Thrifty Homemade Sandwich Bread Recipe

By / July 23, 2022
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I’ve spent some time working on the perfect homemade sandwich bread recipe, and I think I’ve found it!

If you’ve ever wanted to learn how to make bread from scratch, I’m going to outline the process for this frugal bread recipe.

My goal is to make it as easy as possible, while giving you the confidence that making homemade bread is do-able no matter your baking experience.

Image of sliced homemade bread loaf with text- best homemade sandwich bread.

Table of Contents

Winter baking : the inspiration for bread recipes from scratch

Winter in the Midwest means spending more time indoors (even snowed in at times), and that also means that I have more time for baking and all things domestic.  🙂

When we stay home, we always save more money.

That should be obvious, I guess, but I’m always astounded how little DIY projects and making more from-scratch recipes really makes a difference in our monthly budget.

Finished product of 5 ingredient white bread recipe-example of baked white bread loaf.

So what started as a fun and frugal project quickly became a bit of an obsession from there!

A bread recipe for anyone

Now, before you think I’m sitting here baking up a storm and homesteading on a regular basis – I’ll just say, this isn’t typical!

While I make most of our dinners from scratch, I don’t usually have time for things like making bread.

But during the winter months especially, I dig out this fairly easy sandwich bread recipe and enjoy not only eating it (it’s delicious!) but saving some money as well.

So if you’re not-a-Martha-Stewart like me, you’ll appreciate the simplicity of this process.

Image of loaf of homemade bread with text: How to make perfect sandwich bread with 5 ingredients

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Homemade bread: a simple money saving hack

When I was pregnant with my son (almost 5 years ago, sniff sniff), I took the plunge into the work-from-home world and left my steady job at a law firm.

This change came with great freedom and more time with my family, but also required us to cut back on spending drastically.

A Clock sitting beside a jar of change labeled "budget"- concept of balancing time and saving money in the kitchen.

(I did find out eventually that it IS possible to work from home and make more than I did at that time.  I learned a lot in those first two years of freelancing!)

Budgeting & baking

Anyhow, I remember stumbling across a recipe for homemade sandwich bread and decided I would try it out, mainly to save money.

Who doesn’t love homemade bread, anyhow?

I’ve modified this simple 5-ingredient bread recipe over time through trial and error and I love the results.

Once you learn how to make sandwich bread, you might become a little obsessed with it like we are!

Also Read: 

• The Money-Saving Meal Planner (PDF guide)

• The perfect crusty french bread in a dutch oven

 • How to stock your pantry for emergencies

• Easy homemade hamburger buns

Biggest benefits of making homemade bread

Normally I buy wheat bread, so yes, in some ways this isn’t the healthiest option if healthy (or gluten-free!) is your goal.

But there is the benefit of knowing what’s in your food – and avoiding preservatives in store-bought sandwich bread.

images of homemade white bread ingredients- flour, wheat berries and rolling pin on a black countertop.

One of the things I also love about making my own bread is that this bread costs me approximately $0.64/loaf to make.

It uses very simple ingredients, as you’ll notice, which is another plus when you’re stuck at home and may not have fancy stuff on hand like powdered milk and whatnot (popular in other homemade recipes.)

*Tip:  Buy yeast in bulk at your local health food store for best value. Or, check out Azure standard, my other favorite!

I buy enough to fill a quart size mason jar and keep it in my freezer where it is generally good for up to a year (sometimes longer!).

Recommended Tools:

All Purpose Unbleached Flour

Instant Yeast

Notes on Methods for Proofing Bread Dough

In Step #4 in the directions below, you will let the bread rise, or “proof” for the first time in a draft-free area, in the bowl.

This usually takes 1.5-2 hours, and then it will need a 2nd rise in the bread pan to double once again.

Personally, I get the best results by not rushing this process.

image of bread dough -first rise in a bowl covered in saran wrap.

The bread also seems to develop the best flavor and texture by letting the bread rise in a cool, draft-free area in my kitchen.

However, if you’re in a hurry (or just impatient!) and want to speed up the proofing you can try these alternative methods:

Proofing Bread dough in the Instant Pot

This is the quickest method I’ve tried.

