Julia Child’s White Sandwich Bread
Today I baked bread. It wasn’t planned, I just did. My inspiration? Not wanting to go out to the store. After 2 weeks of the plague, this being the third weekend, I’m the only one the flu is still clinging to. And with very little voice and a sore throat, I wasn’t in the mood to brave Sunday shoppers, or even take off my PJ pants to run to the bakery. But I really wanted bread. White bread. Good white bread. Anything grainy seemed too ambitious to chew, swallow and digest. I was berating myself for not stirring up a batch of no-knead bread yesterday, but flinched at the thought of its thick, crusty exterior anyway. And then it occurred to me while making coffee – If I’m going to be around the house all day, why not just stir up some old-fashioned white bread dough? Like people used to do when corner stores weren’t open 24 hours a day?
More importantly, it occurred to me that W will never ever remember one of us running to the store to pick up a bag of bread. But he will remember coming home from the dog park to a house filled with the smell of baking bread on a Sunday afternoon. There really is no comfort like it.
This loaf? Nailed it on the first try. It seems wordy at first, but is the sort of thing you can make once, and then every other time after that it could not be simpler. I can imagine easily scattering it with cinnamon or cheese before folding and tucking it into the loaf pans. (They’re just 4″x8″ pans, available anywhere that sells baking pans – and often at garage sales or Value Village for about a dollar.) If you’ve ever wanted to try your hand at a traditional loaf – give this one a go. I plopped everything in my stand mixer and let the dough hook do the work, then brought it out and kneaded it myself a few times, just for good measure, and because it felt so nice and smooth. If you do this, don’t flour the countertop – it should be nice and tacky, but won’t stick to the counter. Promise. Some people dump on the flour for extra insurance, but then your dough absorbs too much and can be heavy and dry. All these measurements were perfect. The resulting loaf has a divine crumb and golden, soft crust. Perfect for kids, or grown-ups with sore throats.
Also? It means we have bread for the week. (Or the next few days, anyway.) Homemade bread that’s perfect for sandwiches and toast in the morning.
Your yeast should get foamy – if it doesn’t, toss it.
Mix in half the flour. Just like making paper mache paste.
Then add the rest of the flour and the salt – it needs a buffer so it doesn’t kill the yeast.
Add some soft butter too. It’ll look shaggy.
Then cellulite-y. It needs to be nice and smooth. Don’t worry about it being sticky at this point – you want it to be tacky.
Let the dough hook – or your hands – go until it’s smooth and elastic. Knead it a few times on the countertop if you did it in the mixer – and don’t add any more flour (unless it’s really too wet).
Put the ball of dough back in the bowl (no need to wash it out and oil it – in fact I find the dough harder to work with when it’s all oily) and cover with a tea towel.
Walk away. Forget about it for an hour or so.
Divide the dough in half and pat each piece into a rectangle a bit bigger than a standard piece of paper. No need to be exact here.
Fold it in thirds like a letter, then place seam-side down in the pan, tucking in the ends. Not sure why Julia does it this way, but I can’t argue with the shape of that loaf.
Cover with the tea towel again and leave for another hour or so.
And then bake. Really, it’s not a whole lot of effort, all told. Especially for the reward of two beautiful, freshly baked loaves, that probably cost under a dollar to make.
This may just be my new Sunday thang.
Julia Child’s White Sandwich Bread
Julia Child’s White Sandwich Bread
AuthorJuliePour 1/2 cup of the water into a bowl (preferably that of a stand mixer) and stir in the yeast and sugar. Let sit for 5 minutes, until it dissolves- if you're not sure of its age, make sure it gets foamy. (If the yeast doesn't do anything, toss it out and buy fresh yeast.)
Add the rest of the water and about half of the flour. Stir until well blended. Add the rest of the flour, the salt and butter and stir with the dough hook (or by hand) until well combined and shaggy. Continue to knead (I let the dough hook go for about 8 minutes, poking it down once in awhile) until it's smooth and elastic. (You could do this by hand, too.) If you used the dough hook, turn the dough out onto the countertop and knead a few times to make sure it's evenly smooth. Doesn't it feel great?
Shape it into a ball and put it back into the bowl. Cover with a tea towel and let it sit for 1 - 1 1/2 hours, until it's doubled in size.
Butter two 9x5-inch loaf pans, or line them with parchment. Punch the dough down (love that part!) and pat each piece into a rectangle that's about 9x12 inches - or a bit bigger than a standard piece of paper.
Starting at a short end, fold it in thirds, like a letter. Place seam side down in the loaf pans, tucking the ends in. Cover with the tea towel again and leave them for an hour, until they puff right up out of the pan. As it rises, preheat the oven to 375°F, with the rack in the middle of the oven.
If you like, brush the tops of the loaves with milk before baking. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the loaves are honey brown. Immediately turn the loaves out of their pans and onto a rack to cool.
Ingredients
Directions
Pour 1/2 cup of the water into a bowl (preferably that of a stand mixer) and stir in the yeast and sugar. Let sit for 5 minutes, until it dissolves- if you're not sure of its age, make sure it gets foamy. (If the yeast doesn't do anything, toss it out and buy fresh yeast.)
Add the rest of the water and about half of the flour. Stir until well blended. Add the rest of the flour, the salt and butter and stir with the dough hook (or by hand) until well combined and shaggy. Continue to knead (I let the dough hook go for about 8 minutes, poking it down once in awhile) until it's smooth and elastic. (You could do this by hand, too.) If you used the dough hook, turn the dough out onto the countertop and knead a few times to make sure it's evenly smooth. Doesn't it feel great?
Shape it into a ball and put it back into the bowl. Cover with a tea towel and let it sit for 1 - 1 1/2 hours, until it's doubled in size.
Butter two 9x5-inch loaf pans, or line them with parchment. Punch the dough down (love that part!) and pat each piece into a rectangle that's about 9x12 inches - or a bit bigger than a standard piece of paper.
Starting at a short end, fold it in thirds, like a letter. Place seam side down in the loaf pans, tucking the ends in. Cover with the tea towel again and leave them for an hour, until they puff right up out of the pan. As it rises, preheat the oven to 375°F, with the rack in the middle of the oven.
If you like, brush the tops of the loaves with milk before baking. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the loaves are honey brown. Immediately turn the loaves out of their pans and onto a rack to cool.
As I read this,drooling, I wonder why store bought white bread is the nutritional devil but homemade white bread is angelic… And then I decided who cares and got up to make some ;). Thanks for the inspiration, as always, and feel better soon!
THIS BREAD IS SO AMAZING I LOVE IT SO MUCH!!!! it looks just like the picture and tastes so good
I’ve tried so many bread recipes and failed, sort of, that I stopped making homemade bread altogether. Today I decided to give it another try and found your recipe after a search for no fail white bread. It looks amazing, but I haven’t cut into yet. The bread rose to heights no bread has ever done for me before. Looks promising, but waiting for my husband to render his verdict. He’s the bread lover in our family of two. Thank you for sharing, this recipe is surely one I will keep and try again.
Hi as a executive chef and a x pastry chef I in one word can tell you the difference INGREDIENTS, why does supermarket bread have 60 INGREDIENTS answer: money using cheap ingredients means more money for large companies. The little baker down the street is not a millionaire but lives what they do. They want to give people great products., Not as much grab they can push on you.
Great ingredients will yield amazing products.
Chef Toni Allen
This is the most wonderful, tasty bread ever!
Easy to make and the mmmmmm’s after we more than worth it!
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. It’s a keeper here now. I sti k to the 6 cups flour, because I tried it with 6 1/2 cups and it was too dry. Now it’s perfect for us!
Deborah
This Bread tastes Mocho better than that cheap 10 cent Corner store bread Mums use to buy when I was Dakine !
