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    Home » Recipes » Yeast Bread Recipes

    Published: Mar 24, 2021 by Nicole This post may contain affiliate links.

    5 Ingredient White Bread Recipe

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    promotional image for simple dairy free white bread

    If you're looking for a soft and chewy white bread that's perfect for sandwiches, toast, and snacking- this 5 Ingredient White Bread Recipe is it!

    a sliced loaf of white bread on a dark wood cutting board

    I love EVERYTHING about making homemade white bread! The smell of the yeast dough proofing and baking, all the way up to seeing that gorgeous golden top crust and slicing through to reveal the soft fluffy crumb inside.

    This dairy free sandwich bread recipe is easy, simple, and PERFECT for beginner bread makers. Speaking of bread makers, I've included steps below and on the recipe card explaining how to make milk free white bread in the bread machine if you don't wish to make it by hand.

    Why This Recipe Works

    • It's super simple! This recipe just needs a few basic pantry staples (most of which you probably have on hand right now!)
    • You can make it by hand or bread machine. Using a bread machine really cuts down on time and effort without sacrificing taste. I like to use my bread machine to prep and proof the dough, then turn it into a loaf pan for the final proof and bake.
    • This recipe is beginner friendly. If you've never made bread before, you're in luck. This recipe is great for beginners! Just follow along with the thoughtful tips and tricks in this post and you should have no issues.
    Jump to:
    • 🥘 Ingredients
    • 🍽 Equipment Needed
    • 🔪 Instructions
    • Bread Machine Option
    • 🍴 Recipe Tips
    • 👩🏻‍🍳 Common Issues and Solutions
    • ⏲️Make Ahead Instructions
    • 💭 FAQs
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments
    an upclose view of sliced homemade white bread

    🥘 Ingredients

    Flour- You can use all-purpose flour or bread flour, depending on what you have on hand. Both are great, but bread flour has more protein and will give you a slightly chewier texture and stronger bread flavor.

    Yeast- You can use any dry active or instant yeast. We will not be proofing the yeast beforehand, so make sure the expiration date on your yeast packet is still good.

    Salt- This will help to enhance the flavors and make the bread taste great.

    Oil- You can use either vegetable oil, canola oil, or even olive oil, depending on what you have on hand.

    Sugar- To feed the yeast, we need to add in a little granulated sugar. You could use honey or agave if desired.

    Water- This is technically "not an ingredient" since it's not something you'd buy at a store. The water is used to bring the dough together and give it the moisture needed for baking. Room temperature water (or slightly warmed) is best. The optimal temperature is 110F.

    For the exact amounts needed, please see the recipe card below.

    🍽 Equipment Needed

    BeeyondCereal is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.

    • Measuring Cups
    • Measuring Spoons
    • Large Mixing Bowl
    • 8x4 Bread Loaf Pan

    🔪 Instructions

    Check out how to make Homemade Bread with these simple step-by-step instructions:

    Whisk together the flour, yeast, and salt in a large mixing bowl.

    dry ingredients for bread dough in a mixing bowl with a whisk

    Make a well in the center and add in the sugar, oil, and water.

    wet ingredients added to dry ingreddients for bread dough in a bowl

    Stir the dough to combine.

    bread dough being mixed together in a mixing bowl with a wooden spoon

    Turn the sticky dough out onto a floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes until smooth and elastic.

    Feed it more flour as you knead, until the dough is no longer sticky. The total amount of flour needed to feed it should be about ½-1 cup but it can vary.

    bread dough on a floured surface

    Place dough into a large mixing bowl and cover it with plastic wrap. Let rise until doubled in size.

    ball of dough in a glass mixing bowl topped with plastic wrap
    proofed ball of bread dough in a bowl topped with plastic wrap

    Roll the dough back out onto a floured surface and shape it into a log a little longer than your bread pan.

    lof of raw bread dough on a floured surface

    Place the dough log into a greased bread pan, tucking the edges underneath so it's pretty.

    unbaked log of dough in a bread pan

    Cover the top of the dough again and wait about an hour until doubled in size.

    Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and bake the bread for 30-35 minutes.

    Cool the bread for at least one hour before slicing.

    aerial view of shiny golden topped loaf of bread in pan

    Bread Machine Option

    1. Place the dough ingredients into your bread machine in the order specified by the owner's manual. Mine goes from wets to dry with yeast being added last.
    2. Close the lid and set the machine to "dough cycle" and wait for the beep at the end.
    3. Take your dough and turn it onto a lightly floured surface. Knead about a minute and then shape into a log.
    4. Place the log into the greased bread pan, tucking under the ends.
    5. Cover and let rise 1 hour until doubled.
    6. Bake 30-35 minutes at 350 degrees F until golden brown.
    7. Let cool an hour before slicing.

