Soft & Fluffy Homemade Sandwich Bread – A Couple Cooks

This sandwich bread recipe makes a soft, fluffy loaf that’s easy to slice and perfect for every sandwich, from toast to grilled cheese and more.

A few years ago I decided I was ready to stop buying storebought bread and start making sandwich bread on the regular. So my husband Alex came up with this recipe that ticks all the boxes: it’s easy to make, uses simple ingredients, and comes out soft and fluffy with a tender crumb, perfect for sandwiches or toast!

Alex and I tested this recipe countless times to get the texture just right. A combination of all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, and an enriched dough with butter and milk makes a soft, pillowy texture that stays tender and moist for days at room temperature! When we posted this recipe on social media, readers went crazy and started sending us photos of their loaves. Here’s how to make one for yourself!

Why You’ll Love This Sandwich Bread Recipe

Better than store-bought: Real ingredients, no preservatives, and amazing homemade flavor
Beginner-friendly: Straightforward steps with no complicated techniques
Stays fresh: Keeps soft at room temperature for 3-5 days when stored properly

5-Star Reader Reviews

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Perfection! I already have plans to make another loaf this week. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to buy store-bought sandwich bread again!” –Allison

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “I just made my first loaf of bread using this recipe. Thank you for offering a recipe that was not intimidating and was really fun! I even kneaded it by hand for 8 minutes. Now I just have to keep my husband away from it for 90 minutes!” -Wendy L.

Ingredients You’ll Need

All-purpose flour: This is your main flour. Some recipes use bread flour for extra structure, but I find all-purpose flour works perfectly for sandwich bread.
Whole wheat flour: Adds nutrition and a slightly nutty flavor. If you want white sandwich bread, you can replace it with more all-purpose flour.
Butter (or oil): The melted butter adds richness and helps create that soft, tender texture. You can substitute with olive oil, avocado oil, or vegetable oil, but the texture and flavor will be slightly different.
Milk: Milk adds fat and creates a more tender loaf than water alone. I typically use 2%. For dairy-free, you can use oat milk or almond milk.
Honey: Just 2 tablespoons adds subtle sweetness and helps with browning. You can substitute granulated sugar or maple syrup in the same amount.
Yeast: You can use either instant yeast or active dry yeast.
Kosher salt: Essential for flavor: don’t skip it or your bread will taste flat.
Rolled oats: Optional for topping.

Choosing the Best Flour

All-purpose flour is my top choice for sandwich bread because it creates a soft, tender crumb that’s perfect for slicing. Bread flour has higher protein content: it’s great for artisan bread (like my olive bread) but not ideal for a fluffy sandwich bread texture.

This recipe has a blend of all-purpose flour and whole wheat flour The all-purpose flour keeps the loaf light and tender, while the whole wheat flour adds a subtle nutty flavor and boosts the nutritional value.

For best results, always measure flour by weight using a kitchen scale! One cup of flour can vary by up to 30 grams depending on how you scoop it. If you don’t have a scale, spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level it off with a knife. Don’t scoop directly from the bag!

Making sandwich bread requires only a few tools and ingredients you probably already have on hand! It’s so simple to whip up. Here’s what you’ll need:

Stand mixer with dough hook: Makes kneading easy and hands-off. I use my KitchenAid on medium-low speed for 8 minutes. If you don’t have a stand mixer, you can absolutely knead by hand for 8 to 10 minutes.
8 or 9-inch (1 pound) loaf pan: All you need is a standard loaf pan. I use this 1 pound loaf pan from Williams Sonoma (since a few readers have asked!).
Kitchen scale: The best way to make bread is weighing the dry ingredients, which makes the most accurate measurements (I use this kitchen scale).
Instant-read thermometer: Optional but helpful. Bread is done when the internal temperature reaches 190°F.

How to Make Sandwich Bread: Step-By-Step

Here’s the basic outline of the tasks for this sandwich bread recipe. The process takes 20 to 30 minutes of hands on time, and about 3 hours total (plus 90 minutes to cool). Here’s an outline of what you’ll have to do:

Mix and Knead the Dough (15 Minutes)

Mix the wet and dry ingredients. Attach the dough hook to a stand mixer and knead on medium-low speed for 8 minutes. The dough should become smooth and elastic and form a ball around the dough hook.

If kneading by hand, turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead by pushing the dough away with the base of your palm, then folding it back over itself. Continue for 8-10 minutes until the dough feels pillowy.

First Rise (1 Hour)

Using floured hands, gently shape the dough into a boule (ball shape) by folding the edges under. Place it in a bowl and cover with a clean dish towel and let rise at room temperature for 1 hour. The dough should roughly double in size and feel puffy.

Shape the Loaf (5 Minutes)

Grease an 8-inch or 9-inch loaf pan. Turn the risen dough onto a lightly floured surface or work surface and gently press it into a large rectangle about 1/2-inch thick. The short side of the rectangle should be about the width of your loaf pan.

Starting from the short side, roll the dough into a tight log. Pinch the seams on the sides and bottom of the roll to seal. Place the dough ball seam-side down into the greased loaf pan. Gently press the dough to fill the shape of the pan.

