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 ⅓ cups, spoon and leveled (please see notes)
- 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 (optional)
- 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 1 – 9 x 5 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 8 – 8.5 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 top of the dough should rise about 1 inch 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.
Tips & Tricks
Nutrition Information:
“This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.”
Paul says
I think the metric measurements are not correct at all. I mean, eleven thousand grams of flour?? That’s 86 cups it says. I think there is a problem there. Would love to have the proper measurements as it looks like a lovely loaf.
Maybe you could post the correct measurement. In the U.K. We don’t use U.S. cups unfortunately.
Dini says
Hi Paul
I’m not sure what you’re referring to? The metric measurements are 553 g flour.
I’m not sure where you’re getting 11000 g / 86 cups?
Marianna says
Perfect recipe, I just add 45g of milk powder for extra fluffiness and flavour!
Lindsey Lehman says
It was super good!
Question….I used rapid rise yeast, does that matter? The loaf top didn’t look at pretty as yours and the crust is hard. I also had to hand knead. Still delicious but want to do better next time
Dini says
Hi Lindsey
Rapid rise yeast is fine. It is more active than active dry yeast, so the bread would have probably proofed faster than active dry.
Hand kneading is fine, as long as it’s kneaded properly which can take awhile. The gluten has to develop properly, while still being a soft dough. If you add too much flour, it can result is a bread that is too dry, or a crust that is too hard. If the dough isn’t smooth after being kneaded, it may also produce a bumpy (not smooth) crust.
The hard crust can also happen when the oven was too hot, or the bread was overbaked. Some ovens run hot, so you might need to lower the temperature and bake the loaf a little longer.
I hope that helps!
Darlene says
This is the best recipe, and I have tried several. This recipe is absolutely fail proof!!
Virginia says
The bread is fantastic. Just one question. We made 2 loaves and the crust is very firm but the inside is so soft (perfect) Should we cut back cook time, maybe my oven gets hotter than it says? Or is this bread supposed to be this way? We have never made bread and one loaf is already gone so it was definitely a win. Just want to make it more like store bought next time for sandwiches, this was perfect for soup.
Dini says
Hi Virginia
I’m so glad that you enjoyed the bread! The crust is definitely soft, and we use this as regular sandwich bread at home.
If the crust is hard, that usually happens if the oven is too hot, or a glass or dark colored loaf pan was used (that will heat the outside of the loaf too much, before cooking the inside).
I recommend reducing the oven temperature, or baking it for a shorter time. But if you do have an instant read thermometer, check the internal temperature to make sure that the middle isn’t going to be under baked.
I hope that helps!
Jess says
I have few questions,
1) Can I safely double the batch?
2) Sometimes the texture inside changes. The first 4-5 times we made this (my teenage kids also started baking your bread by the way) the bread was airy and light and you could pull off strands of it. But sometimes the texture is grainier even if I still followed your instructions perfectly. I get so many answers all over the internet so I decided to ask you.
Thank you so much for sharing this amazing recipe but also for the well-written instructions. I feel more confident baking bread now. And with your recipes (we also have the brioche bread from time to time and I made your brioche cinnamon rolls just yesterday) we haven’t buy any loaf from the supermarket since early December.
I’ve tried many bread recipes over the years but with the pandemic and its aftermath sometimes bread availability is unreliable so it gave me the kick I needed to start making bread to make sure my family wasn’t out of bread and this task turned into love for bread baking even though it can be difficult.
So thanks again for everything!! You’ve done more than you can imagine!
Dini says
Hi Jess
I’m glad that you are enjoying this recipe and the brioche recipe too!
You can double this recipe to make two loaves depending on your stand mixer. You stand mixer must be able to withstand kneading a larger amount of dough efficiently. Too small, and it will be a strain on your mixer. Too large, the the mixer won’t be able to knead efficiently.
As a rule of thumb, I always go by the feel of the dough. Depending on the weather, humidity etc, the consistency of the dough can vary slightly each day. It can also vary according to the type / brand of flour you use. So adjust the amount of liquid added to get the right consistency of the dough. Proofing times also vary, so when proofing the dough, go by feel and visual cues, rather than time.
