Here’s a soft, classic homemade white bread recipe—perfect for sandwiches, toast, or just warm with butter 🍞
Homemade White Bread
Ingredients (makes 2 loaves)
- 2 cups warm milk (110°F / 43°C)
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (1 packet)
- 1/4 cup butter, melted
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 6–6 1/2 cups all-purpose or bread flour
Instructions
- Activate the yeast
- In a large bowl, combine warm milk and sugar.
- Sprinkle yeast over the top and let sit 5–10 minutes until foamy.
- Mix the dough
- Stir in melted butter and salt.
- Add flour 1 cup at a time until a soft dough forms.
- Knead
- Knead by hand on a floured surface for 8–10 minutes, or in a stand mixer for 5–6 minutes, until smooth and elastic.
- First rise
- Place dough in a greased bowl, turning once to coat.
- Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1–1½ hours.
- Shape
- Punch down dough and divide into 2 equal portions.
- Shape into loaves and place in greased 9×5-inch loaf pans.
- Second rise
- Cover and let rise again until dough crowns about 1 inch over pans, 30–45 minutes.
- Bake
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Bake 30–35 minutes, until golden brown and hollow-sounding when tapped.
- Cool
- Remove from pans and cool on a rack.
- Brush tops with butter for a soft crust (optional).
Tips for Perfect White Bread
- For extra softness, replace 1/2 cup milk with heavy cream.
- If bread browns too fast, tent loosely with foil.
- Let bread cool fully before slicing for clean cuts.
Storage
- Store at room temperature up to 3 days, or freeze sliced loaves for up to 3 months.
If you’d like, I can also share a no-knead version, a single-loaf recipe, or a soft dinner roll variation using this same dough.
