Here’s a classic homemade white bread recipe—soft, fluffy, and perfect for sandwiches or toast. 🍞
This makes 2 standard loaves.
Homemade White Bread
Ingredients
- 2 cups warm water (about 110°F / warm, not hot)
- 2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast (1 packet)
- ¼ cup sugar
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil or melted butter
- 1 tbsp salt
- 5–6 cups all-purpose flour (or bread flour)
Instructions
1. Activate the yeast
- In a large bowl, combine warm water and sugar.
- Sprinkle yeast on top and let sit 5–10 minutes until foamy.
2. Make the dough
- Add oil (or butter) and salt to the yeast mixture.
- Gradually stir in 5 cups of flour, one cup at a time.
- Mix until a soft dough forms.
3. Knead
- Turn dough onto a floured surface.
- Knead 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic
(or knead 5–6 minutes with a stand mixer).
4. First rise
- Place dough in a greased bowl, turning once to coat.
- Cover and let rise in a warm place for about 1 hour, until doubled.
5. Shape
- Punch down the dough.
- Divide into two equal pieces.
- Shape into loaves and place into greased 9×5-inch loaf pans.
6. Second rise
- Cover and let rise 30–40 minutes, until dough rises just above the pans.
7. Bake
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Bake for 30–35 minutes, until golden brown and hollow-sounding when tapped.
8. Cool
- Remove from pans and cool on a rack before slicing.
Tips for Soft Bread
- Brush tops with melted butter right after baking.
- For extra softness, replace ½ cup water with warm milk.
- Store wrapped at room temperature up to 3 days, or freeze slices.
If you’d like, I can give you:
- a no-knead version
- a bread machine recipe
- or a super-soft sandwich bread version
Just tell me 😊
