Learn How to Make Super Soft No Knead Sandwich Bread with this easy recipe. This is the perfect bread to make for to help you transition from a processed foods kitchen to a Traditional Foods Kitchen.
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The Traditional Foods Kitchen
If you are in the process of transitioning from a processed foods kitchen to a traditional foods kitchen, bread can present a challenge. You may still be buying sandwich bread at the store, but now, you want to learn how to make your own bread. There’s just one problem. The process of making sourdough frightens you. And you’re certainly not ready to start soaking and sprouting grains to make your own sprouted flour! So what do you do?
No Knead Bread Made with Yeast
As I have shared with you in the past, I am not a fanatic when it comes to making traditional foods. Yes, sourdough is great, and so is bread made with sprouted flour. They’re both easy to digest and allow our bodies to absorb nutrients more easily. However, those two types of bread can also seem daunting to make to those new to traditional foods.
So when it comes to making bread as a beginner, I have no problem helping you learn this skill—as you’re starting out—by making a no knead sandwich bread that uses yeast.
With this recipe, there’s no need (sorry for the pun) to worry about the finger-poke test or the window-pane test. And even better, you don’t have to worry about a sourdough starter. All you have to do is mix six simple ingredients (that are available at pretty much every grocery store) together to create your dough, let the mixture rise for about an hour and a half, then transfer your dough to a loaf pan for another short rise…and then bake it. There is very little work on your part. And then…Voila!…Fresh homemade bread in few hours! And your home-baked sandwich bread is going to be better than anything you can buy at the grocery store.
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Seasonal ingredients, traditional techniques, and nourishing recipes. Over 85 traditional, from-scratch recipes! Discover for yourself how you can use simple ingredients and traditional techniques to cook the modern pioneer way.
More Bread Recipes
Now that you’ve created your no knead sandwich bread, try out my faster no knead bread that creates a bakery worthy “boule” with very little work on your part! It’s perfect for the beginner! You may also be ready to venture into the world of sourdough and sprouted grain breads. If so, be sure to check out my Foolproof Sourdough Starter made with rye flour and my Complete Guide to Sourdough Starter that will walk you through a step-by-step process for making a starter with all-purpose flour.
Once you’re ready to bake some sourdough bread, I’ve got you covered with three great recipes, including a No Knead Sourdough Bread, a Traditional Sourdough Boule, and a No Knead Spelt Boule.
Home Baker Recipes
How to Make the Easiest Focaccia
Bake easy, airy focaccia with pantry staples—perfect for summer gatherings!
How to Make Whole Grain Einkorn Date Nut Bread
You’ll love baking this naturally sweet treat with fresh-milled Einkorn—an ancient grain you’ll love!
How to Make Wholesome Einkorn Bran Muffins with Fresh-Milled Flour
Learn to bake with fresh-milled flour and create cozy kitchen memories full of flavor, tradition, and joy!
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Grind Your Own Flour with the Mockmill
When it comes to electric grain mills, after I did A LOT of research, I decided to buy a Mockmill. And am I so happy I did! The Mockmill is a very affordable but beautifully crafted German-made mill that stone grinds grain with settings ranging from 1 to 10—fine to coarse ground grain.
Learn more about Mockmill electric grain mills for making fresh flour and their Flake Lover’s Flaker that flakes whole grain in minutes. (This is not a sponsored post, I bought the Mockmill products that I show you, and I’m a happy user of their devices in my kitchen.)
- Mockmill 100 Grain Mill unboxing
- Get the Mockmill 100 Stone Grain Mill (Same product I show you in my unboxing video.)
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No Knead Sandwich Bread
Equipment
- 2 Loaf Pans (approximately 8 1/2" X 4 1/2")
Ingredients
- 6 cups All-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon Fine ground sea salt
- 1 tablespoon White sugar Can substitute alternative sugars such as Sucanat.
- 1/4 stick Butter, melted 1/4 stick butter = 2 tablespoons. Oil such as coconut oil, avocado oil, or olive oil can be substituted. Avoid using highly processed vegetable, oils such as canola oil or corn oil.
- 3 cups Water, warm Temperature should be 110°F if using active yeast, up to 130°F if using instant yeast. Warm to touch is sufficient.
