Description
This easy homemade white bread recipe yields a soft, fluffy loaf with a tender crumb and golden crust. Perfect for sandwiches, toast, or simply enjoying warm with butter, it uses basic pantry staples and requires minimal effort, making it ideal for beginners and seasoned bakers alike.
Ingredients
Scale
Yeast Mixture
- 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast (1 packet)
- 1 ¼ cups warm water (about 110°F)
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
Dough
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil or melted butter
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 3 ¼ to 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Activate Yeast: In a large mixing bowl, combine warm water, sugar, and yeast. Let it sit for 5–10 minutes until foamy to ensure the yeast is active.
- Mix Dough: Add the oil and salt to the yeast mixture, then gradually stir in 3 cups of flour until a shaggy dough forms.
- Knead Dough: Transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead for about 8–10 minutes, adding more flour as needed until the dough becomes smooth and elastic.
- First Rise: Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover it with a clean towel, and let it rise in a warm spot for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
- Shape the Loaf: Punch down the dough to release air, shape it into a loaf and place it into a greased 9×5-inch loaf pan.
- Second Rise: Cover the loaf and let it rise for another 30–40 minutes until puffy.
- Preheat Oven: Set the oven to 375°F to prepare for baking.
- Bake: Bake the loaf for 30–35 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and it sounds hollow when tapped.
- Cool: Let the bread cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.
Notes
- Make sure your water isn’t too hot to avoid killing the yeast.
- You can brush the top of the loaf with melted butter after baking for a softer crust.
- For added flavor and texture, substitute part of the all-purpose flour with bread flour.
