty big and poofy at this point. Take your hand and punch into it once or twice to get it to push all the air out of it.
- Knead it again (you don’t have to take it out of the bowl, I do it right in the bowl) for about a minute or so, forming it into a ball.
- Sprinkle flour onto your table or other wooden work surface.
- Put the ball in the middle of the work surface.
- Cut the ball into two equal pieces using a bencher, or I just use a kitchen knife.
- Taking one half of the dough, knead it a little folding it over itself over and over. Create a sort of ovalish shape with it and then place it into your lightly greased loaf dish.
- Now repeat everything with the second wedge of dough.
- Put both pans back where you had the bowl for the first rise, but leave them uncovered. For one hour.
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. When your dough has risen the second time and doubled in size, it’s time to put them in the oven.
- Just put ‘em in there for 35-40 minutes. I’m pretty faithful with my 35 minute timing, but it could take more in your neck of the woods.
- When they’re done, pull ‘em out of the oven and allow them to sit in the pans for 5 minutes. After the 5 minutes, using a potholder or towel, turn the bread out onto a cooling rack and allow them to cool the rest of the way. Since you’re aiming for sandwich bread, it is better not to cut them until they are completely cooled, otherwise they get a little crumbly.
- Once cooled, trim into slices and store at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 4 days (if it lasts that long!)
I’ve been looking for one of these too! (3 little boys and a hubby who all LOVE bread) This recipe looks perfect and I love it that you don’t use your mixer cause I usually find reicpes written as if Everyone has them- I don’t! One question- do you punch down the bread loaves the second time they rise before putting them in the oven or just put them in all puffed up? thanks so much! kelli
DO NOT punch your loaves down before you put it in the oven!!! You want that light and fluffy texture that the raise gives it. 🙂
i just made this bread and it was truly yumilisious!!! i made one loaf in a metal tray and 8 buns in a pirex dish… all came out so well….thank you soooooo much
I personally didn’t have a loaf pan on hand, so I used a small squarenough cake pan. Works just fine (: and it goes from normal sandwich bread to long bread for toast etc. 😀
This is really similar to my recipe, but just enough different that I think I will give it a try. Your bread has a beautiful texture!!
Kristen, I know, I agree. It’s the only bread I’ve found that has that texture, so I’m so in love with it. I’d be interested in yours, do you love it?
I came back to make your bread today and noticed your reply. I do love mine. I have been making it for about 5 years. It uses oil instead of butter and it’s double what your amounts are. However, I have your recipe rising on the counter right now, so maybe I will be using yours from now on 🙂
Similar to one I have tried before, but like you I have tried many but I haven’t found one that I want to go through the trouble with so I end up getting store bought. I will try this one out though – and great tip about saving the bags. I never know how to store them when I am done!
Miranda, I didn’t know what to do with all the bread I was baking for awhile too, and I tried a lot of different things. So when we do on occasion buy store bought bread, I keep everything. For whatever reason, it seems to work. Of course, homemade bread doesn’t last as long as store bought. You know, because of lack of preservatives that are terribly bad for us. 😉
Hi, I’ve been looking for an ‘everyday’ bread recipe that I can use for Cupcake’s packed lunch, that isn’t rammed with preservatives. This looks yummy -I have the yeast and am ready to try it. Thank you! All the best, Kg.
So I was thinking maybe you could bake some of this delectable bread for me and send it via Fedex. I’d love to make it, but who has the time? NaNo, here I come!
@Amberr, so I was thinking it was kinda cool that you stopped by over here and that I have way better things to send than just this bread. *hugs* (better than those too!) haha
Do you think this would work with whole wheat flour?
You know Rach, I don’t know but I would imagine it would. I would think the only thing that might be a little different might be the consistency or crumbing. But yes, I think it would.
I’m trying it right now, so we shall see.
I made this recipe with about half and half whole wheat and unbleached flour. its super tasty.
Wow! Can’t wait to try this recipe. While I have a bread recipe that I love for eating with butter and jam, it doesn’t have the right texture for sandwiches. This recipe seems perfect for that! Thanks a billion!
Nicole… Thank you from my 5 kids to yours…This recipe really does have a great texture..I’ve been searching for awhile…I facebooked it to my friends, so the search for them can be over…Also I do it the old fashioned way to..I also brush the top with butter before and after cooking the bread.. Really really great…Thanks again..
I made this bread last night and had some when it was still a little warm, and again for breakfast this morning. This is by far the best bread recipe I’ve ever tried. The bread is so moist, and the crust is just delightful! I always used to end up with bread that was a bit dry and a crust that was not edible, but this is completely different. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. I’m going to throw out all my other sandwich bread recipes and only use this one from now on!
J’adore ton blog!
Merci!
Will it affect the bread if I leave out 1/2 the salt? The bread turned out great, but a little salty for our tastes. Thanks.
No, probably not – at least I don’t think it will. I’ve been making this bread for years and I’ve never had it be salty before – that’s weird. If it turned out super salty, then go ahead and cut the salt in half and see what happens.
Hope you enjoyed it!
Thank you for the recipe. My second attempt at baking bread and you made it so simple.
I’m so glad it was easy and you enjoyed it!
I have been looking for a good sandwich bread recipe for awhile. I have tried many, but none really lived up to my expectations of whatna good sandwich bread should be. This recipe is exactly what I was looking for. It has just the right crumb so that’s it is soft, but doesn’t fall apart when you make a sandwich. Thanks for the great recipe.
So glad you enjoyed it Tonya, it really is a winner! 🙂
So far the smell of the bread is making me smile. 🙂
Only 10 more miss left to bake. I added oats to the outside of my Loaf to give it a gourmet look. I can’t wait to taste it! Thanks for the recipe!
-Sydney Devon
I made this recipe, because whe just moved to U.S from Europe and we are not fond of the bread we find generaly in the stores.
And it is so gooooood.I eat it with plesure.And my husband!It was my first homemade bread!
I descovered your blog recently and I enjoi it.
Thank you for sharing your recepis with us!
Daniela
Hi Daniela, first – congratulations on your move – I hope it went well. Next, this bread really is a keeper. It has the perfect crust, the perfect crumb and makes a fantastic sandwich. Plus, I find it to be very easy as long as you follow the directions to a tee. I’m so glad you tried it and enjoyed it.
P.S. Welcome to the States. Where in Europe were you?
My little one and I made this today! We did trade out the white flour for a mixture of whole wheat and spelt (it would work with all whole wheat, I just ran out). However; it definitely helps to use 1/2 cup less (only 5 cups) on the flour with the whole wheat as it needs a little more moisture. I love, love, love that it is so few basic ingredients… it made it much easier to just make when we needed bread rather than having to run out and get other things for it. Thanks for the yummy recipe!
Question?
I am making it right now with whole wheat flour. Added Tbs. Of ground flax to mix and it’s not rising at all on the last step waiting for it to rise.
I am going to bake it, but sad because I’m sure it’s not going to be as great as its supposed to be since it’s not rising.
Any idea why?
Well, I have not tested this recipe with whole wheat flour OR ground flax. I would imagine that either of those two changes to the recipe could be the problem. Baking is a science and if any one thing is off balance it can very easily alter the results.
I am not an expert baker so I can’t say specifically why it is not rising, but often it can have to do with dead yeast as well. Are you sure your yeast was okay? We make this recipe as is, all the time and have not yet had a problem except a handful of times when our yeast was bad.
I used your recipe for the first time today after years of looking for a good sandwich bread recipe to no avail. One loaf is already gone! This is a delicious bread. The crust is yummy and chewy and not at all hard. The texture of this bread is wonderful. It isn’t crumbly, hard, or too dense. It’s just perfect. Thank you from me and my family for sharing this recipe!
I used your recipe for the first time today after years of looking for a good sandwich bread recipe to no avail. One loaf is already gone! This is a delicious bread. The crust is yummy and chewy and not at all hard. The texture of this bread is wonderful. It isn’t crumbly, hard, or too dense. It’s just perfect. Thank you from me and my family for sharing this recipe!
Thank you Misty, I am so glad your family enjoyed it and I’m so sorry it took so long to respond to this.
I make is bread at least once a week. Luck if the first loaf lasts the afternoon. Today I experimented and made one f the loaves into cinnamon raisin bread. Gently pulled second half of dough into a 9 x approximately 12 inch rectangle. Spread 1/2 cup of sugar mixed with 1 tsp of cinnamon over the dough, added 1/2 cup raisins to 1/2 of loaf ( hubby likes raisins son does not) and then rolled into 9 inch loaf. Let rise for an hour and it came out fantastic !!!!
Sounds great! Looking forward to making some. Quick question, do you think using bread flour will make a large difference? I’m running low on AP, but have extra bread flour.
You could use bread flour to make this bread, however your results will be much different. The bread will be a little chewier and tougher than the soft crumb and bite it has with the regular flour. The flavor should remain the same. I hope that helps.
I made this today. Followed to the T and it came out so good. I then made it again but used bread flour and it came out even better. I recommended bread flour.
Maybe I’m doing something wrong…but when I split it in half on the counter for 2 loaves and let it rise in the two pans, it doesn’t rise enough to become a loaf of bread I’d use for a sandwich. What could be the problem?
Hi Andi,
Well, there’s a few things that can be wrong – one, make sure your yeast is ‘active’ and not dead. You might try it with freshly bought dry active yeast and see if the results are better. Another problem could be that you are not kneading the dough enough either of the two times you need to do it. Are you having good results with the first rise? It might be the second rise that’s the problem? Perhaps try kneading it just a bit longer (add an extra minute or two on – weather and altitude can matter). Also when you leave the second rise uncovered, be sure that your dough is sitting in a warm spot, you don’t want it to get chilled.
These are the most common problems. I have only had one batch ever not come out right, and it was due to the yeast being ‘dead’. I’d try that and then make sure you knead enough. It should double in size on that second rise, if it’s doing that, and then you bake it – it should come out fine.
Good luck!
Similar to the bread I have been making…i like a chewy bread, so I crack an egg into it. The flour also makes a big difference. Good Bread Miss! =)
I just pulled them from the oven. I’ve never made bread before and I’m so excited, I can hardly wait to let them cool.
Hi Nicole. I made this bread yesterday. It turned out super and delicious too!!!! I made a slight alteration. I got help to half the recipe. Then I added some graham flour and fresh herbs. It was so easy to bake this bread and fast too!!!! Thanks for a great recipe. : ))
My recipe was
2 and 2/4 cup flour
1/4 cup graham flour
1 cup warm water
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
Slightly above 1/2 teaspoon yeast
1 and 1/2 tablespoon butter
Fresh Rosemary and Thyme
When I was kneading the dough, I added a fist of warm water and continued kneading the old fashion way.
