Soft and delicious, with just a touch of sweetness, and not at all like flimsy store-bought white bread, this homemade white bread recipe is easy and it’s made with simple ingredients.
Here’s all you need to know about making the perfect loaf of Homemade Bread (White Bread)!
There’s something deeply satisfying about a slice of white bread. And when that white bread goodness is homemade? The best! Plus, I LOVE the smell of freshly baked bread. I’ve been making Homemade Bread (White Bread) for about 15 years now, and I’ve made it so often that I can make this white bread recipe without measuring the ingredients now. And the more you make it, a better feel you get for it, and you’ll instinctively know what your bread dough is supposed to feel like.
Why you should be making this white bread loaf recipe!
- Make no mistake, this homemade bread recipe is simple to make.
- Incredibly soft and delicious, with just a touch of sweetness, it’s easily the best white bead I’ve ever tasted!
- Really substantial, unlike the sad, flimsy store-bought white bread.
- It’s free of all the sodium and preservatives of store-bought bread, and it’s made with simple ingredients. What’s not to love?
- This recipe provides STEP BY STEP instructions, on how to make the perfect loaf of bread
I guarantee you’ll never want to go back to store-bought white bread after tasting this!
What is classic white bread made with?
Delicious white bread is traditionally made with just,
- Flour
- Water
- Yeast
- Honey
- Salt
- Butter (or some other type of fat)
However, I also like to add a little citric acid (or vinegar) as well. This is optional, but it achieves two things.
- The acidity helps keep the bread soft. It apparently helps with preserving the bread too, but the amount I add in this recipe may likely not have an appreciable impact on this.
- Citric acid adds a little sourness to the bread loaf as well, much like the acidity in sourdough gives it that characteristic “sourness”. The citric acid adds an extra depth of flavor to the this classic white bread recipe too. But the sourness here isn’t as pronounced as with sourdough.
Tips for making perfect homemade bread (homemade white bread)
Use a stand mixer.
Makes the whole process easy. You can knead the dough by hand, but it takes quite a while to develop the gluten in the dough this way. (Although, I do quite enjoy kneading dough by hand sometimes, bashing the dough repeatedly. Great for letting out some pent up frustration!). Just make sure not to “tear” the bread while you’re kneading it by hand.
Don’t be afraid to get your hands in there and feel the texture of the dough.
This is the only way to make sure you get the right consistency. The amount of water or flour needed to make this homemade white bread can vary slightly each time. Use this recipe as a guide, and know that you may have to adjust it a touch depending on the weather, and type of flour and ingredients used.
I usually use AP flour to make homemade white bread, but you can use bread flour too.
With bread flour, you may need to use a little extra water to get the right consistency, because the more protein content in the flour, the more moisture it’ll need to yield a soft texture.
Using bread flour will also lead to a chewier bread texture, which is also incredible desirable.
Proofing is important.
The first proof is important to allow the yeast and gluten to develop. This plays a huge role in the flavor of the final product as well. The second proof is important to get a beautifully risen, airy and light bread loaf.
If you over-proof the bread dough at any stage, it can result in an unpleasant yeasty flavor. And if you over-proof the dough during the second stage, you’ll likely end up with a bread loaf where the crust separates from the rest of the loaf, or the crust is misshapen, or there’ll be big holes in the bread and it’ll collapse.
With under-proofed bread dough, you’ll end up with a smaller bread loaf that is more dense and has less volume.
A quick, simple way to check whether your homemade bread loaf is done is to tap the bread on top for that characteristic “hollow” sound. However, a fool-proof method to ensure perfectly baked bread is to use a thermometer. Your bread loaf is done when the internal temp. registers 195°F.
To avoid a soggy bread bottom, make sure not to leave the bread in the pan to cool completely.
Leave it in the pan only for about 10-15 minutes and then place it on a wire rack to cool completely. This prevents any condensation from forming on the pan and making the bread soggy.
Another really helpful tip that I’ve discovered is to allow the bread to cool down in the oven.
When the bread is done, I turn off the oven and let it cool down inside, with the oven door half open. Or if I have to do more baking, I let the bread cool down in a draft free, warm place. If the bread cools down too fast, it can cause some wrinkles to form on the crust. It doesn’t affect the taste however, just the appearance. However, this may sometimes be unavoidable in the winter.