Usually bread can seem dense if it doesn’t have enough water / too much flour. Or if it’s underproofed.
I hope that helps!
Sabbith says
can I use bread flour instead of all purpose?
Dini says
Hi Sabbith
Yes you can use bread flour. But bread flour can result in a chewier bread loaf. Since it has a higher protein content, it may also require some extra water to make sure the dough has the same consistency.
Hope that helps
Raymond Loyer says
This is one of the best bread recipe I’ve ever baked.
Angela Wood says
Extremely happy with the outcome
Melissa says
I have never baked bread before. This is my first time. I followed the recipe and it’s really good!
Patricia Norris says
I love this recipe. I do change it to use whole wheat bread flour and put white sesame seeds on top
Shashi says
Thanks. Turned out perfect. Tried many recipes. This is the best.
Carolina Thompson says
Oh my gosh this is the most amazing bread recipe ever! Mine turned out so fantastic the first time! I just hope I can duplicate it now haha. It was like the expensive white bread you pay $5/loaf for at the store! Actually it was better than that stuff! Thank you so much! Plus I really appreciate how detailed your instructions are!
Keri says
As someone new to bread-baking, I have been loving your very clear recipes. Everything has been great, including this white bread. It turned out just like the store-bought kind! Do you have any suggestions for adapting this for high-altitude baking for a friend in Colorado?
Dini says
Hi Keri!
I’m so glad that you liked my recipe 🙂 Thank you for letting me know!
Unfortunately I’m not too familiar with high altitude baking, but this article might have some useful tips on how to adapt recipe for high altitude baking.
I hope you find it helpful!
Angela says
Best bread ive made and tasted . Thank you
Michael N says
The best white bread I’ve tried (out of about 10 recipes.) I used Bread flour which added more chew than I wanted, def use AP next time. And I made sub rolls instead of a loaf; They were hearty with a nice crunch, but I’ll adjust to make softer. Overall, a really good, simple recipe that can be modified for desired effect. THANK YOU!
Ummi says
Do I need to grease the pan first before putting in the dough for the 2nd proof?
Dini says
Hi Ummi
As noted in the recipe, the loaf pan does need to be buttered.
Hope that helps
Neil Jon says
Can I do the first proof normally and retard the second proof overnight?
Dini says
Hi Neil
It is possible. However, please bear in mind that depending on your fridge and the activity of the yeast, the dough can still proof rather quickly in the fridge and you MIGHT have over proofed bread overnight. Since the dough is cold, it would be hard to know when it has proofed properly (because you can’t do the finger indent test on chilled dough).
I hope that helps.
Leena Marciano says
This was Amazing ! This is the best white bread EVER! And it was also my first time making bread which I have been so intimidated for years to make. So I’m glad I started here I’m very thankful for this recipe !
If I wanted to start my own “mother yeast” how would this change the proofing ? How much of the mother yeast would I use when blooming the yeast?
Dini says
Hi Leena!
I’m glad you liked the recipe!
I do have a sourdough starter that I maintain, but I don’t have a guide on how to start making a starter. While I am hoping to make a sourdough starter guide, once I become more familiar with sourdough (still learning how to substitute it for dry yeast), you can still find other resources on good till then!
I hope that helps!
Samantha says
This recipe is easy to follow thank you so much making four loafs of it today for my mother in laws birthday tomorrow
Martha Clark says
Hi. I haven’t made this recipe, yet, I I will. I love a Canadian brown bread, would using molasses in place of the honey work?
Also, I grew up on my mothers homemade white bread, her recipe used melted lard. It has an amazing taste and was very dense. She had to make extra loaves every week as many people wanted it and drove for miles to pick up a loaf, my grandfather even had her mail him a loaf each week. I have her recipe, but have you ever heard of this?
Dini says
Hi Martha
You can use molasses if you like. I’m not sure if it will add a whole lot of flavor though.