Can I make this bread in two 9x5x3 in pans? Thanks so much
Hi, those are the size of pans i user and they come out a good sized loaves
Yes, for sure!
Store bread has a ton of sugars and are overly processed with “anti molding agents” among other things.
Bread bread yum
I’m curious about letting it rise overnight in the fridge. Any advice? Ever tried it? Like after the first rise?
Sorry yes, you can do that! it slows the rise and you can bake it in the morning.
Can I make this recipe into a cinnamon bread. I made the white bread and it is amazingly soft and delicate.
Comes out perfect every single time. Thank you for the recipe!
Oh my goodness, this looks so good I can smell it! Worth a try for sure.
I made this for Tuesdays with Dorie last month and was stunned that I managed it on my first go. Normally yearted breads and I do not get along at all. Hope the lurgy leaves your house once and for all SOON. Hugs xo
Gah. That would be YEASTED breads. Clearly not enough coffee going on over here!
I’m going to make this right now. My son had the flu all weekend and I’m bracing myself for the fact that it might cycle through our family of 5! Will be good to have some fresh bread either way!
I LOVE making homemade bread, but have yet to find “the” recipe worth making more than once. I will give this a try today.
Thanks!!
Can this same recipe be used with wholemeal bread flour? Done this recipe for white bread flour and it was amazing, so wondering if I can use wholemeal.
Thanks.
This is my favorite white bread recipe…so simple and yet so delicious!
I am going to make this today. My kids are going to love me when they come home from school to warm, homemade bread dripping with honey!
Those loaves are so lovely, I wish I had a “scratch and sniff” computer screen! You’ve convinced me that I can do this, will give it a go later. Thanks Julie and hope you feel better soon!
I can smell the bread, too! Glad you’re feeling better.
Oh, how I wish I could eat that bread (no gluten allowed)…….
I’m pretty sure you could try it with a flour substitute
I made a loaf with gluten free flour (various bean flours mixed) it did not rise well and is super crumbly. Should I expect this from gluten free breads? Or is this an issue with yeast? Note: I live at a very high altitude as well. Help please?
Yes definitely – the gluten contributes significantly to bread’s structure, which is why it’s so tough to make a good gluten-free loaf. Bean flours would also make it very dense and heavy, tough to rise.
That looks lovely! One of my favourite quotes about making bread comes from Elizabeth David (in my case, via a 1977 Bernard Clayton book called “The Big Book of Breads”, which my mother owns, and I found for $2 at a Servant Anonymous book sale – score!)
“This is basic guidance to those who have already reached the conclusion that it is pretty ludicrous to spend three days planning menus to include shrimp-filled avocados, filet of beef in puff pastry, and no end of palaver over the grinding and percolation of coffee, if they cannot offer their guests a decent piece of bread.”
I love the retro-ness of the menu, but the solidity of the advice about a decent piece of bread.
That looks similar to the America’s Test Kitchen version, which I love but haven’t made since I started teaching this year. Do you have any tips on how to keep it fresh? With just 2 of us in the house, it’s hard to finish and seems like such a waste to throw away a stale half-loaf.
Give one away to your local shelter or a homeless person. Or a neighbor or some hungry men at an auto parts or oil change shop. Those guys work ok concrete all day and would be happy for some good bread.
How about freeze the other loaf in a gallon bag.
I make the bread let it cool then I slice it put in in a freezer bag and take it out as I need it. This keeps the bread very fresh and it toasts up beautifully.
I do the same!
Bread freezes quite well.
Also, you can lightly toast some slices, freeze them, and later use them for a bread pudding desert. Or add toasted bread crumbs to meat loafs, meatballs, or w.hy.
It’s a crime to throw good bread away! If you’re averse to freezing, think of the birds.
Please do not feed BREAD to the birds it is not good for them. Stick to seeds.
Melissa, I love slicing homemade bread (once it has cooled) and then freezing it. Then I steal a few slices at a time for toast or sandwiches. Otherwise the bread gets stale by the time our two person household gets them eaten!
Melissa and Ruth – I was going to say the same! Bread freezes beautifully – and it’s easy to grab a slice if you slice it beforehand.
This looks amazing!
Looks like something I must make! Do you think it would work to sub the white flour with whole wheat flour? Hope you feel better soon!
Any ideas on using the bread machine to make this recipe?
I haven’t used a bread machine in awhile! you may have to do just half a batch?
Your loaves look so beautiful! I’ve got this bookmarked to try.
I slice up the whole loaf while it’s fresh and freeze two slices at a time. I take it out a few minutes before I need it and let it thaw. Really fresh bread for a long time.
My 2 loaves are in the oven right now – minutes from finished. I did one with Chinese 5-spice powder (ran out of cinnamon) & dried cranberries – smells delicious so far. Thanks for posting the recipe – I love baking bread but need the inspiration to remind me to do it.
My roommates and I are enjoying this with jam right now. It turned out great!
really good recipe and easy! I made it last week and used it for sandwiches all last week with the kids. they loved it. I also substituted a few cups of regular flour with whole wheat and it still turned out great. Thanks for the recipe!
Made this this morning, and it turned out beautifully! I have a question for you Julie – we’re not big white bread eaters in my house ( although I am pretty sure this loaf will disappear pretty quickly!). I would like to try this recipe with WW flour – are there any adjustments I should make? Thanks!
Okay, so I have never baked bread before. Which is surprising if you know who my mom is. I forgot the salt, and I now know that my stand mixer is a piece of crap with a bowl that is too small and not enough power! Considering the not perfect conditions, it still turned out great! I will definitely make it again, and I think next time I may add some herbs to the flower to give it a little more flavour. It seems like a pretty forgiving recipe.
Thanks so much for sharing, and for the photos so I knew I was not crazy when the bread looked shaggy. 🙂
Thanks for sharing! I made this yesterday and shared it on my blog!
http://yellowsuitcasestudio.blogspot.com/2012/04/julia-childs-white-sandwich.html
I was looking for some nice bread to go with Jamie Oliver’s Lamb shoulder with rosemary and garlic… this is it. Looks easy to make and delicious. One loaf is going straight to the freezer though.
Thank you for sharing!
It’s in the oven!!! Smells so good, can’t wait to try for dinner and make sandwiches for my girls’ lunches in the a.m.
I DID IT!! of the dozens of terrible loaves I have made, this was the first time it ever came out EXACTLY as I wished. Thin crust. Tender crumb! Soft, with small holes. OMG i’m so happy!! *kiss* *kiss* *kiss*
jen
This bread looks amazing! I’ve never really had success with bread, but I’m sure Julia’s recipe will come to my rescue.
Thank you so very much for your blog post! I have been making this bread for my family for about 6 months now and follow your instructions to the letter. It always turns out perfect 🙂 I’m fixing to put two loaves into the oven right now, as a matter of fact. Isn’t it funny how one loaf is always a little taller than the other? I find that the short one is usually the one I pat out first… strange but yummy, so who cares!?! I’m so glad you put step-by-step photographs in your post. That made me very confident from the start.
I’m not sure how I ended up at your food blog, but I’m glad I did. After an earlier homemade bagel baking disaster this week, I felt so triumphant after baking these gorgeous loaves from the posted recipe. My out-of-town guests devoured the bread! HAPPY NEW YEAR! Thank you!
I have been making this bread for a few weeks now. My husband and I have decided that we’ll never by store bread again. I was telling my sister about it and she would like to make it also. She leaves in Colorado (I live in West Virginia) what would she need to do differently for this bread to turn out? Thank you
I I live in Utah and follow the recipe exactly and have no problems. Colorado and utah are similar in altitude.
I just purchased three cast iron loaf pans and made this recipe. I have been trying for a couple years to make good bread. This turned out perfect on the first try. It gave me such a confidence boost that I made honey wheat by the same method and it came out perfect too. I started with about 2 cups of wheat flour then added whole flour until that sticky stiff ball formed. 4 tablespoons of honey, salt, butter and a bit more flour made the same smooth ball of dough. I let the rising go 1:20 each to assure a fully risen loaf. So tasty and light with the normal 30 minute bake time.
thanks to you and Julia, I am finally making incredible bread.
