A recipe for a hearty white sandwich loaf that’s easy to make and rises high and fluffy. This farmhouse white bread is perfect for every day.
Table of contents
❤️ Why you’ll love this recipe
- Versatile. Everyone needs a good white bread recipe, and if you don’t have one yet, now you do! This is a versatile, easy-to-make sandwich bread that can be used for BLTs, morning toast, and everything else you need.
- Tasty. Great flavor and texture. It rises super high, and has a great soft texture that’s still sturdy enough for all your favorite sandwich toppings.
- Simple to make. If you’ve never made bread before, you’ll find a video and step-by-step photos to help you out!
🧂 Ingredients
This is an overview of the ingredients. You’ll find the full measurements and instructions in the printable recipe at the bottom of the page.
You’ll need the following
- bread flour
- lukewarm water
- butter
- sugar
- salt
- instant yeast (SAF brand is recommended)
🥣 Equipment
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- stand mixer or bread machine (helpful but not essential)
- plastic wrap
- loaf pan (8.5 x 2.5 x 4.5)
🍴Instructions
Step One: mix ingredients
(If you have a bread machine, this dough works very well in there! Just go ahead and add your ingredients, select the dough cycle, and come back once the dough has risen, then proceed to shape, rise again, and bake as described in the next section.)
To knead the dough in your stand mixer, put all the ingredients in the bowl, attach the dough hook, and start stirring on low. After a few minutes of mixing, evaluate the consistency of the dough. It should come together in a ball with no crumbly bits, and should not be sticking to the sides of the bowl. If it’s too dry, add more water a teaspoon at a time. If it’s too wet and sticky, add more flour a teaspoon at a time.
Step Two: knead
Once the consistency of the dough looks correct, it’s time to knead. Using the dough hook with your machine set on low, let it knead for five minutes. Then let the machine and the dough rest. Knead for another five minutes.
Continue this process until the gluten develops enough that the dough forms “windows”. This means that when you stretch out a golf-ball-sized piece of dough, translucent patches are visible.
Step three: the first rise
Once the dough has been kneaded enough, gently shape it into a ball and place it into a clean., lightly-oiled bowl. Cover it with a damp tea towel and place in a warm place to rise until doubled in bulk.
Step Four: shape
When the dough has doubled, it’s time to shape. To shape a sandwich loaf, first stretch it out gently into a rectangle. Use your loaf pan as a guide and form a vertical rectangle. The short side of your rectangle should be the same length as the long side of the loaf pan.
To roll this up into a log-like shape, remember the phrase “shoulders in, head down”. Tuck in the corners and top of the rectangle, then roll into a log. Pinch all the seams closed. Place the log into a loaf pan sprayed with non-stick spray. Cover it with generously greased plastic wrap.
Step Five: the second rise
Now it rises again in a warm place for about 45 minutes.
Towards the end of the rising time, preheat your oven to 350 degrees with the rack in the center.
The loaf is finished with its second rise when it has risen an inch to an inch and a half over the edge of the loaf pan. Generously rub the top with flour.
Step six: bake
Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes.
After it’s fully baked, place on a cooling rack to fully cool before slicing, at least 3 hours. Sometimes overnight is best for nice, neat slices.
🥫 Storage instructions
The bread will stay fresh at room temperature for about three days.
To store longer, slice the loaf and freeze it, just pulling out slices as you need them.
You can also freeze a whole loaf for later.
🔍 FAQs
Absolutely. You’ll have one loaf for now and one for the freezer.
It’s okay! You can use all-purpose. You won’t get that super-hearty texture; it will be a bit softer. ANd you’ll need to reduce the water by just a bit.
Let it cool a long time (even overnight!) and use a super sharp, serrated knife. You’ll get better with practice.
Nope! I put sugar in all my bread recipes! I find that it improves the rise and you can’t even taste it. You can leave it out if it’s bugging you. 😊
👩🏻🍳 Expert tips
If you have never made yeast bread before, please check out my beginner’s guide to yeast bread baking, which will go over the basic steps and different methods you can try.
- Our absolute favorite way to make bread is in the dough cycle of a bread machine. It gives you perfectly kneaded dough with a beautiful first rise.
- If you want a shiny crust, brush it with a beaten egg before baking
🍽 Serve it with
- BLTS, morning toast, or… you know how to eat bread, right>
- If you have leftovers, try one of these recipes
📘 Related Recipes
- Oatmeal sandwich bread adds whole wheat flour and oatmeal for a hearty loaf that’s just as versatile.
