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!
Aimee says
This bread was delicious. I noticed a lot of people commenting about the temp being too high or the cook time too long. It looks like perhaps you are using stoneware. If you are, that doubles the cook time compared to someone using a glass or metal pan. Maybe that’s the issue? I noticed that and reduced my bake time to 12 minutes and that was perfect the first time. It took 14 minutes the second time I tried. This bread was lovely though. We used it for cold deli meat sandwiches, grilled cheese sandwiches, had the some sliced bread with honey butter, and made a fresh herbed parmesan garlic butter to spread over for garlic toast.
Gloria says
So easy and delicious. We couldn’t wait had to have a slice with butter and honey.
Jessica says
I like the way you think!!
Jessica says
So glad you liked it Gloria!
Kylie says
I am so excited to try this! I inherited like a million bread pans though and I’m not sure which to use! What size did you use for this recipe?
Jessica says
ooh- a bread pan collection, I love it! I prefer ceramic pans. I have a cast iron pan that’s fabulous though. If you have a large family, I have a 12″ long pan that makes perfect bread for toast/ sandwiches!
https://butterwithasideofbread.com/best-bread-loaf-pan/
Michele says
Made this today bc I was dying for a sandwich and quarantine life ain’t easy! I was all out of bread!!
Not sure if my house was chilly but my dough didn’t double in 15min. I let it rise for an hour the first time and followed the 10min for the second rise. (Btw why is punching dough so satisfying?!) I read the comments before baking and my oven was also too hot, even on the low rack. At 30min, my bread was a little more than lightly golden so I turned the oven off and left the loaves in the hot oven for an additional 10min.
This was a long story to basically say I had the most amazing sandwich with my crunchy but soft inside homemade bread! Will definitely be making again.
Jessica says
So glad you liked it!
Terra says
Made this recipe tonight. I put my oven rack on the lowest that it would go and baked at 425°. It very quickly started to burn. I tried again with a second loaf and lowered the temp to just below 400° and it came out perfect!!!! Love the recipe and thank you for sharing!
Elliot says
I liked this recipe until I took them out of the oven. They where burned. I think it had nothing to do with the recipe and it had everything to do with how high the temperature was. Next time I will bake it at 400 degrees Fahrenheit instead of 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Other than how it came burned I love it. Thank you so much this wonderful recipe and the I got to spend with my dad while making this delicious bread.
Tamara says
My bread was fine until the second rise in bread pans then it fell. I don’t know why but I followed the directions perfectly. I was thinking maybe I added to much yeast. I added what the recipe called for but it had a yeast taste to it. I think maybe my house was to cool 67 degrees. Or maybe I let it rise to long I let it rise an hour. I don’t know. I might try again just wondering what I might of done wrong.😕
Jessica says
That’s also why I tend to rise bread in the oven. : ( Sometimes loaves are a bit temperamental and don’t like to be moved.) Other times they simply rose too high outside of the oven…so when you put them in the hot oven, they rise even higher and it can’t hold it, so the bread collapses. I say rise in the oven and let it rise a bit less time before preheating the oven – with the bread in it. Make sense?
StephanieS says
Made this bread last night, AMAZING! I was skeptical after reading several of the comments but I went ahead and made it anyways. The only thing I did different was make one big loaf vs two smaller/normal sized ones.
Other than that I followed the recipe to a T! Bread is super soft and absolutely delicious.
Thank you for sharing you wonderful recipes with us 💜
Jessica says
I’m so glad you liked it! YES. It’s one of my favorites. I’m sad so many people are rating it low when they haven’t even made it yet. : ( Thank you for your kind comment!
Polly says
This is a great recipe! I haven’t baked a loaf of bread in my adult life. This took me back to my grandmas kitchen when I was a young girl. I’m thankful I had her to teach me the technique and tips that I still remember! Thank you Jessica for sharing your recipe. It turned out delicious 😋
Katie says
Do you spray the bread pans with anything?
