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Close up of a warm slice of homemade sandwich bread with melting butter and a soft crumb

Easy Homemade Bread That Bakes Up Soft and Golden Every Time

A soft sandwich loaf with a thin golden crust, made with bread flour, milk, and honey in a stand mixer. One 9x5-inch pan makes 12 even slices.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Resting Time 1 hour 45 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 40 minutes
Servings: 12 slice
Course: Bread
Cuisine: American
Calories: 185

Ingredients
  

For the dough
  • 3 1/2 cups 420 g bread flour
  • 3/4 cup 180 g warm water, 105 to 110°F
  • 1/3 cup 80 g warm whole milk, 105 to 110°F
  • 2 1/4 teaspoons 7 g instant yeast
  • 2 tablespoons 42 g honey
  • 3 tablespoons 43 g unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons 9 g fine table salt
For the pan and top
  • 2 teaspoons 9 g neutral oil
  • 1 tablespoon 14 g unsalted butter, melted

Equipment

  • Digital kitchen scale
  • Stand mixer with dough hook
  • 9x5-inch light metal loaf pan
  • Instant-read thermometer
  • Wire cooling rack

Method
 

Before you start
  1. Weigh every ingredient. Warm the water and milk to 105 to 110°F, soften the butter for 30 minutes, brush a large bowl and the pan with the oil, and move the oven rack to the lower middle. Keep the oven off.
Make and bake the loaf
  1. Whisk the flour, yeast, and salt in the mixer bowl. Add the water, milk, honey, and softened butter, then mix on low with the dough hook for 2 minutes, until no dry flour remains.
  2. Knead on speed 2 for 8 minutes, until the dough pulls from the bowl and feels smooth and slightly tacky. A small piece should stretch into a see-through sheet without tearing.
  3. Shape into a ball, turn once in the oiled bowl, cover with a damp towel, and rest at 75°F for 60 minutes, until doubled and a floured fingertip dent fills back in slowly.
  4. Pat the dough into an 8 by 12 inch rectangle on a lightly floured counter, pressing out large bubbles. Roll up from the short side into a tight log and pinch the seam until sealed.
  5. Set the log seam side down in the greased pan, cover loosely, and rise 45 minutes, until the dome sits 1 inch above the rim. Heat the oven to 350°F after the first 30 minutes.
  6. Bake 35 minutes, until deep golden brown and a thermometer in the center reads 190°F. Tent with foil if the top darkens before the 20 minute mark.
  7. Brush the hot loaf with the melted butter and leave it in the pan for 5 minutes. Turn it onto the wire rack and cool for 1 hour, until the bottom feels cool, before slicing.

Notes

Storage: 3 days at room temperature in a paper bag, 5 to 7 days in the refrigerator in an airtight container, and 3 months in the freezer as sliced pieces in a zip bag.
One cup of bread flour weighs 120 g, so weigh the flour for a soft crumb.
All purpose flour works. Hold back 1 tablespoon of the water.