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!
This is my go to bread recipe now as it comes out great like every time I make it. However I’ve found that I can’t put it on the lowest rack because it burns the bottom of the loaf too quickly. I guess my oven is just different to yours, but adjusting for that it comes out great!
I forget to wish you and your family Happy. New Year 2017. With. God blessing
Today is the 3of January 2017 I use your recipe and my bread turn out very soft and light I have been looking for a bread recipe for some time thank you very much
I did a little change in my measurement i add 7cups of flour instead of 9to 10cups and it turn out beautiful sorry about that I love to bake so I will looking for other recipes thank you again
I forget to mention that I am living in Canada
Amazing ! I printed this 6 months ago. Finally made it today! Super happy with the recipe and the directions. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. Love that I didn’t have thave special bread flour. The butter brushed on it gave the crust amazing flavor, I don’t think anyone could turn their nose up at it. Happy New Year!
I have to say this is a stand-out recipe. I halved it, made it completely by hand (no stand mixer), and the loaf came out exactly as pictured. It is dense enough to hold up to spreads but tender and light enough to eat completely plain. Given the fact that I’m an inexperienced bread maker, I’d say this is as close to fool-proof as you can get. This will be my new go-to, as I agree that many of the big brands from the store are full of all kinds of “ingredients” I don’t want. I’d love a whole wheat version, if you’re up to it. :)
Thank you so much!
I received a gift of a Kitchenaid Pro stand mixer, and have been trying several recipes. I used this one, and thought there was an error in the amount of water, but followed directions exactly. I never got the dough to smooth and after adding several more cups of flour, managed to get the very very sticky dough into the bowl to rise. Getting it out of the bowl and onto the board required more flour on the board than I have ever used, and more flour on top of the super sticky dough. Finally got it shaped into loaves and into the oven. As the proof of the pudding is in the eating, I am very much concerned about final rise in the oven, texture and flavor of the loaves. Surely I read something wrong or there’s an error in the liquid measure?
Hi Mary, Oh no! It does sound like there was a mis-measurement, because this dough is in no way sticky. In most instances, I never use the full amount of flour.
One of the reasons for using “instant yeast” is that you can skip the step of proofing the yeast in water…you just need to add the instant yeast in with the flour. If you are not sure if your yeast is “alive”, then you could certainly proof it. Also, if you are looking for that nice tall loaf of bread, adding a couple tablespoons of instant dried milk, and/or a tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar will help. The vinegar or lemon juice, because they are acidic breaks down the sugar, making it more readily available as food for the yeast. You will not taste the vinegar.
General rule of thumb for using the smaller bread pan, 4 l/2 x 8 is recipe that calls for 3 cups of flour. If your recipe calls for more than 3 cups, use the larger size pan.
Many bakers don’t like using the spray type oil for greasing pans, because they contain so many chemicals. If you bake a lot of bread, you might want to try making your own. This is called “pan grease” To make your own, mix equal amounts of flour, oil and shortening. I put this in my Kitchen Aid, and using the paddle attachment, just beat for several minutes until smooth and well incorporated. It is not necessary to refrigerate this, as all of the ingredients do not require refrigeration.
Hope this information helps.
I got a new Kitchen Aid stand mixer for Christmas, so naturally I had to make bread (for the first time)! I made this recipe but since I only had an 8 x 4 loaf pan, I halved the recipe, then split the dough in two and baked separately since I only had one pan. The bread itself is DELICIOUS but it didn’t come out quite like I had planned. The loaves were not as big, tall and fluffy as I had anticipated, but then again my dough amounts weren’t very big since I halved the recipe then divided it by two to bake. The bread was a little on the short side, not rising above the edge of the pan. The texture was a bit dense. Once I took it out of the pan, I thought “This is a little heavy and feels a little dense…” And it was (but still so yummy). The outside of the bread was golden brown but a little more crispy than I thought it would be, but I love a good crusty bread with a soft inside so this didn’t bother me. I’m not sure if I used too much flour…? Since I halved the recipe, I measured up to 4.5 cups of flour and used all but around 3 T. The bread itself is so yummy but all in all, not what I had anticipated. Any feedback on how I can get those tall, beautiful, fluffy, sandwich loaves like you did? I’m planning on making this again (with full sized pans!) so I look forward to any feedback!