Phil – you totally just made my day. Thank you! I’m so glad you tried it and loved it – and I’m going to make a honey whole wheat batch tomorrow!
Couldn’t have put it much better myself
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I am always looking for the best white bread recipe and this is one of the best. My daughters are picky when it comes to bread.on this recipe i dont hear ” remove the crust mommy!!!!
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I made this bread yesterday for nearly the same reason as you: I didn’t want to go to the store. I sent it off with my husband for his lunch today and got a text message saying “you’re never allowed to buy bread again. This is delicious!” I’ve never been succcessful at baking bread, even in culinary school with all the direction of my instructors, but this turned out beautifully. Thank you so so SO much for this recipe! It is by far the best and easiest I’ve come across on the internet and in any book!
This was the most delicious bread I’ve ever ever ever ever ever ever evvvv-verrrrrr made. After about a year of trying to find my bread-baking mojo, I think this recipe did it. I hope my body can survive on this one food for the next several months. All other food seems like a waste of time now 😉
Fantastic bread! I didn’t like how big the loaves turned out though, so I make this into 3 loaves. Hint: I use a meat slicer to cut the slices! Works like a charm!
Making this now as we speak, and so far so good :). Cannot wait for the finished product as this is my first time making bread. Yeast and I have our struggles. Thanks for the amazingly simple recipe sharing!
A trick to getting your yeast to rise is placing the bowl with the yeast and sugar mixture in the microwave which gives it a nice quiet and somewhat warm place to rise. 🙂
Ooh, great tip! Thanks!
This recipe look delicious. Can you substitute the all purpose flour with a gluten free flour mix?
No, there are other adjustments that need to be made. You don’t knead gf bread either. There are many gf recipes online.
I tried this recipe today. Wow….its Devine. Easy to make and really flop proof. I would advise any beginner to try this recipe. It was my first loaf of bread and I baked it successfully. Thanks Julie
What a great recipe! My partner and daughter are currently buttering up a slice of this and it’s just devine. Thank you so much. How would this recipe go if you used half bread flour half plain flour?
Just tried it tonight. First time bread baker and the result is amazing. I am inspired!!
Lovely recipe, and it worked first time! thank you for sharing
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For some reasons when my bread rises it does not achieve a rounded top. It does rise out of the pan nicely but the top is flat. any ideas/help. It tastes delish and is our go to recipe.
Can we freeze the other half of the dough?
made this but before I put the bread in the pans I added cinnamon mixed with sugar into the dough as I folded it and then mixed raisins into it. Wonderful cinnamon raisin swurl bread.
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I just popped mine out of oven and I am waiting on it to cool. They look great and cant wait to slice them up.
My bread is rising at the moment. I’ve been trying to find a good bread recipe for months and have had no luck so I’m really hoping this one is going to be good. I will keep you posted.
Well, I have just had a couple of slices of the bread I just took out of the oven and it is delicious. It makes 2 large loaves of very light and airy bread. This is the only bread recipe I will be using from now on.
So glad to hear it Patricia! I just baked a couple loaves today too!
I have been trying to make bread like yours for a looooong time. Will try yours after I make French Toast out of my dwarf-y, dense-y loaves.
Hi – just looking at this page and the bread recipe so I will try it this evening.
I have a quick question – i am wondering what the texture of the bread is inside the loaf when it is cool. The shop bought bread has a way of being soft but not dry… is this similar to how this bread recipe finishes up?
Please advise
Hi Julie. I love your recipe and want to try it. But one loaf is more than enough for me. Shall I just cut the recipe in half? Thanks in advance. Can’t wait to try the bread.
Aiesha – yes, it should work fine that way. Otherwise just freeze the other loaf for later!
I tried making my very first loaf of bread using your recipe, it turned out fantastic! Thank you for sharing!
I am in the middle of making this bread for the direst time, but I am using Robin Hoods Best for Bread multigrain flour, we don’t eat white bread in this house, I was going to use half whole wheat and half white but found the multigrain flour – keeping my fingers crossed. So far so good!
I like cooking, have invented numerous different meals and friends say I am a good cook. However, I have never, ever had any success with bread. Oh its tasty and acceptable but nothing to write home about.
And then I happened across this recipe. First time I produced magnificent bread. Wonderful shape, wonderful taste and when eaten hot with butter and mature Cheddar cheese it compares to any meal you could wish for.
What I don´t understand is why the other recipes I have used failed so abysmally.
My son and I have been trying to find great bread recipes and attempting to master them . We have an excellent cinnamon bun recipe but couldn’t find a great bread recipe! Well problem solved! This is THE one. Simple to make excellent results.
Omg! I haven’t even put the bread in the oven and I am in love with this recipe! The dough actually rises!!! 😛 I can’t wait till it’s all baked and ready to scarf down!!
Thank you so very much.I tried this recipe and was successful the first time.My kids loved it too so we’ll be making our own bread from now onwards 🙂
This is a great recipe! Made it the other day and now baking another couple of loaves to pop in the freezer for the upcoming week 🙂
Hopefully someone can answer this question – I used a gluten free all-purpose flour to try this recipe and it just didn’t rose like it was suppose to. I’m wondering if it’s the flour’s fault or if perhaps the yeast wasnt as fresh as I thought. Has anyone made this with a gluten free alternative? (Ie: bob’s red mill)? Thank you in advance!
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I have used this (Julia’s) bread recipe for years. It has never let me down, and her whole wheat recipe is just as good! Of course I have to give credit to my kitchen aid mixer, its a lot of kneading!!
I made the bread and my hubby, who loves soft white bread, loves it. However, I did not expect the whole page to print. Illustrations and all. How about a printer friendly version option?
Just made this!!! Turned out amazing! Flavor is awesome! Thanks for sharing!
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Sorry now that I only tried one loaf to start. Big mistake, delicious!
This recipe is absolutely wonderful. Think this will be my new go to recipe for bread.
Hi, Thanks for the inspiration! I made bread today – but I guess the measurements must be wrong (I used a liquid measure instead of solids) and started with 6 cups. then I gradually added flour because I thought, less flour better than too much! However, this process took me over half an hour (40 mins) and it still wasn’t shiny like yours. It is rising right now and I hope that you can give me some advice about kneading bread. (for one, “git the right measuring cup!”)
Sorry – I meant that MY measurements must be wrong!! I am sure your ratios are completely workable, it’s just my mistake on execution!
I like to use a sour dough starter for bread. This gives big bubbles. This makes measuring awkward. My rule of thumb is add all to a mixer Ingredients to a mixer except for flour use loose sour dough instead of water. Then add flour as the dough hook is turning until the flour cleans the bowl. no more flour is added the dough is sticky but will retain its shape.Lightly flour,shape into loaf rolls. cook eat
Has anyone tried to make it gluten free?
Mine is half regular flour and half gluten free. Just because I haven’t went totally gluten free yet. Bread is excellent!
Hello Julie. I came across your page from Pinterest and I never ever have good luck with making bread. My husband told me I should just give up. He absolutely loves super soft white bread. We are currently in a power outage right now or I would be mixing this up now. Looks great and I have not read one negative comment.
My question though is at what point could you freeze the dough? After its done rising and you are ready to put it in the oven or after the first rising? I would like to make up a few batches and freeze for future use like the ones you can buy in the store.
Please let me know.
Thank you!!!
Amy, don’t give up! Try this recipe. If you want to freeze it, do it after the first rise… then thaw and let it rise a second time before baking. Let me know how it goes!
Hi Julie,
I have instant yeast — will this be ok? Should I treat it like regular yeast, or just add it to the dry ingredients?
