White Sandwich Loaf

ByNatalya Syanova
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My kids prefer soft white sandwich loaf style bread for their school-lunch. And they usually get super excited if the loaf looks like the toast bread sold at the store.

For this particular recipe, I needed to practice a little, before figuring out how much dough to put in my small Pullman loaf pan. The one I use has the following dimensions: 10.5cm x 19.5cm x 10 cm / 8.5X4.75X4.375 in.

Here is the formula which fits this loaf pan exactly.

Ingredients

Sourdough Starter 

Dough

  • 360g bread flour (100%)
  • 216g milk (60%)
  • 36g sugar (10%)
  • 54g soft butter (15%)
  • 60g starter (16%)
  • 6g salt (2%)
  • 0.5 g dry yeast (optional, to reduce sourness)

Directions 

Day 1

Starter

  • 10 pm add starter to the water and whisk together, add flour, mix well, cover loosely, let it sit at a room temp 74-78F for about 8-10 hours until starter reaches its peak (at least triples in volume).

Day 2

Dough

  • 8 am mix milk, sugar, sourdough starter (60g on its peak, the rest use for future feedings), all the flour, let it autolyse for 1 hour.
  • During the autolyse process the flour becomes fully hydrated. This activates gluten development.
  • 9 am mix dough on low speed of your mixing machine for 2-3 minutes, or KitchenAid on speed 3 for 3-4 minutes until well incorporated.
  • Add salt, mix for a couple more minutes. The dough should come up together.
  • Add soft butter, mix for 10-15 more minutes until the dough is well incorporated and comes up together.
  • Perform a windowpane test. Wet your hands and stretch the dough. You should be able to stretch it very thin, that’s a sign of a well developed gluten, and that your final product will have a soft and light structure.
  • Cover and let it proof for 3-4 hours at 76-80F / 24-28C.
  • During that time perform 2 stretches and folds.
  • The dough should become slightly puffy.
  • 1 pm transfer the dough to the fridge for cold fermentation for 6-8 hours
  • 9 or 10 pm Remove the dough from the fridge.
  • Shape as desired. I rolled it into a long roll same length as a baking loaf pan. 
  • Transfer the shaped loaf into a loaf pan.
  • Cover the dough and let it proof overnight on the counter at 70-72F / 19-20C until next morning. It should at least double.
  • If you prefer to have square edges, close the lid of your Pullman loaf, or you can bake it without lid to get more open top.
  • Preheat the oven to 375F.
  • Bake for 35-40 minutes until golden brown.

Enjoy your white sandwich loaf  🙏

White Sandwich Loaf

White Sandwich Loaf

2081kcal
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Prep 45 minutes
Cook 40 minutes
Total 1 day 25 minutes
This recipe delivers an exceptionally soft, pillowy, and tender bread reminiscent of store-bought toast loaf, making it the ultimate favorite for school lunches. By utilizing an advanced enriched method—combining a warm milk autolyse with an intensive high-speed butter emulsification and an overnight countertop proof—you achieve perfectly uniform square edges and a delicate, non-sour crumb structure.
Servings 1 loaf
Cuisine American

Ingredients

Sourdough Starter Levain (Night Before)
  • 7 g Sourdough starter culture
  • 35 g Water
  • 35 g Bread flour
The Enriched Main Dough
  • 360 g Bread flour (100%)
  • 216 g Whole milk (60%)
  • 60 g Active sourdough starter levain (16% – From the stage above)
  • 36 g White sugar (10%)
  • 54 g Soft unsalted butter (15%)
  • 6 g Salt (2%)
  • 0.5 g Active dry yeast (Optional – Used exclusively to minimize sour profiles for children)

Equipment

  • Pullman Loaf Pan (Sized exactly at 8.5 x 4.75 x 4.375 inches / 10.5 x 19.5 x 10 cm to secure square edges)
  • Stand Mixer (Crucial for handling the high-speed, intensive mixing required to properly emulsify the fats into the dough)
  • Rolling Pin (To cleanly roll the chilled dough into a tight, uniform cylinder)
  • Pastry Brush
  • Kitchen Scale

