How to make Homemade Bread
Delicious homemade bread – The BEST bread recipe that’s super soft and has the perfect touch of sweetness. Top it with fresh homemade jam for the ultimate treat. There’s nothing better than a slice of homemade bread!
I make this homemade bread for my family all the time! It’s the best bread recipe! Sometimes I’ll switch it up and make whole wheat bread, homemade french bread or lion house rolls.
MY OTHER RECIPES
Easy bread recipe
Today I’m going to share one of my absolute favorite homemade bread recipes! I first got this easy bread recipe from a sister in my church probably 10 years ago when I was still in school. She taught me and a few other young woman in my church how to make homemade bread and we all loved it! I’ve adapted it a little over the years and this recipe has been requested many times!
It had been awhile since I made this homemade bread recipe, so I decided to whip up a batch last week. It’s truly the best bread recipe. It has the perfect sweet touch. There is one secret ingredient that certainly takes this homemade bread over the top!
How to make homemade bread
Now that you have my favorite homemade bread recipe, here are a few tips on how to form the bread. These tips can be used with any bread recipe. :)
- Let the yeast bubble up -the higher the better!
- Add a little more flour and keep mixing until the dough comes off the edge of the mixer. You don’t want it to be too sticky or too hard. Soft.
- While you’re letting the dough rise, cover the bowl with a warm towel and set by a window.
- Make sure the dough has doubled in size before touching it.
- When the dough is ready to be formed, punch the dough and then cut in half to make two loaves on a floured surface.
- Press the dough down removing any air bubbles. Form a rectangle as you’re pressing it down.
- Roll the rectangle up like a cinnamon roll.
- Tuck the ends under and it’s ready to rise again.
- Stick the two loves in bread pans and then cover with seran wrap that has been buttered and sprayed with non-stick spray.
- Let the dough rise until it has doubled in size or formed the perfect size bread. Then it’s ready to bake!
Once the bread comes out of the oven, spread butter on top! If you’re making homemade bread… you might as well go all out and even top it with homemade strawberry jam! ;) Seriously there is nothing better in my opinion than homemade bread! Give it a try! So so good!
Frequently asked questions about homemade bread recipe
What size pans do you use for this white bread recipe? I used two 9×5 bread pans.
What kind of yeast did you use? I use active dry yeast to make the homemade bread recipe.
Can I use all-purpose flour? Yes! I just prefer using bread flour when making homemade bread.
How long does the homemade bread last? This bread is usually gone really fast in my house, but it should last up to a week.
Can you freeze the easy homemade bread? Yes, I typically always freeze a loaf ! I prefer to freeze the bread once it’s cooked through, however you can freeze the homemade bread dough after it rises as well. Just make sure to let it rise again as it thaws.
Can you use regular milk instead of evaporated? I haven’t tried this myself, however many have used regular milk and the bread has turned out great. I’ve also heard that almond milk works too!
Homemade Bread Recipe
Delicious homemade bread - The BEST bread recipe that's super soft and has the perfect touch of sweetness. Top it with fresh homemade jam for the ultimate treat. There's nothing better than a slice of homemade bread!
Ingredients
- 2 cups warm water
- 2 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
- 1/2 tbsp sugar
- 1/4 cup melted butter
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup evaporated milk
- 5-7 cups bread flour (white or wheat will work too; can use more if needed)
- 1 tbsp shortening (or butter)
- 1 tbsp butter, melted (to top bread)
Instructions
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Place the yeast and sugar in a small bowl. Pour the warm water (not too hot) over the yeast mixture and let it sit for about 10 minutes, or until nice and bubbly.
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Combine melted butter, sugar, evaporated milk and salt into a large mixing bowl. When your yeast mixture is ready add them together and mix.
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If you are using a stand mixer put on your bread hook and then pour in 3 cups of flour. If not you can stir/kneed it as well. Then add in 1 cup of flour at a time and mix. When you get to 5 cups of flour in the bowl, add in 1/2 cup more of flour at a time until the dough is no longer sticking to the sides. You’ll know it’s ready when your fingers no longer stick to the dough.
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Then cover the ball of dough and sides of the bowl with shortening and cover the bowl with a warm towel. Set by the window and allow it it rise (about 1.5 hours). When it has risen over the bowl punch it down and place on a floured surface.
