Sweet Things Remembered

•This post may contain affiliate links•

This recipe makes two loaves of soft, delicious sandwich bread perfect for toast, any kind of sandwich, or just to have a slice of bread and butter with dinner.

I have talked before about how we would eat dinner at my grandma’s house sometimes, all gathered around the table. I can still picture details like the dinner plates we used with the blue and yellow flowers and where each person sat around the table. I can still hear my grandpa praying the same prayer he always prayed before we ate. And, I can still taste baked spaghetti and salad with Catalina dressing. Along with the conversation, laughter, and delicious, home cooked food, one thing present at every meal was a loaf of Butternut sandwich bread. I’m sure I had bread and butter with my meal, too, but I mostly remember my grandpa having it. He would always sit at the end of the table, and usually that’s where the bread and butter were located, too. I don’t know how many pieces he would have, it probably varied, but every bite of dinner was followed by a bite of buttered bread. I don’t know why, but I thought it was so funny and I remember giving him a hard time about it. He just smiled, chuckled that familiar laugh, and kept eating his bread.

I don’t often buy sandwich bread anymore, but I love to make all kinds of bread. Usually, I do more of an artisan loaf because I make bread to have with dinner rather than for sandwiches (Grandpa was onto something with his buttered bread), but I will make sandwich bread, too, if I know I am going to need it. This recipe is one that uses the KitchenAid® Stand Mixer to mix and knead the dough, so it’s pretty easy to make and you end up with two loaves of soft, delicious white bread. If you try it out, I suggest putting some butter on it and eating it with dinner. Remember, take a bite of dinner, then a bite of bread. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• Milk
• Honey – The recipe calls for 2 tbsp of honey, but if you don’t have honey, or don’t like it, you can use 3 tbsp of sugar.
• Salt
• Butter – Margarine would also work just fine.
• Active Dry Yeast – I use the regular kind, but you could also use rapid rise. You’ll just need to watch your dough because it will not take as long to proof.
• Warm Water – This should be 100°-110°. If it is too warm, it will kill the yeast, but if it’s too cold the yeast won’t bloom.
• All-Purpose Flour

All measurements are included in the recipe card below!

Equipment

• Stand Mixer with dough hook – You can make bread without a mixer. However, this recipe is written with instructions specifically for using a stand mixer. If you do not have one, you can mix your dough in a mixing bowl with a wooden spoon (or dough whisk), and then knead it by hand until it is smooth and elastic. Ingredient amounts and rising times would be the same.
• Loaf Pans – This recipe makes two loaves, so you’ll need two pans. If you only have one, just halve the recipe! As far as size, you can use 8.5×4.5 or 9×5. I used 9×5 because that’s all I have. If you use 8.5×4.5, the loaves will be a little taller, but still bake just the same.
• Measuring Tools
• Separate Mixing Bowl
• Rolling Pin
• Wire Cooling Rack

How to Make Classic White Sandwich Bread

• In a glass measuring cup or microwave safe bowl, add 1/2 cup milk and 3 tbsp butter. Microwave 1 to 1.5 minutes to melt the butter. Set it aside to cool to lukewarm (around 100°-110°).
• Once the milk and butter mixture has cooled enough, add it to the bowl of your mixer and stir in 1½ cups of warm water (around 100°-110°) and 2 tbsp of honey.
• Sprinkle 4½ tsp dry active yeast (2 packets) into the bowl. Stir it so the yeast dissolves, and then let it sit 5-10 minutes to get foamy.
• Once the yeast has bloomed, add 4½ cups of flour and 2 tsp salt. Mix this on low speed (level 2) for about 1 minute.
• Continuing to mix on low speed, add another 1½ cups of flour in half cup increments. Keep mixing until the dough clings to the hook and cleans the sides of the bowl. This should take about 2 minutes.
• Allow the dough to continue kneading on low speed for another 2 minutes. The dough will still be slightly sticky, but it should become smooth and elastic.
• Remove the dough from the dough hook and gently form it into a ball. Place it into a greased mixing bowl and roll it around to ensure the entire ball is greased. Cover the bowl and let rise for 1 hour, or until it has doubled in size.
• Once the dough has doubled, remove it from the mixing bowl, and divide it in two.
  • Before diving up the dough, you can grease your two loaf pans. I used butter, but you can use whatever you prefer for greasing your baking dishes.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll one part of the dough out into a roughly 9×14 inch rectangle. Starting at the short edge, tightly roll the dough up, and then pinch the seam together. Pinch the ends together, as well, turn them down toward the seam, and place the loaf seam side down into a greased loaf pan. Repeat with the other part of the dough.
• Cover the loaves and let them rise for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
  • When you have 10 to 15 minutes left on the rise time, preheat the oven to 400°.
• Once the loaves have doubled, bake them at 400° for about 30 minutes, or until golden brown.
• Remove the loaves from the pans immediately to cool on a wire rack. Once completely cool, you can slice them up and enjoy!

Questions You May Have About Classic White Sandwich Bread

Classic White Sandwich Bread

Recipe by rebekahdearmondDifficulty: Easy

Servings

32

servings

Prep time

2

hours 

20

minutes

Baking time

30

minutes

Ingredients

• ½ cup milk

• 2 tbsp honey (or 3 tbsp sugar)

• 2 tsp salt

• 3 tbsp butter

• 4½ tsp dry active yeast (2 packages)

• 1½ cups warm water

• 6 cups all-purpose flour

Directions

• In a glass measuring cup or microwave safe bowl, add 1/2 cup milk and 3 tbsp butter. Microwave 1 to 1.5 minutes to melt the butter. Set it aside to cool to lukewarm (around 100°-110°).
• Once the milk and butter mixture has cooled enough, add it to the bowl of your mixer and stir in 1½ cups of warm water (around 100°-110°) and 2 tbsp of honey.
• Sprinkle 4½ tsp dry active yeast (2 packets) into the bowl. Stir it so the yeast dissolves, and then let it sit 5-10 minutes to get foamy.
• Once the yeast has bloomed, add 4½ cups of flour and 2 tsp salt. Mix this on low speed (level 2) for about 1 minute.
• Continuing to mix on low speed, add another 1½ cups of flour in half cup increments. Keep mixing until the dough clings to the hook and cleans the sides of the bowl. This should take about 2 minutes.
• Allow the dough to continue kneading on low speed for another 2 minutes. The dough will still be slightly sticky, but it should become smooth and elastic.
• Remove the dough from the dough hook and gently form it into a ball. Place it into a greased mixing bowl and roll it around to ensure the entire ball is greased. Cover the bowl and let rise for 1 hour, or until it has doubled in size.
• Once the dough has doubled, remove it from the mixing bowl, and divide it in two.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll one part of the dough out into a roughly 9×14 inch rectangle. Starting at the short edge, tightly roll the dough up, and then pinch the seam together. Pinch the ends together, as well, turn them down toward the seam, and place the loaf seam side down into a greased loaf pan. Repeat with the other part of the dough.
• Cover the loaves and let them rise for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
• Once the loaves have doubled, bake them at 400° for about 30 minutes, or until golden brown.
• Remove the loaves from the pans immediately to cool on a wire rack. Once completely cool, you can slice them up and enjoy!

Notes

• When blooming the yeast, make sure the water and milk mixture are both between 100° and 110°. If that liquid is too warm, it will kill the yeast. If it’s too cool, it won’t bloom properly. Either one will cause your bread not to rise.