If you’ve ever dreamed of filling your home with the warm, comforting aroma of freshly baked bread, this Homemade White Bread Recipe is exactly what you need. It’s a timeless classic that yields soft, fluffy slices with a perfectly golden crust, bringing that irresistible bakery magic right into your own kitchen. This recipe balances simplicity and flavor beautifully, promising a loaf that feels like a warm hug on any day.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Gathering these straightforward ingredients is your first step toward bread-baking success. Each one plays its part in creating the perfect texture, light crumb, and delightful crust of your Homemade White Bread Recipe.
- Whole milk: Scalding the milk adds richness and helps develop a tender crumb.
- Shortening: Used twice—in the dough and for greasing—it adds softness and prevents sticking.
- Granulated sugar: Feeds the yeast and enhances the bread’s light sweetness.
- Salt: Balances flavor and strengthens the dough’s gluten structure.
- Lukewarm water: Activates the yeast without killing those precious microscopic helpers.
- Active dry yeast: The essential leavening agent that makes the bread rise and become airy.
- All-purpose flour (sifted): The foundation of your dough, giving it structure and body.
- Melted shortening: Brushed on dough tops to add moisture and a lovely sheen.
How to Make Homemade White Bread Recipe
Step 1: Scald the Milk
Start by pouring the milk into a saucepan and heating it gently over medium heat. You’re looking for those tiny bubbles forming at the edges and a thin skin on top—this is the milk scalded and ready. This step adds a richness to the bread that makes it soft and tender.
Step 2: Mix in Shortening, Sugar, and Salt
Once you’ve removed the milk from the heat, stir in the shortening, sugar, and salt until the shortening completely melts. Let this mixture cool down to between 100ºF and 110ºF, just perfect to work well with your yeast without shocking it.
Step 3: Prepare the Yeast
In a large bowl, dissolve your active dry yeast in lukewarm water and allow it to rest for 5 to 7 minutes. This activates the yeast and gets your dough rising from the very start.
Step 4: Combine the Milk Mixture with Yeast
Add the scalded milk mixture to your yeast mixture stirring to combine. Begin integrating your sifted flour slowly—add half a cup and stir vigorously about 50 times, then repeat until you have a ragged dough ball forming.
Step 5: Knead the Dough
Once stirring becomes too tough, transfer your dough to a floured surface. Continue adding flour in half-cup increments while kneading for 8 to 10 minutes until the dough is smooth, elastic, and ready for rising. This kneading step builds that lovely gluten network essential for a great texture.
Step 6: First Rise
Grease your mixing bowl lightly with shortening, place the dough inside, and brush the surface with melted shortening. Cover and set in a warm, draft-free spot for 2 hours or until doubled in size. This slow rise develops flavor and tenderness you’ll love.
Step 7: Shape and Second Rise
Punch down the dough, split it in half, and shape each into a loaf. Place them seam side down in greased loaf pans, cover again, and let rise in a warm spot for about an hour until you see that perfect puffiness returning.
Step 8: Baking
Preheat your oven to 400ºF and bake your loaves in the middle rack for 50 minutes, rotating pans halfway through. The result is a golden crust, soft interior, and a loaf that smells absolutely heavenly.
Step 9: Cooling and Resting
After baking, turn the loaves out onto cooling racks and let them rest for at least an hour. This step is essential—it allows the bread to finish baking inside and helps maintain that perfect crumb texture when you slice in.
How to Serve Homemade White Bread Recipe
Garnishes
While plain white bread is wonderful on its own, consider brushing a little melted butter over warm slices to add shine and richness. A sprinkle of herbs or garlic butter can turn simple bread into an elegant accompaniment.
Side Dishes
This homemade white bread pairs beautifully with soups, stews, and salads. Its tender crumb soaks up broths perfectly, making every bite full of flavor and comforting satisfaction.
Creative Ways to Present
Try slicing your bread thick and toasting it with avocado, tomatoes, or your favorite spreads for a delightful breakfast or snack. You can also cube leftover bread for making crunchy croutons, a perfect way to use every crumb.
Make Ahead and Storage
Storing Leftovers
Keep your homemade bread fresh by storing it in an airtight container at room temperature, ideally eaten within 3 to 5 days. Since it’s free of preservatives, it won’t last as long as store-bought bread, so enjoy it while it’s at its best.
Freezing
If you bake multiple loaves or want to save some for later, wrap them tightly in foil or plastic wrap and freeze. Your homemade white bread will keep well for up to 2 months in the freezer without losing its texture or flavor.
Reheating
To bring frozen or day-old bread back to life, thaw it at room temperature and warm it briefly in an oven set to about 350ºF. This refreshes the crust and gives you that delightful just-baked sensation all over again.
FAQs
Can I substitute milk with water in this Homemade White Bread Recipe?
Yes, you can use water instead of milk, but using milk adds richness and softness to the bread’s crumb. Water-based bread tends to be lighter but less tender.
Why do I need to scald the milk?
Scalding milk deactivates enzymes that can interfere with yeast performance, resulting in a better rise and a softer texture. It also enhances the flavor and moisture of the bread.
