My Favorite White Bread Recipe
This is a classic white bread recipe, and so easy! The loaves bake up incredibly tall, soft and fluffy… the perfect white bread!
Are you a bread fanatic? Isn’t there something fantastic about a great piece of bread? Whether you’re making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, grilled cheese, a big sandwich piled high with fixings, or simply slathering a piece with butter… I’ve always found it to be great comfort food.
While I’ve made quite a bit of homemade bread in the past, we’ve really cut back on carbs significantly, and have pretty much nixed sandwiches from our diet, so I haven’t been buying or making any for the last six months or so. However, Joseph would eat grilled cheese and some other things with bread (depending on the day – we’ve hit the picky toddler stage!), but once we found out about his allergies, anything store-bought was pretty much out of the question (why does bread need soybean oil?!). Luckily, he was cleared of his wheat allergy, but we’re avoiding soy, so homemade it was! I had a previous favorite white bread recipe, but had this recipe bookmarked for AGES, so I decided to finally try it. I’m so glad that I did because…
Best. Bread. Ever.
There are so many reasons you need to hurry up and make this bread immediately:
- It comes together incredibly quickly for a yeast recipe requiring two rises. In about 2 hours you’ll be smelling fresh bread wafting from your oven.
- These are the largest loaves of a simple white bread I’ve ever seen! I’ve made too many disappointing loaves of bread that have turned out short and squat, especially those made in a 9-inch pan (p.s. these are my very favorite loaf pans!). However, these are incredibly tall, full loaves – beauties!
- I was surprised at how incredibly light, fluffy and soft this bread was given that there isn’t any milk in the recipe, just water (thanks butter!). It’s honestly the perfect texture.
I was honestly blown away when I made it, my husband was as equally thrilled, and much to my delight, Joseph was a huge fan too! This makes phenomenal peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, awesome grilled cheese, and I have eaten way more than I should just slathered with butter.
I should have known how good this would be since it came from someone’s grandma… those are always the BEST recipes!
I’ve made this three times now, and I love that it makes two loaves… I immediately slice and freeze one and leave the other one out for us to eat throughout the week.
The frozen slices reheat exceptionally well – just 20 seconds in the microwave is all they need.
You only need one great white bread recipe and this is it!
Grab that yeast and get baking!
Three years ago: Kentucky Derby Pie Cupcakes
Four years ago: Chile con Queso
Watch How to Make My Favorite White Bread Recipe!
[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”AHlGGT59″ upload-date=”Wed Aug 09 2017 13:06:51 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)” name=”My Favorite White Bread Recipe” description=”This is a classic white bread recipe, and so easy! The loaves bake up incredibly tall, soft and fluffy… the perfect white bread!”]
My Favorite White Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 4½ teaspoons (14 g) instant yeast, two 0.25-ounce packets
- ¾ cup (808 ml) + 2⅔ cups warm water, divided
- ¼ cup (52 g) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 3 tablespoons (44 g) unsalted butter, cubed, at room temperature
- 9 to 10 cups (1200 g) all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons (44 g) unsalted butter, melted, for brushing
Instructions
- In the bowl of a mixer, stir to dissolve the yeast in ¾ cup of the warm water, and let sit for 5 minutes. Add the remaining 2⅔ cups water, sugar, salt, room temperature butter, and 5 cups of the flour and stir to combine.
- Using a dough hook, mix on low speed and gradually add the remaining flour until the dough is soft and tacky, but not sticky (you may not need to use all of the flour). Continue to knead until a soft ball of dough forms and clears the sides of the bowl, about 7 to 10 minutes.
- Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl and turn it over so it is completely coated. Cover with plastic wrap and set in a draft-free place to rise until doubled in size, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- Turn the dough out onto a clean, lightly floured surface. Gently press it all over to remove any air pockets. Divide the dough in two and, working with one piece at a time, gently pat it into a 9x12-inch rectangle. Roll up the rectangle, starting on the short end, into a very tight cylinder. Pinch to seal the seams and the ends, tuck the ends of the roll until the bread, and place into greased 9-inch loaf pans. Cover the loaves loosely and place in a draft-free area until doubled in size, 30 to 45 minutes.
- Position an oven rack on the lowest setting and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Brush the loaves with some of the melted butter. Bake the loaves for 30 to 35 minutes, rotating halfway through, until golden brown (an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read 195 degrees F).
- Remove from the oven and immediately brush with more of the melted butter. Allow to cool for 10 minutes, then remove from the pans and cool completely before slicing. The bread can be stored in an airtight bread bag or wrapped tightly in plastic wrap at room temperature for up to 4 days. It can also be frozen for up to 1 month.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
Best white bread recipe ever. So reliable and delicious! Thank you!
Garbage recipe and the ads on this site gave me cancer. It’s like looking for porno in the 90’s on dial up. It’s like walking thru east van. It’s making my iphone 12 pro lag.
Definitely a keeper! I’ve tried several different basic white bread recipes and none were to my liking until this one. The texture and flavor is perfect! I cut recipe in half for a test run, used my bread maker dough cycle, with 4-1/2 cups of flour, once it started mixing, I did have to add about a tablespoon more water. Made one free formed loaf and 3 burger buns for supper tonight! I cooked on parchment paper 380 on the the convection cycle, buns for 15 minutes and loaf for 21 minutes.
I’ve made this recipe countless times. I’d say the only flaw to this is it’s so wonderfully tall, that it doesn’t fit in my kids’ sandwich containers haha. I’ve been baking this bread for 5 years now. It’s my sons favourite, he prefers this bread over boughten stuff by a long shot. I try and bake it every weekend for school lunches and I slice and freeze it so it stays fresh all week 😊
This is now 3 to 4 years of testing. It’s perfect every time. Kids do not like store bought bread anymore and complain If we trade, or substitute this recipe with something we bought from the store.
I have never taken the time to review recipes but had to this time because its just that good. Thank you so much for this recipe!
Tip: I’ve made this with measuring cups and by weight and definitely recommend the latter. Comes out perfect every time.❤️
Hands down best bread i have ever made! Using mobile was easy to use and super clear instructions to make! I will forever be making this bread instead of buying shop bread! YUMM THANK YOU!!
This bread came out excellent – just has described!
I wonder if you have experience in baking with White Spelt flour and if this recipe can be adapted to use spelt?
5 cups of flour ? It was not enough as it looks like batter
You may have missed the instruction to add the remaining flour later on in the recipe….
Do both quantities of water have to be warm ?
4 stars for the recipe. I made a few tweaks. 0 stars for the inability to look at it on mobile without intrusive ads redirecting you everywhere. Will likely make again, but not hitting this page ever again until the ads are navigable. I’m not against bloggers making money, but this is unusable as is
I have been baking bread for years now and this is by far the best recipe out there! The rise is amazing and the taste is CHEF’S KISS!
“Note #1: This recipe can be halved to make only one loaf.”
Dont ever follow note 1 because you will want to kick yourself for not having a second loaf to eat. Haha :)
This is the best bread recipe… i make 1 a regular loaf and the other I add pepperoni and cheese to make a pepperoni bread. Yum!
I make this all the time for my family, it never disappoints!
Easy to make, tastes delicious
The link to the Bread Pans just lead us to the WS website – not to the bread pans. Would you consider measuring them so we can use the correct size pan or perhaps a link to Amazon. I’m looking for length and width and height please. Can’t wait to try it.
Thanks so much
I have been baking bread for a long time. Tried your recipe today and the height of this bread is amazing. It’s almost done baking. Can’t wait to eat it!
I roll it out thin and put some lumps of butter on it, smush around and add brown sugar and cinnamon, roll up and slice
Just had a piece of this wonderful bread. It was fresh and hot out of the oven. Yes I know your supposed to let it cool, but that first hot piece takes me back to when I was a kid and mom made bread.
I don’t have any instant yeast so I used regular bread yeast. It worked perfectly. Both loaves are tall fluffy and soft inside with a crunchy crust. I’ve been looking for my white bread recipe, but no longer. This is it.
By far the best bread recipe I have used yet. Question- mine did not rise as high when baking- what did I do wrong? It was still really good but a bit more dense….
Sometimes you can do everything perfectly and your bread doesn’t turn out right. It can be due to your house being too cold or your water not being warm enough.
I’ve made bread loads of times and these are the tricks that I use everytime.
• make sure my water is actually warm. If you have a thermometer the ideal temp is around 115F°
• The amount of flour you need vary based on factors like humidity. You really want to put just enough flour so that your dough is soft, but there’s no visible flour on it. If you can poke it with no flour sticking to your finger than you’re good.
• if you stir your dough too much it develops gluten and makes your dough too tough, if you use a mixer turn it off at least once to scrape the bowl and fold the dough, makes the process faster so less stirring.
• lastly, after it rises you really want to be gentle. Dividing it and shaping the dough will take care of most of the air bubbles. Leave the rest.
* My house is usually cold so I turn my oven on to 170° for 30 ish seconds and then put my dough in. Your grill should still be cold to the touch.
I’m going to try this soon. Has anyone made it in a Pullman pan to make square sandwich loaves?
