White bread recipe with step by step pictures. White bread is fluffy, tender and better than store bought loaves. Try this foolproof white bread recipe and you will definitely never buy bread from stores again.
White Bread Recipe
I have made hundreds of bread recipes over the past decade. But I always wonder how store bought bread are light weight airy and tender. Finally last week I made a very basic white bread recipe and it turned out super yummy and very similar to store bought bread (or even better)
Why this Bread Recipe Works?
Bread has to be light, airy and little chewy in texture to get you the satisfaction in bite. This bread passed all the best plus it very easy to make. It can be made from start to finish in less than 2 hours.
White bread calls for ingredients like flour, sugar, salt, yeast, milk, oil and egg. Ingredients used are very basic and definitely you might have all the ingredients on hand. There are few techniques which I am sharing here to get you the perfect texture.
Eggs are used in this white bread recipe which helps in making the bread light weight and airy.
Video for White Bread Recipe
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About White Bread Recipe
White bread typically refers to breads made from wheat flour from which the bran and the germ layers have been removed (and set aside) from the whole wheat berry as part of the flour grinding or milling process, producing a light-coloured flour.
This milling process can give white flour a longer shelf life by removing the natural oils from the whole grain. Removing the oil allows products made with the flour, like white bread, to be stored for longer periods of time avoiding potential rancidity.
Ingredients for White Bread
- 3 ¾ cups All Purpose Flour
- 2 ½ tsp Dry Yeast
- 2 tbsp Sugar
- 2 tsp Salt
1 ¼ cup Milk (Luke Warm) - 1 Large Egg
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
How to Make Soft Bread at Home
There are few techniques which I learned over the years to get a perfect loaf of bread. one of the mail which I get often is “What is the trick to making soft bread?”. So I am spilling all the beans to get a perfect loaf of bread.
Making Bread Dough
Take egg in a bowl and whisk it well to combined. You need to reserve 2 tsp of egg for egg wash from this egg. In your stand mixer bowl, add in flour, sugar, salt, yeast, and give it a rough mix with a spatula. Add in milk, egg(reserve 2 tsp of egg for egg washing) and oil right over the flour. Place the bowl onto the stand mixer and start kneading. If you don’t have stand mixer, you can use your hands to knead the dough or You can use a hand mixer dough hook attachment to knead the dough.
Kneading the dough
If you are making bread with hands. You might have to knead the dough using your heels of your hand to push the dough out and bring it back to the centre, turning it over and repeating the process again until it passes the window pane test. Kneading dough with hands takes time, energy and patience. It will take around 15 to 25 mins. Meanwhile If you are using stand mixer or hand mixer then the process of kneading will be much faster. I found out that it takes a good 10 to 15 mins for the stand mixer to knead the bread dough.
Window Pane Test in Bread
Window pane test is very important to check whether the gluten development in dough is formed. This helps in getting the texture of the bread. Take a small ball of the dough and stretch it into a square. Keep on stretching until it becomes a thin film in the middle without breaking. The dough must be thin enough to pass light through it. If it is obtained without any tear, then your dough is properly kneaded.
First Proof of the dough
Once the dough passes the window pane test. Remove the dough from stand mixer. Use a spatula or plastic bench scraper to remove to the dough from the bowl to a work surface. Shape it into a smooth dough ball. Place it in an oiled large bowl. Coat the dough with oil on all sides. Cover the dough with a clean kitchen towel and let it proof in a warm place for at least 1 to 2 hours till the dough is doubled in size. I like to put my bowl inside an oven with lights only turned on.
Shaping the bread
Once the dough has doubled in size. Remove the dough on to a silicon mat. Flatten it gently. Place the smooth side facing down. Start rolling it into a tight log like a bread. Seal the edges well. Place the bread seamed side down on a parchment lined baking loaf pan or well greased loaf pan.
Second proofing of the bread
Once the bread is shaped. Cover it again with kitchen towel and let it rest on a warm spot for another 45 mins to 1 hour till the bread rises over 3 inch over the loaf pan. This is the time to bake the bread.
Egg washing
For getting the bakery style bread finish and soft chewy crust, you must egg wash the bread. I like to add 1 tbsp of milk to the reserved 2 tsp of egg and mix well. Use a pastry brush to brush this egg wash all over the bread.
Baking
Preheat oven to 190 degree C for at least 10 mins. Pop the baking tray into the oven and bake for 30 to 35 mins till the top is golden brown. You might want to cover the top of bread loosely (tent it with) a piece of foil if the top of bread gets too dark.
Cooling the bread
Once the bread is done baking, remove the bread from the oven and place it on a cooling rack to cool for 10 mins on the pan. Now gently remove the bread from the loaf pan and place it on a cooling rack to cool completely before slicing to get perfect slices. Serve the warm bread with butter.
If you have any questions not covered in this post and if you need help, leave me a comment or mail me @[email protected] and I’ll help as soon as I can.
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📖 Recipe
Bread Recipe | White Bread Recipe
White bread recipe with step by step pictures. White bread is fluffy, tender and better than store bought loaves. Try this foolproof white bread recipe and you will definitely never buy bread from stores again.
Instructions
Window Pane Test in Bread
Second proofing of the bread
Notes
Expert Tips
- This bread is very simple to make but the important step is to knead the dough till it passes the window pane test which helps to achieve the smooth finish and fluffy texture on the bread.
- Adding egg helps to get the fluffy pillow like texture on the bread and also makes it light and fluffy.
- Use warm milk to make the bread dough which makes it so soft.
- Melted butter can be used instead of oil.
- Brushing the top of bread with egg gives the golden sheen to the bread.
