I’ve had a bread machine for a long time. And like many people, I spent numerous pandemic days baking at home. But try as I might, I never found a good sandwich bread recipe – you know, one that was light and fluffy and sliceable – until now.
The Trouble With White Bread
There’s something special about white bread. It can hold all your sandwich ingredients, soak up buttery goodness as a grilled cheese sandwich, or pop it in a toaster to make it a meal all its own. Maybe that’s why people say, “It’s the best thing since sliced bread.”
Storebought bread can do all that, but for a long time, my bread couldn’t. Usually, it was too dense, as if you had smooshed several slices together to make a heavy single slice. At other times there were big air bubbles that let the mayonnaise slip through. And more often than not, it crumbled when cut with a bread knife.
And the Solution
Then I came across this recipe from Lil’ Luna. She calls it the best homemade bread recipe, and she’s right! It’s fluffy, it cuts well, and it stays fresh for days at room temperature or a week in the fridge. The recipe makes two loaves, so feel free to freeze one for later. After thawing, it’s as fresh as if it were baked the same day. You’ll find my slightly altered version of the recipe below.
Also, you don’t need a bread maker for this recipe. All you will need is a large mixing bowl and two loaf pans (9×5 or 8.5×4.5). I use a stand mixer to avoid any kneading by hand.
What flour should you use? I use pizza and bread flour from Sam’s Club, but any all-purpose flour will do. You could even try wheat or other grain flowers, adjusting the water-to-flour ratio as needed.
There’s nothing more comforting than freshly baked bread. Yours can be ready in just over two and a half hours… let’s get started!
Easy Sandwich Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 2.25 tsp active dry yeast
- 2.25 c warm water
- 1/4 c sugar
- 1 tbsp salt
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 6 c flour
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- cooking spray
Instructions
- Mix yeast and a pinch of sugar into warm water. Allow to rest for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, add sugar, salt, and 4 cups flour to the large mixing bowl of a stand mixer. Install the dough hook.
- Make a hollow in the center of the flour. Add 1/4 cup yeast mixture and begin mixing at a low speed. Add oil and gradually add remaining yeast mixture.
- When thourouly mixed, the dough will be wet and sticky. Continue mixing while adding 1/4 cup of the remaining flour at a time. When the dough forms a moist ball, you know that you have added enough flour. You may not need the entire 6 cups, or you may need a bit more.
- Pour the olive oil into a large mixing bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl. Roll the dough in the oil to cover. Then cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Allow to rise for 1 hour.
- After 1 hour, transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into two equal halves. Pat each half into a rectangle or cylinder shape. Starting from a narrow end, pull the dough upward and onto itself. This process should create a cylinder perpendicular to the original shape.
- Oil the loaf pans with cooking spray. If your cylinder is longer than your pan, gently pat the ends to shorten it. Place it in the loaf pan seam-side down and cover with plastic wrap. Allow the dough to rise for 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 375 Fahrenheit. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from oven, let cool, and slice.
One part Lois Lane, one part Jimmy Olsen, one part Johnboy Walton, and a bit of that Clark Kent secret identity thing thrown in for good measure.
Cara Siera is a freelance writer and photographer with a passion for travel and exotic cuisine. Join Cara, her husband Marc, and one very spoiled German Shepherd on their next great adventure.