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)!
- Why you should be making this white bread loaf recipe!
- What is classic white bread made with?
- Tips for making perfect homemade bread (homemade white bread)
- Choosing the right bread pan
- How to form the perfect loaf of bread
- How to check when your bread loaf is ready to be baked
- How to store homemade white bread
- Frequently asked questions and troubleshooting
- If you liked this step by step recipe for Homemade Bread, then you may also like some of my other detailed how-to posts,
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 loaf that is light and airy with a beautiful rise.
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! 🙂
Frequently asked questions and troubleshooting
The chances are that your bread was baked in an oven that is too hot. My oven is a conventional oven, and if you have a convection oven, you will need to reduce the oven temperature. Usually by about 15 – 25 degrees. Sometimes, oven just run hot and can burn food. You can check this by using an oven thermometer, and then adjust the temperature to compensate.
If your loaf pan is dark in color, this can also conduct heat too fast and bake the outside faster than the inside.
Lower the oven temperature, and bake the bread until the internal temperature of the dough is 195°F (as stated in the post).
This is because the oven was too hot, baking the outside faster than the inside. See above for ways to fix this issues.
This happens because the dough was made with too much flour or too little water.
If you used cups to measure the flour, the chances are that too much flour was added. Cups are not recommended as cups will add varying amounts of flour depending on how you use the cups to scoop the flour.
To fix this issue, always use a kitchen scale to weigh the flour and/or other ingredients. If you absolutely have to use cups, then adjust the water in the dough until you get the right consistency. The dough should be soft, and tacky. If its not tacky when you need to the dough, then there’s too much flour in the dough.
For bread to be too dense, you either added too much flour (see above), or the bread was over proofed during the final proofing. A dense bread can also occur if the dough is under proofed before baking as well. Under-proofing can happen if the loaf wasn’t given enough time to proof to at least 1.5 times or wasn’t in a warm place, or if the yeast has somehow died and is not active enough.
This is because of the yeast. If you do an overnight proof, this can happen as the yeast develops ore flavor. I personally love the more complex flavor.
However, if you over proof the dough (especially during the last proof), the bread will have an unpleasant flavor and will also be dense.
As with all y bread recipes, I recommend going by visual cues, rather than time. Depending on the ambient temperature, humidity, and flour type the proofing times can vary.
Absolutely! Milk has fat that can inhibit some of that gluten structure. So the bread might be less chewy and even more soft.
Yes! It is optional. You can read the post as to why I do like to add citric acid and why it’s optional.
Absolutely! Bread flour will give the bread a slightly chewier texture. Because of the higher protein content, you will need to add some extra water. Just add enough water to create a dough that is soft, smooth, satiny and tacky to the touch. The soft, tacky dough is what will make a soft loaf.
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.
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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.”
Jessie says
I wanna to give this recipe a try! It looks yummy. I am baking this for my family including my 9 months old baby girl. Is it possible to cut down the sugar? How much should I put in to make it not so sweet for my baby? Thanks
Dini says
Hi Jessie
This isn’t a sweet bread, as it only has 3 tbsp honey. It’s a regular sandwich bread.
The honey is there to be a food source for the yeast, and to balance the flavor.
Hope that helps!
Barbie says
I have baked my own bread for many years and stumbled across this recipe only recently. It’s one of the best loaves I have ever made. Followed the recipe to the letter. It turned out exactly as the picture. Tasted absolutely delicious too. Will be using this in future.
Alex says
This is by far my favorite bread recipe on the internet! My husband and I have made it 4-5 times now and every time it turns out perfect. I do use a little extra (1tbs more) honey and sift my flour instead of weighing or spoon measuring. It’s always fluffy and moist.
Sharon says
I’m a homechef that runs a food business and decided to try this recipe. I don’t have a mixer and kneaded dough by hand.
I am so pleased with the end result!! What an awesome homemade bread recipe. Definitely my go to from now on!
Komal says
Hi, can you advise the weight of AP flour in grams please. I’m lost with the conversion
Dini says
Hi Komal
Metric measurements are already provided in the recipe. There’s a metric/us unit toggle button below the ingredients list.
