High Fructose Corn Syrup Free Classic White Sandwich Bread
Most store-bought sandwich bread is loaded with high fructose corn syrup — it's practically a staple ingredient on those labels — which makes finding a clean, everyday loaf genuinely frustrating. This homemade version keeps things beautifully simple: whole milk, water, honey, bread flour, salt, and butter. That's it. Honey does the light sweetening here, feeding the yeast and adding just a whisper of flavor without any of the processed sweeteners you're trying to avoid. The method is straightforward enough for a beginner but produces a loaf that looks and tastes like it came from a proper bakery. A slow knead with softened butter worked in gradually gives the crumb that soft, pillowy pull you want in a sandwich bread, while a double rise builds real structure and flavor. The finish — a brush of melted butter straight out of the oven — gives the crust a gorgeous golden sheen and keeps it tender as it cools. Once you've sliced into a warm, homemade loaf like this, going back to the packaged stuff feels like a real step down. It's the kind of recipe you'll make on a Sunday and feel quietly proud of all week long.
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Learn more →Ingredients
12 servings
For the dough
- 1 cup whole milk
- ¼ cup water
- 2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast (1 standard packet)
- 1 tbsp honey
- 3 cups bread flour, plus more for kneading
- 1 ½ tsp fine salt
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
For finishing
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
- 1
Warm the milk and water together in a small saucepan over low heat until the mixture reaches 105–110°F (40–43°C) — warm to the touch but not hot. Pour into the bowl of a stand mixer, sprinkle in the yeast and honey, and stir briefly to combine. Let stand for 5–10 minutes, until the surface is foamy and the yeast is visibly active.
- 2
Add the bread flour and salt to the yeast mixture. Mix on low speed with the dough hook until a shaggy dough forms and no dry flour remains, about 2 minutes.
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