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.
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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!
My Favorite White Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 4½ teaspoons instant yeast, two 0.25-ounce packets
- ¾ cup + 2⅔ cups warm water, divided
- ¼ cup (52 g) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 3 tablespoons (43 g) unsalted butter, cubed, at room temperature
- 9 to 10 cups (1200 g) all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons (43 g) unsalted butter, melted, for brushing
Instructions
- In the bowl of a mixer, stir to dissolve the yeast in ¾ cup (180ml) of the warm water, and let sit for 5 minutes. Add the remaining 2⅔ cups (640ml) 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!
Eating a sandwich on this bread while my baby naps and i binge watch tv – this bread is delicious and I’m loving life – perfect recipe – the bread isn’t too dense for sandwiches and it’s so tasty!
This recipe turned out perfect! I halved it and the loaf rose tall and fluffy, fully baked at 30 mins! Thank you for a marvellous recipe. I will use it again and again!
I made this bread for a family dinner last week. It turned out perfectly, and was so good served with a choice of honey butter or homemade jam!!!! Thank you for sharing, I am looking forward to baking many more loaves. Oh and I used a little over 9 cups of flour to get my dough to a non-sticky texture – I do live in WA so maybe humidity?
I’ve made a number of bread recipes over the last little while, even Amish bread that was okay but took forever to complete. THIS is now my favourite bread recipe. I’ve made it yesterday and today! Quick rise times and big beautiful loaves! I have the 5 quart professional (lift) kitchen aid and have no trouble with the volume in the mixer (I use 8.5 cups). Thank you for sharing, my flour supply will be taking a beating!
Saw this recipe and just had to make it. It was incredibly easy and the results were amazing. Hugh loaves of fluffy, soft bread. Excellent just slathered with butter and would go excellent with a hearty stew or soup. I plan to add cinnamon and raisins to my next loaf in hopes of turning it into an awesome raisin bread. Yum!
I just made this bread, it is amazing looking, very big loaves. I normally just make the beginners white bread on the Fleischmans website and they were never very big loaves. Cannot wait to taste it Thank you for a great recipe!
Wow. Fantastic. I have been buying white bread from local store all my life. After reading the article, feels like I should give this a try and if successful, stop buying from outside. BTW, very lovely snaps. Thanks.
I’ve tried making this recipe several times and follow the directions perfectly. But my bread always comes out very dense inside
Brandi, maybe you are pressing the dough too hard or rolling it too tightly? Just a guess…???
I made this today, and it was great! By far the prettiest loaf of white bread to ever come out of my oven! Just wanted to thank you.
I’d love to start making my own bread. I enjoy it so much more than the store bought stuff!
Kari
http://www.sweetteasweetie.com
Michelle do you think this recipe will work for making cinnamon raisin bread?
Hi Tracey, Sure, I don’t see why not! Just spread the filling on after you shape it into a rectangle, then roll it up and proceed as directed.
I just finished making cinnamon buns with this dough, perfect! This recipe made 3, 9″ cake pans of buns and one 8″ round loaf for dinner tonight.
This white bread is seriously perfect! Love the photos.
I never thought of slicing the bread before you freeze it. What a great idea. That way you only use what you need!
Fresh milled wheat is best. My kids could not have the preservative calcium propionate which is in bread products. Using commercial white flour (and wheat) is like eating elmers glue to your colon. So many vitamins in wheat leach out after 72 hours of being milled. Mill your own flour, if you’re going to make you’re own bread. Then you can add beans and lentils for added protein!! Make Ezekiel Bread! Best grilled cheese ever!!
I have 2 loaves in the oven now -they look beautiful and smell divine! The kids will be home from school soon, and I bet they’ll be devoured!
Hi, for some reason the sides and bottom of the loaf turned out white and not golden. Why is that?
Do you think I’d be okay using a 4 1/2 by 8 1/2 pan?
