Extra Soft White Bread is perfect for making sandwiches because it’s SO soft and fluffy. It has the most amazing texture thanks to a few secret ingredients!

Top view of two loaves of baked white sandwich bread.

There is something so satisfying about baking bread from scratch and this Extra Soft White Bread does just that. Simple ingredients and a couple secrets (like potato flakes, gluten, and powdered milk) make this bread delicious and practical!

Use your homemade bread to make aClassic Club Sandwich, theUltimate Turkey Sandwich, or aCucumber Sandwichif you want to be a little fancy. This soft white bread is also amazing plain smeared with somehomemade butter.

Hand holding a slice of white sandwich bread.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Thetexture is perfectfor sandwiches.
This homemade breadisn’t crumblythanks to a few secret ingredients.
It’s sosatisfyingto make your own bread.

Recipe Ingredients

Water
Active dry yeast
Sugar
Vital wheat gluten:Usually found near the specialty flours.
Salt
Nonfat dry milk:This is typically in the baking aisle.
Butter or oil
Potato flakes:The kind you use for making instant potatoes.
All-purpose flour
Stick of butter:This is just to butter the top of the bread loaves.

See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.

How to Make Extra Soft White Bread

Stand mixer with a dough hook on and ingredients for extra soft white bread in the mixing bowl.

Step #1.Add water, yeast, sugar, wheat gluten, salt, dry milk, oil, potato flakes, and 4 cups of flour to the bowl of a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment.

Ball of dough in a clear glass bowl on a white marble counter.

Step #2.Mix on low for 10-12 minutes. Then add 1/4 cup of flour at a time at a time and work it in with the mixer until it’s not too sticky to be handled. Form the dough into a smooth ball and add it back to your mixing bowl.

Ball of dough after rising in a clear glass bowl on a white counter.

Step #3.Cover the bowl tightly and let the dough rise for an hour.

Ball of dough divided into two pieces before being formed into loaves.

Step #4.Divide the dough into two even pieces and form each piece into a loaf.

Top view of the loaves of raw dough in greased pans.

Step #5.Put each loaf in a greased loaf pan and let rise in a warm place for an hour.

Loaf of white sandwich bread in a white and blue speckled loaf pan after baking.

Step #6.Bake at 375℉ for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown on top.

Recipe FAQs

What type of mixer is best for bread making?

The best mixer is a Bosch stand mixer or a KitchenAid stand mixer. If you don’t have one, you can hand mix the dough by hand. Don’t skip the long kneading time, it’s what develops the gluten and helps the bread to not be crumbly.

How do you make homemade bread light and fluffy?

There’s a few things that really help. Sticking with white flour and adding a few extras like potato flakes, vital wheat gluten, and kneading it a long time are the keys to making a really soft bread that hold together well.

What is vital wheat gluten?

Vital wheat gluten is the powdered form of the gluten protein found in wheat. Adding extra gluten is one of the secrets to getting this bread to have such great texture. You can usually find it near the specialty flours at the store or order it on Amazon.

How do I store homemade bread?

To keep bread soft you will want to store it in an airtight bag or container. You can order bread bags online that will keep the bread fresh as well. Homemade bread also does well in the freezer when stored properly.

Loaf of white sandwich bread in a white and blue speckled loaf pan.

Expert Tips

Make sure the warm water isn’t too warmor you will kill the active dry yeast. Between 105° and 110°F is enough to activate the yeast but not kill it.
If you use the dough hook on a stand mixer, there is no need for additional kneading for this bread.
If yourdough is too gooey, keep adding the flour. I generally add 5.5 to the full 6 cups total flour for this recipe. How much you need will depend some on your kitchen conditions and flour.
To check for doneness,you can tap the bread lightly – it should sound hollowwhen it’s done baking.
Do not slice, store, or freeze homemade sandwich bread until it’s completely cooled.