Couldn’t find bread in the stores for Hurricane Ian prep supplies, grabbed some yeast and flour & my go to site for baking. The whole family loved it❣️So glad I couldn’t find store bread and that my power didn’t cut out before I could bake it! 😉 We even changed our dinner menu in order to have a slice of buttered bread with dinner!
I have made this probably at least 5 times now and it’s a really incredible white bread recipe. I am always surprised by how fluffy and light it turns out. Probably the best white balloon bread recipe I have tried to use with peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and grilled cheese. Highly recommended.
To anyone using the automatic tool to change the quantities- it does not change the larger amount of water that is added to the dough.
If I add the right spices can I turn this into like a spice/cinnamon bread?
I roll it out thin and put some lumps of butter on it, smush around and add brown sugar and cinnamon, roll up and slice
I’ve been making homemade bread for years, this is by far the best eave. Thank you
My new favorite bread recipe. Great crumb, fabulous rise. It’s replaced my old fave bread recipe. Thank you so much!
Spam spam spam no thank you
I make this bread every Friday. My husband and I absolutely love it. My husband said it’s the best bread he’s ever had. 10/10
I make this all the time. It is my goto white bread recipe. I am curious if there is a way I could add in 10 grain cereal to make whole grain bread with this? I have a whole grain recipe that I have tried several times and it never seems to turn out good. Would love to know a way to convert this one.
This simple recipe produces soft, delicious bread with a nice chewy crust. Be gentle, just barely pressing out the air and top it w/ butter when it comes out of the oven. . It’s super versatile, just modify baking times for smaller sizes.
I just made it for the 4th time. 1 recipe produced a large loaf, 1 mini loaf, a medium size braided wreath, a small butter top pull apart loaf and 6 rolled garlic-parmesan buns.
This recipe is a keeper! Thanks!
This is my absolute favourite sandwich bread recipe. It is requested and made often for my family. It is soft, flavourful, a tender crumb that holds together with a thin and slightly chewy crust that browns so nicely. I replace the lesser amount of water with scalded milk and use honey instead of sugar. I have used up to 65% whole wheat flour and it still turns out soft and fluffy. This recipe makes closer to 3 loaves. It keeps very well also.
Thanks for a fabulous recipe!
I am so thankful I stumbled across this recipe.
My husband and I love this bread so much! I make it every few weeks, and portion slices in freezer bags for fresh bread all month long.
We use it for sandwiches, toast, garlic bread, french toast, you name it!
I LOVE having an easy, delicious, and foolproof bread recipe I can count on(especially without all the preservatives you find in store bought bread)!
Theeeeeeeeeeeeeee most perfect flop proof bread recipe! a winner!
Love this recipe for white bread, have made it four times now and it always turns out great. I get so happy when I see how it rises.
Wow this is the best homemade bread ever! I kneaded for longer added bread improver. It was still fresh enough for sandwiches three days later.
Froze and defrosted beautifully too. Won’t be buying bread anymore! Thanks very much.
My go to white bread recipe. KitchenAid mixer makes the job easy. I usually use a little leveling boaster.
Any body trying to bake this recipe or make any bread, you really need to use high protein bread flour you will just not get the correct crumb texture or desired result from all purpose flour.
thank you for the recipe, will do this at my kitchen!
Hi. Your recipe calls for salt. What type of salt? Table salt, Morton kosher, Diamond Crystal? The size of the salt crystals makes a difference. Thanks for your help!
You want it to integrate fully intothe dough. I normally use table salt but fine sea salt works as well.
I use Diamond Crystal and measure with slightly heaping measuring spoons full since it is coarser than table salt.
.
Thank u so much for sharing this great bread recipe, its awesome!!!!! You are the best!
This is amazing. I use it all the time. My kids have eaten this bread for over a year. I’ve tried many recipes. I love this one. Thank you for sharing!
I’m in my 60’s and have baked bread my whole life. This is the simplest and best white bread ever. Follow her directions to the letter. Let the bread cool completely. I cut my bread with an electric knife. Yep, you heard it. The same electric knife people carve a Turkey with. Makes perfect slices. Such a breeze to cut. Just make sure your bread is cooled completely. I’ve been making this recipe for a couple years now. Always perfect.
I’ve baked a lot of bread over the past 50+ years. I think this recipe could use an additional 1tsp salt. All of my guests at lunch agreed.
P.S. I use as little salt as possible in my cooking with the exception of pasta water.
Excellent, no need to look any further for soft white bread. I am always changing recipes then can’t find the one I like so am rating it so I can remember, plus it is great
Best white bread recipe I have ever made. Can it be made into cinnamon bread also?
I made two loves and they turned out perfect! Better than store bought!
Looks beautiful and golden but, the taste is horrible, bland and the bread is heavy/dense.
I haven’t tried it yet, it’s baking now. so far it seems like an amazing recipe and it smells delightful. I didn’t realize how tall it would get in the oven though haha
A few things. One: AP flour doesn’t give you the right springiness and texture to the dough – bread flour has more protein which is what forms the gluten and you really want that. Two: Really kneed the dough to get the gluten to form, if you don’t kneed it enough you get a crumbly heavy bread. Three: Make sure you let it proof adequately. It needs to double in size. If you like a more yeasty taste to your bread, you can accomplish that by letting it overproof in the first round. The yeast is reproducing during proofing so letting it rise more will give you a stronger yeast flavor. You will need to really press out the air bubbles more if you do this. Do not over proof on the second rise in the pan or you will get a bunch of air pockets.
I have looked and looked but I still don’t have a recipe for a loaf of 3lb. White loaf of bread for my three lb. Loaf bread maker. Can you help me please?. Your recipe is for two loafs of bread so it is the nearest thing that I have found. I don’t think i would use quite that much flour.wha do you recommend?
I’m going to make this! I’ll let ya know how it turns out. I can taste it already!
The link to your recommended bread pan links to bread pans other than the one in the recipe. What are the measurements of your 9 inch bread pans in this recipe?
9 X ? X ? Thank you for a reply.
Mike
Tried this bread, loved it, but it fell apart when I sliced it. Next time I won’t spread and roll it maybe that will work. I have not repeated this comment.
Tried this bread, loved it, but it fell apart when I sliced it. Next time I won’t spread and roll it maybe that will work.
came out amazing!!! thank you!
I found your recipe years ago and it’s the only sandwich bread recipe I use. My family loves it! Thank you! ❤️
Awesome bread!! I have a 700gm bread tin and I halved the recipe and it made a great, large soft bread to go with our vegetable soup. Will use this recipe every time we have soup. Thanks 🙏🏼
Recipe worked out very well… Thank you! Made nice large, crusty loaves.
I love breads and this recipe is fantastic.
My family loves this recipe! We typically do two batches of these loaves every week, since we don’t buy grocery store bread. We even started gifting my father in law 2 loaves every Sunday during family dinner. Our big family can hardly wait for this to cool before wanting to dive in and devour this bread. Thank you for posting this recipe!
After experimenting, have decided that this was my go-to white bread recipe. Love the fact it produces two “large” loaves. Have baked these approx. ten times now with zero complaints. Grandkids love them. Sooooo, am going to try and mist the loaves with water as being inserted into oven. I like a thick crust and apparently…this will do the trick with white bread. Artisan Bread is awesome and also easy to bake, would like to figure out how to “crust” up white bread. Stay safe people and keep ” rollin in the dough”
Very yummy and easy to make!!! A big hit for breakfast on the weekend!!
Can I turn this into a raisin bread?
Absolutely! Before you roll up the dough do this:
Let one stick of unsalted butter come to room temperature. Using a hand mixer or wire whisk cream the butter. Then combine 1/2 cup whiteor brown sugar with 2-3 sp cinnamon and 1 cup of raisins. Gently spread the mixture onto the pre rolled dough and roll up. This will allow the cinnamon and raisin mix to be marbled through the bread. And raise/bake per instructions. We make this weekly for our kids for breakfast.
I tried this recipe because it had good reviews for taste.
Followed the recipe to a T because it was the first time I had tried the recipe.
It was an easy to work with dough that baked up 2loves beautifully…
However, the taste and texture left a lot to be desired… In fact, the taste left everything to be desired. There was no taste, just a bland flour flavor even with all the butter brushed on…
The crumb/texture felt heavy, but would not stay together for BLT sandwiches.
Granted, I am normally baking sourdough perfection, but this bread, though pretty, is just bleh…
Quiet upsetting that so much resource was wasted.
I’m trying to figure out the metric, and not coming up with 808, way out, think it was 146. And the rest of the water works out at 497ml. Is this correct?
808mL is the total amount of water–0.75 cups to start the yeast and 2.67 cups added with the other ingredients.
This is the best white bread recipe. I’ve done in many times and it’s my family’s favorite.
Turned out awesome
made it turned out great only thing is i think i need to use bigger loaf pans lol so light and fluffy love it ,had some trouble fitting in my slicer
I halved this recipe the first time and it came out perfectly! Perfect toast for breakfast or for sandwiches
Awesome recipe
Happy Easter Michelle :-)
I don’t have a kneading machine, and this is my first time making my own bread.
Could you please share with me your experienced tips on how to knead it to get the most successful results please?
Thanks!
