Go Back
Slices of white bread arranged on a black cheese board with half cut bread seen in the background

Homemade White Sandwich Bread

Homemade White Sandwich Bread is a simple everyday bread that goes well for your breakfast or with some filling for your main meals.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Proving Time: 3 hours

Ingredients

  • 2 cup All-purpose Flour / Plain Flour / Maida
  • 1.5 teaspoon of Instant Yeast
  • 1 Tablespoon sugar
  • Salt
  • 1/2 Cup Lukewarm Water
  • 2 tablespoons Olive Oil -One can use softened room temperature butter too
  • 1/2 cup lukewarm milk -1/4 to 1/2 cup more milk might be required depending on the dough
  • 1 tablespoon milk for brushing to give a light golden brown color
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil / Butter for brushing the bread once baked

Instructions

  • In a bowl add lukewarm water and milk.
    1/2 Cup Lukewarm Water, 1/2 cup lukewarm milk
  • Add in the sugar and mix.
    1 Tablespoon sugar
  • Now add the yeast, cover, and keep it in a warm place.
    1.5 teaspoon of Instant Yeast
  • The mixture should rise in around 10 minutes. If not your yeast is not good and you would need to try with a fresh batch.
    Proved Yeast
  • Now in a large bowl or a bowl of your stand mixer sift in the salt and flour.
    Salt, 2 cup All-purpose Flour / Plain Flour / Maida
    Dry mixture
  • Give it a mix.
  • Now add the yeast mixture and knead the dough.
    Dough getting mixed
  • If you are using your hand, first mix and knead it in the bowl and then top the mixture on a clean kitchen counter and knead it with the heel of your hand.
    Mixed Dough
  • If using a stand mixer, start on a slow speed and knead the dough first until all is combined.
  • Gradually increase the speed in intervals of a minute, so that the dough gets kneaded properly.
  • If required add milk but around 1 tablespoon at a time.
  • Once the dough comes together add in olive oil little by little and keep on kneading.
    2 tablespoons Olive Oil
  • Slowly you would be able to get an elastic dough.
    Elastic dough bread
  • Once you attain this stage, grease your bowl and add the dough ball to it.
    Dough ready to be proved
  • Cover with a cling film or a light muslin cloth on top and keep it aside for 1-1.5 hours until double.
  • Once the dough doubles in size, punch it to remove all the air out.
    Proved Dough
  • Knead again for 3-4 mins. Form it in a rectangular shape, roughly the size of your loaf pan.
    Dough Shaped
  • Grease the loaf pan and put the shaped dough in the pan.
    Bread ready to be proved
  • Now let it rise again for 60-90 minutes or until doubled. At times it only takes 30 minutes to double if you are in a hot environment.
    Proved shaped dough
  • Preheat the oven to 200 Deg C.
  • Brush the bread with milk. This step is optional, however, if you need a nice golden brown color it is advisable to do so.
    1 tablespoon milk for brushing to give a light golden brown color
  • Bake for 20-25 minutes. A good sign if the bread is done is it would start releasing the edges.
  • Once done, remove from the oven and apply butter or oil immediately.
    1 tablespoon olive oil / Butter for brushing the bread once baked
    Baked bread just out of the oven and cooling on a wire rack
  • This helps the bread to stay moist.
  • Let it cool for 10 minutes in the pan.
  • Run a knife along the edges and remove it from the baking tin and let it cool on a wire rack.
    Baked White Bread on a wire rack
  • Once cooled, slice and enjoy.

Notes

  • Water or milk should not be too hot or else the yeast will die
  • For the dough to rise in cold countries, you can keep the dough in the oven with the light on.
  • One can slightly warm the oven too. I used to do this earlier, but now I do not. I just keep it covered. Also at times if your oven gets too hot, the yeast will die.
  • All ovens are different and baking time varies with respect to oven, and tin size.