Soft Homemade Sandwich Bread

The photo appears to show a simple soft white bread made with flour, milk, butter, salt, and active dry yeast. The exact quantities aren’t readable from the image, so the recipe below is a carefully reconstructed version designed to produce two soft sandwich loaves.

Ingredients
Ingredient Amount
All-purpose flour or bread flour 6 cups (720–780 g)
Warm milk 2 cups (480 ml)
Active dry yeast 1 packet (7 g / 2¼ tsp)
Butter, softened or melted 4 tbsp (57 g)
Salt 2 tsp (10–12 g)
Sugar 2 tbsp (25 g)
Butter for brushing 1–2 tbsp, optional

Note: Sugar is included to help feed the yeast and lightly sweeten/brown the bread. If the original recipe you’re following doesn’t use sugar, it can be reduced or omitted, although rising and browning may be slightly different.

Step-by-step Recipe
1. Warm the milk
Heat the milk until it is warm, not hot, about 38–43°C / 100–110°F.

If you can comfortably touch the milk, it should feel pleasantly warm. Very hot milk can damage the yeast.

2. Activate the yeast
Pour the warm milk into a large mixing bowl.

Add:

2 tbsp sugar

2¼ tsp active dry yeast

Stir gently and leave for 5–10 minutes.

The mixture should become slightly foamy. If there is no activity at all after about 10 minutes, your yeast may be old or the milk may have been too hot/cold.

3. Add butter and salt
Add the melted/softened butter and salt.

Mix well.

4. Add the flour
Add about 5½ cups of flour initially, mixing after each addition.

The dough will become thick and sticky. Gradually add the remaining flour until you have a soft dough that is slightly tacky but not excessively sticky.

Don’t automatically add all the flour. Flour absorbs different amounts of liquid depending on its type, humidity and measuring method.

5. Knead
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured counter.

Knead for approximately 8–10 minutes by hand.

The finished dough should be:

smooth

elastic

soft

slightly tacky

able to stretch without immediately tearing

With a stand mixer, use the dough hook on low/medium-low speed for approximately 6–8 minutes.

6. First rise
Place the dough in a lightly buttered/oiled bowl.

Turn it once so the surface is lightly coated.

Cover with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel.

Let it rise in a warm place for approximately 60–90 minutes, or until it has roughly doubled in size.

7. Divide the dough
Gently press the air out of the risen dough.

Divide it into 2 equal portions.

Shape each portion into a rectangle roughly the length of your loaf pan.

8. Shape the loaves
Starting from one short end, roll the dough tightly into a log.

Pinch the seam closed.

Place each loaf seam-side down into a greased 9 × 5-inch (23 × 13 cm) loaf pan.

9. Second rise
Cover the pans loosely.

Allow the bread to rise for approximately 30–60 minutes.

The dough should become noticeably puffy and rise to around the top of the pan, or slightly above it.

Don’t rely solely on the clock—the temperature of your kitchen makes a big difference.

10. Bake
Preheat your oven to:

350°F / 175°C

Bake for approximately 30–35 minutes.

The loaves should be golden brown.

For the most reliable test, the center should reach approximately 190–200°F (88–93°C).

11. Finish with butter
Remove the bread from the pans.

While still hot, brush the tops with a little butter.

This gives the crust a softer, shinier finish.

Cool on a wire rack for at least 30–60 minutes before slicing.

What the dough should look like
After mixing
Soft and somewhat sticky.

After kneading
Smooth and elastic.

After first rise
Approximately doubled.

After shaping
Smooth, tight logs sitting comfortably in the pans.

Before baking
Very puffy and approaching the top of the loaf pans.

Nutrition Information
Approximate nutrition per 1/16 of the total recipe (1 slice if each loaf is cut into 8 slices):

Calories: ~190–210 kcal

Carbohydrates: ~32–35 g

Protein: ~5–6 g

Fat: ~4–5 g

Saturated fat: ~2–3 g

Fiber: ~1–2 g

Sugar: ~2–3 g

Sodium: ~250–300 mg

Actual nutrition varies substantially with the flour, milk, butter and exact amount of flour used.

Allergens
Contains:

Wheat/gluten

Milk/dairy

Does not inherently contain:

Peanuts

Tree nuts

Egg

Soy

However, check the labels of your flour, yeast and other ingredients if you have a severe allergy because of possible cross-contact.

Recipe Q&A
Can I use bread flour?
Yes. Bread flour gives the loaves a slightly chewier structure and stronger gluten network. All-purpose flour produces a softer, more tender loaf.

Can I use instant yeast?
Yes. Use approximately 2¼ tsp (7 g). Instant yeast generally does but two loaves are preferable for this quantity because a very large loaf takes longer to bake through and can develop a thick not need to be dissolved separately in the milk; it can be mixed directly with the flour.

What if my dough is too sticky?
Add flour 1 tablespoon at a time while kneading. Don’t add a large amount at once or the finished bread can become dense.

What if my dough is too dry?
Add warm milk 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough becomes soft.

Why didn’t my bread rise?
Common causes include:

Old/inactive yeast

Milk that was too hot

A cold room

Too much flour

Insufficient rising time

Can I make this without milk?
Yes. Replace the milk with an equal amount of warm water. The bread will generally be less rich and tender.

Can I use whole-wheat flour?
Yes, but don’t replace all the white flour initially. For a softer whole-wheat loaf, start with approximately 25–50% whole-wheat flour and adjust the liquid as needed.

Why did my bread turn out dense?
Usually one of three things: too much flour, insufficient kneading, or insufficient proofing.

Can I knead it in a bread machine?
Yes. Use the machine’s dough cycle, then remove the dough, divide it into two pieces, shape it and continue with the second rise and oven baking.

Can I make one large loaf?
Yes, but two loaves are preferable for this quantity because a very large loaf takes longer to bake through and can develop a thick crust before the center is done.

How do I keep it soft?
After completely cooling, store the bread in an airtight bag/container at room temperature. For longer storage, slice and freeze it.

Can I refrigerate the dough overnight?
Yes. After kneading, cover it tightly and refrigerate overnight. The next day, let it warm somewhat, shape it, allow the second rise, and bake.

How do I know when it’s fully baked?
The loaf should be nicely browned and sound somewhat hollow when tapped. An instant-read thermometer is more reliable: aim for about 190–200°F (88–93°C) in the center.

Why should I wait before slicing?
Freshly baked bread continues setting internally as it cools. Cutting it immediately can compress the crumb and make it appear gummy.

Important measuring tip
For the flour, weighing is much more reliable than using cups. Start around 720 g, then add a little more only if necessary. The dough—not the stated cup measurement—should determine the final amount.

Yield: 2 loaves, approximately 16 slices total
Prep: ~25 minutes
First rise: 60–90 minutes
Second rise: 30–60 minutes
Bake: 30–35 minutes
Total: roughly 2½–3½ hours

Author
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Sara Mitchell

Sara Mitchell is an expert restaurant content creator who writes easy-to-read guides about CAVA and other Mediterranean fast-casual chains in the United States. She covers locations, menus, prices, and hours, making it simple for visitors to find nearby restaurants and what to order quickly.

With years of experience in restaurant research and local SEO, Sara creates accurate, user-friendly guides that work for both people and search engines. Her goal is to help users go from search results to their nearest restaurant or menu choice with as few clicks as possible.