This Bread Machine White Bread is the recipe that beginner bread machine users save first and experienced bakers make on repeat. With just 7 simple pantry ingredients and a bread machine, you'll have a tall, fluffy and golden loaf with a light and springy texture. It makes a 1.5 pound loaf, but I include ingredient amounts for both 1 and 2 pound loaves below too.
This versatile recipe works in every brand bread machine and is perfect for beginners and makes a great everyday bread for sandwiches, toast and more. And if something goes wrong, the troubleshooting section below has everything you need to know to fix it. You can also check out my complete guide to using a bread machine, and if this is your first loaf, my quick guide to using your machine for the first time has lots of helpful tips and troubleshooting info!
Table Of Contents
Why I Love This Recipe
This white bread recipe is beginner-friendly and uses basic pantry ingredients. It's effortless and foolproof-the machine does all the heavy lifting and about 3 hours later you have a perfect loaf that's better than store bought bread. I make it on repeat because it's so versatile.
Stock it in your freezer for quick meals, like grilled cheese or toast. It's a great snacking spread with roasted tomatoes or roasted garlic. Once you master this easy recipe, you can add in things like cheese and herbs. I do this to make cheese bread and rosemary parmesan bread- both also big hits with my family and stocked in my freezer at all times.
Why This Recipe Works
- Uses simple pantry ingredients
- Most white bread recipes use only water as the liquid, but this one uses olive oil and butter too which makes a soft and chewy crumb.
- The ratio of flour to yeast creates a strong rise without a collapsed loaf- a common problem for bread machine breads.
- Reliable results, even for beginners
Ingredients For Bread Machine White Bread
This recipe makes a 1.5 pound loaf. For other loaf sizes, see the notes in the recipe card below.
- 1 cup warm water
- 2 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 3 cups bread flour
- 1 ¾ teaspoon yeast
Ingredient Notes
- Yeast - you can use instant yeast, bread machine yeast or active dry yeast in bread maker recipes. I like the outcome of my bread machine recipes most when I use instant dry yeast, so I stick with this. Do not proof yeast before putting into the bread pan.
- Bread flour: with it's relatively high protein content, bread flour is preferred for making light, fluffy and airy bread recipes. King Arthur bread flour is my preferred brand. You can use all-purpose flour as well, but the texture may be a little less soft and springy.
- Olive oil: I use extra virgin olive oil. Substitute with vegetable oil if preferred.
- Water: water should be warmed to between 110 and 115 degrees Fahrenheit. You can also use warm milk for a slightly different flavor.
- Sugar: you can simply omit the sugar for a sugar-free white bread loaf.
How To Make Bread Machine White Bread
- Add all ingredients to the bread pan in the order listed (or follow your machine's recommended order).
- Select the Basic or White Bread cycle. Choose 1.5 lb loaf size and desired crust color.
- After 10-15 minutes, check the dough. If sticky add 1 tablespoon flour as needed. If dry add 1 teaspoon water as needed.
- Let the cycle finish. Remove bread and cool for 10-15 minutes before slicing.
Pro Tips For Perfect Bread Machine Bread
- Use fresh yeast for the best rise.
- Keep salt and yeast separate until mixing begins.
- Check the dough early in the kneading stage. If it looks too wet add more flour in small increments until a tacky ball forms. If it's too dry add more water in small amounts.
- Measure flour correctly. Either spoon and level or weigh it.
Troubleshooting Bread Machine Bread
Why Did My Bread Collapse?
A sunken or collapsed top is usually caused by one of three things: too much liquid, too much yeast, or overproofing. If the loaf collapses, it means that the dose rose too fast for the structure to support and then fell under it's own weight while baking. Humidity in the room could play a factor here- on humid days, you may need to use less liquid. Next time, try reducing the liquid by a few tablespoons, cutting the yeast back by ¼ teaspoon at a time, or reducing the sugar by ½ tablespoon at a time. I recommend trying one of these fixes at a time, so you know which causes the top to collapse initially.
Overproofing usually isn't the reason loaves collapse in a bread machine, as the machine functions to control the length of time that dough is proofed.
Why Is My Bread Dense And Heavy?