    🍴 Recipe Tips

    Listen to Your Loaf

    If you've never made bread before (whether it is bread with dairy or bread without dairy), there's a thing you should note. When bread immediately comes out of the oven, the crust should be hard and sound hollow when tapped.

    As the loaf cools, the bread crust softens. Similar to how some pancakes feel firm when finished, but as they sit on a plate, they become flexible and soft.

    A Tip for a Golden Top

    I like to brush the top of my bread with butter as soon as it comes out of the oven to give me a nice shine and help add moisture to the crust.

    Speaking of moisture in the crust, those little crackles you see on the crust of the bread as it cools are a GOOD THING. So are tiny white spots if your crust develops them. These are tell-tale signs that the crust has a good amount of moisture inside, making the bread nice and soft.

    Score the Dough

    If desired, just before baking your bread loaf, you can score the top of the proofed dough with a sharp knife. This will help to keep your bread from going lopsided as it bakes and gives it somewhere to expand.

    Of course, bread does have a mind of its own, so it's more like a helpful suggestion from you to the dough to do what you want. It can still choose to surprise you.

    Wait Before Serving

    Make sure you wait at least an hour (if not more) before slicing into the bread with a serrated knife after it cools. This time is important for the bread to soften, retain moisture locked inside, and become that fluffy white sandwich bread that rivals that of storebought.

    👩🏻‍🍳 Common Issues and Solutions

    🍞Why is my bread tearing?

    If your dough tears when being baked, it's because the elasticity in the gluten didn't get to spring to life as it should have. This could be from the dough drying out during the proofing.

    It's basically like the bread dough created a crust before it baked, so the dough didn't have anywhere to expand as it was being baked and created its own exit paths. This is why some people will cut a line down their loaf before baking, to encourage the tearing to happen only where you want it to.

    If your bread tears or falls apart as it's being sliced, This is most likely because the bread was under-kneaded and the gluten wasn't properly developed. Make sure it's properly kneaded before proofing.

    Another cause is under proofing. While most recipes will say to rise for 1 hour or until doubled. Many people choose the 1 hour wait time and will bake the bread before it has actually doubled.

    Please wait until the bread has risen to double its original size, and just use the "listed time" as a guestimate, as it can be faster or longer depending on many different factors.

    🍞How do I know if my bread is done?

    The internal temperature of the bread should be around 190-205F. Stick close to the specific bread recipe you're using, as the baker often gives a temperature to check for. Underbaking your bread by even 10 degrees can cause different results than expected.

    🍞Why is my bread dense in the center?

    Did you slice it while the loaf was still warm? Did it reach the proper temperature, or was it underbaked? Are you sure you kneaded it well enough? All of these things can cause your loaf to be dense in the middle.

    🥖 How Long to Proof Dough

    The time needed to proof dough truly varies from person to person. It depends upon the weather, climate, wind drafts, temperature of ingredients, age of the yeast, and more.

    On average, it can take anywhere between 1 hour to 3 hours for the dough to proof properly, but some people can see it happen in as little as 30 minutes.

    The goal is not waiting to a specific time but instead looking for a specific response from the dough. We want the dough to be doubled in size, and whether that takes one hour or more, we shouldn't jump straight into the next step before completing this one.

    You should expect that it will take about 1 hour for your dough to double in size and proof, but here are some tips for getting it there.

    • Cover the bowl of dough with greased plastic wrap. This helps to prevent the dough from drying out and helps to trap the heat. The cooking spray on the plastic wrap helps to prevent it from sticking to the dough.
    • Store it in a warm location. I like to preheat my oven to 200 degrees F for 2 minutes and then turn it off. Then I place the bowl in the oven and let it rise until doubled.

    Other locations to place your dough include:

    • Inside your closed microwave
    • Inside a closed oven with just the oven light turned on
    • On a hot and sunny day, your kitchen's countertop can work well too

    🍞 How to Knead Bread Dough

    Kneading your dough with an electric mixer using dough hooks is simple and easy, but my favorite method is to do it by hand because you're far less likely to overwork the dough when doing it this way.

    Knead the dough by hand by placing it onto a floured surface and using two hands to roll it out into an oval, pull back half, so it's sandwiched together, and repeat.