Simply place your dough (after completing steps 1-3), in your instant pot.

Cover the top of the pot with saran wrap and set it to the “yogurt” setting (Instant Pot Duo), let rise until doubled.

For a double batch of this homemade sandwich bread recipe, it takes me about 40 minutes for the dough to double.  (Versus about 2 hours on the counter.)

Proofing Bread Dough on Stovetop

1| Using a Warming Center

I have a “warming center” on top of my stove which is just an extra space on the glass top to keep food warm (looks like a burner, but it’s just a warmer.)

I put it on the lowest setting, and set my pan right beside (not on top of) this warming center.

You still want to lightly cover your pan with a towel or plastic wrap while proofing, with any method.

bread dough rising in a red bowl covered with a kitchen towel.

You could proof bread the 1st AND 2nd times this way, if you choose.

If I want to speed-proof though, I will do the first rise in the Instant Pot, transfer to the bread pan, cover and set it near the warming center for the 2nd rise.

2| Using a Warming Drawer

In a previous oven we owned, I had a Warming Drawer.  I would put the bread pan (2nd rise) in that drawer and it usually rose pretty rapidly with this method.

Stainless steel stove in a modern kitchen with an arrow pointing to the bottom warming drawer.

Sometimes, though, the loaf would get too tall for the space!

3| Using the Oven Heat on top of Stove

Some ovens produce a fair amount of heat on the stove top.

If this is the case for your oven, you can just heat up the oven to 350 or so, and set the pans on top of the stove to let the dough rise somewhat more quickly.

Although this works, some people won’t want to waste the electricity to heat the whole oven. 

Proofing Bread dough in the Oven

A third method would be using the oven itself to proof the dough more quickly.

Image of bread dough in pan, starting its second rise.

Just set the oven to around 200 degrees or less, place the pan inside and be sure to check it often!

Rise times will vary with this method.

I would only proof the dough for the 2nd rise inside the oven (not the first rise).

This is probably my least-favorite method as my oven runs hot and sometimes it will start to bake the bread instead of just proofing it.

Thrifty Homemade Sandwich Bread Recipe and Instructions

*Recipe Card included at end of post

Ingredients

  • 1 cup hot water
  • 2 Tablespoons of sugar
  • 2 3/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (*this is 1/2 tsp more than a standard one-use packet — another reason to buy in it in bulk.  It seems to rise more consistently when I use this amount.)
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour OR bread flour (*tip: a friend mentioned once that the name-brand flours seem to make better breads and I have found this to be true, even with basic all-purpose flour.  There is not much cost difference, so try it and see if you have trouble with generic brands!)
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 and 1/2 teaspoons salt

Directions

#1. Mix together the hot water (not scalding, but hot from the tap), sugar and yeast and stir. 

Let sit for about 10 minutes, allowing the yeast to “bloom”.  See below.

Yeast blooming in a glass mixing bowl.

#2.  Dump this mixture into a stand mixer and mix in the vegetable oil, salt and the flour, one cup at a time, using your dough hook.

Alternatively, you can use a hand mixer to combine the ingredients and then knead it by hand.

image of woman hand kneading dough-demonstration

I’m terrible at kneading and have definitely gotten my money’s worth out of my stand mixer.

(This brand will last for years if you’re looking for one.)

#3.  Continue mixing a few minutes until dough clings to the bread hook and doesn’t stick to the bowl.

Mix another 3-4 minutes after the non-sticky dough is formed.  (That’s a very technical baking term)  🙂

#4.  Remove dough from hook, place dough ball in a bowl and cover with a light kitchen towel.

Let rise in a draft-free area for approximately 1.5 hours or until the dough doubles in size.

Image of first rise of bread dough in a covered bowl.

{Or, see the paragraph earlier in this post re: the three different methods you can use to make the dough rise (proof) more quickly}.

#5.  Punch down, shape into an oval loaf-like shape and turn the seams under.

You can read tutorials on how to do this properly but I simply tuck the excess dough underneath the bottom of the loaf without using water to pinch the seams and it works just fine!

#6.  In a greased loaf pan, let dough rise a second time until almost doubled – approximately one hour.

I lightly cover the pan with plastic wrap for this step.

I prefer metal baking pans over glass if you have a choice.

