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Easy White Bread: How to Make the Perfect Loaf

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There’s nothing that will make your kitchen smell better than this easy white bread recipe! It’s been tested for decades by busy home cooks just like you and I — and it never fails to be perfect! Soft and buttery on the inside with a crisp crust, this homemade bread has been pleasing families for centuries! Originally published June 2007 – this post has been updated.

For this recipe you’ll need: All purpose flour, active dry yeast, sugar, water, milk, butter, salt, ginger
If you are in a hurry click here to go straight to the recipe.

This easy white bread recipe is perfect for the beginning bread baker! From RestlessChipotle.com

This easy, homemade white bread recipe is one that I have been using since I baked my first loaf at age 13 or so. I promise you that if you take it slow and are careful of the temperature of the ingredients it will come out perfect every single time. This is the perfect recipe for beginning bread bakers of all ages.

Nothing smells as good as bread baking!

When my dad was alive it was almost like he had an internal radar. I am not necessarily a scheduled kind of person but just about the time I put a loaf to cool on the counter he would knock at my door…The heels were his favorite and I rarely had intact loaf by the time he left. The heels were all gone.

Thank God we get to keep our memories even after our loved ones are gone. The are priceless aren’t they??

This easy white bread is a traditional recipe, one that is probably very similar to what your grandmother or great-grandmother made. You don’t need to use bread flour, all purpose flour is fine. That means that you can knead it by hand without too much trouble.

An easy white bread recipe for beginners. From RestlessChipotle.com

The Role of  the Ingredients in Homemade Bread

Each ingredient brings its own little talent to the easy white bread dough. You should never try to vary a homemade bread recipe until you have some experience and understand what role each ingredient plays, as well as how it works with the other ingredients.

  • Flour gives the bread structure and holds the air bubbles that the yeast gives off during rising.
  • Yeast easts the sugars in the dough and gives off a gas. This is what causes the bread to rise.
  • Ginger gets the yeast going. Think of it as the bread’s first cup of coffee in the morning.
  • Sugar feeds the yeast and helps it to grown
  • Milk gives the texture of this bread a delicate softness.
  • Butter helps the crumb stay soft and gives it more flavor.
  • Salt enhances the flavor and keeps the bread from rising too much.

How to Knead Bread Dough by Hand

A lot of people have asked me how to knead dough properly so I finally did a video to demonstrate the process.

Things You Might Need

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I like to buy a large quantity of  yeast at one time. It’s much cheaper that way and it will last in a tightly sealed jar in the refrigerator for a long time. You may not think you’ll go through that much but trust me… you will!

Some of you have asked about the bread pans I use. Mine are the Pyrex 9x5x4 inch loaf pans. You can find them on Amazon –

Pyrex 1.5-Quart Clear Basics Glass Loaf Pan (Set of 2)Easy white bread recipe is a basic recipe anyone can make. From RestlessCHipotle.com

Easy White Bread Recipe

Here’s that easy white bread recipe! Give it a try! If you like this recipe please consider giving it 5 stars in the recipe card below. 🙂

An easy white bread recipe for beginners. From RestlessChipotle.com
3.7 from 10 votes

Perfect White Bread

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Soft, old fashioned white bread for toast, sandwiches or just hot and fresh, oozing with melted butter.
Prep Time 1 hour 45 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 15 minutes
Servings 2 loves
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Ingredients

  • 1 cup milk warm to the touch, or, if you have ALOT of sour milk..use sour
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoons ginger, it is a yeast activator, you wont taste it.
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 2 active dry yeast
  • 1/2 cup warm water
  • 5-6 cups white flour

Instructions

  • Stir the sugar and butter into the warm milk.
  • Sprinkle yeast, ginger and a pinch of sugar on the water.
  • Stir to dissolve and let it stand until bubbly.
  • Add to milk mixture with 3 cups flour.
  • Stir in the salt.
  • Beat at medium speed about 2 minutes or stir by hand until batter is smooth.
  • Add enough remaining flour to form a dough that leaves the sides of the bowl.
  • Turn on to lightly floured surface, cover and let rest 10 minutes.
  • Knead until smooth and elastic-about 10 minutes.
  • Round up into a ball and oil all sides.
  • Place in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a tea towel.
  • Let rise in a warm place until doubled about 1 1/2 hours. (The inside of the oven with the light on is perfect).
  • Punch down.
  • Cover and let rise again until doubled, about 30 minutes.
  • Shape into a loaf and place in an oiled bread pan.
  • Lightly oil the tops.
  • Let rise until almost doubled, and bread is rounded above the pan, maybe 30-45 minutes.
  • Bake at 375 for 30 minutes, or until loaves sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.
  • Cool in pan for 5 minutes, remove from pan, and finish cooling.
  • If a soft crust is desired cover the loaf with a clean tea towel during the cooling process.
Tried this recipe?Tag me!! @Marye_RestlessChipotle

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easy homemade white bread|restlesschipotle.com

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About Marye

Marye Audet is an experienced freelance writer, editor and blogger who lives just outside of Dallas, Texas with her family. A published author, Marye believes that gathering friends and family around the table ultimately strengthens society as a whole - and there's no better way to do it than with Southern comfort food.

Comments

  1. Carolina Radovan says

    June 12, 2019 at 4:39 pm

    This has become my go-to recipe for bread. I have a wonderful mixer (Ankarsrum) that can handle mixing/kneading 4 loaves at one time (could do six, but I just make 4). Highly recommend this machine as I’ve been making my own bread for a couple years now and am not into making every day LOL!

    Either way, texture for this bread is beautiful, it toasts beautifully, it can take globs of butter, is so nostalgia inducing, that cute perfect white bread sandwich shape… I could go on and on… I have 4 loaves in the oven now!

    I proof for longer, only because I’m easily distracted, but I think this makes it even yummier!! I double twice in the mixer container, to double or more size. Then a third time in the bread pans. Thank-you so much for sharing this recipe with us – sincerely appreciated.

    Anyone hesitating, don’t! just make it and yum! for the whole gang ;o)

    Reply

  4. Amanda says

    June 14, 2018 at 6:31 pm

    When you say sour milk do you mean buttermilk? And you say a lot of sour milk so exactly how much would you be using double of the regular milk? And have you tried it with the buttermilk?

    Reply

  5. Jo-ann Anderson says

    April 3, 2018 at 5:02 am

    I have been making my bread for years and love trying new recipes, I will be trying your recipe soon and will let you know how it turns out. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply

  9. Bob says

    November 30, 2016 at 7:19 am

    I have a question regarding the use of ginger and bread machines. Many bread machines have a difference in their order or putting wet/dry ingredients in. For my particular bread maker, I put the wet stuff first, then salts and sugar followed by the flour. I then make a small well and put the yeast granules there and turn the bread machine on. I am wondering where I should add the ginger, in the well with the yeast or to the water? Has anyone else experimented with this before and would have the answer?

    Thanks

    Reply

  14. Carole says

    June 18, 2015 at 6:24 pm

    Why do bread recipes call for sooo much yeast? I used to make 8 loaves at least as big if not bigger than your picture shows, and use 1 tablespoon of yeast.
    Is the yeast different, or are people just in too much of a hurry to ‘let’ it rise?
    Thanx

    Reply

  15. Holly Sims says

    August 29, 2014 at 2:35 pm

    My first ever attempt at baking bread from scratch is rising with the oven light right now! My forearms are killing me from kneading, but it will be well worth it if my loaves turn out well. This just might have to be a new part of my workout! Will update later!!!

    Reply

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