Stand mixer

Soft Sandwich Bread

A buttery homemade loaf with a tight crumb — the kind you actually want to toast. The stand mixer does the kneading.

Sliced sandwich loaf on a walnut board, showing a soft tight crumb and pale golden crust.

There's nothing quite like homemade sandwich bread cooling on the counter. This loaf rises tall, tastes a little buttery, and slices clean for turkey, toast, or a very serious grilled cheese.

You'll need a stand mixer with the dough hook. That's not us being fussy — this dough wants a real knead, and the mixer is how you get that even crumb without standing at the counter for ten minutes.

If yeast still makes you nervous, this is a friendly place to start. Mix, knead, rise, shape, bake. Most of the time is hands-off, and we'll tell you what the dough should look like at each step.

Why you'll love this

Soft white bread with a tight, even crumb
Just 7 ingredients
The stand mixer kneads it for you
Makes the best toast
Easy to freeze

Stand mixer with dough hook

Soft Sandwich Bread

A buttery homemade loaf with a tight crumb — the kind you actually want to toast. The stand mixer does the kneading.

Prep: 25 minutes
Total: 3 hours 30 minutes
Yield: 1 loaf (9×5-inch pan)

Ingredients

4 cups (500g) bread flour
1⅓ cups (320g) whole milk, lukewarm
1 Tbsp + 1 tsp (20g) granulated sugar
2 tsp (10g) fine sea salt
2¼ tsp (7g) instant yeast (1 standard packet)
3 Tbsp (40g) unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into pieces
Soft butter or oil, for the pan

Instructions

1
Fit the stand mixer with the dough hook. Add the flour, milk, sugar, salt, and yeast to the bowl. Mix on low until no dry flour remains, about 1 minute.
2
Turn the mixer up to medium-low and knead with the dough hook for 6 minutes. The dough should pull away from the sides and still look a little shaggy — that's fine.
3
Add the butter a few pieces at a time with the mixer running. Keep going until it disappears and the dough is smooth and stretchy, 3 to 5 minutes more. It should pass a short windowpane test: thin enough to see light through, not so thin it tears dry.
4
Cover the bowl and let the dough rise at room temperature until doubled, 60 to 90 minutes.
5
Turn it out, press it into a rectangle, and roll it into a tight log the length of a 9×5-inch pan. Nestle it in the greased pan, seam down.
6
Cover and let it proof until the dough crowns about an inch over the rim, 45 to 75 minutes. Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C) in the last 20 minutes.
7
Bake until the crust is deep gold and the loaf sounds hollow when you tap it, 32 to 38 minutes. An instant-read thermometer in the center should read about 200°F (93°C).
8
Turn the loaf out onto a rack. Wait at least 45 minutes before slicing — cutting too soon squishes that soft crumb you just made.

Notes

Bread flour gives you a loaf that slices like sandwich bread. All-purpose works in a pinch; expect a slightly softer loaf and a shorter knead.
If the dough climbs the dough hook, stop the mixer, push it down, and keep going. Totally normal — don't add extra flour.
To freeze: cool completely, wrap well, and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature, still wrapped.

Special tool: Stand mixer with dough hook. See the mixer we use.