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Sliced White Sandwich Bread on a wooden board beside a serrated bread knife.

White Sandwich Bread Recipe

Freshly baked White Sandwich Bread makes the best toast and sandwiches. Made with simple pantry ingredients, this homemade bread creates a soft, fluffy loaf with bakery-style slices.

Course: Bread
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Proofing Time 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours 50 minutes
Servings: 1 loaf (23 × 12.5 cm – 9×5 inch)
Author: Manuela Zangara

Ingredients

  • 410 to 465 g – 3 ¼ to 3 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 7 g – 2 ¼ tsp dry yeast
  • 25 g – 2 tbsp sugar
  • 325 ml – 1 ⅓ cups warm water
  • 30 ml – 2 tbsp vegetable oil

Instructions

Preparing the Dough

  1. Mix the yeast with the warm water and half of the sugar. Leave it aside until activated.
  2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine half the flour, salt, oil, the yeast mixture, and the remaining sugar. Mix until combined.

  3. With the mixer running, gradually add the remaining flour until you get a smooth dough that clears the bottom and sides of the bowl while still feeling slightly tacky.

    Note: The dough should still feel slightly tacky and leave only a small amount of doughy residue on your fingers when touched, without becoming over-floured or dense. Start checking the dough texture at 410 g – 3 ¼ cups of flour, then add more only if needed.

  4. Knead for about 2 minutes, until the dough becomes smooth, supple, and elastic.

First Rise

  1. Shape the dough into a ball, cover with plastic wrap, and leave it to rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour, depending on the temperature of your kitchen.

Shaping the Loaf

  1. Grease and flour a 23 × 12.5 cm – 9 × 5 inch loaf pan.
  2. Lightly punch down the dough and press it into a thick rectangle about 20 cm – 8 inches long.
  3. Fold the bottom third of the dough over itself like a letter. Fold the top down to overlap the layers, then pinch the seams closed with your fingers on all sides.

  4. Turn the loaf over with the seam underneath, then tuck the 2 sides under. Gently place the loaf into the pan with the seams on the bottom and the smooth surface facing up.

Second Rise

  1. Cover with lightly greased plastic wrap and leave the dough to rise until doubled in size and about 2.5 cm – 1 inch above the rim of the pan. This should take about 1 hour, depending on the warmth of your kitchen.

Baking the Bread

  1. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C – 350°F for 30–35 minutes, until golden and baked through.
  2. Remove the bread from the oven and turn it out onto a wire rack. Leave it to cool completely before slicing.

Recipe Notes

  • The leftover bread can be stored at room temperature in a bread bag or an airtight container for 2 to 3 days, or frozen for up to 1 month.
  • Use the flour amount in the recipe as a guide rather than an exact measurement. The total amount can vary depending on how the flour is measured, along with the temperature and humidity in your kitchen. Add the flour gradually until the dough feels soft, smooth, and slightly tacky without becoming dry or dense.