The Key to Making Great Homemade Sandwich Bread Is Perfectly Kneaded Dough
Good sandwich bread is dense enough not to fall apart when sliced, but not so dense that it becomes dry and crumbly. Here’s a trick to avoid over-mixing and over-kneading your homemade sandwich dough.
Kneading the dough strengthens the gluten strands, which give the bread its structure when baked. If you don’t knead it enough, the bread will remain edible , but it may fall apart when you try to cut it. If you knead too much, the bread may not have enough moisture to hold it together. Emma Christensen of The Kitchn shares her advice for finding the sweet spot:
Check the dough often as you knead – don’t be limited by time in the recipe. If the dough is smooth, holds the shape of a ball, and bounces when you poke it, it’s done! If you have a puddle in your hand or you feel sluggish, keep kneading. If it starts to curl up a lot in your hands, stop kneading.
Christensen also notes that sandwich dough is best kneaded with your hands rather than a stand mixer because it can easily knead the dough too hard. You can find more tips for making perfect sliced sandwich bread at the link below.