This Homemade Soft White Bread recipe is super soft, delicious, and an easy to make loaf of bread! It is a tender and fluffy bread recipe that is as soft as wonder bread, but has much better structure and flavor.
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❤️ Why you'll Love Homemade Bread
Great for sandwiches: this soft bread recipe is far better than store-bought bread. It is super soft and has better flavor than white sandwich bread.
Cost effective: if you go through a lot of bread, it will be far more cost effective to make your own rather than buy it from the grocery store.
Therapeutic: kneading bread dough can help relieve stress and tension and leave you with a gratifying experience.
🥘 Ingredients
Flour: All-purpose flour or bread flour will work. While they are different structures, I have made this recipe with both types, however I do prefer bread flour.
Milk: I use almond milk because it has a longer shelf life. Any milk will work. If you use evaporated milk, you can extend the volume by using half milk/half water.
Yeast: Dry active dry yeast works, as well as instant yeast. I like to buy bulk yeast and store it in my freezer.
Granulated Sugar: a little sugar helps activate yeast and adds flavor.
Unsalted butter
Salt
🔪 Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl, add ingredients as follows: Warm milk, melted butter, sugar, salt, and 1 cups of the flour.
- Make a small well in the flour and pour the yeast into the well.
- Add the dough hook attachment (if using the mixer) and turn the mixer on slowly. Let turn until dough begins to form at low speed. Or, work by hand until dough forms.
- Stop the mixer as needed to add flour down the sides of the bowl a little at a time to allow to incorporate. Continue to add the remaining flour 1 cup at a time.
- Once the dough has formed, turn mixer on to a slightly higher speed and "knead" the dough, approximately 7 minutes. Add more flour by the tablespoon. If kneading by hand, work the dough until it is no longer sticky adding flour as needed.
- The dough should still be very soft but not wet. (I used all 5 cups of flour)
- Turn the dough out onto the lightly floured board. Knead a few more times. Place in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap.
- For the first rise, set bread dough in a warm place, free of drafts and let rise until doubled in size. About 1-½ to 2 hours.
- Once dough has doubled in size, remove plastic wrap and deflate dough down and divide in half.
- Shape into 2 loaves and place in a bread pan sprayed with cooking spray. Sit in a warm, dry place and cover with a towel for the second rise, until the dough has risen to the top of the bread pan (or slightly over). About 1 hour.
- To bake, remove towel from top of dough and place in a 350 degree F preheated oven. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until bread is golden brown.
- Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Immediately rub the top of loaves with butter (if desired).
🥄 Equipment
Bread Loaf Pans: you will need 2 pans.
Stand mixer: optional, bread can also be made by hand.
Mixing bowls
Rubber scraper
Cooling rack
🥫Storage
Room temperature: store in an airtight container or tightly wrapped plastic bag up to 4 days.
Freeze: store in the freezer in an airtight freezer bag up to 3 months.
📖 Variations
- Use half white and half whole wheat flour
- Substitute brown sugar, honey or maple syrup for the sugar
- Use any type of milk. Cow, goat, or plant-based. All work well.
- Substitute warm water in place of milk.
💭 Tips
- A warm day will make it easier. If you are making bread in chillier weather, you want it to be set in a warm spot. I have been known to place the dough in my laundry room on top of the dryer!
- You can also set your oven to 170 and allow it to warm up. Turn the oven off and let the dough rise in the oven.
- Homemade bread is best consumed fresh so I recommend freezing one loaf of bread for later.
📚 Related Recipes
Sweet Potato Rolls are soft and buttery and perfect with a dab of whipped cinnamon honey butter.
Maple Walnut Banana Bread is a great way to use over ripe bananas.
I'm a huge fan of these Soft Pumpkin Cookies with Butter Rum Frosting.
Blueberry Banana Bread is soft, delicious, and studded with blueberries.
If you love copycat recipes, then you must try this Cheesecake Factory Brown Bread recipe.
🍽 Serve with..
Enjoy your homemade soft white bread toasted and spread with butter, peanut butter, or jam. It is perfect for sandwiches, whether filled with classic deli meats or your favorite vegetarian options. For a comforting treat, try it as the foundation for a traditional French toast breakfast.
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📖 Recipe
Homemade Soft White Bread
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Ingredients
- 1-½ cups warm milk
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 5 cups white bread flour
- 4 ½ teaspoons dry yeast or 2 packets
Instructions
- In Kitchenaid stand mixer or in a large bowl, add ingredients as follows: Warm milk, melted butter, sugar, salt, and 1 cups of the flour.
- Make a small well in the flour and pour the yeast into the well.
