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White Bread fills your kitchen with that incredible fresh-baked smell and gives you two soft, fluffy loaves with a tender crumb and golden crust. I bake it on lazy weekend mornings, and the kids cannot resist the first warm, buttered slice. Once you taste a from-scratch loaf, you will never look at the store shelf the same way, just like our sourdough starter bread.
With basic pantry ingredients and a stand mixer, you can make bakery-soft white bread that beats anything from a bag.
White Bread Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 20 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 35 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 2 hours 40 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 24 slices
- ⚡ Calories: 136kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Soft, fluffy, and lightly sweet
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy and beginner-friendly, like our dinner rolls
Quick Answer
Mix flour, dry milk, sugar, yeast, salt, butter, and warm water into a dough, then knead it for about 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Let it rise until doubled, punch it down, and shape it into two loaves. Let the loaves rise again in pans, then bake at 350 degrees until golden, about 30 to 35 minutes, for two soft, fluffy loaves of homemade white bread.
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Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- It has a soft, fluffy crumb. Dry milk and a good 10-minute knead give this bread its tender, pillowy texture.
- It makes two loaves. Bake one to eat fresh this week and freeze the other for later, all from one batch.
- It is beginner-friendly. The dough is forgiving and easy to work with, which makes it a great first yeast bread.
- No fancy ingredients. Flour, yeast, sugar, salt, butter, and a little dry milk are all pantry staples.
- That fresh-baked taste. Warm, homemade bread with real butter beats anything from a store shelf, hands down.
- It is endlessly versatile. Use it for sandwiches, toast, grilled cheese, garlic bread, or french toast all week long.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Nothing beats the smell and taste of warm, fresh bread straight from your own oven.
- It makes two soft, fluffy loaves, so you can eat one now and freeze one for later.
- It is surprisingly easy and beginner-friendly, a great first yeast bread like our dinner rolls.
Key Ingredients
Here is everything you need for two soft loaves of homemade white bread. All pantry staples.
- All-Purpose Flour: the structure of the bread. No special bread flour is needed for a soft, tender loaf.
- Active Dry Yeast: the rise. It ferments the dough and makes the bread light and airy.
- Warm Water: activates the yeast. Aim for about 115 degrees, warm but not hot.
- Nonfat Dry Milk: the secret to an extra-soft, tender crumb and a slightly richer flavor.
- Sugar and Salt: sugar feeds the yeast and adds a touch of sweetness, while salt controls the rise and seasons the bread.
- Butter: softened into the dough for richness, plus an optional brush on top for a soft, glossy crust.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
This white bread is a great base to make your own.
- Make it whole wheat: swap up to half the flour for whole wheat for a heartier loaf.
- Add herbs or cheese: knead in rosemary, garlic, or shredded cheese for a savory bread.
- Shape into rolls: form the dough into our dinner rolls instead of loaves.
- Use milk instead: replace the water and dry milk with 2 cups of warm whole milk for a richer loaf.
- Brush with butter: an extra brush of butter on the warm crust keeps it soft and glossy.
How to Make White Bread
- Add 2 cups of the flour, the dry milk, sugar, butter, yeast, and salt to a stand mixer with the dough hook and combine. Pour in the warm water and mix.
- Add the remaining flour a little at a time until the dough cleans the sides of the bowl, then knead on medium-high for about 10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
- Lightly coat the dough with cooking spray, cover, and let it rise in a warm place for about 1 hour, until doubled. Punch it down to release the air bubbles.
- Divide the dough into two even pieces and roll each into a log. Place each log into a greased 9×5 loaf pan.
- Let the loaves rise uncovered until doubled, about 30 to 45 minutes, while the oven preheats to 400 degrees.
- Slit the tops if you like, place them in the oven and immediately lower the heat to 350 degrees. Bake 30 to 35 minutes until golden, then brush with butter and cool.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Check the water temperature; around 115 degrees is ideal. Too hot kills the yeast, too cold and it will not activate.
- Knead a full 10 minutes for a smooth, elastic dough that rises high and bakes up soft.
- Rise in a warm spot like a sunny window or near the warm oven for the best, fastest rise.
- The dough should clean the bowl; add flour a little at a time if it is sticky, up to half a cup more.
- Do not skip the punch-down; it releases big air bubbles for an even, tender crumb.
- Brush the warm loaf with butter for a soft crust, just like our ciabatta bread.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
Few things beat a warm slice of homemade white bread slathered with butter. Use it for sandwiches, toast, grilled cheese, or buttery garlic bread.
It is the perfect base for our overnight french toast casserole or served alongside a hearty bowl of soup. A fresh loaf makes any meal feel special.
Store it in an airtight bag or bread box for a few days, or freeze a whole loaf for up to three months. Bake a batch and you will have soft bread all week, like our soft pretzels.
White Bread FAQs
Yes. You can mix and knead the dough entirely by hand. It just takes a bit more effort, about 10 to 12 minutes of kneading on a floured surface until the dough is smooth and elastic. A stand mixer with a dough hook simply makes it easier.
Dense bread usually comes from under-kneading, dead yeast, or not enough rise time. Knead a full 10 minutes, make sure your yeast is fresh, and let the dough rise until it has truly doubled. Water that is too hot can also kill the yeast.
Aim for about 115 degrees, which feels warm but not hot, like a comfortable bath. Too hot kills the yeast, and too cold means it will not activate. A kitchen thermometer takes the guesswork out of it.
Yes, it freezes beautifully. Cool the loaf completely, then wrap it tightly in plastic and foil or a freezer bag. It keeps for up to three months. Thaw at room temperature and refresh slices in the toaster or a warm oven.
Store cooled bread in an airtight bag or a bread box at room temperature for about three to four days. Because it has no preservatives, it is best enjoyed fresh. For longer storage, slice and freeze it.
Yes. Replace the 2 cups of water and the dry milk with 2 cups of warm whole milk for a slightly richer, softer loaf. Just warm the milk to about 115 degrees so it does not kill the yeast.
Want more from-scratch bread? Try our chewy homemade ciabatta bread next.
Easy Homemade White Bread Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 5 & ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup nonfat dry milk
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
- 2 & ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 cups warm water 115°F
- 2 tablespoons melted butter optional
Instructions
- Add 2 cups of the flour, dry milk, sugar, butter, yeast, and salt to the body of a stand mixer. With the dough hook attachment, mix it around just to combine for a few turns.5 & ½ cups all-purpose flour, ¼ cup nonfat dry milk, 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, 2 & ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast, 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- Add the water and mix to combine.2 cups warm water
- 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 flour at a time until it does, up to ½ cup more flour.
- 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 bread 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, roll them out 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 if desired. 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.
- If desired, immediately brush the bread with the optional melted butter. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes.2 tablespoons melted butter
- Take out of the pans and cool on a wire rack completely.
Notes
- Make sure your water is warm, not hot, to activate the yeast mixture. Remember, yeast is a living thing!
- Don’t rush the rise times; letting that amazing dough rest is key for a perfect loaf.
- Knead the dough until it’s smooth and elastic for the best texture. Practice makes perfect when it comes to the texture of the bread.
- Use a kitchen towel or plastic wrap to cover the dough while it rises.
- If using melted butter on top of the loaf, brush it right after baking for a soft crust.
- Slice the bread after it has completely cooled for clean cuts. Then again, letting the bread cool before you dig in is rather difficult, haha!
Nutrition
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