White Bread is a traditional recipe made from yeast, flour, and a few simple ingredients, and always bakes with a golden brown crust and a light and fluffy texture!
Nothing sets a table quite like a homemade loaf of bread, sweet or savory, and we’re always serving one like these Perfectly Easy Dinner Rolls, Sweet Hawaiian Bread and Gooey Monkey Bread!
WHITE BREAD
White Bread is my go-to recipe because it’s surprisingly easy to make, and I usually have these ingredients in my pantry already. Without fail this one has always baked up fluffy on the inside, and slightly crispy on the outside with a golden brown crust.
It’s also one of the older classic recipes I know of, dating all the way back to the late 19th century when food safety was just starting to get noticed.
For this white bread recipe you don’t have to knead the dough because the dough hook attachment on the stand mixer basically does that work for you. If you don’t have a stand mixer, you can knead the dough with your hands on a floured surface at any point in the recipe that calls for the hook. This is a great recipe to make with a hot dutch oven full of soup (like my Cabbage Soup or Vegetable Soup) or with a fresh salad for lunch or dinner.
HOW LONG WILL WHITE BREAD KEEP?
A loaf of homemade white bread will last at room temperature for about 3-4 days before it goes stale. Try to wrap it tightly to keep it away from the air as much as possible. I don’t recommend refrigerating bread because it makes it go stale faster.
CAN YOU FREEZE WHITE BREAD?
You can freeze bread, but it won’t be as good as freshly baked bread, and it may crumble more easily.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH WHITE BREAD
- Classic Minestrone Soup
- Baked Ham with Brown Sugar Glaze topped with this amazing Raspberry Honey Mustard
- Roasted Turkey Breast
- Parmesan Crusted Pork Chops
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WHY IS MY WHITE BREAD RECIPE TOO DENSE?
Your loaf may have turned out too dense if you used too much all purpose flour. The all purpose flour will dry out the loaf if there’s not enough water to compensate for it. Also make sure that you don’t knead the dough for too long, which will work with the gluten too much and result in a dense loaf.
HOW TO MAKE WHITE BREAD LIGHT AND FLUFFY
- Measure the yeast and flour exactly, using a butter knife to level off the measuring spoon or cup. Too much yeast or flour in a bread recipe makes it dry and crumbly.
- Make sure your oven is cooking true to temperature with an oven safe thermometer. Also, set an oven timer to make sure the bread doesn’t over-cook.
- If your bread recipe is still coming out too dense, you can try increasing the salt by 1 teaspoon, or adding a teaspoon of vinegar to the dough.
TIPS FOR MAKING WHITE BREAD
- Line the loaf pan with a piece of parchment paper to make it easier to lift the loaf out once it cools.
- Freshly baked bread tastes the best when it’s still warm. I like to put soup in the slow cooker, so I can time dinner to be ready around the same time the bread is coming out of the oven.
- If your bread recipe still isn’t working out, try using a kitchen scale to measure everything instead of utensils. The scale is the most accurate way you can measure ingredients.
- You can coat your hands with all purpose flour if you’re kneading the dough by hand, or use a light coating of oil or warm water, to keep it from sticking.
- If your loaf isn’t rising correctly, made sure you are using fresh ingredients, and double check that you are using active dry yeast. Different yeasts have different directions at the start of the recipe. If you’re using rapid rise yeast, you’ll have to proof it first, and let the bread rest for a little bit longer.
- This recipe fills three loaf pans, but you can cut this bread recipe down to two or even one loaf if you want to.
- If you find your loaf is cracked when it comes out of the oven, next time slice the loaf with a knife (diagonally for show), to give it more room to rise when baking.
Ingredients
- 3 cups warm water 110 degrees
- 3 tablespoons active dry yeast
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 8 cups bread flour
Instructions
- In a stand mixer add the water, yeast, salt, butter, oil, sugar and 4 cups of bread flour and whisk well then let it sit until it doubles in size.
- Add 2 more cups of flour, then add the dough hook and turn on for five minutes before adding in the remaining flour until the dough is smooth and remove the dough hook and cover with a damp clean cloth.
- Let the dough double in size, about 60 minutes, then punch it down and separate into three loaf pans and allow to rise to double its size again.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes.
Notes
Nutrition
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Is the website correct, 3 tablespoons (9 teaspoons) Yeast?
I used 2 tablespoons and even that seemed to be to much.
Rise time is 15 to 20 minutes. Seemed very fast to me.
