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Are you looking to up your sandwich game with a homemade loaf that’s both flavorful and beautiful? If you love the savory flavor of Everything Bagel seasoning, this recipe is for you.

My Everything Bagel Sandwich Bread takes the humble sandwich to new heights. With its soft, fluffy crumb and crisp, seasoned topping, this loaf is as satisfying to eat as it is to bake. Made with fresh-milled flour, it’s a wholesome, flavorful bread that’s perfect for everyday sandwiches or a special weekend lunch.

And for an extra touch of charm, I’ll show you how to create a simple braided top—making this loaf a true showstopper on your table.

If that sounds delicious to you, read on to learn how to make this spectacular Everything Bagel Sandwich Bread from scratch!

Why Bake with Fresh-Milled Flour?

Simply put, it is much more nutrient-rich.

When wheat is milled and the bran and germ are removed to create all-purpose flour, most of the fiber, vitamins, minerals, and healthy fats are lost. What remains is mostly starch and some protein. Because starch is rapidly broken down into glucose, baked goods made with white flour can cause a much sharper rise in blood sugar compared to whole-grain versions.

Below is a chart listing all of the nutrients contained in the simple, whole wheat berry. It’s amazing!

Check out my blog post here for a more thorough breakdown of the benefits of fresh-milled flours. 

What Type of Wheat Berries Should I Use?

Different wheat berries contain varying amounts of protein, and two key proteins are essential for creating a strong gluten network: glutenin and gliadin.

• Glutenin – Gives dough strength and elasticity, helping bread hold its shape and rise.
• Gliadin – Makes dough stretchy and extensible, allowing it to expand during fermentation and baking.

When these two proteins work together, you get a strong, resilient gluten network that produces a perfect rise.

For yeasted breads, choose hard red or hard white wheat, which have enough protein to create soft, fluffy loaves.

If you enjoy experimenting with ancient grains, feel free to mix them with your hard wheat. Just keep in mind that using only ancient grains may result in a lower rise.

🌾 I’ve had success with this hard white wheat, hard red wheat and spelt berries.

Check out my blog post that gives more information on wheat berries and their uses.

Why Powdered Milk?

Powdered milk is a wonderful resource for bakers, especially in a large family kitchen. It helps create a softer crumb and improves flavor, while the added protein and milk sugars support better rise and beautiful browning in your dough.

Also, from a purely practical aspect, it is much easier to reserve powdered milk for baking. No one will be reaching for that to drink in the morning. It’s economical too!

Why Autolyse Your Dough?

When a wheat berry is milled, the bran, germ, and endosperm are broken into fine pieces. The fluffiest part is mostly the endosperm—the same part found in store-bought “all-purpose” flour. The bran and germ are coarser, which makes them slower to absorb liquid in your dough.

Autolyse simply gives the flour time to absorb the water, making the dough easier to knead and helping develop a stronger gluten network.

What is Vital Wheat Gluten and Why Use It?

Vital Wheat Gluten is a natural protein extracted from wheat. The wheat is first hydrated, then washed to remove the starches, leaving behind only the protein. This protein is what creates the “gluten network” — the stretchy structure that gives your favorite breads their chew and rise.

Whole wheat breads naturally have a lower rise than their all-purpose counterparts because the bran and germ in fresh-milled flour are quite sharp. These coarse pieces can cut through the developing gluten strands during fermentation, resulting in a denser finished loaf.

By adding Vital Wheat Gluten to your dough, you’re essentially boosting the protein content (a.k.a. the gluten), which helps create a stronger structure and a higher rise. It’s not a necessary ingredient, but it can make a noticeable difference if you’re aiming for a lighter texture.

I enjoy using it in many of my whole-grain recipes and recommend you give it a try, too. Plus, a little goes a long way! A good starting point is to add 1 tablespoon of Vital Wheat Gluten per cup of whole wheat flour in your recipe.

🌾 I use this Vital Wheat Gluten in my kitchen — it’s reliable and lasts forever.

Ingredients You’ll Need

• Fresh-milled Flour
• Water
• Unsalted Butter
• Sugar
• Dry Instant Milk
• Everything Bagel Seasoning
• Leavening: Salt and Yeast

Step-by-Step: How to Make Everything Bagel Sandwich Bread

Step 1: Mill Your Wheat Berries

Mill your wheat berries right before mixing for best results.

Step 2: Mix everything except salt, Everything Bagel seasoning, and yeast

Combine all of your ingredients except the salt, Everything Bagel seasoning and yeast until no dry flour remains.

Step 3: Autolyse your dough, covered for 1 hour

Let your dough rest, covered, 1 hour for the bran and germ to absorb the liquid.

Step 4: Add salt, Everything Bagel seasoning, and yeast; Knead your dough until it has sufficient pull

Add your remaining ingredients (salt, Everything Bagel seasoning, and yeast) and knead the dough until you can pull it away from the dough ball without instantly tearing. If you can achieve a windowpane (like in the picture above), you will have your best results.

Step 5: Bulk Fermentation

Let the dough ferment, covered, until slightly less than double in size.

Whole-wheat dough benefits from a lower bulk rise than all-purpose flour because the bran and germ can weaken the gluten network in the dough.

It’s very helpful to let your dough rise in a clear container, like the one I have above. Use a dry-erase marker to mark the top of your dough, and aim for it to rise to just under double that line.

I recommend taking a picture when you decide to stop the bulk rise and shape your dough. If your loaf turns out denser than you’d like, you’ll have a visual reference for how much it rose and can adjust next time.

