American · Breads & baking

Soft sandwich bread

Name: Soft sandwich bread
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 2 h 45 min
Yield: 1 9-by-5-inch loaf
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 3 1/2 cups (420 grams) all-purpose flour, plus more as needed; 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast; 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt; 2 tablespoons honey; 1 cup whole milk, warmed to 100–110°F; 1/3 cup warm water, 100–110°F; 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened and divided; Neutral oil, for the bowl and pan

A tender, close-grained white loaf that slices cleanly for sandwiches and toast without crumbling.

About 2 hr 45 minTotal

About 1 hrActive

$Cost

ModerateDifficulty

Makes 1 9-by-5-inch loaf

Equipment

Use an 8.5 × 4.5- or 9 × 5-inch pan; dark pans may need an earlier doneness check.
Best standard loaf pan
USA Pan 1-Pound Loaf Pan · 1140LF
View at Amazon
Another workable path: Use an 8.5 × 4.5- or 9 × 5-inch pan; dark pans may need an earlier doneness check.
Paid links. As an Amazon Associate, Kwilt earns from qualifying purchases.
How we chose
Research-backed · reviewed Aug 2026
We matched the recipe’s pan dimensions and dough capacity, then checked material, heat limit, coating care, stable model identity, and exact retail destination. Kwilt has not baked with this pan.
USA Pan 1-Pound Loaf Pan · 1140LF: Its standard one-pound footprint matches the catalog’s 9-by-5-inch household loaves closely and the reinforced aluminized steel supports even, repeatable browning. Trade-off: The silicone nonstick coating requires hand washing and nonmetal utensils, and the maker advises against cooking spray.
Another workable path: Use another light-colored 8.5-by-4.5- or 9-by-5-inch loaf pan; darker pans may brown faster and need an earlier check.
Sources
USA Pan 1140LF specifications
Amazon exact product listing
Cooling rack

Ingredients

1× recipe · Makes 1 9-by-5-inch loaf

3 1/2 cups (420 grams) all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons honey
1 cup whole milk, warmed to 100–110°F
1/3 cup warm water, 100–110°F
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened and divided
Neutral oil, for the bowl and pan

Instructions

Whisk flour, yeast, and salt in a large bowl. Add honey, warm milk, water, and 3 tablespoons butter. Stir until a shaggy dough forms, then knead on a lightly floured surface 8 to 10 minutes until smooth, elastic, and only slightly tacky; add flour 1 tablespoon at a time only if it truly sticks.
Place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and rise in a warm room 60 to 75 minutes until roughly doubled. Use the dough's size rather than the clock as the deciding signal.
Grease a . Press dough into an 8-by-12-inch rectangle, roll tightly from a short end, pinch the seam and ends closed, and place seam-side down in the pan.
Cover and rise 35 to 50 minutes until the center crowns about 1 inch above the rim. During the final 20 minutes, heat oven to 350°F. Bake 32 to 38 minutes until deep golden and 190–195°F in the center.
Turn out immediately, brush with remaining butter for a soft crust, and cool on a rack at least 90 minutes before slicing. Cutting warm bread compresses the crumb and makes it seem gummy.

United StatesNorth America · modern household pan-loaf tradition with European antecedents

From the table

About this recipe

Soft rectangular pan loaves belong to a broad European and American bread tradition rather than one protected regional formula. Lidded pain de mie and Pullman forms emphasized a fine crumb and compact shape; open-topped household sandwich loaves kept that practical geometry while allowing a rounded crown.

Industrial sliced bread made the uniform sandwich loaf a twentieth-century American default, but home bakers continued to make enriched yeast versions with milk, fat, and a little sweetener. This recipe follows that domestic branch: it is soft enough for sandwiches, structured enough to slice, and intentionally less sweet and less shelf-stable than packaged bread.

Sources

Dinner does not stop at the recipe