Hope that helps!
Sue says
This is an awesome recipe, but only used 4 cups of flour, turned out great.
Jeane R says
I’ve used the same white bread recipe from a 1977 Apartment Life magazine for 43 years. I FINALLY got a KitchenAid stand mixer after all these years; I thought I’d try another recipe.
Since I am used to throwing out dough I know how it reacts and how it should look, feel, etc. I didn’t have any honey and used pancake syrup (didn’t measure). Had NO CLUE what syrup would do! I also used the vinegar. I had to change a lot of the times – reduced all the times in fact but I knew what to look for.
The bread turned out AWESOME! Amazing how simple bread is and how many recipes are SO different but yield beautful loaves!
Thank you for a new and EASY bread recipe.
Michelle says
First time making bread, love love, love this recipe. My son devoured this bread in 2 days. Quick question, can I use a hand mixture don’t have a stand mixture.
Dini says
Hi Michelle!
I’m glad that you enjoyed this recipe! Thank you for letting me know!
I personally prefer not to use my hand mixer to make any large amounts of dough. I don’t think hand mixers are equipped to handle kneading dough, eventhough they include dough hooks. The dough hook isn’t usually sturdy enough, and can cause the motor to be overworked. For that reason I never use my hand mixer (a kitchen aid hand mixer), to make dough. I prefer kneading the dough by hand if I can’t use my stand mixer.
I hope that helps!
Ev says
I made quarter of this recipe and I get a perfect mini loaf that’s great for 1 breakfast for my toddler, husband and myself.
So happy with this recipe, and now I wonder how I can make a whole wheat version of it…
Janet says
Hi Dini,
I made a mistake and thought this recipe is for 2 loaf of bread. I’ve halved all ingredients and am doing first proofing. What size of loaf pan and baking time would you recommend for this half recipe? Many thanks in advance.
Dini says
Hi Janet
It would be hard for me to give you an exact answer, as I have never used half of the dough to make a loaf. I have made buns though.
To have the same height in your loaf, you would need a pan that has a surface area of 22.5 inches (regular loaf pan – 9 x 5 inches = 45 inches. 45 / 2 = 22.5 inches).
You could use a mini loaf pan, but that would probably only be able to handle 60 – 70% of the dough that was made.
Alex says
I’ve tried many different white bread recipes in the last year or so. This is by far the best one. So soft, so delicious!
I used the recipe for TWO 9×5 loaves, with 1 hour rising in the mixing bowl and 1 hour rising in the pans. I live at altitude so yeast rises more quickly. Still, this was perfect and made very light and fluffy bread.
I used vegetable oil instead of the butter. It worked out great. I did line the pans with butter before putting the dough in, however, and made for a great bread that didn’t stick.
Using natural clover honey added just the slightest sweet honey flavor- amazing!
Will be making this again and again.
Dini says
Thank you so much for letting me know Alex! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe! 🙂
Cristin Gienapp says
Super easy to make! Followed the recipe and excited to use honey that my coworker gave me in the bread.
Janice Morasch says
For the past few weeks I have been trying bread recipes with marginal success. I followed your recipe to the letter and it came out perfect…mine looked just like your photo! The only thing I was a little uncertain about was the sea salt…I only had coarse sea salt, so I dissolved it into the warm water before adding it to the bowl. Your instructions were detailed but not hard to follow and your explanations were very much appreciated especially with regard to proofing. This will now be my “go to” recipe for homemade bread. This is the recipe I was hoping to find. Thank You. And my husband thanks you…lol.
zach says
First loaf of hopefully many bread came out amazing. Great recipe thanks!
Tyra Rathje says
Thank you for posting this recipe. I don’t have electric mixers, so it’s done by hand. I use 1/2 teaspoon Himalayan salt and melted, salted butter.
As for refrigerating bread: it gets dried out because refrigerators act as a dehydrator.
Elizabeth Kennedy says
Great recipe. Wondering if you can get it to the roll phase and then freeze it? And then thaw and proof in the pan? Would that work?
