This homemade white bread is the perfect white bread, it’s great for sandwiches, toast, or just slathered with butter and honey on top!
This fresh homemade bread is so light, soft, and fluffy. There is just something about a fresh loaf of homemade bread that is magical. It’s so delicious, and one of my favorite comfort foods.
You just combine a few basic ingredients (hopefully you guys can find yeast in the stores right now, I know there was a shortage for a while), let the dough rise, and then when the bread is baking your whole house is filled with the best smell, the delicious smell of fresh bread.
I have to restrain myself when I pull the bread out of the oven not to just rip a piece off right then and there and eat it plain like that. But you can best as soon as it’s cooled enough to slice it up and I cutting off a piece, or two, or three, and lathering them with some butter and honey.
This recipe makes two loaves of fresh white bread, which is perfect because it can last for a few days for everything we need it for. I love a few slices fresh and warm with butter and jam or honey, some toasted up and topped with cinnamon sugar or eaten with eggs for breakfast, or slathered with peanut butter and jelly or with some ham and cheese for a yummy sandwich.
We haven’t decided if we like the bread better hot and fresh or the next day. It should stay good wrapped in plastic wrap and kept at room temperature for about 3 to 4 days. It’s a little more light and fluffy when it’s fresh, and it tasted a little more like store bought bread later in the week which makes it perfect for sandwiches.
You can also freeze one of the loaves for later. You can freeze the whole loaf by wrapping it in plastic wrap them in foil for up to 4 months. Then you thaw the whole loaf at room temperature overnight. Or you can slice the bread up and freeze it already sliced. Then you can just thaw a couple of the slices at a time as needed. You can put the frozen slices in the microwave for 15-20 seconds or in the toaster for a few extra seconds and it will be thawed quickly that way.
I know some people are intimidated by making bread, but lucky for you, this bread recipe is fairy simple. And it’s so delicious.
How to make white bread?
In a large bowl, dissolve your yeast and sugar in warm water. It’s best if done in a stand mixer, but you can also use a hand mixer, or mix by hand if you don’t have one. Add in the butter and stir it in. Add in the salt and two cups of the flour, and stir it till it’s combined. Then add in the rest of the flour 1/2 cup at a time, while stirring the whole time, until you have a nice soft dough. Continue to knead the dough for about 8 minutes.
Roll the dough into a ball, and place the dough into an oiled bowl and cover with greased plastic wrap or a towel. Let it sit in a warm spot. Let the dough rise for about 1 hour until the ball has doubled in size.
Punch the dough down to release the air and separate into two equal sized sections. Shape each section into a loaf of bread as long as your bread pan. Grease your bread pan with nonstick spray and place the loaves in the the prepared pans. Cover the bread pans with a towel and set in a warm spot till the loaf is doubled in size and has risen to about the top of the pan, maybe 30 to 40 minutes.
Preheat the oven while the bread is rising for the last few minutes. Bake the bread in the preheated oven until the top is golden brown. Spread butter over the top of the bread and bake for another 5 minutes. Let the bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack to cool completely.
The bread can be enjoyed warm, but if you want nice even slices, the bread will slice better when completely cooled.
You’ll never want to buy bread from the store again after you try this amazing homemade bread. It will fill your kitchen with the best smell ever, and you’ll be slicing it up and serving it with butter or on a sandwich in no time.
This bread is amazing topped with our homemade raspberry and blueberry jam.
Looking for more bread recipes?
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Homemade White Bread
Ingredients
- 2 - .25 oz packages active dry yeast (or 4.5 tsp/ 1.5 TBS)
- 3 TBS white sugar
- 2 1/2 cups warm water
- 3 TBS melted butter
- 1 tsp salt
- 6 1/2 cups all purpose white flour
Equipment
- Large Mixing Bowl
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl (a stand mixer is best if you have it) dissolve the yeast and sugar in warm water.
- Add the melted butter into the mixture and stir it in.
- Add in the salt and 2 cups of flour to the yeast mixture. Stir till combined.
- Add 1/2 cup of the flour at a time, while stirring slowly, combining thoroughly after each addition. Until you've added 6 cups of flour total.
- Add more flour 1 TBS at a time as needed till the dough is pulls away from the sides of the bowl. (Mine needed 6 1/4 cups total)
- After all flour has been added and dough pulls from the sides, knead for 8 minutes. (I set the kitchen aid on stir and once the dough pulled from the side I set the timer for 8 minutes)
- Remove from bowl and oil the bowl. Place dough in bowl and roll it in oil to coat.
- Cover with a cloth and allow to rise for about 1 hour, till doubled.
- Punch the dough down to remove the air.
- Divide the dough into two equal halves.
- Roll the dough into loaves
- Place each loaf into a greased 9x5 bread pan.
- Cover and allow to rise for another 30-40 minutes, or until doubled, and dough reaches the top of the bread pan.
- Meanwhile preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Lower temperature to 375 degrees and bake for 25 minutes.
- Remove loaves from oven, coat the tops with butter.
- Return to the oven and bake for another 5 minutes.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool in pan for 10 minutes.
- Carefully remove from pan and allow to cool completely on a cooling rack.
