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 tried making this and by the time I added 7 cups of flour total, the dough just started crumbling and falling apart. Any ideas what might be hapoening there?
Hi Daniel, That’s really strange; are you sure you added all of the water? I could see if you’re in a dry environment, the dough might not need more flour, but for it to crumble and fall apart is very odd.
Just made this now and it is the most INCREDIBLY delicious bread I think I’ve ever made!! I, too, have made lots of different recipes and had some favorites – but this blows them out of the park. Can’t recommend this one highly enough. Thanks for sharing this recipe! I will be making this a lot more! Just for the record, I actually halved it as just wanted to try one loaf first and it worked perfectly halved.
Hi Katrina, So happy to hear how much you love this bread!
I have baked bread all my life (raised on a farm) this is by far the easiest recipe and one of the most tasty!
When I make it I divide the dough and make cinnamon rolls for the next morning! Awesome recipe! As a matter of fact my dough is rising at this moment.
Hope everyone enjoys it as much as I do!
That’s such an amazing compliment, thanks so much for sharing your feedback Kevin! So thrilled that you’re enjoying the bread and love the tip on making cinnamon rolls with half of the dough!
I’ve made this bread two times and about to make the third. My whole family loooovvees 💟💟this bread!!!!!!!! 🍞🍞🍞So fluffy!!! and so soft! Thanks for sharing this recipe!
I don’t have any comment but I would like to know what if I use vegetable oil in the place of butter
I’ve never tried to use vegetable oil; you definitely won’t get that buttery flavor that is present in the bread, but otherwise I’m not sure how the texture might be affected.
I made this recipe and it still came out dense :(
This bread came out so good even with all the flour I had to use.
Do you think I should less water? It seemed like to much.
Hi Ellie, So glad you enjoyed it! As long as the consistency was correct, I wouldn’t change the water. There are so many variables affecting how much flour you’ll need – temperature, humidity level in your house, etc. I seem to always need to add more in the summer and less in the winter. I would leave the water amount as-is and adjust the flour on a case-by-case basis to get the dough to the correct consistency each time.
At this moment it is rising (first rise). I followed your recipe to a tee but I had to add MORE flour so don’t know what the final product will be. I use unbleached flour though so don’t know if that makes a difference or not.
I dont know what I did wrong. Mine is like a brick 💔💔💔💔
Hi Michelle,
I intend to try your recipe tomorrow. The bread looks amazing and delicious. I am wondering if I halve the recipe do I need to adjust the oven temperature as well?
Thanks, Reji
If you halve the recipe, keep the oven temperature and baking time the same. Enjoy! :)
So I couldn’t wait to try this and as a result I own no 9inch loaf pans. I do have a 9×12 pan that’s 2.5 inches high and was wondering if I could do the loaf in that? I assume it would dome and be like those giant round crusty rolls minus the crusty part? If not I will go to plan b….foil in the middle to keep the loaves seperate.
Hi Jade, I’m really not sure how a 9×12 would work since you’d be making basically one huge slab of bread.
I have never made bread in my life and it turned out so good!! So happy I found this site! I did use bread flour since I bought it before I found the recipe and it still worked. I also had to finish kneading the dough by hand since my kitchen aid mixer was too small for all the flour it called for, but that was for the last cup of flour and took me about a minute or so to finish. Really tasted great!
White bread recipe everything you said with the ease of making perfect loaves. I was hooked on your Italian bread that I have made probably 30 times already. This will be my go to for sandwich bread, lovely soft loaves, Golden brown and oh so aromatic. Thanks you for this recipe!
I made this recipe a week ago and it was delicious….I am making it again this week!
Why disr my head raise up and become to fluffy and airy.out Sude if that I love it
That is supposed to say airy and fluffy
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! I too, have been on the hunt for the perfect simple white bread recipe. This one is 4th recipe I’ve tried and it will now be my one and only. I love the tutorial video. It really took the fear out of baking bread. (I am new to baking bread). The other recipes I’ve tried, bread was a bit too dry or a bit too doughy. Others were just not yummy. This one is soft on the inside and perfectly crusty enough on the outside. It tastes AMAZING! I read some reviews and would like to say, this recipe is a must try. Don’t hesitate because your stand mixer is too small. My stand mixer is too small for a 2 loaves capacity so I attempted this all by hand. And to my surprise, it turned out perfect. As for the amount of flour, follow the recipe, 5 cups of flour and really add 1/2 cup at a time until dough is not sticking to sides of bowl. (I mixed and kneaded by hand in a huge bowl) I ended up using a total of 7.5 cups of flour in order to achieve the sticky but not tacky dough. It’s winter here and the air is pretty dry. I covered my bowl and pans with seran wrap and a tea towel. 1st rise took about 1.5 hours, 2nd rise just 45 mins.
This bread is a hit already. We love eating this bread warm with butter. My kids love it with PBJ and or with deli cuts. Thanks again for the recipe!! :)
I meant *tacky but not sticky. : )
This was the fastest easiest most delicious white bread I ever made. Try it you will love it!!
This bread is delicious! My 5qt Kitchenaid mixer did just fine with it too. This bread is amazing with grilled cheese!! My kids and hubby are big fans!
Made the bread, easy and straight forward, reduced the flour quantity to 8 cups ( stated not necessary to use all the 10cups) and water amount the same and turned out perfectly well. Also reduced the salt (2tsp) and sugar (1/3) quantity.