Dense bread usually means that the yeast didn't completely do it's job. Expired yeast is the most common cause, so always check the expiration date. Yeast can be stored in the freezer to expand it's life.
Water temperature can contribute to dense loaves, too. Always check the temperature- anything over 120 degrees Fahrenheit will kill and inactivate yeast and anything below 100 degrees Fahrenheit won't activate it.
And last, using too much flour is another common cause. Always scoop and level the flour. If you're just beginning or using a new recipe, keep an eye on the dough in the first 5-10 minutes and add more flour or liquid if needed, until you have a springy, tacky ball of dough instead of one that is too wet or crumbly.
Why Didn't My Bread Rise?
If the loaf didn't rise much or at all, the yeast was likely dead, killed by water that was too hot, or not activated by water that was too cold. To check if your yeast is good, do a yeast test by mixing ½ teaspoon with ¼ cup of water. Wait 10 minutes to see if a foamy liquid forms. If not, the yeast is dead and you'll need new. You always want to make sure the salt was not added where it could make contact with the yeast. Salt kills yeast immediately.
Why Did My Bread Overflow The Pan?
If the dough rose over the top of the bread pan touching the window, you likely used too much yeast or sugar. However, humidity can play a factor here too, as on humid days the dough will rise a little quicker and higher. On humid days, use a little less sugar and/or yeast. Also check that you've set the machine to the correct loaf size, which is an overlooked problem we sometimes accidentally make, but it's any easy fix.
How To Store Bread Machine Bread
- Room temperature: up to 3 days in an airtight bread storage bag or plastic bag.
- Freezer: up to 6 months. Slice the entire loaf and lay slices flat in freezer safe storage bags. Pull out individual slices as needed. They can go straight from the freezer to the toaster!
- Thawing: frozen slices can go straight from the freezer to the toaster or oven. Or, let thaw at room temperature for about 60 minutes. Avoid heating in the microwave as it can make the slices rubbery.
What To Use White Bread For
- Sandwiches
- Toast with butter or jam (or a simple nutella toast, strawberry toast or peanut butter toast)
- French toast
- Garlic bread
- Dipping into soups
Along with bread machine garlic bread, white bread is also delicious as a side with Moroccan chicken stew, turned into pepperoni toast or meatball toast, and dipped into slow cooker potato soup.
Recipe FAQs
Bread flour is best because it creates a lighter, more elastic texture. You can use all-purpose flour but the loaf may not be as light and springy.
Add liquids first, followed by sugar, salt, flour and yeast. The salt and yeast should never directly touch. I recommend checking your manufacturer's booklet to see if they have a specific way to add ingredients. Otherwise, this is the basic rule to follow to get a great loaf
Bread machine yeast or instant yeast gives the most reliable results.
Recipe
Best Bread Machine White Bread Recipe (Soft, Fluffy & Foolproof)
Ingredients
- 1 cup warm water approximately 110°F
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoon butter room temperature and sliced into ¼ inch pieces
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon white sugar
- 3 cups bread flour
- 1 ¾ tsp yeast instant, active dry, or bread machine
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to the bread pan in the order listed (or your manufacturer's recommended order if different).
- MACHINE BAKE: Select the basic/white bread setting. Choose the 1.5 lb loaf size and your preferred crust color. At the end of the last kneading cycle, remove the kneading paddle. If you miss this step, remove the paddle using oven mitts after the bread cools. When baking is complete, let cool for 10 minutes, then remove from the bread pan.
- OVEN BAKE: Select the dough cycle and 1.5 lb loaf. When done, remove the dough ball from the pan, punch down a few times and shape as desired (or split into 2 balls and place in 2 loaf pans). Let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 40 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 30-40 minutes or until the internal temperature reached 190 degrees.
- Cool on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes before slicing. Slice with a serrated bread knife and enjoy. Store sliced bread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Notes
- 1 ½ cup warm water
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoon white sugar
- 4 cups bread flour
- 1 ¾ teaspoon yeast
- ¾ cup warm water
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ tablespoon white sugar
- 2 cups bread flour
- 1 ¼ teaspoon yeast
Magali says
I have made bread couple of times before and it is very satisfying. Thank you for sharing this recipe. I will try it this weekend.
