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    Home > Recipes > Bread and Pizza

    No-Knead Sandwich Bread

    Published: Apr 10, 2020 · Modified: Jan 26, 2023 · by Jess Smith · Jump to Recipe · 17 Comments · This post may contain affiliate links.

    4.3K shares
    No Knead Sandwich Bread, sliced, on a wooden cutting board
    slices of No-Knead Sandwich Bread on a white table
    No Knead Sandwich Bread in a loaf pan on a cooling rack
    No-Knead Sandwich Bread
    No knead sandwich bread dough in a white loaf pan
    pouring No knead sandwich bread dough into a loaf pan
    No-Knead Sandwich Bread

    No Knead Sandwich Bread in a loaf pan on a cooling rack

    No-Knead Sandwich Bread is a soft white homemade sandwich bread with a golden crust. All you need is 90 minutes of rise time and 40 minutes to bake. No special techniques or equipment needed, just a loaf pan for baking.

    We’re reaching the end of bread week here on the site, and my freezer is absolutely packed with homemade bread. If you’re just jumping in, don’t miss all of the variations we made earlier this week that all come from the same, very simple no-knead bread dough - Everyday Bread, French Bread Loaves, Sheet Pan Pizza, Focaccia, and today….white sandwich bread! Like all of the homemade bread made with this recipe, no-knead sandwich bread is simple and rustic. It’s not fussy and not fancy. Just a great go-to bread that’s perfect for slicing and serving with sandwiches (like these Falafel Sandwiches) or toasting and topping with butter.

    slices of No-Knead Sandwich Bread on a white table

    While we use keep store-bought whole wheat bread in the pantry or freezer, there’s nothing like a slice of classic white sandwich bread, and it’s so satisfying to bake it yourself. Not only do you get a great slice of bread, but there are few things quite as cozy as a house that smells like yeast and warm bread.

    Here’s everything you need to know about making this simple, homemade, no-knead sandwich bread.

    No Knead Sandwich Bread sliced on a wooden cutting board

    Ingredients for No-Knead Sandwich Bread

    • All-Purpose Flour - No special flour needed here - just regular all-purpose. Any brand is fine. 
    • Kosher Salt - This recipe was tested with Kosher salt (Morton’s or Diamond Brand), so use that for the right balance of saltiness. (If using table salt, reduce the amount you use by about half.)
    • Sugar - Use regular granulated / white sugar. Don’t skip this - the dough needs sugar in order to rise.
    • Fast-Acting or “Instant” Yeast - No-Knead Sandwich Bread uses a dough that rises quickly (making it a go-to for new bread bakers or those of us who want this ready fast) and requires Fast-Acting (not “Active Dry”) yeast. See the original post for No-Knead Everyday Bread for more details on this yeast. 
    • Warm Water - The water should feel warm, but not too hot to touch. Check the package on the yeast for the recommended temperature range. I usually heat tap water in the microwave for about 90 seconds until it reaches about 120°F / 49°C.
    • Olive oil or nonstick cooking spray - You’ll need to rub or spray the inside of the loaf pan to prevent the bread from sticking.

    dry ingredients for bread in a white bowl

    How to Make No-Knead Sandwich Bread

    1. Combine Dry Ingredients - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, salt, sugar, and yeast. 
    2. Add Warm Water - Pour water over dry ingredients (check the packaging on your yeast and use water at the temperature it recommends) and stir until no dry spots remain. The dough will be very sticky, but just scrape down the sides as you stir.
    3. First Rise (60 minutes) - Cover the dough with a clean dish towel and leave it on the kitchen counter to rise until doubled in size, 60 minutes. (If your kitchen is on the colder side, let the dough rise for 75 minutes.) Don’t worry too much about getting the timing just right here - anywhere between 60 and 75 minutes will give you a great loaf of bread.
    4. Transfer Dough - When dough has nearly finished the initial rise, rub olive oil over the inside of a loaf pan (or spray it with nonstick cooking spray). Gently pour the dough into the prepared loaf pan, using a spatula to help ease the dough out. 
    5. Heat Oven - Once dough has finished the first rise, preheat oven to 375°F / 190°C.
    6. Second Rise (20 minutes) - While the oven heats up let the dough rise again, 20 minutes more. 
    7. Bake bread (40 minutes) - Bake bread until the top is golden brown and crisp, 40 to 45 minutes. If you have an instant read thermometer, that is the best way to check and see if the bread is done cooking. The bread should be 190°F / 88°C in the center.
    8. Cool Bread - Allow bread to cool for 5 minutes in the loaf pan. Then, turn it out onto a rack to cool completely. (Note: Don't let the bread cool completely in the loaf pan or it may have a tendency to stick.)