Baking is all about trying over and over and over again. 💛

✨ Tip to remember: When you press your finger into the dough, it should slowly spring back and leave a small indentation.

Step 6: Shape your loaf and rise

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Flatten your dough and cut off about one-third of the dough. You’re welcome to weigh it and divide accordingly if you want to be exact.

Shape the larger portion of the dough by flattening it into a rectangle, then roll it up tightly from one short end to the other. Pinch the seam closed and tuck the ends under.

Place in a well-oiled or parchment-lined loaf pan.

To make the braid: divide the smaller portion into three equal pieces. Roll each piece into a rope of even thickness, then braid them together gently. Pinch the ends to seal and carefully lift the braid onto the top of your loaf.

Cover with oiled plastic wrap and let rise until the dough is slightly domed over the bread pan.

My dough rose for about 45 minutes and our home runs around 74°F.

✨ Check out the video above for step-by-step shaping help!

Step 7: Bake your loaf

Brush with an egg wash and sprinkle the Everything Bagel Seasoning on the top of the dough.

Bake for 35 minutes, then cover with aluminum foil and bake for another 15 minutes.

Flip the finished dough out of the pan onto a cooling rack. Let cool completely.

Enjoy!

Everything Bagel Sandwich Bread

Yield: 1 standard loaf  |  Prep + rise: ~3 hours (includes resting & proofing)

Ingredients

• 3 cups (340 g) fresh-milled hard white wheat
• 1 cup + 1 tbsp (255 g) water
• 3 tbsp (35 g) sugar
• ⅓ cup (28 g) instant dry milk
• 4 tbsp unsalted softened butter
• 1 ¼ tsp salt
• 2 tsp Everything Bagel seasoning, plus more for topping
• 2 ½ tsp active dry yeast

Instructions

1. Mill your grains on a fine setting and measure your flour.
2. Mix everything except the salt, Everything Bagel seasoning, and yeast into the bowl — combine until no dry flour remains.
3. Autolyse: Cover the dough and let it rest for 1 hour.
4. Add the salt, Everything Bagel seasoning, and yeast. Knead until the dough has sufficient pull (it should not tear when gently stretched).
5. Let the dough bulk ferment until slightly under double in size (usually 60–90 minutes).
6. Oil or line a standard loaf pan with parchment. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
7. Shape: Shape the dough into a ball. Remove ⅓ of the dough and shape the larger portion into a loaf — place in pan. Flatten the smaller piece and shape into a braid; place on top of the loaf. Cover with oiled plastic wrap.
8. Let the loaf rise until slightly above the top of the pan.
9. Brush with egg wash (1 egg beaten with 1 tbsp water) and sprinkle Everything Bagel seasoning on top.
10. Bake 35 minutes uncovered. Tent with foil and bake another 15 minutes.
11. Remove from pan, cool completely on a rack before slicing. Enjoy!

Notes on Vital Wheat Gluten

If you’d like to use vital wheat gluten for extra structure (helpful with fresh-milled whole-grain flours), change to 330 g flour + 10 g vital wheat gluten and 265 g water. All other ingredients remain the same.

Tips

• Fresh-milled flour absorbs differently — watch dough texture rather than time. It should be tacky but not overly sticky.
• For a softer crust, brush with melted butter right after baking.
• Freeze sliced for best freshness — thaw at room temperature or toast from frozen.

Tips for Success

• Use warm ingredients for a consistent rise
• Use a kitchen scale to weigh your ingredients
• Autolyse, or let your dough rest without salt and yeast, covered, for 1 hour to give the bran and germ time to soften
• In the bulk fermentation, let the dough rise until just under doubled in size
• In the shaped rise, let the dough rise until slightly above the loaf pan

How to Store and Freeze Everything Bagel Sandwich Bread

Instead of constantly running through plastic wrap, I suggest purchasing a bread bag. My sister bought me one years ago, and I’ve used it exclusively ever since. I’ve found it to be very reliable for keeping bread fresh.

It’s important to understand, though, that homemade bread doesn’t last as long as store-bought. By day three, we always start to toast our slices.

Sandwich bread freezes really well! I recommend making extra to store in your freezer for rainy days. Let the bread cool completely, pre-slice the loaf, wrap it in freezer paper and then plastic wrap, and don’t forget to label it. You’ll thank yourself when you have no dinner plans and remember you have homemade bread—and maybe some cheese!

✨ Amazon doesn’t carry the bag my sister bought me anymore, but this one looks nice!

Serving Ideas

• Have a delicious grilled cheese and tomato soup with this bread
• Toast and top with cream cheese and smoked salmon
• Make the ultimate breakfast sandwich: try adding bacon, a runny egg, sharp cheddar, fresh tomato and some mayo

Variations to Try

• Double the dough and create a beautiful bread wreath for a special occasion
• Add shredded cheese to the dough for a cheesy everything loaf
• Make rolls for a lovely side or homemade sliders

FAQ

Why is my loaf dense?

Your dough may have under-proofed — try extending the first rise slightly. I recommend taking pictures of the before and after. It’ll help you train your eyes.

My topping falls off — what can I do?

Be sure to generously coat your shaped loaf with an egg wash (1 egg beaten with 1 tbsp water) before sprinkling the seasoning.

The crust is too hard!

Cover with a clean towel as it cools to soften the crust naturally.

Homemade everything bagel sandwich bread is a simple way to elevate everyday meals—and with fresh-milled flour, you’ll taste the difference in every slice.

What is your favorite way to enjoy a slice of Everything Bagel Sandwich bread? Let me know in the comments!

Blessings,

Payton