    Smoosh the dough as you roll it back out into an oval, and bring it back. Every few times, rotate the dough about 90 degrees so that you can get all of the dough worked into the process.

    When the dough is smooth and elastic, it's finished. This takes about 10 minutes by hand, faster if you're quick, but there are a few good ways to tell when you are finished.

    1. The dough should not tear easily. This means that if you stretch a chunk of the dough between your fingers, it doesn't tear apart like paper and creates jagged edges.
    2. The dough should be elastic. You should be able to poke the ball of kneaded dough with your finger and watch the dough quickly try to bounce back and fill in the hole you made.

    ⏲️Make Ahead Instructions

    Yes, you can make the dough and let it do its first round of proofing in the bowl as directed. Then when you go to place in the loaf pan for the second rise, simply cover it well in plastic wrap and stick it in the fridge for up to 8-10 hours or in the freezer.

    Once frozen solid, place in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw the bread overnight in the fridge (in the pan) and once morning has arrived, preheat the oven for either method (fridge or freezer) let the loaf rest on the counter for about an hour to come to room temp. Bake as directed.

    💭 FAQs

    Can homemade bread be frozen?

    Yes. You can freeze the dough just before the second rise or freeze the loaf after it has completely cooled. For the best result, make sure it's well wrapped and covered so it won't get freezer burnt or lose flavor/dry out.

    How long will homemade bread last?

    Once baked, homemade bread should last about 3-5 days if stored in an airtight container at room temperature. It doesn't last as long as storebought loaves due to the lack of preservatives.

    How to tell when homemade bread is done

    Now then, when your bread has finished baking it will sound hollow to the tap, and if you stick a toothpick inside it will come out clean. An instant read thermometer will read the internal temp at being close to 200 degrees F as well. These are all great signs that the bread has finished baking.

    jelly being spread onto a slice of white bread with open jelly jar and sliced bread to the sides

    More great dairy free recipes to try

    • Dairy Free Rice Krispie Treats
    • Easy One Bowl Vegan Banana Bread with Applesauce
    • Dairy Free Waffles
    • Vegan Slider Buns
    • Easy Dairy Free Coleslaw
    • Vegan Hamburger Buns
    • Rich and Chocolatey Vegan Mug Brownie

    📖 Recipe

    close up of sliced white bread
    Print Recipe
    5 from 7 votes

    5 Ingredient White Bread Recipe

    This easy to make white bread recipe, yields a soft crust and a perfectly fluffy and chewy white interior. Perfect for sandwiches, toast, and snacking.
    Prep Time 15 mins
    Cook Time 30 mins
    Rise Times 2 hrs
    Total Time 2 hrs 45 mins
    Servings: 1 loaf
    Calories: 146kcal
    Cost Recipe $1.53
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Equipment

    • Measuring Cups
    • Measuring Spoons
    • Large Mixing Bowl
    • 8x4 Bread Loaf Pan

    Ingredients

    • 2 ½ cups All-Purpose Flour ($0.20)
    • 2 ¼ teaspoons Active Dry Yeast (one packet) ($0.54)
    • 1 ½ teaspoons Salt ($0.15)
    • 1 cup Warm Water (about 110F) ($0.00)
    • 3 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil ($0.36)
    • 2 Tablespoons Granulated Sugar ($0.28)
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    • In a bowl whisk together the flour, yeast, and salt.
    • Make a well in the center and add to it the sugar, oil, and water.
    • Stir to combine.
    • Knead the dough on floured surface for about 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Feed it more flour as needed to get it no longer sticky.
    • Place in a bowl and cover. Let rise until doubled, about 1 hour in a warm place.
    • Roll the dough out on a floured surface and form it up into a log.
    • Place log in a pan, tucking ends underneath and cover. Let rise again until doubled.
    • Bake in a greased bread pan for 30-35 minutes at 350 degrees F.
    • Cool for at least one hour before slicing and serving.

    Bread machine option

    • Place ingredients in order of owner manual for your specific bread machine.
    • Turn the machine to "dough cycle" and close the lid. Waiting for the beep.
    • Take the dough and turn it onto a lightly floured surface. Knead a minute, roll into log, and place in a greased bread pan. Tuck the ends underneath as you place it in the pan.
    • Cover and rise 1 hour or until doubled. Bake uncovered 35-40 min until golden brown.