How to make sandwich bread step by step (shaping the loaf)

Second Rise (1 hour)

Cover the bread pan with a clean dish towel and let the dough rise at room temperature for 1 hour. The dough should rise about 1 inch above the rim of the pan and look puffy.

Bake (35 minutes)

Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 350°F with the rack positioned in the lower third of the oven.

After the second rise, brush the top of the loaf with water and sprinkle the chopped oats on top. Bake for 35-37 minutes. The bread is done when the top is golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 190°F on an instant-read thermometer. If you don’t have a thermometer, the loaf should sound hollow when you tap it and the sides should pull away slightly from the pan.

Cool (90 minutes)

This doesn’t sound like a step, but it’s important! Remove the loaf from the oven and immediately turn it out onto a cooling rack. Leaving it in the hot pan will create a soggy bottom.

Let the bread cool completely for at least 90 minutes before slicing. I know this is hard, but cutting warm bread will give you a gummy texture. The crumb needs time to set!

Storing Leftovers

Storing sandwich bread is different from store-bought bread, since it has no preservatives. It’s also different from crusty artisan bread (like sourdough or olive bread), where you want to maintain a crispy crust. For sandwich bread, here’s how to keep it moist and supple:

Store in plastic! Placing homemade sandwich bread in plastic helps it to retain moisture. Use a plastic bag or you can even re-use a store-bought sandwich bread bag.
Store at room temperature 5 days: It does become slightly drier over time, but it still tastes good (on the later days, you may want to lightly toast it).
Or, freeze up to 3 months: You can also freeze sandwich bread. It’s easy to cut your bread in half and freeze half of it! Let it cool to room temperature, then cut it into slices and place it into a sealed bag or container.

Homemade Sandwich Bread cut open showing texture

Dietary Notes

This sandwich bread recipe is vegetarian. For a vegan sandwich bread, use vegan butter, oat milk, and maple syrup. It’s not quite the same as the dairy-based version but still very delicious.

Sandwich Bread

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

4.9 from 11 reviews

This sandwich bread recipe is so simple, moist and delicious, you’ll want to make on repeat! It’s easy to make at home with no special equipment, and works for sandwiches, toast, and more. It’s so moist and irresistible, it’s quickly become a reader favorite recipe.

Author: Sonja Overhiser
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Rest Time: 2 hours
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours
Yield: 14 slices 1x
Category: Bread
Method: Baked
Cuisine: Bread
Diet: Vegetarian

3 tablespoons unsalted butter (45 grams), melted; see Notes
½ cup milk (118 grams)
2 tablespoons honey (40 grams)
2/3 cups warm water (157 grams)
2 teaspoons instant or active dry yeast (8 grams)
½ cup whole wheat flour (70 grams)
2 ½ cups all purpose flour (350 grams)
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt (8 grams)
2 tablespoons rolled oats, roughly chopped, for topping

Mix the ingredients: In a small saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Once melted, remove from the heat and stir in the milk so it is just warm. In the bowl of your stand mixer (or a large bowl), combine the melted butter and milk with the honey, warm water, and yeast and mix until just combined. In a separate bowl, stir together whole wheat flour, all purpose flour, and kosher salt. Add dry ingredients to the wet and stir until just combined.
Knead the dough: Attach the dough hook to a stand mixer and start the mixer on medium-low speed, then allow the mixer to knead for 8 minutes. (Alternatively: knead the dough by pushing with the base of your palm, then reforming it into a ball. Continue kneading for 8 minutes until the dough feels pillowy and has a smooth, stretchy exterior. If the dough is very sticky, add a small amount of flour while kneading.)
Shape into boule: After kneading, using floured hands, gently shape into a boule (ball shape) by folding the dough under itself.
Proof 1: Place the dough ball in a clean bowl and cover with a clean dish towel. Allow the dough to stand at room temperature for 1 hour, until risen and puffy.
Shape into loaf (see loaf shaping photos above): Grease an 8-inch or 9-inch loaf pan. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured counter and gently press the dough into a large rectangle about 1/2-inch thick. The short side of the rectangle should be about the width of the long edge of the loaf pan. Roll the dough into a log (the width of the loaf pan). Pinch the seams on the sides and bottom of the roll and then place it into the greased pan seam-side down. Gently press the dough to fill the shape of the pan.
Proof 2: Cover the bread pan with a clean dish towel and allow to proof at room temperature for 1 hour, until risen and puffy.
Preheat: Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F with the rack in the lower third of the oven.
Bake: After the second rise, brush the top of the loaf with water. If desired, sprinkle the chopped oats on top. Bake for 35 to 37 minutes. The bread is done when the top is golden brown and the inside of the bread reaches 190°F on an instant read thermometer. Remove the bread to a cooling rack and cool completely, at least 90 minutes. (However tempting, cutting the bread while warm will ruin its texture!)
Slice: Once cooled, use a serrated knife to slice the bread and serve (if you have an electric knife, it makes it even easier!). Store the bread at room temperature for 3 to 5 days wrapped in plastic (we use an old store bought bread bag). The bread can also be frozen, sliced into pieces and wrapped in plastic, for 3 months.