Easy White Bread Recipe (2024)

Bread tastes best fresh from your oven, and it's easier than you think to make it from scratch! Follow my detailed instructions with pictures to learn how to make a fluffy, soft loaf in your own kitchen!

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• This great recipe makes just 1 loaf of bread but can easily be doubled!
• Makes a nice big loaf, just like Grandma used to make.
• Detailed instructions with pictures make this such an easy bread recipe!
• Can be made by hand in a large bowl or with a stand mixer.

Ingredient Notes and Equipment Notes

• Flour - All Purpose flour, not bread flour or self-rising flour.
• Butter - I use salted butter; if you're using unsalted butter, increase the amount of salt the recipe calls for by ½ tsp.
• Yeast - Active dry yeast is the same as instant yeast or rapid-rise yeast.
• Bread Pan - You can use either a 9.5 x 5-inch loaf pan or an 8.5 x 4. The 8.5-inch one is considered the standard size, but I've noticed the 9.5-inch ones are just as common. I've made this recipe with both sizes myself.
• Mixer - Can this recipe be made by hand? Yes, of course! I use a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook because I lack in the muscly arm area.

Step by Step Instructions

• Add sugar, yeast, and warm water to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment.
• Allow to stand and get foamy.

• Add the room-temperature butter and salt.
• Add 3 cups of the flour.
• Knead with a dough hook until all the flour is incorporated.
• Add enough of the remaining cup of flour to make a soft dough that is only slightly sticky. Clean the sides of the bowl.
• You may or may not need the entire 4th cup of flour.
• Knead for 3 minutes in a stand mixer at medium speed or 5 minutes by hand.
• Cover the bread dough with a kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled. (rise time 30-ish minutes)

• Dump the risen dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and shape it into a loaf.
• Be sure to pinch the seams shut well.
• Place the loaf in a loaf pan that's been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.

• Cover with a dish towel and let the dough rise until doubled. (30-ish minutes)
• Adjust your oven rack so the bread will bake right in the center, and preheat your oven to 350 degrees while the bread is rising.
• This bread rises quite high. Note the difference in height between pictures 12 and 13.
• Bake the risen loaf for 20 minutes, then tent it with tin foil to avoid over-browning.
• Bake the bread for 25 minutes more. The top will be golden brown.
• Run a cube of butter over the top of the hot loaf if desired, and cool completely on a wire rack.

Recipe FAQs and Expert Tips

• Homemade French Bread
• Butterflake Dinner Rolls
• No Knead Parker House Rolls
• Texas Roadhouse Rolls Copycat
• Asiago Cheese Bread

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Thanks for stopping by! Before you go, be sure to check out a few of my most popular recipes!

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