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–+ servings
a cross-section of a loaf of white sandwich bread

Easy Soft Sandwich Bread in a Loaf Pan (For Beginners)

Rebecca Eisenberg
This foolproof recipe for a single loaf of homemade soft sandwich bread uses just six easy-to-find ingredients. It's a classic white sandwich bread baked in a loaf pan, reminiscent of childhood lunches and cozy mornings; made with love at home in your kitchen. The finished loaf is wonderfully soft inside with a thin, light golden brown crust, perfect for slicing and sandwiches.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Rising Time (Divided) 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 45 minutes
Servings 1 loaf

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.

RECIPE NOTES

  • If you're using active dry yeast, mix it with the warm water and let it sit for 5 minutes to become foamy before adding the water to the dough.
  • If it's very humid where you live, I recommend holding 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.
  • For a shiny top, brush the loaf with a lightly beaten egg before scoring and baking.
  • If you have a smaller loaf pan (8x4"), I recommend scaling the recipe down by about 20%.