How Many Slices Are Typically In A Loaf Of Bread?

As much as we love a good artisan boule, pre-sliced sandwich bread — the kind found in a plastic bag at any supermarket — is famously one of history's best inventions for a reason. Sliced sandwich bread as we know it became mainstream surprisingly recently (in fact, ), but in the nearly 100 years since the first bread-slicing machine was introduced by Otto Rohwedder in 1928, commercially sliced loaves have become an indispensable staple of sandwiches across America. These days, there's a pre-sliced loaf for every taste and dietary need, from wholemeal bread boasting seemingly impossible numbers of seeds and grains to gluten-free and keto options to basic white loaves ( ).

However, one crucial element of sandwich bread is surprisingly hard to determine: how many slices of bread are in a loaf. The slice count is rarely displayed prominently on the packaging, meaning shoppers have to scan nutrition facts to determine how many or avocado toasts they can expect to whip up from any given loaf. Luckily, we've done the dirty work for you — a quick survey of popular bread brands reveals that most commercial sliced sandwich loaves contain between 16 and 24 slices.



Why does the number of slices in a loaf of bread vary? Considering that consumers love pre-sliced bread for its convenience and uniformity, it seems a bit odd that there's not a more standard slice count for packaged sandwich bread. Why isn't sliced bread like eggs, which almost always come in multiples of six? However, despite its general uniformity, sandwich bread is surprisingly hard to count — and the tally may change depending on who's counting. First of all, there's variation depending on if you count the heels (which you should, because ).

Beyond the tricky end piece problem, modern sliced bread consumers are spoiled for choice, and the many wonderful varieties of pre-sliced sandwich bread on the market naturally have dramatically different slice counts. For example, a long, thin-sliced loaf could have up to 30 slices, while a hearty Texas toast or thick-cut brioche ( ) from the same brand may contain less than half that. Any way you slice it, you can usually count on getting a solid eight to 12 sandwiches from a standard sandwich loaf — but if you have any doubts, you can always scan the nutrition label for a more accurate measure.

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