Making a homemade loaf of soft white sandwich bread is so easy, and this foolproof recipe makes a single loaf of bread using just six easy-to-find ingredients. It's a simple dairy-free and egg-free dough that comes together quickly whether you knead it in your mixer or knead it by hand. I've included instructions for both kneading options in my step-by-step instructions below!
This classic white sandwich bread is a taste of nostalgia, like childhood lunches and cozy mornings. The finished loaf is wonderfully soft inside with a thin, light golden brown crust, perfect for slicing for toast and sandwiches.
Try serving this soft white sandwich bread with crisp lettuce and my deli tuna salad or creamy yellow smashed egg salad.
5 STAR READER REVIEW
“I've tried a few different beginner sandwich bread recipes and somehow can never get them to come out but I've made this one three times now and it's come out so delicious each time! I also love how simple it is”
—Nicole
This is My Best Easy Soft Sandwich Bread
I am so, so excited to be sharing my recipe for a classic soft homemade sandwich bread with you. I've got lots of homemade bread recipes on my site, but most of them are higher-hydration doughs that use longer, slower rise times to come together.
With this bread recipe, I wanted to give you the kind of bread-making experience most people think of when picturing making bread from scratch. Simple ingredients, kneading the dough, dusting it with flour, shaping it by hand, and baking it in a loaf pan. And it's a great beginner-friendly bread recipe too!
This dough can be kneaded in a mixer or by hand. It's easy to handle, not too sticky, and fun to work with. It's also a versatile base dough; I've used it to make everything from foolproof cinnamon swirl bread to cheesy pizza pinwheels!
Where other white sandwich bread recipes use milk or eggs to create that soft texture, I use olive oil instead. Not only is olive oil a shelf-stable ingredient that's easier to keep on hand, but it also means my sandwich bread recipe is dairy-free and egg-free, if that matters to you.
Honey - I use honey to add a bit of sweetness to this sandwich bread and help with browning. If you don't have honey or would rather use sugar, you can use the same amount of sugar without making any adjustments.
Water - Warm water is crucial for helping this sandwich bread dough rise on time and give it its soft texture and just slightly open crumb. Aim for a temperature of around 90°-95°F. It should be decidedly warm but not hot, since truly hot water will kill the yeast.
A simple bread dough process
Add the liquid ingredients to the middle of the dry ingredients.
Mix on low speed until the dough just comes together.
Knead on medium-low speed until the dough is smooth and elastic.
Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a lightly oiled bowl to rise.
Cover the bowl (I use these plastic hair processing caps as bowl covers) and leave it to rise somewhere warm until it doubles in size...about an hour.
When the dough has doubled in size, gently deflate it and turn it out onto a clean, lightly floured work surface.
Fold the top two corners into make a point, then fold the edges in slightly to even them out.
Roll the point at the top toward your body, and continue rolling in that direction, tucking the sides in as needed to form a nice neat log of dough.
When the dough is ready, it will be crowning just slightly over the top edge of the pan. When you press a lightly floured fingertip into it, the indentation should fill back in slowly and remain visible.
When the bread is done, carefully turn it out of the pan and onto a cooling rack. This allows air to circulate around the loaf so that the crust doesn't get soggy.
I know it's super tempting to cut a slice of freshly baked sandwich bread while it's still warm, but resist that urge! If you slice the bread before it's cooled and the starches haven't set yet, the steam still inside the bread will turn the starches to mush. No one wants mushy bread!
Yes, You Can Knead This Dough By Hand
Use a dough whisk or a spatula (heck, even your hands) to mix the dough ingredients in a bowl until a sticky, messy dough forms.
Then turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface or countertop and knead by hand, folding the dough over itself and rocking it forward, then rotating and repeating that motion, until the dough is smooth, elastic, and slightly tacky to the touch. Kneading by hand can take 8-10 minutes, be patient! Set a timer!
Dust in additional flour lightly only as needed to keep it from sticking to you and the counter. A little clinging is fine, but it should pull away cleanly from you and the work surface at the end.
I use a 9x5" Loaf Pan
This recipe is scaled to bake in a 9x5" loaf pan, which is a 1.25 lb loaf pan. If you have a smaller loaf pan, I recommend scaling the recipe down by about 20%.