Choosing the right bread pan
You can make this white bread recipe in a 8 ½ x 4 ½ inch loaf pan for best results. But a 9 x 5 loaf pan will work too. However, if you do use a 9 x 5 inch pan, the resulting bread loaf won’t have as much height (or shape).
How to form the perfect loaf of bread
The next step after proofing the bread dough, is to form the dough into a log to fit inside your bread pan.
I turn the bread dough out on to a lightly floured surface and flatten it into a rectangle. This removes excess air that formed in the dough while it was proofing. The longer side of this rectangle should be slightly shorter than that of your bread pan.
To make sure you have a tightly formed bread loaf, roll up the dough, while pinching the edge into the dough along the way. Pinch the seams of the dough, tuck the sides in and pinch them into the dough as well. It’s important to tightly roll up the dough while pinching it into itself. This prevents large air pockets from forming inside the dough as it proofs and bakes.
All the seams of the dough should be on one side, while the other side should be smooth and tightly stretched (with no wrinkles). Make sure your bread dough log has an even thickness too.
Then carefully place this in the prepared bread loaf pan, and gently press it into the corners and bottom of the pan. Cover the pan and let it proof for a second time.
How to check when your bread loaf is ready to be baked
The second proofing time can vary greatly depending on the ambient temperature and weather. It can take much longer in the winter to proof, than in the summer. So it’s important to know what signs to look for to know when you’re bread loaf has proofed properly and is ready to be baked.
- The bread dough will rise about 1 ½ inches above the rim of your bread loaf pan in the center. It’ll form a dome, so just look at the pan from the side to see how much it has risen above the rim.
- When you gently press into the dough with your index finger, an indentation will form and it’ll remain, if the dough is perfectly proofed. If the dough bounces back without leaving an indentation, then the dough is under-proofed. If the indentation causes the dough to collapse, then the dough has over-proofed, and you may need to re-knead and re-form the dough and proof it once again.
How to store homemade white bread
The fact is homemade white bread doesn’t keep for too long, since it doesn’t have preservatives like store-bought bread.
So it’s important to keep your homemade bread in a container that allows for some ventilation, to let the the bread “breathe”. This white bread will keep for about 4-5 days this way.
But what I personally like to do (especially because I bake two loaves on the same day usually), is to slice the bread once it cools down, and then place these bread slices in a container or sealable bag and freeze. This keeps the bread fresh for much longer! Then I just remove the slices I need from the freezer, and let them thaw out whenever needed.
However, never refrigerate bread. The dry air in the fridge will make the bread go stale even faster.
Seriously, there’s something just so satisfying about a slice of white bread, when you’ve made it yourself! 🙂 Even from frozen, it tastes incredibly fresh and DELICIOUS.
Peanut butter and jam sandwiches are a whole new level of comfort with this homemade white bread recipe! 🙂
If you liked this step by step recipe for Homemade Bread, then you may also like some of my other detailed how-to posts,
How to make Authentic Brioche Bread
How to make Shortbread cookies
EQUIPMENT & TOOLS I USED FOR THIS RECIPE
Stand Mixer – I use my KitchenAid mixer
8.5 x 4.5 inch loaf pans – the perfect sized pans to make these bread loaves.
Kitchen Scale – Best tool for baking, to ensure you get accurate results each time
Measuring Cups – I like to use cups to measure all liquid ingredients most of the time. I absolutely LOVE my colorful cup measuring set, and I also love my pyrex measuring jugs too.
Measuring spoons – for measuring all the small amounts of ingredients.
Looking for more recipes?Sign up for my free recipe newsletter to get new recipes in your inbox each week! Find me sharing more inspiration on Pinterest and Instagram.
Homemade Bread (Homemade White Bread)
What You Need:
- See post for detailed list of equipment & tools used.
Ingredients:
Proofing yeast
- 2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast 7 g
- 1 cup lukewarm water
- 1 tbsp honey (or sugar or maple syrup)
Bread loaf
- Proofed yeast mixture (ingredients listed above)
- 19.5 ounces AP flour 4 cups + 6 tbsp
- ⅓ cup lukewarm water
- 1 ¼ tsp sea salt
- 2 tbsp honey (or sugar or maple syrup)
- ¼ tsp citric acid or ½ tbsp white vinegar
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter melted (or vegetable oil)
Instructions:
Proofing yeast
- Place the water in the mixer bowl of your stand mixer.
