Homemade white bread is useful for everyday sandwiches, toast, and a simple slice alongside soup. This dough uses water and oil rather than milk and butter, so the ingredient list stays short while still producing a soft pan loaf.
The recipe makes one loaf of homemade white bread in an eight-and-a-half-by-four-and-a-half-inch pan. Plan for two rises and a full cooling period. Warm bread smells inviting, but cutting it too early can compress the crumb and leave slices feeling gummy.
On This Page
Why This Recipe Works
Three cups, or about 360 grams, of flour provide enough structure for the measured cup of water. The dough should be soft and slightly tacky while still holding a shape. Kneading develops elasticity so the loaf can rise without spreading like a batter.
Homemade white bread also needs restraint with extra flour. A sticky surface at the start does not mean the dough needs several more handfuls. Give it time to mix and knead, then adjust only a little if it remains too loose to handle.
Ingredients for Homemade White Bread
Use all-purpose flour, instant yeast, ordinary sugar, salt, water, and a neutral oil. Instant yeast can be mixed into the dry ingredients directly; this recipe does not require a separate foaming stage.
For homemade white bread, weighing flour is the clearest approach. If using cups, spoon flour in gently and level it rather than scooping a packed cup from the bag. The extra oil or cooking spray listed for greasing is separate from the two tablespoons mixed into the dough.
Bread Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour (360 g; plus a little for the work surface if needed)
- 1 cup warm water (Water should be around 110°F (43°C) to activate yeast.)
- 2 tablespoons sugar (Helps to activate the yeast.)
- 1 tablespoon instant yeast (Ensure yeast is fresh for best results.)
- 1 teaspoon salt (For flavor.)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (Can be substituted with melted butter if desired.)
For the pan
- as needed cooking spray or extra oil (for lightly greasing the pan and bowl)
How to Make Homemade White Bread
Combine the dry ingredients, then add the oil and comfortably warm water, about 100–110°F or within your yeast manufacturer’s guidance. Mix until there is no loose flour. Knead by hand for roughly eight to ten minutes until the surface becomes smoother and the dough stretches more readily.
Move the dough to a lightly greased bowl and cover it. The first rise usually takes sixty to ninety minutes in a comfortable room. Look for a noticeably expanded, puffy dough rather than assuming that one exact time applies in every kitchen.
Gently press out large air pockets and form an eight-inch log with a closed seam. Place it seam-down in the prepared pan. Let homemade white bread rise again until the crown is around an inch above the rim, usually thirty to sixty minutes. Start preheating the oven toward the end of that rise.
Bake at 350°F for thirty to thirty-five minutes. The top should be golden and the center baked through; about 190°F in the center is a useful bread-doneness cue. Remove the loaf from the pan and give it at least an hour on a rack before slicing.
How to Serve
Slice homemade white bread with a serrated knife after it has cooled. Steady, gentle sawing makes cleaner slices than pressing down hard. Cut thinner slices for sandwiches and thicker pieces for toast.
This is one modest pan loaf, with about twelve slices depending on thickness. It is not intended to fill two large pans. Serve fresh slices plainly, then use slightly older slices for toast or a bread-based recipe that calls for firm bread.
Storage
Wrap homemade white bread only after it is fully cool. Keep it at room temperature for two to three days in a clean bag or covered bread container. Trapping heat inside a sealed bag creates condensation and softens the crust.
Freeze sliced portions for about two months if you will not finish the loaf promptly. Separate slices if convenient so you can toast only what you need. Discard the whole loaf if mold appears; cutting away one patch does not make the rest suitable to eat.
Pan size, shaping, and baking cues were informed by PJ Hamel’s Classic Sandwich Bread method for King Arthur Baking. This water-and-oil formula differs from that milk-based recipe. Follow the FDA’s safe handling of raw flour.
Tips and Variations
A dense homemade white bread loaf may have been cut too soon, underproofed, or made with too much flour. Keep notes about dough texture and rise height so you can identify which part needs attention next time.
If the top browns before the middle finishes baking, loosely cover it with foil and continue baking. Do not press the foil tightly against the expanding loaf. A larger pan makes a shorter loaf and can change baking time, so use the listed pan size for the closest match.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make homemade white bread without milk?
Yes. This formula deliberately uses water and oil. Adding milk changes the dough and is not needed for the listed recipe.
Should I activate instant yeast first?
It can be mixed with the dry ingredients. Follow the package if your product has different instructions, and avoid water hot enough to damage the yeast.
What if the dough is slightly sticky?
A little tackiness is normal. Knead first, then add flour sparingly only if it remains unmanageable. Excess flour makes a firmer, heavier loaf.
Can I slice it hot?
Wait at least an hour and longer if the center is still warm. Cooling lets the crumb set and makes clean slices easier.
Can I use a larger loaf pan?
The same dough will make a shorter loaf in a larger pan. Rise height and baking time will differ, so the specified small pan is preferable.
More Recipes to Try
- Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread Recipe
- Whole Wheat Sourdough Sandwich Bread
- Homemade Bread Bowls
- Italian Bread Recipe
Homemade White Bread
Ingredients
Bread Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour 360 g; plus a little for the work surface if needed
- 1 cup warm water Water should be around 110°F (43°C) to activate yeast.
- 2 tablespoons sugar Helps to activate the yeast.
- 1 tablespoon instant yeast Ensure yeast is fresh for best results.
- 1 teaspoon salt For flavor.
- 2 tablespoons olive oil Can be substituted with melted butter if desired.
For the pan
- as needed cooking spray or extra oil for lightly greasing the pan and bowl
Instructions
- Mix flour, instant yeast, sugar, and salt. Add oil and warm water, then bring together into a soft dough.
- Knead 8–10 minutes until supple and smoother, adding very little work-surface flour only if required. Cover in a lightly oiled bowl for 60–90 minutes until puffy.
- Grease an 8 1/2-by-4 1/2-inch loaf pan. Deflate gently, form an 8-inch log with the seam pinched closed, and place seam-down in the pan.
- Cover loosely and allow 30–60 minutes to rise, aiming for a crown about 1 inch above the rim. Preheat to 350°F near the end of proofing.
- Bake 30–35 minutes to a golden top and baked center, approximately 190°F internally. Unmold onto a rack and cool at least 60 minutes before cutting.
