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Soft Homemade Sandwich Bread

This homemade sandwich bread is wonderfully soft, fluffy, and perfect for everyday sandwiches. With a light texture and tender crumb, it slices beautifully for toast, peanut butter sandwiches, or grilled cheese. The recipe uses simple pantry ingredients and produces a classic bakery-style loaf right in your own kitchen.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Rise Time 2 hours
Total Time 3 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 1 Loaf
Course: Breakfast, Side Dish
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • ½ cup water
  • ½ cup whole milk
  • 3 tablespoons granulated sugar or substitute with honey
  • 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
  • 2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter or avocado oil
  • 2½ – 3 cups bread flour spooned and leveled
  • ¾ teaspoon salt

Equipment

  • Stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment
  • 9×5 inch metal bread pan
  • Large mixing bowl
  • Wire cooling rack

Method
 

Prepare the Dry Ingredients
  1. Add 2½ cups of bread flour and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer. Whisk briefly to combine, then set aside.
Warm the Liquid Ingredients
  1. In a small saucepan, gently heat the water, milk, and sugar until the mixture reaches 100–110°F (38–43°C). Pour the warm liquid into a measuring cup and verify the temperature if possible.
Activate the Yeast
  1. Stir the active dry yeast into the warm liquid mixture. Let it sit for about 10 minutes until it becomes foamy and fragrant.
  2. 💡 Tip: If the mixture doesn’t foam, the yeast may be expired or the liquid may have been too hot. Discard and start again.
Mix the Dough
  1. Attach the dough hook to your stand mixer and start it on low speed. Slowly pour the yeast mixture and melted butter into the flour mixture.
  2. Allow the mixer to knead the dough for about 7 minutes until smooth and elastic.
  3. 👉 If the dough still sticks heavily to the bottom of the bowl after about 5 minutes, add 1 tablespoon of flour at a time until it becomes soft and slightly tacky but not sticky.
First Rise
  1. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and place it in a warm spot to rise until doubled in size. This usually takes 45 minutes to 1½ hours.
  2. 💡 Cold kitchen trick:
  3. Warm your oven briefly to about 170°F, turn it off, and place the bowl inside to create a cozy proofing environment.
Shape the Loaf
  1. Once the dough has doubled, gently punch it down to release the air. Transfer it to a clean surface and knead lightly for 1–2 minutes. Let it rest under a towel for 5 minutes.
  2. Flatten the dough into a rectangle roughly the width of your loaf pan. Roll it tightly from the short edge to form a log, pressing gently with each roll to remove air pockets. Pinch the seam closed and tuck the ends underneath.
Second Rise
  1. Place the shaped dough seam-side down in a lightly greased 9×5 loaf pan. Cover and allow it to rise again until doubled in size, about 30–60 minutes.
Bake
  1. Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) with the rack in the center.
  2. Bake the bread for 25–30 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped.
Cool Before Slicing
  1. Remove the bread from the pan immediately and place it on a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, slice using a sharp bread knife.

Notes

Helpful Recipe Tips
✔ Measure flour correctly
Use the spoon and level method: fluff the flour, spoon it into the measuring cup, then level it off with a knife.
✔ No stand mixer?
You can knead the dough by hand—just expect to knead for 10–14 minutes until smooth and elastic.
✔ Bread doesn’t have to be perfect
Homemade bread often has a rustic look. Sometimes loaves rise unevenly or develop air pockets—but they’re still delicious. The beauty of homemade bread is in its charm!