My father was a professional baker. I have made over 1,000,000 loaves of bread.
When my niece started baking in college, she did not have a mixer. I gave her the following cannot fail, easy to remember recipe. My niece named it “yucky old white bread”.
– 2 lb. flour
– 1 tablespoon each of yeast, suger, shortening, and salt.
– 20 oz. water
Professional bakers weigh their flour and that is the name of the loaf. 2 lb. of flour gives you 2 x 1 lb. loaves of bread or 1 x 2lb loaf of bread.
Combine ingredients in a bowl and turn out on your kneading surface. Knead 100 strokes. Do not worry when the dough sticks to your hands and kneading surface at first. Flour your hands repeatedly and rub the dough off them. A stroke is pushing with the heel of your hands away from you to gently stretch the dough. Use your body weight to push the dough away from you. The dough sticking to the kneading surface stretches the dough and activates the gluten. If it is really sticking to the mixing board, use a dough scraper or chef’s knife to scrape it off the surface. At around 80 strokes the dough will stop sticking to your hands so much and will start to feel stretchy, silky and springy. You will know you are done when you do a stroke and the dough bounces back.
I use a mixer now, but I think hand kneading gives you a better result because it gives the dough a chance to Autolyze.
The following is from https://thebakersguide.com/resting-the-dough-or-autolyze
Resting the Dough or Autolyze
This resting of the dough occurs just after you have mixed your ingredients together. In France the term for this is called an autolyze period. All recipes can take advantage of a resting period, but some recipes will specifically say to let your dough rest after mixing for ten to thirty minutes. This rest allows the starches and the gluten to expand and fully absorb the water, which makes the dough easier to handle and can shorten the time needed to fully knead the dough. This is especially helpful in dough that is very sticky, like ciabatta. The longer you allow your dough to rest, the more water the flour is able to absorb without being mixed by machine. By allowing this to happen your dough will reach full absorption and the results will be stretchy dough that will have a high rise.
Hand kneading gives you a feel for what the dough should feel like when using a mixer. Now, I mix the ingredients for a couple of minutes to combine them, and then allow the dough to autolyze for 20 minutes. Then I mix for 6 minutes on the lowest speed, and then hand knead 10 strokes. The dough is ready when you poke it and it bounces back.
I’d love to try this recipe! What are the bake temps/times?
Thank you for the recipe. We are planning to make all bread in the house moving forward and my boyfriend likes a nice fluffy white bread.
I am curious if there would be any changes at 3600′ elevation. I made this bread yesterday and it turned out more dense than I imagined. Not bad, but not fluffy.
Or is it a kneading thing? Did I need it too much or too little?
Thank you!
If I made my bread but I won’t be able to bake it today
Can I let it rise in the fridge until I’m ready to bake it
I would take it out if the fridge few hours before
Hi Michelle, this bread looks great, I’m in Australia and just wanted to check that the all-purpose flour you mention is the same as ours here, our all purpose flour (we call it plain flour) we use in cakes, biscuits etc, normally we use “bread flour” higher protein for bread. We also have self raising flour (flour, baking powder & salt).
I would like to make your gorgeous bread but don’t want to use the wrong flour,
Many thanks, love your website
Ally
Plain flour is the same as all purpose flour. Our self rising is the same as self raising and we also have bread flour here in the US.
This is my boys’ favourite bread recipe. My oldest son is so put out when I run out of time and have to buy bread so I do my best to make 2 loaves every weekend for school lunches! I slice and freeze them and they make perfect sandwhiches. The only issue I have is they’re so wonderfully tall that I struggle to squeeze them into their sandwhich containers. As far as problems go, that’s not too shabby lol
I’ve made this a few times now, but had to finally leave a comment which I don’t normally do. This recipe is so good, and so simple. I made it the first time by hand and it was easy. Even easier now that I have a mixer with a bread hook! I just made 2 loaves – 1 regular and 1 sausage bread for my husband. I use an electric knife to slice it, which makes me feel better about actually using that thing for more than just the Thanksgiving turkey once a year. LOL! I will be using this recipe for years to come. Thank you so much for sharing! :)
I am curious, what is sausage bread ? Is that like a sausage roll ?
First of all I love this recipe! Everything came together well and so easy to make!
I think I made the mistake of retarding the dough in the fridge overnight and not letting it get to room temperature properly. It didn’t rise as well :( I just loved the look of the recipe so much I started it late at night and then decided to proof it in the fridge. Next time ill make it at a suitable time so it can go straight in! 😂
My family and I LOVE this recipe. I’ve made it several times now. My only complaint is that my loaf pans aren’t the best size for the gigantic loaves this makes. I’m going to invest in a longer than normal loaf pan and try it out!
What a wonderful recipe, this is a keeper and so simple too! I don’t have electric bread mixer, so I kneaded by hand, very therapeutic. I did need all the flour.
Thank you very much for this recipe!
Delicious and oh so easy to make. I just need some better loaf pans! They overflowed my glass pans. Looks gorgeous, tastes even better.
The best! Thank you!
The best I ever made !
Great and clear cut recipe! Followed it exactly weighing out the ingredients.
Makes two tasty and beautiful loaves of bread !
I’ve been baking bread for eons, and always thought I had a great recipe, then I tried this recipe!! Omg!! It’s the best!! Thank you for sharing.
I have not made this yet. Question is can you make it in a bread maker?
This is my go to recipe for sandwich bread. My brother-in-law connected me up with this and I’m glad he did. I just started baking and both loaf’s came out perfect.
My go to white bread recipe. KitchenAid mixer makes the job easy. I usually use a little leveling boaster.
Best bread ever
Could I make this recipe without a machine i.e. just kneading by hand?
Turned out great as stated
Great taste and easy to make
Hi, love this recipe! Just FYI 3/4 cup is not 808ml though
Is it possible to make this in a bread maker? Can the recipe be halved with no problem? Thanks – NS
AMAZING!!! I have tried and tried so many bread recipes perfect for toast and sandwiches and failed! But this one is finally it!! Absolutely love it!!
Easy and great bread. Made 2 loaves yesterday for church Soup Supper and had time so made it again. Beautiful loaves.
Excellent bread recipe! When using 2 pans, the loaves are huge soI divide dough into three a loaves .
This recipe does not disappoint! It’s big, that’s for sure!! Soft and chewy crust makes for a delicious sandwich.
Another 5 star recipe! It’s super easy, we love the texture and it’s delicious!
This is my favorite bread recipe! It’s super soft and delicious!
I made this recipe. I used bread flour instead of all purpose. I put the loaves on the lowest rack in the oven. Preheated it 400 rotated after 15 minutes. It wasn’t in for 30 minutes and the bottom was slightly burned and the crust was hard. What happened?
I’m not the best bread maker, but had some bread flour on hand so used it, too. I did 9 cups of flour, rather than 10 and it was probably too wet still (the tops kind of collapsed over the sides instead of arching beautifully like in the picture…though I also had problems with the dough sticking to the plastic wrap I used during the second rise!).
Looking at some comments, I put the bread in at the second-to-lowest shelf (I would have put it higher, but the loaves looked too big!), and the bottoms turned out perfectly. I also always do oil and a dusting of flour, not just oil, in the bottom of the pans (something my mom taught me), which helps release the bread from the pans. (And I forgot to rotate the pans)
My bread turned out great, aside from the weird sinking centers. The crust was thin and crisp but not hard. So my guess is that the rack position is dependent on the oven. If you use this recipe again, I’d put it up a level.
While I bake sourdough for my day-to-day bread sometimes my family just wants a good old-fashioned white bread and this has been my go-to simple white bread recipe for a few years. I always use the full 10 cups of flour but usually substitute 2 cups with wholewheat and I’ve had no problems making it with my Kitchen Aid mixer. After many bakes of feeling like the loaves were just too big for a 9″ pan I now divide the dough to make 2 loaves and an 8″ round cake pan of 8 dinner rolls (which are great!). I don’t measure how I divide but I’d say I take out about 1/4 of the dough for the rolls and divide the rest in two for the loaves (which still come out quite big!). All-in-all I think this is a great simple white bread recipe. :)
Used this to show my grandsons how to bake bread. It is really good. Glad it made 2 loaves because one was eaten right away!
I’m trying this recipe as I type. One little thing though the matric conversion for 9-10 cups of flour is wayyyyy (or weighhhh) more than 1200g, it’s more like 2300g. I couldn’t figure out why it was so wet and then I realised.
The recipe’s cup to metric weight conversation is correct.
1 cup of flour (American) = 120 grams; 10 cups of flour = 1200 grams.
Even using the larger UK/Australian cup –
1 cup of flour (UK/Australian) = 150 grams; 10 cups of flour = 1500 grams.
Just made this recipe, have to say its the best i have found.
I made this bread, the results outstanding. My bread received raving positive reviews and is as amazing from start to finish. My bread was the largest rise I have ever have and I love to bake.
This might be a silly question but the nutritional values given, by serving does it mean 1 slice? New to counting macros and trying to determine how to implement this into my meals since my kids and I really like this recipe.
Thanks in advanced for the help!
Sorry I forgot to rate it & is 5 stars all the way
Made this bread today and it was the easiest recipe to follow and it tastes delicious & is now my go to bread recipe… Thanks so much for posting it !!
