Classic White Sandwich Bread
This is the soft tin loaf that makes perfect toast and sandwiches: tall, fine-crumbed and thin-crusted. Milk and a little butter keep the crumb tender and help it stay fresh for days. The hardest part of the whole recipe is waiting for it to cool before you slice.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- Rest
- 3 h 5 min
- Total
- 4 h 5 min
- Servings
- 12
- Level
- Easy
- Per serving
- 190 kcal
Ingredients
Makes: 1 loaf (23 × 13 cm tin), 12 slices
Shopping list
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Method
Oven
190 °C · top and bottom heat, no fan
With a fan: 170 °C
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Step 1: Knead the dough
Combine the flour, yeast, sugar and salt, add the warm milk and water and bring it together. Add the soft butter and knead for 10 minutes by hand or 7 minutes in a mixer, until smooth and springy. Test it: a small piece should stretch into a thin, translucent sheet without tearing.
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Step 2: First rise
Cover the bowl and leave in a warm spot for 60–75 minutes, until doubled.
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Step 3: Shape the loaf
Press the air out of the dough and pat it into a 22 × 30 cm rectangle. Roll it up tightly from a short side, pinch the seam closed and place it seam-side down in a buttered 23 × 13 cm loaf tin.
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Step 4: Second rise
Cover and leave for 45–60 minutes, until the dome rises about 2 cm above the rim of the tin. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 190 °C (375 °F).
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Step 5: Bake
Bake for 30–35 minutes, until the top is golden brown. Turn the loaf out and tap the bottom: it should sound hollow, and an instant-read thermometer should show 92–95 °C (198–203 °F) in the centre.
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Step 6: Cool completely
Cool on a rack for at least an hour. The bread is still setting inside, and slicing it hot leaves the crumb gummy and compressed.
Tips & variations
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Tip
Higher-protein bread flour gives a taller loaf and a finer crumb, but good all-purpose flour still makes a very decent sandwich loaf.
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Variation
Swap 100 g of the white flour for whole wheat and add 2 extra tablespoons of water for a nuttier, slightly denser loaf.
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Tip
For an extra-soft crust, rub the hot loaf with a knob of butter and cover it with a towel for 10 minutes.
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Storage
Keep in a paper or cloth bag for up to 3 days. For longer storage, slice and freeze; you can toast slices straight from the freezer.
Nutrition
| 1 serving | Whole dish 12 servings | |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 190 kcal | 2,280 kcal |
| Protein | 6 g | 72 g |
| Fat | 3 g | 36 g |
| Carbohydrates | 35 g | 420 g |
Approximate values calculated from standard ingredient data.
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