I’ve made this recipe several times – it is indeed a Great sandwich bread!! Once it is fully cooled, it does slice easily and hold together well. Thank you so much for sharing. We found it also makes an excellent French Toast bread. Thanks again!
We’ve found that it actually works with anything you’d make with regular sandwich bread – grilled cheese, french toast and so on. Love love it! 🙂 Thank you for trying it and stopping by to let me know you did and that you enjoyed it! 🙂
I tried this recipe and it is absolutely the best bread ever . I halved it and kneeded it in a bread maker and let is rise in there then put it in the pan to rise and cooked it for 18 minutes. Fabulous!
Omg this bread is so awesome!!!!!! Can’t express just how much I love you for share the recipe (hugs)
Hugs right back to you. I’m glad you found it, tried it and loved it! 🙂 I appreciate the comment! 🙂
Can I cut this in half? I only need 1 loaf
I’ve never cut it in half, so I’m not sure with the yeast and proofing that it can be cut in half and still work out right. If you try it, do let me know.
Hi Reb. You can cut the recipe in half. I did it and the bread came out super.
My bread came out salty as well:( Other than that it was good though. The next time I use this recipe I will cut the salt in half. Thanks!
Did you use regular butter or unsalted?
Hi Nicole. Thanks a million. I made Olive Bread with this recipe. Its a sure keeper. Its so versatile. This time I used EVOO instead of butter. It turned out delicious.
Hi! I am going to try to bake bread for the first time soon, and I can’t wait to try this recipe! I was wondering if anyone had tried using Whole Wheat flour, or at least doing one of the 5.5 cups of white flour Wheat. Does it still work out ok?
Also, I live in WY, and its cold and a higher altitude….any suggestions (longer kneed time, etc?)
Thank you! 🙂
I like to use yeast cakes so if I am using that how much would I use? I just decided recently to get back to the basics and making my own bread is priority. I once found a loaf of store bought bread that was a month past it’s expiration date that had no mold or anything. What is that doing to our insides?
Thanks!
This was really easy and is absolutely delicious. We eat very little salt so I was a bit worried about the amount of salt called for but added it anyway and found it just a bit too salty, so will cut the amount in half next time. From everything I have read, it is actually not necessary to add any salt at all when making bread so reducing the amount should not affect the results-only the taste. I normally knead by hand but was in a hurry so used my KitchenAid dough hook for 5 minutes and everything worked perfectly. It slices beautifully and can even be sliced quite thin with a good bread knife. It has a wonderful crumb and, as you say – a lovely, chewy crust. Can’t wait to try some variations. Thanks so much for this recipe. It will definitely be my go-to for sandwiches.
This was really easy and is absolutely delicious. We eat very little salt so I was a bit worried about the amount of salt called for but added it anyway and found it just a bit too salty, so will cut the amount in half next time. From everything I have read, it is actually not necessary to add any salt at all when making bread so reducing the amount should not affect the results-only the taste. I normally knead by hand but was in a hurry so used my KitchenAid dough hook for 5 minutes and everything worked perfectly. It slices beautifully and can even be sliced quite thin with a good bread knife. It has a wonderful crumb and, as you say – a lovely, chewy crust. Can’t wait to try some variations. Thanks so much for this recipe. It will definitely be my go-to for sandwiches.
This was really easy and is absolutely delicious. We eat very little salt so I was a bit worried about the amount of salt called for but added it anyway and found it just a bit too salty, so will cut the amount in half next time. From everything I have read, it is actually not necessary to add any salt at all when making bread so reducing the amount should not affect the results-only the taste. I normally knead by hand but was in a hurry so used my KitchenAid dough hook for 5 minutes and everything worked perfectly. It slices beautifully and can even be sliced quite thin with a good bread knife. It has a wonderful crumb and, as you say – a lovely, chewy crust. Can’t wait to try some variations. Thanks so much for this recipe. It will definitely be my go-to for sandwiches.
This was really easy and is absolutely delicious. We eat very little salt so I was a bit worried about the amount of salt called for but added it anyway and found it just a bit too salty, so will cut the amount in half next time. From everything I have read, it is actually not necessary to add any salt at all when making bread so reducing the amount should not affect the results-only the taste. I normally knead by hand but was in a hurry so used my KitchenAid dough hook for 5 minutes and everything worked perfectly. It slices beautifully and can even be sliced quite thin with a good bread knife. It has a wonderful crumb and, as you say – a lovely, chewy crust. Can’t wait to try some variations. Thanks so much for this recipe. It will definitely be my go-to for sandwiches.
Best bread recipe I’ve tried so far. I haven’t attempted bread in awhile because all the other times I’ve tried the crumb came out too dense, but this was exactly what I was looking for. Light, soft, and fluffy but still sturdy enough not to be too flimsy. This will definitely be my go-to recipe from now on.
Best bread recipe I’ve tried so far. I haven’t attempted bread in awhile because all the other times I’ve tried the crumb came out too dense, but this was exactly what I was looking for. Light, soft, and fluffy but still sturdy enough not to be too flimsy. This will definitely be my go-to recipe from now on.
I love this white bread!
also…
I just made Cinnamon Raisin bread using this basic recipe. I added a tsp of ground cinnamon to the existing dough recipe and kneaded as directed. One the dough ball was formed I rolled out using a rolling pin spread an additional 3 tbsp of butter sprinkled with a cinnamon sugar mix and rolled back up tucking in the ends. It came out wonderful!
I love this white bread!
also…
I just made Cinnamon Raisin bread using this basic recipe. I added a tsp of ground cinnamon to the existing dough recipe and kneaded as directed. One the dough ball was formed I rolled out using a rolling pin spread an additional 3 tbsp of butter sprinkled with a cinnamon sugar mix and rolled back up tucking in the ends. It came out wonderful!
Matt, that sounds amazing! I am so glad you love this bread – we sure do. I will be trying out your Cinnamon Raisin bread recipe now. We’ve added other stuff, but never gone the cinnamon raisin route, and now I think it’s time! 🙂 Thank you for letting me know you tried it and about your changes!
This recipe really is great. The bread turned out great, nice and soft.
This recipe really is great. The bread turned out great, nice and soft.
I am trying to learn to more self-sufficent. And have been looking forever for a sandwich bread recipe. All the other breads I have made just don’t hold up to sandwich-making. I tried this bread last week and my husband & I were looking for different sandwiches to try, just so we could eat the bread. Thanks for sharing it. We have definately found the bread we will always want to make. Also, I am going to give the cinnamon & raisin addition a try. Sounds yummy
I tried making bread for the first time, using your recipe. It tastes wonderful! I don’t have a mixer, so I just kneaded all by hand for 15 minutes and only had a cast iron loaf pan. My crust was crunchy on the top. I also applied olive oil to the top while it was rising. Could those differences be why mu crust wasn’t soft?
I would imagine so, yes. It might have been slightly over cooked as well. Perhaps you need to bake the bread for less time?
I made this bread the other day. Very easy recipe and really yummy! However, it turned out way too crumbly. I waited for the bread to cool completely before slicing it, but now it’s falling apart even more as the days pass. (I made it 2 days ago) The only things I changed were using honey instead of sugar to sweeten the bread and using Organic Unbleached flour. I’m thinking of using an egg next time to see if it will “stick” together better. Any ideas why my bread is falling apart?
I made this bread the other day. Very easy recipe and really yummy! However, it turned out way too crumbly. I waited for the bread to cool completely before slicing it, but now it’s falling apart even more as the days pass. (I made it 2 days ago) The only things I changed were using honey instead of sugar to sweeten the bread and using Organic Unbleached flour. I’m thinking of using an egg next time to see if it will “stick” together better. Any ideas why my bread is falling apart?
I really cannot answer that. Baking anything requires a pretty precise process and sometimes even changing up the type of flour or the sweetner used can change the texture and crumb of the bread. I am so sorry that happened.
Over proofing your dough will turn it into bread crumbs after it is baked. Be sure to keep an eye on it during the second rise, once it’s doubled it’s ready to bake, even if it hasn’t been a full hour.
Awesome recipe! Found this yesterday and made it last night. Both my husband and my 7yr old son were begging me to pack their lunches today! 🙂 Followed your recipe exactly, using organic everything, and it came out perfect. Thank you so much for posting this. I am new to bread making (and homemade anything) and was starting to get discouraged at not finding a good sandwich bread recipe. Now I am looking forward to cooking other stuff!!
Awesome recipe! Found this yesterday and made it last night. Both my husband and my 7yr old son were begging me to pack their lunches today! 🙂 Followed your recipe exactly, using organic everything, and it came out perfect. Thank you so much for posting this. I am new to bread making (and homemade anything) and was starting to get discouraged at not finding a good sandwich bread recipe. Now I am looking forward to cooking other stuff!!
I make is bread at least once a week. Luck if the first loaf lasts the afternoon. Today I experimented and made one f the loaves into cinnamon raisin bread. Gently pulled second half of dough into a 9 x approximately 12 inch rectangle. Spread 1/2 cup of sugar mixed with 1 tsp of cinnamon over the dough, added 1/2 cup raisins to 1/2 of loaf ( hubby likes raisins son does not) and then rolled into 9 inch loaf. Let rise for an hour and it came out fantastic !!!!
Thanks for the recipe. I have a great white bread recipe for rolls and such but it is too crumbly for sandwich bread. This one is rising and seems much denser! My only problem with the recipe is that I had to add more water (1 cup). Any thoughts on this?
I am not an expert bread maker by any stretch of the imagination. We make this bread all the time, so the recipe I shared is what works for us. With that said, what I’ve learned in trying other recipes and working with people that do bake a lot of different breads, is that altitude and humidity level (or lack there of) can both affect a recipe. Please do let me know your results with adding another cup of water to the dough.
It worked great. This is by far the best loaf bread I’ve made in terms of density. My kids said it was a little bland but I think a little bit of sugar would fix that (if I care enough to appease them).
Would it still come out okay if I halved the recipe? I only have one bread pan but really want to try this recipe!
I am not sure about that, I feel like someone else did that and possibly had good results. I have a big family so we actually double the recipe everytime I make it so I’m actually adding more yeast. The yeast is what I worry about.
I had the same problem, only one bread pan. I ended up making the full recipe and using the other half to make a round loaf (or cut it into smaller round loaves) for soups and chili etc. I just did everything the same but baked it on a cookie sheet. I did have to shape it back into a round loaf after the second rise though and lost some of the rise, but they turned out just as delicious if a bit denser.