Method

Night Before – Levain Optimization
  1. 10:00 PM – Starter Build: In a small glass jar, add your 7g of starter culture to 35g of water and whisk together cleanly. Stir in 35g of bread flour. Mix thoroughly, cover loosely, and let it sit at room temperature 74–78°F (23–26°C) overnight for 8 to 10 hours until the starter reaches its peak and at least triples in volume.
Day 2 – The Enriched Autolyse & High-Speed Mixing
  1. 8:00 AM – The Enriched Autolyse: In your stand mixer bowl, combine all 216g of whole milk, 36g of white sugar, 60g of your active overnight starter peak, and all 360g of bread flour. If you are opting to use the 0.5g of dry yeast to minimize sour tones, sprinkle it in now. Mix everything together with a spoon just until a rough, shaggy mass forms. Cover and let rest for 1 full hour to completely hydrate the flour proteins and activate natural gluten development.
  2. 9:00 AM – Developing Gluten: Attach your dough hook. Mix the autolysed dough on low speed for 2 to 3 minutes (or use a KitchenAid mixer on speed 3 for 3 to 4 minutes) until well incorporated. Add the 6g of salt and continue mixing for a couple of minutes until the dough gathers tightly together.
  3. Butter Emulsification: With the mixing machine running, gradually drop in the 54g of soft unsalted butter. Increase the speed to medium-high and mix continuously for 10 to 15 minutes until the fat is completely incorporated, the dough cleans the sides of the bowl, and it passes a clear windowpane test. (The Windowpane Check: Wet your hands and stretch a small piece of dough; it should stretch incredibly thin without ripping, signaling a soft, light final crumb structure).
  4. Bulk Proof with Intervals: Cover the container tightly and let it proof for 3 to 4 hours at a warm 76–80°F (24–28°C). During this window, perform 2 gentle rounds of stretches and folds to build structural tension. The dough should look visibly lighter and slightly puffy.
  5. 1:00 PM – Cold Fermentation Retard: Slide the entire covered proofing container directly into the refrigerator to rise slowly for 6 to 8 hours of cold fermentation retard.
Day 2 (Night) – Tension Rolling & Final Overnight Proof
  1. 9:00 PM – Final Shaping: Remove the chilled dough from your refrigerator. Tip it onto a lightly floured work surface. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out into a clean, flat rectangle, then roll it up tightly away from you into a uniform log matching the exact length of your baking loaf pan.
  2. The Overnight Counter Rise: Grease your Pullman pan or line it with parchment paper. Transfer the shaped log into the pan, seam-side down. Cover the dough and let it proof overnight on your counter for 8 to 10 hours at a stable room temperature of 70–72°F (19–20°C) until next morning. It must at least double in volume. (Note: If you want perfectly square sandwich slices, close the Pullman sliding lid completely before bed; leave the lid off if you prefer a classic domed crown).
Day 3 – The Sandwich Bake
  1. Next Morning – Baking: Preheat your home oven to 375°F (190°C). Slide the loaf pan onto the middle rack of the preheated oven and bake for 35 to 40 minutes until the crust turns a gorgeous, uniform golden brown.
  2. Cooling: Remove the pan from the oven, slide the loaf out carefully onto a wire cooling rack, and allow it to cool completely before slicing for sandwich assembly!

Nutrition

Calories2081kcalCarbohydrates325gProtein59gFat57gSaturated Fat33gPolyunsaturated Fat5gMonounsaturated Fat13gTrans Fat2gCholesterol151mgSodium1915mgPotassium824mgFiber10gSugar12gVitamin A1716IUVitamin C0.2mgCalcium349mgIron4mg

Notes

  • The Counter-Intuitive Proofing Flip Explained: Unlike traditional artisan sourdough formulas that call for a warm counter bulk proof followed by an overnight refrigerator retard, this sandwich bread completely flips the schedule. Giving the dough its final secondary proof overnight on the counter at a moderate 70–72°F (19–20°C) allows the yeast to work steadily over many hours, ensuring an explosive, soft rise that fills out your loaf pan perfectly by morning.
  • Achieving the Perfect Soft Kids’ Sandwich Crust: Baking this loaf at a moderate 375°F (190°C) is key to keeping the crust thin, soft, and easy for children to chew. Avoid the high-heat, open-steam environments (like 500°F Dutch ovens) used for rustic boules, as those high temperatures generate thick, hyper-crunchy skins. If your baked crust still turns out a bit thicker than your family prefers, brush the top of the loaf with melted butter the exact moment it comes out of the oven to soften it instantly.
  • Managing Cool Holiday Kitchen Temperatures: Because the final pan rise happens overnight on your kitchen counter, pay close attention to your ambient room temperature. If your kitchen drops below 68°F (20°C) during winter months, the dough will proof significantly slower and may not double by morning. If your house runs cool, place the pan inside your home oven overnight with the oven light turned on to maintain a stable, warm proofing climate.