Hi Lisa, I would not recommend it… it’s a lot of dough and this makes huge loaves, even in the bigger loaf pans. I’m always hesitant to use the larger loaf pan because I’ve been scarred by short, squat loaves, but was pleasantly surprised with this recipe!
For a 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch loaf, just divide this dough into 3 pieces instead of 2, and proceed to shape and bake as normal :)
I was just thinking that I will try three smaller loaves next time. I had a hard time figuring out how to store the two I baked today—they were huge! (Haven’t actually tried them yet, either, but they smelled good!)
I am going to make this TODAY. Question though…I broke the dough hook on my kitchen aid eons ago. Since then I’ve taken to using my bread machine to mix and knead the dough and then I take it out and let it rise per recipe instructions. Do you think this would work ok? My bread machine calls for wet ingredients first then dry and then mixes them. I’m not very experienced with bread so want to make sure this process won’t change the outcome of this beautiful recipe of yours? Also, is it possible to make this into more of a baguette by shaping the dough out onto a cookie sheet? Thank you!
Hi Juli, I’ve never used a bread machine, so I can’t give you a 100% guarantee, but I think it should work. This recipe uses instant (i.e. bread machine) yeast, so there shouldn’t be a problem. As for shaping it into a baguette, I honestly don’t know if that would work, as this is definitely formulated to rise high and be a very soft, light bread. I’m not sure it would hold its shape in a free-form loaf.
Just FYI for those who have a 5 qt Artisan mixer, 9 cups of flour was DEFINITELY too much for my mixer. I ended up having to knead the last cup of flour by hand. My loaves just came out of the oven and (sadly) aren’t as pretty as yours, but hopefully they taste great! My go-to bread is actually the one from the recipe book that came with my mixer, it’s yet to fail me!
Hi Camille, Thanks so much for sharing your feedback using a 5 quart mixer! I hope you love the bread!
Will I ruin it if I use margarine instead of real butter?
Hi Elines, I don’t think so, but I’ll add the disclaimer that I haven’t tried it.
I’ve been using lard for 2 rounds of this recipe. Turned out fine. Ive been trying to figure out a way to get these a little more moist and last longer.
YUM! This looks amazing! You can’t go wrong with a fluffy white bread—especially one that’s easy to make! I know my family would love this. Esp for grilled cheese sandwiches! Thanks for sharing.
Have used other White American Sandwich recipes before with great success. Can’t wait to try this one. Have you tried this with a preferment? Some experts say it is a waste of time with soft white breads and was wondering what your opinion was.
Hi John, I have not tried this with a preferment, and I honestly don’t think it’s necessary for a recipe like this.
Hi.
Any chance that this can be made at high altitude? I live at 8,000 feet and have only perfected one bread recipe.
Thanks so much.
Hi Tammi, I don’t live at high altitude, but here are some tips from King Arthur Flour (they are my go-to resource with everything bread!) – http://www.kingarthurflour.com/learn/high-altitude-baking.html (the section on yeast baking is the whole way at the bottom)
That looks so soft! I mostly stick to sourdough, but I want to try a sandwich bread one of these days ?
Looks awesome! I´m quite afraid (yeast dought is not my friend), but I have to try it :-).
Hi Michelle, This is a great recipe for the yeast-averse. I feel like it’s pretty much fail-proof. One of the times I made it, both rises went wayyyyyy past doubled due to toddler naps and bedtimes and I was afraid the dough was going to collapse on itself and be a disaster. Nope! It still baked up perfectly!
Can this be made with Whole Wheat Flour instead of AP Flour?
Hi Patricia, No, I would not recommend using whole wheat flour in place of AP flour. At the most you would want to substitute only 25%, but I have a great whole wheat sandwich bread recipe that I highly recommend!
https://www.browneyedbaker.com/whole-wheat-sandwich-bread-recipe/
I very rarely eat bread anymore and when I do it has to be homemade. This looks flawless! After trying it, I don’t think anyone could go back to store bought.
