White Bread recipe is made with basic ingredients & detailed instructions showing how to make bread! Done in just over an hour this recipe is one of the best soft white sandwich bread recipes.
If you love Bread as much as we do, find all of our Best Bread Recipes Here!
I began experimenting with bread recipes years and years ago and I get SO excited when I find a new one I love! It always amazed me how tiny shifts in ingredients come together and yield such a different result.
Soft White Bread Recipe
This white bread recipe can be used for literally anything. It makes great toast, great sandwich bread, anything! It’s tremendously soft and has the best texture. It’s even fabulous DAYS later, which is tough to achieve with homemade bread.
What makes bread soft and fluffy?
Ingredients and preparation method combine in this bread recipe to give the bread a super soft and fluffy texture. Don’t leave out or replace the egg and oil in the recipe. They are imperative to the chewy, feathery texture of this white bread. Also, be sure to knead for the full 5 minutes. Giving the dough enough time in both the first and second rise will also help the overall texture.
White Bread Recipe Ingredients
- Warm Water
- Granulated Sugar
- Instant/Active dry yeast
- Canola oil – you can also use vegetable oil or light olive oil
- 1 egg
- Salt
- Flour
How to Make White Bread
If you’ve never made bread before, here is the basic formula for making your own at home. It really is an easy process and you’ll be thrilled with the results. Plus your entire house will smell like freshly baked bread which is amazing.
Step 1: Assemble Bread Ingredients
You’ll need warm water, granulated sugar, instant OR active dry yeast, 1 egg, canola oil, salt and flour. That’s it!
Step 2: Dissolve the yeast and activate it by Proofing
This is a simple process that takes about 5 minutes. You can watch the video above to see what yeast looks like when it’s proofed. It’s possible to kill yeast if you use too hot of water, so aim for slightly warmer than luke-warm, or about 105°F. Combine warm water and the sugar, then stir to dissolve. Add in the yeast, give it a quick stir and then let it sit for 5 minutes. You’ll begin to see the yeast puff up until it covers the entire surface of the water.
Step 3: Add remaining ingredients and mix
Add the egg, the oil, salt and flour, then mix using an electric stand mixer until it’s well combined, about 2 minutes. You can mix by hand but it will take longer.
Step 4: Knead the Bread
Trust me, taking an extra 5 minutes to let your mixer knead the bread is worth it! Going through the process of kneading bread dough is crucial for bread with great texture. Kneading dough allows gluten to form which enables dough to rise better, be lighter and fluffier. You can knead by hand or with a mixer. I use the dough hook on my mixer to knead bread dough. If you knead by hand, you’ll want to knead for 7-8 minutes, depending on how consistent you are.
Step 5: First Rise
Place your lovely smooth, elastic bread dough in an oiled bowl and cover it with plastic wrap or a clean towel. I think plastic wrap works better because it traps hot air inside and thus, my dough requires a shorter first rise. Be sure to spray the side of the plastic wrap that will touch the dough, so that it doesn’t stick.
If your house is cool, your bread will take longer to rise. In the wintertime when my house is cooler than normal, I like to turn the oven on for 2-3 minutes, then turn it off and let the bowl of dough rise in there. The oven traps the heat for a longtime and it’s the perfect atmosphere for rising dough.
This White Bread recipe only needs to rise for 15 minutes.
Step 6: Punch Dough and Shape it
Punching the dough down quickly releases any air pockets that have developed and helps your bread have a more consistent texture.
Shape dough by rolling it gently into a ball and rolling it 2 or 3 times on the counter top so that the ball is more oblong. Tuck the ends underneath so that the loaf looks smooth.
Place in the pan. It doesn’t need to be touching the sides of the pan.
I like to brush an egg wash on the top of this bread to give it that smooth, shiny crust. It’s still soft and it ends up having incredible flavor. Just whisk together 1 whole egg and 1 TBSP water, then brush all over the outside of the dough, making sure to cover the entire surface of the dough.
Step 7: Second Rise
This White Bread only has a 10 minute second rise. I just place the pan on the stove near the oven while it preheats.
Step 8: Bake the Bread
You’re nearly there! This sandwich bread bakes for about 35-40 minutes. It bakes at a higher temp than other bread recipes- 400° F. Make sure your oven rack is on a lower setting so that the top doesn’t burn! I use a digital cooking thermometer near the end of the baking time to make sure the bread is fully cooked. Fully cooked bread will be 190-200 degrees F. Bread recipes that include milk will need to cook until 200 degrees, but since this one doesn’t, I take it out once it reaches 190 degrees. The top will be golden brown.
My all-time favorite cooking thermometer is the Thermapen. It’s super fast and incredibly durable. Another great thermometer is the ThermoPop which is a more basic version that works just as well!
Step 9: Cool the Bread
Let the bread cool in the pan it cooked in so it can maintain it’s shape. Once it’s cooled you can transfer it to a cooling rack.
