sandwich bread

Homemade Sandwich Bread 101: The in’s and out’s of making it fresh

You’ll love having homemade sandwich bread on hand.

Everyone should know how to bake up a loaf of sandwich bread! It’s a recipe you’ll reach for again and again—timeless, versatile, and oh-so rewarding.

The Studio 5 ‘Go Big Sister’ series is all about that friendly, no-judgement kind of guidance that feels like it’s coming from your big sis! To help you master the basics and build confidence in the kitchen, we’re calling on Heather Smith to coach us through.

 

Yeast

A lot of people are scared of making bread because of one thing… yeast! But if you know what to do, you’ll have puffy and light bread every time. If using an active yeast, you’ll need to proof before hand.

To proof, you’ll want the water warm, but not too warm! Heather says to think of a baby bottle or bath water. Temperature wise, that’s about 80-100 degrees. Too hot of water will actually kill the yeast and ruin your bread rise altogether.

Heather also recommends storing yeast in the freezer, so it can stay fresh for longer.

Do fresh ingredients matter?

100%! If your flour has expired, throw it out. Fresh, quality ingredients really do matter. Heather showed the difference between an expired-flour loaf and a normal loaf… and our minds were absolutely blown.

Variations

This recipe can be adapted so many ways. You can use whole wheat flour, white flour, a 50/50 ratio for a mix of both, etc. Add in cinnamon chips to make a cinnamon swirl bread, or whatever other mix-ins you love. Make it your own!

 

Simple Sandwich Bread

Makes Two Loaves
Prep Time: 1 hour, 20 minutes (including rise)
Cook Time: 35 minutes

INGREDIENTS

  • ¼ cup warm water (80-100 degrees)
  • 2 Tablespoons yeast (active dry or instant)
  • Pinch sugar
  • 2.5 cups hot water (100-110 degrees)
  • 7 cups flour (whole wheat, all purpose, or bread flour, or a combination)
  • 1/3 cup oil
  • 1/3 cup honey
  • 1 Tablespoon salt

METHOD

  1. Add yeast and sugar to 1/2 cup warm water, and let sit until frothy (about 5 minutes).
  2. Combine yeast mixture with 2.5 cups of hot water in stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, then begin to add half of flour.
  3. Once it starts coming together, add oil, honey, and salt, then knead in mixer for about 10 minutes.
  4. Add the other half of your flour gradually, and continue mixing until no dry bits remain.
  5. Divide mixture into four equal balls of dough, place into greased loaf pans, and let rise for about 1 hour.
  6. Preheat the oven to 375ºF, and bake bread loaves for 35 minutes.
  7. After baking, immediately apply butter to loaf tops, let cool and enjoy.

Find more tips, tools, and techniques from Heather on Instagram, @orsongygi, or on the Orson Gygi website, ogygi.com. Find the blog post on Orson Gygi’s website.

2 comments

  • Question on this recipe in the ingredients it says 2.5 cups hot water. Down in the instructions it says 5 cups hot water. Which is right

    • Hi Betty Jo! We’re sorry for that confusion, 2.5 cups is right. We’ve updated that in the recipe. Thanks for reaching out!