    adding water to dry ingredients in a white bowl

    mixing sandwich bread ingredients with a whisk in a white bowl

    mixed No knead sandwich bread dough in a white bowl

    No Knead Sandwich Bread dough after rising in a white bowl

    Tools for Baking No-Knead Sandwich Bread

    To bake this bread, all you need is:

    • Large Mixing Bowl - This is the bowl in which you’ll mix the dough and let it rise. Any large mixing bowl is fine.
    • Loaf Pan - Bake this bread in any loaf pan. 
    • Kitchen Scale - This is not necessary, but it is easiest (and most accurate) to just measure the flour by weight right into the mixing bowl. 

    pouring No knead sandwich bread dough into a white loaf pan

    No knead sandwich bread dough in a white loaf pan on a white table

    How to Freeze Homemade Sandwich Bread

    The easiest way to freeze homemade sandwich bread is to let it cool completely and slice it before freezing. Then you can take a few slices out of the freezer at a time and bake them as you need them. 

    More No-Knead Bread Recipes

    • No-Knead Everyday Bread - Rustic no-knead everyday bread that needs just 90 minutes to rise before baking 
    • No-Knead French Bread - No-Knead French Bread Loaves that need just 2 hours to rise and can be baked on a sheet pan
    • No-Knead Sheet Pan Pizza - Crusty, chewy no-knead sheet pan pizza. The dough can be baked right away or refrigerated for up to 5 days before baking.
    • No-Knead Focaccia - No-Knead Focaccia is a simple version of this crusty, olive oil rich dough. Topped with fresh rosemary and flaked sea salt.
    no knead sandwich bread sliced on a white table
    Print Recipe
    4.67 from 21 votes

    No-Knead Sandwich Bread

    No-Knead Sandwich Bread is a soft white homemade sandwich bread with a golden crust. All you need is 90 minutes of rise time and 30 minutes to bake. No special techniques or equipment needed, just a loaf pan for baking.
    Prep Time1 hr 30 mins
    Cook Time30 mins
    Total Time2 hrs
    Course: Bread
    Keyword: Homemade bread
    Servings: 12 slices
    Calories: 158kcal
    Author: Jess Smith via Inquiring Chef
    Cost: $4.00

    Equipment

    • Large Mixing Bowl
    • Loaf Pan

    Ingredients

    • 4 cups/500g All-Purpose Flour
    • 2 teaspoon Kosher Salt (I use Morton’s or Diamond Brand)
    • 1 tablespoon Sugar
    • 2 ¼ teaspoon Fast Acting or “Instant” Yeast (see note)
    • 2 cups/473ml Warm Water (see note)
    • Olive oil or nonstick cooking spray

    Instructions

    • Make Dough: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, salt, sugar, and yeast. Pour water over dry ingredients and stir until no dry spots remain. The dough will be very sticky, but just scrape down the sides as you stir.
    • First Rise (60 minutes): Cover the dough with a clean dish towel and leave it on the kitchen counter to rise until doubled in size, 60 minutes. (If your kitchen is on the colder side, let the dough rise for 75 minutes.)
    • When dough has nearly finished the initial rise, rub olive oil over the inside of a loaf pan (or spray it with nonstick cooking spray).
    • Gently pour the dough into the prepared loaf pan, using a spatula to help ease the dough out.
    • Heat Oven: Preheat oven to 375°F / 190°C.
    • Second Rise (20 minutes): Place loaf pan with dough near the oven and let it continue to rise, uncovered, for 20 minutes.
    • Bake bread (40 minutes): Bake bread until the top is golden brown and crisp, 40 to 45 minutes. (Use an instant read thermometer if you have one. The bread is done when it reaches 190°F / 88°C in the center.)
    • Allow bread to cool for 5 minutes in the loaf pan. Then, turn it out onto a rack to cool completely. (Note: Make sure to allow the bread cool completely before slicing - if it's still warm it may compress and can give it a gummy texture in the center.)
    • Slice and serve.

