White Sandwich Bread
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- 2 tsp instant yeast
- 3 1/2 cups bread flour
- 2 tsp fine sea salt
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter – softened
- 1 tsp neutral oil – for greasing bowl and pan
Instructions
1. Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan and a medium bowl with the neutral oil, 1 minute.
2. Warm the milk and water together until just lukewarm, 95–105°F, 1–2 minutes (do not simmer).
3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the bread flour, granulated sugar, instant yeast, and fine sea salt until evenly combined, 30 seconds.
4. Pour the warm milk mixture into the dry ingredients and mix with a dough hook or sturdy spoon until a shaggy dough forms, 2–3 minutes.
5. Add the softened unsalted butter and knead until the dough is smooth, elastic, and slightly tacky but not sticky, 8–10 minutes (windowpane or stretches thin without tearing).
6. Transfer the dough to the greased bowl, turn to coat, cover, and let rise in a warm, draft-free spot until doubled in size, 60–75 minutes.
7. Lightly flour the work surface, turn out the dough, gently press into an 8×12-inch rectangle, then roll into a tight log from the short side; pinch the seam and tuck the ends under, 2–3 minutes.
8. Place the log seam-side down in the greased loaf pan, cover, and let rise until the dough crowns about 1 inch above the rim and a gentle poke springs back slowly, 45–60 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) during the last 20 minutes of this rise.
9. Bake at 350°F until the top is deep golden and the loaf registers 195–200°F in the center, 30–35 minutes; tent loosely with foil after 20 minutes if browning too quickly.
10. Remove the loaf from the pan and cool on a wire rack until barely warm before slicing, at least 1 hour.
White sandwich bread is a soft, fine-crumbed, gently enriched loaf with a thin, tender crust. It slices cleanly for sandwiches and toast, stays plush for days, and has a mild sweetness balanced by dairy richness. The even crumb and subtle flavor make it a versatile daily bread that plays well with both savory and sweet fillings.
Historically, this style of bread draws from French pain de mie and the Pullman loaf popularized in late 19th- and early 20th-century North America. The square-sided, lidded Pullman pan standardized a tight, even crumb for efficient stacking and slicing on trains and in commercial bakeries. Home bakers later adapted the method to standard loaf pans, keeping the enriched dough and soft texture that define white sandwich bread today.