- Slice up and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
This homemade white bread was first published on March 12, 2012. Photos updated on May 15, 2020.
DebbieDo says
Do you have metric amounts?
Aimee says
I added the ones I know, but I’m not sure if you use teaspoon and Tablespoon for small stuff like salt/sugar or do you still weigh those?
Nuuld says
Very good bread. The butter on top of the crust adds a nice taste and saltiness (if you use salted butter) really recommend this recipe.
Vinnie says
I just noticed that in the first line of the Ingredients the yeast amount does not change when the amount of loaves is changed.
1 – .12.5 oz packages active dry yeast (or 4.5 tsp/ 1.5 TBS)
Tks
Aimee says
Changing the serving size with the recipe card is always a little weird, because it automatically updates based on calculations) not made by me but the recipe card program. So it’s definitely something you should always double check if you’re changing that.
However, when I change it to 1 loaf (instead of 2 that the original recipe makes) it does update the ingredient from saying 2 .25oz packets to saying 1 .125 oz packet which is obviously incorrect math (but I think the program is just cutting both numbers in half as best as it knows how.) It’s not something I can update on my end, but you can look and see the original is 2 packets, so 1 loaf should be 1 packet. (however the notes section is just my notes based on my recipe, so that 4.5tsp/1.5 TBS w will never update based on the new calculations)
Joann Bailey says
Oh my this bread is awesome just made it and I can tell it won’t last very long …..I foresee that I’ll be baking quite regularly , thank you. I have a bread maker but honestly we’re fed up of the same old same old.
Aimee says
That makes me so happy Joann <3
Teri says
Do you have this recipe for a bread machine ? Thanks!
Aimee says
I don’t currently, I just use the recipe that came with my bread machine. I’ll let you know if I ever make my own!
noreen jones says
how long do you leave the yeast and sugar and warm water sit before you add the flower mixture to the yeast mixture? this is the first time I am making bread
Aimee says
Just a couple minutes until it’s dissolved in the warm water. Good luck! Hope you love it!
Ritz Sagritalo says
Have you ever made a wheat version of this loaf? My fiance only eats wheat bread, so I’m thinking of trying both with white flour and with wheat flour. Yikes! I may be over my head with the wheat version, lol.
Toni says
I’m just gathering the ingredients and I wonder, what purpose is the buttering the top at the end. I like my bread crusty, so usually I brush water on top. But I will try this for sure.
Aimee Berrett says
I think the butter does the same thing as the water probably does, and gives it a nice crust – I think it gives it just a little more delicious butter taste too.
Jesseca Hallows says
I’ll be honest… bread is my downfall. I’m a big rhodes fan because it takes all of the trouble out of it. BUT this recipe sounds like one I should give a chance. Looks so yummy!
Jessica @ Pretty Providence says
Mmmm.. makes my stomach growl just looking at it!
Marissa says
Oh yum
Lindsey Weikel says
Hi, just wondering if you used bread flour or all purpose flour? Thanks!
Aimee Berrett says
Lindsey, unless specified we always use all purpose flour. So all purpose 🙂
Amy Tuccitto says
I just tried this tonight and it is wonderful!! Thank you for the recipe:) I have spent the last couple of months trying different recipes out and this is the best for us. Finally- a loaf that rises properly and bakes up perfectly for the area I live in. I just moved from the Atlanta area to the Syracuse area and nothing has worked as well as this one. I did cut the recipe in half and had no problems. We like bread but only go through a loaf every week to week and a half. Two loaves would be too much for us.
Amy Tuccitto says
I forgot to mention that I used stick butter instead of margarine without any problems.
Angela says
Has anyone tried cutting the recipe in half? I want to make a loaf in my bread machine. Thanks:)
Aimee Berrett says
I’ve had trouble halving some recipes, but I haven’t ever tried this one, so I’m not sure. It might work great, I just don’t know for sure. Let me know if you decide to try it!
Christina says
This recipe is amazing! Will be my go-to as well, and my husband loves it!
Elisabeth says
This is my go-to recipe for homemade bread! Thank you for it! I also use butter every time and it’s great.
Aimee Berrett says
Thanks for letting us know Elisabeth! Its so good, right?
Marianne says
I am determined to make some good bread (so far I can only manage the recipe I always made with my mom growing up), so forgive me for my dumb questions. Is the margarine softened or melted? And would it be fine to substitute butter?
aimeeberrett says
No question is stupid! I haven’t actually softened the margarine since its pretty soft coming out of the fridge, but if it was really hard I might leave it at room temperature a bit before I used it, or zap it for a second in the microwave.
And the original recipe actually calls for lard, but says that butter or vegetable oil can be substituted. I haven’t tried butter myself, but I’m sure it would work great. And since butter is usually harder than margarine I would leave it out of the fridge for an hour or so before you use it to let it soften. If you make this with butter let me know how it goes for you 🙂
Ashlee Marie Edwards Prisbrey says
Mmmmmm yet again another wonderful recipe that I’m going to try and have to feature you today on Topsy Turvy Tuesdays! The fact that your pictures are so mouthwatering don’t hurt AT ALL!
Winnie says
Beautiful looking loaf
I specialize in baking challahs (Jewish bread) and I love the texture of your loaf as it shows from the photos