This no-fuss Homemade White Bread recipe is so light and tender, perfect for sandwiches, simple toast in the mornings slathered with butter, or eating just the way it is!
After the loaves have cooled, slice them up and make the best grilled cheese sandwich ever or a tuna melt!
Easy Homemade White Bread Recipe
This white bread recipe is tried and true – I have been making this exact recipe going on 30 years and it comes out perfectly every time. It’s a foolproof, no-fuss recipe that results in light, tender, and delicious bread, a drizzle of butter just sets it over the edge. If you’re looking to try making bread for the first time, this is a great recipe to start with.
What I love is that this bread can be used for pretty much anything. It’s definitely my go-to sandwich bread recipe and it makes great toast as well. Plus it’s soft and buttery, perfect for soaking up every last bit of spaghetti sauce, gravy, or soup!
This recipe makes 2 loaves of bread and I usually freeze one so we always have homemade bread on hand for anything we may need.
How Many Slices of Bread in a Loaf?
The number of slices in a loaf of homemade bread will depend on how thickly you cut your slices but we typically get 12 slices per loaf, which is enough to make 6 sandwiches. This white bread recipe makes 2 loaves, which gives you enough for 12 sandwiches.
Ingredients Needed
There are just 5 pantry ingredients in this homemade white bread recipe, plus salt and water.
(Scroll below to the printable recipe card for details and measurements.)
- All-purpose flour – See notes below.
- Dry milk – Do not omit the dry milk, we believe this is what makes the bread so light and fluffy.
- Granulated sugar – For just a touch of sweetness.
- Butter – For richness and flavor.
- Active dry yeast – Avoid yeast past the expiration date or the bread won’t rise properly.
- Kosher salt – To heighten the other flavors.
- Warm water – It should be heated to around 115F. Not warm enough and the yeast won’t activate, but too hot water will kill the yeast.
All-Purpose Flour vs Bread Flour
If you have bread flour, you can also use it 1:1 for all-purpose flour. I have used both, whatever I have on hand. I think the bread flour version comes out a touch lighter, but either way, still amazing! Most people don’t have bread flour on hand regularly which is why I made this with AP flour to make it easier.
How to Make Homemade White Bread
This sandwich bread recipe is so simple to make that there’s virtually no way to mess it up. Homemade bread from scratch has never been this easy!
(Scroll down to the printable recipe card for details and measurements, and don’t miss the video below.)
- Prepare the yeast. Add the flour, dry milk, butter, sugar, yeast, and salt to a stand mixer. Combine for a few turns. Add the water and mix to combine.
- Add the flour. Slowly add in the first 5 cups of flour, a little at a time. Mix on medium-high speed until the dough cleans the side of the bowl. Add more flour (up to a 1/2 cup) at a time if necessary.
- Continue to knead. Continue to knead the dough on medium-high for 10 minutes, until smooth and elastic.
- Allow to rise. Spray the dough with cooking spray and roll it around in the bowl to lightly coat. Cover with plastic and let rise for an hour in a warm place.
- Remove air bubbles. Take the plastic off and punch the dough to release any bubbles. Knead on a lightly floured surface for a minute, until all air bubbles are removed.
- Let rise again. Divide the dough in two and roll into logs. Place in greased loaf pans. Allow to rise for 30 to 45 minutes, until doubled in size. Preheat the oven to 400F.
- Bake. Make a slit down the center of the bread, then place the loaves in the oven. Reduce the heat to 350F. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until golden brown.
- Cool. Immediately brush with melted butter. Cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then allow to cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.
Tip! Add More Flour as Needed
The most important step is making sure the dough cleans the side of the bowl. This means there is no dough stuck to the sides while it is going around the mixer. That is why we need to add a little more flour if needed. Normally, just 5 cups are enough. But, if it is more humid outside than normal, up to a 1/2 cup more flour may be needed. Slowly add it to the dough until it cleans the side of the bowl.