Glad you reached out. This recipe makes 3 loaves of bread so perhaps it would make sense to think of 1 tablespoon of yeast per loaf. The instructions say Let the dough double in size, about 60 minutes, then punch it down and separate into three loaf pans and allow to rise to double its size again.
Let us know how your bread turns out!
do you put dough in greased bread pans it didnt say in recipe
Under “Tips for Making White Bread”, I wrote:
Line the loaf pan with a piece of parchment paper to make it easier to lift the loaf out once it cools.
Please let us know how your bread turns out!
Can this be made by cutting it by thirds? It’s only me eating it and I can only handle one loaf at a time.
Sure, or you can make it all and freeze the other portions of dough.
So I have been trying to make bread for quite some time. I have had multiple problems. That being said my latest issue is the bread looks great until I put it in the oven to cook. When I do so as it cooks it starts to fall. Any suggestions??
It sounds like an issue with your yeast most likely. I would check out my tips for making bread in the post for details about yeast and other troubleshooting tips. Keep trying though, you’ll get it!!
If you brush melted butter on the top of the hot freshly baked bread it will keep the crust softer. Honey can be a good substitute for sugar but less of the honey. In the mixing bowl put the salt on one side and yeast on the other because if you initially put them together it will kill some of the yeast.
Looking foward to trying this, but first, the directions state to add oil. However, the ingredient list does not include any oil. What kind of oil and how much?
Also, if kneading by hand, how long should I knead the dough, or to what consistency?
Thanks.
You’ll want to use 1/4 cup vegetable oil. I’ve edited the recipe card to read correctly. I really should have another cup of coffee before hitting post, haha! If you’re kneading it by hand, it may take about 10 minutes. Just know that you’ll need to add additional flour to work it through until it’s smooth. You’ll feel the difference with your hands. Using the mixer just makes it so much easier. Hope all of this helps!
I asked this question about a week ago but still haven’t received a reply so am trying again.
The ingredients list butter but there is no instruction about whether it is added to the dough or brushed on before or after baking.
So sorry about that, your comment/question was stuck in my spam filter. The butter goes in step 1. I’ve edited the recipe card to read correctly.
I HAVE A KITCHENNAID MIXER VERY LARGE SO I USUALLY KNEAD IT IN THAT FOR ABOUT 10 MIN RIGHT NOW I HAVE PEANUTE BUTTER COOKIES IN OVER BEEN UP FOR HOURS THANKS
Thank you. I have been trying so many receiprs. I found the right one.. Easy and GOOD.
O and thank you for the timers that come with it….
You’re welcome!
This is such an easy and delicious recipe – we love homemade white bread!
So glad you love the recipe!
My kids love this recipe — it’s the perfect white bread for them!
Thanks, Tara!
Who knew how easy it was to make white bread?! I can’t wait to try this recipe, the bread looks so fluffy and delicious!
Thanks, Allyson. I hope you enjoy it!
HELP I AM LOOKING FOR BETTTY CROOKERS COOKING 4 2 RECIPE FOR WHITE BREAD I THINK IT IS ON PAGE 13 OF THE OLD RECIPE BOOK I WAS MARIED IN 1964 THIS RECIPE HAS NEVER FAILLED ME IT IS PERFECT I’VE TRIED NEW ONES AND CAN’T MAKE THEM THEY NEVER RISE THE BOOK HAS A WHITE COVER
I’ve been on the hunt for the perfect bread recipe and finally found it! Thank you so much!
The search is over!
Love your tips for making bread making easier. My family loves it when I make fresh bread!
Thanks, Andie!
I did not find what oven temperature I should use for baking my Easy homemade white bread, or did I miss it?
You’ll want to bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes. Enjoy!
Can i use egg in this recipe?
Yes, you can use it after the ingredients are mixed to provide a richness. enjoy!
How many eggs can be added?
Between 1-2 eggs.
Hi Sabrina,
Sorry, butter seems to be my nemesis. In this recipe is the melted butter added to the dough mix or is it just brushed on the rolls?
Also, sorry if this is a dumb question, but I can only buy yeast that needs to be proofed here so, after proofing it with the water and sugar would it be best to add the oil to the proofed mix before mixing this with the flour and salt or should the oil be added separately?
I am so sorry it took me so long to get to your question. I found it in my spam filter. 🙁
To claify, the butter is added to the dough. After the yeast is proofed, you may add oil to the proofed mix and then to the flour and salt
BUT the oil has to room temp. Hope this helps and again, so sorry for the delay.
Def want to try this recipe. Have you tried it with any other sweetener? We’re trying to cut sugar from diet.
I haven’t tested it using anything else. If you decide to try, I’d love to know what you used and what worked. Thanks!