- 2 1/4 teaspoons Dry yeast, active or instant 2 1/4 teaspoons of yeast is equivalent to one 1/4 ounce packet of yeast.
Instructions
- Whisk together in a large bowl flour, salt, sugar, and yeast.
- Add water and melted butter (or oil if using) to bowl with flour mixture.
- Mix all ingredients until they come together to form a wet, "shaggy" (sticky) dough.
- Cover dough with a plastic wrap or a towel dusted with flour (so the dough will not stick to the towel), place the bowl of dough in a warm place, and allow the dough to rise for 1 1/2 hours if using instant yeast or 1 3/4 hours if using active yeast. Baker's Tip: A "warm" place in your kitchen can be in an oven that is off but has an electric light or pilot light on. An alternate warm place can be on top of a refrigerator. (Watch the video for additional tips on how to keep your dough warm as it rises.)
- After the rise time, deflate the dough by pressing down on the dough with your hands. Afterward, divide the dough into two equal portions. Handling the dough is best done with well-greased hands.
- Take two well-buttered loaf pans and transfer equal portions of dough into each loaf pan. Even out the dough into the corners of the pans using well-greased hands. (The dough will be very sticky.) This is a very important step. Make sure that the loaf pans are VERY well-buttered (or oiled if using butter alternative). This will ensure that the exterior sides and bottom of the bread will be soft.
- Pre-heat the oven to 375°F with oven rack in the middle position.
- Leave the dough in the loaf pans, uncovered, and allow to rise in a warm place for approximately 40 minutes (as the oven is pre-heating) until the dough is even with the rim of the loaf pan. In a warm kitchen, this rise can take less than 40 minutes.
- Place loaf pans on a rack in the oven, and allow to the dough to bake for approximately 40 minutes until the top crust is golden brown. When you tap the top of the loaf, it should sound hollow.
- Using pot holders, remove the loaf pans from the oven and place the pans on a cooling rack. Immediately brush each top crust with butter. Then, remove the bread from the loaf pans and transfer the bread onto the cooling rack.
- Allow the bread to cool completely before slicing.
- Bread can be stored at room temperature in a bread box or cloth bag. It will stay fresh for 2-3 days. Bread can also be stored in the refrigerator, well-wrapped (such as in a plastic storage bag), in the refrigerator. It will stay fresh for up to 1 week.
Video
Notes
Shop for items used in this blog post or video
Favorite Bread Making Supplies
- Baking Apron (This is the one that I’m wearing in the video.)
- 10-Piece Glass Bowl Set
- Danish Dough Whisk
- BreadSmart Plastic Handle Danish Dough Whisk and Kit (See the BreadSmart discount promo code below.)
- Wooden Scraping Spoon
- Plastic Bench Scrape
- Metal Bench Scrape
- ️Metal Loaf Pans
- ️Glass Loaf Pans
- Cast-Iron Dutch Oven
- Mockmill Grain Grinder and Whole Grains
Favorite Yeasts for Bread Making
- SAF Instant Yeast
- SAF Premium Instant Yeast
- SAF Gold Instant Yeast
- Red Star Active Dry Yeast
- Fleischmann’s Active Dry Yeast
- Bob’s Red Mill GLUTEN FREE Active Dry Yeast
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Can this dough be used to make pizza rolls with ?
Hi Sandra, That’s a great question. I’m not sure. I have never tried it but it is certainly worth experimenting with. Love, Mary
I just discovered your channel and absolutely love it. I tried this bread recipe and is now a weekly thing at our house. We love it!
I am new to this and find your explanations very informative and i need it to learn. Thank you for all you do.
Hi Bo,
Thanks for your kind comment. I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Love and God bless,
Mary
I have made this bread many times and it always turns out perfectly!! I’ve made multiple batches and popped the cooled loafs into the freezer, happened to have one that was almost a year old sliced it up tasted wonderful!
Mary I was wondering how would I go about making large dough batches and storing just the dough in either the fridge or the freezer? We love making small batch daily breads but don’t have the time for the prep.
Hi Mia,
Thanks for your comment. I’m so glad that your sandwich bread came out wonderfully.