USA Pan Bakeware Aluminized Steel Loaf Pan, 1.25 Pound
Dimensions: 9 x 5 x 2.75. Durable construction with corrugated surface for optimal airflow. Non-stick finish is PTFE, PFOA and BPA free.
As always, I recommend using a metal pan rather than glass, ceramic, silicone, or stoneware. If you're using a glass pan, you may need to adjust the baking time and temperature!
If your sandwich bread deflated during baking...
There are a few things that could have caused this but the two most likely culprits are:
- The dough overproofed during the second rise. Dough overproofs when the yeast has eaten all of the available sugars in the dough and doesn't have enough energy left to support the dough during baking. Your dough was ready to bake before the final hour rise was done — check it using the fingerprint test (see above).
- Your oven temperature is off! If your oven temperature runs cool, the bread won't rise as much as it should during baking and will be dense and sunken. Get an oven thermometer!
💭 Have More Baking Questions?
I've rounded up answers to common baking questions and how-to guides, including:
- Ingredient swaps and FAQs
- Why my recipes are written in grams and not cups
- How to quickly bring eggs and butter to room temperature
- Ingredients I use (salt, flour, yeast, etc.)
- Step-by-step guides for bread and baking techniques
See my baking techniques & troubleshooting guide and ingredient swaps and FAQs for more!
Want this recipe, only smaller?
Find it in my Small-Batch Breads cookbook, available for pre-order now!
Featuring fifty easy-to-follow bread recipes made using 1 cup of flour.
TL;DR — Recipe Summary
- Mix the dough ingredients together until a sticky, cohesive dough forms.
- Knead the dough until it is smooth, elastic, and slightly tacky.
- Shape the dough into a ball, place in a lightly greased bowl, cover and rest until doubled in size.
- Deflate the dough, shape into a log, then place in a lightly greased loaf pan. Cover and let rest until doubled in size.
- Score the top of the loaf and bake for 30 minutes at 350°F.
- Turn the loaf onto a cooling rack to cool completely before slicing.
📖 Recipe
Easy Soft Sandwich Bread in a Loaf Pan (For Beginners)
Recipe Notes
- If it's very humid where you live, hold back about 25 grams of water to start. If it looks or feels like the dough needs it, drizzle it in 1 teaspoon at a time during the mixing stage.
- If it's very cold where you live, your dough may rise more slowly; it's okay if it needs an extra 15-45 minutes to rise.
- Yes, you can use sugar instead of honey, no adjustments needed.
- Sandwich bread is best eaten within the first 4-5 days after baking, though you can store it in an airtight bag or bread bag at room temperature for up to a week. I usually store it in a large resealable plastic bag with as much air pressed out as possible.
- Freezing: You can freeze the whole loaf, defrost it at room temperature, then pop it in a 325°F oven for 20-30 minutes. Or you can slice the loaf first and break off a slice for the toaster whenever you want some. Bonus: Slide a piece of wax paper or parchment between each slice to make them easier to separate while frozen.
Ingredients
- 400 grams all-purpose flour
- 8 grams salt
- 7 grams instant yeast (see notes for active dry yeast)
- 236 grams warm water (90°F)
- 20 grams olive oil
- 8 grams honey
Instructions
- Mix. Mix the flour, salt, and yeast together in the bowl of your stand mixer. Add warm water, honey, and olive oil. Mix with the dough hook, pausing to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed, until the dough comes together in a shaggy mass on the dough hook and clears the sides of the bowl.
- Knead. Increase the speed to low-medium and knead for 3-5 minutes until the dough is soft, smooth, and elastic. The dough may cling slightly to the walls of the bowl but should pull away cleanly.
- Rise. Tuck the edges of the dough under to create a ball of dough with a smooth top. Place in a lightly greased bowl and let rise somewhere warm for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
- Shape. Gently deflate the dough, then turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface. Loosely arrange it into a rough rectangle shape. Fold the top two corners in to make a point, then roll the point forward as you tuck the sides in to create a nice smooth rolled-up log of dough with the seam on the bottom.
