Homemade White Bread

Today, I’m super excited to share with you my Dad’s FAMOUS homemade White Bread Recipe.

Course Breads

Cuisine American

Keyword homemade white bread

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 35

Rise Time 1 45

Total Time 2 40

Servings servings

Calories 136kcal

Author Dana DeVolk

Equipment

stand mixer

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