Father of 3 and this was the first time I have ever baked anything .
My wife sis normally the baker and I am the consumer
But she and the kids were out so I gave it a go, followed recipe step by step and wow 2 perfect loaves of bread at the end.
Thanks now I have the baking duties for fam bread each week
AWESOME recipe! I made buns and they came out super soft with a great flavour. Thanks for sharing <3
I decided a few years ago I wanted to learn to make bread. I found your recipe and made bread every week for months. I would give a loaf away to a friend every week so I wouldn’t eat all of it. Two years later I’m still making your favorite white bread although not as frequently. I LOVE how easy it is to make bread! And I love your recipe the best!
This recipe is incredible!. I could not believe how much the bread fluffed up. Better than store bought. Thank you for this recipe.
Could this recipe be used to make rolls?
Yes, definitely. I made rolls with it
I follow step by step recipe and got my bread very fantastic result. Thank you.
Perfect !! First time making bread ever! Delicious
I have made this bread sooo many times now. Delicious, easy and has kept me sane during these challenging times.
My family absolutely loves, loves it and requests it often!
Thanks!!
My largest bowl was almost not big enough for the dough!! The recipe is spot on!! Beautiful golden brown loaves!!! My definite white bread recipe from now on. This is my 2nd time baking these loaves and I am super satisfied!! Thanks
🤪
So easy and incredibly good! The flaky crust reminds me of a buttery croissant. 😍
Can you use bread flour instead of all purpose flour?
Can I use this bread recipe on a low iodine diet.
In your recipe for the best white bread you said “(p.s. these are my very favorite loaf pans!).” However, your link only redirects to the Williams-Sonoma home page, so you may not be paid for the link. Also your favorite pans come in three different sizes. So my question is, which pan is required for your recipe? I love your recipes just need some clarification. Thank you.
Been baking bread for most of my life. This recipe is a game changer. Comes together quickly and loaves are huge. I’ve updated my recipe book, this is now my go to white bread recipe. We all have those few recipes that amaze us…this is that white bread recipe. Try it! You will see
Excellent recipe
First bread I have ever made. Success! Delicious and easy. Instructions were perfect.
I tried so many different white bread recipes. The “buck” stops here. This is the real deal and you can play around with it; should you feel the need to be creative.
I love it!!!! Kept forgetting to check on how well it was rising so it over proofed but tastes so delicious
Not sure what happened. I put them in the labs to ride but 50 min and they rose so much it was exploding over the pans.
What happened
I’ve tried many bread recipes over the years with mixed results. This one is a keeper! The only issue I had was when I put the loaves on the lowest rack in the oven, the bottom would have burnt if I hadn’t seen it quick enough. Really nice, soft texture with a chewy crust with a bit of crunch. Down side? Now my family wants me to make it all the time.
This dough works great for making knot rolls. After first rise divide into 8 balls, roll into long sausages and tie into simple knots. Do everything else as per the recipe.
It came out very.good. Am happy
This is way too much flour!
Agreed. American cup sizes are strange. I added the flour just a bit at a time until the dough looked right, I used way less flour than the recipe said.
This recipe yields more than 2 loaves! After the second rise, there’s so much puff. I understand it’s supposed to be tall loaves, but how do you make them tall and not overflow-y? Anyway, despite this, the bread turned out splendid. good recipe.
There’s nothing “strange” about American measurements. You need to adapt is all. Sheez.
Have you tried freezing this unbaked after its been shaped but has not gone through the second rise?
First time making this recipe ( I’ve been making peasant bread for years) total success. Light and fluffy. Great taste. Thank you for sharing this recipe
Absolutely top recipe! Followed step by step with the help of magic KitchenAid mixer and the result was fabulous. I am writing past tense because the freshly baked loaf disappeared in no time!
It is time to bake some more!
thanks
I would like this recipe in a way that it can be done in my breadmachine not sure how to do it myself. That is changing it to work in my breadmaker
Thanks
Can I freeze half of the dough before baking for use later?
Easy and my family is obsessed. I was completely intimidated by making bread but this recipe is so simple and easy. I’ve made it every week for the past couple weeks and it has come out perfectly every time. Thank you Michelle for helping me conquer my fear!
Hi! How many times do I knead this dough, and for how long? Should I be gentle, or aggressive? Have always been told to mix just enough to combine ingredients, and gently, or baked goods will be tough. But I watch bread makers get aggressive when kneading bread dough. I just decided to take up baking a year ago as an amature, although I have been a professional cook many years. Baking is more precision in measurements, or so I’ve been told. So far I am a natural, but have not tried baking white bread yet.
I always knead for a full 10 min…lol yes I watch the clock. I use this recipe all the time and it makes awesome bread. Not overly aggressive but a fold and push sort of movement.
I have made numerous times. I make 2 smaller loaves and the rest in buns . Off to making it again.
What role does the sugar play in the bread? Is it possible to omit some, or all, of it and still maintain the quality of the final outcome?
Yeast feeds on sugar. When yeast has something to eat, it then burps and gives off gas, and that’s how bread rises.
Hi there. Actually yeast doesn’t actually need sugar to grow – it makes its own food supply by converting the starch on flour into sugar. Sugar just jump starts yeast at the beginning but dough will rise albeit slower with adding sugar – that is why you won’t find sugar in any sourdough recipes! Sugar gives flavour and helps keep moisture in bread – bread without sugar will be a little dryer as sugar is hygroscopic- it holds moisture. That said it isn’t too noticeable if it is omitted – bread with sugar tends to feel somewhat softer. It’s is really about the flavour! Hope that helps!
Love this recipe! The bread turned out perfect! This will be my weekly go to!Julie
worked out great, easy to do too. thanks!
Friom South Africa. Love this recipe. Cup size makes a huge difference. I halved the recipe and used four and half US cups (8 oz per cup) or 236ml for metric cups of cake flour(mixture of stone ground and normal)in my mixer and then as it looked a bit dry added a touch more water and it was perfect. I used a 10,5 x 4,5 inch loaf pan and it made a huge loaf. Tip. To avoid over proofing make sure to switch on your oven when dough goes into the pan as it rises very quickly.
First time making Bread and it was simple and turned out great❤❤
Michelle, thank you or sharing this wonderful recipe. I have made this recipe multiple times in two 8-inch loaf pans (because that’s what I have) baked for about 30-32 minutes. Have used the bread for grilled tuna sandwiches, thick-sliced French toast, and also cinnamon or jelly toast.
Do you have recommendations for using this recipe for a 4x4x13 inch Pullman Loaf Pan? I see other recipes with different ingredients, but I would prefer to use yours.
Simple. The recipe also works in a bread machine.
As a new bread maker , all the recipes I have tried have given a heavy yeasty result with a bread that is not nice after day 1. This recipe gave a light soft result that tasted great so will be adding to my recipe diary and cooking once a week. We only use 1 loaf a week so halving the recipe worked out great.
great recipe! come out nice and golden onto and super fluffy and soft in the middle. me and my husband just ate half a loaf for supper!! I gave 4 stars because once its frozen and thawed again it gets a bit tough but other wise it’s a great recipe :)
My favorite bread recipe, it is simple, easy to make, love the taste and texture. My friends and family really love this bread too.
Love this recipe!
Best white bread recipe ever. Easy to make and tastes incredible
Pretty good bread. I ran into a few issues, however.
1) The metric water amount is strange. The total water needed is around 808 ml, but what’s written seems to say the 3/4 cup is 808 ml. It should be 3/4 cup (177ml) + 2 2/3 cups (631 ml).
2) The option to print it in metric only changes the ingredient list, not the amounts listed in the instructions.
3) I had to add a _ton_ more than 1200g of flour to get a non-sticky mess and it never ‘cleaned the sides of the bowl’. The bread turned out ok nevertheless.
The resulting loaves were tall, tasty, and beautiful, just as advertised.
Not bad. Suited for a beginner baker. I’m always trying new recipes although I’m an advanced baker for years.
After eyeballing this recipe I saw that the amount of yeast was a little over what I’d use. The flour used in this recipe must have been bleached ap, as unbleached doesn’t bake that white as in photo. Mine didn’t.
The texture was nice but not tender or soft like store bought.. the industry adds many things to get it that fluffy.. The bread had a sourdough tang which is nice.
For longer lasting bread I usually use oil or for lean bread, no oil or fat, which shortens lifespan.
The recipe didn’t bring the wow factor for me, just ok….
S N O B
Imagine… a bread snob 🤣
Would love to know what recipe you’d recommend I’m looking for soft white sandwich bread not dense bread please.
Thanks xx
Followed the recipe but added Everything But the Bagel on top at the end with the Butter… It turned out FABULOUS!
I made it vegan by substituting refined coconut oil for butter (both in dough and for brushing). They turned out beautiful and looks just like the pictures in this post! I’ve never made a softer loaf of bread that slices so easily and tastes so yummy. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe with the world!
Great bread recipe. Perfect every time. Kids love the bread too. Makes good bread rolls as well.
Tried it and this is the best recipe I found, so fluffy like frozen bread dough bread only better. Thanks.