Serving Suggestions
On the First Day : Enjoy fresh slices of warm bread with a generous spread of butter.
On Day 2 : You can toast the bread in butter or ghee till golden brown and enjoy with a cup of tea or coffee. You can spread almond butter, peanut butter or any nut butters or jam when serving.
On Day 3: This white bread recipe is perfect for making toasties, sandwiches and grilled cheese. Check my sandwich recipes to get idea.
Storage Suggestions
- Homemade white bread can be kept in a bread box at room temp for around 2 days.
- White bread can be stored in fridge in an air tight container upto a week.
- Wrap the bread tightly in foil and freeze upto 2 months.
Nutrition Facts
Bread Recipe | White Bread Recipe
Amount Per Serving (1 Loaf)
Calories 2317
Calories from Fat 423
% Daily Value*
Fat 47g72%
Saturated Fat 12g75%
Trans Fat 0.02g
Polyunsaturated Fat 6g
Monounsaturated Fat 25g
Cholesterol 200mg67%
Sodium 4843mg211%
Potassium 1096mg31%
Carbohydrates 399g133%
Fiber 15g63%
Sugar 40g44%
Protein 67g134%
Vitamin A 732IU15%
Vitamin C 0.02mg0%
Calcium 476mg48%
Iron 23mg128%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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White Bread Recipe with Step by Step pictures
1)take flour in a stand mixer bowl.
2)Add sugar
3)Add salt.
4)Add yeast
5)Mix well.
6)Add egg
7)Reserve little for egg wash
8)Add warm milk.
9)Add oil
11)Knead
12)Knead till dough comes together
13)Add more flour if needed
14)Checking for window pane test. Dough is not ready yet, knead some more time.
15)Checking for window pane test again. Still the dough tears, so knead for some more time.
16)Now dough seams done.
17)Window pane test – pass
18)Transfer to oiled bowl.
19)Cover and let it proof
20)Proofed.
21)Transfer to a work surface.
22)spread like rectangle.
23)Fold the dough
24)Fold again.
25)Place like this
26)Roll it tight
27)Like a burrito
28)Place on a loaf pan.
29)Let it proof
30)Brush top with egg wash
31)Bake till done
32)Cool on a wire rack.
33)Slice and serve.
34)So squishy.
35)Enjoy
Expert Tips
- This bread is very simple to make but the important step is to knead the dough till it passes the window pane test which helps to achieve the smooth finish and fluffy texture on the bread.
- Adding egg helps to get the fluffy pillow like texture on the bread and also makes it light and fluffy.
- Use warm milk to make the bread dough which makes it so soft.
- Melted butter can be used instead of oil.
- Brushing the top of bread with egg gives the golden sheen to the bread.
Serving Suggestions
On the First Day : Enjoy fresh slices of warm bread with a generous spread of butter.
On Day 2 : You can toast the bread in butter or ghee till golden brown and enjoy with a cup of tea or coffee. You can spread almond butter, peanut butter or any nut butters or jam when serving.
On Day 3: This white bread recipe is perfect for making toasties, sandwiches and grilled cheese. Check my sandwich recipes to get idea.
Storage Suggestions
Homemade white bread can be kept in a bread box at room temp for around 2 days.
White bread can be stored in fridge in an air tight container upto a week.
Wrap the bread tightly in foil and freeze upto 2 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
How should homemade white bread be stored?
Homemade white bread can be kept in a bread box at room temp for around 2 days.
White bread can be stored in fridge in an air tight container upto a week.
Wrap the bread tightly in foil and freeze upto 2 months.
Is white bread made from wheat?
White bread is made with all purpose flour. Using bread flour also helps in getting best texture out of the bread.
Can I freeze bread?
Yes homemade white bread is great for freezing. Wrap the bread tightly in foil and freeze upto 2 months.
Can you let bread dough rise too long?
Letting the dough rise for too long makes the structure of the bread weak, so it can‘t support itself.
Why is my bread so heavy and dense?
you did not knead it or leave it to prove for long enough or you could have killed the yeast by leaving the dough to rise in a place that was too hot.
What happens if I don’t knead my dough enough?
If you don’t knead your dough enough by hand or if you don’t allow it enough time in your mixer, the dough will lack strength. Once baked, an under-kneaded bread loaf will be flat and dense in texture
Can you over knead dough?
If you think you‘ve over-kneaded the dough, try letting it rise a little longer before shaping it.
Why are my bread hard?
Here are some of the reasons bread can come out hard and flat. if your yeast is not activated, then dough wont rise and the bread will be hard. Over baking can make your rolls hard. Also not letting the dough rise enough also makes it hard.
How long do bread last?
- This can be stored in fridge for over a week.
- Bread can be stored in freezer for over a month
How long do fluffy bread need to rise?
The rising will take about an hour on the counter. You can speed up the rising process by:
- Placing the pan in a warm oven (about 200°F).
- Set the pan on the oven while it’s preheating.
- Place the pan on a rack set over a large roasting pan full of boiling water.
How to Activate Yeast?
- Take warm water in a bowl. Use Luke warm water. Dip your finger in the water and it should be very warm. Just like a warm bath water.
- sprinkle little sweetness like sugar, honey. Because yeast loves warm and sweet environment.
- now sprinkle yeast over it. I use dry yeast.
- leave aside for 5 mins to activate. The yeast mix should be bubbly and foamy. This means yeast is activated.
If your mixture doesn’t look foamy.
1)Then you must have added yeast to too hot water so the yeast has died.
2)You have used cold water so yeast didn’t activated.
3)Your yeast is expired. Always store yeast in freezer in an air right container.
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