White Bread: So Soft and Easy to Make at Home! Recipe
This classic white bread recipe yields a soft, fluffy loaf that’s easy to make at home with simple ingredients. Perfect for sandwiches or toasting, this bread combines warm water, yeast, and butter for a tender crumb and golden crust.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30-35 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes
- Yield: 1 loaf (approximately 8 slices) 1x
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
Wet Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups warm water
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
- Activate Yeast: In a large bowl, combine warm water, sugar, and active dry yeast. Let the mixture sit for about 5 minutes until it becomes frothy, indicating the yeast is active.
- Add Wet and Salt: Stir in melted butter and salt to the yeast mixture, ensuring everything is well combined.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: Gradually add the all-purpose flour to the mixture, stirring to form a rough dough.
- Knead Dough: Transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.
- First Rise: Place the kneaded dough into a greased bowl, cover it with a damp cloth or plastic wrap, and let it rise in a warm place for 1 hour or until it has doubled in size.
- Shape Loaf: Punch down the risen dough to release air, then shape it into a loaf form.
- Second Rise: Place the loaf into a greased bread pan, cover, and let it rise again for 30 minutes until puffy.
- Bake: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake the loaf for 30-35 minutes until the top is golden brown and the bread sounds hollow when tapped.
- Cool and Serve: Remove the bread from the oven and let it cool completely before slicing to ensure the best texture.
Notes
- Make sure the water is warm, not hot, to properly activate yeast without killing it.
- For a softer crust, brush the top with melted butter right after baking.
- If you want a sweeter bread, increase sugar slightly but be cautious as too much can inhibit yeast.
- Allow bread to cool completely before slicing to avoid a gummy texture.
Keywords: white bread, homemade bread, soft bread, easy bread recipe, yeast bread