    Notes

    Yeast - 2 ¼ teaspoon of Fast Acting or “Instant Yeast is one ¼ oz packet of yeast (often sold in 3-packet sets). Be sure to get yeast labeled as Fast Acting, Instant, Quick-Rise, Bread Machine, or RapidRise - any of these will work. Do NOT use “Active Dry Yeast” for this recipe; it needs to be dissolved in water before using. 
    Water - Check the label on the brand of yeast you have purchased for the recommended water temperature. Water that is too hot will kill the yeast, water that is too cool will not “activate” it. Use a thermometer to check the temperature or just make sure it feels warm (but not hot) to the touch. 
    Storing bread - Sliced bread can be stored at room temperature for 2 days (it’s best warmed in the toaster after the first day) or can be sliced and frozen for up to 6 months.
    This recipe is adapted from No-Knead Everyday Bread.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 158kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 389mg | Potassium: 52mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Calcium: 6mg | Iron: 2mg

     

     

     

    Related

    « No-Knead Focaccia
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    4.3K shares

    About Jess

    Hi! I'm Jess. I am the recipe creator and photographer behind the 900+ recipes you’ll find on Inquiring Chef. As a mom to three young kids and professional cook, my mission is to make every moment in the kitchen and around the table count. If you’re looking for easy, flavorful, family-approved recipes, you’ve come to the right place! Learn more about me here.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Mary John

      June 25, 2020 at 3:10 pm

      5 stars
      Why does this recipe cost $4?

      Reply
      • Jess

        June 25, 2020 at 7:20 pm

        Thanks so much for your note! Recipe costs on this site are very rough estimates, and we almost always round up to account for any differences in the cost of ingredients around the nation / world. As you rightly identified, if you purchase flour and yeast in larger quantities and keep them on-hand, it should cost much, much less to make homemade bread over a store-bought loaf.

        Reply
    2. Kathleen

      August 25, 2020 at 9:25 am

      Can you use a metal loaf pan rather than a ceramic pan as illustrated? Do you need to put a container of water in the oven to create steam when baking this bread?

      Reply
      • Jess Smith

        August 25, 2020 at 9:46 am

        Kathleen - absolutely! I frequently use my metal loaf pan for this recipe (the ceramic one just looks better in photos). No need to put a container of water in the oven to create steam. I've actually never tried that with this recipe since it's so simple and great as-is. (However, as with many bread recipes, that might help you to get a more crisp crust, and shouldn't hurt!)

        Reply
      • Joe Canada

        October 15, 2020 at 8:51 am

        5 stars
        Tried it this morning. It was great. Total cost $1.46 given that we buy flour in big quantities. I subbed out half of the all purpose flour with bread flour and it turned out great. I got 13 slices from it. Now I just need to find a gadget to help me slice it cleaner.

        Reply
    3. Sam

      September 02, 2020 at 9:51 am

      I’ve made this a few times now—it’s always great! Roughly how long should it take for the loaf to fully cool?

      Reply
      • Jess Smith

        September 02, 2020 at 10:20 am

        I really try to give it a full hour once I've turned it out onto the cooling rack (which seems to be enough to avoid any compressed / doughy centers), but we can't always wait that long!

        Reply
    4. Mar

      September 17, 2020 at 2:43 am

      Hi. Hiw is this different from your other no knead recipes? Is it just the temp and cooking time? Ingredients are mostly same?

      Reply
      • Jess Smith

        September 17, 2020 at 8:50 am

        Exactly! The ingredients are the same. Since the shape of the loaf is a little different, in testing it as a sandwich loaf, I had to adjust the temp and cooking time slightly.

        Reply
    5. Donna

      February 17, 2021 at 6:28 am

      Are the nutrition values per loaf or per slice?

      Reply
      • Jess Smith

        February 18, 2021 at 7:03 am

        Per slice, and are just estimates using an automatic calculator built into our recipe card. I highly recommend running the ingredients through your own calorie tracker if you have one that you like.

        Reply
    6. Linda

      April 17, 2021 at 12:46 pm

      Do you preheat the Dutch oven during the final rest?

      Reply
      • Jess Smith

        April 22, 2021 at 8:51 am

        Hi Linda - I've actually never used a Dutch oven for this sandwich bread. I always bake it in a loaf pan.

        Reply
    7. Carl

      August 18, 2021 at 3:37 pm

      Hi, can you use active dry yeast and dissolve it in the water if you don’t have the rapid rise on hand ?

      Reply
      • Jess Smith

        August 30, 2021 at 8:40 am

        Yes! That should work though the dough will likely take longer to rise.

        Reply
    8. Louise

      April 16, 2022 at 3:54 am

      Hello Jess! I’m a bit late in finding your recipe but I’m about and very eager to try it. I live in South India and I only have a gas stove and a huge steamer, NO oven though. Would it be possible to steam the bread…? Would you advise to cut out some water from the recipe? Thank you so much for your sharing and time 😉
      Lou

      Reply
      • Jess Smith

        April 18, 2022 at 4:34 pm

        Hi Lou - I can totally relate to this challenge - it was so rare to have an oven when we lived in Bangkok. Unfortunately, I have no idea if this bread will work steamed. I do think it would work, but I'm not sure how the texture will turn out and you certainly won't be able to achieve a crust. If you do try it, I'd love to know how it turns out.

        Reply

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