Instant should work just fine Leah! It just dissolves more quickly…
I’d also like to know if “bread machine” quick yeast will work or does it need to be the regular kind? Thanks!
Kailyn – I’m not even sure what “bread machine” yeast is! But I’m sure it would work just fine!
Hi, I love this recipe. It’s now my new go to bread.
Have you ever tried to freeze? If so at what stage?
Thanks!
Oh, you just answered that. Thanks again for sharing!
Can the dough be made in a bread maker? My mixer is down at the moment but I do have a bread maker
I don’t see why not Sara!
I made this with homemade chowder tonight. It turned out perfectly! My husband likes sweeter breads, so I upped the sugar content. This bread isn’t going to last long! Thank you for sharing the recipe!
I do a recipe very similar. When I’m proofing the yeast, I use all the water, add the sugar and butter. (My recipe does 1 loaf) Then when mixing, just the flour and the salt. It too works every time. Best loaf I’ve ever tasted.
Just took my loaves out of the oven and…. They are perfect! Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Yay Denise!!
I am trying baking these beautiful loaves tomorrow morning. Can I substitute water for milk? Thanks
Absolutely!
What is the best was to freeze this loaf after it is done baking? Cooled, sliced, and put in a freezer bag? Frizen by the loaf? Or cooled, sliced flash freezed, then bagged?
Kayla – I find it easiest to slice and then freeze loaves like this – it’s tricky to slice frozen without the pieces breaking!
This recipe was so easy! It’s halfway through its first rise and I am so excited to try the bread! Thank you so much for Julia’s recipe!
I love this. It’s a great basic white bread. Try putting cinnamon and sugar on the dough when you have it rolled out to make cinnamon bread. Great toasted.
Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe. My bread turned out perfect!
Thank you so much for sharing this AMAZING recipe. I’ve made six loaves so far, and every single one has come out perfectly. We just bought 50lbs of flour, and a brick of yeast from (big box store) and are committing to making all our own bread from now on. All thanks to your post. Thank you!!
So glad to hear it Greta!
I just made this bread today, but substituted half the flour for whole wheat. It came out with the perfect texture for sandwiches and toast and has a really great flavor. This is going to be my new de facto sandwich bread recipe!
I’m so glad Dolores! I sometimes do half whole wheat too.
Well here it goes while ive mastered lots of baking and crusty yeast breads my family whines and wants bread like they sell in the supermarket. So im hoping. This is the one ive tried so many before and none were soft and small textured so im keeping my fingers crossed this is the one. I did sub whole wheat white flour but added less (wheat absorbs more liquid than white refined flour) ?
I’m trying out this bread for the first time, crossing my fingers that it’ll turn out as wonderful as yours!
I have always been a julia childs fan. I made this bread today and it was sooo easy and fun. Bread turned out fantastic, thank you for sharing this recipe.
can this be made with wheat flour i have recently changed our family to wheat and would love to use this recipe as wheat. i have made it in the past when in mexico and we loved it. btw in mexico sandwich bread is crazy expensive.
I would like to make this dairy free. Do you think it would be ok to sub dairy/soy free butter spread for the butter in the recipe? Thanks!
I’ve been on a bit of a bread kick lately! Just today I posted a recipe for Moroccan bread. I thought I had had enough of bread making (I’ve made three different breads recently…) BUT – now that I’ve seen this gorgeous bread I’m breaking out the flour and yeast again!! ++ I’m so very impressed with your blog – wonderful recipes, gorgeous photos and terrific writing. I’m gonna begin following you !!
I just made my first ever loaves of bread using this recipe.
Thank you for posting… thank you to Julia Child and thank you to Kitchenaid.
It is perfect. 🙂
Thank you for sharing this bread recipe! I’ve finally found what I was looking for in homeade bread! This bread is SO DELICIOUS! Perfect texture, perfect crust, perfect flavor… Seriously perfect! My new favorite bread recipe!!!
In the oven right now. First yeast that ever worked foe me-in 41 years! Cant wait!
Mine is in the oven right now. First time making my own white bread. Fingers crossed. I think the reason you put it seam side down is for cutting. With the seam up it would fall apart as you cut it into slices. I have made French bread for the first time recently, and with the slits on top it tends to fall apart. I don’t mind, i eat what falls off. Lol. Thank you for your the easy instructions.
OMG I recommend this bread recipie to everyone, I did a bread making course and thought the bread was good but always thought it was a bit dense, I found this recipe and tried it tonight, it was sensational so light so fluffy just beautiful.
I won’t be going back to my old recipie!
THANK YOU!!!
I’ve made this probably twenty times since I found this recipe-it’s always amazing! The first time I followed the recipe, but I’ve since made a few changes and love it even more! It’s good with AP flour, but bread flour takes it over the top. I also use rapid rise yeast (I bought two pounds of it at Sam’s Club so it’s what I use in everything) which shortens the rise times a bit. I also make three loaves instead of two-the loaves were just too big for sandwiches which is what we mostly wanted to make with this bread. Dividing the dough into three makes nice, sandwich sized loaves! Thank you so much for this fantastic recipe. I will never get enough!
made this bread this morning, easy to do and looked just like the picture
This is the best bread. I have made it countless times, and each loaf is as amazing and tasty as the next. The bread is versatile for sandwiches or toasting, and it tastes….real. (Not like filler laden supermarket bread!)
Read over the recipe, and give it a try…it is worth it and not difficult at all!
We have been making our own bread for several months now and this has become our go to! We love it!
It’s rising now!
I love this recipe!! I have made it multiple times and each time it comes out perfect!! At the moment I am currently making it, but I mixed half whole wheat flour and half white bread flour…..I can’t wait to taste it!!
OMG, this bread is wonderful! I also used a mixer with a dough hook. My kids prefers homemade bread to store bought..easy and simple ingredients. Thanks!
I’ve tried so many bread recipes looking for the right one I’ve lost count..lol…hopefully this will be the last after reading all the comments!!
Decided to start making this at 11pm at night..lol…great timing…anyway, it’s rising nicely right now!! It will be a long night!!!
Just a question though, how do you keep the crust soft?? My biggest issue with bread is that the crust always gets reay crunchy and I’m not a fan of it…
Put the bread inside a plastic bag once it cools and the crust should not be super crunchy.
Absolutely, without a doubt, THE best white bread I have made! Thanks for sharing!
I have been trying to perfect a GREAT white bread recipe for a while now…first time using this recipe was perfect – even my husband said it was!! Just wondering if I could add some br.an/wheat germ for a bit of added nutrition. What do you think? Though I have to say this is a pretty perfect recipe as is…thank you!!
I looked at many recipes and so many of them call for too little salt, this one is just right and has the flavor of a great white bread. Mine is on it’s first rise as I type this. I CAN’T WAIT for some with butter and honey.
I have been making this bread for a few months now, it is absolutely the best bread recipe I have found! I follow the recipe exactly but make a double batch. Saves my family some money and is sooo much yummier than buying it from a store. Thanks for the perfect recipe!
I have this rising right now…. mine was way too wet and very sticky. No way could I turn it out into a ball. I added probably 8 cups of flour and it’s still not smooth. I guess I’m the only one though. I wish it would have turned out. That was my last bit of flour. :-\
How would I make this in a read maker?
I used your recipe for your white Sandwich Bread and am so happy I found it. First couple of times tried making it, it didn’t turn out good. Then after research on the types of flours, I went with King Arthur’s Unbleached Bread Flour. I used bottled water instead of tap water. The results was amazing. After taking out of the oven I also rubbed real butter over the loaf to help soften the crust. Needless to say, I have found the bread loaf recipe to use. It is a big hit in this family. Now I need to find a recipe for dinner rolls that is just a good for the holidays. Any suggestions?