I prefer to cool it for at least 20 minutes. If you try and slice it while it’s too hot, the loaf will get smashed- it’s a soft bread!
AVOID SUNKEN BREAD
The easiest and best way to avoid sunken bread is to use a cooking thermometer to check the inside of the loaf. Fully cooked bread will register 200°F on a thermometer. My all-time favorite thermometer is the Thermapen. It’s super fast and incredibly durable. Another great cooking thermometer is the ThermoPop which is a more basic version that works just as well!
White Bread
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 1 cup warm water
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 TBSP yeast
- 1/3 cup canola oil
- 1 egg
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 3 to 3 1/2 cups flour
- 1 egg whisked with 1 TBSP water to brush on top
Instructions
Instructions
- In a large bowl, dissolve sugar in warm water. Add yeast; let stand for 5 minutes.
- Add the canola oil, egg, salt and enough flour to form a soft dough. Knead for 5 minutes.
- Form dough into a smooth ball. Keeping the dough in the bowl, spray with non-stick spray and cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place for 15 minutes.
- Punch down dough. Knead for 1 minute.
- Form loaf by rolling ball into an oblong shape then tucking and pinching the ends under the loaf.
- Place loaf in a bread pan. Brush thoroughly with egg mixture.
- Let loaf sit while oven is preheating to 400 degrees F, or about 10 minutes. It bakes at a higher temp than other bread recipes. Make sure your oven rack is on a lower setting so that the top doesn't burn!
- Bake for 30-40 minutes, until outside is golden brown and internal temperature of loaf registers 195-200 degrees.
- Let cool. Slice & enjoy with butter!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Instant or Active Dry Yeast for Making Bread
If you use instant yeast, you can add it directly to your other dry ingredients when making bread. If you use active dry yeast, you’ll need to first dissolve it in warm water before using it in a recipe. I buy my yeast in bulk from Costco and it’s active dry yeast.
BEST BREAD PAN?
I bake a lot of bread and the pans I prefer are either ceramic, glass or cast iron. These pans will bake bread more evenly and release the bread more easily after baking. I don’t like using dark or nonstick pans because the bread cooks unevenly. It darkens on the outside before the bread is cooked on the inside, so the coloring is uneven. Read more about which bread pan is the best here!
How to Store Homemade White Sandwich Bread
Homemade bread needs to be stored in an airtight container. We like to use these bread bags because they’re the perfect size and shape.
White Sandwich Bread Recipe FAQ
There are so many different types of sandwich bread! The two most basic varieties are white and wheat. This is a white loaf, which is a soft, feathery classic bread.
Store-bought white bread can contain trace amounts of benzoyl peroxide which is used to “bleach” the flour white. That’s why we make homemade bread, so that we can have control over the ingredients! So be sure to use “unbleached” white flour.
The egg and oil in this bread heavily contribute to the soft, spongy texture. You can replace canola oil with a light olive oil if you’d like. I find that using any other type of olive oil gives the bread a rather unique, unpleasant flavor.
Many bread recipes use both milk and water. Both are good! Using milk adds additional vitamins and protein. It’s also important to remember that breads that contain milk must be cooked to a full 200°F. That’s one of the reasons I use a cooking thermometer to test my bread for doneness before taking it out of the oven.
More incredible homemade bread recipes:
- Homemade Buttermilk Bread recipe
- Homemade Hawaiian Bread
- Honey Oat Bread recipe
- Cinnamon Raisin Bread
- Parmesan Garlic Dinner Rolls
- Fabulous French Bread
- Sweet Orange Dinner Rolls
- Easy Homemade Cheesy Breadsticks
- Tomato Parmesan Flatbread
- Potato Bread Recipe
- Soft Cornmeal Dinner Rolls
This white bread recipe is the best homemade bread. It’s great for sandwiches, toast, sides, anything! With only six ingredients it’s one of the easiest yeast bread recipes I’ve made!
Michael says
Hi can I use vegetable oil or extra virgin olive oil instead of canola oil?
Jessica says
Yes, you can!
selma tiel says
This is a great and easy way of baking bread. Love it
Alison says
So happy to hear this Selma!
Darby says
Made this bread yesterday, and it truly was the best bread I’ve ever made. I used whole wheat flour and it was still so light and fluffy, you would have never known it was wheat. And the rising time was so quick. I think start to finish, it was 2 hours. Love this!!
Jessica says
So glad that you liked it Darby!!
Bably says
I made the bread as a gluten free one using Farali flour and it turned out so yummy. Thank you for this recipe. Really appreciate it. Only thing the bread turned a bit dark earlier on so I wrapped foil around it.
My go to bread bake now.
I toasted it and the result was amazing.
Jessica says
So glad to hear Bably!
Joan says
I would like to know how many inches has your mold? 9 X 5 or 8 X 4?
Jessica says
I use both often.
