Classic Sandwich Bread
For sandwiches, toast, and French toast, you just can’t beat a classic American sandwich loaf, with its creamy-white interior, golden crust, and soft, easily sliceable texture.
3 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour*
1/2 cup milk (skim, 1%, 2% or whole, your choice)**
1/2 to 2/3 cup hot water, enough to make a soft, smooth dough**
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) melted butter, margarine or vegetable oil
2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 packet active dry yeast dissolved in 1 tablespoon warm water OR 2 teaspoons instant yeast
*For added whole-grain goodness, substitute great-tasting King Arthur 100% White Whole Wheat Flour for up to half of the all-purpose flour in this recipe.
**Mix the cold-from-the-refrigerator milk with 1/2 cup of the hot-from-the-tap water to make a lukewarm combination.
Mixing: In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients and stir till the dough starts to leave the sides of the bowl. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased surface, oil your hands, and knead it for 6 to 8 minutes, or until it begins to become smooth and supple. (You may also knead this dough in an electric mixer or food processor, or in a bread machine set to the dough or manual cycle). Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover the bowl, and allow the dough to rise till puffy though not necessarily doubled in bulk, about 60 minutes, depending on the warmth of your kitchen.
Shaping: Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled work surface, and shape it into an 8-inch log. Place the log in a lightly greased 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan, cover the pan loosely with lightly greased plastic wrap, and allow the bread to rise for about 60 minutes, until it’s domed about 1 inch above the edge of the pan. A finger pressed into the dough should leave a mark that rebounds slowly.
Baking: Bake the bread in a preheated 350°F oven for about 35 minutes, until it’s light golden brown. Test it for doneness by removing it from the pan and thumping it on the bottom (it should sound hollow), or by measuring its interior temperature with an instant-read thermometer (it should register 190°F at the center of the loaf). Remove the bread from the oven, and cool it on a wire rack before slicing. Store the bread in a plastic bag at room temperature. Yield: 1 loaf.
Reviews
07/12/2010
This recipe was great! And being in the middle of July with an already super-warm kitchen - the first and second rise took half the times. And the bread is delicious. I can never wait until it completely cools to slice so I had to slice it hot from the oven. A little on the salty side though so next time will decrease salt. Can't wait to make this again!
We really try to hit the mark with our recipes for optimum flavor. Individual taste preferences will dictate if the baker/family uses more or less salt. Irene @ KAF
06/23/2010
Excellent sandwich bread, great texture for slicing and so easy to throw together! Definitely one of my families favorites.
06/16/2010
I've been making this with half AP and half whole wheat flour with perfect results, it is now our daily sandwich loaf. Doubles great, freezes wonderfully. Today I decided to test out some substitutions to pack more nutrition in there. I substituted 3T Soy flour for part of the AP flour for added protein, and substituted 1/3 c milled flax seeds for part of the whole wheat flour (and cut back the oil to 3T). First and second rises were great, not very much oven spring, but in the end it made a fantastic loaf! Moist, soft, not at all dense like I was afraid of and great flavor... hopefully my kids will enjoy it as much as I do.
04/05/2010
i made this bread last week and it is so good. not only is it easy to prepare, but you have all the ingredients in the pantry anyway. i still have a small piece left, and plan on making it again this weekend. excellent for sandwiches or just toasted with some butter. yummy.
03/18/2010
My first edible bread!!!
03/16/2010
I've been baking bread for over 30 years. This is one of the best ( and easiest!) recipes. I make it again and again. Yummy!
03/03/2010
SO great! Will make over and over again...
02/03/2010
very easy and very tasty. loaves did not rise very high. used bread flour and that helped a bit but not enough to have a proper sandwich bread. half of the first loaf was gone in 5 minutes.
This recipe works best with all purpose flour, not bread flour. The bread flour will give the bread more "chew", and may require a bit more liquid. Irene @ KAF
01/18/2010
I am a beginner when it comes to bread making... as a matter of fact this was only my second time. This recipe turned out fantastic! The only modification I made was instead of 4 tablespoons of butter, I used 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons of crisco... my sister told me that crisco will help keep the bread moist. It did come out perfectly moist but I would not be able to say if that was because of the crisco or not because I have never made it the other way! Anyhow, a wonderful recipe!! Thank you!
01/02/2010
This is by far the easiest sandwich bread recipe I have made. I usually make about two every evening because one gets eaten with dinner and the other we will use for breakfast and lunch. My kids love it, and I love the fact that I control what goes in - plus with a child who has severe nut allergies, I don't have to worry about the labels! Do you think that I could substitute honey for the sugar? If this is possible, how much honey should I use in place of the sugar?
Thanks again KAF for making me look like a rock star (especially since there is NO way to mess this recipe up!)!!
Honey is sweeter so use slightly less. Pay attention to the consistency of your dough, adjusting with a little extra flour if needed.
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