This is my standard bread recipe. It is perfect today I am making wheat except I use 2 cups of white to mix with water and yeast then I add 3 !/2 cups of whole wheat and 1 cup of rye. Also I use brown sugar when making whole wheat.
Also when baking my bread I always let my dough raise 3 times. At the finally raising bread raises in the oven. I start the oven out room temperature and turn it on to 200 degrees in 15 minutes I up the temperature to 225 for 15 mins, again increase to 250 degrees and then up to 325 degrees for 15 mins. Continue cooking until done. Some ovens are hotter or cooler than others so you may need last temp at 350 degrees. Gradually bringing up heat prevents bread from falling and you get a higher, lighter, fluffier loaf of bread.
Has anyone converted this wonderful
Recipe to a breadmaker recipe?
Thanjs!
Amazing!!!! Easy and delicious. Homemade bread is not usually easy. Everyone who has quit trying should try this recipie. Can’t wait for it to be cool enough to slice.
Thank you for this great recipe. I especially appreciated the detailed directions and description of what to expect with each step. I love to bake, but the moment I see yeast as an ingredient, I skill to the next recipe. With your recipe I decided to give it a shot and I’m so glad I did. The process was simple and my loaves turned out just as you described – they were AMAZING!!! Thanks again.
This recipe is the best. We have been using your recipe for years now. I even use this recipe as a base for other bread recipes I like. I make it into cinnamon raisin bread and have even used it for cinnamon rolls. Althought the cinnamon rolls came out too dry at first it was the base of a now wonderful recipe I have for cinnamon rolls. You got us through living in Mexico (where bread is crazy expensive) and now back to the states where we still use your recipe to fill our bread needs. Thank you.
I have made this twice now and it is great! And I have made ALOT of bread in the last couple years! This is a keeper! Thanks!!
I’ve now followed this recipe twice to brilliant results. The butter seems to help it stay fresh longer. It made great sandwiches all week. It was fun to make a basic yeasted loaf for a change after years planning our week around sourdough.
I have been using this recipe for a solid 2 years. It is amazing. Better than store bought bread!
My 6 yo has proclaimed we should be making this bread every day. I agree.
This is a wonderful bread recipe that just never fails. I read in a biography about Julia’s struggles for just the right bread recipe for her cookbook. She talks about using a pan of hot water with a brick (or rock) on the bottom shelf of the oven to keep it moist and soft. Have you ever tried this? and do I need to do it and just don’t know that everyone already knew it! I also brush butter on the loaves just out of the oven.
Ooh, interesting tip! I’ve never heard of it or tried it! Brushing anything with butter straight from the oven sounds like a good idea! 🙂
I have not bought bread since A) I got my stand mixer for Christmas and B) I tried this recipe. Amazing!
This so good! But I am wondering, if I make half of what the recipe calls for, could I make only one loaf?
For those who have asked if this worked in a bread machine, it does!! I finally found a bread that is still soft and moist that my kids love!! I simply cut the recipe in half and set crust it light/soft and it was perfect. Thanks for this fantastic recipe!
Good to know – thanks!!
I made this today and it made my house smell like heaven. Not only is the smell divine, it tastes even better. I can NOT for the life of me get my bread to poof up like shown in the picture though. I have just recently started baking and am determined to make my goods look like the picture. Any suggestions?
Hmmmm.. is your yeast fresh? Are you letting it rise long enough? in a warm place?
Make sure you’re letting your dough rise where it’s not drafty or cool. My house is very drafty so I put my dough in the oven turned off with a kettle full of boiling water. Otherwise my dough won’t rise at all. I’m considering buying or making a bread proofing box.
Ooh, great idea!
I am making this tonight! I have never attempted to make bread before, and I’m really excited! Thanks for the recipe. 🙂
For the first time in years I decided to try making yeast bread because of how simple this pin made it look…and it was simple even w/out a mixer. However, I think one important step that a rookie like myself needs to be told is to do something to keep the tea towel from sticking to your lovely loaves of risen bread…gawk! I was so excited that my 2 loaves were puffed above the top of the pans & I gently pulled on the towels to remove them prior to baking. I was horrified to see the perfect puffy tops sticking to the towels and, not only that, but the puff started to depuff as I loosened the dough from the towel. Looking at your post it looks like the top of your loaves are shiney, maybe some butter or olive oil?? They’re in the oven now so I’ll see how they end up even w/this mistake.
Oh no Kim – I’ve NEVER had that happen! I’ve never brushed them with butter or oil either – I have in the past brushed the tops with milk just to give a more golden crust, but not until after the rising stage!
I haven’t tried this recipe yet, but I always give my dough a little spritz of nonstick spray on the top to keep it from drying out or sticking. I haven’t been as lucky as others so I always have to use the spray or oil.
My first try at making bread “ever” and I can’t believe what happened. They came out of the oven looking just like the pictures of your loaves. Thank you for sharing. One big hug for you !
Yay!! I’m so happy!!
I am going to try ths recipe tomorrow. Hopefully it will work. I have been making bread for a rreward now and it ALWAYS cracks an long the side of the loaf. Hopefully this one won’t do that. Does it have air bubbles from just being folded in 3rds?
I’ve never had air bubbles!
Bread is almost done with the second rise. I am a little leery about 375 for 30 minutes. It is for sure that temp and time?
Yep! How did they turn out?
They turned out PERFECT! I instantly picked up the phone to call my mom to tell her I finally made bread that looked like it was suppose to!
Yay Brenda!! I’m so happy!
This was fantastic! Exactly what I was looking for. Soft and fluffy and delicious. Thank you!
This recipe is awesome, so happy with the result. Wanted to post pix of the beautiful loaves but don’t know how, lol. Thanks!
Yay, so great to hear!
I just found this recipe and made it yesterday. I have been trying so many recipes for the perfect sandwich bread. This one hit it on the nail.
I’ve been looking for the perfect white loaf recipe, and this could be the one! Thanks so much!
made this 5 times now , so good and dependable and a good taste. I do it in 5 .25 x 9.25 pans an when I do the rolling of the doe I do 2 balls per pan (2 pans) as it is then easy to separate and freeze half , kin of like making 4 mini loafs!!!! Also did brown bread with same recipe mixing the flours 50/50 but let it rise about 15 minutes longer in the pans. tasted great!!!!
Also one day for the grandkids took half the doe and added cinnamon and raisins was great.
Would someone be able to do the math and tell me how much it costs to make this recipe? Math is not my friend. Thanks in advance!
So I have finally found my sandwich bread. Not only is it a Julia Child recipe but on a blog written by an author whose book I just loved. I feel so fancy! The bread came out great! Very delicious!
Have you ever priced it’s recipe out cost per loaf?
I haven’t… I imagine it’s the sort of thing that would vary depending on where you live and where you shop!
I really like this recipe, glad to see you did Julia proud…lol. made it a few times. Great results. Defiantly gonna make it over and over.
My son is allergic to dairy. Has anyone tried subbing oil for the butter?
Will it works with Instant Yeast? I tried a number of times with instant yeast and after baking, the bread always gummy and dense in the center. Please give me a solution to eliminate the gummy and dense to ensure it’s fullfy inside.
Perhaps it’s not the yeast but something else . Any guidance and suggestions, would be much appreciated.. Thanks
Oh my word! I’ve been making bread for years now, mostly the no-knead bread, but lately white sandwich, and I have never had such a great “rise” !! I can’t wait to cut a slice and see what the inside is like – I bet so scrumptious!
Your photos are amazing and my bread looks just like yours! Lucky me 🙂 Thank you!
So glad it worked out so well for you!
Made it, came out great. One note directions don’t mention putting in the sugar.
Yes, at the beginning, to the water along with the yeast.
I halved the recipe and made this loaf for my man yesterday. I actually used a bread machine to mix the dough, and it came out beautifully! A crispy crust on the outside, and soft as a cloud in the middle. The way to a man’s heart is definitely through this bread!
