Classic White Sandwich Bread Loaf

White Sandwich Bread brings back really good childhood memories.  Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch, grilled cheeses after playing outside, cinnamon sugar toast for breakfast, and a million other options.  It’s no wonder that this bread is a go-to favorite. The neutral flavor pairs well with virtually any topping and it is a pantry basic that no home should be without.  This recipe is simple to make and you will have two loaves of white bread to use in your own unique ways. 

***This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission (at no extra cost to you) if you click a link and purchase something.  We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.  Click to see my full disclosure policy.***

Ingredients for a Sponge Dough Starter

• 2¼ cup + 2½ Tbsp (341g) all-purpose flour
• 1¾ cup (405g) room temperature water (approximately 75°F/24°C)
• 2 Tbsp + 1 tsp (45g) honey
• ¾ tsp (2.4g) instant yeast 

Equipment

• Stand mixer with whisk attachment (or large bowl with a whisk)
• Plastic wrap

Making the Sponge Dough Starter

• 

• 

In the bowl of your stand mixer, use the whisk attachment to combine the flour, water, hone, and yeast.  Mix for approximately 2 minutes until the mixture is smooth.  Use a silicone spatula or bench scraper to scrape down the sides of the bowl.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow to sit at room temperature for one to four hours.  The longer the sponge sits, the more flavor it develops.  You can also place the sponge in the fridge for up 24 hours.  This will give the sponge more of an acidic/“sour dough” flavor. 

Ingredients for White Sandwich Bread Loaf

• 2 cups + 3 Tbsp (311g) all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup (40g) nonfat dry milk powder
• ¾ tsp (2.4g) instant yeast
• 9 Tbsp (128g) unsalted butter, softened
• 2¼ tsp (15g) salt

Equipment

• Stand mixer with dough hook attachment
• Medium bowl
• Plastic wrap
• Large oiled bowl
• Two 8½” (21.5cm) x 4½” (11.5cm) loaf pans
• Baking steel, baking stone, or baking sheet
• Second baking sheet
• ½ cup of ice cubes
• Wire cooling rack

Making the White Sandwich Bread Loaf Dough

• 

• 

• 

Whisk together the flour, milk powder, and yeast in a medium bowl.  Sprinkle the dry ingredient mixture over the sponge.  Do not stir.  The layer of dry ingredients will protect the sponge from drying out while it goes through fermentation.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 1 to 4 hours.  Again, the longer the dough ferments, the more flavor the dough will have.  It is likely the sponge will bubble through the flour layer as it ferments.  This is expected. 

Mixing the Bread Dough

• 

• 

Add the butter to the bowl and use a dough hook to mix the dough at low speed on the stand mixer until the flour is fully moistened.  The dough will look shaggy at this point.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow it to rest for 20 minutes. 

• 

• 

Add the salt and use the stand mixer to knead the dough on medium speed (i.e., #4 on a KitchenAid stand mixer) for 8-10 minutes.  Continue kneading until the dough is smooth and comes away from the sides of the bowl.  The dough will still be slightly sticky. 

• 

Remove the dough from the stand mixer bowl using a greased spatula or bench scraper and place into a large, oiled bowl.  Lightly oil the surface of the dough and cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap. 

Let the dough rise at room temperature (approximately 75-80°F/24-27°C) until it has doubled in volume.  This should take approximately 1-2 hours. 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and use your fingers to press it gently into a rectangle.  Try to keep as many of the air bubbles as possible while shaping it (i.e., don’t remove all of the air bubbles).  Give the dough 2 letter turns and then place it back into the bowl to proof again.  To do a letter turn, fold one third of the dough over the center third, then fold the remaining third over the rest of the dough.  This is the same process you would do to folder a letter that is put into an envelope. 

Let the dough rise at room temperature (approximately 75-80°F/24-27°C) until it has doubled in volume.  This should take approximately 1-2 hours. 

Shaping the White Sandwich Bread Loaves

• 

• 

Tip out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and cut the dough in half.  Use the following shaping steps for each half of the dough:

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Use your fingers to press the dough into a rectangle.  Remove any large air bubbles.  Have the long side of the rectangle sitting closest to you.  Fold the right side of the dough slightly past the center point.  Do the same with the left side of the rectangle.  Use the side of your hand to seal the seam of overlapping dough. 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Starting at the top edge of the dough, roll the dough toward you 3-4 times until you reach the bottom of the dough.  After each roll, use your thumbs to seal the dough while pushing the dough away slightly to create some tension in the dough roll.  To get the best loaf shape, it’s important to keep the dough taut through the rolling process. 

• 

Place the loaves in separate loaf pans that have been lightly greased with oil.  If you want smooth ends, tuck the ends of the bread under the loaf when putting the bread into the pan.  Cover the loaves loosely with oiled plastic wrap and let the bread rise until it is about a ½” above the edges of the loaf pan.  This should take 1-2 hours.  Using oiled plastic wrap will ensure the bread will not stick while it is rising. 

Test the readiness of the dough by pressing into the dough with a fingertip.  If the dent very slowly fills back in, the dough is ready to bake. 

Baking the White Sandwich Bread Loaf

Roughly halfway through the last proof, preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C.  Use an oven thermometer to ensure the oven reaches the actual preheated temperature before baking the bread. 

If you have a baking steel, stone, or sheet, place that on the lowest shelf of the oven.  Also, place a baking sheet on the bottom of the oven while it’s preheating. 

When the bread has risen, set the loaf pans directly onto the baking steel, stone, or sheet and add a ½ cup of ice cubes to the pan on the bottom of the oven.  Close the oven door immediately after adding the ice cubes.  The ice cubes will melt and create steam which will keep the crust soft for the first few minutes of baking allowing the bread to expand fully in the oven.  The steam also helps give the crust a crispy texture. 

Bake the bread for 50 minutes or until the crust is a golden brown.  You can also test “doneness” by inserting an instant-read thermometer into the center of the loaf.  The bread will be done when the temperature reaches 210°F/100°C.  In my oven, I needed to turn the loaves from front to back halfway through baking to ensure they baked evenly.  If you have an oven that heats more evenly than mine, this step is unnecessary. 

Cooling the White Sandwich Bread Loaf

Remove the cooked bread from the oven and promptly turn the bread out of the pans.  Cool on a wire rack with the top of the loaf up until completely cool.  Do not be tempted to cut into the loaf until it has cooled completely otherwise, the loaf might compress too much and no longer be airy. 

Using the White Sandwich Bread Loaf

Cut slices of this bread using a serrated knife.  The inside of the bread is light and fluffy with a firm crust that isn’t as “weak sauce” as some of the sandwich bread crusts that you can buy in the store.  This bread is great for back-to-school sandwiches, simple snacks, or even for French toast (if you cut thick slices).  It’s a very versatile loaf of bread that is simple to make! 

Below are some pictures from breakfast the day after I made the bread.

The options are absolutely limitless when it comes to what you can make with this bread. 

Looking for more Breakfast Ideas:

More Homemade Bread Recipes:

Notes

1. This recipe was adapted from “Basic Soft White Sandwich Loaf” in Rose Levy Beranbaum’s The Bread Bible.