I have been trying various bread recipes the past few years and recently made my own sourdough starter but still can’t make anything resembling store bought. I tried your recipe today and WOW!! I did cut it in half because of the bad luck I have with bred but it turned out beautiful. My husband even asked for more which is unheard of! Thank you for sharing your recipe and I may be sharing your recipe on my blog the next time I post. All credit to you of course:-)
I have been trying various bread recipes the past few years and recently made my own sourdough starter but still can’t make anything resembling store bought. I tried your recipe today and WOW!! I did cut it in half because of the bad luck I have with bred but it turned out beautiful. My husband even asked for more which is unheard of! Thank you for sharing your recipe and I may be sharing your recipe on my blog the next time I post. All credit to you of course:-)
Thank you so much for this recipe! I’ve been wanting to make homemade bread for my kids, but it seemed all recipes made a dense bread. Which is still good, but for everyday sandwiches I needed something light that my kids could spread PB&J on. This is it!! I love the double recipe. It’s easy, but we go through a loaf a day, so only doing it every other day is perfect. No more bread from the store! My kids school friends are jealous! LOL so happy to get them away from all those preservatives! Thank you!
I’ve been looking forever for a good sandwich bread, but every recipe I’ve found is too crumby for sandwiches, and my kiddos complain! I think yours will be the perfect solution! Before I go crazy I was wondering if this freezes well? I’m asking mostly because I like to make a week’s worth of sandwiches for my girls’ school lunches, and then put them in the freezer, then in the morning when I pack their lunches I only have to throw everything together instead of making sandwiches and cutting fruit or veggies.
I’ve been looking forever for a good sandwich bread, but every recipe I’ve found is too crumby for sandwiches, and my kiddos complain! I think yours will be the perfect solution! Before I go crazy I was wondering if this freezes well? I’m asking mostly because I like to make a week’s worth of sandwiches for my girls’ school lunches, and then put them in the freezer, then in the morning when I pack their lunches I only have to throw everything together instead of making sandwiches and cutting fruit or veggies.
I can’t really answer that. I’ve frozen the bread as a whole and then used it for such things as French Toast and it was still good, but I haven’t frozen the bread in so long and never for a sandwich that I don’t feel great telling you an answer to that. IF you do make it and freeze it, just freeze one sandwich and see how it comes out.
Please let me know the results, as I’m curious. Thanks!
So I made this yesterday. I woke up this morning to my husband asking me to make some more. We had grilled cheese and tomato soup last night for dinner using this bread, the random slice here & there, my husband’s lunch sandwiches today, and my son ate the remaining bread this morning. When my son ate the last piece he said “OH NO MOMMY! It’s all gone? Can we make some more please?” So…. Our second batch is rising. Hopefully this batch will last longer. I’m making cinnamon bread with half of it so we shall see! Thank you so much for a wonderful recipe! I’ve been looking for a good sandwich bread for years.
So I made this yesterday. I woke up this morning to my husband asking me to make some more. We had grilled cheese and tomato soup last night for dinner using this bread, the random slice here & there, my husband’s lunch sandwiches today, and my son ate the remaining bread this morning. When my son ate the last piece he said “OH NO MOMMY! It’s all gone? Can we make some more please?” So…. Our second batch is rising. Hopefully this batch will last longer. I’m making cinnamon bread with half of it so we shall see! Thank you so much for a wonderful recipe! I’ve been looking for a good sandwich bread for years.
Got hooked on baking bread with the Jim Lahey no-knead dutch oven recipe and after a year decided to try a white sandwich bread. Your recipe came out fantastic–beautiful loaves, nice crumb and consistency and good flavor. And not having to plan ahead 15 hours is a plus. Doing a second batch now. Really enjoying the magic of the rise. Thanks!
Got hooked on baking bread with the Jim Lahey no-knead dutch oven recipe and after a year decided to try a white sandwich bread. Your recipe came out fantastic–beautiful loaves, nice crumb and consistency and good flavor. And not having to plan ahead 15 hours is a plus. Doing a second batch now. Really enjoying the magic of the rise. Thanks!
I have made bread using your recipe several times and we absolutely love it. I was curious if I can turn the dough into rolls instead of loaves.
Thanks
I like the recipe, but my bread doesn’t brown. I tried baking it for 5 more minutes, but it is still too light. I don’t want to dry it out. Any suggestions?
I am by no means a bread connoisseur, so I had to google it, since I haven’t had that problem. Looks like you might be at a higher altitude than I am? Here is what someone else does: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20091207084603AAhBdpa
Let me know if that works Emmie. Sorry you’re having problems!
Mine doesn’t seem to brown either, but the taste is still amazing! I read through the reasons it doesn’t brown, and figured it tastes great, I can get over lighter crusts. Plus it isn’t as obvious to my sons that the bread has crusts with it so light, they don’t pull it off! This recipe is absolutely amazing and I really appreciate you sharing it.
So..I stumbled upon this recipe. I have been playing around with bread recipes for a while now. This is by far the best I have found for a good, everyday, make a sandwich, grab a snack kinda bread. The taste is amazing, like a good country white bread, the texture is chewy and dense, and the crust…don’t get me started on the crust! This one is a keeper and will be my bread every day. I also used this to make pizza crust and my other non-loaf variety breads, and it works. Every. single. time. That says a lot because I have ruined some dough in my day! Thank you for sharing such an awesome recipe.
So..I stumbled upon this recipe. I have been playing around with bread recipes for a while now. This is by far the best I have found for a good, everyday, make a sandwich, grab a snack kinda bread. The taste is amazing, like a good country white bread, the texture is chewy and dense, and the crust…don’t get me started on the crust! This one is a keeper and will be my bread every day. I also used this to make pizza crust and my other non-loaf variety breads, and it works. Every. single. time. That says a lot because I have ruined some dough in my day! Thank you for sharing such an awesome recipe.
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!! For this recipe. My son is allergic to corn and soy among many other things and it is so difficult to find bread that does not have either of those ingredients or artificial colors or preservatives. Plus he is a picky eater and doesn’t care much for the breads we have tried. However, this bread is perfect, outstanding, delicious, and has solved all my bread problems!!!!! He loves it and I’m surprised how simple and easy it is to make. Thank you again.
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!! For this recipe. My son is allergic to corn and soy among many other things and it is so difficult to find bread that does not have either of those ingredients or artificial colors or preservatives. Plus he is a picky eater and doesn’t care much for the breads we have tried. However, this bread is perfect, outstanding, delicious, and has solved all my bread problems!!!!! He loves it and I’m surprised how simple and easy it is to make. Thank you again.
You are so welcome Margo, I’m glad you love it and your son loves it. 🙂
Love the bread!!! My hubby was like “and why have you not ever made this bf?” At first attempt I had the water too hot so my yeast did not rise but my second time it came out perfect. Thank you for great directions.
I’ve made this bread a few times now and really like it. But it keeps sinking in the middle. It looks so fluffy and tall when I put it in the oven then a few minutes later I check it and the top is deflated. It tastes good but the loaf ends up being short. What could I be doing wrong?
I’ve made this bread a few times now and really like it. But it keeps sinking in the middle. It looks so fluffy and tall when I put it in the oven then a few minutes later I check it and the top is deflated. It tastes good but the loaf ends up being short. What could I be doing wrong?
Kendra, trying reading this and see if any of it applies… http://community.kingarthurflour.com/content/why-does-my-bread-fall-oven
Sorry I don’t have a better answer.
Thank you for the link! I’m going to try their suggestions.
You’re welcome Kendra, I’m glad I could at least point you in some kind of direction. lol I am by no means a bread connoisseur, I’m still learning like the rest of you. But this bread recipe has been my tried and true for YEARS. I’m glad you found it and hope you can figure out what is causing the fall.
Made this tonight. Oh my goodness, so good!! My kids and husband loved it as much as I did. We are a family of 6 and one loaf is now gone. I expect the rest will be gone tomorrow as I am planning to make french toast out of it in the morning. Thank you for a simple recipe for PERFECT homemade sandwich bread!
Pan size?
I believe somewhere in the post up there, I did mention using my Pyrex 9×5 inch glass loaf pans. It will be your choice in whether you’d like a lighter crust (comes from the glass) or a little darker (use metal). When we first made this bread, I just use the loaf pan I had at home, so that wound up being the 9×5 inch one that came with my pyrex set.
Love this bread! I have never tried baking bread without a mixer. This bread is soooo easy for even a novice like me to make. Prevent when I mess up the directions ( yeah, I said I was a novice right!.p?!). It still comes out yummy. Maybe not pretty, but still yummy. My sandwich loving hubby loves it as well as my bread loving 3 year old son. Can’t say enough good things about this recipe!!!
Hi! What size loaf pans do you use. 8″ or 9″?
Thank you,
Steph
You can actually use either one. I have used both.
I so wish you had the whole wheat version of this! I love the simplicity of your recipe, and the texture of your bread… but I try to stick to whole wheat whenever possible. If you have any tips on making the switch, let me know. Otherwise I’ll experiment on my own and see how it goes.
I love making bread with my Compact Bosch and had to write to tell you that I really love this recipe. Made it and it turned out beautiful. We were looking for a bread that we could use for French Toast. This bread is great for that. Thanks for posting it and sure glad that I ran across this.
I love making bread with my Compact Bosch and had to write to tell you that I really love this recipe. Made it and it turned out beautiful. We were looking for a bread that we could use for French Toast. This bread is great for that. Thanks for posting it and sure glad that I ran across this.
OH MY GOSH, this bread is AMAZING! I made a double batch, and split it between 3 – 15″ loaf pans, so hopefully it will last a little longer. It was so simple to make, too. I went ahead and used my stand mixer just long enough to get everything combined, then pulled it out and kneaded it by hand (I find this to be rather cathartic) for about 10 minutes. When they came out of the oven, they were so beautiful I had to take a picture. And they taste even better than they look!
This just became a staple in my house 🙂
OH MY GOSH, this bread is AMAZING! I made a double batch, and split it between 3 – 15″ loaf pans, so hopefully it will last a little longer. It was so simple to make, too. I went ahead and used my stand mixer just long enough to get everything combined, then pulled it out and kneaded it by hand (I find this to be rather cathartic) for about 10 minutes. When they came out of the oven, they were so beautiful I had to take a picture. And they taste even better than they look!