Trying this today. Have not had luck with yeasted breads and I think my streak is holding. It never looked any smoother than the sixth pic from the top (where the butter shows) after 20 minutes of mixer kneading and adding another cup of flour. Tried to turn it out and hand kneading it but ended up with dough gloves. Scraped it back into the bowl and I’m going to let it rise and then throw it in the oven but I’m not holding out much hope.
If you have dough gloves, it sounds like it needs more flour! what kind are you using?
Using all purpose and used 7 1/2 cups.
Trying this out after making a few loaves of peasent bread. And a failed beer bread experiment.. I’m hoping it turns out okay.
I’ve been making bread for years and haven’t found the perfect white bread recipe until now. This one is so good and simple. For the people saying it doesn’t rise, I cheat and add my yeast and suger to the flour then heat my water and butter together until the butter melts and add it to the flour mixture. Don’t heat it to hot or you will kill the yeast. I use this method with all my bread recipes, I’ve never been able to prep the yeast in water first. If using honey melt it in the water or milk.
That’s so awesome to hear. Thanks for the yeast tip!
Simple recipe simply makes great bread. First loaf disappears quickly after finishing. So easy with Kitchenaid mixer. Brushed the top with melted butter at the end. Store bought bread sucks; this is the easy and economical solution.
I’ve baked a LOT of bread over the years with different recipes…but none turned out very good. UNTIL I found this recipe. I made it yesterday. It was awesome. It has WAY too much salt for us though…so I will be cutting down the salt…especially in light of my husbands high blood pressure…salt just don’t do our bodies any good. So, anyway, I will be making this bread in the future from now on…it’s the best bread that I’ve EVER made.
So glad to hear it! Yes I usually cut down on the salt, but it does affect the chemistry of bread. I agree – this is the best recipe ever!
Just made this. Fast and perfect. These tips of Julie’s make all the difference. The rise is amazing without overproofing (no airholes in the loaf), the crumb is perfect, and it’s moist. And so little salt (after all, only 2 teaspoons for almost 3 pounds of bread). I’ve made recipes where you fiddle with milk and water, and other recipes where you melt the fat in the liquid on the stovetop. This is just so simple and the result much better than the more complicated recipes.
Isn’t it just the best recipe??
PJ
OMG. This came out so fantastic. I made 2 small and one regular size loaf with this recipe. Great crust!.
hi can i use strong white flour as ive bought a few bags wish i had seen this recipe befor i bought them it sounds great .
hi again can you make bread rolls with this recipe please
Hi there! Stumbled upon this recipe. It all wired out except I had to double my baking time for some reason. I had the oven preheated an hour before baking to ensure the right temp. Still needed a good 60minites. Maybe my oven is weird!
Interesting! It might be a bit cool – if you pick up an oven thermometer (they’re about $7) you can double check!
I meant to say, worked out.
I’m 17 and have been baking and cooking since I was little, but I can’t bake bread to save my life, I just tried your recipe and the bread came out so beautiful so fluffy, so soft, with a nice crust I have never been happier! I can’t wait for my family to try this, thank you so much
Yay, I’m so happy to hear it Tabatha!
A week ago, I decided that I wanted to try to bake some bread. I looked in my cookbooks for recipes, and with the first two recipes I tried, I ended up with dense, overcooked loaves. I tried this recipe this morning, and what a difference! I loved the pictures, because they showed me what the dough should look like in my stand mixer, so I knew when I needed to add a little more flour at the last step. The only change that I made was that I ran out of white flour after adding 4 cups, so I used 2 cups of whole wheat flour, and it still turned out perfect. Thank you so much for this great post! With this amazing recipe, I may be a weekly bread baker from now on!
This is so great to hear – first thing on a Monday morning and you made my week! 🙂
So I just mad this and it came out wonderful, but I somehow feel it tastes a bit too much yeast for me but other wise perfect if I cld only post a pic! Will ded be making again for this holiday season !
I just made my first batch of homemade bread. I love, love, love this bread. I just took it out of the oven about 30 minutes ago, and have already eaten half of a loaf. I kind of messed up and put all the water with the yeast and sugar, but it still came out great! My husband asked me to make him a loaf of jalapeño bread, which I did.
After the first rise, I cut the dough in three pieces. I also used smaller loaf pans. I did the first two loaves as you instructed.
The third loaf, after patting it into a rectangle I took some of the integer from the jalapeños and brushed it in the dough. I then took some of the jalapeños and sprinkled them in the middle. I folded over the first section, then sprinkled some more jalapeños and folded over the last section, I the folded the ends in and placed the loaf in the pan.
Once in the pan, I brushed some more vinegar on the top of the loaf and sprinkled some more jalapeños on the top.
I placed the jalapeño loaf in the oven once the other two came out. It came out of the oven really beautiful. Once my husband tries it, I will add his comments to this post.
By the way, this is my first time baking homemade bread. Thank you!
This is brilliant! I’m going to make the jalapeno bread too – maybe with some cheese thrown in for good measure! 🙂
He loved the jalapeño bread! He said it was great for sandwiches. This is now my favorite recipe!
Thank you!
Have to say this recipe looks amazingly easy… I have tried bread in the past and have had no luck… Definitely making it this weekend….. Super excited….
Thank you for sharing this recipe with those of us who have been searching for a delicious AND easy bread recipe! It is a deep freeze where we are right now and we have been stuck inside for days. Made this for the first time on the weekend … seemed natural that when it’s freezing outside one should make bread? It worked, first time, with RAVE reviews from my 3 little men and overjoyed husband! So, obviously, I am making it again this morning! Your pictures and description make it fool proof. Thank you!!
Can I make this in bread machine?
Hmm.. I don’t see why not! I haven’t used one in about 20 years, but it should work fine!
Can I make this into cinnamon bread?
This is the first time I have made white bread (either by hand or by machine) that has such a wonderful open texture and – this does it for me and mine – makes the lightest, crunchiest toast ever!
(And I am including most of the best store bought ones I have found so far in that statement)
It wiped the cynical, “here-we-go-again” grimaces from the testers’ faces on the first bite…Result!
I used a 1200W stand mixer on lowest speed and no extra kneading after ten minutes.
Just worked as stated and easy with it…
I am amazed, after all my bread-related disasters, that this was so good, but it is!
Cheers, M’Dear!
What a divine recipe! I made two utterly gorgeous loaves of bread and I can’t wait for breakfast tomorrow to have some slices with some poached eggs (of course I already snuck a still-warm slice with butter and jam). Yum!
Ok; I’ve stepped it up a notch. After stretching it out, but before folding, I slathered the dough in garlic butter. Folded it up, let it rise, and baked it. NOM. SO GOOD.
This is my go-to bread recipe. I’ve made it over and over again, and it’s great every time! Sometimes I’ll use half wheat half white flour, resulting in a slightly denser loaf, but still delicious.
Thank-you for sharing it and making it so easy!
Do use convection or fan oven when baking. As a man learning to bake why do they make ovens so complicated, can’t they just do on and off and set your temperature!
I agree! I don’t use convection. I kind of miss my old GE with on/off and temperature!
It worked! It worked! Thank you so much for the details both of my loaves came out perfect! I have been trying for a while and I usually make hockey pucks. Thanks again!!!!!
Yay! That makes me so happy!
It is devine. I make once in awhile. I just cannot stop eating it. Making some this weekend. And you need to pinch the ends together so that the loaves will be uniform. My friend’s beg for it!
I have had great luck with this! It’s the first bread I’ve ever made that’s better than from a bakery. Question: I personally do not like frozen bread. So, is it possible to freeze the second loaf before I bake it? If so, at what stage should I do this? Thanks! Love this site.