Hi Kirstie, If you halved the recipe, I probably would have baked just one loaf instead of two, even though you had an 8×4 loaf and not the 9×5. I’m guessing this is why your loaves were so squat and dense.
This is my no-fail go-to recipe for white bread. I’ve tried others but have been disappointed, unlike with this one. I never need the full amount of flour, eight cups usually does it, and I have a five quart kitchen aid mixer. I do mine in the two balls per pan version instead of the single rolled tube. Love this classic, thank you!
Love it.It is the best bread ever !!!Thank you!Thank you!!!Thank you!!!
Tonight is the second time in a week I have made this. We use one loaf a day. It is very good. My family likes and prefers this over store bought any day.
Came acrossed this recipe n wanted you to know its awesome best recipe I have ever found for bread n I have been baking all my life I am 54 yrs old n it’s wonderful for dinner rolls too thank you for posting this n GOD Bless you
The most amazing white bread recipe ever!!! Quick question, if I use one of the loaves for rolls what would be the baking time and temperature? Thanks again.
This bread looks amazing! Do you think it would be okay to split it into small rolls?
Hi Katy, Yes, I think that this recipe would work just fine for rolls. It’s a super forgiving recipe!
Hi. You said you never use the bread maker before but do you think that it could handle it all in one (kneading, proofing and baking) if I halved the recipe to fit?
Hi Sara, I’m not sure what the size restriction is for bread machines. I would assume that it could handle at least one loaf, though!
Halve the recipe, sift the flour before measuring and use
3 1/2 cups, set for 2lb medium brown.
Sara, did you try it in the bread machine? I just got one and wanting to try this recipe in it. Want a light, soft, sandwich bread.
Hi there,
Just made 1/2 of this recipe in my Sunbeam 2-lb max bread machine and it came out perfectly! HUGE loaf and SO tastey!
Made two of these loaves yesterday and yes, they are about the best white sandwich bread anyone could want. I made two changes worth sharing: subbed 4T honey for the sugar (it improves the keeping quality of the bread), and after greasing the loaf pans I coated them heavily with untoasted raw sesame seeds. Then mopped the uncooked loaves with egg wash and coated the tops heavily with more seeds. If you have sesame lovers like mine in your house, these will make the best toast you can imagine. The baking and proofing times were spot-on for my loaves. Thanks Michelle, this recipe’s a real keeper.
I made a half recipe. It was delicious. How did you get your bread so white? Is it the brand of flour or something else? Also how do you get those beautiful thin slices in the picture please? Are you using a bread slicer? Thanks for your help.
Hi Kat, I’m so happy you liked the bread! As for white, I didn’t do anything? I use King Arthur Flour unbleached all-purpose flour. I don’t have a bread slicer, I just used my 10-inch Wusthof bread knife. I’m notoriously awful as slicing bread, so it was a miracle that they look halfway decent!
Love, love, LOVE this recipe!! I have been trying for ages to find the perfect white bread recipe that wouldn’t give me short, dense loaves and your recipe did not disappoint! It’s by far the best I have made and I can tell you now that my search for the elusive white bread recipe is now over…sigh of relief :) I used active yeast and found that I didn’t need to let it rise any longer than you noted and my loaves were HUGE! I found it easier to cut them upside down – go figure!
Thanks again for sharing so many wonderful recipes!
Hi Michelle,
Really looking fwd to baking this awesome bread !!
Could I cut the recipe in half though ?
Hi Maya, Yes, I mentioned that in Note #1 in the recipe.
This bread tuned out great. Thank you very much. I’ve added 3 tablespoons of 12% cream to make it “milkier” and whiter. That’s the best sandwich bread ever :)
I made this today as my first trial with bread making and it could not have been easier or come out better! It was light and fluffy and delicious! I am never buying store bread again! My only question is have you ever tried adding wheat gluten to the recipe? I’ve heard good things about wheat gluten but like I said I’m new at this and I don’t want to ruin this awesome recipe! Thank you so much for posting this recipe!