This just became a staple in my house 🙂
ok… so i decided that i needed to see if it really IS more cost-effective to back my own bread. here’s a breakdown of what i pay for ingredients:
jar of yeast: $7.19 (the jar is 4 oz; that’s 10 TBSP)
flour by the pound: $0.33 (i use unbleaced flour)
butter by the pound: +/- $3.00
sugar by the pound: $0.55
salt by the pound: $0.55
per batch, here’s what it costs:
yeast: 1 TBSP @ $0.79
flour: +/- 2 lbs @ $0.66
butter: 2.5 TBSP @ +/- $0.25
sugar: 2 TBSP – cost is negligible
salt: 1 tsp – cost is negligible
total per batch: $1.70
i double my recipe, which yields 3 – 15″ (2-lb) loaves.
cost per loaf: approximately $1.13
i figure by the time i factor in the cost of my utilities (water, gas, electric), i’m STILL at around $1.50/loaf.
CHEAP bread loaded with preservatives runs at least $1.20/loaf; this is a 5-ingredient recipe, so you know exactly what you’re eating. so yeah, i think it really IS worth it! especially since i can stock up on the ingredients when i have extra $$, make the bread, and then freeze it. since i have a vacuum sealer, i can freeze my bread almost indefinitely (if you have one, too, just make sure freeze your bread SOLID before you try to vacuum-pack it. otherwise you suck the bread flat ) one jar of yeast yields 30 – 15″ loaves of bread…
ok… so i decided that i needed to see if it really IS more cost-effective to back my own bread. here’s a breakdown of what i pay for ingredients:
jar of yeast: $7.19 (the jar is 4 oz; that’s 10 TBSP)
flour by the pound: $0.33 (i use unbleaced flour)
butter by the pound: +/- $3.00
sugar by the pound: $0.55
salt by the pound: $0.55
per batch, here’s what it costs:
yeast: 1 TBSP @ $0.79
flour: +/- 2 lbs @ $0.66
butter: 2.5 TBSP @ +/- $0.25
sugar: 2 TBSP – cost is negligible
salt: 1 tsp – cost is negligible
total per batch: $1.70
i double my recipe, which yields 3 – 15″ (2-lb) loaves.
cost per loaf: approximately $1.13
i figure by the time i factor in the cost of my utilities (water, gas, electric), i’m STILL at around $1.50/loaf.
CHEAP bread loaded with preservatives runs at least $1.20/loaf; this is a 5-ingredient recipe, so you know exactly what you’re eating. so yeah, i think it really IS worth it! especially since i can stock up on the ingredients when i have extra $$, make the bread, and then freeze it. since i have a vacuum sealer, i can freeze my bread almost indefinitely (if you have one, too, just make sure freeze your bread SOLID before you try to vacuum-pack it. otherwise you suck the bread flat ) one jar of yeast yields 30 – 15″ loaves of bread…
Thank you SO MUCH! I baked this yesterday. OUTSTANDING. I have been trying recipe after recipe and my children have complained about the taste, texture, hardness of the crust.
I asked them to rate this bread: Everyone from preschooler to almost-adult gave it 5 STARS AND 2 THUMBS UP!!
It truly is very good. Much better than store bought. It even sliced better the second day.
Thank you for sharing this recipe. YEAH!!! By the way, it is all gone already.
I have been looking for a recipe I can use for my sons sandwich bread (he can’t have dairy or soy) and I don’t have a mixer! So by substituting Earth Balance dairy and soy free butter he can have sandwiches!! I am making this today! Thanks for posting 🙂
Mine doesn’t seem to brown either, but the taste is still amazing! I read through the reasons it doesn’t brown, and figured it tastes great, I can get over lighter crusts. Plus it isn’t as obvious to my sons that the bread has crusts with it so light, they don’t pull it off! This recipe is absolutely amazing and I really appreciate you sharing it.
So…where is the your homemade bagel and buns recipe? I would love to try those out too!!
dt
Homemade Bagel recipe is here: https://dailydishrecipes.com/homemade-bagels-with-mimosa-cream-cheese-spread-sundaysupper/
I don’t have the homemade buns recipe up. I’m not sure why, it’s about time. haha I will soon.
Is it up yet??? I came here today just to see if I could find your hamburger bun recipe to make them for dinner tonight. Maybe I’ll just try using the bread recipe and shaping them accordingly…
I just made this bread yesterday, it is great! I replaced the butter with coconut oil, as my youngest has a dairy allergy, and it worked perfectly! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
I just made a loaf today and it looks beautiful. Smells good and tastes amazing, too. Thank you so much. My search for the perfect white bread has ended!
Is it up yet??? I came here today just to see if I could find your hamburger bun recipe to make them for dinner tonight. Maybe I’ll just try using the bread recipe and shaping them accordingly…
It is the best! Thank you!!!
Fingers crossed for me as I’m trying your recipe for the first time. This is my third time ever to bake bread and the first two were very VERY unsuccessful *sighs*
I have a question about the oven temperature, is it in Celsius or Fahrenheit? Also I will only be needing to make one loaf at a time cuz we’re a family of two only. Should I freeze the unbaked bough or store it in the fridge?
Thanks!
Hi Asma, the temperature is in Fahrenheit. I am unsure about freezing the dough. I have never done that. You might want to check out a bread making website for tips. I am not a bread maker at all, and with our large family we can go through a whole loaf in a day, so definitely no need to freeze anything. haha Sorry I couldn’t be more help.
Amazing! I was pretty lazy with it and didn’t knead much, and yet it still turned out amazing on the first try! I glazed the crust with butter right out of the oven. I tend to prefer rustic, coarse wholewheat breads, but my husband enjoys fluffy white bread for his sandwiches, so this fit the bill. It sliced like a dream, which is very rare for me, so I’m very excited about that (a bread that can *actually* be sliced for sandwich use yay!). Will be making again, thank you!
Mary, I am so glad it worked out for you and your husband. By far a favorite bread recipe around here, and I love the slicing ability. Enjoy!
Just tried baking this bread this morning and couldn’t wait for the loaf to cool before cutting into it haha! The smell was to die for and it tasted great! I’m new to this but right now I’m thinking why on earth did I wait so long to bake my own bread??? This is too fun and too good to go back to the store-bought bread. This is a great recipe, easy enough, I will try it again for sure, maybe with cheddar cheese or olives or dried tomatoes next time. Should I just mix it with the dough while kneading or roll the dough in a rectangle, sprinkle toppings of choice, then roll into loaf and let rise?
I think our flour here in Canada (I live in Quebec) may be different because it’s the third bread recipe I’m trying and each time I need less flour than what the recipe calls for. I don’t know if it’s the temperature, the flour itself or whatever, but I start with 3 to 4 cups at first then add on as I’m kneading and stop adding when I feel the dough is right.
Thanks again! I’ll definitely try other repices on your blog soon!
I don’t know if I’ve commented on this recipe before but I just have to say, THIS IS THE BEST sandwich bread recipe I’ve found. Of course it usually gets eaten before I can turn it into sandwiches! The texture is perfect. The crust, perfect. And it’s simple enough that I’m teaching my kids (ages 5-13) to make bread using THIS recipe.
One note: halve the recipe before using in a standard size bread machine. It does say two loaves, after all. Lesson learned (smacks forehead).
I don’t know if I’ve commented on this recipe before but I just have to say, THIS IS THE BEST sandwich bread recipe I’ve found. Of course it usually gets eaten before I can turn it into sandwiches! The texture is perfect. The crust, perfect. And it’s simple enough that I’m teaching my kids (ages 5-13) to make bread using THIS recipe.
One note: halve the recipe before using in a standard size bread machine. It does say two loaves, after all. Lesson learned (smacks forehead).
Kristin,
Did you use a bread machine to bake your bread? I have one that I haven’t used forever and I would love to make this bread but if I don’t use my machine my honey (who bought it for me because I INSISTED I HAD to have it) will kill me 🙂
If you did use a bread machine can you tell me what setting and at what point you put the dough in the machine?
I would greatly appreciate any advice you might have on making this recipe in a bread machine instead of a loaf pan.
Thanks,
Cindy
I had been eyeballing this recipe all week and finally made it last night…. WHAT AMAZING BREAD!!! I started the whole process after dinner (crazy) and so the loafs finally came out of the oven around midnight lol my husband and I were definitely having warm bread and jam at 1am!! I sliced it up and took some in for my coworkers this morning and it is a huge success!!
Thank you for sharing.
p.s. I stored them in ziplock bags and noticed that there is condensation inside… any idea that might happen? How do you recommend I store the loaves?
Were they completely cool when you put them in the bags? If so I would recommend using a bag from a store-bought loaf.
Just coming back to this page for the millionth time to get the recipe again… although I mostly have it memorized.
I have been using this for sandwiches for the past four months or so… this is my go to recipe. it is so good.
Two small changes that I make are to replace 1/3 of the flour with whole wheat, and use honey instead of sugar.
thanks so much for this great recipe!
Yum. Made your recipe earlier this evening, had it chillin’ on the counter, sliced it up before heading up for the night and had to try a bite. It’s perfect: chewy crust, buttery smell, light and amazing texture. Can’t wait for actual food (you know, grilled cheese, and Nutella sandwiches) with it!
Yum. Made your recipe earlier this evening, had it chillin’ on the counter, sliced it up before heading up for the night and had to try a bite. It’s perfect: chewy crust, buttery smell, light and amazing texture. Can’t wait for actual food (you know, grilled cheese, and Nutella sandwiches) with it!
I made this twice, once using coconut oil instead of butter and then the second time using EVOO. Both times were fantastic but I liked the EVOO best. That batch I made one loaf and one pan of buns and my husband said those were the best buns ever. The bread is easy to cut and use which I really appreciate since my goal is to get us out of buying cheap, commercial bread products.
Thanks!
I made this twice, once using coconut oil instead of butter and then the second time using EVOO. Both times were fantastic but I liked the EVOO best. That batch I made one loaf and one pan of buns and my husband said those were the best buns ever. The bread is easy to cut and use which I really appreciate since my goal is to get us out of buying cheap, commercial bread products.
Thanks!
Hi Robyn, Thank you for your sweet words. I am so glad you liked the recipe and I absolutely love seeing what others do to tweak it and make it their own. Enjoy!
I was looking for a homemade bread that would slice easily for sandwiches and I’m SO glad I found this recipe. I don’t have much experience with breadmaking from scratch, but I made a loaf yesterday and it came out just beautifully. I cut the recipe precisely in half to make just one loaf and had no problems whatsoever. The finished bread was easy to slice (that nice, soft crust really helps) and despite being so tender, it held together just fine when I used a few slices to make a fried egg sandwich for breakfast this morning. And best of all, the bread tastes great! I’ll be making this recipe again and again in the future. Thanks!