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Kneed the dough for 2-3 minutes.
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Cut dough into two pieces and roll them out into a rectangle. Roll the dough up and tuck the ends under. Then place into 2 greased bread pans.
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Let the bread rise again, and when it looks like a good loaf of bread place them in the oven at 375 degrees for 25 minutes. When the bread is done, coat the top with butter and remove onto a cooling rack. Enjoy!
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
I like to use this kind of evaporated milk.
Like your bread recipe, but as I’m a little bit lazy, I thinking about to purchase a home bread maker. Do you have any experience with it? Is it worth it?
I don’t have a bread maker, but I have friends who love theirs! My dad used to make homemade bread in a bread maker growing up and it was convenient because it mixed it all for us! :)
What size bread pans do you use for this recipe?
9×5!
I have a bread maker and I *love* it! HOWEVER….I don’t actually let the bread bake in it, it comes out like a brick! I let it mix my bread and it warms up nicely so it rices in there. Once it’s done with the dough setting I take it out and toss it in the bread pans for the 2nd rise and bake it in the oven :) Hope that helps!
I love to use my bread machine to make the dough (mix/knead and first rise) then take it out, add other flavours (cheese, onion, olives, etc) and shape it for the second rise myself. This gives a really awesome homemade look to the bread.
I have having a bread machine, I make rolls and all kinds of breads. I love it.
I have made this recipe twice in three days, once for us and once for some people I love very much because this bread is just. so. wonderful! I am very much a novice when it comes to making bread from scratch, and this turned out delicious on the first attempt! Thanks for sharing the recipe.
I am so glad you loved the recipe and that it turned out the first time for you, I used to struggle with making bread but this recipe has saved me! Thanks for your comment Sara!
Hi there, your recipe ingredients says 1 T sugar and 1 T salt, is that 1 tablespoon or teaspoon?? Please let me know as I wish to give your recipe a try, that bread looks awesome. Thank you.
An uppercase T usually indicates tablespoon, but I’m thinking it must be teaspoon since there is TB on there, as well. I’m curious, now, too!
But there’s also a ‘tsp’ there in the yeast measurement. Is there a mystery third measurement that we’re all unaware of??
Sorry for the confusion. It’s Tablespoon. Updated the recipe. :)
I recently got a bread maker second hand and it does NOT have the manual, so I haven’t tried to use it yet. I’d really like to try this recipe, but I am wondering if it will make too much. I don’t plan on letting the bread bake in the bread machine (as others have commented), but since this recipe makes 2 loaves, will it be too much for in the machine? Should I halve the recipe?? Also, should I throw everything in all at once or should I put in the water/yeast/sugar and allow the yeast to ‘bloom’ before putting in the rest of the ingredients and getting it mixing? Anyone with bread machine experience: please help! I am so excited and eager to get baking!
You should be able to find the manual online, I did when mine was misplaced.
Hi, I have a bread machine! I let it do the first part of the work. I take the dough out and shape my bread. But to answer your question. Bread Machine recipes have 3 cups of flour at the most. So this recipe seems like it should be half, if you are using your BM. Look up some recipe for BM and look at the “Flour” measurements. One last thing. The order of the ingredients for the BM the liquids usually go first, the dry ingredinets are on top. I hope this was helpful.
Thanks for your comment SaBrina! :)
try youtube
WOW! Thank you so much for rhis awesome recipe! I have made A LOT of bread this past year and this is by far the best! is
Thanks for sharing Jen, I appreciate your comment! :)
This is a good basic bread recipe. I used 2 cups of white whole wheat flour and really enjoyed it. It was quick and easy to put together. I liked the technique of rolling the dough up before putting it in the loaf pan. I will continue to use that tip in the future.
I’m glad you liked the bread recipe Jennifer, I love that it is simple but delicious!
beautiful! i wish i had the patience {and foresight} to let it rise in time to eat it:)
Have you had an experience freezing the dough? Would it work, do you think if I were to freeze the dough after the first rising and than let it rise as it thawed a second time?
I haven’t tried freezing the dough, but I think you are right…it would probably work best to let it rise once, freeze it, and then let it rise as it thaws! I think it would work best to freeze the bread once it is cooked though! :)
I have tried this. It works wonderfully to freeze it after first rise.