    Notes

    Recipe Tips

    To help direct the bread where to go as it rises and bakes, you can score down the center of the loaf with a sharp knife. Then as the bread bakes and expands, it will rise upwards towards that mark rather than try to spill out one or both sides or the pan.
    If you've never made bread before (whether it is bread with dairy or bread without dairy) there's a thing you should note. When bread immediately comes out of the oven, the crust should be hard and sound hollow when tapped. As the loaf cools, the bread crust softens. Similar to how some pancakes feel firm when finished but as they sit on a plate they become flexible and soft.
    Now then, when your bread has finished baking it will sound hollow to the tap and if you stick a toothpick inside it will come out clean. An instant read thermometer will read the internal temp at being close to 200 degrees as well. These are all great signs that the bread has finished baking.
    I like to brush the top of my bread with butter as soon as it comes out of the oven to give me a nice shine and help add moisture into the crust. Speaking of moisture in the crust, those little crackles you see on the crust of the bread as it cools are a GOOD THING. So are tiny white spots if your crust develops them. These are tell-tale signs that the crust has a good amount of moisture inside, making the bread nice and soft.
    If desired, just before baking your bread loaf, you can score the top of the proofed dough with a sharp knife. This will help to keep your bread from going lopsided as it bakes and gives it somewhere to expand. Of course, bread does have a mind of its own, so it's more like a helpful suggestion from you to the dough to do what you want. It can still choose to surprise you.
    Make sure you wait at least an hour (if not more) before slicing into the bread with a serrated knife after it cools. This time is important for the bread to soften, retain moisture locked inside, and become that fluffy white sandwich bread that rivals that of storebought.

    Storage

    You can freeze the dough just before the second rise or you can freeze the loaf after it has completely cooled. For best result make sure its well wrapped and covered so it wont get freezer burnt or lose flavor/dry out. 
    Once baked homemade bread should last about 3-5 days if stored in an airtight container at room temperature. It doesn't last as long as storebought loaves due to the lack of preservatives.

    Make Ahead

    You can make the dough and let it do it's first round of proofing in the bowl as directed. Then when you go to place in the the loaf pan for the second rise, simply cover it well in plastic wrap and stick it in the fridge for up to 8-10 hours or in the freezer.
    Once frozen solid, place in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw the bread overnight in the fridge (in the pan) and once morning has arrived preheat the oven and for either method (fridge or freezer) let the loaf rest on the counter for about an hour to come to room temp. Bake as directed.

    Nutritional Information

    Serving: 2slices | Calories: 146kcal | Carbohydrates: 30.3g | Protein: 4.5g | Fat: 0.5g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 437.4mg | Potassium: 52.6mg | Fiber: 1.4g | Sugar: 0.1g | Calcium: 6.5mg | Iron: 1.8mg
    Author NicoleDurham
    Course Other, Snack
    Cuisine American
    Tried this recipe?Mention @BeeyondCereal on Instagram and hashtag it #BeeyondCereal
    To view how this recipe was calculated you can visit my Pricing Disclosure Page for more information.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Michelle says

      April 02, 2021 at 9:51 am

      5 stars
      This bread looks so soft and fluffy! Great for everyday sandwiches 🙂

      Reply
    2. Maria says

      April 02, 2021 at 9:52 am

      Wow this bread looks so perfectly fluffy! It must be great for using for sandwiches!

      Reply
    3. Julie says

      April 02, 2021 at 10:56 am

      5 stars
      A beautiful white bread that is light and fluffy.

      Reply
    4. Karlie says

      April 02, 2021 at 11:03 am

      5 stars
      We love a dairy-free bread recipe! Often times brioche loaves, etc. have milk and/or butter, so it's tricky to find a good vegan loaf. Thanks for this recipe! Can't wait to toast it up with some avocado.

      Reply
    5. Gail Montero says

      April 02, 2021 at 11:07 am

      5 stars
      I love homemade bread and this one looks so fluffy and tender! YUM!

      Reply
    6. Shalini says

      April 02, 2021 at 11:56 am

      5 stars
      Wow, this looks so soft and fluffy! I love that the bread is dairy free too!

      Reply
    7. Wendy says

      August 28, 2022 at 11:40 pm

      5 stars
      Oh, this recipe is very good! I made this in my bread machine and it came out absolutely perfect and it is so delicious- we ate it up! My husband is vegan so I appreciate the vegan recipe.

      Reply
      • Nicole says

        August 29, 2022 at 10:01 am

        So glad you liked it. This is one of our favorite bread recipes

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

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    I'm Nicole and I am the owner and recipe developer here at Beeyond Cereal. I love saving money and one of the best places to trim expenses is in the kitchen. With this site, we are serving up tasty and frugal homemade dishes that the whole family will enjoy.

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