Best bread recipe I have tried…….
This is my go to white bread recipe. Best one on line
I followed the recipe and… 7 cups of flour and it was still sticky and tacky. It wasn’t soft and definitely needed to either wet my hands or use more flour or use by silicone scraper to get the dough out of the mixer’s bowl without being covered in sticky dough. I let it rise and it was still a mess. I used more flour to be able to handle the dough and roll it into a rectangle to make a loaf. It was nearly impossible and after baking it, it definitely doesn’t look like yours. I probably could have used 9 cups of flour, but that seemed excessive for only 2 loaves. I thought the water to flour ratio was off, but I thought I’m not professional so maybe.. and I also felt that the amount of yeast was a lot considering it was only 2 loaves. I know a little goes a long way with yeast.
Bottom line is: what did I do wrong? Did you write a typo? Is it possible this only works if you don’t let the yeast proof and just add all the ingredients at once. Help. I want it to work and I have no idea why it didn’t.
For reference, I’ve baked a lot of bread and doughs. I’ve baked well over 100 loaves including challah, Amish white bread, traditional white bread with potoato flour, laminated yeast dough, and more. Too many to name. So why, why didn’t it work? 🤷♀️
Hi Lori, I’m sorry this didn’t turn out well for you, but the problem was definitely using only 7 cups of flour; I’m not surprised it was a sticky mess. The recipe calls for 9 to 10 cups, which is what it needs to get to the correct consistency. There is no typo and you don’t need to do anything special to the yeast. If you actually follow the recipe, it will work (there are nearly 50 reviews on this recipe, all 5 stars).
Can I make the bread without the pan/form and just do it on the racks with baking paper
Hi Krista, I’ve never tried it like that, so I’m not sure how much it would spread vs rise.
I was gifted a ninja blender with a dough mixing attachment and a ninja auto iq cooking system (intelligent crock pot) so of course that had me searching bread recipes. I have never made bread before so I didn’t know what to expect. But reading your blog and the picture sold me.
THIS. RECIPE. IS. INCREDIBLE.
I cut the recipe in half in case I messed it up, which I’m known to do. I’m amazed with the turn out. After the majority of the cooking was done in the ninja cooking system the bread was a little to high to keep the lid on so I stuck it in the oven for 10 mins so it could give the top the golden brown it deserved.
As soon as I sliced it, half the bread was gone when I turned around. My family agreed this is going to ruin all other non bakery bread.
The crust is buttery and the inside is soft and fluffy. I couldn’t have asked for a better recipe. Thank you so much for putting the time and effort into posting this recipe. I can’t wait to make more! I may go do that right now!
Hi Ashley, Thanks so much for taking the time to stop back and share your review; it’s great to know that this recipe works with some alternative cooking methods, as well!
Has anyone tried this with active dry yeast? Thats all I have and I’m trying to avoid going out into the snow to get something different!
Hi Lauren, That should work just fine, it might just take a bit longer to raise than the times listed in the recipe.
I have been baking bread for quite a few years (I’m 71) but never knew how my bread would turn out from one time to the next….ometime it would rise other times it was like a brick. I recently lost my original recipe for white bread so I decided to look on the internet for another one and came across your recipe for ” My Favorite White Bread Recipe” and tried it. I have made many many loaves and it comes out PERFECT every single time!!!! I can’t believe it. My loaves are huge, very tender and light and delicious. I can’t thank you enough. Now it is “MY” favorite white bread recipe. Truly… I love homemade bread and love giving it away. I just printed another copy of this recipe since the first one is showing its wear and tear. One other thing, I tried making just one loaf and AGAIN it turned out perfect. YOU ARE AN ANGEL FOR SURE1
Hi Rebecca, I’m so glad you found and loved this bread! Thanks so much for taking the time to stop back and leave a review, it is much appreciated! :)
First time making bread and it was so easy and delicious! Thanks for the recipe!
You’re welcome Misty! So glad you enjoyed it!
I needed to do some hard thinking, so I tried this, but made it by hand. Truly delicious. Ended up with two beautiful loaves. I did need to add an additional half cup of flour. Thanks for publishing.
You’re welcome, Michelle! I’ve done it by hand as well, and it works out really well!
Oh my my…this is seriously the easiest and yummiest bread ever! Thank you for sharing. My family thanks you as well!
You’re very welcome! Thanks so much for the review!
I didn’t want to review this and ruin your great reviews, ’cause I think I’m the one that’s having troubles, and it’s not the recipe. I’ve made this recipe twice now. I halved it, first time I really messed up. I ended up with a brick that could not be consumed. Just now I made sure I had every ingredient halved properly, used 4.5 cups of flour only. It rose perfectly, baked to a golden brown, when I took it out of the oven, it’s still very heavy and looks very dense. Very doughy. I’m so sad. Took me months to get macarons right, I think I can do bread (everyone seems to be doing it) I just don’t get what I’m doing wrong.
Hi Leonie, Hmmm… are you baking at altitude by any chance? This is a super light and soft bread so I can’t figure out how it could turn out so dense.
Hi Michelle, thanks so much for replying. I am not baking at an altitude. I’m going to try again. Could I be over kneading it in my kitchenaid?
Hi Leonie, That could be… definitely just add enough flour and knead enough so that the dough is not quite sticky, but still tacky to the touch.