- Milk and honey bread is a tad softer and sweeter with a butter-brushed top.
- If you have a sourdough starter going, this sourdough sandwich bread is a hybrid loaf with a slight tang.
📖 Here’s the recipe
Farmhouse White Sandwich Bread
Ingredients
- 3 cups bread flour
- 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon lukewarm water
- 2 tablespoons butter softened
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons instant yeast (SAF brand is recommended)
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to the bowl of an electric stand mixer or to a large mixing bowl. Combine until a dough is formed that holds together and does not stick to the sides of bottom of the bowl. If it seems too dry and crumbly, add more water a teaspoon at a time. If it's too sticky, add more flour.
- Knead the dough by machine or hand for ten to fifteen minutes, until it is smooth, soft, and reaches the windowpane stage (meaning that when the dough is stretched, a translucent area appears). If using a stand mixer, allow the machine to rest every five minutes.
- Shape the dough gently into a ball and place into a clean, lightly oiled bowl. Cover with a clean, damp tea towel and place into a warm place to rise. Let the dough rise 60 minutes, until it is puffy and has doubled in size.
- Gently stretch the dough into a rectangle, with the short side of the rectangle as long as the long side of the loaf pan you will be using for baking. Tuck in the corners and top of the dough, and roll into a long. Pinch the seams closed and place the loaf, seam side down, into a lightly oiled loaf pan.
- Cover with heavily greased plastic wrap and place in a warm place to rise again, until the dough rises to be one inch above the top of the loaf pan. When it is ready, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Generously flour the top of the loaf with flour.
- Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes, until the dough is 200-210 degrees internally and sounds hollow when tapped. Remove from loaf pan and allow to cool fully on wire rack. Bread stays fresh 2 days at room temperature, or 2 months frozen.
OMG…wish I could post a picture here. Thanks for posting this recipe. This is the best looking and best tasting loaf of white bread I have ever baked. I took the risk of substituting butter-flavored Crisco for the butter, and it behaved as I had hoped.
yay! so glad to hear it. i actually love butter-flavored crisco π€£ so i might give that a try myself
β If you do not have bread flour, all purpose flour can be substituted. You will need to reduce the water by 20% and increase slightly if needed. The bread will have a less hearty texture.β
Increase what slightly? I feel like there is a word missing here. I just figured out why my bread isnβt rising as tall as it should. I totally missed this note. *face palm*
Beth… the quote means start with 20% less of the water, and if your dough is too dry, increase the water slightly. there are a number of reasons you bread might not rise but i don’t thin not adding enough water would do it. hope it turns out for you. π
Dear Katie: I’ve made your wonderful bread many times, and we all love it. I was just gifted a 9 x 4 Pullman Pan with lid. Do you think I could make a successful Pullman loaf using this terrific recipe? Thanks for your opinion.
Dawn I think it would work just fine! you’ll have a softer crust. I’m so glad you enjoy the recipe.
what size pan did you use? I have a 9×5 and a 12×4. I’m trying to find a recipe that will work for my 12×4!
Ellen I’m using 8.5 x 4. I have never seen a 12×4 i had to look that one up!
Great recipe! I made a test loaf and decided this was my go to white bread recipe from now on. I kneaded it by hand and it rose and browned and cut perfectly! Even at altitude. (5500′) No major adjustments, I just made sure the dough was the right consistency and left it to rise less time.
willow i’m so glad your loaf was a success. it’s 100% our favorite white too!
How crusty is this recipe? For years, I used one similar that made a beautiful loaf with a crisp crust that was out of this world–it reminded my kids of Pepperidge Farm’s bread, but nicer. Unfortunately, the recipe has disappeared, to my complete disgust.
I am about to start making bread again on a daily basis, and am looking for a good replacement.
Tracy it is crusty enough that when i cut into it the crust sort of flakes (if that makes sense).
I really like this bread, made it three times. But the last time it collapsed. It rose an inch above thrown, I put it in the oven, and it came out level with the top of the pan. Any idea what I did wrong?
hi jerry! usually this is because it has over-risen (either during the first or second rise) and the yeast sort of…runs out of steam… in the oven. it happens to me occasionally if my room is warmer than usual. happens to everyone now and then. π