Homemade White Bread Recipe
Published May 2, 2024. This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
This easy-to-make homemade White Bread Recipe is light and fluffy, with a golden brown crust, and comes together in under two hours. You will love how simple it is to prepare and how delicious it is.
Baking bread is one of the most satisfying procedures, to me. If you feel the same, and are looking for more bread recipes, try my Banana Bread or Homemade Bagel Recipe.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Water – Plain tap water will work fine.
- Yeast – I used active yeast. However, you can use instant yeast or a levain.
- Sugar – Regular granulated sugar is used.
- Butter – I always use unsalted butter in my cooking and baking to control the sodium content.
- Flour – I used all-purpose flour for this recipe. However, you can use bread flour. If you do, increase the amount of liquid by 2 to 3 percent.
- Milk – Whole milk gives the bread the richest flavor. You can also use 1%, 2%, or skim milk.
- Salt – I always use coarse salt in my cooking and baking.
- Eggs – Chilled or room-temperature large eggs are perfect.
How to Make a Homemade White Bread Recipe
- Add the warm water (112° to 115°) to a stand mixer bowl along with ½ the sugar and yeast. I like my water to be hotter because it usually drops a few degrees to the optimal temperature once placed in the bowl.
- Let the mixture sit for 5 to 7 minutes until a raft has formed.
- Add the remaining sugar, milk, salt, butter, and ½ flour. If you add too much flour, the dough will not come together, so start with half.
- Add the hook attachment and turn the stand mixer to low speed.
- Slowly pour the remaining flour ½ to 1 cup until completely combined. The dough will pull away from the bowl when there is the right amount of flour.
- Knead on low speed for 5 to 7 minutes.
- Transfer the dough to a clean surface dusted with flour and knead by hand for 1 to 2 minutes until soft.
- Transfer the dough to a large bowl and cover with plastic or a lid.
- Proof in the oven with only the oven light on for 40 minutes or until it has doubled. This procedure is the perfect bread proofer for any recipe.
- Remove the dough from the container and cut it in half.
- Press the dough down on a clean flour surface until it is as wide as an 8” loaf pan and about 15”- 16” long.
- Roll up the dough from starting on the 8” side until it is rolled up and tight. Fold in the ends.
- Pinch the edges together from the ends and underneath where the bread was rolled up to seal them. You can also press the dough down to make a square and fold it in half, fold in the sides, and pinch.
- Place the dough seam side down in a greased 8” x 4” loaf pan and cover it with a towel until it has just risen past the top.
- Brush with unsalted butter and bake in the oven at 425° for 20 to 25 minutes or until it reaches an internal temperature of around 200°.
- Set it on a cooling rack and let it cool to room temperature. Brush with melted butter and serve.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Make-Ahead: You can make this up to two days ahead for freshness.
How to Store: Cover and store it at room temperature for 3 days. You can keep it in the refrigerator covered for 5 days. Freeze and keep it covered in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw it at room temperature until thawed.
How To Reheat: Wrap the bread in foil and place it in the oven at 250° for 5-7 minutes.
chef notes + tips
- Eggs are not needed in a white bread recipe but have flavor and texture benefits.
- It’s so incredibly important to let the bread cool to room temperature.
- When using instant yeast, the raft does not need to form in the milk and sugar mixture.
- A levain, or sourdough starter, should replace the yeast and account for 15% of the total baker’s percentage.
- Bread can be too dry if there isn’t enough liquid or it bakes too long.
- When done, the loaf will have an internal temperature of around 200°.
- The key to fluffy soft bread happens during the rising period.
- A proofing trick is placing it in the oven with only the oven light on and the door slightly cracked. Make sure the oven is not on.
More Bread Recipes
Video
Homemade White Bread Recipe
This easy-to-make homemade White Bread Recipe is light and fluffy, with a golden brown crust, and comes together in under two hours.
Ingredients
- ½ cup warm water, 112° to 115°
- 2 tablespoons sugar, divided in half
- 1 tablespoon active yeast
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 ½ teaspoons coarse salt
- 3 tablespoons softened unsalted butter
- 5 ½ to 6 cups all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Add the warm water (112° to 115°) to a bowl of a stand mixer along with ½ the amount of sugar and yeast. Let the mixture sit for 5 to 7 minutes until a raft has formed.