Definitely used all the flour and maybe a little more.
5 stars
Literally the best, go-to bread recipe in my house. I make it once a week and sometimes rolls (with the same recipe) in addition.
This turned out great. Used bread flour and it was so easy to slice, great sandwich bread. Made great toast. https://photos.app.goo.gl/e8DXvf2znxzivpq76
I’ve made this recipe many times. I even separate it into little rolls and make the most glorious buns!! My family and friends love it. So simply and easy, just as the demonstration shows. I don’t even use a mixer, just my two hands. Beautiful bread, moist and stays fresh a lot longer than some of my other recipes. Lovely taste too. Husband loves it. Try it and see. You won’t be disappointed.
Found this recipe this morning and just had to try it. The best I have ever made. Light not dense like my others. Definitely will make this my go to bread recipe.
I’ve attempted this recipe three times and it has yet to work for me. It absolutely will not rise, I’ve tried different yeasts, flours, letting it rise for longer, and it comes out unleavened every time. I don’t know what I’m doing wrong but it’s quite frustrating
Have you tried placing it on a stovetop with your oven on low keeping it warm? It helps the process along for me.
Hi Jo,
how’s the temperature of your water? I have to be careful with mine. I have to run the tap until my warmest water comes out and then if my kitchen is cool toss the bowl in the oven with the oven turned off and light turned on to keep the rise going strong.
Although, I guess you’d have to be careful about the water being too warm also! Something like 37-40 C (100-105 F).
Check your water temperature.Too hot will kill the yeast
This is my go to bread recipe. Never fails but the first time I made it, the loaves were too big! I now make 3 loaves substititing WW flour and ground flax seed for 2-4 cups of the AP flour. Because it was too much for my stand mixer, I do it by hand and have started doubling the recipe. If you have to knead for 7- 10 minutes, you might as well make lots!
I’ve been in search of a white bread recipe. Of the 3 incliding this one I’ve tried so far this has been the closest to most store bought white bread of the ones I’ve tried. Others were pretty dense and heavy. This recipe is light and fluffy like I’ve been looking for.
I make dough to make pizza and Stromboli or Calzone’s often. From my experience making dough breads a few things had me a little concerned:
1. The suggested rack position and temperature.
2. The amount of flour. I make 2 large Sicilian pizza’s with 6 cups of flour. 10 cups seemed excessive for 2 loaves of bread. I made 3 loaves in two 8×4 and one 9×5 breadpans because those are the breadpans I have. I don’t own two 9×5’s.
3. The 400°F oven temperature, especially with the rack all the way down.
4. No oil or honey in the recipe. I’m too used to making pizza-like purpose dough. This old dog learned a new trick (bread can be made without oil).
Despite my concerns I followed the recipie and instructions and the 3 loaves I made came out great! The one in the 9×5 is big for my preferences but it will surely get eaten. The texture this dough recipe makes is what I was looking for.
I made your bread recipe today and I have to say its the best recipe ever! The recipe is simple and instead of 10 cups of flour I only used 9 cups. It was everything you said it would be. This is definitely my go to recipe for white bread. Absolutely delicious!!!!!
This has become my go to recipe for basic white sandwich bread! Easy and delicious, thanks for a great recipe!
Been baking Julua Childs bread recipe for years. this is far easier, yummiest. a winner.
Could you use this recipe and make one of the loaves into cinnamon bread?
I’m fairly new to bread making and this recipe is so easy and turns out perfect for me every time!
Yes you definitely can make cinnamon bread or rolls with this recipe! Just roll it out to about 12 x 18 and brush with butter. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and roll it up. If you want rolls, slice to about 1-1/2″ thick rolls and lay flat on baking sheet. Let rise until double and Bake until golden brown.
This has before our favorite white bread. Slices and toast perfect BRAVO
Do you ever have the the same recipes that you can make in the bread machine ?
Hi Carol,
This can be made in a bread machine. Just adjust the inregredient measurements. If your machine recipies usually take 2.5 to 3 cups of flour divide the measurements posted by 3.5 or 4 and it should work out pretty well. Note I said “should”, please. Baking is experimenting.
Single Dad 6 Kids full time Job killer recipie no complaints , from my 27 year old and two grand daughters threw al the way doun to my 6 year old all home runs and thumbs up 👍🏼
Thank you verry much keep up the good work we appreciate you 🤙🏼🤙🏼
as expected
The first time I made this recipe, my loafs look just like the pictures posted! The texture is perfect for sandwitches, toast or with a little butter. Super easy to make between my weekly meal prep. My family can’t leave this bread alone, they gobble up the first loaf up right out of the oven. Thank you.
My go to recipe for white bread. Simple, and almost fool proof. With a kitchen aid mixer, it’s very little work. Kneading by hand, not so easy.
Confused (tho’ doesn’t take much)!!
I’m in the UK and our cup sizes are different from the US so am looking at using the metric measurements.
Is 808ml of water the TOTAL of all water? By my calculation (and online) one US cup = 250ml approx. so 3/4 cup = 177ml.
Our cups aren’t different sizes. You need to get baking measurement cups not like a drinking cup haha.
I bought mine from Poundworld and they’ve lasted me over 2 years so far.
Bina,
It’s not written clearly but there is another 2-2/3 cups of water.
” ¾ cup (808 ml) + 2⅔ cups warm water, divided. ”
A cup is 236 grams so with the extra water, the math works out.
I don’t normally (ever) post on these things but the last answer you got was so condescending and rude, I felt I needed to chime in.
Good Luck!
I made a half recipe of this last week. I never even got a taste until the last piece today! I am making the full recipe now, by hand, because our mixer will not handle 9 cups of flour! I think of it as physical therapy!? It works arms, upper body, core, and even legs, all of which I need!!! My family loves it. Good thing we got a 25 lb bag of AP flour!!!
Loved it with cream cheese and homemade green tomato chutney!!!
This is/was my first time making bread. It came out amazing!! I think the world has forgotten what real bread tastes like. Thank You for this recipe.
I agree. Fresh homemade bread is WONDERFUL!
I stopped at 8 cups of flour and it still seemed to be too much. Nonetheless, a very good white bread!
I bought a 13″ Pullman loaf pan and put some of this dough in it. My husband was delighted! It made a very nice sandwich loaf.
I was just thinking of trying
This in my 13 inch Pullman pan
Did you split the recipe or use all the dough?
Hey, my bad. I think I used the whole recipe. I’m gettingready to make one, so I’ll see and post back on here.
Going back through my texts, I see the recipe makes enough for two loaves, whether using the Pullman or theregular pan.
Hi Arlene, how much dough did you use to make your 13″ Pullman Loaf? I’m interested in trying this recipe in the 13″ Pullman Loaf Pan.
Too much yeast. The bread, while it tastes ok, had an odd odor when baking and has an overly-yeasty flavor now that it’s cooled. It rises so quickly, I dont think this much yeast is needed.
Wow. So happy I came across this recipe. I hadn’t found one that I was happy with and came upon this one. It tastes just like my mother’s and grandmother’s bread. Easy to make, easy directions to follow, and the result is phenomenal. My husband loves it too.
Thanks a bunch for sharing
I made this bread twice and they both turned on perfect! Yummy 🍞😋 An easy and quick recipe with an awesome, delicious result 👍🏼 Thanks for sharing it with us BrownEyedBaker 🙏🏼🧡
One question: If I want to use whole-wheat flour, how much can I replace or what do I have to change about the amount of yeast or water or..?
I just used a rye flour and it turned out brilliantly- I just kept adding flour until the consistency was good but all up probably an additional cup of flour.
I made it today. Amazing, thanks for the recipe!
My loaf turned out 970 grams. Is this normal?
This recipe always turned out well. I’ve made a lot of loaves from this recipe and I’ve never had one that wasn’t excellent bread. It’s fun to bake bread again when they always turn out great! I had given up baking bread after so many failures. I saw this recipe and with no milk or eggs, I decided to try it. I figured fewer ingredients in this one, it had to rise well and be good. I’m so glad that I tried one more time for a good white bread recipe. My granddaughter has been making this recipe with me and she’s a very good bread baker, having excellent results with this recipe as well. I bake and then slice the bread and freeze the slices in my freezer. If you haven’t tried this recipe, you should. It truly is the BEST.
Wow! Just wow! I made this bread so quick! My old go to recipe never produced such huge loaves! I was shocked when I opened my oven. I don’t even have a stand mixer, just a wooden spoon and this turned put perfect. Didn’t have loaf pans. I used a cake pan and they still turned out in huge loaves. I’m keeping this recipe! Thanks for sharing it!
To the brown eyed baker…. Thank you for this wonderful recipe. Your instructions we’re perfect. I just took mine out of the oven took a big hunk off the end and lathered it with butter, couldn’t of asked for anything better!
Thank you!
Bit confused…. Recipe says 9 to 10 cups of flour but directions say to combine into mixture 5 cups of flour??? What about the other 4 to 5 cups. That’s way beyond what’s needed just for kneading the dough. Can you please clarify this recipe please. Thank you
The 5 cups of flour are to combine all the ingredients. You will need to add the rest in step 2 to make it the optimal consistency, “soft and tacky but not sticky”.