- Add the dough hook attachment (if using the mixer) and turn the mixer on slowly. Let turn until dough begins to form at low speed. Or, work by hand until dough forms.
- Stop the mixer as needed to put flour down the sides of the bowl to allow to incorporate. Continue to add the remaining flour 1 cup at a time.
- Once the dough has formed, turn mixer (if using) onto a slightly higher speed and "knead" the dough, approximately 7 minutes. Add more flour by the tablespoon. If kneading by hand, work the dough until it is no longer sticky.
- The dough should still be very soft but not wet. (I used all 5 cups of flour)
- Turn the dough out onto the lightly floured board. Knead a few more times. Place in a lightly oiled bowl (I use my Kitchenaid bowl - I just wash it first) and cover with wrap.
- Set in a warm, draft-free spot and let rise until doubled in size. About 1-½ to 2 hours.
- Punch dough down and divide in half. Shape into 2 loaves and place in a bread pan sprayed with cooking spray. Sit in a warm, dry place and cover with a towel until the dough has risen to the top of the bread pan (or slightly over). About 1 hour.
- Bake the bread in an oven pre-heated to 350 degrees and bake for 30-35 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately rub the top of loaves with butter if desired.
Video
Notes
Bread Loaf Pans: you will need 2 pans. Flour: All-purpose flour or bread flour will work. While they are different structures, I have made this recipe with both types, however I do prefer bread flour. Milk: I use almond milk because it has a longer shelf life. Any milk will work. If you use evaporated milk, you can extend the volume by using half milk/half water. Yeast: Dry active yeast works, as well as instant. I like to buy bulk yeast and store it in my freezer. Sugar Butter
Pam Beus says
I’d like to try this in my bread machine but my normal recipe only calls for 4 cups of flour so I think it would be too much for the bread machine. Have you adapted it for that?
Shelby Law Ruttan says
Hi Pam, you could cut the recipe in half and it will make just 1 loaf of bread. I would add the wet ingredients first, then the dry, leaving the yeast until last and be sure to use bread machine yeast (or instant yeast). I hope this helps. Shelby
Anita c says
My dough is rising. It does not look like it will make two loaves.
Shelby Law Ruttan says
Hi Anita, I'm not sure how many loaves you got, but it does make two loaves of bread. I make this recipe all the time and always get two loaves. Let me know how it worked out for you. If it didn't rise enough, it could be because the yeast was not active or the room temperature was too cool and drafty making it a slow rise. Shelby
Linda J IANNONE says
I want this for French toast!
Shelby Law Ruttan says
Hi Linda, I know you can make it 🙂 Enjoy!
Mary White says
can you freeze the loaves after the first proofing but before the second proofing?
Shelby Law Ruttan says
Hi Mary, I haven't done that, but I don't see why you couldn't. Just thaw it out in the fridge, then proof it before baking. Let me know how it works for you!
Terry Pruner says
The directions say: in Kitchenaid stand mixer or in a large bowl, add ingredients as follows: Warm milk, melted butter, yeast, sugar, salt, and 1 cups of the all-purpose flour. Then is says to: Make a small well in the flour and pour the yeast into the well. If you have already added the yeast in the first step how can you add it again in the 2nd step. I am confused.
Shelby Law Ruttan says
Hi Terry, I had updated the post and missed that I typed yeast in the first instruction. You add the yeast last by making a small well (I use a spoon) and pouring the yeast into the flour.
Mary says
This has to be corrected.
prep time: 20 MINUTES
cook time: 35 MINUTES
proofing time: 2 MINUTES
total time: 57 MINUTES
Shelby Law Ruttan says
Hi Mary, thanks for bringing that to my attention, The recipe card interpreted it as minutes instead of hours. I have fixed it. Thanks again!
Terry says
Thank you for clearing that up for me.
Kirstin says
Hi! Does it have to be almond milk for this recipe? Hubby is extremely allergic to nuts. Would regular milk suffice?
Shelby says
Absolutely, you can use whatever milk you use in your home 🙂 Enjoy!
Ellen says
Looks like bread perfection! Like your Mom and Nanny, I would think it's brownies always on your counter!
Shelby says
I know I have a strong affection for brownies! 🙂
Dee says
Your bread recipe calls for bread flour but your directions say all purpose flour. Which is it?
Shelby Law Ruttan says
It is indicated in the post and in the notes that you can use either all purpose or bread flour for this recipe. I have used both and have had good results. I have a preference for bread flour though, as I feel it turns out fluffier and rises higher then all-purpose.
Charlie says
Best bread recipe ever!!!!