Sandwich bread is bread that is prepared specifically to be used for the preparation of sandwiches. Sandwich breads are produced in many varieties, such as white, whole wheat, sourdough, rye, multigrain and others. Sandwich bread may be formulated to slice easily, cleanly or uniformly, and may have a fine crumb and a light texture. Sandwich bread may be designed to have a balanced proportion of crumb and crust, whereby the bread holds and supports fillings in place and reduces drips and messiness. Some may be designed to not become crumbly, hardened, dried or have too squishy a texture. Sandwich bread can refer to cross-sectionally square, sliced white and wheat bread, which has been described as "perfectly designed for holding square luncheon meat". The bread used for preparing finger sandwiches is sometimes referred to as sandwich bread. Pain de mie is a sandwich loaf. Some sandwich breads are designed for use in the creation of specific types of sandwiches, such as the submarine sandwich. For barbecuing, use of a high-quality white sandwich bread has been described as suitable for toasting over a fire. Gluten-free sandwich bread may be prepared using gluten-free flour, teff flour, and other ingredients.
In the 1930s in the United States, the term sandwich loaf referred to sliced bread. In contemporary times, U.S. consumers sometimes refer to white bread such as Wonder Bread as sandwich bread and sandwich loaf. Wonder Bread produced and marketed a bread called Wonder Round sandwich bread, which was designed to be used with round-shaped cold cuts and other fillings such as eggs and hamburgers, but it was discontinued due to low consumer demand. American sandwich breads have historically included some fat derived from the use of milk or oil to enrich the bread.
Commercial sandwich bread
Some companies and restaurants, such as Subway, bake bread that is specifically used for the preparation of sandwiches. Pepperidge Farm produces breads designed and marketed to be used in sandwich preparation. Nature's Pride is another brand that has produced sandwich bread. Bonn Group of Industries, a food company based in Ludhiana Punjab, India, produces a product called Super Sandwich Bread. Some supermarket chains, such as H-E-B, produce their own store brands of sandwich bread. Some mass-produced sandwich breads are sliced before being packaged, while others are packaged unsliced. Some companies, such as Nissen, also produce sandwich rolls.
In 2012, the New Jersey State Fair/Sussex County Farm and Horse Show held The Fleischmann's yeast "Sensational Sandwich Bread" contest, in which contestants submitted their homemade sandwich bread prepared using Fleischmann's Yeast. Breads were judged under the criteria of appearance, flavor, texture, sandwich filling and creativity. The contest included cash prizes and state and national grand-prize winners.
