(An update from the archives: I’ve recently remade this recipe with more honey than originally called for. The result was amazing, so I thought I’d share the recipe again.)
It’s simple. It’s easy. It’s wonderful. It’s… Homemade white bread, and it only took a few minutes of actual work to make perfectly the very first time. Trust me folks, if I can do this, so can you! if you’ve got a stand mixer with a dough hook this is as simple as it gets, it contains no preservatives and it stores well. (The loaf pictured above spent a week in the fridge… It’s still wonderful and will be finished off tonight.)
This is probably one of the tastiest bread recipes I’ve come across for everyday use. The recipe makes two full-sized loaves and my kids think it’s got the over the counter stuff beat by miles when it comes to a good PB&J. If you figure up the cost to make it, it’s about 1/4 the price of any loaf at your local market, but twice as good, so even the tiny bit of effort required makes this cost effective as well as delicious.
Another plus of this recipe over other is that it’s a very firm crumb and easily handles duty as a sandwich bread. I’ve tried several recipes that simply could not hold up to the role of sandwich bread. This loaf does not disappoint in that regard. It’s soft enough to be enjoyable, but firm enough to stand up to everything from peanut butter to hot roast beef without crumbling or turning to mush. In short, it’s the perfect alternative to store-bought sandwich bread. Give it a try, you’ll like it!
And if your wondering if this is the perfect bread to make your family his Thanksgiving or Christmas, the answer is YES! It’ll make wonderful Turkey Sandwiches!
- 5-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 Tbsp. kosher salt
- 2-1/4 tsp. (1 packet) active dry yeast
- 16 oz. very warm water
- 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 3-1/2 Tbsp. honey
Method
Place all dry ingredients, including yeast, into the bowl of your stand mixer. In a separate container, add warm water, oil and honey. (tip – add the oil first and then use the same spoon to measure out the honey. This prevents the honey from sticking to the spoon.) Stir liquids well to combine.
Place dough hook attachment on mixer and set on low speed for 15 seconds to combine all dry ingredients. Turn off mixer, add the liquid and set to low speed again, this time for about a minute and a half, or until all ingredients have combined. Turn off mixer and allow to stand for 10 minutes.
Set Mixer to second speed and run for three minutes. Remove the dough hook and turn dough onto a floured surface. Knead 3 or 4 times to remove any air pockets..
Place dough in an oiled bowl and cover with cling wrap and a kitchen towel. Let dough proof in a warm, draft free area for 1 hour. At the end of the hour, punch down dough, turn dough onto a floured surface and knead another few times. Form dough into loaves and place into 2 loaf pans.
Cover with a kitchen towel and allow the loaves to rise for approximately 45 minutes or until doubled in size.
Drizzle the top of loaves with olive oil and bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until crust is a light golden brown. Remove from loaf pans and allow to cool on a rack for at least 30 minutes before cutting.
What I would have done Differently had I thought of it at the time:
More Honey! Yep, way more honey.
Links to other recipes like this:
- Easy Basic White Sandwich Bread, from A Year In Bread
- Amish White Bread, from Tammy’s Recipes
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My name is Jerry Russell, and I'm a blogger. Since 2007 I've been writing about food and recipes at 
{ 20 comments… read them below or add one }
Lovely bread! I like the touch of honey.
Thanks for this recipe, I’ll give this a try on the weekend. I do find though that everytime I make homemade bread, it becomes hard pretty fast even when I put it in the fridge!
You have a lovely site ..and lot of exciting recipes.I will be visiting often and try some of your great recipes.
This recipe is most welcome. I’ve decided to give up expensive store bought bread that’s full of chemicals and make my own from now on.
I don’t have a good mixer with a dough hook, but I’ve been using my bread machine on the dough only setting and then baking the bread in regular loaf pans with good results.
OOh I’m trying this today! Thanks!
And thanks for the copycat baking mix, too. I’ve been wondering about something like that….
This is a great recipe for stand mixers. Thanks for sharing! I am a beginner when it comes to bread making and this is the first recipe I’ve tried with great results.
That’s certainly more honey than I might add, but if you say so! Also, I dont have a stand mixer but honestly I dont see why it wouldnt work in a typical bread machine. Thanks, I’ll let you know how it turned out~
Wonderful ..thank you for sharing
Love this bread recipe!! I split the dough in half and made one loaf and four round mini-loaves or giant rolls (just cooked them on a cookie sheet and the shape held up perfectly). The rolls were great for hamburgers!
Here are a few changes I made:
-occasionally have to add more flour as it “kneads” in the mixer because it’s too wet some days
-before baking I brush the top with a melted butter/honey mixture
-after baking I brush the top with the melted butter/honey mixture again
-I’m at a slightly higher elevation (about 3000 feet) and this bread cooks in about 20-25 minutes for me
I recently bought a stand mixer and I just used this recipe to try my first loaf of bread using the mixer.
It turned out perfectly! I followed the directions as stated – it was very easy.
I did make one ingredient change: I replaced half of the water with 2% milk. I’m not sure how the original loaf would have been, but my loaf is not too dry/not too wet and is a little chewy (in a good way) with a slightly crispy crust. Excellent!
I also used a glass pan and found that the loaf stuck to the sides a tiny bit, but after going around with a knife, I got the loaf to pop out. I wonder if greasing the pan slightly would help.
Thanks for the easy recipe!
I am about to make my second attempt at this recipe. The first one was so good the bread only lasted a day or so! Thanks for uploading this!
Thanks! It’s a great recipe. We actually just finished off a batch and I’m making more today
Hi Jerry,
Thanks to this recipe I am no longer purchasing bread but making my own. This is now a weekly if not bi weekly activity! Can’t wait to try more of your ideas!
Cheers,
John
Tried this today, first time ever making brad. Was easy and the bread is delicious! I love wheat bread, would wheat flour work with this too!
Thanks for the recipe! I am on my way to the store for honey – when you say “shape into loaves” – do I have to roll them out with a rolling pin or just shape them with my hands? Thank you!
Either, actually. you can roll it out and then roll up the dough if you prefer to, but I usually just shape it into a ball by hand and then roll that out with the palms of my hands until it’s the right sie for my loaf pan.
Thank you so much for the quick reply Jerry! I am going to try making this in just a bit and am so thankful for your information. Happy new Year!
Thank you so much for the quick reply Jerry – I am going to make this bread in just a bit and am thankful for the information. Happy New Year!
I made this bread tonight, just as it was posted, and it was delicious! Very moist, yet I know it would hold up to any sandwich ingredient I’d throw onto it. It’s “sturdy”, for lack of a better word. I just ate a slice of it dry when it had cooled a bit and was sold. I’m making veggie paninis with it tomorrow. We’ll definitely be keeping this recipe handy!
p.s. My Boston Terrier is my little taste-tester in the kitchen and you’ve gotten her seal of approval too!
I’m glad that you and your recipe tester liked it!
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