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!
I made this recipe today and, WOW, I can’t believe how big and fluffy the loaves are! This is the white bread recipe for which I have been searching. It is incredibly easy and comes together quickly. I used my kitchen aid to mix and knead it, but when the dough started climbing up the hook, I finished the kneading by hand. But, really, isn’t getting to knead soft, lovely dough by hand part of the fun of baking bread? I have plenty of the no-knead rustic loaves in my recipe file, but I was looking for a soft, fluffy white bread for PB&J; this definitely fits the bill! Aside from my loaves being slightly lop-sided (clearly I need to work on my shaping skills), they rose well and baked up beautifully! If I could attach a picture of them, I would. I can’t wait for my husband to come in so he can see/taste them. Delicious!!
I didn’t have any problem with the amount of flour, but I did weigh it rather than measure (so glad you give the weights). I used most of the flour, only leaving a scant cup unused. Also, I didn’t have two 9 inch loaf pans, so I used one 9″ and one 8″, I just cut off a small bit before rolling the loaf for the 8″ pan.
Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe!
You’re welcome Jacki! I’m so glad you enjoyed the bread and so appreciate you stopped back to share a review!
Best bread ever…not really a bread maker but turned out perfect!
Tasteless
I made 2 batches today; 2 plain loaves and 2 cinnamon! Can’t wait to try it!
I made the white bread, the recipe is absolutely delicious. Thank you! Love it!!!!
This truly is the best white bread recipe. I couldn’t stop eating it which isn’t so great but it is that good.
I’ve made this recipe several times and it’s well loved each time by my family! My loaf pans are a bit smaller, so I get three sweet mini loaves out of it. Thanks for the keeper recipe!
Now THAT’S a loaf! Beautiful oven-spring, gorgeous crust and structure. Tastes fantastic!
I have noticed a few comments stating that this recipe uses more flour than other white bread recipes do. This is the very reason I chose to bake this bread. It’s frustrating putting in all the effort [hand kneading ] and ending up with a good but, small loaf.
Wonderful flavor toasted or as a sandwich bread… Thank you very much for this recipe!
This bread is seriously amazing!!!! I halved the recipe and it still turned out great! The only thing I did differently which I suggest trying out is mixing honey with your melted butter for brushing on the bread before and after baking. Do not be intimidated by the amount of flour, your KitchenAid can handle it. Delicious!
Bread turned out great. However 10 cups of flour seemed like an awful lot for two loaves. So I divided it in to 3. Used 1 size smaller loaf pans amd voila!!
Simple ingredients with big taste! I’ve been scouring the web for an easy recipe and this is the best so far!!. The butter is the magic ingredient definitely. It gives a nice crisp on the outside without it falling apart as I had so often experienced with other recipes. I made a boo boo and added more water than necessary. However taste was not compromised at all. I ended up with 3 loaves and they all raised beautifully. My 8 years old couldn’t get enough . Thanks for sharing!
Made this in the afternoon and just finished eating this with leftover turkey. Made a killer sandwich. Easy recipe, very tasty, and very good toasted. Mine wasn’t as pretty as the pictures show, but it sure did taste good. Moved this to the top of my bookmarked bread recipes. Will definitely make again! Thanks Michelle!
Hi Christine, So thrilled to hear you loved the bread! Thanks so much for stopping back to share a review!
What happen to my bread if i change the unsalted butter to salted butter?
The bread will just be a bit saltier. You can always cut down on the salt in the recipe to account for that.
Thank you so much. I’m making bread for thanksgiving and they just came out of the oven. So beautiful and easy thank you again for this recipe is a keeper!
I am very excited about this recipe. The dough was very simple to make and what a lovely dough to work with! I made a loaf of bread and some cinnamon rolls with my first try and they turned out great! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
Michelle, you have outdone yourself once again. This bread is the easiest and tastiest white sandwich bread ever! And you’re right – so forgiving. My yeast had expired several months ago, and it still worked. My husband and I can’t get over how good this is. Also, I’m not really a fan of toast, but I am of THIS toast. Thanks for yet another foolproof recipe that makes me shine in the kitchen! :-)
Update in the New Year: I’ve now made this bread several times using different flours. I’ve mixed all-purpose wheat with any combination of whole grain wheat, spelt, rye, etc. It turns out beautifully every time. We love this bread as is, as toast, and as a grilled cheese/ham&cheese/you-name-it-combo! Such an excellent recipe – thank you so much for all the work you put into your recipes and posts, Michelle. :-)
Hi Betti, Thanks so much for sharing this update! So awesome to hear you’ve been enjoying so many different variations of the bread, super helpful for others!