- Stir in the honey to dissolve, and sprinkle the yeast over the water. Gently stir to mix.
- Allow the yeast to sit in a warm place for about 15 minutes, until it's activated and becomes frothy. This could take longer if your yeast was in the freezer. If the yeast doesn't activate (no frothy bubbles), then your yeast is likely too old and you will need it replaced with fresh yeast.
- Once the yeast is activated, you’re ready to make the bread dough.
Bread loaf
- To the proofed yeast mixture, add the flour, warm water, salt, honey, citric acid and melted butter.
- Using a dough whisk or a spatula, mix the ingredients to form a rough dough.
- Place the bowl in the mixer with a kneading hook attached, and knead the dough on low speed for about 2-5 minutes, until the dough comes together to form a ball.
- Increase the speed by 1 level (speed 3 in a kitchen aid mixer) and knead the dough for a further 12-15 minutes until it's smooth and elastic.
- While the dough is kneading, check on it every few minutes to make sure it’s kneading well, and is not too dry or too wet.
- If the dough is sticking to the sides of the bowl, then it’s too wet, so add a little extra flour (a dusting at a time), to get the right texture. To check if it’s at the right consistency - lift the kneading hook from the bowl, and check if the dough only sticks to the bottom of the bowl. If yes, then the moisture is perfect. If the dough isn’t sticking to the bottom of the bowl however, you may need to add a little extra water (just ½ tsp at a time), to get the right consistency. The dough should be smooth, a little soft and a little tacky to the touch.
- Once the dough is kneaded, remove the dough hook and fold the dough over a few times by hand, to get a smooth ball. Then place it in a lightly oiled bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. Let the dough proof for about 1 hour until it has doubled in size.
- While the dough is proofing, prepare the bread loaf pan. Butter a 8 ½ x 4 ½ inch loaf pan and set aside, until the dough is ready.
- Turn the proofed dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Gently press the dough into an evenly thick rectangle. The short side of this rectangle should be roughly about 7.5 - 8 inches (i.e. slightly shorter than the length of your bread loaf pan).
- Next, tightly roll up the short side, along the length of the dough rectangle. Make sure to pinch/press the edge of the dough as you go, while rolling it up (read the post and see pictures for more details).
- Once the dough is rolled up, pinch the seams to seal it, and tuck in the two sides and pinch these seams as well. Make sure all the seams are on one side (this will be the bottom) and the other side is smooth and seam-free (this will be the top).
- Transfer this into the prepared loaf pan, seam side down, and press the dough into the pan. Make sure it’s evenly pressed into the bottom of the pan. Loosely cover the loaf pan with plastic wrap and let it proof again in a warm place, for about 45 minutes - 1 hour.
- The dough should rise about 1 - 1 ½ inches above the rim of your bread loaf pan (when looking from the side), and when you leave an indentation in the dough with your finger, the indentation should remain, and not bounce back (read the post and see pictures for more details).
- Preheat oven to 375°F, during the last 30 minutes of the second proofing time. It’s best for the oven to be preheated to the right temperature for at least 20 minutes, before baking the bread.
- When the bread loaf is ready and the oven has preheated, place the loaf pan in the middle of the oven, and bake for 45 minutes. It's done when it sounds hollow when the bread is tapped on top, OR when the internal temperature has reached 195°F.
- Remove the pan from the oven, and keep it in a warm place (away from drafts) to cool. After about 10 minutes, remove the bread from the pan and keep it on a wire rack to cool down completely. The bread is now ready to be served.
- Optional - brush melted butter on the top while it's hot to add more buttery flavor.
- Keep the loaf in a bread box at room temperature for upto 4 - 5 days, or slice and keep in the freezer for up to 1 month.
Daniel says
I love the recipe but can you use milk in it
Dini says
Hi Daniel!
Yes you can use milk instead of the water 🙂
Nichole says
Amazing recipe! I’ve been trying to make bread for a while with no success and this recipe came out perfect! I can’t wait to share it with my family!
Dini says
Thank you so much for letting me know Nichole! I’m so glad the recipe came out perfectly for you! 🙂
Pattie says
I tried it today. Definitely a keeper. I omitted the vinegar in error but was still tasty. Thanks for sharing.