The bread just seems to bake more evenly.   See below.

Bread after 2nd rise- smooth and ready to bake.

#7.  Bake approximately 25 minutes at 350 degrees.

Finished Product:

Feature image for Thrifty Homemade Sandwich Bread Recipe- the completed baked loaf on a serving platter.

*Want to teach your kids to cook during LONG days at home?  Check out the Kids Cook Real Food e-course!

Isn’t it beautiful??  Gosh, I seriously love how pretty baked bread looks on a platter.

But it tastes even better!

If you’re planning to slice it for sandwich bread, it works better if you wait until the next day.  It will be a little firmer and easier to slice.

That said, even straight out of the oven, it’s actually denser than most bread-machine recipes I’ve tried in the past that often have large air pockets/holes in the bread.

I use an electric serrated knife which is perfect for this task! (Plus a million other uses.)

Sliced homemade sandwich bread on a cutting board sitting on a granite countertop.

Storing homemade bread

If you decide to make several batches of bread to freeze for later, I would recommend freezer bread bags like these or reusable/washable ones like these that can extend the life of your loaves.

Bag clips are also really handy and you can use them over and over for any type of bag.

Drop me a note and let me know if you try this recipe – OR leave your favorite tips for saving money in the kitchen!

P.S.- check out our Money Saving Meal Planner for more ways to save every single month!

Thrifty Homemade Sandwich Bread

Thrifty Homemade Sandwich Bread
Prep Time 2 hours 45 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 cup hot water
  • 2 Tbsp Sugar
  • 2-3/4 tsp yeast (1 packet + 1/2 tsp)
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour OR bread flour
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 1-1/2 tsp salt

Instructions

  1. Mix together the hot water (not scalding, but hot from the tap), sugar and yeast and stir. Let sit for about 10 minutes, allowing the yeast to "bloom"
  2. Dump this mixture into a stand mixer and mix in the vegetable oil, salt and the flour, one cup at a time, using your dough hook. Alternatively, you can use a hand mixer to combine the ingredients and then knead it by hand
  3. Continue mixing a few minutes until dough clings to the bread hook and doesn't stick to the bowl. Mix another 3-4 minutes after the non-sticky dough is formed.
  4. Remove dough from hook, place dough ball in a bowl and cover with a light kitchen towel. Let rise in a draft-free area for approximately 1.5 hours or until the dough doubles in size. (Or, see the paragraph in the full post re: the 3 alternative methods you can use to proof the dough more quickly! I use the yogurt setting on my Instant Pot Duo to cut the rise time in half.)
  5. Punch down, shape into an oval loaf-like shape and turn the seams under.  
  6. Place in a greased loaf pan; cover loosely with plastic wrap (spray it with cooking oil first if you're worried about it sticking).
  7. Let dough rise a second time until almost doubled - approximately one hour.
  8. Bake in loaf pan approximately 25 minutes at 350 degrees

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

16

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 155Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 220mgCarbohydrates: 26gFiber: 1gSugar: 2gProtein: 4g
© Brandi Jarrett
Category: Homemaking

Related content:

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•Crusty French Bread Recipe

•Honey Wheat Hamburger Buns

•Recipe Roundup: Cheap Lunches for Kids

Collage graphic with image of rising bread dough above, with finished loaf below, and text in middle stating Delicious 5-ingredient sandwich bread for $0.65.

Originally published 1/21/18; last updated 7/23/22.

108 thoughts on “Thrifty Homemade Sandwich Bread Recipe”

    1. Brandi Jarrett

      Thank you Kristin, you’re so kind! We love this recipe. I’m going to remember to make a double batch next time because it’s gone almost as soon as we take it out of the oven. 😉

  3. June

    Ill have to try again with bread – Ive never been very successful. But I forgot bread at the store this week. Doh! Trying tomorrow. 🙂

  4. Andrea

    Thanks for sharing! Long time bread baker wanna be here. I successfully made it! It was delicious and with my family of 5 it lasted about 5 min. Double batch next time for sure, lol.

    1. Brandi Jarrett

      Yay! Glad it turned out well – too well sounds like 😉 I’m thinking about buying these bread pans for a longer but not-as-tall loaf. Maybe to make it last a little longer? I guess they would probably just eat twice as many slices though!