Jessica says
It really depends on what type of bread pan you use. Non-stick pans should not be sprayed. You can spray glass or ceramic pans- I prefer to use the spray specifically for baking, but of course, use what you have on hand!
Serenity Burns says
Absolutely love this recipe, there are a few things I did change that made it even better! When I let it raise, my warm spot is in the oven. I do not have a smart oven, so I just turned the knob until the light popped up, let it warm for a minute, then turned it off. It did not start cooking the bread, but was warm enough for it to raise. With the saran wrap, I let it raise for about 10 minutes, then I let out some air, and let it rise some more. I let it rise for about 20 minutes, and found that to be a little better-just keep in mind all ovens and homes are different! For sandwich bread, I did not put the egg wash on there, and found it to be less crispy on top. I kept my rack in the middle, and just justified the temperature to 350* for about 30 minutes. When I didn’t do this, it would not cook all the way through, and it browned too early. Make sure the seam is on the bottom, otherwise there is a crack in the side of the loaf, which makes it a bit harder. Last thing, I would let it cool for an hour or two before you cut it. This just helps it be less crumbly. Overall, great recipe, just needed a little justification!
Jessica says
Thanks Serenity!
Cathie says
Could I use bread flour or all purpose? All the stores in my area are completely gone of flour! 😱😱
Jessica says
You can use either!
Debbie says
I followed the directions but forgot to add the egg first time so that batch went in the trash, where it is rising beautifully😂 I made a second batch, added the egg, but the second batch didn’t rise very well. I stuck with it, thinking it would rise more during baking. It did not. I ended up with two dark crusted loaves, over cooked at 25 minutes (when I checked it). While the outside is too dark for my taste, the inside is yummy! Will try this again and make some changes.
Rosie Navarro says
Making bread for the first I did everything as it said even heated up the oven my East is not expired n my flour wasn’t cold but my dough doesn’t seem to be rising as shown on the picture do I let it split in the oven longer it’s been in ther almost 1 hour
Jessica says
There are several reasons why your bread could have not risen.
1) Yeast is too old
2) Yeast was killed by using water that was too hot (I aim for 95-105 degrees F)
3) It initially rose for too long, then collapsed in the oven. Bread should first rise for about an hour, then 2nd rise for about 30 minutes- longer isn’t necessarily better.
4) Ratio/ measurements of yeast to flour was off.
Hope that helps!
Srilatha Manoragavan says
Hi Jessica, is it okay to put two pans in the oven at the same time or can you only put one pan at a time ?
Jessica says
You can bake both loaves at the same time! Just put them both on the same oven rack and make sure there’s space between them for air to circulate. : )
Srilatha Manoragavan says
Thank you Jessica!
Mari Russell says
I’m querying the amount of yeast. 2 tbsp seems too much – should it be 2 tsp? Thanks, Mari
Jessica says
Nope, it’s 2 TBSP!
Mari Russell says
Thanks so much for clarifying. Looking forward to baking tomorrow x
Emily says
Can you save the other half of the dough if you’re only baking one loaf?
Jessica says
You can! I’d freeze it wrapped in parchment paper or placed in an airtight container sprayed with non-stick spray. : )
Jessie says
Looking forward to trying this recipe tomorrow…just need clarification on if you used bread flour or all-purpose flour? All I have is all-purpose, will it still work all the same?
Jessica says
You can use all purpose or bread flour!
Dianna says
What’s the flour? AP flour, self rising flour or bread flour
Jessica says
Ap flour or bread flour
nataly says
I’ve made a lot of bread in my time. This recipe is not good. Burns, doesn’t rise, basically the same comments left by others. Waste of ingredients.
Jessica says
I am so confused! I’ve made this bread countless times- as have others and it’s amazing. Clearly something didn’t go quite right. It’s a very fast recipe- maybe you’re used to recipes that take longer?
Renee healy says
Haven’t made yet . What kind of flour to use . ? All purpose ? Or what?
Jessica says
Either all purpose or bread flour.