Video: White Bread Recipe
Serving Suggestions
This white bread makes pretty incredible sandwich bread. A few of my favorites are the BEACH Sandwich, a classic tomato sandwich, and cucumber sandwiches. It will also make the best grilled cheese sandwich you’ve ever tasted!
I also love to simply use it for toast in the morning with a bit of cinnamon butter or crockpot apple butter, and a bit of whipped herb butter would make it perfect for serving with spaghetti sauce or lasagna rolls!
How Long Does Freshly Baked Bread Last?
- Storing leftovers. Freshly baked white bread will last at room temperature for up to 3 days, as long as it’s covered. It will last for up to 5 days in the fridge.
- To freeze. You can also freeze your homemade white bread for up to 3 months. If freezing the whole loaf, wrap it tightly in plastic then place it in a freezer bag. We like to slice it and then freeze it so we can take out a piece or two here and there to make sandwiches. In that case, I just keep it in a freezer bag.
More Bread Recipes:
- Dutch Oven Bread
- Irish Soda Bread
- Challah Bread
- Focaccia
- Pizza Dough
I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full onTikTok,Facebook,Instagram,Pinterest, andYouTube!
Homemade White Bread
5 from 5 Ratings
This no-fuss Homemade White Bread recipe is so light and tender, perfect for sandwiches, simple toast in the mornings slathered with butter, or eating just the way it is!
Print Recipe Rate Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes minutes
Rise Time 1 hour hour 45 minutes minutes
Total Time 2 hours hours 40 minutes minutes
Servings: 24 slices (2 loaves)
Ingredients
- 5 & 1/2 cups all-purpose flour , spooned and leveled, divided
- 1/4 cup nonfat dry milk
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter , softened to room temp
- 2 & 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 cups warm water (about 115F)
- 2 tablespoons melted butter , for finishing (optional, but recommended)
Instructions
Add 2 cups of the flour, dry milk, sugar, butter, yeast, and salt to the body of a stand mixer. With the hook attachment, mix it around just to combine for a few turns.
Add the water and mix to combine.
On slow speed, begin to add the flour a little at a time until you come to 5 cups of flour. Place the mixer on medium-high speed, the dough should clean the sides of the bowl after a couple of minutes. If it doesn’t, add a little more flour at a time until it does, up to 1/2 cup more.
Continue to mix/knead the dough on medium-high speed for 10 minutes. The dough will be smooth and elastic.
Spray the dough with a little cooking spray and roll it around in the bowl, so it is lightly coated. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm place in your house for about 1 hour.
Take off the plastic wrap and punch the dough down in the bowl to release the air bubbles.
Lightly flour a clean work surface. Knead the dough a few times by hand to get any additional air bubbles out, about 1 minute.
Spray 2, 9×5 loaf pans with cooking spray.
Divide the dough into two even pieces. With your hands, form them into a log. Place each log into a prepared baking pan.
No need to cover the dough again. Let them rise until doubled in size, about 30-45 minutes.
While they are doing the second rise, preheat the oven to 400°F
Once doubled, make a slit down the center of the bread. Place the loaves into the oven and immediately lower the temperature of the oven to 350°F. Bake for 30-35 minutes until golden brown.
Remove from the oven and immediately brush the bread with the melted butter. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes.
Take out of the pans and cool on a wire rack completely before slicing.
Video
Notes
Don’t skip the dry milk. I believe the dry milk is what makes the bread so light and fluffy, so don’t omit it.
Use bread flour instead. If you have bread flour, you can also use it 1:1 for all-purpose flour. I have used both, whatever I have on hand. I think the bread flour version comes out a touch lighter, but either way, still great.
Nutrition
Serving: 1slice | Calories: 139kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 7mg | Sodium: 211mg | Potassium: 66mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 102IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 23mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutritional information given is an automatic calculation and can vary based on the exact products you use and any changes you make to the recipe. If these numbers are very important to you, I would recommend calculating them yourself.
Other Notes
Course: Bread
Cuisine: American
Keyword: homemade sandwich bread, homemade white bread, sandwich bread recipe
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