Hi Michelle, I made this three times so far in as many days. You were absolutely right. BEST BREAD EVER!!!!
Easy to follow & makes a HUGE amount. My first from scratch bread and didn’t use a mixer, all by hand. It turned out delicious!! Thank you for sharing! I will make again soon.
Congratulations on your first bread from scratch!! So glad you enjoyed the bread :)
I just made this recipe and it is seriously amazing. I needed about 8 cups of flour and i split the dough into 3 loaves instead of 2. The loaves are tall and fluffy, the bread is buttery and soft and it is seriously delicious. I am making another batch (possibly 2 more, we shall see) and donating the loaves to a fundraising bake sale. They are going to be the star of the sale, i am sure.
What a fantastic idea to donate to a fundraising bake sale! So awesome to hear you loved the bread!
I don’t have unsalted butter; can salted butter be used? How would it affect the bread?
Hi Mary, Yes you can use salted, but you’ll just need to decrease the salt in the bread by a bit… I’d say cut it down to 2 teaspoons.
went browsing google tonight to make a simple yet delicious bread to go with a wonderful pot of home made beef stew. Bread bowls would have been nice I was thinking but I knew there wasn’t time for that. Thats when I came across this bread loaf recipe and I have to tell you that never ever have I seen thins kind of perfection in my breads. you know how you always follow the recipe to the letter and the instructions step by step and it just doesn’t look like you thought it should. Not with this pure joy making this one. Thank you so very much for this recipe. Truly amazing!!!
Aww that make me SO happy Cathy! I’m so glad you enjoyed the bread, and many thanks for taking the time to stop back and leave a review!
What do you mean by rotating them halfway through? And why does it matter?
Very excited to try this recipe! Thanks!
Hi Sarah, It means turning the pan around so the edge that was toward the front is now toward the back, and swapping the pans position. It helps to ensure they cook and brown evenly.
The kids and I love this recipe; thank you so much.
Hi, How do I print the recipe without the ad taking up space at the top of it? Thank you for your time
Hi Denise, I’m so sorry for that inconvenience, that shouldn’t be happening! I’ll work to get it fixed right away!
I have been trying to bake bread for 20 years with very little success. I ran across this recipe and thought I would try it out. Of course I imagined it would fail like all my other attempts and the finished product could be used as a weapon for a cannon ball. I started early thinking it would take all day and half of next year for me to keep trying to get it right. Boy howdy was I mistaken! I didn’t only succeed, my family and my neighbor loved it. I will be making this bread every week possibly. Now I can feed my small army of 8 kids and my wife and not give them that store bought stuff they pass off as bread! Thank you for sharing this!
Ahhh this makes me so, so happy Larry!! So thrilled that this recipe worked for you the first time and your family loved it!
Is it possible if I divide this recipe in half? Also, is it ok if I don’t use a machine to make this? Thanks!
Hi Katie, Yes to both! A half batch will work just fine, and I’ve made it by hand before. Enjoy! :)
This recipe is delicious and simple. My kids are begging me to make all my own bread now instead of buying it at the store. Texture, taste and look are all perfect.
Amazing! Light and fluffy crumb. The crust of my bread began to burn pretty early, so next time I will lower to the next level down on my oven rack. I suspect this was due to the fact that I let it rise a bit too long, and the bread was pretty tall going in. The melted butter at the end helped soften it a bit. I sliced it and put it in my freezer for homemade bread all week long!
So happy to hear you loved the bread! As for the top burning, you’ll see in step #5 you should be using the lowest rack in your oven. That should help in the future!
This bread is exquisite! Huge loaves. excellent taste. I can never remember baking anything that made my house smell so good – and it tastes as good as it smells. And, to top it all off, it is easy to make.. Thanks for such a great recipe.
So great to hear you enjoyed the bread Mary! :)
Can you make this bread not having a hook attachment on your mixer? If so, how please.
Hi Diane, Yes definitely! I’ve made it by hand many times. You can just stir it together using a wooden spoon, then turn it out and knead it by hand.