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This EASY White Bread recipe is made from scratch. It makes two loaves and is the perfect sandwich bread! Making homemade bread is easier than you think and it’s SO good – way better than store-bought bread, especially warm from the oven.
Simple White Bread Recipe
Have you ever made homemade white bread before? I absolutely love this recipe – it’s going to become a favorite. Once you make your own bread you won’t want to go back to store bought. There’s something about making it from scratch that makes you feel like a rockstar.
Whether you use this easy white bread recipe for toast or sandwiches or French toast, it’s the only recipe you’ll ever need. It’s a homemade bread recipe you must have in your baking arsenal! It’s a yeast dough – but don’t be scared. It’s actually easy to make!
The hardest thing about making my basic white bread recipe is not eating it all in one sitting! Warm and fresh from the oven, it’s heaven with or without butter or jam. The flavor is unparalleled!
Ingredients Needed
- Instant Yeast – My favorite part about using RapidRise® Yeast is that you add it to the dry ingredients. There’s no need to proof it! Plus the first rise is only 10 minutes.
- Flour – Use all purpose flour. You can also use bread flour, but I’ve only tested it with all purpse. Be sure to read the directions – the amount of flour you add at different times is important.
- Sugar – sugar helps activate the yeast.
- Water – You need to heat your water so it’s good if you have an instant read thermometer.
- Milk – Adds some richness to the bread
- Butter – You can use salted or unsalted, I recommend having it room temperature.
How to make White Bread
- Dry ingredients: Combine 2 cups flour, sugar, yeast and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and stir until blended.
- Heat Wet Ingredients Properly: Combine water, milk and butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on HIGH in 15-second increments until very warm but not hot to the touch (120° to 130°F. Butter won’t melt completely). I highly recommend using an instant-read thermometer.
- Add warm water mixture to the dry ingredients. Beat 2 minutes at medium speed with the dough hook, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally. Add 1 cup flour; beat 2 minutes at high speed, scraping bowl occasionally. Stir in just enough remaining flour so that the dough will form into a ball.
- Knead bread dough on lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic and springs back when lightly pressed. Kneading the dough activates the gluten, which allows for a better structure in your bread. Let rest for 10 minutes.
How to form loaves of bread
- The dough will slightly rise and puff a little bit after it’s 10 minute rest time.
- Cut dough into 2 equal pieces.
- Roll each piece of dough into a 12 x 7-inch rectangle using a rolling pin.
- Beginning at short end of each rectangle, roll up tightly. Pinch seams and ends to seal.
- Place, seam sides down, in two 8-½ x 4-½ inch loaf pans that have been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Cover with towel; let rise in warm place until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.
- Bake in preheated 400ºF oven on a center oven rack until golden brown. Remove from pans by running a knife around the edges and invert onto wire cooling rack.
Tip From Dorothy
Expert Bread Making Tips
- Don’t pack your flour – be sure to spoon and level it.
- Read the entire recipe from start to finish before beginning.
- Make sure you use insant yeast – NOT active dry – and check the expiration date.
- Use an instant read thermometer – you can find cheaper ones on Amazon but I love the Thermapen the most. This makes sure your liquid is the right temperature to activate and not kill the yeast.
- You can make this by hand using a large bowl – stir the wet ingredients into the dry with a wooden spoon until you can’t stir anymore (it’ll be a shaggy dough), then knead.
- You know your white bread is done baking when it’s 190°F in the center and light golden around the edges.
- Homemade bread will not last on the counter as long as regular bread – it’ll stay fresh about 2-3 days at most. You can freeze leftovers or the second loaf by allowing to cool completely and then wrapping in plastic wrap.
- Wondering how to make French bread? I have that recipe too!
FAQs
It’s easy, it just takes a bit more work. You’ll have to knead it longer.
Make sure to let it rise and not to over work it, and not to pack your flour.
Always check the date on your yeast to make sure it’s not expired. Be sure that your water is the correct temperature and that you’re using instant yeast.