Dini says
Hi Elizabeth
I personally don’t like to shape the loaf and then freeze it, though it is possible. I find that the bread loaf will thaw out unevenly because the outside will thaw first before the inside. This will lead to uneven proofing as well. If you have smaller loaves, buns or rolls, this method is ok. But for larger loaves, I just prefer not to. However, if you wanted to, you could give it a try and see if it works for you.
I prefer to freeze the dough as a flat disc after the first proofing. Then once it thaws out, I would shape it and let it proof before baking. OR I would freeze the loaf of bread as soon as it cools down to room temperature after baking.
Hope that helps!
Julie says
I made this twice in a week and so delicious! One thing I wanted to ask was both times I made it one side on top looked as if the dough burst opened and didn’t give me the smooth uniformed crust. Does that make sense? I made sure the seam side was down so I’m not sure what happened. I wish I could include a photo of it. Other than that it was perfect!
Dini says
Hi Julie!
If the dough burst at the side / top (close to the beginning of the loaf pan?), it’s usually because the bread was under-proofed. So when you place it in the oven, the “oven spring” of the bread (growth of the bread as the yeast grows quickly in the hot oven), is too rapid, and the dough bursts through a weak point. It has happened to me too 🙂 During colder weather the bread will need more time to proof properly. I recommend letting the dough proof a little longer, and checking if the bread is proofed using the finger indentation method to make sure it’s properly proofed before baking.
I hope that helps!
Julie Choung says
Thank you so much for getting back to me! Just to clarify, do you mean the 1st rise or the 2nd? Burst seam or not, it was still delicious! I just made the dough so I’ll let it rise longer this time.
Dini says
No problem at all Julie!
I’m so glad that it still tasted great 🙂
Definitely increase the time for the 2nd rise, after you’ve shaped the dough and before baking it.
I hope that helps and good luck this time! Let me know if it came out better.
Det says
Hi can I i use instant yeast instead? Thanks
Dini says
Hi Det
You can. Instant yeast is more active than active dry yeast, so you may need to adjust the proofing times to avoid over proofing.
Hope that helps!
Janice says
Can I use Instant Yeast in this recipe instead of traditional dry yeast???
Dini says
Hi Janice
Yes you can!
Instant yeast is much more active than active dry yeast. There are numerous ways to substitute, but they seem to be conflicting.
1 ) substitute 1:1, but reduce the proofing time.
2 ) use 75% less instant yeast
3 ) use 50% less instant yeast
I haven’t given this a go with instant yeast, but I think 1:1 may work, but just keep an eye on how the bread is proofing, so you don’t risk overproofing
I hope that helps!
Janice Morasch says
Thank you for your feedback. I’ll try the recipe today using traditional yeast first.
Chyenne D says
I use instant yeast every time.
I just add all of the ingredients at once instead of activating the yeast with the honey and water first… I get to skip a step and save some dishes that way too.
The proofing time for me with the instant yeast is 45 mins for the first proof and usually only maybe 30 minutes for the second proof to pass the “indent test” and get that good rise (instant yeast is quick). Make sure it’s in a slightly warm place! I also knead by hand because I have no mixer.
Absolutely amazing every time. This bread makes a MEAN grilled cheese or simple garlic bread
VW says
The BEST bread we have ever tasted. Little kids approved. Thank you.
Morgan Spruyt says
Nice crust and super light fluffy crumb on the inside. I doubled the batch and had no issues making 2 loaves.
Lisa Ford says
I’ve been looking for bread that tastes like this Amish store we frequent. 20 years and nothing came close till today. This bread is pure perfection. The vinegar is a winner as it adds so much flavor. Thanks for sharing I can’t wait to make this again.
Susan T says
This is SUCH a great recipe!! As a result, my first bread baking attempt was awesome. You really helped me understand the process. Your recipe made us such home baked bread converts that we bought a bread maker. The recipe with the machine was not good, so I used what I learnt from both recipes and ended up making bread with the bread maker that rivals your wonderful hand made recipe. Thanks so much!
