Introduction: Easy Amazing White Bread Recipe
In this instructable I will show you how to make my favorite white bread. This recipe for amazing homemade white bread is really easy to make and winds up being light, soft, and fluffy. If I can do it, you can do it. Let's get baking.
If you have any questions or comments put them down below and I will get back to you as soon as I can.
Follow the easy steps below or watch the video tutorial, or do both! :)
Step 1: Ingredients/Tools
If you want to print this recipe click here.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of water (235ml)
- 2 1/4 tsp. of active dry yeast (6.5g)
- 1/3 cup of granulated sugar (66g)
- 2 Tbsp. of Canola or Vegetable oil (30ml)
- 3 cups of Bread Flour (you can use all-purpose) (380g)
- 3/4 tsp. of salt (4g)
Tools:
- Wooden Spoon
- Bowls
- 9x5 inch bread pan
- Whisk
- Fork
***Makes 1 large loaf of white bread
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Step 2: Proof That Yeast
First let's get our yeast started. Take your water and heat it up in the microwave for about 40 seconds. We want the temperature to be between 105 degrees F and 115 degrees F. (40-46 C) Then we will add about 1 tsp. of our sugar to the warm water. Next add your active dry yeast. Use a fork and mix it up a little bit. Then let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes until it gets nice and foamy. If it does not get foamy after 10 minutes, you will need to start over. It means the yeast was bad/old, or the water was too hot or too cold.
Step 3: Add Oil and Sugar
Now let's pour the yeast mixture into a large bowl, then add our oil and our sugar. Stir with a wooden spoon.
Step 4: Salt and Flour
Now we take our salt and add it to our bread flour. You can use all-purpose flour if you like, however the bread will come out a little more dense then if you use bread flour, with that said, the bread still tastes super yummy with all-purpose flour. Mix the salt and flour together with a whisk. Then add the flour about a 3rd at a time to the other ingredients, stirring really well with a wooden spoon, or you can use a stand mixer with dough hook. Make sure to leave about 1/4 cup of flour remaining and put that on the counter/table. At this point the dough should be forming and a little bit sticky. Go ahead and pour it onto the tabletop or counter.
Step 5: Knead That Dough
Now let's knead our dough for 8 minutes until ti gets nice and smooth. The way I knead is I fold the dough over on itself towards me and then push down with my palm of my hand. Then turn the dough a quarter turn and then push down again, then turn, etc. After 8 minutes the dough will be smooth, and when you poke it, it will spring back. If you notice I still have some flour left. It is important to not add all the flour at once. Add it gradually, even if using a stand mixer. We don't want to add too much flour. Sometimes you will have a bit more left, and other times you will have a bit less flour left.
Step 6: Grease and Rise
Now we take about 1 tsp. or two of oil and grease a large bowl. Then add the dough and and turn it over so it gets all coated with oil. Next add a damp cloth over the top and set the dough in a warm place to rise for 1 to 2 hours until the dough doubles in size. The damp cloth will help prevent the dough from drying out.
Step 7: Shape and Rise
After our dough has risen we want to pour the dough out onto the counter and knead the dough again for about 15 to 20 seconds. Next we do a little bit of rolling and stretching and shaping until our dough looks like a loaf. Now place the dough loaf into a greased 9x5 inch bread pan and cover again with our damp cloth, and let it rise for another hour to 1.5 hours. We want the top of the dough to rise above the walls of the bread pan.
Step 8: Bake That Dough!
Now we heat the oven to 350 degrees F. (176C) Place the dough in the oven on the middle rack and bake for 30 minutes. After 25 minutes check the bread, if the top is getting too brown, put a piece of foil on top of it.
Step 9: Cool and Slice It!
Now after coming out of the oven, let the bread cool for about 5 minutes in the pan, then take it out of the pan and let it rest on a wire rack to cool completely. Next it is finally time to slice into that bread! It winds up being super soft and fluffy, and super yummy! Enjoy!
Step 10: Video Tutorial
Go here to print the recipe.
Now check out those steps in action and watch the video tutorial!
25 Comments
3 years ago on Step 9
I seem to have found you a lot later than others. We are in complete lockdown because of corona virus spread globally. That means bakeries are shut and we have to do something to keep the child happy at home. I baked a perfect white bread and buns using the same dough. I can’t believe it’s my first time! Thank you so much for this recipe.
