Soft, fluffy white loaves with a tender golden crust — perfect everyday sandwich bread.
Ingredients (makes 2 standard loaves)
- 2 cups (480 ml) warm whole milk (about 110°F / 43°C)
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar or honey
- 2¼ tsp (7 g) instant yeast
- ¼ cup (56 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 tsp salt
- 5½–6 cups (660–720 g) bread flour or all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Make the dough
In a large bowl or stand mixer, combine the warm milk, sugar, and yeast. Let sit 5 minutes until foamy.
Add the softened butter, eggs, salt, and 5½ cups flour. Mix until a soft dough forms, then knead 7–10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Add a little more flour only if the dough is very sticky. - First rise
Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1–1½ hours. - Shape
Punch down the dough and divide it in half. Shape each half into a tight loaf.
Place each loaf in a greased 9×5-inch loaf pan. - Second rise
Cover and let rise until the dough has risen about 1 inch above the rim of the pans, 45–75 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). - Bake
Bake for 30–40 minutes, until deep golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 190–195°F (88–90°C). Tent with foil if the tops brown too quickly. - Cool
Remove from the pans immediately and cool completely on a wire rack before slicing (at least 1 hour).
Tips
- For a soft, shiny crust, brush the hot loaves with melted butter right after baking.
- Bread flour gives better structure; all-purpose flour yields a slightly softer crumb.
- Store in plastic bags at room temperature for 3–4 days, or freeze slices.
- For extra softness, you can add 2–3 Tbsp milk powder to the dough.
Soft, classic homemade sandwich bread. Enjoy!