KT says
This tasted so good! This was the first non-quick bread I’ve ever made, first time using yeast. I followed directions exactly except for the optional butter at the end. I used a scale for flour, thermometer for water, and a stand mixer. I used a 9×5 pan, no mushroom top but it rose nicely and had a nice dome shape. Looking forward to making this again.
Peter Adah says
I love the taste of this bread
Esther T. says
I have been making white bread from an old Betty Crocker cook book (she’s the best!) The bread is quite heavy, but still very tasty. I want a lighter bread and am going to give this recipe a try. I am secretly worried that I will want to add more flour as I usually begin mixing my bread in my Kitchen aid and finish up kneading by hand, and when hand-kneading you don’t want the dough sticking to you.
Any tips for me on that? I am excited to try adding vinegar. I have understood in the past that when baking bread, you want the top of the bread to be in the center of the oven. You make no mention of this and I was wondering if you do that when baking your breads? In my oven that means baking on the very bottom rack. I can’t wait to try this recipe, thank you! 🙂
Dini says
Hi Esther
I do knead my dough entirely in the mixer. Once the dough develops gluten, it goes from being sticky, to being tacky. It’s easier to knead the dough by hand then. Expect it to be a little tacky, but it shouldn’t stick to a smooth counter top. But if it’s too sticky, Just add a dusting of flour on your hands. You should use as little flour as possible.
With regard to baking – Baking should always be done in the center of the oven (or where there is the most even heat distribution). If something needs to be baked elsewhere, it will be stated in the recipe. Otherwise, it’s always in the center of the oven.
I hope that helps!
amy griffiths says
I have been trying my hand with yeast recipes recently and this bread is so wonderful! The only thing I did differently, was to use warm milk in the second part of the recipe. I may just switch to warm milk for the entire recipe the next time. I think this is my go-to recipe. No more store-bought for me!
Charlie says
I really loved this recipe but I do have a question. I baked the load in a fan assisted oven & the top came out quite dark whereas it wasn’t fully cooked on the inside. Does anyone have a good temperature & time for fan assisted ovens??
Dini says
Hi Charlie
With a fan assisted oven, you may need to decrease the oven temperature. Usually it’s reduced by about 25 F, but it can vary a little depending on the oven.
I hope that helps for next time!
Urmi says
I loved the recipe!!
I just wanted to know the total weight of the loaves
MC says
I read the recipe and it sounded to difficult to me and too much room for me to make an error. I just went on to look for an easier recipe. I’m sure this one is great but I need less steps.
Dini says
Hi MC,
No problem, good luck!
Although, less steps doesn’t necessarily mean easy, it often means unclear/confusing. I made this recipe detailed just so that there is less room for error, and it’s easier for even novice bakers to follow. So do look for one that is still clear enough to guarantee success.
Kristine says
Thats exactly why this recipe is SO perfect! Thank you, Dini!
Amie Blessed says
Wow Dini! This is definitely a keeper. I had written myself off as completely hopeless when it comes to bread making and now I realize that I just hadn’t found the perfect recipe yet. I followed all the instructions to a tee and I made the most delicious and softest bread ever!
Thank you so much!
Deeba says
This is such a great and easy recipe to do! We have stopped buying store bought bread. We live in Canada, so we use Robin Hood bread flour and Fleischmann’s yeast. Thank you for sharing.
Rebecca says
What if you don’t have stand mixer?
Dini says
Hi Rebecca
You can knead by hand, but you will need to knead for at least twice the amount of time. Also this dough is sticky, so avoid adding more flour as this will lead to a tougher / drier bread loaf.
Hope that helps
hi says
nice
Lina Hart says
This recipe is awesome the dough is beautiful. I baked 2 loaves to use for my bread and sausage stuffing for Thanksgiving!!
Valarie says
Tried this recipe and turned out great! Most of the time my bread is dense but this came out light and fluffy. The only issue I had is when I saved the recipe as a PDF. The last ingredient ended up on the second page and I missed putting it in. Not sure if you can fix the template issue there.