I was looking for a homemade bread that would slice easily for sandwiches and I’m SO glad I found this recipe. I don’t have much experience with breadmaking from scratch, but I made a loaf yesterday and it came out just beautifully. I cut the recipe precisely in half to make just one loaf and had no problems whatsoever. The finished bread was easy to slice (that nice, soft crust really helps) and despite being so tender, it held together just fine when I used a few slices to make a fried egg sandwich for breakfast this morning. And best of all, the bread tastes great! I’ll be making this recipe again and again in the future. Thanks!
This bread is delicious! I’ve never made bread before, but it wasn’t hard at all! Thanks so much for the recipe. Does anyone know the nutrition facts / calories in this bread?
This bread is delicious! I’ve never made bread before, but it wasn’t hard at all! Thanks so much for the recipe. Does anyone know the nutrition facts / calories in this bread?
There are a ton of comments here so if this was answered before I apologize. Could this bread handle add-ins such as seeds, and nuts or wet add-ins such as olives or jalapenos? If so, what adjustments would you make to the recipe?
Oh and this bread was delicious by the way. You’re absolutely right, this bread does NOT last long. I believe our lasted a day, MAYBE!!!
There are a ton of comments here so if this was answered before I apologize. Could this bread handle add-ins such as seeds, and nuts or wet add-ins such as olives or jalapenos? If so, what adjustments would you make to the recipe?
Oh and this bread was delicious by the way. You’re absolutely right, this bread does NOT last long. I believe our lasted a day, MAYBE!!!
Not rising. I’ve tried this recipe twice now and I’m certain I’ve done everything but it’s not rising. I have other bread recipes that work fine, but I want this one to work. Any advice?
Have you checked to ensure your yeast is still good? That’s the most common problem with rising issues. Well, that and temperature. Make sure you keep the area you have it rising in, warm and not cold. I have never had it not rise on me, and I haven’t actually heard this yet. Which is why I am tending to go with either temperature or the yeast.
I think I know what I did wrong. Trying it again today. I think my water was to hot. I read another recipe that said if added water is too hot it will kill your yeast. We’ll see.
That was it. Worked perfectly this time.
I am so happy to hear that Suzanne!! Hope you enjoy it! And yes, I have been totally guilty of the too hot water a few times. I feel your pain. 🙂
That was it. Worked perfectly this time.
I’m trying this one today, as I don’t always want to make a sourdough bread…. I slow rise my sourdough, and sometimes, you just need a good loaf of bread ready TODAY.
Since this makes two loaves, I’m making one for my doula, and one for us. I was so bad and turned it into cinnamon raisin swirl bread. It’s on the second rise now, but I’m pretty excited for it. Because of the change to a sweeter bread, I added a bit more sugar and a couple of shakes of cinnamon to the dough, so that even the non swirl part tastes cinnamon-y.
I’ll comment again once it’s tasting time!!
I’m definitely interested in how your changes worked with the bread recipe. We’ve played around a few times with both great results and disasters. With baking being such a fine science, I’m always worried to change up a recipe too much for fear it won’t turn out. Yours sounds lovely, but I am eager to hear how to changes worked.
Thank you for the recipe. The bread turned out perfectly! I made two loaves last weekend and both were gone before Friday! I don’t see us using store-bought sandwich bread anymore!
Thank you for the recipe. The bread turned out perfectly! I made two loaves last weekend and both were gone before Friday! I don’t see us using store-bought sandwich bread anymore!
I am making this bread for the second time. I am finding that with these measurements my dough in the mixer is coming out super sticky..i mean sticking to my hand completely. First time it happen but not that bad. And I added 1/2 cup of flour more to bring it together. I am hoping it goes away. Do you have an idea as to why it may be coming out of the mixer so sticky. First batch came out great but I’m thinking if It wasn’t so sticky..would it be better?????
Hi Karen, I have actually not had the problem of my dough being sticky, however I did a little research for you and on the Red Star yeast site, they provided this answer to why your dough could be too sticky:
I’ve searched the far corners of the internet for a good sandwich bread recipe, with terrible results. Too sweet, too salty, bad texture, etc. Until I found this recipe! I just made this for the second time and what an awesome recipe! I did brush the loaves with melted butter when they came out of the oven – I think it makes them prettier, but other than that, this recipe is perfect. I am anxious to try some of your other recipes now, thanks for the great blog!
Made this today, house smells amazing, we all love it! added a honey glaze to the top…holy crap its so good I may wipe before I poop! thank you!
Made this today, house smells amazing, we all love it! added a honey glaze to the top…holy crap its so good I may wipe before I poop! thank you!
I was looking for a great bread for turkey sandwiches, using our Thanksgiving leftovers. I came across this recipe and I had to give it a try. My go to bread recipe has been Amish White Bread from allrecipes.com but I was up for trying something different. It was amazing! You mentioned to wait until the bread cooled before cutting. Well, it smelled and looked so good my son and I had to slice it, smear it with butter, and dig in. It was awesome. We both stood at the kitchen counter, moaning as we savored every bite. Thank you so much for the recipe. I will be making this often. As a side note, I bake and cook a lot and I am always surfing the web for some good recipes. When I find one, one of the first things I do is to read the reviews. I have a new pet peeve….people who do not make the recipe but comment on how good it looks or how they have to try it. Telling me it looks good or expressing the desire to try it is not a review. There are a lot of people with a lot of time on their hands.
Again, thank you for the fabulous recipe – my advice…just make it!
I was looking for a great bread for turkey sandwiches, using our Thanksgiving leftovers. I came across this recipe and I had to give it a try. My go to bread recipe has been Amish White Bread from allrecipes.com but I was up for trying something different. It was amazing! You mentioned to wait until the bread cooled before cutting. Well, it smelled and looked so good my son and I had to slice it, smear it with butter, and dig in. It was awesome. We both stood at the kitchen counter, moaning as we savored every bite. Thank you so much for the recipe. I will be making this often. As a side note, I bake and cook a lot and I am always surfing the web for some good recipes. When I find one, one of the first things I do is to read the reviews. I have a new pet peeve….people who do not make the recipe but comment on how good it looks or how they have to try it. Telling me it looks good or expressing the desire to try it is not a review. There are a lot of people with a lot of time on their hands.
Again, thank you for the fabulous recipe – my advice…just make it!
Hi Kelley, I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe, it is our go-to and we do the same thing. Moaning and eating right away lol. I understand your frustration at comments saying how good it looks but them having not tried it yet, doesn’t tell you much about the actual recipe. However as a blogger, I do enjoy the positive comments and those expressing their interest in trying it out and many that comment that it looks so good, do come back and make it and often leave another comment. I think it might be different if I wasn’t a blogger, but just a recipe site (which I used to be). I’m SO glad you enjoy it and hope you make it again and again. Happy Holidays!
Im just beginning to bake so Im not very experienced. I only needed one loaf so I cut the recipe in half. At first it was way to sticky and I kept adding flour to no avail. I realized that although I had cut all the other ingredients in half no problem I needed more butter. The bread smells as amazing as it looks and tastes great!
Awesome recipe! Thank you. My kids loved it and it was so easy that I can make it every day…that’s about how long any loaf of bread lasts in my house. Cheers!
My loaves are 1/2 way through rising! I’ve been looking for a good bread recipe that was easy enough for me and that would pass my boy’s taste test. Can’t wait until it’s done. 🙂 Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Stephanie, I hope they turned out delicious. We love them so much! So much better than store bought and SO easy!
Nicole, really super great recipe. Thanks,
Nicole, really super great recipe. Thanks,
I have never made bread before trying this recipe, and it turned out perfect! Looks and tastes amazing, I won’t be buying bread ever again.
I have never made bread before trying this recipe, and it turned out perfect! Looks and tastes amazing, I won’t be buying bread ever again.
Hi, Nicole – I am SO anxious to try this and was wondering if you had tried a whole wheat version. I’m considering doing half wheat flour and half white.
The thought of making fresh bread twice a week just because it doesn’t have a long shelf life makes me a little nervous, but maybe I can eke out seven days with it? We’re a fam of three, and a loaf of bread will last us longer than most.
Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Hi Keisha,
I have not tried a whole wheat version with this recipe but I think somewhere in the comments someone might have. I’m pretty sure it was ok. I do think that it changes the texture a bit but it’s still soft and others have said tastes good. If you do it, please leave me a comment and let me know how it turned out. Good luck and Happy Bread making!
Thanks so much!
Wanted to let you know I made the bread tonight (I halved the recipe). We thought it tasted good, but it didn’t have that *sandwich bread* consistency I was looking for… was wondering if maybe I didn’t knead it enough? I really cut back on the 10 minutes in the recipe because it otherwise was “slightly elastic, smooth, and not sticking to anything.” The dough looked like I thought it was supposed to, so I was afraid to overknead. Was that a mistake?
(Also, I’m laughing my previous comment about bread lasting so much longer for a fam of three… we have already eaten over a third of this little loaf tonight. :-D)
Apparently I’m a few years late to the party BUT this recipe is fantastic, thank you so much for sharing it!! I made it last night and it’s so hard to stop eating it. My daughter loves it and I love that it’s so simple and doesn’t have a ton of unnecessary ingredients like store bought bread and it’s not at all crumbly like my first attempt at making bread (using another recipe of course). Thanks again!!
Apparently I’m a few years late to the party BUT this recipe is fantastic, thank you so much for sharing it!! I made it last night and it’s so hard to stop eating it. My daughter loves it and I love that it’s so simple and doesn’t have a ton of unnecessary ingredients like store bought bread and it’s not at all crumbly like my first attempt at making bread (using another recipe of course). Thanks again!!
I was intimated looking at the long list of instructions. I was unsure if you meant 10 minutes by hand and then 5 minutes with a mixer….or couple pick one of the other.
I used the mixer…this bread was AMAZING & easy!
Thanks so much for sharing this recipe!
I was intimated looking at the long list of instructions. I was unsure if you meant 10 minutes by hand and then 5 minutes with a mixer….or couple pick one of the other.
I used the mixer…this bread was AMAZING & easy!
Thanks so much for sharing this recipe!
You mentioned wanting to try English muffins..I’ve made them with pretty good success but came across America’s Test Kitchen English Muffin Bread…absolutely fabulous and easy!
My husband and I just had BLTs made with this bread. It’s wonderful! The flavor is mild. Definitely not too salty!
I substituted 2 cups of whole wheat flour, then used all purpose flour for the rest. The texture of the bread was still very soft. It did have a hard top crust, but we didn’t mind that. This is a great recipe!