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35 Comments

  1. Hi, in this recipe the dough was giving cold bulk ferment and 2nd rise on the counter, which is opposite to most recipes I’ve read, I wonder what’s the difference between these two methods? Are they interchangeable?

    Anyways, the loaf looks so soft and amazing, I can’t wait to give it a try!my sourdough crust tend to get soggy and chewy after cooled down.. they came out crispy! but couldn’t last for more than half day, not sure if it’s due to my oven which can only goes up to 450f and drop to 430f and lower once open for sliding the Dutch oven in, sandwich loaf required less high heat seems to be a great alternative 🙂

    Reply

    1. Susan, hi!
      I’m trying different methods, want to find the best and fastest solution. Pretty happy with this recipe, you’ll love it.
      About crusty bread, yes, if you’d bake it at 500F first 15 min of baking, crust would stay crispy longer.

      Reply

  2. Hi we live in the UK and our weather is not very warm. The house if generally about 18-20 during the day and anything as low as 13 at night. Can you recommend timings for proving at lower temperatures.

    Thanks

    Reply

  3. Just wondering what stage you’d add the yeast? I usually prefer to avoid yeast, but my daughter doesn’t like the sourdough I make, hoping this recipe is a good compromise. Thanks

    Reply

  5. This is an excellent milk bread recipe! So happy with the soft, pillowy, yet chewy crumb. My crust seems a bit on the thicker side though…how can I achieve a thinner crust? FYI, I baked at 400F for 25 min and lowered to 375 for 5 more.

    Reply

  6. Brilliant recipe. The bread stays soft for days. I doubled the quantity and made a bigger one. Just realised I fed the starter differently 1:1:1. Just wondering if it makes any difference.?
    Thanks

    Reply

  8. Hey Natasha!! I lovvvve this recipe!! Just wondering directions on feeding the starter?? I checked the comments here and on your Instagram comments, I must be missing it! Thanks so much!

    Reply

    1. Courtney, hi! Just follow regular feeding routine your starter used too, just make sure you’ll have enough got the dough.

      Reply

  9. In the instructions you mention it’s the prefect amount for your Pullman pan that is 4.5inches x 7.5x inches x 4 inches.
    But the link you posted takes us to a pan that is (8.5X4.75X4.375INCH)
    Just not sure which is right for the recipe as I want to try it! It looks amazing!! Thx

    Reply

    1. Dan, hi!
      I was converting cm into inches and probably made a mistake, thank you, will fix it.
      The amount of the dough will be perfect for the pan I posted.

      Reply

  10. Fantastic recipe which yielded a fluffy, soft & tasty sandwich bread. I modified the proofing time to my climate.

    Reply

  11. Hello Natalya! I have been making this recipe on repeat last 2 months or so, I always double the recipe with no problem , this time I wanted to quadruple it and in the process of mixing seems the dough took about 170 g less of flour, I added all the liquid. Do you have any tips when multiplying the recipe more then twice?
    Thank you for great detailed recipes!

    Reply

  12. Hi, i was making this loaf, and it is very tasty and soft. But i dont know why, it does not fill my pullmann pan (20x10x10cm). The dough only doubles in size and to fill the pan it should triple. I used starter and yeast. What i am doing wrong?

    Reply

  13. Hi

    After remove from the fridge, should I wait for the dough to a certain temperature before shaping it ? Are there any concerns when working with cold dough ? Thank you

    Reply

  14. Hi,
    Instead of yeast. Can we use a sweet starter?? If yes. Can u help with the sugar quantity, we need to add in the starter.

    Reply

  16. I love this recipe and the bread is delicious. I like to make it without yeast. Just FYI, without the yeast it does not rise to the top of the Pullman Pan.

    Reply

  17. Hello. I’d like to start off by thanking you for this delicious recipe. Thank you.

    I need some advise. I overproof the loaf this morning and now it has shrunk. What should I do? I don’t want a short sandwich slice.

    Reply

      1. I am a little late to the party. But I am a beginner and I wonder if you could use a starter fed with rye, or does it have to be bread flour starter?

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