Alex Wesson says
So good! I love this recipe!!
Juston Ferre says
This was an easy recipe to follow and tastes incredible! That being said, I think the pan size is too small. I followed the instructions to the letter and the bread EXPlODED in size. All in all a fantastic recipe!
Brian Horton says
I made this with instant yeast and AP flour. It looks great as well as tastes great. The texture is very dense. What can I do to fix that
Dini says
Hi Brian!
If you used instant yeast, you need to adjust the amount as this was made with active dry yeast.
There are a few reasons as to why a bread loaf can be dense.
Not kneading the dough long enough – this dough is a sticky dough. However, if you knead it long enough, it becomes smooth, shiny and just a little tacky. It needs to be kneaded to this point to result in soft fluffy bread.
Too much flour – since the dough is sticky, I have had readers who used extra flour to make it less sticky without kneading it properly. This extra flour can lead to a dense bread. Also if you use cup measurements this can lead to variations in the amount of flour added (because cup measurements are not as accurate as weight measurements).
Yeast that is not active – yeast that is expired, or not active or been mixed with salt. This can result in low activity in the dough that can lead to a dense bread.
Under-proofed dough – The dough needs to be proofed properly. If the dough was under-proofed (which can also be due to the yeast not being active), then this will also result in a dense loaf too.
I hope that helps!
Mercy says
Love the soft freshly baked homemade bread recipe!! “Just ooooosome”
Lynn Brown says
I’ve made this twice both loaves were
4 ” above pan and very hard to cut and handle . Has this recipe on line been doubled ? or yeast 2 1/4 Teaspoons incorrect ?
Dini says
Hi Lynn
Yes, 2 1/4 tsp of active dry yeast is correct.
The bread loaf should not rise 4 inches above the pan (8.5 inch x 4.5 inch loaf pan). Usually this can happen if the bread is over-proofed, OR if instant yeast was used instead of active dry yeast.
With the final proof, the center of the dough should rise to about 1 inch (maybe slightly more) above the rim of the pan, and then another inch to inch and a half in the oven when it bakes. So the total rise should only be about 2 inches or slightly more after being baked. I hope that helps!
Evelyn says
Can I do this recipe with almond flour?
Dini says
Hi Evelyn!
Unfortunately almond flour will not work for this recipe as it’s not able to develop gluten in the same way regular flour does.
Arlette says
I love your recipe,especially bread and others
Mary says
I am a bread baker and always looking for new methods and ideas. This came out beautifully. Thank you!
Dini says
Thank you Mary, I’m so glad it came out beautifully for you! 🙂
Lola says
I made 2 loaves. They both came out perfectly. I didn’t have any citric acid on hand so I used white vinegar. Perfect bread. Honestly. I used the first loaf for french toast. I will definitely make this bread recipe in the near future.
Luz A. Gibson says
This is so delicious!. I’m about to make a double batch.Thanks
Nicole Haghdoust says
Hi! Great recipe. I’m wondering how many servings one loaf of bread makes according to the nutritional facts listed in this recipe. Thanks!
Dini says
Hi Nicole!
One serving is 1 slice that is about 1 cm in thickness (like a thin sliced sandwich bread).
Hope that helps!
Maureen Maina says
The bread came out so well even though I I was kneading by hand and did not know that it’s best to refrigerate overnight. However I think the citric acid gives it a sour taste that the kids didn’t like
David Vieira says
It turned out great thank you
George Lousias says
Your instructions where great.
Ray says
Made bread and it has come out brown on the inside 4 different times….what causes that ?
Dini says
Hi Ray!
This is the first time I’ve heard about getting brown spots inside bread dough. I’m not even sure how that could happen.
What type of flour are you using for the bread? Are you using AP flour, or self raising flour? Also did the bread rise OK, and does it perhaps taste off?
Joshua Moreno says
Can you use Bread flour?
Dini says
Hi Joshua!
Yes you can! The result will be a slightly chewier bread. You may need to add a little extra lquid to get the same consistency in the dough as well.
Hope that helps!
Cheers
Dini
Mike Koch says
Best layout alltime all website should be this good plus bread is great
Lia Solomou says
This bread is amazing!! But I use instant yeast, do I have to do anything different? Because it rises a lot in the oven and I can’t find active dry yeast. Can you tell me what to change when using quick instant yeast?