If you’d like to make a larger batch of the sandwich bread dough in advance, portion it out into one loaf amounts and then wrap well each individual amount of dough before freezing it. Be sure to thaw your frozen dough and use it within two to three months.
I hope that helps. Thanks for joining me on your traditional foods journey.
Love and God bless,
Mary
Hello, sweet friend! Thank you for all of your hard work on the website and videos. This recipe is amazing!
Hi Jess,
Thanks for your comment and kind words. I’m glad that you enjoyed the recipe, and thanks for having me join you as part of your Traditional Foods Journey! 🙂
Love and God bless,
Mary
Wonderful recipe…I just tweaked the salt…used 1 tsp instead and followed your very detailed instructions… came out beautifully…😊
I would like to try making a sweet bread with some fruit, spices and of course more sugar using this recipe as my base… what do you think Mary?
Also want to thank you for your kindness and generosity of spirit, it shines through all that you say and do. Blessings…
Hi Victra, So happy you are enjoying the bread! Your ideas sound great. I would definitely experiment and see how it comes out. I think it should work. This is a very flexible – and forgiving – recipe. Love, Mary
Made it, turned out great. Thanks!
Hi Cristie, Wonderful! Love, Mary
Hello Mary,
I love this recipe! I am wondering if this would work with whole wheat flour? Maybe half whole wheat and half all purpose flour? Thanks for all your help! I accidentally found you on YouTube and I am so excited to try more of your recipes soon.
Hi Michelle,
Thanks for your kind comment. I have a recipe for sandwich bread made with whole wheat at https://marysnest.com/no-knead-whole-wheat-sandwich-bread/
I hope that helps!
Thanks for being a sweet friend!
Love and God bless,
Mary
Hi Mary,
I live in a tiny house. I only have convection microwave oven. What changes to temp and bake time do I need to make to bake bread?
Thanks
Amy
Hi Amy,
Thanks for your comment. That’s a great question. I haven’t tried baking bread in a microwave oven. Maybe other readers of your comment can chime in and add their thoughts/experiences to your comment.
Thanks for being a subscriber and for being a sweet friend!
Love and God bless,
Mary
Hi Mary. I’m wondering if she has a microwave oven that can be used as a microwave OR a convection oven? My regular oven is broken, so I use a tabletop convection oven for all my baking. When I bake bread, (including your delicious recipes) I simply reduce the oven temperature 25°, and check the bread about 10 minutes early. I use an instant read thermometer, and bring out the bread when it registers 200°F in the center. But the tapping test works, too. Always comes out perfect!
Hi Mary,
I had a query. Can i cover the bowl with a plate rather than plastic or a towel or would that hurt the process of rising? Please do let me know.
Great question! I think that should work fine. Keep me posted on how it turns out! Love, Mary
Hi Mary! I just wanted to stop by and say that I have been watching all your videos for the past two weeks and have been thrilled with everything I’ve attempted. You have such an easy comforting way of speaking and explaining things that makes it easy to follow. I’ve made preserved lemons & limes, some extracts and now….BREAD! I have failed at bread so many times in the past that I was at the point of just giving up and saying ‘I’m not a bread baker.’ After watching your video for this and the round loaf, I’m now a bread maker (well, the no knead kind anways)! 😀 I’ve made the no knead round twice and now this one. Everyone loves the bread and I couldn’t be happier. Thank you so much for taking your time to video these as well as writing the recipes down.
Stay Safe and Healthy,
Jenn
Oh Jennifer! I am so happy to read this!! it’s wonderful that you are on this traditional foods journey with me! Love, Mary
Hi Mary!
Have you tried to make these as dinner rolls in a muffin tin? Too wet to just plop without any support, I am assuming. I am thinking about serving these for Thanksgiving this year. Maybe a quarter cup measure each? Cook fo 15-20 minutes? Or do you think all the yeast bubbles would not do well with the transfer?
Thank you for you thoughts!
On my third round with this recipe. Huge hit with everyone. I appreciate the forethought of measuring the dry ingredients before the wet. Only one measuring cup and one bowl. Thanks, Wayne
Never made my ownbread as kneading is a problem. Made this recipe and totally delighted with the result. Thank you so much. I really enjoyed making this bread and it tastes fantastic.