This simple White Sandwich Bread is versatile and delicious. Use it for sandwiches, toast, French toast or grilled cheese. Check out my recipe for Brie and Pear Grilled Cheese. If you still have bread left after a couple of days, you can turn it into croutons or bread crumbs.
Baking fresh bread is very rewarding, and easier than you think. Most of the time involved is hands free. Start your dough and leave it to rise for an hour. Punch it down, shape it into a loaf and let it rise again. Then put it in the oven and enjoy the aroma of baking yeast bread. You can make this in a stand mixer, or simply use a mixing bowl and a sturdy wooden spoon.
Give it a try. It really is worth it.
What you need
Bread flour
Shortening
Dry yeast
Honey
Salt
How to make White Sandwich Bread
Put the lukewarm water and honey into a mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Stir until the honey has somewhat dissolved into the water. Add the yeast give it a quick stir. There are two types of dry yeast; Active Dry Yeast and Rapid-Rise Yeast. Though there are some minor differences in shape and nutrients, Rapid-Rise Yeast is much the same as Instant Yeast. Either will work fine. Within 6 to 10 minutes you’ll see the yeast start to bubble and foam to the top. This is called blooming. You’ll also start to smell the yeast.
Next add the shortening, flour and salt. Salt can be harmful to yeast. You shouldn’t add salt directly to the yeast as it is coming to life, as in the pictures above. If yeast comes into direct contact with salt, there is a chance the salt will kill the yeast. If this happens there will be no rise. I always add salt to the flour when making bread dough. Put the salt on top of the pile of flour and stir it into the flour. This ensures that the salt will be distributed with the flour and won’t harm the yeast.
Now it’s time to mix the dough. Start mixing on low and when the flour incorporates into the dough, increase the speed to medium. You will see when the dough comes together and there is no longer flour on the bottom or sides of the bowl. The dough will pull away from the sides. If the dough looks a little wet or dry, add small amounts of flour or water to adjust. Scrape the dough out of the bowl onto a clean, floured surface. This can be a smooth counter, a silicone mat or a large cutting board. I use my counter, first cleaning it with soap and water and drying it with a clean kitchen towel.
Kneading the dough
Knead the dough for 8 to 10 minutes to develop the gluten. This will give the dough elasticity so that it can rise well. I have found that hand kneading works better than kneading in a stand mixer. Work the dough with the heels of your hands, moving it back and forth between your hands. You will need to add a few sprinkles of flour until the dough starts to become smooth enough not to stick to the counter. You don’t want to add any more flour than necessary.
The first rise
Work the dough until it is smooth and elastic. Shape it into a ball by tucking the sides under and pulling it toward you against the counter. Place the ball of dough in a large bowl that has been coated with oil. Also oil the top of the dough. Cover with plastic wrap and put the bowl in a warm spot to rise. The rising time will be about an hour or until the dough has doubled in size. Find a warm spot in a window, near a fireplace or outside on a warm day, but not in direct sun. You can set your oven to 200 degrees, then turn it off when it reaches that temperature. Place your bowl in the oven to rise with a moist kitchen towel on top instead of plastic wrap. Your bowl should be oven proof.
Shaping the loaf
Once your dough has risen, tip it out onto the same re-floured surface. Gently press the dough out into a rough rectangle and roll it into a loaf shape, tucking the ends under. Pinch the side and bottom seams closed. Place the dough into an oiled loaf pan seam side down.
The second rise
Let the dough rise in the loaf pan for about 45 minutes. When it’s ready the top will form a smooth dome and rise about an inch above the side of the pan. During the last few minutes of rising time, preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Lightly spray the top of the loaf with water. This keeps the dough moist and will help it rise, Bake for 30 minutes, until golden brown on top. Yeasted dough should reach 190 degrees. You can check the temperature by inserting a thermometer at one end near the pan so that the whole won’t show. Let it cool about 20 minutes before slicing. There are endless ways to enjoy this White Sandwich Bread.
White Sandwich Bread
Ingredients
- 3 1/4 cups bread flour
- 2 tablespoons shortening
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 1/4 teaspoons dry yeast
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/4 cups lukewarm water
Directions
- Step 1 Mix lukewarm water and honey in a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer.
- Step 2 Add yeast and stir. After 6-10 minutes, yeast will bubble and foam.
- Step 3 Add shortening, flour and salt. Stir the salt into the pile of flour.
- Step 4 Mix until flour is incorporated and dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. If the dough is wet, add a little more flour until it pulls away from the bowl. If the dough is dry, add water a tablespoon at a time until it comes together.
- Step 5 Knead by hand for 8-10 minutes. Form dough into a ball and place into a large oiled bowl. Oil the top of the dough.
- Step 6 Let rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, approximately 1 hour.
- Step 7 Tip the dough out onto a floured surface. Gently press into a rough rectangle and roll into a loaf shape. Tuck the ends under. Pinch the side and bottom seams closed. Place seam side down into an oiled loaf pan.
- Step 8 Let rise until the top of the dough is domed and has risen about an inch above the pan, approximately 45 minutes. Toward the end of the rising time, preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Step 9 Bake for 30 minutes until golden brown. Yeasted dough should reach 190 degrees.
- Step 10 Cool for about 20 minutes before slicing.
