Basic White Bread Recipe for a Bread Machine, 1 to 2 lb

A basic white bread recipe for a bread machine needs only six pantry ingredients: bread flour, water, butter, sugar, salt and yeast. Load them in that order, run the basic cycle on medium crust and you get a soft, tall sandwich loaf in about 3 to 4 hours. The amounts below scale to 1, 1.5 and 2 lb pans, and if you are still shopping, our guide to the best bread machine covers which models handle a plain white loaf well.

What are the ingredients for basic white bread in a bread maker?

The ingredients are simple, and each has a job. Flour and water make the dough, yeast raises it, salt controls the yeast and adds flavor, sugar feeds the yeast and browns the crust, and butter keeps the crumb soft. Pick the column that matches your pan.

Every row scales with the flour (2, 3 and 4 cups), so you can move between pan sizes without rebalancing the recipe. Check your manual for the pan’s flour capacity; many machines list a maximum of 3 to 4 cups for the large setting.

How do you make basic white bread in a bread maker, step by step?

1. Pour in the water. Liquids always go in first, so the flour does not stick to the bottom of the pan.
2. Add the butter, sugar and salt. Place the salt in one corner, away from where the yeast will sit.
3. Spoon in the bread flour and level it. Cover the liquid completely.
4. Make a shallow dip in the center of the flour and add the yeast. Keep it dry until the paddle starts turning.
5. Select the basic or white cycle, pick your loaf size and a medium crust, then press start.
6. Check the dough about 5 minutes into kneading. It should form a smooth ball that is slightly tacky. If the dough looks dry and cracked, add water 1 teaspoon at a time; if it smears on the pan walls, add flour 1 tablespoon at a time.
7. Leave the lid closed for the rise and bake. Opening it lets heat out and the loaf can sink.
8. Remove the loaf as soon as the cycle ends, tip it onto a wire rack and let it cool for 20 to 30 minutes.

If your loaves come out heavy, the fixes in our dense bread machine bread troubleshooting guide walk through measuring, yeast and flour in detail.

What is the best flour for white bread?

Bread flour is the best choice for white bread. It has more protein than all-purpose flour, so kneading builds more gluten, and that gluten holds the gas the yeast makes. The result is a taller loaf with a chewy but soft crumb.

All-purpose flour works if that is what you have. Expect a slightly shorter, softer loaf, and hold back 1 to 2 tablespoons of water if the dough looks wet. To make a substitute for bread flour, stir about 1 1/2 teaspoons of vital wheat gluten into each cup of all-purpose flour. Do not use self-rising flour, which already contains baking powder and salt.

How warm should the ingredients be?

Temperature is the quiet variable in a bread machine. Yeast works best in warm, not hot, conditions: cold liquid slows the rise, and water above about 115 F can kill the yeast. Aim for 80 to 100 F for the water or milk, and use butter at room temperature so it blends in during kneading.

Water80–100°F

Milk (if used)80–100°F

Butter (room temperature)68–72°F

Kitchen68–78°F

Kills yeast: 115°F

A very warm kitchen speeds the rise, so on a hot day use water at the cooler end of the range. In a cold kitchen, use the warmer end.

What makes bread soft and fluffy?

Softness comes from a handful of habits. Measure the flour accurately, because too much flour makes a dry, tight crumb. Include fat: the butter coats the gluten strands and softens the slice. Add the sugar, which feeds the yeast and gives a thin, golden crust. Use fresh yeast, and take the loaf out of the pan promptly so steam does not soften the crust into a gummy bottom.

For a softer, more tender crumb, swap the water for warm milk, or replace half the water with milk. Milk adds a bit of fat and sugar, and the loaf browns a little more.

What is the easiest way for a beginner to make homemade bread?

The easiest route is a bread maker with a basic cycle, because the machine handles kneading, rising and baking. The only skills you need are measuring and loading the pan in the right order. Start with the 1.5 lb column, use bread flour and run the white cycle on medium crust. That single recipe teaches you what a good dough ball looks like.

Once it works, try small changes one at a time: a tablespoon of honey in place of the sugar for a slightly sweeter loaf, milk for the water, or olive oil for the butter. Changing one variable at a time shows what each does.

How do you store and slice white bread?

Let the loaf cool completely on a wire rack before you slice it. Cutting hot bread compresses the crumb and makes it look doughy, even when it is baked through. Use a serrated knife and saw gently rather than pressing down.

Store the cooled loaf in a bread bag or wrapped at room temperature for 2 to 3 days. For longer storage, slice it first, wrap well and freeze for up to 3 months, then toast slices straight from the freezer. Homemade white bread has no preservatives, so it stales faster than store-bought.

Can you add other ingredients to a basic white loaf?

Yes, within limits. Nuts, seeds and dried fruit go in at the machine’s add-in signal, or about 5 minutes before the end of kneading, so they stay whole. Replace up to a third of the bread flour with whole wheat for a heartier slice without losing much height. Skip fresh garlic, raw onion and cheese chunks in the first mix, since they can interfere with the yeast or leave wet pockets in the crumb.

Next in this series: How to Make Pizza Dough in a Bread Machine (Easy Recipe)