Homemade White Bread

Over the past year, we’ve learned that we no longer need to have a reason or any occasion for bake. The smell of warm bread coming out of the oven is unforgettable and so comforting! The whole house smells amazing and everything starts to look up!

Even though bread is the most ordinary food, a staple, on the table, people still get intimidated by making bread from scratch and maybe never bake it before. It seems so daunting and hard. But you know what? It’s not hard at all. This recipe isn’t surprising in any way, making bread is easy than you think!

And, there is something about baking from scratch that makes us feel like a rockstar!

Looking in my old recipe notebooks, I found the recipe my mom used to bake for breakfast on the weekends. So many memories come to me as the bread was baking. My sisters and I as kids waking up on Sunday morning, the wonderful aroma of warm bread all over the house. Our family around the table, butter melting in that perfectly soft slice of bread.

Turned out this bread is so amazing as I remember it! I’m so excited to be sharing my mom’s recipe today!

This is a basic bread recipe you must-have in your notes, that gives you two loaves of plain white bread that are quick and easy to make.

You only need a few simple ingredients:

5 ½ to 6 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 packets RapidRise Yeast (4 ½ teaspoons)
2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter

For this recipe, I like using RapidRise Yeast. There’s no need to proof it, you just add it to the dry ingredients.

Here are a few easy substitutions you can make when making homemade white bread:

Substitute honey for the sugar (use the same amount called for).
Almond or Soy milk for the regular milk (use the same amount called for).
Oil or coconut oil or margarine can be used instead of butter

The one thing you can’t substitute easily when making white bread is white flour. You need to use the all-purpose flour called for in this recipe; using wheat flour changes the ratios of other ingredients. It will be in another recipe I’ll share with you!

Instructions

1- Combine 2 cups flour, sugar, dry yeast, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and stir until blended. Combine water, milk, and butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on HIGH in 15-second increments until very warm but not hot to the touch (120° to 130°F. Butter won’t melt completely). I highly recommend using an instant-read thermometer. But if you don’t have it, think warm water.

2- After adding to the flour mixture.

3- Beat 2 minutes at medium speed, scraping bowl occasionally. Add 1 cup flour; beat 2 minutes at high speed, scraping bowl occasionally. Stir in just enough remaining flour so that the dough will form into a ball.

4- Knead on a lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic and springs back when lightly pressed with 2 fingers, about 6 to 8 minutes. Don’t worry if you don’t have a mixer. You’ll have just to knead it longer!

5- Cover with a towel; let rest for 10 minutes.

bread loaf

6- Cut dough into 2 equal pieces. Roll each piece of dough into a 12 x 7-inch rectangle using a rolling pin.

hands split the bread dough

7- Beginning at the short end of each rectangle, roll up tightly. Pinch seams and ends to seal. Place, seam sides down, in two 8-½ x 4-½ inch loaf pans that have been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Cover with towel; let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.

8- Bake in preheated 400ºF oven for 20 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans by running a knife around the edges and invert onto the wire rack.

It’s a recipe that makes the perfect sandwich bread or toast, or even just a snack.

The hardest part is waiting for them to cool enough to eat!

A loaf of Bread on a woodboard and a knife