    1. Brandi Jarrett

      Hi there! Yes, the inspiration recipe for this one was a bread machine recipe. You just let the yeast bloom as in Step 1 and then dump that along with rest of ingredients into bread machine. It called for only 2-1/4 tsp yeast and 1 tsp salt. When I started making it in the kitchen aid, it wouldn’t rise consistently. But in the more temperature-controlled bread machine, the lesser amount of yeast and salt works well. Good luck!

    1. Brandi Jarrett

      I did substitute wheat flour a few times. If you only use wheat flour, it will be pretty dense and won’t rise much though. I believe I researched this a little and the recommendation was to use 1/2 wheat flour and 1/2 white flour (or bread flour), so try 1.5 cup of each. I am no bread expert, but I would probably add a tad more yeast too.

  7. She M

    Could I use whole wheat flour for this recipe? Would other ingredients be used in the same amounts?

  8. Macanda

    Hi! I was wondering if you have tried substituting other types of oils or is it only vegetable oil that has the right consistency? I don’t normally keep vegetable oil on hand, my go to oils are canola, olive, and coconut. Thanks!

    1. Brandi Jarrett

      Hi Macanda! I have used canola oil before, no problem. A quick Google search is telling me that you should be able to substitute coconut oil easily by melting it first. You might notice the flavor a bit (but I love coconut so that wouldn’t bother me!) 🙂 Let us know how it goes!

  10. Maree Camilleri

    5 stars
    Brandi, I tried this bread today. Found the recipe and your instructions very easy to follow. It’s the first time I made bread and am ecstatic about the result. So delicious and dense, even though I didn’t wait for the next day to cut it. And, it came out of the oven looking identical to your picture! Thanks very much! Maree

  11. Amey

    5 stars
    I absolutely love homemade bread but haven’t had much luck finding a recipe I liked. Then I found yours on Pinterest & WOW!! It turned out absolutely perfect. My second loaf in three days is currently baking.

    1. Brandi Jarrett

      Hi there – I have not tried making multiple loaves at once. Mostly because I don’t think my stand mixer could handle all the dough! I have read up on this a little and it appears you can probably safely double the recipe at least – but no need to double the yeast. I would try about 3.5 to 4 tsp yeast? It would be a complete experiment since I’ve never tried it though! Good luck!

  13. Amber

    When substituting oils do I use the same measurement? Was thinking olive oil since that’s a staple in our house! Thank you in advance.

    1. Brandi Jarrett

      From what I have read, yes, it’s a 1:1 substitution, however you might want to use an extra-light olive oil because the flavor is stronger and you might notice it in your bread. If you don’t mind an olive-y tasting bread, it probably doesn’t matter though 🙂

  14. Katie Jo

    What do you use to cut your bread? Do you have an electric knife? Or do you just use a serrated knife? I’m pretty much the worst at cutting things evenly or in straight lines so any advice would be great!

  15. Amanda Heister

    I started pinning bread recipes and yours was the first one that I tried. My middle daughter was home on winter break, she is a vegan so I could not bake anything with eggs or milk. Your bread fit the bill perfectly. Oh, and the bread is just wonderful!! I now make sure to have extra flour and yeast on hand just so I can make this bread whenever I want. Some how I get three loafs out of your recipe. I’m not complaining!☺

  18. Kim

    I love this bread recipe. Today I doubled the recipe, used 4 tsp of yeast and avocado oil instead of vegetable oil and it turned out amazing!

  19. Kristy Pickering

    I love the short list of ingredients needed to make this bread. I used whole white wheat flour & instead of regular salt I used garlic salt and added dried rosemary (the 1st time) and the current loaf I’m working on: Bruschetta spices from Epicure. Thanks so much for posting this recipe. It’s a keeper, for sure!

  21. Donna

    I made this today and it’s the best sandwich bread I’ve ever made! I used half bread flour and half whole wheat flour. Thank you!!!!

