homemade sandwich bread

Here’s a simple, soft homemade sandwich bread that’s great for everyday slicing—perfect for toast, PB&J, or grilled cheese 🥪

Soft Homemade Sandwich Bread

Ingredients

• 3 ½ cups (420 g) all-purpose flour (or bread flour for extra chew)
• 2 ¼ tsp (1 packet) active dry yeast
• 1 cup (240 ml) warm milk (about 110°F / 43°C)
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 2 tbsp butter or oil, softened
• 1 tsp salt

Instructions

1. Activate yeast
   Mix warm milk, sugar, and yeast in a bowl. Let sit 5–10 minutes until foamy.
2. Make dough
   Add butter/oil, salt, and 3 cups of flour. Mix until a soft dough forms.
   Gradually add remaining flour if sticky.
3. Knead
   Knead by hand 8–10 minutes (or 5–6 minutes with a mixer) until smooth and elastic.
4. First rise
   Place dough in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise 1–1½ hours until doubled.
5. Shape
   Punch down dough, shape into a loaf, and place in a greased 9×5-inch loaf pan.
6. Second rise
   Cover and rise 30–45 minutes until the dough crowns about 1 inch over the pan.
7. Bake
   Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 30–35 minutes until golden brown and sounds hollow.
8. Cool
   Remove from pan and cool completely before slicing.

Tips for Perfect Sandwich Bread

• Brush the top with melted butter after baking for a soft crust
• For extra softness, replace 2 tbsp of milk with heavy cream
• Store wrapped at room temperature up to 3 days, or freeze sliced

If you want, I can give you a whole wheat, no-knead, or bread machine version too.