This White Bread recipe is easy to make and produces soft, fluffy and light white bread. This simple bread recipe makes two tall loaves of the best sandwich bread!
Tender with a golden buttery top, this basic bread recipe is delicious slathered with a little butter or jam however, White Bread is so versatile that it can be used in so many different ways. A loaf of white bread sliced makes crispy breakfast toasts and the best sandwiches (grilled cheese and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches come to mind).
There is nothing like the aroma of freshly baked bread right out of the oven and this homemade white bread recipe is so much better than anything you can buy at the store and so incredibly easy to make.
White Bread Recipe Ingredients
- Bread Flour
- Warm Water
- Instant Yeast or Active Dry Yeast
- Unsalted Butter
- Granulated Sugar
- Salt
How To Make White Bread
If you haven’t made homemade bread before or feel like bread making is a daunting task, this is the perfect beginner bread recipe to bake. The whole process is very simple, quick and easy. Almost too easy for a yeast bread recipe!
- Proof the yeast:
Mix the warm water, instant yeast and sugar in the bowl of a standing mixer. Allow this mixture to sit for 4 to 5 minutes. This is called proofing the yeast. You want to make sure the yeast is alive and activated before you add the rest of the ingredients. If your yeast is alive, the mixture will start to foam and little bubbles will rise to the surface. - Add the rest of the Ingredients:
Continue by adding the butter, salt and some of the flour. Mix on low speed adding additional flour gradually. If your dough seems too dry, you can add additional water (about 1/4 cup). - Knead:
Continue to knead the dough for about 5 minutes or until the dough pulls together away from the sides of the mixing bowl. - First Rise:
Place the dough in a greased bowl and allow it to rise covered for about 1 hour or until doubled in size. My dough always gets huge! - Punch It Down:
Deflate the dough by simply “punching” the dough – yes! just punch it down and turn it onto a lightly floured surface. - Cut and Shape:
Divide the dough into two equal pieces (mine are never that perfectly equal) and shape them into loaves (oblong shape is fine). - Second Rise:
Place the dough into 2 greased loaf pans and let them rise for about 40 minutes. The dough will look beautifully tall. - Baking:
Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven. - Butter Up and Cool:
For extra flavor and a beautiful sheen, brush each loaf of bread with melted butter right after baking and while the bread is still hot. Allow the bread to cool before slicing (good luck waiting!).
Can I Make This White Bread Recipe Without a Standing Mixer?
Yes, this bread recipe can be made by hand. It just takes a little bit of effort to mix the ingredients together and to form into a smooth dough.
Can The Dough Be Made Ahead?
Yes, you can shape the dough, place it in the loaf pans and refrigerate it for up to 36 hours. When ready to bake, remove it from the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature. Then, allow the dough to rise until doubled in size (about 45 minutes).
Can this White Bread Recipe Be Made Gluten Free?
I have not tested this recipe with gluten free flour. I think that if you have a gluten-free flour mix that can be substituted 1 to 1, it may work.
Can I use All-Purpose Flour For This White Bread Recipe?
Yes, however you may need extra all purpose flour (about 6 additional tablespoons) for the dough to come together into a smooth elastic dough.
Proofing The Yeast
What does Proofing The Yeast Mean?
Proofing the yeast means to prove that your yeast is alive and active. This task simply means to combine warm water, yeast and sometimes sugar and to wait about 5 minutes to see if the yeast is active (not old or dead).
Although in this recipe water is used, some recipes call for other liquids such as milk. The water temperature should be between 110 and 115 degrees F. This is very important as cold or hot water will kill the yeast.
After 5 minutes, the mixture should be foamy. If your mixture doesn’t show any bubbles, toss it and start again.
Tips For The Best White Bread
- Make sure to proof your yeast. If your yeast doesn’t foam, it may be old. Throw it away.
- This recipe can be halved to make just one loaf of soft white bread.
- You can substitute active dry yeast for instant yeast, however rising times will be a bit longer than specified in the recipe.
- This sandwich bread recipe calls for 2 teaspoons of salt, however I often use 2 1/2 to 3 teaspoons of salt as I think white bread tastes a bit better with a little extra salt.
- You can cut the bread into thin slices (just like store-bought sandwich bread) with an electric serrated knife.
- Although I always remove the baked bread from the oven when it is golden on the top, you can check the internal temperature of your bread loaf with a food thermometer. Perfectly baked white bread should reach an internal temperature of 190 degrees Fahrenheit
- This simple homemade soft white bread will keep at room temperature for about a week (although it never lasts that long at my house).
Other Homemade Bread Recipes To Make
- Parker House Rolls
- Buttermilk Biscuits
- Easy Banana Bread
- Irish Soda Bread
- Bauernbrot (German Bread)
- Brioche
- Homemade Croissants
White Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups warm water, plus 1/4 cup water IF needed (110 degrees F)
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 4 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast two (0.25-ounce) packets
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
- 2 teaspoons salt *see notes
- 6 1/2 cup bread flour
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted for brushing
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment, add the 2 1/2 cups of warm water, sugar and yeast and stir to combine. Let the mixture sit for about 4-5 minutes to allow the yeast to proof (the mixture will have bubbles).
- Once the yeast is bubbly, add the butter, salt and 2 cups of flour and mix well. Mix on low speed adding the remaining flour gradually, 1/2 cup at a time mixing well after each addition. Continue to knead for about 5-6 minutes or until the dough pulls together and away from the sides of the mixing bowl.
- Place the smooth dough in a lightly greased bowl and turn it over so it is completely coated with oil. This will prevent the dough from drying out. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
- Deflate the dough by pressing it down and turned it out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into two equal pieces and shape into loaves (basically two oblong dough balls).
- Place the loaves into two lightly greased 9 x 5 inch loaf pans. Cover the loaves with a damp cloth and allow them to rise until doubled in volume, about 40 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake the loaves for 28 – 30 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Remove from the oven and immediately brush the tops with melted butter. Allow to cool for 10 minutes, then remove from the pans and cool completely on a cooling rack before slicing.
Recipe Notes
- The recipe calls for 2 teaspoons of salt, however I often use 2 1/2 to 3 teaspoons of salt as I feel the bread tastes a bit better with extra salt. If you are very sensitive to salt/sodium use only 2 teaspoons.
- You will need 2 1/2 cups of warm water for this recipe. The water will be used at the beginning of the recipe and be mixed with the yeast and sugar. If after adding all the flour, you feel the dough is a bit dry, you can add additional water (1/4 cup). A perfect dough gathers together and is smooth to the touch.
- This recipe can be halved to make just one loaf of white bread.
- You can substitute active dry yeast for instant yeast, however rising times will be a bit longer than specified in the recipe.
- Always proof the yeast before adding the rest of the ingredients.
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