Sewqueen says
I’m confused. In the recipe you said to leave the dough in the pan on top of the oven while preheating to bake. In the notes BELOW the recipe you said to leave in the oven to rise before baking. Which is it please? I followed the directions in the recipe card and it’s baking now and I’m worried.
Nicole says
letting your dough rise in the oven is a good way to keep it in a draft free location while it rises (usually best for 1st rise but can be used for 2nd rise). another good way to have your dough rise once its been shaped and in a loaf pan is to have the dough in the pan on the stove as the oven preheats because the heat from the oven will help to proof the dough (best for 2nd rise). so both suggestions are correct.
Sara says
I love this recipe and I’ve made it several times and it normally comes out great but this time the top cracked. Why would that happen?? It is still very edible!!! This is my very favorite bread recipe! The kiddos love it and love making it with me!!
Jessica says
Did it rise a lot more than usual? It sounds like your bread was rather exuberant. : )
Susan Chriestenson says
I made this bread in a round pan and donated it to the church for communion, it turned out real will be making it again, we have communion the first sunday of each month. It is so easy to make love it.
Jessica says
So glad to hear Susan!
Femi says
Why didnt use milling machine to knead the dough for smoother result. And you did not use calcium propionate
Kathy Wegiel says
Can you use bread flour for this recipe?
Alison says
Yes!
Alina says
Oh my goodness! This is so yummy. The inside of the bread is nice and soft and melty and the outer crust is rich and buttery and just YUM! I’m going to be making this bread from now on when I do make bread because this is so good in comparison to other breads, but I do have 1 issue and its this: so the crust dis not burn it’s still so yummy but it dis get a bit more dark then my family tends to like which also made it slightly more difficult to cut…. I followed all your directions to a T and even used a cast iron pan. So what do you think happened? Should I try cooking for longer on a lower temp?
Nicole says
I’m so glad you loved this bread recipe! If it’s the top crust that appears darker than you’d like, then a good way to prevent it from looking burnt is to actually place a vloose piece of foil on while the bread is baking. After the bread has reached your desired golden color, place a loose piece of foil over the top and continue baking. The foil will act as a shield to prevent the bread from getting darker while allowing it to still fully cook. It’s a neat trick!
Susan Chriestenson says
I put foil over mine, but it seems to float off and won’t stay put, so my bread gets a little dark, is there a way to make it stay put
Katie says
Is it really 2 tablespoons? I’ve never seen so much yeast for a loaf of bread.
Nicole says
Yes we like a lot of yeast in this recipe to get the perfect results and in that case it’s 2 tablespoons.
Lyn says
I made this bread yesterday following the directions and it came out perfectly and looks beautiful! I used a glass bread loaf pan and a casserole dish to accommodate the 2 loaves. The interior did not quite make it to 208 degrees but it still baked pretty close to perfect. I would recommend using salted butter for great taste.
Susan Chriestenson says
I made this bread (doubled) yesterday with the help of my 3 year old great-granddaughter (she loves to help cook), it actually turned out better this time even with the extra yeast, sugar and flour that she added, will have to have her help more often. and yes we had flour every where, but I will take the mess any time to make memories with her.
Diann says
The first loaf I made burned within 25 minutes, and the internal temp never reached 190. I had used a metal pan … trying tonight with a glass pan
Nicole says
Oh no! So glad you’re willing to give it another try. the bread pans really can make a difference. Also, if you notice the top of your bread getting too dark, loosely cover it with foil to prevent burning while the internal part of the bread finishes baking
Paula says
I made this today and it was devoured by my family while cooling before dinner! A very easy recipe, I followed your directions step by step and my dough, on the second rise, overflowed my bread pan. I had to cover the top with foil as it started browning within 10 minutes, it was on the lowest rack position. I had an oven thermometer so I know the temp was right. To prevent this on future bakes, should I lower the temp by 10 degrees? The bread is amazing! Thanks for sharing your recipes!
Nicole says
Dont lower the oven temp to prevent browning. Adding a loose piece of foil over the top of the bread is sufficient. Just add the foil when the bread is to your color of choice and let it continue cooking until done.
Apryl Fox says
What if you didn’t divide the dough into two loaves and baked it as one in a big Pullman loaf pan? How long would you bake it then? Still learning and I’m not giving up after many fails at bread baking.
Nicole says
That sounds like a wonderful idea but unfortunately, I have not tried to do it, so I wouldn’t know. I don’t think the bake time would be extended too much, but you’ll know the bread is fully cooked when the internal temperature reaches about 200 degrees F.
Nancy says
My favorite sandwich is roast beef on white bread with mayonnaise, cheese, lettuce, and lots of ripe tomato slices. Your recipe looks perfect for the white bread!
Deborah D Howitt says
Very good and easy
Nicole says
Glad to hear it!
Ann Marie says
Love hot fresh bed with butter. This was awesome.
Nicole says
So glad you approve!
Karen Russell says
My favorite sandwich is grilled cheese.
Nicole says
Homemade bread is great for grilled cheese!