  22. noona

    Hi! I just made them tonight and it came out so wonderful. It’s my first ever successful bread and im thrilled to have finally found this recipe. So thank u 😊. I like my bread a little vit on the sweet side, can i add more sugar? If so, do i need to tweak some ingredients? Hoping for your reply 😊

  23. F Sethman

    Just making this today! On the 2nd time I leave it to double, afterwards, do I cover with plastic wrap and punch dough before putting into oven?

  24. Emz

    What a delight to found this recipe! Family loves it! This is my 2nd try baking this and it came out like a superstar! Lol… I would like to try bake this freshly in the morning, can i make them overnight? I read something about letting it rise (2nd rise) in the fridge then thaw for 2 hours before baking… Can i do that? 😂 thank u!!!

  26. Lizzie

    Hi Brandi,

    Is it possible to make this bread without a mixer? If so, how can I adjust the mixing times? Thanks so much!

    1. Brandi Jarrett

      You can mix it by hand- I haven’t done that personally but lots of people do it. In the steps where you’re using the mixer, just mix the ingredients until combined and then do the kneading by hand. It’s not so much about the length of mixing/kneading time but getting the dough to the right feel/consistency. This video might help!

  27. Peggy

    Made this bread yesterday and it is so tasty and easy. I used my stand mixer and the bread turned out great. My husband loves it and I’ll be making it every other day.

  28. F Sethman

    2nd week of baking this bread! Already getting easier and smoother to make. Thx again for posting this. (How can we make the dough into 2 loaves?)

  29. Lauren

    I made this recipe today. It was super easy, and the most fantastically moist bread ever! I saw someone ask if you needed a mixer – I just used a wooden spoon, and finished off using my hands, as I don’t have my mixer with me. The dough wasn’t sticky at all, so I didn’t mind kneading it by hand. Looking forward to a sandwich! 😄

  30. Doloresfernandes

    So glad I found this recipe it’s absolutely amazing ,it’s my second time making this bread today I’m doing half wheat half white flour I added another 1/4 tsp of yeast to the mix ! Thank you for a wonderful bread recipe..

  32. Steph

    Hi brandi! I hope u can help me with this. I’ve been baking this bread for some times now. But i notice that after the loaf is baked and sliced, i can smell alcohol or something was fermented, though it has still have good flavor, just the smell. I don’t know what the cause of it. Ny first and 2nd trial were okay and no alcohol smell after.. Pls help.

    1. Brandi Jarrett

      Hi there! I am no expert on this but the most logical explanation I found was that this may happen if you let the bread rise too long (it ferments and the yeast turns cannibalistic). Try adding a little more yeast (maybe a 1/2 tsp more to start with) and see if that helps to reduce the rise time & hopefully the smell! Good luck.

  33. Pat

    I just made this bread today for the first time
    It was super easy and it turned out beautifully and is delicious, Im so excited , thanks for posting this recipe. 🤗

  34. Dixie

    I’m excited to try this recipe!
    I would like to know more about freezing. Can the dough be frozen and if so, at what point? What is the procedure and what would I wrap it in? I have a super tiny kitchen and making dough ahead of time would be less clean-up each week.

    1. Brandi Jarrett

      Hi Dixie: here’s the easiest way: after the first rise, you would shape into a loaf; put into a baking pan lined with plastic wrap, cover and freeze overnight. The next day you can remove it from the pan and put into a freezer-safe bag. To thaw, place dough into the same bread pan you used previously and let rise approximately 4-6 hours (till it doubles in size). Then bake as normal.

  35. Stacy Black

    Brandi – If I prepare this in a bread machine, what size loaf should I select (1, 1.5 or 2 lb loaf)?

    Thanks in advance! Going to make this later today.

  37. Annamarie

    The bread came out great. This was the first time I finally got to have my dough rise properly. Recipe was easy to follow.. Thanks so much. My husband loved the bread. The only thing I did different was after the final rise in the loaf pan. I rubbed some olive oil on the top and added some thyme leaves. (Not the fresh kind)

  38. Desiree'

    Thanks for the great recipe! I was just wondering what size liaf pan do you recommend? Sorry for the question, I did look through here first before asking you. I just can seem to find out. Thanks

  40. Kamran

    hi friend. Im new to cooking hobby. tried this recipe and it was my first ever attempt to make bread. it was made perfect. my whole family liked it a lot. A good recipe share by you. Thanks a lot.

