Soft White Bread
This Soft White Bread is a quick, family favorite loaf made with active dry yeast and simple ingredients. It bakes up soft, fluffy, and free of preservatives, making it perfect for grilled cheese, sandwiches, and everyday meals.
Equipment
- Mixing bowls
- Measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
- Stand mixer with dough hook
- Silicone spatula
- Plastic wrap or clean tea towel
- bread pans
- Pastry brush for buttering tops
- Cooling rack
Ingredients
- 4.5 cups All-purpose Flour
- 1 ⅔ cups Warm Water
- 1 packet Instant Yeast or Active Dry Yeast (2 ¼ teaspoon if in a jar)
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 tablespoon Honey
- 1 tablespoon Sugar
- 2 tablespoon Salted Butter melted
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine warm water, instant yeast, and sugar. Let the mixture rest for about 15 minutes until it turns foamy and bubbly on top.
- Meanwhile, add salt, honey, melted butter, the yeast mixture, and flour to the bowl of a stand mixer. Knead on low speed until a soft dough forms. If the dough feels sticky, add more flour a little at a time. Continue kneading for about 10 minutes until smooth and fully combined.
- Next, transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap or a tea towel and place in a warm spot. Let the dough rise for about 1 hour until it doubles in size.
- Once risen, move the dough to a lightly floured surface and divide it into two equal portions. Shape each portion into a loaf, pinching the seams and tucking the bottom underneath.
- Then, place the loaves into lightly greased bread pans. Cover loosely with plastic wrap or a tea towel and let rise again for about 1 hour until doubled.
- While the dough finishes rising, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Bake the loaves for 26 to 31 minutes until the tops turn golden brown and the bread cooks through.
- Finally, transfer the loaves to a cooling rack. Brush the tops with butter if desired, then slice and enjoy!
