Description
This easy homemade white bread recipe yields a soft, fluffy loaf perfect for sandwiches or toast. Made with simple pantry ingredients and baked to golden perfection, it’s a rewarding and straightforward baking project for beginners and bread lovers alike.
Ingredients
Scale
Wet Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups warm water (110°F/45°C)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil (for greasing)
Dry Ingredients
- 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (1 packet)
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for kneading
Instructions
- Activate the yeast: In a large mixing bowl, combine warm water, yeast, and sugar. Stir gently and let sit for 5–10 minutes until the mixture becomes foamy, indicating the yeast is active.
- Mix and form dough: Add the melted butter, salt, and 3 cups of flour to the yeast mixture. Stir the ingredients together until a rough dough forms.
- Knead the dough: Transfer the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead for 8–10 minutes, gradually incorporating the remaining flour as needed until the dough is smooth, elastic, and slightly tacky but not sticky.
- First rise: Place the dough into a greased bowl, turning it over once to coat all sides. Cover with a clean towel and let it rise in a warm spot for about 1 hour or until it has doubled in size.
- Punch down and shape: Gently punch down the risen dough to release air. Shape it into a loaf and place it into a greased 9×5-inch loaf pan.
- Second rise: Cover the loaf pan with a towel and let the dough rise again for 30–40 minutes, until puffy and near doubled in size.
- Preheat oven and bake: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Bake the bread for 25–30 minutes or until it develops a golden brown crust and sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.
- Cool and serve: Remove the bread from the pan and allow it to cool completely on a wire rack before slicing to preserve the soft texture.
Notes
- For a softer crust, brush the top of the warm bread with melted butter immediately after baking.
- This bread freezes well; wrap tightly in plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag for up to 2 months.
- Ensure water temperature is not too hot or it may kill the yeast.
- Adding a steam tray with water in the oven creates a softer crust if desired.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes (plus 1 hour and 30-40 minutes rising time)
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (approx. 1/12 of loaf)
- Calories: 140
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 190mg
- Fat: 3g
- Saturated Fat: 1g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 25g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 5mg
