Basic white sandwich bread — the simplest first loaf

The classic first bread you ever bake. Soft, pillowy sandwich bread from common pantry ingredients with straightforward technique. If you have never baked bread before, start here.

Yield: 1 loaf | Prep: 15 min | Rise: 2 hrs | Bake: 30 min

Ingredients

• 400g (3 1/3 cups) all-purpose flour
• 7g (2 1/4 tsp) instant yeast (1 packet)
• 25g (2 tbsp) sugar
• 7g (1 1/4 tsp) salt
• 28g (2 tbsp) unsalted butter, softened
• 180ml (3/4 cup) warm water (105-110F)
• 60ml (1/4 cup) whole milk, warmed

Instructions

1. Activate yeast: Whisk warm water, warm milk, yeast, and sugar in a large bowl. Cover and let sit 5 minutes until foamy.
2. Mix and knead: Add flour, salt, and softened butter. Stir until shaggy, then knead by hand 8-10 minutes (or stand mixer with dough hook 5-8 minutes) until smooth and slightly tacky.
3. First rise: Place in a greased bowl, cover. Rise in a warm spot 1-1.5 hours until doubled.
4. Shape: Punch down, pat into an 8x10-inch rectangle, roll up tightly from the short side, pinch seam closed. Place seam-side down in a greased 9x5-inch loaf pan.
5. Second rise: Cover, rise 45-60 minutes until dough crests 1 inch above the pan rim.
6. Bake: Preheat oven to 350F. Bake 30-35 minutes until golden and internal temperature reads 190-195F. Tent with foil if browning too fast.

Tips

• Water temperature is critical: 105-110F activates yeast, above 120F kills it
• For a softer crust, brush with melted butter right after baking
• Keeps 3-4 days at room temperature in a sealed bag, or freeze up to 3 months