I can't tell you how incredibly excited I am to share this recipe. I have gone through pounds and pounds of flour trying to perfect this incredibly easy and very impressive loaf of bread. What started out as a boule, transformed into the most perfect sandwich bread and I couldn't be happier with the outcome!
And the best part? It takes no time to make! In 2 ½ hours you will have yourself a pillowy, soft loaf of bread, with the most incredible crust.
What you’ll get with this recipe:
- Stunning loaf of bread in just a matter of hours
- A loaf of bread that stays fresh all week long (if it'll last that long)
- Insanely soft interior, beautiful crusty exterior
- Perfect sandwich bread for sweet and savory toasts, and beyond epic sandwiches
Ingredients For The Best Soft Sandwich Bread
- Bread flour
- Salt
- Instant Yeast
- Warm Water
- Optional add-ins: Everything but the bagel seasoning, sesame seeds, caraway seeds, oats
Type Of Flour To Use
For this bread recipe we want bread flour. We need a higher protein flour to be able to develop enough gluten to give the dough a light and elastic texture. All purpose flour is hard to substitute here because it's not able to build that structure you need to create a soft and light dough. If you're in a pinch, I think you could use all purpose flour and a bit of vital wheat gluten, but I haven't tested that yet!
How To Make This Soft Sandwich Bread Recipe
- In a large bowl add your instant yeast and warm water
- Add bread flour and salt to your yeast mixture and mix with a wooden spoon until no dry clumps remain
- Fold the dough over itself 8 times and cover with a towel to rest for 1 hour
- After 1 hour, fold dough over itself another 8 times and cover for 30 more minutes
- While your dough has its second rise, preheat you oven to 450F and lightly oil your 9 inch loaf pan (I use 9x5)
- Once the oven is preheated, pop your loaf pan in the oven for 5 minutes to get really hot before adding your dough
- While your pan is getting nice and hot, gently remove your dough from the bowl onto a lightly floured surface.
- Fold all sides in starting with the 2 sides, then top 2 corners, then bottom 2 corners, then folding the top in, next the bottom, and tightly roll the dough up into a log
- Create some tension using a bench scraper or your hand, really forming the loaf into a tighter log
- Remove hot pan from oven and add dough into pan, seam side down
- Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes, then remove foil and bake for another 20 minutes
- Remove from oven and let cool completely
If you make the Best Soft Sandwich Bread, please let us know by leaving a review and rating below!
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For More Bread + Carb Loaded Recipes, Check Out The Following:
- Black Pepper Herb Focaccia
- Matcha Babka Bread
- Roasted Veggie and Burrata Antipasto Sandwich with Tarragon Lemon Basil Pesto
- Challah Bread Pudding with Herby Gruyere Creamed Spinach
Best Soft Sandwich Bread
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ tsp. or 10 grams Instant Yeast
- 2 cups or 16 oz. Warm Water
- 3 ½ cups or 556 grams Bread Flour Protein of at least 12%
- 1 tbsp. or 19 grams Salt
- Optional Add-ins Caraway seeds, Sesame Seeds, Oats, Everything but the Bagel Seasoning
Instructions
- In a large bowl add your instant yeast and warm water
- Add bread flour and salt to your yeast mixture and mix with a wooden spoon until no dry clumps remain
- Fold the dough over itself 8 times and cover with a towel to rest for 1 hour
- After 1 hour, fold dough over itself another 8 times and cover for 30 more minutes
- While your dough has its second rise, preheat you oven to 450F and lightly oil your 9 inch loaf pan (I use 9x5)
- Once the oven is preheated, pop your loaf pan in the oven for 5 minutes to get really hot before adding your dough
- While your pan is getting nice and hot, gently remove your dough from the bowl onto a lightly floured surface.
- Fold all sides in starting with the 2 sides, then top 2 corners, then bottom 2 corners, then folding the top in, next the bottom, and tightly roll the dough up into a log
- Create some tension using a bench scraper or your hand, really forming the loaf into a tighter log
- Remove hot pan from oven and add dough into pan, seam side down
- Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes, then remove foil and bake for another 20 minutes
- Remove from oven and let cool completely
I never thought of completely replacing packaged sandwich bread, but now I have to try it!
You must! I hope you do Sara!
Seriously OBSESSED with this recipe!!
Thank you Silvie!!!
This recipe is literally everything. Unreal!!
Thanks Haley!!
Super easy and delicious!!
I’m so glad you loved it!! Thanks so much for your review Shelby!
I knew I loved you, and I knew you are a genius, but this recipe just really confirms it. I can't wait to make the best soft sandwich bread!
I hope you LOVE it Laura!! It could not be easier!
this looks incredible! nothing better than homemade bread. 🙂
Super easy recipe (even for a bread beginner) and most importantly - DELICIOUS. Mine rose a bit high in the middle but it tastes great. Came out just as described. Perfect crust on the outside and soft on the inside. Perfect hot out of the oven with butter. Had it toasted with preserves for breakfast. Can't wait to try it as a sandwich for lunch! I will be making this again......and again.
Amy, I am so glad you loved this sandwich bread recipe! Amazing with butter and preserves, yum! Thank you for the kind review!
I love this recipe. I have a question though, should the dough be extremely sticky?
I added alot extra flour to make it dryer, but I'm trying it again today, as written, to see if it will work out. My dough is so sticky that I can't fold it over itself.
