There’s nothing quite like pulling a warm, soft loaf of sandwich bread out of the oven– especially when it’s made with your own freshly milled flour. This bread is light and tender, slices beautifully, and has a thin, golden crust that even picky kids love. It’s the perfect everyday loaf for sandwiches, toast, or just a warm slice with butter.

The recipe uses a blend of hard red wheat, kamut, and all-purpose flour to balance flavor and softness. Kamut adds a natural sweetness and golden color, while a touch of all-purpose flour helps keep it fluffy and light. The result? A wholesome, soft sandwich bread that feels homemade–not heavy.

Why You’ll Love This Bread

Soft texture: Perfect for sandwiches, without the dense bite some whole grain loaves have.
Kid-approved: Gentle crust, mild flavor, and soft enough for little teeth (no more bread crust battles!).
Nutritious and wholesome: Freshly milled grains bring real flavor and nutrients to the table.
Small loaf size: Just right for smaller families or when you bake fresh every few days.
Freezes beautifully: Slice and freeze for quick school lunches or easy toast mornings.

Kid-Friendly Tip

If your kids shy away from darker crusts or chewy edges, brush the loaf with milk before baking and butter right after it comes out of the oven. This keeps the crust tender, golden, and melt-in-your-mouth soft — just like store-bought, but way better

Ingredient Breakdown

Here’s what makes this loaf special:

Hard Red Wheat: Adds heartiness and a subtle nutty flavor — the foundation for structure.
Kamut Flour: Softens the dough and gives it that gentle sweetness and buttery color.
All-Purpose Flour: Helps lighten the texture so it’s soft and fluffy, not heavy.
Vital Wheat Gluten: A secret helper that boosts rise and softness in whole grain loaves.
Milk & Honey: Tenderize the crumb and help with that perfect golden crust.
Butter or Olive Oil: Keeps the bread soft and moist for days.

What You’ll Need

Flour

freshly milled red white wheat flour, Kamut & All-Purpose Flour

Vibrant yellow stand mixer on a kitchen countertop beside tableware and decor.

Equipment

stand mixer, 8½ x 4½-inch loaf pan, Kitchen scale, Mixing bowl

DAIRY

Warm milk, and softened butter/oil

additional essentials

sugar or honey, salt, yeast

Step 1: Autolyse for softness:

Combine water, milk, all flours, and vital gluten in your Bosch mixer. Mix until just combined and shaggy. Cover and rest for 20–30 minutes to let the flour hydrate.

Step 2: Add remaining ingredients:

Sprinkle in yeast, honey, oil, and salt. Knead on speed 2 for 6–8 minutes, until dough is smooth and slightly tacky.

Step 3: First Rise

Cover and let rise in a warm spot until doubled, about 60–75 minutes.

Step 4: Shape

Gently press out air, roll into a log, and place in a greased loaf pan seam-side down. Cover and rise again until dough crowns 1 inch above the pan (about 30–45 minutes).

Step 5: Bake:

Brush with milk for a soft brown crust. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 25–28 minutes, until golden and internal temp is about 190°F.

Step 6: Finish:

Brush warm loaf with butter. Cool fully before slicing.

Recipe FAQ

Yes! Use ½ kamut and ½ hard red wheat (total 300 g) and keep the vital wheat gluten. The bread will be slightly heartier but still soft.

You can — just mix it directly with your flour and skip the activation step.

Brush with milk before baking and butter after. Wrap in a clean towel while cooling to trap gentle steam.

Keep it in a bread bag or airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or slice and freeze for longer storage.

Serving Suggestions

This recipe makes 1 small loaf.

Soft & Golden Sandwich Bread Kids Love

This loaf has become our go-to for school lunches and Saturday morning toast. It’s sturdy enough to hold a sandwich together but soft enough for my kids to actually eat the crust. I love knowing every slice came from grains I milled myself — and that something so simple can feel like a little piece of home.

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 25

Rest/Rising Time 1 45

Total Time 2 30

Serving Size 10 slices

Equipment

Grain mill if using whole berries
Digital kitchen scale
Measuring cups and spoons
Mixing bowl or stand mixer
Dough hook or sturdy spoon
Clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap
Pastry brush
Cooling rack

Ingredients

1 cup warm milk (lactose-free or regular) 237 grams
1½ tsp 5 g active dry yeast
1½ tbsp 20 g honey or sugar
2 tbsp 28 g butter or olive oil
¾ tsp 4 g salt
¾ cup 90 g hard red wheat flour
½ cup 60 g kamut flour
1¼ cups 150 g all-purpose flour
1½ tsp 6 g vital wheat gluten
Optional: milk wash for brushing top

Instructions

Autolyse for softness:

Combine water, milk, all flours, and vital gluten in your Bosch mixer. Mix until just combined and shaggy. Cover and rest for 20–30 minutes to let the flour hydrate.

Add remaining ingredients:

Sprinkle in yeast, honey, oil, and salt. Knead on speed 2 for 6–8 minutes, until dough is smooth and slightly tacky.

First rise:

Cover and let rise in a warm spot until doubled, about 60–75 minutes.

Shape:

Gently press out air, roll into a log, and place in a greased loaf pan seam-side down. Cover and rise again until dough crowns 1 inch above the pan (about 30–45 minutes).

Bake:

Brush with milk for a soft brown crust. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 25–28 minutes, until golden and internal temp is about 190°F.

Finish:

Brush warm loaf with butter. Cool fully before slicing.

Notes

Notes & Swaps

- Don’t skip the autolyse — it’s key for that soft, fluffy texture with whole grains.
- If your kitchen is cool, place the loaf in a turned-off oven with the light on to rise.
- For extra richness, swap half the water for milk.
- Want to make it a little sweeter? Add an extra teaspoon of honey.

Recipe FAQ

Can I use store-bought flour instead of freshly milled?
Yes! All-purpose flour works too, but you’ll miss out on the extra flavor and nutrition from freshly milled wheat.

Do they stay crunchy in milk?
Yes — especially if you use hard white wheat. They’ll hold up for a good while without turning mushy.

Can I double the recipe?
Definitely. Just bake in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan.

Can I make them less sweet?
Yes — reduce the sugar in the dough slightly, but keep the topping for that signature cinnamon-sugar flavor.