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Why You’ll Love My Recipe
Why settle for the bland, slightly sweet white bread that you can buy at the supermarket when you can make your own and get a better tasting product? Breadmaking is easier than you think, and it has the added benefit of making your whole house smell amazing!
While some might call it boring, there is nothing more versatile and simple than some delicious white bread. Instead of needing to pay the constantly rising prices at the supermarket, why not make your family’s loaves yourself?
You could also make your own dinner rolls with this Parker House Rolls Recipe. Or why not try this delicious Pepperoni Bread?
For a good spread for this delicious bread, try making Tapenade, a delicious combo of olives, anchovies and oil!
Reader Review
This recipe is PERFECT! I have to cut the recipe in half because I’m working with a small toaster oven but it still works out great!
Karlynn’s Recipe Notes
- Skill Level: Though it might seem daunting if you’ve never done it before, baking bread is easy!
- Total Time: You’ll need 2 hours of prep and 30 minutes to bake.
- Variations: This dough isn’t just good for loaves! You can shape it into rolls or breadsticks to go along with dinners, use it as a base for cinnamon or jam rolls for a sweet treat, or add any combination of herbs and spices for a little extra flavor! Feel free to play around with add-ins like seeds and nuts if you like too!
- Tools For This Recipe: You’ll need mixing bowls, two 9×5 loaf pans, and optionally a dough whisk or stand mixer with a dough hook attachment to make this recipe! Good, old-fashioned elbow grease will work just fine too, though!
What You’ll Need for Ingredients
Flour: Since this recipe uses all-purpose flour, you should be able to make a loaf with what you already have in your pantry!
Vegetable oil: Oils (and fats in general) interfere with gluten formation, so when you add it to a bread dough recipe, you end up with a more tender, softer crumb! It also helps your bread stay soft longer once it’s baked.
Active Dry Yeast: This recipe calls specifically for active dry yeast. “Active” describes any dry yeast that needs to be activated by proofing (dissolving) it in lukewarm water prior to use, while “instant dry yeast” describes dry yeast that’s ready to go as soon as you open the package. Since this recipe includes a step for proofing the yeast, make sure not to use the instant variety, or your dough might not rise as expected.
How To Make White Bread
This is a quick overview of the recipe. The full list of ingredients & complete step-by-step instructions are in the recipe card below.
- Dissolve sugar in warm water in a large bowl, and then stir in the yeast. Allow the yeast to proof until it resembles a creamy foam, about 10 minutes.
- In a separate bowl, mix the oil and salt together and stir well to combine, then pour this into the yeast mixer. Mix the flour into the wet ingredients one cup at a time and incorporate. If you’re using a stand mixer, use the low setting for 2-3 minutes—you might have to take breaks to push the dough off of the dough hook, as it tends to climb.
- Once well incorporated, place the dough into a large, well-oiled bowl and roll it around to cover it well in oil then cover the bowl with a clean, damp cloth and allow the dough to rise in a warm area until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- Oil two 9×5 loaf pans and set them aside. Punch down the dough in the bowl. Knead it for a few minutes and divide it in half. Shape it into loaves and place into the prepared loaf pans.
- Allow the dough to rise in the loaf pans in a warm area covered by a damp towel until it has risen above the edge of the pans by one inch, about 30-40 minutes. While your dough is rising, preheat your oven to 350°F.
- Bake your loaves for 30 minutes. For the best, cleanest slices, allow the bread to cool completely before cutting it!
Karlynn’s Tips and Tricks for the Perfect White Bread
- Spore No More: Bread mold can be very dangerous to a person’s health, so you should never eat visibly moldy bread. Even tiny white spots of mold along the edges of a loaf’s crust means that the fungus’ mycelium—a root-like structure that absorbs nutrients from organic matter—is already spread throughout the bread. If you notice mold, just throw out the bread for safety’s sake!
- Keep It Tasty: Though the vegetable oil in this recipe should help to keep this bread fresh a little longer than your average freshly baked bread, a home baker won’t have access to all of the conditioners and preservatives that go into making the stuff you get at the supermarket. A good tip for keeping your bread fresh and tasty for as long as possible is to cut your loaf in half after baking (once it’s completely cooled!), freeze half, and eat the other half over the next two days. Storing your bread in a dedicated bread box or bin can also help it last a little longer.
Storage Instructions
It’s best not to keep your bread in the refrigerator, as the cool circulating air and damp from other groceries (like veggies in the crisper drawer) will actually cause it to go stale faster than keeping it at room temperature! Wrap your loaves in reusable beeswax wraps, plain paper bags, or even large zip top bags (if it’s particularly dry where you live) and keep them on the counter for two to four days. If you have the counter space, you can even consider investing in a dedicated bread box for an attractive way to safely store your everyday bread!
Freezer: The best way to ensure your bread doesn’t go bad is to freeze it. Just pull it out of the freezer and let it thaw in the fridge when you’re ready to eat it! Remove as much air from the bag or container you’re freezing your bread in, and it’ll keep in the deep freeze for 3 to 6 months!
More Delicious Bread Recipes
- Try my Mincemeat Surprise Bubble Buns for a delicious addition to your holiday baking repertoire!
- If you’re looking for a heartier loaf, give my Oatmeal Bread a try! It’s rich and dense with whole wheat, molasses, and oats (of course)!
- Pepperoni Bread makes for an attractive appetizer alongside some marinara as a dip, or a fantastic snack any day of the week!
White bread isn’t just amazing because it’s cheap and easy to find just about anywhere, it’s also incredibly versatile and can be used in any number of recipes! This white bread should be perfectly delicious on its own with butter, in a sandwich, or once it gets a little on the old side, as French toast for breakfast!
Give this recipe for bread a try and let me know your favorite way to enjoy a slice or two in the comments below!
Happy Baking!
Karlynn
White Bread
Ingredients
- 2 cups water, 110°F
- ⅔ cup white sugar
- 1 ½ tablespoons active dry yeast
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 5 ½ cups flour
Instructions
- Dissolve sugar in warm water in a large bowl, and then stir in yeast. Allow to proof until yeast resembles a creamy foam, about 10 minutes.
- In a separate small bowl, mix the oil and the salt together and stir well to combine. Pour this into the yeast mixture.
- Using a stand mixer and dough hook, Mix in flour one cup at a time. Let this knead on the low setting 2-3 minutes, no more. You may have to keep pushing the dough down off the hook as it tends to climb.
- Place the dough in a well-oiled large bowl that is two times the size of the dough, and turn the dough to coat lightly in oil. Cover with a clean damp cloth. Allow the dough to rise in a warm area until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- Oil two 9×5 loaf pans and set aside.
- Punch dough down. Knead for a few minutes, and divide the dough in half. Shape into loaves, and place into the oiled loaf pans.
- Place the dough back into the warm area covered by a damp towel and allow it to rise until dough has risen above the edge of the pan by one inch, about 30-40 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F while your dough is rising.
- Place the risen loaves in the preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes.
- This is a great bread for toast and jams, sandwiches etc.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Sarah says
This recipe is PERFECT! I have to cut the recipe in half because I’m working with a small toaster oven but it still works out great!
Paul says
Great recipes!