Buttermilk Bread Recipe
This buttermilk bread recipe makes two soft, fluffy loaves with a tender crumb and lightly sweet flavor—perfect for sandwiches, toast, or warm slices straight from the oven. It’s an old-fashioned, beginner-friendly yeast bread made with simple pantry ingredients and over 900 five-star reviews to prove it works.
Servings 20 (2 loaves)
Calories 188kcal
Ingredients
- 1 packet yeast
- 1 pinch powdered ginger
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ¼ cup water warm, 105F - 110F
- 2 cups cultured buttermilk warm, 105F - 110F
- ⅓ cup honey
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt if using table salt use ¾ teaspoon
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- 6 cups bread flour you may use all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup butter melted and cooled so that it is warm to the touch but not hot.
Instructions
- In a medium sized bowl mix the yeast, ginger, sugar, and 110F water.
- Set aside for 5 minutes or until foamy.
- Whisk the buttermilk, honey, salt, and baking soda together and add it to the yeast mixture.
- Add three cups of flour and mix until smooth, about 3 to 5 minutes on low of a stand mixer.
- Pour in the butter until it is totally mixed into the batter.
- Add the rest of the flour, one cup at a time, keeping mixer on low speed.
- When dough pulls from the sides of the bowl remove it from the mixer to a lightly floured surface. Knead until elastic and smooth. You can also knead in your mixer according to manufacturer's directions.
- Place in greased bowl, turn to grease the top, and cover bowl with a clean tea towel.
- Allow the dough to rise for 1 ½ hours, or until double.
- Punch down and form into two loaves. Place each in a greased loaf pan with seam sides down. Grease tops.
- Cover, and allow to rise in a warm place for 45 minutes, or until it is just about to the tops of the bread pans.
- Preheat oven to 375F.
- Bake for 30 minutes. You can cover the tops with foil if they brown too fast.
- Remove from oven and brush top of the loaves with melted butter. Place on cooling rack.
- Allow to cool in pans for 10 minutes.
- Gently run a knife around the edge between the bread and the pan to loosen it.
- Turn out and cool completely on a rack.
- Cover the loaves if you want soft crusts.
Video
Notes
You can use any bread pans that you have - I just prefer glass. The ones I use are 9x4 pyrex which I believe are the 1.5 quart size.
Storage:
Fresh, homemade bread should be eaten within a day or 2 or frozen for up to 3 months.
Tips
- Be sure to fully knead the dough. It develops the flavor and texture - and will take 8 to 10 minutes by hand.
- If you're short on time you can let the bread rise in the refrigerator overnight for either the first or second rising time.
- If you feel the bread gets too brown at 375f bake at 350 f.
Nutrition
Calories: 188kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 183mg | Potassium: 72mg | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 110IU | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 0.4mg