Hi! Add as much flour as needed! It is possible, if you aren't weighing you ingredients using a scale the measurements could be slightly off too. But add flour as needed. It should still be a bit tacky and not totally dry!
I won't ever need to buy bread from the store again!
Super easy to make, even for a first timer like myself. I got it right on my second attempt after Rylie helped me troubleshoot over DM! Thank you again for giving a newbie like me the confidence to bake bread! I will be making this bread for years to come.
Correction: Rylee (sorry about that!)
Hi! This looks so good! Is there any way to do an overnight rise with the dough?
Hi Jen! I haven’t tested it but I would be afraid it might over proof. I will work on an overnight version of this, because I know it can definitely be done!
Hi! This is my first visit to your site! I've seen several IG posts today about this bread and how magical it is! I would love to make it but wanted to ask if there's any way to incorporate some whole wheat or even white whole wheat flour into the recipe to bump up the nutrition factor. Have you recipe tested with any wheat flour? Thanks!
Hi Goldie! I haven't tested it with whole wheat flour at all. I use the bread flour here because of the high protein level which allows the bread to stay soft while get a nice rise. I would definitely try it out as the recipe is written first (if you're comfortable with that!) and then test out adding some whole wheat flour in place. If you do decide to use the whole wheat flour in some of it, I would definitely suggest using a scale to still get accurate measurements - which will yield the closest results I think!
This recipe is AMAZING. A very simple list of ingredients, an incredibly easy method and the result is a fresh bakery-style country bread in loaf form... except you've made it at home and it's warm and just perfect!
If you have read this post and recipe and haven’t made this bread yet... WHY?!?! WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!?? It is four simple ingredients, it is basically no knead and comes together easily, AND it bakes up so beautifully. It’s crusty and soft right out of the oven and then it toasts and reheats very nicely each day after the fresh bake. I have made a decree in my house that all grilled cheese sandwiches will be made with this bread and this bread only going forward. STOP reading and get baking! 😉
So soft, so good!!! It tastes like an artisan loaf, but doesn't need any special equipment 🙂 I measured by weight and needed to add a little bit extra flour, but it might be because I wasn't using King Arthur flour.
This recipe is wonderful and easy! It tastes incredible! Crusty outside and soft salty inside!
I’m so glad you loved it Jessica!!
If you were going to incorporate the ‘everything bagel’ seasoning, would you just sprinkle on top before baking?
I would omit the salt and add everything bagel seasoning in its place to mix it into the dough 🙂
I don’t love putting it on top because it burns easily!
That makes perfect sense! Thank you! Will be making a couple of these tomorrow....🤞🏼
Amazing!! I hope you love it! Please let me know if you have any other questions!
I made two loaves- upped the 'everything bagel' seasoning to 4 TBSP....OMG, slathered with Kerrygold butter....I'm on my 4th slice! Came out perfect and so delish! Never made bread before, so the yeast/consistency thing threw me off initially, but tossed caution to the wind and so glad I did! THANK YOU!!!!
I am SO glad Danny!! There is nothing better than homemade bread and good butter! I am so so glad you loved the recipe!!
Excited to try this recipe... can I use active dry yeast? How would that change proving times?
Hi Maria! So the main thing with switching out Instant yeast for active dry is that you will need an additional 25% more yeast. Though I have not tried this yet, this is what I would do: Mix the warm water with 1 teaspoon sugar and dissolve. Add 2 3/4 teaspoons active dry yeast and stir. Let it froth up and activate and add it to the flour mixture. Then I would proceed as the recipe calls for!
Let me know if you try it out!!
I only have active dry, so I use 12 grams of yeast with the same amount of water (no sugar), let bubble for 5 mins and the results are great!
This recipe is so simple and more importantly, makes the best sandwich bread! It’s just as promised and has quickly become a weekly staple in our home.
I’d definitely recommend watching the Instagram story highlights for tips, that was so helpful for the first time I made it! Thank you for this recipe!!
Hi Mel! Thank you so much for such a sweet review! I’m so glad it has become a staple, you totally made my day!!
I almost never have the desire/patience to bake yeasted things, but this bread was SO EASY and the results taste like I labored over this for hours. Super fluffy crumb with a perfectly crisp crust - magical!
I’m SO glad you loved it Elana, thank you for the sweet review!!
This was incredible! I cook a lot, and bake a lot of sweets, but bread has always been really intimidating for whatever reason. This was easy and absolutely delicious. I plan on making it any time I need crusty bread in the house. Makes for great sandwiches, but my favorite way to eat it was toasted (slightly, basically just warmed) with European butter and flakey salt.
MAKE THIS BREAD!
Hi Sophia! I’m so so glad you loved this!! It really is the perfect bread for any type of baker! I am 100% there with you on the just warm and extra butter and salt please!
Thank you for the kind review!! 🙂
Hi Rylee,
Thank you for sharing my now go to bread recipe. We barely buy store bought bread ever now I’ve tweaked it to our liking and when it comes hot out of the oven it’s so hard to not devour the whole loaf. Thank you for reducing the unnecessary “ingredients “ and making this an easy to follow guide 💛
Hi Amanda,
Thank you for such a kind review! Totally agree - so hard not to devour when hot!! So glad you are making your own bread vs buying! Such a fab skill to have.