  42. Elissa

    Mercy, this turned out beautifully. After searching and trying many recipes and methods and failing with crumbly, not dense enough recipes…this held up. Tastes great and all the kids love it too. Great toasted. Finally, an easy, tasty and hearty sandwich bread. Thank you.

  44. Michelle

    So good! I started making bread for the week on sundays a few months back and have been experimenting with different recipes. This is my first one into my recipe binder! It’s a huge hit with my son who generally finds homemade bread too tough for him. This one is wonder bread soft and so nice and tall :). When I took it out of the oven I thought it had a great big air bubble up top because of how soft and tall it was. But nope!! Just beautiful and delicious bread 🙂

    I did tweak it a little as we go through 2 loaves a week. So I do:
    2C. water
    3Tbsp brown sugar
    9g yeast
    6C. Flour
    1/2C. Oil
    2tsp salt

  45. Jackie

    Best recipe I’ve ever tried. Now my family won’t eat store bought bread anymore. Thanks for the recipe.

  46. Cherry

    I’m crying! First time ever making bread. It did not rise at all! My yeast said it expires next month. Could it be that it’s too old?? I dont know what I did wrong!??!!
    Help!

    1. Brandi Jarrett

      Ah, it may be too old! If you store it in the freezer it tends to last longer (past expiration). But yeast can be tricky. I would try it again with new yeast 😉 Good luck!

  47. Amanda

    What about making these into rolls using a muffin tin? How much dough would one use for each and for long in the oven?

    1. Brandi Jarrett

      Hmmm I am not really sure. I would have to experiment. I am thinking you would divide it evenly between 2 muffin tins and it would definitely take less time to bake. If you try it, please let us know!

  48. Nicole

    I am eager to try this recipe. It looks delicious! I was wondering if you have a picture of it sliced.. I am curious what the inside looks like.

  49. Katrina

    Thanks for the great recipe! My husband loves it, and I’ve made it more than a couples time now. I was just going to suggest to all the readers or there, I’ve been using halve white flour, and halve spelt. And it’s phenomenal. I didn’t think it would rise, but it made no difference.
    Thanks again!

  50. Elizabeth Price

    If it doesn’t get eaten right away how long do you store it? Just wrap it and put it in a bread box?

  51. Eula Garrie

    can this bread be made with gluten free flour like bob red mill 1to1 all purpose flour that has xanthan gum in it to replace the gluten in reg. flour

  52. Sandy Potts

    Hi Brandi! I had a bit of a problem. I was super excited to make the bread, but when I was mixing it with the dough hook in the kitchen aide, it never got sticky. It never got to the point where it stuck to the dough hook. It stopped sticking to the side of the bowl, but it stayed in little individual ball-type things and never got sticky or all clumped together. Can you think of what I did wrong? (I added in all the ingredients in the right order and the right amounts, I double checked).

  53. Ashley

    Just made this bread and we love it! Like you mentioned in the previous comment, it’s basically fool proof! Thanks for sharing this recipe with us.

  54. Heather mcardle

    I have tried this recipe twice. I even bought new yeast thinking I got a bad pack. It doesn’t rise. I don’t know what I am doing wrong. I have never had trouble making bread. It even mixed and pulls away from the bread hooks like it’s supposed too. What am I doing wrong

    1. Brandi Jarrett

      Hi Heather. Bread can be finicky unfortunately! Did you just use the pack of yeast or the full 2 -3/4 tsp of yeast? (1/2 tsp more than a standard packet). Also some bakers have mentioned that adding a little more salt can help it rise more. Making sure your water is warm enough is another thing to check. Also be sure you’re letting the yeast bloom the full 10 minutes- a few minutes more wouldn’t hurt either. I hope you have better results next time!

  55. Susan Chriestenson

    I made this bread yesterday and when it came out of the oven, it looked like the picture, but when it cooled the crust wrinkled, it tasted great, but how can I correct this problem?

    1. Brandi Jarrett

      You could try baking it just a tad longer to make sure there isn’t excess moisture trapped inside the loaf. Also try leaving it in the baking pan for a few minutes after removing from oven, then transferring to a cooling rack in a draft-free area. Good luck!

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