- Add in the remaining sugar, milk, salt, butter, and ½ the amount of flour. Add the hook attachment and turn the stand mixer to low speed.
- Slowly pour in the remaining flour ½ to 1 cup at a time until completely combined. Knead on low speed for 5 to 7 minutes.
- Transfer the dough to a clean surface dusted with flour and knead by hand for 1 to 2 minutes until soft.
- Transfer the dough to a large bowl and cover with plastic or a lid.
- Proof in the oven with only the oven light on for 40 minutes or until it has doubled in size. Return the dough to a clean surface and divide the dough in half.
- Press the dough down onto a clean flour surface until it is as wide as an 8” loaf pan and about 15”- 16” long.
- Roll up the dough from starting on the 8” side until it is rolled up and tight. Fold in the ends and pinch the edges together from the ends and underneath where the bread was rolled up to seal them.
- Place the dough seam side down into a greased 8” x 4” loaf pan and cover with a towel until the dough has just risen past the top of the pan.
- Bake in the oven at 425° for 20 to 25 minutes or until it reaches an internal temperature of around 200°.
- Set it on a cooling rack and let it cool to room temperature. Brush with melted butter and serve.
Notes
Make-Ahead: You can make this up to two days ahead for freshness.
How to Store: Cover and store it at room temperature for 3 days. You can keep it in the refrigerator covered for 5 days. Freeze and keep it covered in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw it at room temperature until thawed.
How To Reheat: Wrap the bread in foil and place it in the oven at 250° for 5-7 minutes.
Eggs are not needed in a white bread recipe but have flavor and texture benefits.
It’s so incredibly important to let the bread cool to room temperature.
When using instant yeast, the raft does not need to form in the milk and sugar mixture.
A levain, or sourdough starter, should replace the yeast and account for 15% of the total baker’s percentage.
Bread can be too dry if there isn’t enough liquid or it bakes too long.
When done, the loaf will have an internal temperature of around 200°.
The key to fluffy soft bread happens during the rising period.
A proofing trick is placing it in the oven with only the oven light on and the door slightly cracked. Make sure the oven is not on.
Nutrition
Calories: 200kcalCarbohydrates: 36gProtein: 6gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 9mgSodium: 251mgPotassium: 89mgFiber: 1gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 115IUCalcium: 42mgIron: 2mg
Two day bread and pizza dough are a weekly occurrence. They are amazing.
This recipe is so easy and we love the aroma in the kitchen while it’s baking! One question – is it possible to freeze the dough? Two loaves is too much for my husband and I.
Love it! I had never made bread before, of any kind, and with this recipe it came out great! Next time I will try adding the eggs.
My first time making bread ~ and this turned out so good. I’ll be hard pressed to ever buy commercial bread again. Thanks!!!
I haven’t made this recipe yet, but definitely will. Question – there’s mention of eggs in the initial list and you even write about using them. The recipe list of ingredients does not say anything about eggs. Was this an oversight that should have been added or omitted?
Eggs are often in bread like this, but I do not think it needs it which is why I didn’t include it in my final recipe. I did however offer substitutes should you want to add them.
This bread is delicious. However..found the light in the oven method didnt work..so used my standby hearing pad. Quick and easy..will certainly keep this recipe for future bread days.
My hands are getting tired from writing all the good reviews on this site 🙂
Seriously, with the cost of a decent loaf of bread, I decided to come here first for a recipe for basic white bread. Was not disappointed – while I think I might have had a few missteps (wasn’t sure if I added enough flour, it was still pretty wet when I was done kneading in the mixer)- it came together beautifully in the end. Another hit for us – thank you!
hi just wanted to thank you this amazing bread recipe.
it is so easy and so good
thank you
I love this bread recipe. I’ve made it at least a dozen times. It has the best texture of any recipe I’ve found.
I really would like to try making it with whole wheat flour.
Do you have any suggestions as to the milk amount to use with whole wheat flour?
I would love to make our own white bread since I am not always sure what’s in the store bought breads. Unfortunately, I don’t have a mixer….Could this be done by hand as well?
absolutely you can.
Thanks! One more question: can I put the second loaf in the fridge over night to be baked the next day (or even freeze it) or should both be baked at the same time?
You can fridge overnight, but do not freeze it. If you want to freeze make it first then freeze.