Hmm.. you should for sure! I would freeze it after shaping into loaves, before the second rise. When you’re ready to bake, take it out of the freezer and let it thaw/rise on the counter for an hour or so before baking. Let me know if it works!
I’m ill today. No bread. Didn’t have the right shaped pans. Used bundt pan. Cut recipe in half. Used milk instead of water. Perfect and beautiful. Naturally i didnt wait for bread to cool. 350 in my oven for 30mins. Hadnt eaten today. Had bread n butter with tea. Back to bed. Thanks bunches Jewel. Will check out your other recipes when i feel better.
If I can make this anyone can! I’m on my sixth loaf:). Thank you for helping people like me !!!
I would like to make three loves at a time with instant yeast can you help me
Thank you very much for this recipe Julie much appreciated by family.
Did this bread now twice . Once using 6cups and the other 6 1/2 cups. The 6 1/2 cups turn out much drier, less sticker, and better to handle. The 6 cups though did give good bread results but it was quite sticky and difficult to handle, just waiting for the 61/2cup bread now to cook.
Thumbs up with Hubby ??, as he is usually quite picky on how my bread turns out.
I have used this recipe so many times. Love it! Make sure your yeast is good and really fluffs up , not a bubble, but a real fluffy ball. You get this after some good practice and making sure your water is not cool but more warm to hot. Then let your dough rise in a nice warm temp and you willl have amazing results. I have yielded so many sandwich loaves from this amazing recipe. Thank you!
So glad you love it!
Oh my gosh! This recipe really is so easy to follow and the bread turned out wonderful. And thanks for the comment about removing it form the mixer and just kneading it by hand, once, just to feel it. That was very satisfying. This bread is fantastic and I will be making it twice a week. LOVE IT!
P.S. I didn’t have bread pans for some reason or couldn’t find them (we moved two years ago), so I used small Pyrex bowls a little bigger than a softball. They made wonderful little “personal” loaves. I got four of them out of the batch, but could have gotten 5-6.
What an awesome idea!!
I’m so glad!!
“Major thanks for the blog. Awesome.”
my name is tom .i made this bread and i added a large egg it turned out really good .my wife asked me if i could make it all the time
Oh wow, thank you for this post (although I’m about 5 years late!) Just recently started making stuff at home, like tortillas, pizza dough, etc. This is my 2nd time attempting bread… the first time about 5 years ago was a sad attempt at Hawaiian bread using whole wheat flour… it was NOT good. This, however, turned out delicious! I happened to stumble on this recipe looking for one that didn’t use milk because I didn’t feel like going to the store!
I had some trouble rising, my yeast is fairly fresh (expiration is not until the end of 2018) – it’s possible I didn’t leave it to proof very long or my water just wasn’t warm enough. I usually notice the foam after about 10 minutes but this time I only waited about 5, I wasn’t patient! The first rise didn’t look like much (after about 90 minutes) but it did rise a little in the pan. Unfortunately I used a short, wide pan that was a little too wide for this type of bread so it came out very short in height.
I baked for 30 minutes (the smell was incredible!) and the crust was gorgeous. I was a little worried the butter on the pan might make the crust too dark or a little burnt, but it was a beautiful color and easily popped out once I loosened the edges a little with a knife. I waited about 20-30 minutes and cut 2 slices to make a sandwich for work today. The loaf was still pretty warm so I just wrapped it up and put it away, I’ll slice the rest later. I had my 2 slices in the fridge all night and in my lunch bag cooler all day… I was a little worried it might get hard but it’s not at all. It’s soft, kind of dense, and way too good to not use this recipe all the time! Saying goodbye to store bread (except rye that my boyfriend likes, I’m not quite ready to attempt rye!)
Oh I wanted to add that I halved the recipe (just the 2 of us), mixed/kneaded by hand, used about 80% bread flour and 20% coconut flour instead off all-purpose, and added 2 tbsp water due to the extra absorption with coconut flour – I’m sure it’s even better followed as written but wanted to slightly lower carbs. It was very, very good!
So great to hear it Jennifer!
This recipe looks delicious! I can’t wait to try it! How much flour needs to be used? 6 1/2 cups?
I’ve tried a couple of sandwich bread recipes. Think this the best one!
I don’t have a machine, but use a spoon to mix the dough by hand; easy and less to clean up.
Love dipping the bread in olive oil with some herbs/spices (oregano, little salt, pepper, cilantro, whatever’s in the cupboard).
So glad it worked out so well for you!
Thank you for sharing! I was thinking of buying bread at the grocery store and decided to make my own because I wasn’t satisfied with store bought bread. This was my first time ever making my own bread at 25-years-old. I’m used to my grandmother baking bread and she inspired me to do the same because homemade tastes and feelzsso much better. I love this bread! Thanks again for sharing!
Yay – so glad to hear it!
Hi how much yeast would I use of I am using fresh yeast?
This recipe never disappoints, I love it my family loved it too thank you soo much Julie. Best and easy homemade bread ever.
Thanks very much
You’re very welcome!
Me & my wife are enjoining this right now. It is really delicious. Thanks for sharing a such a great recipe with us. I did bookmarked this.
So great to hear it!
Thank you! I have never been able to master bread. It always tasted good warm from the oven but would turn into a dry crumbly mess that wasn’t good for anything but toast. I would watch my Grandma make bread an ask for tips and tricks and could never figure it out. This recipe comes out perfect every time.
Thank you for posting this bread recipe! It turned out really well, with a texture close to hops bread. I was short on flour (and freezer space) so I made half the recipe and divided the dough into two smaller loaf pans (3″x5.5″ at the base). We ate most of the first loaf on the first day. I sliced and froze the rest along with the other loaf. I heat the slices in the microwave under a well paper towel for 10-15s as we need them and the texture has held up really well. Thanks again!
One makes this white sandwich bread everyday since I discovered it
Absolutely gorgeous no other bread comes close
Good God, it’s the Holy Grail of bread. This shouldn’t have been as easy as it was, but, well, if was.
So glad to hear it!!
I got up at 3am thanks to my dog, so I worked up a couple loaves of this wonderful bread, the house had a aroma that would welcome angels to visit for Sunday morning toast !
Amazing! Love being so productive so early in the morning!
Right away I am ready to do my breakfast, later than having my breakfast coming yet again to read additional
news.
Hi julie. US and Australian measurements are different – even cup measurements! Could you put gram measurements next to your ingredients so that we can all have confidence that we’ll be able to replicate what is obviously a wonderful bread. Ive been experimenting with making bread recently, and though it tastes nice, it is quite dense. My husband has requested a fluffy white bread, and mm y search for a good recipe has led me here! Would love to try it…. successfully ?
Can you please tell me why my loaves won’t rise as much as yours? I’ve attempted these twice and still not enough rise. Thanks!
Hmm.. I’m not sure! is your yeast fresh?
I’m always on the hunt for the perfect basic white bread recipe. Tried yours yesterday and you are top of the list! Easy to mix and rose beautifully. Texture is just what I like. Perfect for a sandwich, toast, or French toast. I actually halved recipe as our empty nest doesn’t need two loaves. In hindsight I should have done the two and froze one.
It’s a keeper – thank you!
My family LOVES this bread! Easy to make. I don’t have a bread machine….just knead it by hand. ? I’m now making this daily!
I wish I could post the picture of my bread baking, man does it look amazing!! So far I love this recipe. I really hope it tastes as good as it looks!!
So I have some leftover whey from making yogurt…do you think I could warm it in a saucepan and use instead of water? Never used whey in anything before but have heard it’s good to bake with!
Rosh Hashana is this week. Do you think I could braid this and make a challah instead of using a loaf pan? This is my favorite recipe and the texture is perfect. How would it be with an egg wash? Thanks!
Ooh, I think it would work well! and it’s beautiful with an egg wash – I’ve done it!