Wheat flour (aka all-purpose flour) contains a lot of gluten, so in my opinion there’s no need to add more. And truthfully speaking, I do not think there is such a product as pure gluten in stores to buy and actually add to anything. More people tend to avoid gluten owing to various food allergies than increase its quantity. :)
Hi Kyli, I’ve never used wheat gluten, so I’m not sure what it would do to the recipe. Sorry I couldn’t be of more help!
Absolutely not needed in this bread, and actually not needed in any bread. Wheat gluten is mostly just for the convenience of commercial bakers to shorten their kneading/proofing times and adds nothing to a good homemade bread.
I used unbleached bread flour (13% protein) when I made these loaves and their crumb & texture were terrific.
White flour has enough gluten and does not need any added. Vital wheat gluten is used with flours that contain very little gluten to help yeast dough to rise. I have made spelt bread the spelt flour contains very little gluten so dosen’t rise well that is when vital wheat gluten is used.
Made this bread and it is amazing, good, rises high. I used best for bread flour and added 1/4 cup mashed potatoes, made 3 bread, well they overflowed pans. Next time will make 4 breads. They tasted awsome but a mess to clean overflow. Made then second time with all purpose flour and were amazing and rose high in 3 pans with AP flour worked great.
I made this yesterday and it was absolutely delicious! Thank you for a great recipe!
I made bread for the first time and I am proud it turn out great. My son loved it. The buttry hard top taste great with the soft inside. Definitely going to make more.
I find us having more bread now that we have a little one. I am still seeking out the best homemade white bread. Will have to try this one ASAP. Thanks for sharing!
I made this bread, and I really liked it, especially the soft texture, and how high it was! We ate one loaf fresh, and the other is in the freezer, and it makes very yummy toast! Thank you for sharing this recipe!
I have made dozens of bread recipes and yes some were from this site. I just want to say I find this bread to be Amazing!!! It indeed does raise very high, the texture is soft, it is easy to cut without falling apart and last but not least the taste is so so good. I have spoiled myself by baking bread, I can no longer make toast using store bought bread..to me it tastes disgusting.
This is my new go to recipe that I will use as a constant. I even made a sandwich with it and didn’t have to rinse it down with a fluid. The texture is wonderful. Thank you so much for sharing!!
I made this and it turned out to be the best bread ever. Absolutely delicious.
I made one loaf and a dozen buns.
Just tasted my first bite of this bread. It’s perfect! Lightly crisp crust and soft and tender on the inside. I halved the recipe. I needed an extra quarter-ish cup of flour more than the recipe called for, but I think that had to do with the weather (it rained last night, so there was probably a lot of moisture in the air). It may also be my measuring method varies from yours, I suppose. Either way, it turned out great. Thanks for the recipe.
Hi can u help me with ingredients lesser in quantity for beginners.I tried making bread twice but failed in my attempt.can v use dry yeast? Can v use hand blender???
Hi, im very much intrested in baking bread but my 2 attempts were failed. Plz help me with lesser measurements for beginners. shall I used hand blender to mix the dough.im using dry yeast. Can you guide activating it also
Hi Nandhu, You can halve the recipe to only make one loaf (just cut the ingredient amounts in half). I would not use a hand mixer for this… instead, I would stir with a wooden spoon and then knead by hand. If you use active dry yeast instead of instant yeast, dissolve it in the warm water and allow it to sit for 5 to 10 minutes until dissolved and a little bubbly. In addition, your rise times will be longer than those given above for the instant yeast.
This may sound silly, but when rolling the dough into a cylinder I have a fear that it will come out looking like a cinnamon roll! This bread looks wonderful and I want to try it first thing tomorrow…but was curious why you roll it like that?
Hi Lexi, Not at all, as you can see! Just roll it up nice and tight… it’s the method I see most often for shaping loaves of bread dough!