My husband and I just had BLTs made with this bread. It’s wonderful! The flavor is mild. Definitely not too salty!
I substituted 2 cups of whole wheat flour, then used all purpose flour for the rest. The texture of the bread was still very soft. It did have a hard top crust, but we didn’t mind that. This is a great recipe!
I am interested to try this recipe. I have only seen bread recipes with high gluten flour though. What is the reason you chose to use AP? I am so excited I can use regular flour, I am just wondering what the difference in outcome is!
Hi Jen,
I used AP because it was what I had on hand back then and honestly I make most of my bread products with regular old flour. No real reason as to why over other stuff just its what I had.
Hope that helps.
This bread is great, and it is so easy for a beginner like me! I followed the instructions exactly and it came out perfect. We tried it last week, and now I’m making my second batch. My husband now prefers I make this instead of buying bread. I read somewhere (I don’t remember if it was here or another website) to store bread in a paper bag, but that didn’t work at all. It was rock hard and stale within two days. So I reccomend storing it in plastic or something airtight.
Katie, I’ve read the paper bag thing too, but have never had any luck doing that. I either use a bread drawer or the plastic bags I described. I’m so glad you and your husband love this bread. Enjoy!
Well I really want to try this recipe as is but we have 2 with autoimmune disorders in our family who are gluten intolerant. Dang! So I have my GF flour ready to go and am so hoping this turns great even with the flour substitution. We all LOVE bread! Will drop a line and let you about the results.
Wow, this was really delicious. Even my picky hungarian father loved it. Definitely a keeper recipe. Thank you!
I received a Kitchenaid Professional Mixer as an early Mother’s Day gift from my daughter and husband, so of course I am in like bake and cook everything I can mode. After searching the internet for WAY too long for a bread recipe, I landed on yours from all the good reviews it received (always a good place to start).
Holy Moly, what a difference having this thing to knead your dough! Anyhow, it rose very quick and on the second rise in the pan I left to pick my daughter up from work and I think might have let it rise a little too much (1 ½ hours) and one started to fall but I baked them off (one a bit wonky but really who cares about aesthetics when it comes to homemade bread! I baked one in metal pan and one in glass pan to compare. This is an awesome easy recipe that I will be using from this point on for our white bread in the house. NO more Grocery store bread for us! It doesn’t fall apart but not super dense either and is DELICIOUS. I always put a tad more yeast than it calls for because we prefer that yeasty flavor! Why would you buy store bread, when you can make this so easily!
I received a Kitchenaid Professional Mixer as an early Mother’s Day gift from my daughter and husband, so of course I am in like bake and cook everything I can mode. After searching the internet for WAY too long for a bread recipe, I landed on yours from all the good reviews it received (always a good place to start).
Holy Moly, what a difference having this thing to knead your dough! Anyhow, it rose very quick and on the second rise in the pan I left to pick my daughter up from work and I think might have let it rise a little too much (1 ½ hours) and one started to fall but I baked them off (one a bit wonky but really who cares about aesthetics when it comes to homemade bread! I baked one in metal pan and one in glass pan to compare. This is an awesome easy recipe that I will be using from this point on for our white bread in the house. NO more Grocery store bread for us! It doesn’t fall apart but not super dense either and is DELICIOUS. I always put a tad more yeast than it calls for because we prefer that yeasty flavor! Why would you buy store bread, when you can make this so easily!
i just made this bread and it was truly yumilisious!!! i made one loaf in a metal tray and 8 buns in a pirex dish… all came out so well….thank you soooooo much
I liked the minimum ingredients required for this recipe. I had everything on hand so I halfed the recipe and put the stand mixer to work. It turned out great. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Hi there,
We are on a farm in rural Australia and as I am home with our baby son I have time to do more cooking. Tried making bread a few months back and gave up but then recently came across this and Ive been making it eceryday sinece. Thats all this bread lasts in this house, 1 day. Everyone loves it so thank you!!
Hi there,
We are on a farm in rural Australia and as I am home with our baby son I have time to do more cooking. Tried making bread a few months back and gave up but then recently came across this and Ive been making it eceryday sinece. Thats all this bread lasts in this house, 1 day. Everyone loves it so thank you!!
Aw, I love success stories like this one Jennifer. I’m so glad you guys love it and I understand. Our bread does NOT last long! haha Thanks for the comment!
This was my first try at homemade bread and it turned out amazing!! My mouth is still watering to eat the whole loaf of bread! Do you have anymore bread recipes for say wheat bread or cheese bread or something? I would love to try some more flavors. Thank you!!!
Can Instant Yeast be used instead of active yeast?
Thanks!
I have only made it the way it is listed here on my site, so I am not sure how that will affect things. If you try it, be sure and let us know how it works out.
I only use salted butter. Should I reduce the added salt in this recipe?
Thank you
Hi Carol, I am not sure. I only use unsalted butter unless a recipe calls for something different. This particular bread recipe I have only made with unsalted. You could try reducing the salt, otherwise I would worry about the flavor being too salty. Please let us know if it works out if you decide to try it. Thanks!
Than you very much for the quick reply. Learned a lot about butter the last day or so. Seems I can use the salted butter but eliminate the additional salt or reduce it by half. Could either kill the yeast or make bread too salty if using both.
I was more concerned about the salt killing off my yeast.
My other bread (Italian) calls for oil not butter so hadn’t come across this butter problem before.
Trying out this recipe on the weekend. Time of use meters :O(
This bread is so easy to make! I use only 5 cups of Bread Flour and add an extra tbs of honey. I have made this for my kids many many times. Thanks for sharing!
Tried your recipe to-day. Normally I make an Italian bread (free form). Ingredients and amounts are very similar to yours with subtle differences and a lot more work.
I wanted a recipe that wouldn’t kill my Kitchen Aid and that would work in 9X5 pans. Free form bread has a lot of smaller pieces on the ends that can be used for croutons but too small for sandwich making. More waste is what I’m saying.
I had to cut the second rise down to 50 minutes as it was getting over the inch mark. This is the first time I have used All Purpose flour for bread (Robin Hood). It worked amazingly well. Also, used salted butter and kept to the 1 tsp. of salt. No problem. I use homemade whipped butter (butter and 3/4 cup light Olive Oil for spreading. Cuts the salt and fat anyway.
Well!!! This was the easiest and best bread ever. Made the best toast I have ever eaten. I spread the top with whipped butter when done. I normally dislike crust but ate the whole thing.
If freezing bread, my suggestion is to always double bag it. Keeps weeks.
I’ve been making bread for over 10 yrs. Burned out 3 bread machines, finally bought a Kitchen Aid Artisan mixer 7 yrs. ago and finally burned that one out. Now using a new one. Bought 2 9X5 pans just to try your bread recipe.
Than you soooooooooooo much for this go to recipe. (Sorry for the length). I’m gabby when excited!!
This bread is so easy to make! I use only 5 cups of Bread Flour and add an extra tbs of honey. I have made this for my kids many many times. Thanks for sharing!
Did you ever compare using bread flour to all purpose?
I have been baking bread for 40 years and always looking for that one you can always go to. At 60 years old I found it. Was looking for the one to make every week for my husband and me. He is one to always to say it is ok. Last night I asked him reply good. This morning at our meal he says this bread is really good.From him that is a big deal in my world and I thank you. How great some thing so easy can bring such joy. You have the touch. New fan Michelle
I have been baking bread for 40 years and always looking for that one you can always go to. At 60 years old I found it. Was looking for the one to make every week for my husband and me. He is one to always to say it is ok. Last night I asked him reply good. This morning at our meal he says this bread is really good.From him that is a big deal in my world and I thank you. How great some thing so easy can bring such joy. You have the touch. New fan Michelle
Thank you for this amazing recipe! I have been baking bread for a few years now, and this just became our new go-to favourite! We love the recipe as written, and I have also played around slightly with the recipe, substituting 1/2 whole wheat in the flour, honey instead of sugar, and I usually add sunflower seeds and flax. I have also cut out the salt, as I use salted butter (was wondering if that may have been a factor in previous comments about the bread being too salty?!)
It is absolutely delicious, every time!
Thank you again!!
Thank you for this amazing recipe! I have been baking bread for a few years now, and this just became our new go-to favourite! We love the recipe as written, and I have also played around slightly with the recipe, substituting 1/2 whole wheat in the flour, honey instead of sugar, and I usually add sunflower seeds and flax. I have also cut out the salt, as I use salted butter (was wondering if that may have been a factor in previous comments about the bread being too salty?!)
It is absolutely delicious, every time!
Thank you again!!
Hi Alisa,
Mmmm… your twist sounds fantastic! So glad you love this bread!
Excellent! I just used this recipe as a template for a sourdough version. I was careful to preserve the flour/water proportions (so that even using sourdough starter, the total amounts of flour and water were as prescribed in the recipe), and kept all else the same. Lovely texture & rise. It’s a keeper! Thank you!
I just used this recipe as a template for a sourdough version of sandwich bread. I was careful to preserve the proportions of flour and water, even though using sourdough starter for part of the flour and water. Lovely texture and rise. It’s a keeper! Thanks!
Excellent! I just used this recipe as a template for a sourdough version. I was careful to preserve the flour/water proportions (so that even using sourdough starter, the total amounts of flour and water were as prescribed in the recipe), and kept all else the same. Lovely texture & rise. It’s a keeper! Thank you!
I just used this recipe as a template for a sourdough version of sandwich bread. I was careful to preserve the proportions of flour and water, even though using sourdough starter for part of the flour and water. Lovely texture and rise. It’s a keeper! Thanks!
I’ve been making this bread for our sandwiches for the last few months and it’s been great! I use olive oil instead of butter, since I don’t always have butter on hand, and use a 50/50 of whole white and whole wheat flour. Since I use whole wheat flour, I just make sure to knead it a little longer. Great results every time! For me, the hardest part is getting the loaves to fit just right into the loaf pans!
I am looking for a bread my kids (4&2) will enjoy peanut butter and jelly on. They like plain old white bread and I hate it because it’s so empty. This looks delicious and easy, but I’m wondering if they would like it. Also, if I omit the sugar, what will happen? (I’ve never made bread before so…)
Sugar feeds and activates the yeast into high gear and salt slows it, which is why you wait to put the salt in with the flour. Other commenters have used honey instead of sugar. This is a new found recipe for me and I am excited to try it!