How do you scoop or measure your flour? I had to add about 1/4 cup more flour than recipe called for. Still turned out great. Just wondering for future reference. Thanks
Yeah, it definitely depends on how you measure, especially in this quantity… I kind of stir to aerate the flour, lightly scoop and swipe off the top.
I made 8 loaves of bread with this very easy to follow recipe in the last 2 weeks. And they always turn out perfectly! My boyfriend has never been more in love with me! Lol! I swear I would never buy bread again! Thank you Julie!
I have 2 loaves in old fashioned bread pans rising now and they look great so far – can wait to bake them- when I rolled out the dough I added 1 cup of grated 2 yr old white cheddar and then some cubes of Orange Cheddar to each loaf- rolled like a jelly roll and then panned it. Will let you know the results but looks awesome so far 🙂
OOOOOOOOH!!!
Well, I gotta hand it to you, your post inspired me to try baking bread for the first time ever and I am never buying bread again. I don’t have a fancy mixer but my two hands did the job and it wasn’t hard and didn’t take long at all. My Hubby ate 3 slices: with butter and jam and then just butter and whatever he put on the piece he scarfed down that I didn’t see while waiting for dinner and sliced 4 more slices to make sandwiches for work tomorrow. I froze the other loaf but this one is half gone already. Thank you so much for sharing Julia’s recipe that I may have never tried even if I did. It cost about $1 a loaf to make which is far less than the $2.69 I usually pay for store-made fresh-baked bread and I don’t have to worry about running out to buy it. 🙂
Isn’t it a wonderful recipe? I’m so glad it worked out so well for you!
One Word…AWESOME !!!!!! Best Homemade Bread Ever..Thx For Posting It
Amazing recipe – it is simply fantastic.
It is not uncommon for us to make and go through two or four loaves of bread a week. The adults in the family follow Paleo pretty closely, but the younger kids (7 and 9) still eat wheat and grains and have lots of dairies. This is our favorite bread recipe by far and away, the kids cannot eat enough of it. Using the kitchen aid makes this a 15-minute task to get two loaves turned out fairly quickly, and we will often time make extra dough and store it in the fridge or freezer, which works perfectly well and adds some additional flavor. We have made a few adjustments to the recipe to in as many nutrients for the kids as possible which I thought I would share as it turned this amazing recipe into something we have not found in bakeries, not even in the UK or Europe.
The most important change is, we use bone broth for ALL liquids. the 2 1/2 cups of water are bone broth… period. This alone changes the texture and the flavor. I could try to explain it but you simply need to try it yourself. It is simply amazing! The more gelatinous your broth, the better the bread, so I recommend chicken or turkey broth is definitely the way to go. Secondly, we add an egg. That is it.
Simply amazing – so glad we found this recipe! Thank you!
Oooh, that’s so interesting! I’m going to give it a try! Thanks!!
I’ve made 2 loaves of bread in my new Kitchenaid mixer in the last week using 2 different recipes and they both came out dense and dry. I’m hoping that with this recipe, the 3rd time’s a charm! I only have 1 8×4 loaf pan, so would I split the dough in half and refrigerate half while the other half bakes? Or can I use a 9×5 pan (of which I have 3) and lower the baking temp/time to compensate? Thanks in advance!
Signed,
Aspiring Bread Baker
Regarding what to bake the bread in, I have used Pyrex bowls, baking dishes, anything bake-proof, the bread turns out fantastic every time
Amazing to know!
I’ve made this bread recipe ever since I stumbled upon it, I found that I only needed to use 6 cups of flour and it rises very well that I make three loaves out of this recipe. The first time I made this bread, the moment it hit the oven my loaves were two times as big as the bread pan and almost touching the top of my oven lol, but this recipe is a keeper and taste amazing.
This recipe is so easy and it tastes delicious!! I am practically incompetent in the kitchen, but I have successfully make this bread several times, and my husband insists we never buy bread again.
Ok. I make our bread usually and fail about half the time (haven’t given up yet for some reason) and have tried maaaaany recipes. Usually I get one great result of two and a flop with no change in method or ingredients- just random. I don’t have a stand mixer and do have a not very great oven, so the mixed results are probably me getting lucky sometimes. I’ve only made this one time so far (and it was amazing but kind of thick crust) and am doing it a second time now. The reason I’m telling you all this is that I have a feeling this is going to be consistently good because this recipe has butter right in the dough, uniquely. You can tell right away from the extra satiny feel of the dough while you work it that the crumb will be nice. And it rose like crazy- this recipe doesn’t mind making the crass a little more complex and fatty in order to help the yeast out, so it’s super user-friendly. PHEW. That’s all I have to say 😛
I’ve only made this once. I made one loaf and it was gone in a day. Now granted we had family visiting so there was 8 people in the house, but everyone was eating the bread both in sandwiches/ toast and just grabbing slices and munching on it plainly for snacking. I’m making a second loaf today. It’s wonderful. Thank’s Julie.
Thank you so much. This bread is wonderful and it is the first time I could actually get bread to rise like it should! I have tried so many times that I thought I would never be able to figure it out.
Can I use coconut oil instead of butter?
Definitely!
I made this absolutely fantastically gorgeous ,makes perfect sandwiches
Oh em gee! I am “gobsmacked” by the flavor of this bread! i had to restrain myself to keep from eating an entire loaf. Thanks for sharing this, Julie!!!
Just made this bread. It’s rising. It seemed so easy and I think I did it right. I will know in about two hours. Can’t wait to try it warm with butter
Newbie bread maker here with a newbie question… After letting the dough rise in the bowl what is the rationale for punching it down prior to placing it in the pan to rise again? Would placing the dough straight into the pan right after being kneaded and then letting it rise just the one time change the outcome of the bread?
By the way I’ve made this bread a handful of times and it’s absolutely amazing.. I’ve even turned one of the loaves into buns for pulled pork/roast beef sandwiches etc.. Thanks for this wonderful recipe! 🙂
The *only* issue I had with this was that each rise took twice as long as what it was supposed to. I realize rise times are estimates, because of the variables, but doubling the estimate is beyond what I would reasonably expect from variables.
That said, once it got there, it was good.
Can this bread be made by hand, I don’t have a mixer.
I’ve never been able to get a really good rise on my bread until this recipe. Both my loaves rose 3 inches above the edge of my pans and are a lovely golden color all around! This is amazing and they taste delicious! Thank you so much Julie! This is going to be my new go to bread recipe.
Simply delicious. Easily some of the best bread that I’ve ever tasted. I used bread flour since I had it in the cabinet. I added an extra 2/3 teaspoon of sugar. I used Kerrigold butter. I sliced the bread and froze it. After toasting it, I ate the bread with more Kerrigold butter.
Great recipe. Would like to make a vegan version without butter…..have you tried without it? Or oil as a sub?
Oh yes, oil works fine!
New to bread making, made it by hand,used a packet of instant yeast, followed the directions, turned out great,so delicious can’t stop eating .
Yay! Glad to hear it!
Made this recipe for the first time turned out great. The loafs ended up being way bigger the the pic. But delicious.
I’m going to try this recipe, I’m wondering if this recipe will work out okay if I double it to make four loaves? My brothers will be upset if I don’t make enough for them to.. LOL
You cannot rush perfection……good ingredients plus take the time to punch your dough dough down 3-4-5 times for a better crumb; I like to use a little extra water for a wetter dough. I knead a little longer (or my Kitchenaid Pro does!) and the results are always perfect. I have not bought bread from a store in years. When I am invited anywhere it is assumed I will bring the bread! I make sour dough, Italian and French but was looking for a sandwich bread and found this recipe. It is rising now and I look forward to the finished result!
I added 6 cups flour and it was so sticky. Added 1/2 cup (to make total 6.5 cups) more and it was still sticky and difficult . Did I do something wrong? Should I have added more flour? How much more? It turned out great but very sticky to handle.