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!
If l dont have a dough hook can l mix by hand.And how long should l mix.
Great recipe. I used traditional yeast and adjusted ratio and time to rise. Fantastic loaves!
I cut sugar in half and used bread flour. Bread rose wonderfully, slices well, tastes fantastic. My new sandwich bread recipe. No more overpriced, gummy, limp, store bread for my family.
I simply love this bread. I have tried around 10 other sandwich bread recipes, including 2 sourdough, but this sandwich bread is by far the best and most delicious of them. Store bought can not even compair. I have once made the mistake of not book marking the page, and have now finally managed to find it again.. never losing it out of sight.
I find it best to use less flour (around 100 g) and a only 75%. Of the sugar.. so yummy!
I found this recipe and love it, but in the precise of moving twice I couldn’t find it. I kept checking on the internet but nothing came up. This morning I thought I will check one more time and as soon as I seen browneyedbaker I knew I found it. Glad I found it again. Do you have a sour dough recipe. My step son would love it if I could make him some. If so can you email me the recipe. Thank you so much.
This bread is perfection and will be my go-to from now on! The recipe came together easily, it rose and baked wonderfully, and the taste was great. I made one as a sandwich loaf and then made a stuffed bread with the other, both were great.
Is the 400f in a fan forced oven?
After trying a few bread recipes, I decided to try this one. I have made a lot of loaves with this recipe.My mixer will make 3 loaves at a time. But 2 is a lot easier.Have 2 loaves expanding now.This is a great simple recipe.I bake it at 375. The crust turns out softer.
Was so excited to find this recipe again. For me, the full recipe is too much for my mixer, so I halve it and still get 2 loaves (my pans might be a bit small). We eat one immediately and freeze one. Hubby wants me to put herbs and cheese on the outside next time.
great recipie turns out perfect every time!
I have been making this bread for many months now. It is the only white bread that I eat. I absolutely love the texture and taste. Thank you so much for sharing this delicious and detailed recipe. I will never buy bread from the grocery store again!
Oh, my stars! I have made white loaf bread before but this is by far the greatest recipe that I have ever used. It is unbelievable; in fact, it is so delicious that I am going to run off with one hot loaf and some melted butter and, if anybody asks, I will say that the recipe just made one loaf of bread. 🥴
Valerie
My family loves this bread! So easy to make. Easy directions. Being able to bake homemade bread fresh out of the oven for toast and eggs at breakfast, grilled cheese for lunch ( Or peanut butter and homemade jelly) to fresh hot bread and butter with dinner. This soft tasty bread recipe is my go to family favorite!
Excellent go-to! I usually hand mix because my standard KitchenAid mixer can’t handle the volume – dough climbs right over the dough hook. I split into three loaves (medium pans, 8.5″x4.5″ by Wilton) for more manageable sandwiches and freeze the extra until we need it. I have forgotten the room temperature butter (toddler distraction) before and it was still fine, but definitely superior with butter added in. I find the smaller loaves need a shorter bake closer to 20min, and if the tops are getting too dark I like to knock my oven down 25°F to finish the bake. Thanks for the recipe!
I made this recipe! it had good flavor ,but I halved the recipe in case I didn’t like it, and i let it raise too long. so i will try it again. I think if I would have checked it before it raised too much it would have been very good . I love the frozen bread dough as home made bread, and that is the consistency I’m looking for. However the price jumped from around 5.oo for 5 loafs to over 7.oo for 5 loafs. i was baking this instead of buying bread , but the cost is too high now.
Love these recipes
This is the best, easiest bread recipe ever
Hello there, I have tried this a number of times and ending up with a batter more than a dough. the ¾ cup (820 ml) + 2⅔ cups warm water, divided is confusing me really bad. is the 820 + 158 added together is 978 of water in total? Do you have a video of how you make this bread? or could you please explain this in dummy terms? I am in Australia and a novice at this but would really love to be able to make this and these measurements are confusing me, please help me?. Thank you
Hello, fellow bread maker! The ¾ cup is just to bloom the yeast. So your first step should have only the ¾ cup plus the 4.5 tsp of yeast. Then you add the 2⅔ cups warm water with the sugar (I use honey instead) and then the first 5 cups flour, salt and butter. After it’s mixed a bit, v then you mix in the rest of the flour a bit as a time as it kneads with the dough hook. Hope that helps!
I have tried a few bread recipes and this one was very easy and taste wonderful thank you so much for sharing. I see the nutritional value…. And it says per serving but what is a serving is it one slice per serving?
Made this for the first time today. Huge loaves but wondering if I did something wrong because it made 3 loaves not 2. Very soft and light crumb and nice tight dough. My 5 quart mixer was able to get things started but I had to do a lot of the kneading by hand. 9×5 pans with high dome on all three. The only thing I did different was using fresh yeast instead of dry. Followed the directions reguarding amount. The only thing I would recommend is more flavor. Could mean more salt or possibly build a preferment/sponge. Thanks Michelle.
Make this bread all the time. Never fails. Everyone loves it. Only recipe I use.
trying this bread very soon.
I just made this recipe and WOW!!! Absolutely the best bread recipe ever! Thank you for sharing!!!
So delicious! & Makes great French toast.
Could this recipe be used to make buns? What about rolled buns, like a cheese pinwheel?
Great recipe! I’ve made many breads, but never sandwich bread. This recipe was easy and my bread turned out perfectly. With my favorite store-bought bread running $5 a loaf, I can easily make this and cut it as thin or thick as I’d like! Thank you for posting.
Have made this recipe 2 times now and about to make it again but doubling the recipe so I can give it to friends family love the bread even more then other breads I have made using other recipes
I make this bread recipe for our family on a continual basis. I tried freezing it once and it dried out. Do you have a preferred method on freezing homemade bread? Thank you!
Hi Andreya, When I freeze this, I wrap in a double layer of plastic wrap, then foil, and place in a ziploc freezer bag. I hope that helps!
This has become my go to bread recipe. I make it every Sunday afternoon. It’s the best recipe I have tried.
I’ve made white bread before, but I have to say that this recipe is perfect. Chewy, but not too chewy. Airy, but not too airy. Light, but not too light. Like I said, perfect! I don’t know if it is the 3 tablespoons of room temperature butter in the dough, but the flavor is outstanding. This is now my “go-to” recipe when I make white bread, and I have already added this recipe to my Favorites. Thank you.
So I’m up in altitude and I’d have to say this recipe is amazing, the bread wasn’t too dence, the crumble was good and the instructions on how to cook it was perfect even with how hard it is to cook in a oven, the bread even had risen perfectly. At the end the slice was perfect with apple butter!
Aloha Michelle, Thank you so much for sharing your White Bread recipe!! My loafs came out WONDERFUL!! BEAUTIFULLY GOLDEN BROWN 🤗 Thanks for all the tips too. I’m very excited about trying your other recipes. We are usually Wheat folks but the white was very Yummy.