Hi.. Made your bread and it turned out great! I have been trying for years to find the perfect homemade bread and to have it turn out well. I always found(no matter what yeast I use) on the second rise, it would turn flatter and come out looking like the top was missing. I bought some quick rise yeast and noticed it said two risings were not necessary with quick rise yeast. It said to just let it sit for 10 minutes after kneading and then shape it into loaves and let it rise to double. I just tried it and made sure I kneaded it for 10 minutes, let it sit for 10-15 minutes, shaped it and let rise to double and the baked. It turned out absolutely perfect and saves the time of one rise… My new found perfect bread recipe.. Thanks??
Question for Brenda on using the QUICK RISE YEAST ~~ just wondering if you used the same amount of the quick rise yeast, 1 TBSP, as called for when using dry active yeast? I have tons of quick rise yeast and would love to be able to use it in this recipe before it goes bad.
Sorry if someone asked this, didn’t read all the comments, can I freeze the dough for 1 loaf? And bake in a week? Any tips for doing that? We are a family of 4(1 infant not yet on bread) and I have only 1 loaf tin. So I’d rather freeze dough than bread
Hi. Do you have a recipe for just one loaf of bread?.
Thank you!
I’m sorry, I do not. Maybe someone else on here has tried to half the recipe or done something like it. We are a large family so I always make both loaves and freeze one until we are ready to use, or plan to use it in another way (ie. french toast, a casserole, croutons, etc.)
This recipe was wonderful and very forgiving, to my surprise. I have made it twice now. Although we live in the Netherlands and get great fresh bread (no preservatives) all of the time, they don’t have soft crust sandwich bread and it goes bad quickly. With making my own loaf, I can control the size and waste less. I am also making the dough in a bread maker and so the loaves were different both times as I am learning how to adapt the breadmaker to the recipe (we are to add the flour first, but it does not allow for proofing). Even with all of my experimenting on how to get a decent loaf (I halved the recipe), it has been great bread. Even my children prefer it over the Dutch fresh bread (with very tough crusts). I am going to try making hotdog/hamburger buns from it today. I will update/comment again as I try. I guarantee that I will be using this recipe every 3-4 days. Very easy and delicious!
This recipe was wonderful and very forgiving, to my surprise. I have made it twice now. Although we live in the Netherlands and get great fresh bread (no preservatives) all of the time, they don’t have soft crust sandwich bread and it goes bad quickly. With making my own loaf, I can control the size and waste less. I am also making the dough in a bread maker and so the loaves were different both times as I am learning how to adapt the breadmaker to the recipe (we are to add the flour first, but it does not allow for proofing). Even with all of my experimenting on how to get a decent loaf (I halved the recipe), it has been great bread. Even my children prefer it over the Dutch fresh bread (with very tough crusts). I am going to try making hotdog/hamburger buns from it today. I will update/comment again as I try. I guarantee that I will be using this recipe every 3-4 days. Very easy and delicious!
This makes me so happy Patricia. Nothing I love more than passing a recipe on to someone who enjoys it as much as we do! Nothing like homemade fresh sandwich bread.
Hello,
I have tried a couple of recipes with not real good success.
Wondering if I can use bread flour for this and decrease rapid rise yeast 25 percent.
Have a bunch of this flour and yeast so need to find a recipe to use what I have.
Hi Dianne,
I’m not going to be much help, because I have only made this recipe as written and I know it turns out great every time. I am not sure how the substitutions will change the recipe. If you decide to try it though, please come back and update so we know how it worked out for you! 🙂 Good luck!
I used your recipe for the first time today after years of looking for a good sandwich bread recipe to no avail. One loaf is already gone! This is a delicious bread. The crust is yummy and chewy and not at all hard. The texture of this bread is wonderful. It isn’t crumbly, hard, or too dense. It’s just perfect. Thank you from me and my family for sharing this recipe!
This was really easy and is absolutely delicious. We eat very little salt so I was a bit worried about the amount of salt called for but added it anyway and found it just a bit too salty, so will cut the amount in half next time. From everything I have read, it is actually not necessary to add any salt at all when making bread so reducing the amount should not affect the results-only the taste. I normally knead by hand but was in a hurry so used my KitchenAid dough hook for 5 minutes and everything worked perfectly. It slices beautifully and can even be sliced quite thin with a good bread knife. It has a wonderful crumb and, as you say – a lovely, chewy crust. Can’t wait to try some variations. Thanks so much for this recipe. It will definitely be my go-to for sandwiches.
This was really easy and is absolutely delicious. We eat very little salt so I was a bit worried about the amount of salt called for but added it anyway and found it just a bit too salty, so will cut the amount in half next time. From everything I have read, it is actually not necessary to add any salt at all when making bread so reducing the amount should not affect the results-only the taste. I normally knead by hand but was in a hurry so used my KitchenAid dough hook for 5 minutes and everything worked perfectly. It slices beautifully and can even be sliced quite thin with a good bread knife. It has a wonderful crumb and, as you say – a lovely, chewy crust. Can’t wait to try some variations. Thanks so much for this recipe. It will definitely be my go-to for sandwiches.
Best bread recipe I’ve tried so far. I haven’t attempted bread in awhile because all the other times I’ve tried the crumb came out too dense, but this was exactly what I was looking for. Light, soft, and fluffy but still sturdy enough not to be too flimsy. This will definitely be my go-to recipe from now on.
I love this white bread!
also…
I just made Cinnamon Raisin bread using this basic recipe. I added a tsp of ground cinnamon to the existing dough recipe and kneaded as directed. One the dough ball was formed I rolled out using a rolling pin spread an additional 3 tbsp of butter sprinkled with a cinnamon sugar mix and rolled back up tucking in the ends. It came out wonderful!
This recipe really is great. The bread turned out great, nice and soft.
I made this bread the other day. Very easy recipe and really yummy! However, it turned out way too crumbly. I waited for the bread to cool completely before slicing it, but now it’s falling apart even more as the days pass. (I made it 2 days ago) The only things I changed were using honey instead of sugar to sweeten the bread and using Organic Unbleached flour. I’m thinking of using an egg next time to see if it will “stick” together better. Any ideas why my bread is falling apart?
Awesome recipe! Found this yesterday and made it last night. Both my husband and my 7yr old son were begging me to pack their lunches today! 🙂 Followed your recipe exactly, using organic everything, and it came out perfect. Thank you so much for posting this. I am new to bread making (and homemade anything) and was starting to get discouraged at not finding a good sandwich bread recipe. Now I am looking forward to cooking other stuff!!
I make is bread at least once a week. Luck if the first loaf lasts the afternoon. Today I experimented and made one f the loaves into cinnamon raisin bread. Gently pulled second half of dough into a 9 x approximately 12 inch rectangle. Spread 1/2 cup of sugar mixed with 1 tsp of cinnamon over the dough, added 1/2 cup raisins to 1/2 of loaf ( hubby likes raisins son does not) and then rolled into 9 inch loaf. Let rise for an hour and it came out fantastic !!!!
I have been trying various bread recipes the past few years and recently made my own sourdough starter but still can’t make anything resembling store bought. I tried your recipe today and WOW!! I did cut it in half because of the bad luck I have with bred but it turned out beautiful. My husband even asked for more which is unheard of! Thank you for sharing your recipe and I may be sharing your recipe on my blog the next time I post. All credit to you of course:-)
I’ve been looking forever for a good sandwich bread, but every recipe I’ve found is too crumby for sandwiches, and my kiddos complain! I think yours will be the perfect solution! Before I go crazy I was wondering if this freezes well? I’m asking mostly because I like to make a week’s worth of sandwiches for my girls’ school lunches, and then put them in the freezer, then in the morning when I pack their lunches I only have to throw everything together instead of making sandwiches and cutting fruit or veggies.
So I made this yesterday. I woke up this morning to my husband asking me to make some more. We had grilled cheese and tomato soup last night for dinner using this bread, the random slice here & there, my husband’s lunch sandwiches today, and my son ate the remaining bread this morning. When my son ate the last piece he said “OH NO MOMMY! It’s all gone? Can we make some more please?” So…. Our second batch is rising. Hopefully this batch will last longer. I’m making cinnamon bread with half of it so we shall see! Thank you so much for a wonderful recipe! I’ve been looking for a good sandwich bread for years.
Got hooked on baking bread with the Jim Lahey no-knead dutch oven recipe and after a year decided to try a white sandwich bread. Your recipe came out fantastic–beautiful loaves, nice crumb and consistency and good flavor. And not having to plan ahead 15 hours is a plus. Doing a second batch now. Really enjoying the magic of the rise. Thanks!
So..I stumbled upon this recipe. I have been playing around with bread recipes for a while now. This is by far the best I have found for a good, everyday, make a sandwich, grab a snack kinda bread. The taste is amazing, like a good country white bread, the texture is chewy and dense, and the crust…don’t get me started on the crust! This one is a keeper and will be my bread every day. I also used this to make pizza crust and my other non-loaf variety breads, and it works. Every. single. time. That says a lot because I have ruined some dough in my day! Thank you for sharing such an awesome recipe.
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!! For this recipe. My son is allergic to corn and soy among many other things and it is so difficult to find bread that does not have either of those ingredients or artificial colors or preservatives. Plus he is a picky eater and doesn’t care much for the breads we have tried. However, this bread is perfect, outstanding, delicious, and has solved all my bread problems!!!!! He loves it and I’m surprised how simple and easy it is to make. Thank you again.
I’ve made this bread a few times now and really like it. But it keeps sinking in the middle. It looks so fluffy and tall when I put it in the oven then a few minutes later I check it and the top is deflated. It tastes good but the loaf ends up being short. What could I be doing wrong?
I love making bread with my Compact Bosch and had to write to tell you that I really love this recipe. Made it and it turned out beautiful. We were looking for a bread that we could use for French Toast. This bread is great for that. Thanks for posting it and sure glad that I ran across this.
OH MY GOSH, this bread is AMAZING! I made a double batch, and split it between 3 – 15″ loaf pans, so hopefully it will last a little longer. It was so simple to make, too. I went ahead and used my stand mixer just long enough to get everything combined, then pulled it out and kneaded it by hand (I find this to be rather cathartic) for about 10 minutes. When they came out of the oven, they were so beautiful I had to take a picture. And they taste even better than they look!
This just became a staple in my house 🙂
ok… so i decided that i needed to see if it really IS more cost-effective to back my own bread. here’s a breakdown of what i pay for ingredients:
jar of yeast: $7.19 (the jar is 4 oz; that’s 10 TBSP)
flour by the pound: $0.33 (i use unbleaced flour)
butter by the pound: +/- $3.00
sugar by the pound: $0.55
salt by the pound: $0.55
per batch, here’s what it costs:
yeast: 1 TBSP @ $0.79
flour: +/- 2 lbs @ $0.66
butter: 2.5 TBSP @ +/- $0.25
sugar: 2 TBSP – cost is negligible
salt: 1 tsp – cost is negligible
total per batch: $1.70
i double my recipe, which yields 3 – 15″ (2-lb) loaves.
cost per loaf: approximately $1.13
i figure by the time i factor in the cost of my utilities (water, gas, electric), i’m STILL at around $1.50/loaf.
