This is a simple, reliable recipe for a soft, golden-crusted white sandwich loaf with a tender crumb — exactly the kind of freshly baked, steaming bread shown. It uses everyday ingredients and produces one large loaf that slices beautifully for toast or sandwiches.
Ingredients (makes 1 large loaf)
- 500 g (about 4 cups) strong white bread flour (or all-purpose flour)
- 10 g (about 1¾ tsp) fine salt
- 7 g (2¼ tsp) instant yeast (or active dry yeast)
- 1 heaping tablespoon honey (or sugar)
- 30 g (2 Tbsp) unsalted butter, softened (or olive oil)
- 300–320 ml lukewarm water (start with 300 ml; add more if needed)
Optional for extra softness & richer flavour: replace half the water with lukewarm milk, or add 30–40 g nonfat dry milk powder.
Method
- Mix the dough
In a large bowl (or stand mixer), combine the flour, salt, and yeast. Add the honey, softened butter, and most of the lukewarm water. Mix until a shaggy dough forms.
Knead by hand for 8–10 minutes (or 5–7 minutes on medium-low with a dough hook) until the dough is smooth, elastic, and slightly tacky but not sticky. It should feel bouncy when you press it. - First rise
Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap, and let it rise in a warm place for 60–90 minutes until puffy and roughly doubled (or at least noticeably larger). - Shape
Gently deflate the dough. Shape it into a fat log about 20–23 cm (8–9 inches) long. Place it seam-side down in a lightly greased 23 × 13 cm (9 × 5 inch) loaf pan. - Second rise
Cover the pan and let the dough rise for another 45–90 minutes until it crowns 2.5–4 cm (1–1½ inches) above the rim of the pan.
Toward the end of rising, preheat the oven to 180 °C / 350 °F (fan 160 °C / 320 °F if using convection). - Bake
Bake for 20 minutes, then loosely tent with foil if the top is browning too quickly. Continue baking another 15–20 minutes until the crust is deep golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the centre reads 93–96 °C (195–205 °F). The loaf should sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. - Cool
Remove from the pan immediately and cool completely on a wire rack (at least 1–2 hours) before slicing. The steam you see in the photo is normal right out of the oven — the bread is still finishing cooking inside as it cools.
Tips for success (to match the photo)
- Use lukewarm (not hot) water so you don’t kill the yeast.
- Don’t skimp on kneading — good gluten development gives the nice oven spring and open-ish crumb.
- A little steam in the oven for the first 10 minutes (place a tray of boiling water on the bottom rack) helps create the blistered, shiny golden crust.
- For an extra-soft crust, brush the hot loaf with melted butter as soon as it comes out of the oven.
- Store cooled bread in a plastic bag at room temperature for 3–4 days, or freeze sliced for longer storage.
Enjoy your fresh, homemade loaf — it should look and smell just like the one in the picture
