My Everyday Homemade Sandwich Bread

Alexis Krilla

Mar 17

5 min read

Updated: Aug 4

The soft, golden loaf I finally got right after a few very imperfect tries.

Recipe 4 of The 100 Recipe Project

Sliced loaf bread on a wooden board with butter, honey, flour, and milk on a rustic white table.

Jump to Recipe

There is something especially satisfying about baking homemade sandwich bread from scratch.

It feels simple and old-fashioned in the best way. Flour on the counter, dough rising beneath a kitchen towel, and the smell of fresh bread filling the house.

Getting there, however, took a few tries.

One loaf over proofed. Another came out dense and so bland that my son immediately noticed something was missing. He was right, I had been too cautious with the salt and sweetness, and the bread tasted flat.

Then I tried a rustic no-knead Dutch oven loaf. It looked beautiful and had that deeply golden bakery-style crust, but the outside was too hard for my kids to really enjoy.

What I really wanted was a dependable homemade loaf that was soft enough for sandwiches, flavorful enough to eat warm with butter, and sturdy enough for toast, grilled cheese, and school lunches.

This is that loaf.

It is lightly sweetened with honey, enriched with milk and butter, and kneaded until smooth in my KitchenAid mixer. It rises into a soft, golden sandwich loaf with a tender crumb and just enough structure to slice beautifully. One thing I learned while testing this recipe is that homemade bread rewards patience.

More than once, I thought the dough was ready because the timer had gone off, but it wasn't. One loaf turned out dense simply because I didn't let the shaped dough rise long enough after coming out of the refrigerator.

Bread has taught me to stop watching the clock and start watching the dough instead, and that simple shift has made all the difference.

Why You’ll Love This Homemade Sandwich Bread

Soft enough for kids and family sandwiches
Flavorful without being overly sweet
Made with simple pantry ingredients
Easy to knead in a stand mixer
Baked in a standard 9 x 5-inch loaf pan
Perfect for toast, grilled cheese, French toast, and lunchboxes
Freezer-friendly and easy to make ahead

Fresh loaf cooling on rack by sunny window, with butter dish, honey jar, mug, and potted plant in a cozy kitchen.

Around Our Table

Fresh bread has a way of making an ordinary day feel special.

The first time this loaf came out exactly the way I wanted, we sliced it while it was still just slightly warm and spread the pieces with salted butter. The crust was golden but soft, the center was tender, and the honey gave it just enough flavor without turning it into sweet bread.

It was the first version that disappeared because everyone genuinely wanted another slice, not because I was trying to convince them that homemade bread was good.

That is always the recipe I am looking for: something beautiful enough to feel special, but practical enough to belong in our regular week.

Overhead baking ingredients on a rustic white table: flour, milk, butter, honey, water, yeast, salt, and spoons with a linen cloth and leaves

The Recipe

Everyday Homemade Sandwich Bread

Three Ways to Fit Homemade Bread Into Your Day

Same-Day Bread

Mix at breakfast.

Bake after lunch.

Perfect for serving with dinner.

Overnight Refrigerator Dough

Mix the dough in the evening.

Let it rise for about 30 minutes.

Refrigerate overnight.

The next morning, shape it, let it fully rise (this often takes 1½–2½ hours because the dough is cold), then bake.

Weekend Bread

Mix first thing Saturday morning.

Let it rise while you tackle chores or head to the farmers market. Bake just before lunch and enjoy fresh bread all weekend.

Risen bread dough filling a loaf pan on a rustic wooden table, with a striped kitchen towel beside it.

From My Kitchen

Good homemade bread does not require a kitchen full of specialized equipment, but a few dependable tools make the process easier and more consistent. These are the pieces I used while testing and baking this everyday sandwich bread—and the ones I reach for again and again in my kitchen.

USA Pan 9 x 5-Inch Loaf Pan
My favorite pan for baking evenly risen sandwich loaves with beautifully golden sides and an easy release.
→ Shop my favorite loaf pan
KitchenAid Stand Mixer
Fitted with the dough hook, it does the kneading for me and helps create a smooth, elastic dough without much hands-on work.
→ Shop my favorite stand mixer
Digital Kitchen Scale
Weighing the bread flour is the easiest way to avoid adding too much and ending up with a dry or dense loaf.
→ Shop my favorite kitchen scale
Cooling Rack
Allows air to circulate around the loaf so the bottom does not become damp while the bread cools.
→ Shop my favorite cooling rack
Serrated Bread Knife
A sharp serrated knife creates clean slices without pressing down or crushing the soft interior.
→ Shop my favorite bread knife

KitchenAid mixer kneads smooth dough in a stainless bowl on a rustic white table, with flour, oil, salt and towel nearby.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did my bread turn out dense?

Dense bread is usually caused by one of three things:

Too much flour
Insufficient kneading
Not allowing the dough to rise fully before baking

Measure the flour carefully and let the appearance of the dough guide you.

Can I use all-purpose flour?

Yes, although bread flour produces a slightly taller loaf with more structure and chew.

When using all-purpose flour, begin with the same amount by weight and add only a little extra flour if the dough is unusually wet.

Can I use active dry yeast?

Yes.

Stir the active dry yeast into the warm milk, water, and honey mixture and let it stand for 5–10 minutes, until visibly foamy, before proceeding.

Can I use a different size loaf pan?

A standard 9 x 5-inch loaf pan works best.

An 8½ x 4½-inch pan may create a taller loaf and could require a few extra minutes of baking. Watch carefully to prevent the dough from overfilling the pan during the second rise.

Why did my loaf collapse?

The dough may have overproofed during the second rise.

Bake when the loaf rises approximately 1 inch over the top of the pan and slowly springs back when pressed.

Can I reduce the honey?

Yes, but the honey contributes both flavor and browning.

You can reduce it to 1 tablespoon, although I prefer the flavor of the full 2 tablespoons.

Love This Bread?

Download Your Free Printable Recipe Card

Printable recipe card ad for homemade sandwich bread with sliced loaf, honey, butter, and plant on a rustic table.

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Meal Prep Tip

Bake the loaf over the weekend, allow it to cool completely, and slice it before freezing.

Place small pieces of parchment paper between the slices if desired. Pull out only what you need for toast, breakfast, or sandwiches throughout the week.

Save For Later

Love this recipe? Hover over the image and save it to Pinterest so you can find it again later.

Homemade sandwich bread loaf sliced on a wooden board, with butter and honey; promo text for My Franklin Kitchen and simple ingredients

Family Verdict

✔ Kids love it with honey

✔ Disappears quickly

✔ Worth making again (trying an overnight rise in the fridge and whole wheat flour)

Recipe Count

Recipe #4 of The 100 Recipe Project

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Made in my Franklin kitchen.

— Alexis

My Franklin Kitchen

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