This easy Soft White Bread is a simple, classic homemade bread recipe made from scratch that is soft and easy to slice for sandwiches or toast.
This recipe uses bread flour but can also be made with all-purpose flour. It takes about 1 hour to rise, then bakes up fluffy and golden brown and makes just 1 loaf.
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How to make easy soft White Bread:
In the bowl of a stand mixer, stir together the flour, sugar, salt, and yeast. Click for a KitchenAid stand mixer.
Add the oil and warm water. The water should feel just barely warm to your finger (100 – 115 degrees F). Water that is too hot will kill yeast.
Mix with the dough hook for 1 minute and then check the consistency of the dough. The dough should be very sticky. If it is too dry, add more water.
Mix for 5 minutes. Don’t add any more flour after the dough has finished mixing.
Shape into a loaf of desired shape, place in a 9×5 inch loaf pan sprayed with non-stick spray. Click for a loaf pan.
Preheat the oven to 170 degrees F. This is to let the dough rise.
Once the oven is preheated, turn the heat off. Place the loaf pan inside. Close the door and allow to rise for about 1 hour until risen about ½” – 1” above the pan edge.
Remove the loaf pan from the oven and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Bake for 25 minutes, or until golden brown.
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Soft White Bread
This Soft White Bread is a simple, made from scratch, classic homemade bread recipe that is soft and easy to slice for sandwiches or toast. This recipe uses bread flour but can also be made with all-purpose flour. It takes about 1 hour to rise, then bakes up fluffy and golden brown and makes just 1 loaf.
Ingredients
- 2 2/3 cups bread flour (or all purpose)
- 2 Tbsp sugar
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 2 1/2 tsp quick rising yeast
- 1 Tbsp canola or vegetable oil
- 1 cup warm water (somewhere between 100 and 115 degrees Fahrenheit)
Instructions
- In bowl of stand mixer, stir together flour, sugar, salt, and yeast. Click for a KitchenAid stand mixer.
- Add oil and warm water. The water should feel just barely warm to your finger (100 – 115 degrees F). Water that is too hot will kill yeast.
- Mix with dough hook for 1 minute and then check consistency of dough. The dough should be very sticky. If it is too dry, add more water.
- Mix for 5 minutes. Don’t add any more flour after dough has finished mixing.
- Shape into a loaf of desired shape, place in loaf pan sprayed with non-stick spray. Click for a loaf pan.
- Preheat oven to 170 degrees F. This is to let dough rise.
- Once oven is preheated, turn heat off. Place loaf pan inside. Close door and allow to rise for about 1 hour until risen about ½” – 1” above pan edge.
- Remove loaf pan from oven and set aside.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Bake for 25 minutes, or until golden brown.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
16Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 122Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 111mgCarbohydrates: 24gNet Carbohydrates: 0gFiber: 1gSugar: 2gSugar Alcohols: 0gProtein: 3g
Nutrition information is a guideline only, is calculated automatically by third party software, and absolute accuracy is not guaranteed.
Sebastian
Monday 7th of August 2023
What is the best way to store this bread once baked?
Zona
Monday 7th of August 2023
Hi Sebastian. Allow the bread to cool completely at room temperature. Then store it at room temperature in an airtight container to help retain moisture for up to a few days. But if you can't finish the whole loaf in that amount of time, try freezing half of it or portions of it. Then thaw at room temperature.
Marty
Sunday 5th of March 2023
Followed the directions exactly and the bread turned out perfect. Delicious.
Delphine
Monday 21st of November 2022
This bread is delicious! If I want to make 2 loaves, do I simply multiply ingredients by 2?
Zona
Monday 21st of November 2022
Hi Delphine, yes then just divide the dough into two equal portions and bake in two loaf pans a few inches apart. Thanks for your question :)
Wendy
Sunday 6th of November 2022
I admit I am not a baker, so my questions are those of a beginner.
This recipe is straightforward and I love that. Can you help me correct mistakes I think I made?
1) How do you shape dough when it is too sticky to handle? Should I have floured my hands? I just scraped it into the loaf pan.
2) The dough was left to rise for an hour. It didn't puff up that extra 1/2"-1". I probably should not have left it longer in the oven, but I did and after about 15 minutes it deflated. If the dough only rises evenly with the loaf height, is it okay to continue?
3) Last, I baked it but it never rose above the deflated height.
I know the fault is mine and not the recipe's, but would you mind answering these questions so I am more successful next time?
Many thanks.
Zona
Monday 7th of November 2022
Hi Wendy, I'm sorry this recipe gave you some struggles.
1) Yes, you can either flour your hands or lightly sprinkle flour over the dough until it's dry enough to handle.
2) If the dough deflated, it may have risen too fast causing an air bubble inside. Some ovens warm hotter than others so maybe that is a possible answer. You can try this slightly different method instead of pre-warming the oven - place a glass baking dish on the bottom rack of the oven and fill it with boiling water. Place your loaf (in the loaf pan) on the middle rack and shut the door. The steam and heat from the boiling water will create a warm and steamy environment for a good rise. Check on it until it's risen to where you want it.
Also it is ok to continue if it doesn't rise the extra 1/2" - 1".
3) Once it deflates I don't think it will rise at all again. You can still bake it and it should still taste great, it just won't have the same shape.
I am also planning to re-test this recipe and see if I can make it even better. Thanks for your questions :)
Judi
Sunday 29th of May 2022
This was most delicious bread! Made the one loaf to try out the recipe! It is sooooo good! After I let it rise in my 170 degree oven, when I took it out it deflated! Thought it was ruined! But baked it at 350 degrees for 25 minutes! Absolutely delicious! It was a little flat on top, but the crust was so good and the bread wonderful! Thank you for this recipe!
Zona
Monday 30th of May 2022
Hi Judi, it sounds like the dough proofed quicker than the time stated. If it deflates like that in the future you can simply punch it down gently, reshape it, and let it proof again but watch it closely near the end to make sure it's not over-proofing. Or you can just do as you did and bake it :) So glad you enjoyed it!