With regard to butter or lard. You can use whichever you like. It all comes down to preference. I’ve used whatever fat I have at hand, which includes butter, oil, olive oil, bacon fat or even lard.
If I add a fat that has alot of flavor, then I would add more because 2 tbsp will only give this a very subtle flavor.
I hope that helps.
Inge van M says
I loved the results, delicious bread!
Sheila Buenavista says
I loe this recipe. i followed ithe procedure to the T. Except i used instant yeast and did not ise vinegar. even tho I was using Professional Kitchenaid, I still have to knead to reach the stretched texture. However in the end one of the sides was slightly separated. I wonder why? It was tall and soft perfect! Again crunchy at the bottom and at the sides. I will make this again later. If I can only show you my bread.
Dini says
Hi Sheila
A professional kitchen aid mixer has a bowl that is too large to knead this amount of dough (this is because the dough hook isn’t able to catch the dough efficiently to knead it properly). So it would need to be kneaded by hand at the end to get the window pane stretch.
What do you mean by the sides separating? Is there an air pocket inside the dough? Air pockets usually happen because the dough had air inside while being rolled up and these pockets became bigger while proofing.
Also what kind of loaf pan did you use? If it’s a dark colored pan, they heat up faster and can overbake the edges causing them to crisp up. I recommend reducing the oven temperature by about 25 F / 15 C and baking it longer.
I hope that helps!
Stephen C says
Hello,
is there a way to adjust this recipe to use in a bread maker.
Dini says
Hi Stephen
Unfortunately I’m not familiar with using a bread maker.
The dough can be mixed in the bread maker, as I have had other readers do this. But I’m unsure if they baked it in the bread maker too.
Aaron says
I adjusted the recipe for my 1lb bread maker as follows:
130 ml (1/2 cup) water
30g (1 1/2 tbsp) honey
4 ml (1/4 tbsp) vinegar
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 tsp salt
9.75 oz AP flour
4g instant yeast
I baked a Regular bread with a Light crust on my machine. I reduced the total amount of water because I wasn’t proofing the yeast. Change wet/dry/yeast ingredients order to match how your machine normally does it. This came out much better than the normal recipes on my machine, probably because it uses weight! Thanks for the recipe!
J French says
Thank you for this bread maker conversion!
Tina says
Easy and Best Softest Yummiest Bread I have made on my own yet! Loved Love Loved it I’m about to start enother loaf because I ate this in 24hrs on my own.
Shannon says
Crust was rock hard. I think my teenage son, who was helping me, overfloured the work surface.
Dini says
Hi Shannon
If there was too much flour in the dough, the entire bread would be dry / heavy. If it’s only the crust that was hard, then it’s possible it was over-baked or the oven was too hot.
I definitely recommend not over flouring the surface, but also make sure not to incorporate too much flour into the dough (grams are recommended over cups). And if the bread was overbaked, reduce the oven temperature and/or the baking time.
I hope that helps!
Menna B says
this recipe is absolutely amazing
I have done this twice now and it is so easy and it tastes amazing
1000% would recommend!
Ru says
Hi Dini,
Thank you very much for your recipes that you so generously share. I made bread for the first time last weekend using your recipe, and it came out great; crispy on the outside and soft inside! I was really pleased with my first attempt. 🙂
I tried the finger indentation test after the second proofing (45 minutes), and the dough was sticky although it rose. BTW, I live in SL, so it is quite warm here. However, when I was kneading the dough (by hand) for the first proofing (1 hour), it was soft and smooth, and rose well (I used 1 tsp instant yeast). Just wanted to check why this was, since I don’t have a clue! Thanks again.
Ru
Dini says
Hi Ru
I’m glad you enjoyed the bread recipe.
It is quite normal for the bread to be sticky when proofed, especially in warm climates.
You can dust your finger with some flour to make it stick less to the dough next time to do the finger indentation test. A floured finger will prevent it from sticking to the dough. Please let me know if that answered your question.
I hope that helps!
Ru says
Thanks, Dini! Will be trying it again soon.