Brandyn Nutter says
This is the first homemade bread I have ever tried to make. Mine didn’t turn out as pretty as yours, but it was still amazing! I used it for a PB&J and then made grilled cheese with it; both were awesome! I guess that perfectly smooth top crust will come with practice? Practice I will definitely be getting as I plan to use this recipe often. Thanks for the detailed pictures and walkthrough too, it helped this first time bread maker a lot!
Charlene says
I love this recipe ,the easiest,never failed,good texture & taste
Simon says
This recipe has never failed for me, in date yeast is a must, the water yeast and honey when activated foams up 2 inches above waterline. If it doesn’t I wont use it. Sometimes I cut 1st proof dough into 8 and put on a baguette tray …. best recipe I’ve come across. And believe me I’ve tried a few. Thanks Dini
Chris says
Tasty but very dense
Did not rise very much
Wonder what I did wrong
Dini says
Hi Chris
If the bread came out dense, it usually is one of these two reasons (most of the time)
Either the flour was measured wrong, and too much was added (especially if you used cup measurements, you could accidentally add too much flour)
Or the yeast wasn’t active.
I hope that helps!
Chloe says
Loved this recipe! Is there an adjustment if I wanted to use instant yeast instead?
Dini says
Hi Chloe
Instant yeast is much more active than active dry yeast. There are numerous ways to substitute, but they seem to be conflicting.
1 ) substitute 1:1, but reduce the proofing time.
2 ) use 75% less instant yeast
3 ) use 50% less instant yeast
I haven’t give this a go with instant yeast, but I think 1:1 may work, but just keep an eye on how the bread is proofing, so you don’t risk overproofing 🙂
I hope that helps!
Jim Zdolshek says
Just made your bread and it turned out perfectly . Can’t wait to make a sandwich , and French toast in the morning!! Thx!!
Cristina Gray says
Amazing soft bread! I’ve saved it in my favourites to be done often.
Kristina says
Tried various bread recipes, not one was this fluffy. your descriptions of what to pay attention to are just perfect. everything turned out just as written. made a second batch (cause the first one didnt last for long) turned out exactly as nice as the first one. I’m in love
Charles Bolander says
Loved Recipe, only difference I used Cast Iron loaf pans,
Micheline C. says
This is the perfect recipe for one loaf. It rose beautifully, the dough is perfect smooth and consistent throughout. I also love that it uses honey. It is yummy!!!
Dini says
So glad you enjoyed the recipe Micheline, thank you for letting me know! 🙂
Michael D says
I did everything as the recipe instructed. When it came out of the oven (375 degrees for 45 minutes), it was very dark.. almost burnt.. not burnt.. but not the golden brown I was expecting. Any idea what I did wrong?
Dini says
Hi Michael
Since ovens may have differences in how they heat up and distribute heat, there can be variations.
You may need to take the bread out early, or lower the heat of your oven. Some of my other readers have noted that they tented a foil over the surface of the bread and let it bake until it’s done to prevent the crust from getting darker than they preferred.
I hope that helps
JessP says
This came out perfectly! It’s my new go to white bread recipe. Thank you!
Marcy says
My first loaf of white bread and man this delicious! Thank you so much for sharing and I’ll definitely be making this again!
Sayf Chowdhury says
Also I want to make 2 loaf bread together , if I can have the measurements of 2 bread it would be easy for me . Coz I don’t want to mess up the recipe .
Sayf Chowdhury says
I really want to make this bread but I didnt get it how much flour do I put ? (You wrote 4 1/3 cups , spoon and leveled) so , is that 4 cups and 1/3 spoon ? Also I want to use bread flour and I’m using measuring cups and spoons, I don’t have any scale . Will that work out ?
Dini says
Hi Sayf
4 1/3 cups is 4 cups + 1/3 cup. Spoon and leveled is how I recommend measuring the flour in the cups. Please note that if you pack too much flour in the measuring cups, this will add too much flour to the dough and make the final bread dense / crumbly and dry.
If the dough is drier than recommended (as explained in the post), then you can add a little water to get the right consistency. Two make two loaves you just need to double the recipe. But again, measure the flour properly, as too much flour will make it dry. I’ve explained the measuring methods here.
I hope that helps
Paul Ogunrinde says
Could you do a YouTube video on this?