Dini says
Hi Lia!
Instant yeast is definitely more active than the regular active dry yeast. The rule of thumb is to multiply the amount of active dry yeast by 0.75 (or 3/4) to find out how much instant yeast to add. So, for this recipe I use 2 1/4 tsps, so you would use approximately 1 2/3 tsp of instant yeast.
The rest of the recipe shouldn’t have to change, except for proofing time. The proof time can change depending on how fast the yeast multiplies, but since I haven’t made this recipe with instant yeast I can’t be sure of the times. I recommend keeping an eye on the bread for signs that it has proofed.
I hope that helps!
Patty says
I just moved to an altitude of 7000 feet. Do I need to change anything in this recipe?
Dini says
Hi Patty
I am unsure of what needs to be changed for high altitude baking unfortunately.
I would read through some of these articles to find out what needs to be changed in a recipe to adapt it for high altitude baking – https://www.kingarthurflour.com/learn/resources/high-altitude-baking and http://dish.allrecipes.com/high-altitude-cake-baking/
I hope these articles will be helpful!
Kerry Skeffington says
Hello! Thank you very much for this recipe. I really appreciated the comments about sometimes needing to make adjustments due to the weather. I ended up needing to add more water. I think it came out great.
Nicole Asencio says
I need to make 75 mini loaves pan size 10.24 inches x 2.55 inches x 2.16 inches. Any way you have a recipe for this
Keri says
This also makes incredible cinnamon rolls I just used a little extra sugar to make the dough a bit sweeter. Doubled the recipe and got 2 loaves of bread and a dozen cinnamon rolls…..so yummy
Haidar says
Nice tip!
Tessa says
Can this bread be made by hand instead of in a kitchen aid?
Dini says
Hi Tessa
You can make this by hand, but you will need to knead it for much longer to get the dough to be smooth. An overnight rest (in the fridge) is highly recommended so that it can develop the gluten further.
Hope that helps 🙂
Sam says
This is the best lesson ever,I appreciate the kind of information given its helpful to everyone one and makes it east
Destiny B says
I did it turned out great! I always make my breads by hand!
Amy Wright says
Can you use apple cider vinegar and can you double the recipe?
Dini says
Hi Amy
You can use apple cider vinegar, but it may add a flavor to the bread recipe. Both citric acid and white vinegar have no distinct taste, which is why I use it here. However, you can use apple cider vinegar if you prefer.
And YES you can double the recipe! I often do, and make two loaves at a time 🙂
Hope that helps!
Lindsay Martin says
Wow! This really is the best white bread! My husband and I love to cook, but don’t do much baking. We got a KitchenAid Stand Mixer as a wedding gift and have been wanting to try out some recipes. This was our first time making bread and I am so grateful for your incredibly detailed recipe explaining exactly what the dough should look like at each stage. We were able to adapt timing and the recipe as needed based on your recommendations. Our very first bread turned out delicious! Thank you so much for posting this and putting so much detail in it. I think we’re going to try to make some hot cross buns next 🙂
Dini says
Thanks so much for letting me know Lindsay! I’m very glad the details helped you and the recipe came out well. 🙂 Let me know if you have any questions if you do try my hot cross buns recipe.
Cheers,
Dini
Connie says
Can this be made with gluten free flour?
Dini says
Hi Connie!
I haven’t made this with gluten free flour, so I can’t be sure. It likely will affect the texture though.
Molly Sebastian says
Could we follow the same steps if we are making a whole wheat bread. I loved making this bread. Pl. let me know and thank you for your detailed and great receipes. I try all of them and they come great. Thank you Dini
Dini says
Hi Molly!
I haven’t tried making this bread with all whole wheat flour, but I have tried it with half whole wheat and half AP Flour, and really liked it. The amount of water will vary slightly, depending on the type of flour you use too, so just keep an eye on the consistency of the dough. Hopefully, I’ll be able to create a recipe for all whole wheat bread, at some point.
I’m so glad that you like this recipe and the other recipes you have tried too! Thank you so much for your lovely comment! 🙂
Carrie says
Dearly love the smell of fresh baked bread and nothing better than it being homemade. Can’t wait to try it out.
Shadi says
Nothing beats a fresh loaf of bread! I love homemade bread and can’t wait to try this recipe!