I can’t believe there’s no milk in this bread! And all things considered, very little butter given it makes 2 huge loaves! Wow, this is the best looking white bread I have ever seen! Truly gorgeous, Michelle!
I don’t think I can fit baking bread into my day today (like I did the stovetop mac & cheese), but this will be tried in the next several days for sure! I love the process of baking bread and the smell of it baking. Kneading yeast dough and getting your hands “in” the dough adds to the anticipation of the finished baked loaves :) (which is why a failed loaf is so much the disappointment for me). We’ve drastically cut back on carbs too, so I haven’t baked bread in some time. For this recipe, though, I will sacrifice :)) Here’s are questions: would the 4 1/2 teaspoons of yeast be 2 packets? with 9 c of flour maybe it’s 3 packets? and what do you think about rapid rise vs regular active dry yeast for this recipe? which do you use and recommend? Thanks, Michelle!
It’s a hockey night! Go PENS! :)
Hi Michelle! Yes, 4 ½ teaspoons is two packets (I just updated the recipe to reflect this). I like rapid rise because it makes for quick rise time. After reading a ton about active dry vs instant on the KAF website, it seems that for most recipes not using a bread machine the two are interchangeable, just that it takes active dry yeast a longer time to get started, so the rise times are a bit longer. If you want to use active dry, just make sure it’s activated in step #1 before continuing, and know that the rising may take a little longer than the times listed above. Enjoy! And GO PENS! (What a crazy game on Saturday night!)
i measured out the packages of yeast I use. They are around 4 teaspoon a package. I suppose it depends where you are buying your yeast. I use hydronated water in my yeast, it seems to make the yeast work better
One packet of yeast = .25 ounces…(POINT 25) OR 2 1/4 teaspoons ( TWO and A QUARTER)
Nine-ten cups of flour quite a bit for a standard mixer, isn’t it?
And most of the bread recipes I use call for 3-1/2 cups per loaf, so 9-10 for two would be too many?
Hi Joe, I have a 6-quart KitchenAid and it did just fine with the flour, but if you have a smaller mixer and are concerned about how it will handle the dough, you may want to knead by hand. Keep in mind that you may not use all of that flour, as well, as I noted in the recipe.
I have/had an older sunbeam mixer and I only used 7.5 cups of flour and it killed my mixer . 2 expensive loaves of bread , it better taste good .
Almost two years to re-comment and it was equally as rude as your first comment.
Clearly your mother didn’t bother to teach you any manners. If you honestly think that 3 dollars worth of flour is expensive you probably shouldn’t be making bread.
Megan: I think he is talking about the Sumbeam mixer that broke when he was making the bread and not the flower when he said the loaves were expensive as he will need to get a new mixer!
If you think making two loaves of bread at once is too much for your mixer, simply half it to one loaf. The 1st time I used this recipe I happened to use almost 8 cups, the the last few times I have used a little more than 8 cups. Her buffer is accurate and the instructions are easy to reference. Pour flour in small amounts until the dough looks right.
Yes I also think the 9 cups flour seems alot…most recipes I see says at the most 6 cups
I will be trying this recipe this week! Looks great.
What bread pans are you using?
Hi Amy, I use the Williams-Sonoma Goldtouch Loaf Pans! (I use the 1.5 lb pan for this recipe)
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/387661480404599736/
Here is a link to Lion House Rolls on Pinterest I made these a while back and they are huge and delicious. Give them a try, they would be amazing at one of your Sunday dinners.
Hi Barbara, Thanks for sharing, I haven’t made rolls in ages, would love to try them!
Hi Michelle,
Thanks for the “favorite white bread recipe.” It is the best recipe I have yet tried. I do all the cooking as a caregiver for my wife who is fighting against a GIST intestinal cancer, so anything good-tasting and healthful I make that she can keep down and enjoy is a real victory, and this has been just great! This has become my go-to bread recipe. Thanks again,
Mike