CHEAP bread loaded with preservatives runs at least $1.20/loaf; this is a 5-ingredient recipe, so you know exactly what you’re eating. so yeah, i think it really IS worth it! especially since i can stock up on the ingredients when i have extra $$, make the bread, and then freeze it. since i have a vacuum sealer, i can freeze my bread almost indefinitely (if you have one, too, just make sure freeze your bread SOLID before you try to vacuum-pack it. otherwise you suck the bread flat ) one jar of yeast yields 30 – 15″ loaves of bread…
Mine doesn’t seem to brown either, but the taste is still amazing! I read through the reasons it doesn’t brown, and figured it tastes great, I can get over lighter crusts. Plus it isn’t as obvious to my sons that the bread has crusts with it so light, they don’t pull it off! This recipe is absolutely amazing and I really appreciate you sharing it.
Is it up yet??? I came here today just to see if I could find your hamburger bun recipe to make them for dinner tonight. Maybe I’ll just try using the bread recipe and shaping them accordingly…
I don’t know if I’ve commented on this recipe before but I just have to say, THIS IS THE BEST sandwich bread recipe I’ve found. Of course it usually gets eaten before I can turn it into sandwiches! The texture is perfect. The crust, perfect. And it’s simple enough that I’m teaching my kids (ages 5-13) to make bread using THIS recipe.
One note: halve the recipe before using in a standard size bread machine. It does say two loaves, after all. Lesson learned (smacks forehead).
Yum. Made your recipe earlier this evening, had it chillin’ on the counter, sliced it up before heading up for the night and had to try a bite. It’s perfect: chewy crust, buttery smell, light and amazing texture. Can’t wait for actual food (you know, grilled cheese, and Nutella sandwiches) with it!
I made this twice, once using coconut oil instead of butter and then the second time using EVOO. Both times were fantastic but I liked the EVOO best. That batch I made one loaf and one pan of buns and my husband said those were the best buns ever. The bread is easy to cut and use which I really appreciate since my goal is to get us out of buying cheap, commercial bread products.
Thanks!
I was looking for a homemade bread that would slice easily for sandwiches and I’m SO glad I found this recipe. I don’t have much experience with breadmaking from scratch, but I made a loaf yesterday and it came out just beautifully. I cut the recipe precisely in half to make just one loaf and had no problems whatsoever. The finished bread was easy to slice (that nice, soft crust really helps) and despite being so tender, it held together just fine when I used a few slices to make a fried egg sandwich for breakfast this morning. And best of all, the bread tastes great! I’ll be making this recipe again and again in the future. Thanks!
This bread is delicious! I’ve never made bread before, but it wasn’t hard at all! Thanks so much for the recipe. Does anyone know the nutrition facts / calories in this bread?
There are a ton of comments here so if this was answered before I apologize. Could this bread handle add-ins such as seeds, and nuts or wet add-ins such as olives or jalapenos? If so, what adjustments would you make to the recipe?
Oh and this bread was delicious by the way. You’re absolutely right, this bread does NOT last long. I believe our lasted a day, MAYBE!!!
That was it. Worked perfectly this time.
Thank you for the recipe. The bread turned out perfectly! I made two loaves last weekend and both were gone before Friday! I don’t see us using store-bought sandwich bread anymore!
Made this today, house smells amazing, we all love it! added a honey glaze to the top…holy crap its so good I may wipe before I poop! thank you!
I was looking for a great bread for turkey sandwiches, using our Thanksgiving leftovers. I came across this recipe and I had to give it a try. My go to bread recipe has been Amish White Bread from allrecipes.com but I was up for trying something different. It was amazing! You mentioned to wait until the bread cooled before cutting. Well, it smelled and looked so good my son and I had to slice it, smear it with butter, and dig in. It was awesome. We both stood at the kitchen counter, moaning as we savored every bite. Thank you so much for the recipe. I will be making this often. As a side note, I bake and cook a lot and I am always surfing the web for some good recipes. When I find one, one of the first things I do is to read the reviews. I have a new pet peeve….people who do not make the recipe but comment on how good it looks or how they have to try it. Telling me it looks good or expressing the desire to try it is not a review. There are a lot of people with a lot of time on their hands.
Again, thank you for the fabulous recipe – my advice…just make it!
Nicole, really super great recipe. Thanks,
I have never made bread before trying this recipe, and it turned out perfect! Looks and tastes amazing, I won’t be buying bread ever again.
Apparently I’m a few years late to the party BUT this recipe is fantastic, thank you so much for sharing it!! I made it last night and it’s so hard to stop eating it. My daughter loves it and I love that it’s so simple and doesn’t have a ton of unnecessary ingredients like store bought bread and it’s not at all crumbly like my first attempt at making bread (using another recipe of course). Thanks again!!
I was intimated looking at the long list of instructions. I was unsure if you meant 10 minutes by hand and then 5 minutes with a mixer….or couple pick one of the other.
I used the mixer…this bread was AMAZING & easy!
Thanks so much for sharing this recipe!
My husband and I just had BLTs made with this bread. It’s wonderful! The flavor is mild. Definitely not too salty!
I substituted 2 cups of whole wheat flour, then used all purpose flour for the rest. The texture of the bread was still very soft. It did have a hard top crust, but we didn’t mind that. This is a great recipe!
I received a Kitchenaid Professional Mixer as an early Mother’s Day gift from my daughter and husband, so of course I am in like bake and cook everything I can mode. After searching the internet for WAY too long for a bread recipe, I landed on yours from all the good reviews it received (always a good place to start).
Holy Moly, what a difference having this thing to knead your dough! Anyhow, it rose very quick and on the second rise in the pan I left to pick my daughter up from work and I think might have let it rise a little too much (1 ½ hours) and one started to fall but I baked them off (one a bit wonky but really who cares about aesthetics when it comes to homemade bread! I baked one in metal pan and one in glass pan to compare. This is an awesome easy recipe that I will be using from this point on for our white bread in the house. NO more Grocery store bread for us! It doesn’t fall apart but not super dense either and is DELICIOUS. I always put a tad more yeast than it calls for because we prefer that yeasty flavor! Why would you buy store bread, when you can make this so easily!
i just made this bread and it was truly yumilisious!!! i made one loaf in a metal tray and 8 buns in a pirex dish… all came out so well….thank you soooooo much
Hi there,
We are on a farm in rural Australia and as I am home with our baby son I have time to do more cooking. Tried making bread a few months back and gave up but then recently came across this and Ive been making it eceryday sinece. Thats all this bread lasts in this house, 1 day. Everyone loves it so thank you!!
This bread is so easy to make! I use only 5 cups of Bread Flour and add an extra tbs of honey. I have made this for my kids many many times. Thanks for sharing!
I have been baking bread for 40 years and always looking for that one you can always go to. At 60 years old I found it. Was looking for the one to make every week for my husband and me. He is one to always to say it is ok. Last night I asked him reply good. This morning at our meal he says this bread is really good.From him that is a big deal in my world and I thank you. How great some thing so easy can bring such joy. You have the touch. New fan Michelle
Thank you for this amazing recipe! I have been baking bread for a few years now, and this just became our new go-to favourite! We love the recipe as written, and I have also played around slightly with the recipe, substituting 1/2 whole wheat in the flour, honey instead of sugar, and I usually add sunflower seeds and flax. I have also cut out the salt, as I use salted butter (was wondering if that may have been a factor in previous comments about the bread being too salty?!)
It is absolutely delicious, every time!
Thank you again!!
Excellent! I just used this recipe as a template for a sourdough version. I was careful to preserve the flour/water proportions (so that even using sourdough starter, the total amounts of flour and water were as prescribed in the recipe), and kept all else the same. Lovely texture & rise. It’s a keeper! Thank you!
I just used this recipe as a template for a sourdough version of sandwich bread. I was careful to preserve the proportions of flour and water, even though using sourdough starter for part of the flour and water. Lovely texture and rise. It’s a keeper! Thanks!
This recipe was wonderful and very forgiving, to my surprise. I have made it twice now. Although we live in the Netherlands and get great fresh bread (no preservatives) all of the time, they don’t have soft crust sandwich bread and it goes bad quickly. With making my own loaf, I can control the size and waste less. I am also making the dough in a bread maker and so the loaves were different both times as I am learning how to adapt the breadmaker to the recipe (we are to add the flour first, but it does not allow for proofing). Even with all of my experimenting on how to get a decent loaf (I halved the recipe), it has been great bread. Even my children prefer it over the Dutch fresh bread (with very tough crusts). I am going to try making hotdog/hamburger buns from it today. I will update/comment again as I try. I guarantee that I will be using this recipe every 3-4 days. Very easy and delicious!
Due to the Corona virus, grocery stores all around me are selling out of everything. I only have Rapid Rise yeast on hand. Can I use that in place of the active dry yeast? I think I am supposed to skip the proofing step if using Rapid Rise but am assuming I can go from there with it? Thank you for any help. I love to bake and LOVE homemade bread so I am excited to try your recipe.
I have used Rapid Rise yeast a few times and had success. Yes you will need to tweak the recipe and proofing just a little. The best place to get answers to that, would be on the brand site for the brand you are using. This way, you know what you have will work.
this bread is incredibly and totally worth making!! Enjoy!!
Made this bread today and it was a hit with my boys who like a slight lighter loaf that what I have been making. Anyone added some seeds to it and know if it has worked?
I have tried two bread recipes this will be my third, the one I really like out of the previous two is the King Arthur bread recipe but that only makes one loaf but the rise on it is so amazing it is just absolutely beautiful bread but it’s not enough we go through about a loaf a day my husband and my son take lunches everyday so that’s three sometimes four sandwiches and then my toddler likes to eat just bread LOL so I’m going to give this a shot and see if they like it
I hope they do/did. We absolutely love this bread and make it a lot!
Absolutely love this bread! I have made it 3 times now and it never fails to impress. Thank you for this recipe – It’s a keeper!
We are always so happy when someone loves something as much as we do! Thank you for your sweet comments and enjoy your bread baking! <3
I have tried a hundred different bread recipes and they all come out hard. This bread was so soft and amazing. Our family of 5 ate a whole loaf in one night! So good! Will make again!