This easy sandwich loaf bread recipe is a perfect introduction to the art of bread making! It’s a versatile bread so it surely won’t last long in any household!
I make this recipe using my stand mixer, but I will walk through how to make the bread without one. For home cooks that are trying to bake casually, I would recommend using a stand mixer if you have one just out of convenience and efficiency.
It’s key to ensure that your milk and water (and any liquid you use to bloom yeast) is at a ‘lukewarm’ temperature. This is usually between 95 and 110 F. Anything lower won’t activate the yeast properly and anything higher runs the risk of killing it.
Mix thoroughly and allow the yeast to bloom for around 8 – 10 minutes before you use it. Measure out your other ingredients while the yeast is blooming. Do keep in mind that your butter should be room temperature and soft to the touch.
If you’re using a stand mixer to mix the dough, fit on the dough hook attachment and start by mixing the dry ingredients together. Slowly drizzle in the yeast mixture and continue mixing until the dough comes together. Add in the butter a tablespoon at a time until fully incorporated.
If you’re doing this without a stand mixer, you’ll want to mix the yeast mixture into the dry ingredients with a wooden spoon. Mix until the dough looks like this
When you’re adding the butter, the dough will become sticky you can add a few sprinkles of flour to help but I would be cautious of adding too much. Once the butter is in, you can turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until smooth.
Place in a oiled boil and cover with greased plastic wrap. Let rest for an hour to hour and half or until doubled in size.
Punch the dough out and work any air bubbles out as you roll the dough out into a rectangle. Then fold the dough over itself into thirds across the long side.
Then roll the folded dough out again so the short side of the dough matches the length of your loaf tin. Tightly roll the dough onto itself so it can rest in your loaf pan. There will be holes in your bread if it’s not rolled tightly enough (my bread rose too much so there’s an air pocket in the center of the loaf).
Place the log in a prepped loaf tin and cover with another loaf tin, let rise for about an hour and bake at 350 for 35 to 40 minutes!
Let your easy sandwich loaf bread cool fully before slicing!
Easy Sandwich Loaf Bread
Equipment
- Standard Loaf Tin
Ingredients
- ¾ Cup Lukewarm Water (95°-110° F)
- ½ Cup Lukewarm Milk (95°-110° F) (preferably whole milk)
- 2½ tsp Instant Yeast
- 3 Cups All Purpose Flour
- 1½ tsp Fine Sea Salt (grind your kosher salt if you have kosher)
- 1 tbsp Granulated Sugar
- 3 tbsp Unsalted Butter, room temperature
Instructions
- Mix together the lukewarm water and sprinkle the instant yeast on top. Stir and set aside for ten minutes to let the yeast bloom.
- Mix together the flour, salt, and sugar in large bowl. (Stand mixer bowl if you're using one)
- (Fit the stand mixer with the dough hook or use a larger bowl and a wooden spoon if you don't have one) Add the yeast, milk, and water mixture to the bowl and mix on a low speed until incorporated. (this will take a few minutes with a mixer, and more time by spoon)
- Add a tablespoon of butter at a time to the mixture until full incorporated. Once fully incorporated mix for 30 seconds more. (If you're doing this by hand, put the dough on a floured work surface a knead the butter into the dough. Work until the dough is smooth.
- Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with greased plastic wrap. Let sit at room temperature for about an hour and half or until the dough doubles in size (make sure it doubles, if you live in a colder or less humid climate this may take longer)
- Once the dough doubles in size, punch the air out and place onto a floured work surface. Make sure you punch any air pockets out.
- Roll the dough into a large rectangle and fold into thirds across the long side. (refer to photos)
- Roll that out into another rectangle where the short side is the length of your loaf pan.
- Start from the side of your dough that matches the length of the load pans and Tightly roll your dough into a log.
- Place in a greased and floured loaf tin and cover with another loaf tin, let rest for about an hour at room temperature or until doubled in size.
- Bake at 350° for 35 – 40 minutes. Let cool for ten minutes until removing from loaf pan and let cool fully on a wire rack.