Reply 3 years ago
You are so very welcome!! So glad you tried it out and liked it. :)
6 years ago
Aloha Matt ,
6 year ago I survived a accident that had left me unable to work , so since my last name is Baker , and I didn't want to 'loaf' around doing nothing , I came up with 44 recipes for breads and thereby went up in weight from 185 to 240 lbs.[around professional kitchens your is a saying 'don't trust a skinny cook' . The wife took my 'bread floor' ration away and I've since return to 190 lbs. The 44 recipes are all 'winners' , I had breads that were as I labeled them for 'breakfast' , you only needed your coffee and 2 slices and you were full . Other breads were for other meals or snacks . But she had to take my bread floor away right when I was in my next phase : Breads that were a complete meal , you quartered them and you had a meal . Inside the loaf was pulled BBQ Beef , another Turkey , Pork , LuaLua[Hawaiian meal to go]. I'll share in tip , do you know how to make a simple white bread loaf taste and have the same texture as an English muffin ? the only ingredient needed is 1/4 tsp. of baking soda , now you have a whole loaf of 'English Muffin' bread !
Reply 6 years ago
Thank you for the tip on the muffin style loaf. One of my favourite styles. Makes superb toast. I make one or two loaves like this Instructable each week and it will be an easy modification to try out. BTW, do you add the bicarbonate with the dry ingredients or at any other specific time in the mixing?
Reply 6 years ago
Great story and great tip!! Thank you for sharing! :)
6 years ago
Hi Matt, I'm a great fan of your recipes but I was wondering makes 1/3 cup of sugar this bread not very sweet?
Reply 6 years ago
Hey there! Thank you so much! For my personal taste, 1/3 cup is spot on, which has a hint of sweetness, but not like a sweet bread. Some people want not much if any sweetness in their plain white bread, so in that case I recommend using only 1/4 cup of sugar. And of course if you want even more sweetness, add 1/2 cup. :) Does that help? :)
Reply 6 years ago
That will do, thank you. For me, I like a slide sweet tast but a part of my family not, so I think I will use just 1/4 cup.
Reply 6 years ago
You are welcome!!! Yes give it a try and let me know how it turns out! :)
Reply 6 years ago
baked today with 1/4 cup sugar and it turns out great, still a little touch of sweetness but not to much just delicious! The bread I made was a little lower and wider because I do not have the right size of bread pan. I had to choose between smaller and bigger.
Reply 6 years ago
Awesome!!! :) So glad you tried it out and liked it! :)
Reply 6 years ago
A lot of the sugar is consumed by the yeast in the rising process when it is added at the beginning. To get a sweet bread the sugar is added later in the process, such as between the first and second rise.
Reply 6 years ago
I know but 10 to 15 grams of sugar will be enough for the yeast than the yeast is saturated. The remaining sugar will sweet you bread. Not a problem if you like a hint of sweetness but my family doesn't. I love the sugar bread in which you added the sugar later.
Reply 6 years ago
I have been making bread for years, I have never added it after the first rise, and it always comes out sweet depending on how much sugar I add, but I will definitely try that method out next time. :)
6 years ago
have scanned the comments, but...I live at 4500 ft. above see level. Any adjustment to yeast?
Reply 6 years ago
I don't think so, it should be fine the way it is. :) Let me know how it goes!!
6 years ago
For those who (like me) like a thicker crispier crust, use a spray bottle to barely wet the top of the loaf before putting into the oven, then repeat twice during the first 15 minutes of baking. This thickens the crust by reducing the effect of the yeast in that top layer. It is a trick I learned from German friends who never eat any type of bread or roll that has a soft crust. Works great when making homemade Kaiser rolls or any type of roll, and especially good for farmer style (baked on a flat pan) bread.
Reply 6 years ago
Wow, I always wanted to know how to make a thicker cheweyer crust. I will have to try that. I have a bread recipe that calls for buttermilk powder and that one is terrific. Can't keep my 300+ lbs son-in-law away when I make that. Thanks again for the hint about making the thicker crust.
Reply 6 years ago
Great tip, thanks for sharing! Similar effect with dutch oven bread, which leaves the crust nice and crunchy but the inside nice and soft.
Reply 6 years ago
forgot to specify you are spraying with clean water only. Nothing else.