- Rise again. Place the log of dough in a lightly greased 9x5" loaf pan. Cover the pan loosely with plastic wrap and let rise somewhere warm for 1 hour until the dough fills out the pan and crowns over the top rim of the pan by about an inch.
During the final 30 minutes of the rise time, preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Score. Right before baking, use a sharp knife or lame to score a line down the center length of the sandwich bread.
- Bake. Bake the sandwich bread in the center of a 350°F oven for 30-35 minutes, or until an internal temperature of 195°-200°F for doneness.
- Cool. Carefully turn the baked loaf out of the pan and onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.
Julie says
This bread came together so easily, and the result is wonderful! It will definitely be in my regular bread-making rotation!
Rebecca Eisenberg says
I’m so glad you liked it!! Happy bread making!
Jen says
I've made this loaf recipe several times, and it's really simple and consistent. I advise using a scale, that really makes it fool proof. A scale costs $10 at most stores, and will change your baking life!
Renee says
Hi! Can the oil be replaced with butter?
Rebecca Eisenberg says
If you have clarified butter or ghee that would work best as it’s 100% fat like the oil is but yes melted (and cooled) butter should work. If the butter is too hot it will kill the yeast but you do still want it to be liquid!
Chris says
Could I bake this in a 3qt enamel bread pan (like a dutch oven but in the shape of a loaf pan)?
Rebecca Eisenberg says
I haven't tested it, but I don't see why that wouldn't work!
Linzi says
An easy loaf to make, soft and perfect size for 2 people.
Megan Coffman says
I’ve tried about three different sandwich bread recipes, and this one is by far my favorite one!!
It came out with just the right crust and the softest inside, but the taste is even better!!
Rebecca Eisenberg says
Hi Megan! Thank you so much for the kind words, I'm so glad you like it! Getting the crust just right was trickier than I expected so I'm glad to hear it's exactly what you were looking for. Happy baking!
Roses says
I live in Japan and tried this recipe with all purpose flour from the supermarket since it's what I had for other recipes but my bread wasn't as fluffy and springy as the pictures so I thought maybe the gluten wasn't developing as much as the recipe showed? This week I tried using half all purpose and half strong/bread flour and I finally managed to get my sandwich bread to turn out fluffy and with a tight nice crumb just like the pictures. Thank you so much for the recipe! Even though my first tries weren't bad, the pictures really helped me figure out my bread could turn out even more delicious!!
KATHI M says
Love this bread! My results have been perfect and I want them to stay that way, but I just moved and now I have the option of convection baking (yippee). I did a quick search on whether I should use it or not with bread and my brain is swimming with conflicting advice. Rather than performing my own trial and error I am choosing to "ask the expert". So, expert, what say you????
Rebecca Eisenberg says
I don’t have a convection oven so it’s hard for me to say but I believe rule of thumb is reduce temp by 25F and reduce bake time by 25% (check for doneness 5-10 mins early). If you have the option of turning the convection setting off to just bake normal though, I’d do that!
Paige Slade says
2026 and this recipe is our go to for white bread. So easy and delish with a dollop of butter
Hanna says
When I'm craving toast, this is the loaf I'm using. Although, it can't be toasted the first day it's made because it's too good when it's fresh. Such a wonderfully easy and reliable bread recipe.
Jess says
Where is the note specifying when using active dry yeast instead of instant?
Rebecca Eisenberg says
Hi Jess! To streamline the blog posts, I moved all my answers to commonly asked questions about ingredients and ingredient swaps here: "My Pantry & Most-Used Ingredient Notes". Hope this helps!
Amanda says
The notes dont have anything about active dry yeast instructions!
Rebecca Eisenberg says
Here are all my notes on how to use active dry yeast yeast instead of instant!
Amanda says
Thank you ! 🙂
Jas says
I didn't see any notes for if we're using active dry yeast. I'm just trying my best measurement for now!
Rebecca Eisenberg says
All my notes on swapping active dry yeast for instant yeast are right here!
Lena says
Where is the note regarding active dry yeast?
Rebecca Eisenberg says
Ack, sorry, I’ve been consolidating the ingredient information I repeat across a lot of my posts in one place — you can find the active dry yeast instructions here.