Homemade White Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 5 ½ to 6 cups (744g) all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons (37g) granulated sugar
- 2 packets (14g) Fleischmann's® RapidRise® Yeast (4 ½ teaspoons)
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 ½ cups (355ml) water
- ½ cup (118ml) milk
- 2 tablespoons (28g) butter
Instructions
- Combine 2 cups flour, sugar, dry yeast and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and stir until blended. Combine water, milk and butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on HIGH in 15-second increments until very warm but not hot to the touch (120° to 130°F. Butter won’t melt completely). I highly recommend using an instant-read thermometer. Add to flour mixture.
- Beat 2 minutes at medium speed, scraping bowl occasionally. Add 1 cup flour; beat 2 minutes at high speed, scraping bowl occasionally. Stir in just enough remaining flour so that the dough will form into a ball.
- Knead on lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic and springs back when lightly pressed with 2 fingers, about 6 to 8 minutes. Cover with a towel; let rest for 10 minutes.
- Cut dough into 2 equal pieces. Roll each piece of dough into a 12 x 7-inch rectangle using a rolling pin.
- Beginning at short end of each rectangle, roll up tightly. Pinch seams and ends to seal. Place, seam sides down, in two 8-1/2 x 4-1/2 inch loaf pans that have been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Cover with towel; let rise in warm place until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.
- Bake in preheated 400ºF oven for 20 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans by running a knife around the edges and invert onto wire rack.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
- Be sure to use instant yeast, not active dry yeast. Fleischmann’s Rapid Rise is their brand of instant yeast.
- You can use any fat milk or nondairy
- You can use salted or unsalted butter
- I have not tested this recipe with whole wheat flour.
- I get lots of questions about 2 cups vs 6 cups flour. Be sure to read the recipe, not just the post: You start with 2 cups flour to stir with the yeast and wet ingredients and add up to 6 cups once you start mixing.
- Don’t pack your flour – be sure to spoon and level it.
- Homemade bread will not last on the counter as long as regular bread – it’ll stay fresh about 2-3 days at most. You can freeze leftovers or the second loaf by allowing to cool completely and then wrapping in plastic wrap.
- You know your white bread is done baking when it’s 190°F in the center and light golden around the edges.
- Use an instant read thermometer – you can find cheaper ones on Amazon but I love the Thermapen the most. This makes sure your liquid is the right temperature to activate and not kill the yeast.
Recipe Nutrition
Substitutions for Bread
A lot of time, with basic recipes, I get questions about substitutions. Here are a few easy substitutions you can make when making homemade white bread:
- Substitute honey for the sugar (use the same amount called for)
- Almond or Soy milk for the regular milk (use the same amount called for)
- Oil or coconut oil or margarine can be used instead of butter
The one thing you can’t substitute easily when making white bread is the white flour. You need to use the all purpose flour called for in this recipe; using wheat flour changes the ratios of other ingredients.
Also find the Beginner’s White Bread recipe at on Breadworld.com!
Made this recipe last night… My first loaf of bread ever! I started with 3 cups of flour in my mixer, which was perfect because it was a rainy day. In total, I ended up using 4 cups of flour, adding the last cup of flour in 1/4 cup increments. I then was afraid of the high heat temp of this recipe and started my bake at 350. Needless to say, I should’ve stuck with the 400 degrees, as it did cause my bread to fall a tad. Once I corrected my mistake, the bread came out wonderful! I’m new to instant yeast baking and this is a perfect beginner recipe! A few tweaks here & there, but if you take your time to read the entire recipe and article attached, great pointers, as elevation and weather play a dynamic role in the rise. Thank you for the great recipe and the help in making my dinner a huge success!
I’m so glad it worked out for you – welcome to the world of homemade bread!
Its been an hour in loaf pans and my dough still has not peaked to top of pan or doubled in size. What am I doing wrong?
Was your yeast expired? Did it seem to puff when you gave it a 10 min rest? The only thing I can think is that your yeast was dead, or the water was not warm (or too warm) so either it wasn’t activated or the water killed it.
Was easy and nithing better ghan warm fresh bread
. thanks fir recipes
I split this recipe in half as it’s only me in the house. It still came out amazing! Thank you for sharing
This is the first recipe that seems to have basically the same ingredients, but, your recipe has only one rise (in the pans). What would the difference be if the dough rose twice, as in most other recipes? Am learning!
This recipe uses instant yeast, so it only needs a 10 min rest and then one rise. Those other recipes probably use active dry yeast.
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