I don’t I been trying many different bread recipe to achieve soft bread that rises. I’d say one out of two ain’t bad. But I won’t. I finally found away to get my bread to rise by going to different sites about proofing bread dough. But I have not achieved the texture an nice soft bread. I just don’t know what I’d doing wrong. I follow the recipe to the letter and I still can’t achieve the bread I want. I didn’t bother to take a picture because I wasn’t satisfied with it.
And I thought bad in the day you made homemade bread with milk and eggs. Am I mistaken or what?
Bread was always hard for me to make but this recipe
Always works for me. I make sure to buy fresh yeast a d use Arthur king flour and I put my bread by a sun lit window to rise this has worked great for me
This is am incredible recipe! It overflowed out of the pans! Mile high is right. Thank you so much for sharing it. I didn’t make ANY changes and it was perfect! The family is over the moon!
Thanks for posting !! I’ve tried making bread a handful of times, only to have huge football rocks LOL!!
This was super easy to follow. Turned out amazing 👏 ✨
So easy and amazing!!
Love this bread, easy recipe to follow for a novice like me. My only issue is that my bread turns out really dense and the loaf looks a bit too squat – not tie tall and fluffy bread in the picture. Any suggestions for where I am going wrong? Thank you!
Did some experiments last week and learned when my bread was too dense it was because I didn’t add enough flour and didn’t knead the dough long enough. Once I got the texture right this bread is amazing. So soft and airy. If you are not sure what consistency is correct I suggest thawing some frozen bread dough and reshaping it with your hands. This will give you a good feel for the right consistency, not too dry, not too sticky and the windowpane test actually works. Hope this helps good luck.
I cannot believe hoe good this is. I tried everything with my bread, rolls, toasted, sandwiche toasted, round bread, long bread, creadcrumb, even bread pudding, it just works n taste the best I even used whole meal flour n still perfect. Thanks I’m keeping this forever now
Terrible recipe. It just doesn’t work. Don’t even bother!
Omg this bread turned out SO GOOOOOOOOD! I’m making homemade tomato basil soup and grilled cheese (with the fresh loaf) tonight!!! I think itll be sublime!
Made this several times now. It’s my go to bread recipe 😊
Well, I’m guessing my epic fail is my fault. Maybe the yeast was old or something. Ended up with rocks, no resemblance to bread whatsoever. Wah!
Sounds great now I’ll have to try it, thank you
I thought it really was the perfect white bread recipe. Huge fine-grained loaves, delicious flavor, it sliced beautifully and was the perfect texture for either sandwiches and toast. We also enjoyed delicious thick-sliced baked French toast. Outstanding.
All your recipes are so innovative and fun to make. Your informative explanations, instructive videos, and very workable recipes make this web site a winner! Thank you so much!
Sincerely,
Margaret Pearson
I cannot count how many times I have made this recipe, and it comes out perfectly every time. It freezes and reheats beautifully, too! When my hubby was sick and wanted toast, I made him some using bread from this recipe that I quickly popped out of the freezer. When I handed it to him and he took a bite, he said, “oooo, the good bread.” And that started his road to recovery! Thanks for this yummy recipe!! 💜
I have to say, this is probably my favorite and easiest way to make white bread. My family love it as well! 😍
Made it for the first time today. Used a mixer with a dough hook. I always follow the directions exactly the first time, but this worked so well I will just always do that. Thank you for giving my bread skills a new recipe!
I don’t understand comments from people that want to change everything. They should get their own blog if they think their recipes are so fabulous! I leave comments to encourage the blogger to make more posts!
Melbourne Australia, still in very severe lockdown and experiencing thousands of cases each day and rising , so really want to stay out of supermarkets, I made your fabulous bread today and it’s a real hi top …it made one loaf in a 9” tin and two baguettes, no need to look anywhere else for a recipe ……I even swapped out the butter for olive oil due ti high cholesterol. Wish there was a way of leaving a photo. So impressed
Delicious and easy to make. I’ve done this recipe three times this week all with outstanding results. This is a keeper!
My favourite bread recipe! I use it for loaves, for scrolls, and for pullapart bread. Kneads up well even using the dough hooks on my hand beater. However I only use 6.5-7c flour – the full amount does not work for me at all!
Perfect on the first try, I cut the recipe in half for 1 loaf and it worked great. Fluffy and delicious.
This is THE best white bread recipe! Has the texture of store bought white bread but much better! I don’t even buy bread anymore! I just keep this on hand! And it has turned out perfect every time! No tweaking to this recipe is needed!
Hi and good afternoon noon I’m happy to say that making your bread has been great I’ve repeatedly make this bread recipe and will continue to do so they have turned out beautifully every single time
I am unable to bake with butter or milk. How does this recipe work with dairy free margarine?
I’m sorry but the original recipe did not work out for me. I kept tweaking it until I came up with, what I believe, is the perfect white bread. Mine is closer in taste and texture to store bought wonder bread. It is a little less sweet than the posted recipe. Everything remains the same except the ingredient quantities. Makes 1 Loaf:
1/3 cup water mixed with 2.5 Tsp Yeast
1 1/3 cup water
0.5 Oz white sugar
1 Tsp Salt
1/2 TBSP unsalted butter
3.5 cups all purpose flour
Bake 30 min at 400.
My one star if for your bad attitude. Your “changes” make yours a completely different bread recipe You should get your own blog if you are sooooo good at this. I don’t understand why you even bothered to post except to get your recipe in here.
Say that a little louder for all the folks in the back to hear. If they know what to do, then why are they looking up recipes anyway? So annoying.
Hey maybe she has an bad attitude because the recipe didn’t work out for her. I plan on using her recipe and maybe I’ll have better luck.
Because I’m tired of getting bread recipes and they don’t work out for me. But I try to keep an positive attitude I’ll achieve my goal of going the softest bread. I conquered one part of my failed bread not rising enough. One down one to go.
And you don’t seem like you have an very good attitude yourself.
Sorry if I defend you. But that how I see it.
God bless!!!
Totally agree
Wonderful tasting bread
Check you are not using too hot water to activate yeast. Above 125° dies yeast off
I make this frequently!! It’s my very picky eater’s absolute favorite. She likes it best with homemade chicken salad, but she’s been known to eat a whole mini loaf by herself. I have found there is less chance of burning with the mini loaves, and it’s a little easier for me to store that way. Thanks for this amazing recipe!!
Why all the nasty comments about the amount of flour used to make this bread! If you think this recipe uses too much flour then make your own recipe and keep the nasty comments to yourself.
Ever since I made this bread for friends they are knocking down my door for more bread.
This is one of the best bread recipes I’ve ever made.
Thanks Michelle for a great loaf.
Thank you for your nice post, the bread is delicious!
Hey. I have 2 questions. How many pounds/kg this bread will be and can I make this recipe in my bread maker?
I love this recipe..I’ve made it about a dozen times now and it always comes out perfect…my three big men, husband, son and grandson beg me to make it..they can power through two loaves in a couple of days..no need to freeze here…
I have tried the recipe twice but still not winning, the top part come out burnt and the bread is very dense and not crisp outside. I would appreciate to know what am I doing wrong. Thanks
Made this recipe one Sunday and was totally blown away! The bread was perfect and it made two loaves: one to eat, and one to give away. My son had some kids over at the time and all of them absolutely loved it!
Mine seemed to be done after about 15 mins at 400F. Why didn’t it take as long as the recipe said? I didn’t use covect.
So your bread pan is from Williams Sonoma but the ones you use are 1 lb. Loaf Pan: 8 1/2″ x 4 1/2″ x 2 3/4″ high; 1-lb. cap.; or 1 lb.
1 1/2 lb. Loaf Pan: 10″ x 5″ x 3″ high; 1 1/2-lb. cap.; 1 lb. 3 oz.
Which one do you use?
I was wondering the same thing.
Turn the dough out onto a clean, lightly floured surface. Gently press it all over to remove any air pockets. Divide the dough in two and, working with one piece at a time, gently pat it into a 9×12-inch rectangle. Roll up the rectangle, starting on the short end, into a very tight cylinder. Pinch to seal the seams and the ends,
{tuck the ends of the roll until the bread, and place into greased 9-inch loaf pans.} (what is this supposed to say?)
Cover the loaves loosely and place in a draft-free area until doubled in size, 30 to 45 minutes.
Under, not until.
This was my first time making bread and this recipe was amazing!! So easy to follow and the bread is SO soft. Yummy!
Love love this receipe! So easy, comes out perfect and tastes wonderful! Receipe Rebel has a another big winner reciepe ❤️
This bread is absolutely incredible. I made a half batch for one loaf and we are demolishing it with butter. Worked perfect. I used salted butter and cut the salt in half. Love it
Awesome bread! For anyone like me who can’t knead bread dough anymore, just wanted to say I put all ingredients at the same time in my breadmaker and then let it do the mixing and kneading for me. Then did a traditional proof and rise. Came out just perfect and will be my goto from now on. Thanks for posting this recipe!!!
