Whether you are making a classic comfort-food grilled cheese, soft tea sandwiches, or French toast, homemade white sandwich bread (often called butter bread) yields a loaf with a tender, velvety crumb and a golden, buttery crust that puts store-bought sandwich bread to shame.
Here is a straightforward, reliable recipe for a soft-as-a-pillow white butter bread loaf.
Ingredients
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Warm Water: 1 cup (110°F / 43°C)
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Warm Milk: 1/2 cup (whole milk gives the softest texture)
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Active Dry Yeast: 2 1/4 teaspoons (1 standard packet / 7g)
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Granulated Sugar: 3 tablespoons (divided)
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Unsalted Butter: 4 tablespoons (melted and slightly cooled, plus 1 extra tablespoon softened for brushing the crust)
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Salt: 1 1/2 teaspoons
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All-Purpose Flour or Bread Flour: 4 to 4 1/2 cups (Bread flour gives a slightly chewier structure; all-purpose gives a classic, tender sandwich crumb)
Instructions
1. Activate the Yeast
In a large bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer), combine the warm water, warm milk, yeast, and 1 tablespoon of the sugar. Stir gently and let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes until the mixture becomes frothy and bubbly on top.
2. Mix the Dough
Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar, melted butter, salt, and 4 cups of the flour to the yeast mixture. Using a wooden spoon or a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, mix on low speed until the ingredients come together into a shaggy dough.
3. Knead Until Smooth
Knead the dough for about 8 to 10 minutes by hand (or 5 to 7 minutes in a stand mixer). If the dough is too sticky and clings heavily to the bottom of the bowl, add the remaining 1/2 cup of flour a little at a time. The finished dough should be smooth, elastic, and slightly tacky, but it should spring back when gently poked.
4. First Rise
Shape the dough into a smooth ball and place it in a large, lightly oiled bowl. Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap. Let it rise in a warm, draft-free place for 1 to 1.5 hours, or until it has doubled in size.
5. Shape the Loaf
Gently punch down the risen dough to release the air. Turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll or pat the dough out into a rectangle roughly the width of your loaf pan (about 8×4 inches or 9×5 inches). Roll the rectangle up tightly into a cylinder, pinching the final seam shut to seal. Place the log seam-side down into a greased loaf pan.
6. Second Rise
Cover the loaf pan loosely with a towel and let it rise again in a warm spot for 45 to 60 minutes, or until the dough crowns about an inch above the rim of the pan.
7. Bake
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Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
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Bake the loaf for 30 to 35 minutes. If you notice the top browning too quickly during the last 10 minutes, tent it loosely with a piece of aluminum foil.
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The bread is done when the top is golden brown and the loaf sounds hollow when gently tapped on the bottom.
8. Cool and Slice
Immediately upon removing the loaf from the oven, rub the remaining tablespoon of softened butter across the top crust (this keeps the crust exceptionally soft). Turn the bread out of the pan onto a wire rack and let it cool completely before slicing to allow the crumb structure to set.
