Nigella Old-Fashioned Sandwich Loaf is made with strong white bread flour, yeast, caster sugar, spoilt milk (or sour cream), water, and butter. This recipe creates a soft, golden loaf ideal for toast, sandwiches, or just a generous slather of butter. It takes about 3 hours total to prepare and makes 1 beautiful loaf.
Nigella Old-Fashioned Sandwich Loaf Ingredients
- 500g strong white bread flour, plus more for dusting
- 2½ teaspoons (7g) or 1 sachet fast-action dried yeast
- 2 teaspoons (8g) caster sugar
- 2 teaspoons (12g) fine sea salt
- 125ml spoilt milk (or sour cream), straight from the fridge
- 150ml cold water
- 100ml hot water from a just-boiled kettle
- 3 x 15ml tablespoons (45g) soft unsalted butter (omit if using sour cream), plus more for greasing tin
- Vegetable oil, for kneading
How To Make Nigella Old-Fashioned Sandwich Loaf
- Combine Dry Ingredients: Mix flour, yeast, sugar, and salt in a large bowl.
- Prepare Liquid Mix: Combine spoilt milk, cold and hot water in a jug. Stir in butter.
- Make Dough: Pour wet mix into dry ingredients and mix to form a rough dough. Cover and rest for 10 minutes.
- Short Kneads: Lightly oil a surface and knead dough for 10 seconds. Rest 10 minutes. Repeat this knead-rest cycle twice more.
- First Rise: After the third knead, form dough into a ball, cover, and let rise for 1 hour.
- Shape Dough: Grease and line a 900g loaf tin. Shape dough into a scroll and place in tin, seam down. Let rise 1–1½ hours.
- Bake: Preheat oven to 200°C/180°C Fan. Dust dough with flour and bake for 45 minutes. Cool on a wire rack before slicing.
Recipe Tips
- Use Spoilt Milk or Sour Cream: Adds richness and softness to the loaf.
- Knead Briefly: Only three 10-second kneads are needed, with rests in between.
- Great for Sandwiches: Ideal texture for grilled cheese, toasties, or classic sandwiches.
- Freezes Well: Slice and freeze for easy toast anytime.
What To Serve With Old-Fashioned Sandwich Loaf
This loaf is perfect for buttered toast, sandwiches (especially fish finger sandwiches), or French toast. It pairs beautifully with soups, stews, or a simple fried egg.
How To Store Old-Fashioned Sandwich Loaf
Room Temperature: Store in a bread bin or wrapped in a tea towel for up to 4 days.
Freeze: Slice, wrap, and freeze for up to 1 month. Toast straight from frozen.
Old-Fashioned Sandwich Loaf Nutrition Facts (per slice, approx. 1/12 loaf)
- Calories: 190
- Total Fat: 4g
- Saturated Fat: 2.5g
- Carbohydrates: 34g
- Sugar: 1g
- Protein: 6g
- Sodium: 250mg
FAQs
Can I use yogurt instead of sour cream?
Yes, full-fat Greek yogurt works well—just reduce salt to 1 tsp.
Is this suitable for vegans?
Yes—use plant-based yogurt and shortening, and reduce sugar and salt to 1 tsp each.
How do I know it’s baked through?
It will have a deep golden top and sound hollow when tapped underneath.
Can I mix by hand?
Absolutely—this is a forgiving dough, easily mixed without machines.
Can I make this overnight?
Yes, you can let the dough rise in the fridge overnight. Bring to room temp before baking.
Nigella Old-Fashioned Sandwich Loaf Recipe
Description
A soft, golden sandwich loaf perfect for toast or classic fillings, with a tender crumb and nostalgic charm.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Mix flour, yeast, sugar, salt in bowl.
- Combine milks and water; stir in butter.
- Mix into dry ingredients to form dough; rest 10 mins.
- Knead 10 secs, rest 10 mins—repeat 3 times.
- Let rise 1 hour covered.
- Shape into loaf, place in greased tin, rise 1–1½ hrs.
- Bake at 200°C for 45 mins; cool before slicing.
Notes
- Swap sour cream with yogurt or spoilt milk as needed.
- Veganize with plant-based yogurt and shortening.
- Makes excellent French toast or grilled sandwiches.
- Bread stays soft for days; slice and freeze if needed.