What if my dough doesn’t rise properly?
Make sure your yeast is fresh and the water temperature is right—lukewarm, not hot or cold. Also, ensure your rising spot is warm and draft-free, as yeast prefers consistent warmth to activate efficiently.
Can I use bread flour instead of all-purpose flour?
Absolutely! Bread flour has a higher protein content which can give more chew and structure to the loaf. It may require a little more water, so adjust as needed when kneading.
How do I know when the bread is fully baked?
Fully baked bread has a golden crust and sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom. If you have a thermometer, the internal temperature should reach about 190ºF to 200ºF for perfect doneness.
Final Thoughts
Baking this Homemade White Bread Recipe is truly a rewarding experience that fills your kitchen with love and the irresistible smell of fresh bread. It’s simple enough to try any day but special enough to impress family and friends. Give it a go, and revel in the joy of slicing into your own, perfectly baked loaf!
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Homemade White Bread Recipe
- Total Time: 5 hours 45 minutes
- Yield: 2 loaves (serves 2-4 people)
Description
This classic White Bread Recipe yields soft, fluffy, and delicious loaves with a crisp crust and tender crumb. Made from simple ingredients like milk, yeast, sugar, and all-purpose flour, this homemade bread requires minimal active preparation and uses a traditional baking method to achieve perfect results. Ideal for sandwiches, toast, or as a side for any meal, this recipe walks you through scalding the milk for a better texture, kneading, proofing, and baking the bread to golden perfection.
Ingredients
Milk Mixture
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2½ tablespoons shortening (plus more for greasing)
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon salt
Yeast Mixture
- 1 cup lukewarm water (between 100ºF and 110ºF)
- 2 packets active dry yeast
Dough
- 6 cups all-purpose flour (sifted)
- 1 tablespoon shortening (melted, for brushing)
Instructions
- Scald the milk: Pour the whole milk into a medium saucepan and heat it over medium heat. Watch carefully and remove from heat as soon as bubbles form around the edges and a skin forms on the surface, ensuring the milk doesn’t boil.
- Finish the milk mixture: Stir in 2½ tablespoons of shortening, granulated sugar, and salt into the hot milk. Whisk continuously until the shortening has melted completely. Set this aside and allow the temperature to cool until it reaches between 100ºF and 110ºF.
- Prepare the yeast: In a very large bowl, pour 1 cup of lukewarm water. Add 2 packets of active dry yeast and let it stand for 5 to 7 minutes, then whisk to dissolve the yeast into the water fully.
- Prepare the dough: Add the cooled scalded milk mixture to the active yeast mixture and stir to combine. Start by adding ½ cup of sifted flour and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon for 50 turns until combined. Continue to add the flour in ½ cup increments, stirring 50 times after each addition until a rough dough ball forms.
- Knead the dough: Once the dough becomes too stiff to stir (around 4 to 5 cups of flour added), turn it out onto a floured surface. Continue adding the remaining flour in ½ cup increments, kneading well after each addition until all the flour is incorporated. Knead the dough for 8 to 10 minutes until it is smooth, elastic, and no longer sticky.
- Rise the dough: Lightly grease the large bowl used earlier with shortening. Place the kneaded dough back into the greased bowl and brush the top with 1 tablespoon of melted shortening. Cover with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm, draft-free place for about 2 hours, or until it has doubled in size.
- Prepare the loaves: Lightly grease two 8½ x 4½-inch loaf pans. Punch down the risen dough to release air. Divide the dough into two equal halves, shape each into a loaf, and place each seam side down into the prepared pans. Cover again with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let the dough rise for another hour in a warm, draft-free spot.
- Bake the bread: Preheat your oven to 400ºF. Place the loaf pans on the middle rack and bake for 50 minutes. Halfway through baking, rotate the pans to ensure even browning on all sides.
- Rest the bread: Remove the loaves from the oven and immediately turn them out onto cooling racks. Allow the bread to cool and set for at least 1 hour before slicing to ensure the crumb finishes cooking internally and slices cleanly.
- Serve and store: Slice the bread as desired and enjoy fresh. Store leftover bread in an airtight container for 3 to 5 days, refrigerate up to 7 days, or freeze for 1 to 2 months. Note that homemade bread lacks preservatives and will stale faster than commercial breads; consider making breadcrumbs or croutons from any stale slices.
Notes
- The scalding step improves the bread’s texture and flavor by breaking down proteins in the milk.
- Be sure the milk mixture and water are cooled to around 100ºF to 110ºF before mixing with yeast, as too hot liquid can kill the yeast.
- Use a large bowl and knead enough flour to achieve a smooth, elastic dough without it being too stiff or dry.
- Allowing the dough to rise in a warm, draft-free environment is key for a good rise—consider using an oven with just the light on.
- Rotating the pans during baking promotes even browning and an attractive crust.
- Letting the bread cool thoroughly before slicing prevents a gummy texture inside.
- Store homemade bread properly since it lacks commercial preservatives.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