Opps….I made several typing errors in my post of this bread recipe. My granddaughter used the 3/4 cup measure instead of the 1 cup. Because she’s becoming familiar with bread making and this wonderful recipe, she was able to get the feel correct. She didn’t know, at the time, that she had the wrong measuring cup. We both are so grateful for having a d trying this recipe. It truly is my favorite bread recipe!
I have made so many bread recipes and I’ve not had good luck. I saw this recipe a d thought with so few ingredients and rapid rise yeast,I’d give it a try. I’ve not used rapid rise yeast, in fact I’ve stayed away from it for some reason . I decided to try one more recipe and this is it. It is, without a doubt, the BEST and easiest recipe ever! It turns out so nice and big, but the texture is perfect. It looks better and tastes way better than any store bought bread. It’s fun to make. Read when it turns out great. My granddaughter has been making this bread too and every time, it turns out consistently good. We both are getting a lot of practice as to how the bread should’ feel’ and we are learning when there is enough flour or not enough. In fact, one day my granddaughter thought she used the 1 cup measure and was wondering why it took more flour than usual to get the feel right. After she baked hers, we cut into it to see if the texture was compromised, it was NOT. Later I saw she picked up the wrong cup measure, she was using the cup instead of the 1 cup. LOVE THIS RECIPE!
I made this recipe and the bread turned out perfectly. No substitutions perfect white bread.
This bread recipe is perfect! Soft fluffy white bread every time!
My bread turned out more dense than I anticipated and the top was very hard and took about 40mins at 400 to bake. Not sure what happened any suggestions on what I did wrong or some things to look for? It was still delicious just didn’t seem like it was the result I should have been looking for.
Hi – thanks for sharing this lovely recipe! I am wondering on the nutrition info provided.. how many slices do you consider per loaf, so I can calculate per serving. Thanks!
The top got too burnt and the inside didn’t finish cooking. What did I do wrong? I don’t know why that happened. It was set at 400 degrees
Perhaps your oven temp is wrong. Check it with an inside thermometer.
It tasted good but very very dense and heavy. What could have gone wrong? The top crust was like cap on the bread as it started separating from the rest of the bread
The link to get the loaf pan is not working (I am going with the fact they no longer make it since it just takes me to where you purchased them from). Would you have another link or what type they are? By the way this is a fun and easy recipe! Delish!
i don’t have a dough hook, do have a mixer but dont think we have a dough hook
I’ve lost my stand mixer’s dough hook too 🙈, so i used the paddle attachment and it worked perfectly fine. Give it a try or knead with your hands!It’s a bit difficult, but works as well.
When I print the recipe and adjust the serving to 10 instead of 20, the 2 2/3 cup warm water in the list of ingredients does not adjust when all the other ingredients are halved. Is that correct? Shouldn’t that be half as well?
Beautiful bread. It smells amazing, soft and tastes awesome! Made more for the in-laws
Can I use Bread Flour instead of AP Flour? I have lots of bread flour and would like to use it here if possible. Otherwise do you have bread recipes using bread flour?
This white bread recipe is simple to make and the and the results taste great. Nice high rise and wonderful texture. We like it best toasted.
Can you add extra butter? My loaves usually turns out a bit crumbly….
This was my first time baking bread. I thought it’d be impossible without a bread maker. This bread is better than store bought bread! It turned out perfect. I used less salt, and also took it out after 35 minutes. I didn’t have a thermometer and took it out when it was golden brown! I am making more tonight!
This bread turned out amazing!!!! It was so easy and now I’m sad I halved the recipe because I know my husband is going to want more!
This is a lovely easy recipe. I have just finished making two loaves which came out extremely well. However, I ran out of all purpose flour and managed to find some self raising flour and had to add about three cups. That dough exceeded raising,!! Fabulous!
Excellent sandwich bread! It is light and fluffy, but has just enough chew to it to hold up well in a sandwich.
This will be my go to white bread from now on.
Can this be made into rolls
Yes, absolutely!
Hi is that really a tablespoon of salt or should it be a teaspoon
Hi Gina, It is a tablespoon.
I could not see the link to the video… is it working?
Hi Rich, It should automatically pop up and start playing.
Awesome recipe!
When I want flavored bread (cheddar jalapeño, Italian herbs and cheese, etc) I just sprinkle the flavors on the dough after rolling it out before rolling it up. It makes a beautiful swirl.
What amount of active dry yeast would I use in the receipe? Never worked with Active dry yeast before
Hi Pat, You would use the same amount. Enjoy!
I’m making the bread right now and noticed that there is smoke in my oven from what I believe is the butter that I’ve brushed onto the loafs! I’m quickly reading the comments to see if anyone else has had this issue and doesn’t seem to be a common one at all so not sure what I did wrong because everything else up to this point has been perfect! I hope that I didn’t ruin them because I was excited to eat this. Help!!
Your oven probably needs to be cleaned
I butter he tops after they come out of the oven.
I always bake with an empty sheet pan underneath in case the butter on top drips out
Tried this recipe yesterday and the bread came out really good! Both my husband and I were very happy especially because of locked downs due to pandemic, we can already make our own bread. Bless you for sharing this recipe ❤️
Absolutely delicious!
I halved the recipe and it worked perfectly to give me one ginormous loaf!
Thank you 😊
Yup! Mine turned out huge – but fluffy and delicious – as well! I call it the Gigantobread!
Just made this recipe and man was it amazing! No more store bought bread for us. Bread came out a little sweet for us so next batch I may reduce the sugar. I’m saving this recipe as best bread ever! Thank you so much for sharing
Holy giant loaves Batman!! Laughed so hard when I saw how huge these things were after the final proof!! Turned out amazing!!!
Best bread I have found.
Have made this bread three times now and turns out incredible! Everyone loves it including hubby who grew up on white wonder bread (as did I) and because of that would never allow me to buy white bread (30 years married) Was given someone’s old Bosch dough mixer recently and found this recipe and am hooked. I’ve been using bread flour but all else is the same. Recipe with 9 cups flour makes 2 monster loaves or now I’m making 3 smaller loaves. Lasts my fam 2 weeks typically freezing a loaf for the following week. Every single person has LOVED this bread. Right outta the oven, parmesian toast, thick luscious grilled cheese sandwhiches…whatever we make is amazing. Thanks for the recipe. I tried years ago to make bread with not much success so gave up. Now I haven’t bought bread and don’t plan too. It’s fun and easy to make and tastes devine. I will take one of the loaves and on the top, brush butter, sprinkle Italian herbs, some seeds, garlic and onion powder and onion flakes the last 10 mins of baking. Soooooo scrumpdillyump!!!
Hi there, I am going to try this with fresh yeast, so will double the amount needed.
How do I activate the fresh yeast please? Is it the same way as the dry yeast? With water?
Sorry, this will be the first time using fresh yeast and I don’t want to mess it up!
Thank you so much :-)
Hi Rachel, Are there instructions on the yeast on how to activate it? If not, this is a super comprehensive page on using fresh yeast: https://redstaryeast.com/yeast-baking-lessons/yeast-types-usage/cake-fresh-yeast/
I made this bread today. It rose very well. I am not sure what I did wrong as the bread is brittle when I cut the slices.
I’ve heard to wrap fresh baked goods in a clean tea towel after the 10 minutes stand I find it helpful ❤️
Hi. If I want to bake matcha bread or chocolate bread I’ll just need to add in matcha powder/ cocoa powder?
Hi Josephine, I’ve never done either, so I couldn’t say for sure. If you try it, let me know how it turns out!
Turned out great and easy to make. Will surely make again.
My whole family is obsessed with this bread! comes out perfectly every time! just wondering has anyone made this with bread flour? im new to baking bread and still dont understand when to use what type of flour…
I made this exactly per the recipe instructions. It was perfect Thank you for the great recipe. If I wanted to make half the dough as rolls and only one loaf, would the rolls bake at the same temperature? I’m guessing the cooking time would be maybe 20 minutes – your thoughts?
Hi Pat, Yes that’s how I would do it!
Hey! Do you have a video making this? I don’t quite understand the instructions and would like to watch a video for it so im prepared for my GCSE Exam. Thanks~
Hi Natalie, I do! And it should automatically play for you as you scroll down the page (I see it right now).
I have a question, I made this in one batch then separated the dough in half to make two loaves. One rose beautifully, but the other loaf didn’t rise as well. Why would that happen, and what should I watch for in the future? Thanks!
Hi Karen, Hmmm, was one much larger than the other? Was one closer to a source of warmth? Was one closer to a draft? That’s so strange!
Hi! i’d like to ask if anyone has measurements in grams and ml as cup sizes may differ in UK and the US. i would love to try the recipe but was worried that it turned out to be a dough that’s too wet to knead! (i’m a beginner bread baker and won’t be able to handle very shaggy doughs)
also, i tend to like to store my dough in the fridge for a few days before baking as i find that it enhances the flavour. does this recipe work well with storing in the fridge?
Hi Bel, If you click the link that says “metric” under the ingredients, it will toggle to metric measurements. I do not recommend storing this particular dough in the fridge for days before baking.
Followed directions to the letter and the bread did not rise in the oven came out very very heavy not at all fluffy I went with 4 smaller loaves and they had the consistency of a very heavy rye bread. I put them back in the oven to cook longer
Was your Yeast active? If your water was too hot, you could have killed it. Or it could have been bad Yeast. I have run into that a couple of times. I let the yeast proof un the water for 10 minutes to make sure that it foams up.
