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!
Ruth Wright says
Great taste Easy. Fast rise. I made two loaves. Think I should have done one big one. Directions weren’t clear to me. Anyway will do it again.
Alison says
Thank you Ruth! I hope you enjoy it again!
Karen says
Yes, I agree with this! The step-by-step instructions say to split it into two loaves, but then on the printable instructions, it says one loaf and one pan. I split it into two and my loaves were really small and got too burned on the outside. Is this recipe supposed to just be for one big loaf?
Jessica says
Sorry- this recipe does just make 1 loaf.
Kittie says
Your recipe didn’t mention cut dough in half, but your photo and video did. So shall I cut dough in half? Do I need 2 bread pan for this recipe? Thanks.
Jessica says
Sorry- this recipe just makes 1 loaf.
Sheila says
I made thus recipe an followed it right to the T. Except I had to let it rise for an hour an not 15 minutes!
It was burnt on bottom an top was really brown.
I had to even to put a foul on top so it wouldn’t burn.
Janell says
I’m confused about the yeast. I have instant yeast. How much do I use and when?
Jessica says
You can just use it in the recipe as the recipe reads. : )
Barbara says
This is the best bread, love it and so easy to make! Thank you for sharing.
Donna says
2 tablespoons of yeast, for 3 cups (or a little more) of flour? Wow, that’s more than I’ve ever seen! I usually use instant yeast and I’m sure that would be way too much. Also, are you using all purpose or bread flour?
Emily Humada says
I loved the flavor but although I,followed all of the directions, my crust burned. I used the egg wash, put the rack on the lowest setting and took the temp. What might have gone wrk,g?
Jessica says
The instruction was to put the oven rack on a lower setting, not the lowest setting. Aim for mid oven. Sounds like you had your crust right by the burner.
Donna says
Also, what size breadpans are you using??
Crissa says
I really wish you would have updated the recipe when you noticed people were confused about 1 or 2 loaves. I made the same mistake of following the video and my bread is really sad looking.
Jessica says
Fixed it!
Susan K says
Can I use butter in place of the Canola Oil
Nellie says
You can use butter – the taste is wonderful, but the consistency will be a little bit different.
Sharon Brown says
We loved it. This was my very first try at making bread.
My mom suffers from dementia and this was a very good activity for her. It brought her memories of when her mother used to make bread.
Alison says
I love this Sharon! I’m so glad this could be a great memory for you and your mom!
Donna says
I was wondering about the 2 tablespoons of yeast.., is that accurate?
Nellie says
Yep, that’s correct!
Susan Lancaster says
Didn’t say what size loaf pan?
Grease pan or not?
Jessica says
9″ loaf pan. Greasing depends on the pan you’re using. Don’t grease non-stick. I use a piece of parchment for my cast iron bread pan.
Linda says
Best homemade bread ever, my family favourite
Alison says
Thanks so much Linda!
Cecilia says
Made this recipe before and everyone loved it. Both loaves gone in a matter of days. Was wondering if rapid yeast can be used with this recipe?
Jessica says
You can use rapid yeast! I just follow the same process though.
Melanie says
Will this bread last a few days if stored in bread bag?
Jessica says
Yes, this bread stores well!
Patty Urban says
I made this bread yesterday and trust me I am NO bread maker. My questions about the recipe: 1. I used a Kitchenaid mixer with a dough hook to knead. I wish you had mentioned how long to knead with a mixer versus hand – I didn’t know so I did both. 2. Should I have cut a slit in the top, like sour dough? I didn’t and it spit in the oven. 3. I put the egg wash on the top it oozed down the side, which then caused the bread to stick to the pan and I had to cut it away from the pan. Maybe I should have just put it in a dutch oven? Or, could I use parchment paper in a bread pan?. 4. I just didn’t get a good rise. BUT, maybe because it is so cold here and I don’t have a proofing oven. Putting it on the oven didn’t work as there is too much cold air seeping down from the hood so I blame weather on that. BUT, the bread is delicious and will make it again. I will get better at making bread!
Jessica says
Hi Patty! OK- I knead the bread for 5-7 minutes with the Kitchenaid.
You don’t have to cut a slit, but you can.
Don’t use the whole egg- just brush enough to cover the loaf, then discard the rest. But yes, you can bake on parchment if you’d like.
My house is cold too- I do my 2nd rise in a warm oven!
Sherry says
My new favorite bread recipe! So soft and fluffy! Great for sandwiches or just with butter!
Liz says
It turned out great! Very easy to make! I ended up making two loaves it was so good!
Jessica says
So glad to hear, Liz!
Olinda Garcia says
Not sure what happened to my loaf. Here’s a picture. Made you can tell me ?
Thank you
Ere says
I don’t have bread pans so I’m going to try baking on a sheet pan, let’s see what happens.
Danielle McHenry says
All purpose flour or bread flour?
Jessica says
You can use either!
Shannon Brush says
Hi. I’m a beginner bread baker. I’ve tried about 6 times now lol. I have tried several different recipes now and a couple weren’t actually bad.
I found this recipe yesterday and made it and FINALLY…..a success!
I was so proud lol. Now the only other recipe that I really liked is your other bread recipe. It was the other bread that was edible. My question is can I combine the two recipes and what would that be. Thatnk you for good detailed recipes. God bless.
Jessica says
I’ve never tried combining 2 bread recipes… I can’t see that it’d hurt anything- do it and let me know how it goes!
Traci says
The rise time is so short. Is this correct?
Jessica says
It is- it’s a fast loaf- hence the additional yeast. You can use less yeast and increase the rise time if you’d like.
Tabby says
Is the number of calories per slice or per two slices?
Donna says
I made this recipe , and made 2 loves, but I let it raise 1 hour each time, and it raised very high,and Soo good
Jane says
This bread recipe is as close to “fool proof” as any bread recipe I’ve found. Not only is this bread easy and fast, but also flavorful. After making this recipe several times now, I can say it makes not only a great loaf of bread but also flavor rolls. I have used all purpose flour as well as bread flour with success, so don’t panic if you don’t have bread flour. The bread comes out soft with enough density to hold up to bread and jams as well as scooping up gravies/soups.
If you are new to baking bread this recipe will have you baking like a pro. If you are a seasoned baker, this recipe will be a fantastic addition, especially for last minute bakings. The directions are clear and easily followed with the photos and videos helping to hold the hand of even the least confident baker. Give this recipe a try, you won’t be disappointed.
Pamela Rice says
I made this bread following the recipe to a T. It called for 2 Tablespoons of yeast, so that’s what I used. It was way too much yeast. What should it have been for one loaf?
Jessica says
You’re welcome to reduce the yeast and increase the rise times.