Name: Homemade White Bread
Prep time: 180 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 210 min
Ingredients: ¼ cup warm water; 2 tablespoons granulated sugar (divided); 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast; 1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt; ¼ cup unsalted butter (softened); 1 cup whole milk; 3 cups all-purpose flour

Easy homemade white bread recipe that yields a gorgeous golden-brown crust with soft tender slices. It’s a simple yeast-leavened dough that combines all-purpose flour, butter, and milk. In just a few hours you’ll have a fresh-baked loaf, perfect for sandwiches and more!

Incredibly soft and delicious

If there’s just one bread recipe to master, it’s got to be a classic soft white bread. The simplicity of it may seem intimidating, but I challenge you to roll up your sleeves and give it a try. The ingredients aren’t fancy or complicated, but to nail the perfect dome top and soft texture, you need to understand a few important bread-making techniques.

Knowing how to work with the yeast, how long to knead the dough, and the proper shaping technique are all covered here. So if you’re curious and have a little time to play in the kitchen, I’m excited to share this knowledge with you. I know once you perfect the recipe, you’re going to think twice about the preservative-filled store-bought stuff.

Yeast selection

Active dry yeast is my preferred choice when making homemade bread. It has a sturdy moderate rise rate as the organisms ferment the sugars and starches in the dough. This process is where some bread flavors are developed. You can use other types of yeast like instant dry to cut the rise time in half, but I find there’s a slight sacrifice in flavor for speed.

Flour power and how to pick one

All-purpose flour is the backbone of the dough. This type of flour has a medium level of protein, about 10 to 13%. This creates just enough gluten formation for a sturdy, yet soft texture. If you enjoy a more chewy texture, use bread flour. It contains 12 to 15% protein and slightly elevates the strength and resistance of the bread’s structure.

Key ingredients for soft and fluffy bread

Butter limits some of the gluten formation in the dough, however, adding a small amount coats the protein and makes for a much softer bite.
Sugar is a tenderizer during the mixing stage. It loves water, so it competes with the proteins to absorb moisture to slow the development of gluten. The result is a more tender crumb.
Yeast uses the sugar and starch as fuel during fermentation to create air bubbles which make the dough rise, while also helping to develop the fluffy texture.

The basics of making white bread from scratch

To make things easy, use a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Proof the yeast (make sure the yeast are alive) with warm water and sugar. If it’s good, then mix with salt, butter, warm milk, and flour. Knead at the lowest speed for a few minutes. You should be able to stretch a small piece of dough without it tearing while being able to see through it.

On a lightly floured surface shape dough into a ball then cover it with plastic wrap. Let it rise in a warm area until doubled in size. I recommend making an oven proofing box for this step. Afterward, punch the dough down, shape it in a rectangle then roll it back up. Allow it to rise a second time in a loaf pan. Bake until the surface is golden brown.

Give the dough a poke

To tell if the dough has properly doubled in size after the first round of fermentation, poke the dough with your finger and make a half-inch indent. If the dough stays dimpled, it’s ready for the next step.

Roll it out, then roll it up

To prep the dough for its final rise, it needs to be punched down and reshaped. The yeast creates various-sized bubbles in the dough, and so punching releases some of the big air pockets. Once you get your aggression out, roll out the dough, then roll it into a cigar shape. This process redistributes the gas and ingredients to ensure an even crumb texture with no gaps inside the bread.

Choosing the right pan

A metal loaf pan gives the characteristic shape we want. I prefer using a 9×5-inch aluminized steel pan for even heat distribution. If using glass, be aware that it retains heat much longer, so check for doneness about 5 to 10 minutes earlier. A smaller 8.5×4.5-inch pan can also be used, but the bread will be taller and may finish baking sooner as well. I recommend lightly greasing your pan so the bread removes easier after baking.

The cooling down process

After baking, the bread may stay in the pan for about 5 minutes, but don’t go longer than that. Steam will start to emit from the hot loaf and the condensation in the pan will make the crust soggy. Transfer the bread to a wire rack to cool down completely. It’s going to be hard to resist, but let the proteins set and the moisture redistribute so that you’ll have perfectly tender slices.

Knowing when the bread is done baking

There are three ways to check for doneness. Visual, the crust will be golden-brown in color. Acoustic, carefully remove the bread from the pan and knock on the bottom, listen for a hollow sound. Measure, use an instant-read thermometer inserted into the bread and look for a reading between 190 to 200ºF (87 to 93ºC). If your bread isn’t done yet, place it back in the oven for a few more minutes.

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