Irene says
This is by far the best white bread recipe I've made. Crispy crust with soft fluffy interior. I made the dough for two pound loaf...made one pond loaf and hamburger buns from the rest. Buns did not fall apart...did not get mushy...were perfect. Only variation I made to recipe is I baked in oven at 375 instead of bread maker as I have a very old bread machine which makes the tall loaves and I like the traditional loaf pan look.
Colby says
I loved your recipe. I asked in an earlier comment asking about using Honey but forgot to ask about substituting sugar with Truvia and ,again, How much instead of sugar in a 2lb loaf?
Kristina says
You can substitute truvia for the sugar in a 1:1 ratio. So for a 2lb loaf use 2 tablespoons of truvia. Enjoy!
Colby says
I used your recipe for white bread and used sugar and it was great. I prefer using honey. can I substitute and, if so, how much?
Kristina says
Hi Colby, I am glad you enjoy this bread. It's one of my favorites! I have not tried making this with honey, but you should be able to. I would start with 1 tablespoon of honey and watch the bread as it kneads. You may need to add a small amount of additional flour if the dough is too wet (since the honey will act like a liquid ingredient).
Colby says
WOW!!!
I made your 2LB recipe with a slight variation. I substituted truvia for sugar 1 package for each spoon of sugar and used 3 cups of white bread flower and 1 cup of light rye adding 1 table of gluten. 'd like to send a picture!
I'm kind of new to this but this loaf is incredible.
Bridget says
I don’t know if this is just me, but the last ingredient looks like 2 1/4 tsps yeast (as in 2 & 1/4, not 2 x 1/4 tsps. Why didn’t you just put 1/2 tsp yeast?) Needless to say, I have a huge loaf of bread on my hands lol. Still delicious 🙂
Kristina says
Hi Bridget- It is 2 1/4 tsp of yeast, not 1/2 tsp. 🙂 If the loaf rose very high, it could be due to other conditions and I would suggest using a little less yeast next time and seeing what happens. Try reducing it to 1 3/4 tsp. Using only 1/2 tsp will not be enough. Enjoy!
Bill Mckenzie says
Hi Kristina, Just doing the large loaf right now,had to put one extra tbl spoon of water in but the dough now looks absolutely perfect,will keep you posted as to how it goes, I have had problems trying to get decent. flour down here in southern Spain.
But onwards and upwards
Regards
Bill
Kristina says
I hope it turned out well! Please let me know 🙂
Lynette says
I’m going to make the 1.5 lb loaf today but my machine has a white baking function and a sandwich baking function. Which would you recommend
Kristina says
I am not sure what the difference in those 2 options is so I would stick with the white bread setting.
Donna says
For anyone that's baked this in the oven, what size loaf pan did you use??
Kristina Tipps says
Hi Donna, You can use a 9x5 inch loaf pan for best results. An 8x4 will also work too, but bread will be taller. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 30-40 minutes. The internal temperature should be around 200 degrees Fahrenheit when done. You can use a digital thermometer to check, Enjoy!
Donna says
Thank you so much for the information! I can't wait to make this beautiful bread!!
Nicole says
I tried the white bread recipe from the booklet that came with my bread machine and it was the worst. So glad I decided to try your recipe instead!
Happy Girl says
Ive been hand making bread for a long time now but only just got my 1st beadmaker yesterday. The manual, at the time, didn't seem overly clear on bread making instructions so on the internet I got and found this recipe. I made the 1.5lb recipe, medium crust and substituted the 1 1/2 Tbsp sugar for the same of melted honey and the water for warm milk. Unbelievably delicious. Super soft and tasty as it gets. Using organic stoneground white flour which is more like a wholemeal really because it still has all the germ and fiber in. Using a Panasonic SD-R2530 breadmaker. going to try sunflower seeds next. Loving it. Thank you heaps
Kristina says
I am so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for the kind feedback. I have never had much luck with the bread maker manuals and recipes, so that's what brought me to making my own recipes and sharing them here. I am glad to have helped!