I am into the second rise with mine and it seems to be going good so far
How long before it gets slightly dry? (Like you would still 100% eat it, but it just doesnt have that freshly baked soft feel anymore)
Hi Malene, probably about 3 days.
This is such a great, simple recipe. I did a half batch just to test it out. It turned out perfect. My wife commented on how easy it seemed (watching me make it). Looks like my loaf pan is about to get a lot more use.
Hi! I’d like to ask if anyone has measurements in grams and ml for this recipe as UK cup and US cup sizes are different and sometimes conversions are not accurate. Do let me know, i’m looking for a really good white bread recipe and this seems to be a jackpot from the comments and i can wait to try it!!
I have just made this and tasted some after it had cooled and it tasted great! I can’t wait to try some as toast for breakfast tomorrow. One thing is I have a 9 inch loaf tin and the tops of my loaves do not look as inflated as yours. I wonder whether it is the tin as your tin looks wider and shorter than mine (I proofed my loaves for the time stated). Thank you for recipe!
My first experience at making bread was this recipe. It is delicious. Not as white as your picture but taste is wonderful. Thanks!
I make this bread exactly as instructed and it is wonderful. My kids love it!
I wanted to write to express our thanks for this recipe. I have tried many recipes for white bread and none have been approved by my family! But this recipe has changed that, it never fails to make the best bread ever!! Thank you so much for sharing it and please know that we are thankful for it every time we make it.
Dana and family x
Aww you are so welcome, Dana! This makes me so happy! I’m thrilled that you and your family have enjoyed this recipe.
Ho, could you do this in a bread maker? If so what yeast would you recommend, dry or instant? Thank you
Hi Carissa, I have not used a bread maker before, so I couldn’t say for sure. However, instant yeast is a dry yeast. Let me know how it turns out!
Thank you so much for a fabulous recipe. I’ll be making this tomorrow. I’ll post pictures then. With stores sold out of most ALL breads, I made it my plan to begin baking our own. Thanks and God bless.
Omg!!!! Best loaf of white bread ever!!!! No joke!!! I’ve made, literally, 18 loaves of white bread this week…this BY FAR THE BEST EVER!!!
I am 85 years old and have made bread for about 65 years. I have never made bread as good as this recipe. I have passed this recipe on to many others. Thank You
Best white bread recipe I have found. I have made this several times and it always is great. The past two times I have used half all purpose and half bread flour. Makes the bread a bit softer with less crumbs. Either way it is wonderful.
Great taste.. but a little tough.. the next day, even after wrapping tightly, it’s a little dry… makes great grilled sandwiches.. I only used 9 cups of bread flour.. maybe try 71/2-8 cups next time, plus extra butter??
I agree. I used 9 C and thought it too much.
Made this recipe yesterday. It was delicious with a lovely crisp crust and soft, light inside. I look forward to trying more of your recipes.
I made this bread today, and it was the best I’ve made yet! Sorry to brag…just had to share! For the salt, I used partly white salt and partly onion salt.
Just finished making this recipe and it was easy, relatively quick, and extremely tasty!!! I really don’t know if I can go back to store bought bread now. Prepare yourself, because it’s so yummy, you could easily eat a whole loaf in less time than it took to make like I almost did!
The bread turned out great! I did a half recipe because here in Korea our ovens are TINY. I will be making this over and over again! *Goes to see what other recipes you’ve posted*
We love this bread! Instead of two huge loaves, we make two large and one smaller, but very adequate. Sometimes I put in a cup or more of whole wheat flour, for variety, with no negative effects. I grew weary of never finding a loaf of bread we truly liked at the market. I found this on Facebook several months ago and have not bought a loaf of store bread since.
Can you freeze the dough? I know you say it keeps well once baked in the freezer but I want to make a bunch of dough and freeze it so I can just thaw it, proof it and pop it in the oven next time.
Hi Amanda, Yes you can!
I would like to do this too. Do I let it rise at all before freezing? I’m unsure of how to do it and don’t want to mess it up.
Thanks.
Found this recipe on a Google search, needed to bake bread as we are snowed in, and it came out even better than expected! Will be making this instead of buying store bread in the future. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Very helpful refreshing my bread making skills. Can’t wait to rest it. Use half white flour and half whole wheat
Best bread ever! Can you score the top of the bread or will that affect the height of the bread?
Hi Rose, I’m so glad you enjoy it! I’ve actually never scored the loaves. Give it a try and let me know how it goes!
Hi Rose I have scored the top- it does not hinder the height!!!
Love Love Love this bread- making some right now.
It has changed our lives!!!!
My first attempt I used half recipe and it turned out beautifully. Have not tasted it yet but my wife was quite impressed by what she saw come out of the oven.
Makes 3-4 loaves of big, soft, bread. Great recipe and perfect for sammies! Just as good as the bread at the store and it comes without plastic!
This bread is so delish!!!! It’s my third attempts making it. I had trouble with it falling flat on the second rise. A little plastic wrap with spray oil solved that problem and bam I have two wonderful loaves. Thanks for the recipe!!!
Can anyone answer this: I’ve made the recipe, cut in half for one loaf, three times now but I never get as tall of a loaf as pictured in the recipe. What am I doing wrong? Over-kneading? Under-kneading? It rises during both proof and seems to double. After the second proof it reaches just over top of the loaf pan, similar to those pictures, but once it’s in the oven it doesn’t rise anymore (or not nearly as much as the beautiful loaves pictured).
I’ve tried adjusting the amount of flour I use, because “tacky” isn’t very descriptive to me as I’m a beginner at bread baking. My loaves always turn out a bit more dense than what I think this recipe is supposed to be, based off other reviews it should be fluffy bread. I imagine it is supposed to be similar to store-bought sandwich loaves with slightly more body.
I want beautiful, tall, fluffy bread. :(
You may have added too much flour. I just made the recipe and cut it in half (since I’m alone and didn’t want to eat two loaves of bread :) ) It smells delicious, just got it out of the oven. Haven’t tasted it yet, but am very pleased with how high it rose. I mixed by hand, as I didn’t have a mixer, for about 3 minutes. It was still pretty wet, but I pulled it out of the bowl and kneaded it by hand for a few minutes, gradually adding flour, just a little. The last bread I made was very tough and hard to knead because I used some oats in it. It was really hard and ended up being very dense. So this time I stuck with the white flour, kept it sort of wet (not nearly as dry as the video) and it looks great. So I think one secret is to be very careful not to overdo the amount of flour you use. You can knead it on a board that has been oiled too, instead of adding too much flour that way. I saw that trick on the Great British Baking show. Can’t wait to taste the bread.
Hello! Can you leave out the sugar? Will it affect the final product?
Came out like Irish Brennan’s Loaf. Omg amazing.
Please someone give me the half of this recipe.
2 1/4 tsp instant yeast
6 tbs and 1 1/3 cup warm water
2 tbs sugar
1/2 tbs salt
1 1/2 tbs cubed butter
4 1/2- 5 cups flour
1 1/2 tbs melted butter
Love this recipe! Such beautiful loaves every time! I’m wanting to try and make them into rolls to see if there’s the same success! What method would you recommend? Was thinking of just cutting it into strips and rolling it like you would for the loafs and cooking them in muffin tins? Do you have a better method?
Hi Danielle, For rolls, I would roll the dough up like you would for the loaf, then divide into rolls and form into balls. This is a good video of the method I use for shaping rolls: . As for baking, you could use muffins tins, a 9×13-inch baking pan, sheet pan, pie plates, etc. Any of those will work!
Absolutely perfect! Easy and simple two make but tastes way better than any store bought bread!
I just recently moved to TX from CO so have had to completely re-learn how to bake now that I’m not a mile above sea level :)
I’ve been searching for a simple white bread recipe that rises high and is soft and fluffy. I printed and laminated your recipe because it is the only one I’m using from now on!
What is the best way to store this bread so it stays fresh?
Hi Maureen, I usually keep one loaf wrapped in plastic wrap and then in a ziploc bag. The other I slice and freeze (wrap in plastic wrap, wrap in aluminim foil, then put in a ziploc freezer bag). Hope that helps!
I have made bread using this recipe many times and it has never disappointed. It is soft but not fragile and it is suitable for even my pickiest eater’s peanut butter sandwiches. It also makes delicious toast! I have used the dough to make cinnamon buns as well- really rather remarkably perfect and versatile dough. Thank you for sharing with me!
looks great, thank you for sharing
Can you give me the measurements to cut recipe in half please
I’ve always made Ina Garten’s honey white bread, but lately it’s been leaving an odd taste in my mouth. So I did a random search and this came up. Not only is it cheaper because it doesn’t require honey, but I think it tastes better. I made one loaf and then made 8 buns out of the other half of the dough. It rises triumphantly. This is my new go-to white bread recipe.
I haven’t made bread in years. Decided to jump back in to it and found this recipe. Not only is it easy peasy it is delicious. Makes fantastic loaves, rolls, and buns. Getting ready to make another batch today!!