I made this bread today for the first time and I loved it!! It was light and a little sweet, which is my favorite kind. Thanks for posting this!
I’m so glad you liked it! The sweetness is my favorite part! :)
This was my second time making bread. The first time was a flop seeing as I used a bad recipe but this recipe was soo easy to make and turned out beautifully. I think we ate a whole loaf in like 1 day ;) So happy I tried this recipe. It also freezes really well.
I’m so glad you loved it and that it turned out well! :)
I love this recipe! I made it for the first time two weeks ago and today I’m making it again. One of the loaves I’m going to do cinnamon and sugar brushed on the dough before I roll it up. So delicious, thank you for the recipe!
Yum…cinnamon sugar brushed on the dough would be amazing! Thanks for the idea! :)
What size loaf pan do you use?
I use a 9×4, just the regular size you find at the store! :)
bread must me kneaded to form gluten. I did not see anywhere in your recipe where it said to knead. Gluten is what is needed for a good texture. After mixing knead until dough becomes elastic and forms little bubbles across the dough, this takes from 5 to 10 minutes. You will notice a big difference in the texture of your finished bread.
My mixer uses a bread hook which does the kneading for me. This bread comes out divine, haven’t had any issues with texture!
Thanks for noticing that, after mixing I knead the dough for a few minutes. I will update the recipe! :)
Is one pkg of yeast o. The recipe
1 package of yeast will work! :)
I’ve been making sour dough bread and rolls for the last year my rolls turn out fine but my loafs have been falling in the middle I usually do 4 turn of them and some look nice and some don’t what am I doing
wrong I haven’t tried rolling n triangle but doing like my rolls then using a fork on top to get rid of air bubbles my recipe makes 3 loafs yours look beautiful how much dough do u put into a pan my is about 1.20 lbs. I hope this makes sense to you I could use the help with the holiday coming up. Thank. SA
Every recipe is different, but with this recipe I put half of the dough in the pan!
What kind of yeast did you use?
I just use active dry yeast!
This bread was amazing. Honestly I loved it! Didn’t change a thing. Thank you so much! I will be posting it on my site soon!
I’m making this for the first time today…..actually my first homemade bread ever!!! It smells soooo good we will see how I did!!!
I hope your bread turned out great!! Great job on your first batch of homemade bread!!
So that was a Tablespoon of salt??? That sounds like a lot but if you say it is good I believe you! I was just making sure it was a Tablespoon. I want to make this soon!
I know it seems like a lot, but yes it is a Tablespoon of salt!! :) Hope you enjoy this bread, it is my favorite! :)
This was so good!!! And for my first time ever making bread, it turned out beautifully. Thank you, thank you! I only made 1 loaf, though. I used the other half of the dough to make some scrumptious cinnamon rolls. This recipe was perfect!
Good job making your first loaf of bread!! I’m so glad it turned out well for you! Cinnamon rolls would be perfect with the other half of the dough. Thanks for your comment Tyannae! :)
Amazing! My first time ever baking bread, not only does it look beautiful it’s absolutely delicious. Thank you so much for such an incredible recipe. I’m not a bread eater, I made this for my husband but I think I’m going to have trouble staying out of it. LOL!
Good job on your first batch of homemade bread!! I’m so glad it turned out great for you, I love this recipe because it turns out perfect every time! :) Thanks for your comment Deb!
Not sure what went wrong… It came out very dense and a little doughy in the middle. Maybe I cut into it too soon? I followed all the directions and it did rise very well… hmmm any suggestions?
Hmmm…did you use bread flour? For the dense consistency, maybe you used a little too much flour. It is sometime tricky to get the right amount of flour. And for the doughy middle, maybe let it cook a little longer! I’m sorry you had trouble with it, it has always come out soft and cooked all the way through for me!
I found your recipe a few months ago, and my husband loved it. I’ve tried a few different recipes since then, and he has complained EVERY.SINGLE.TIME. Thanks for sharing. This is our new family favorite!
Hi ~ I’m looking for a delish wheat bread. Do you have anything yummy & easy to recommend or share? Thanks & Happy Christmas!
You could always try this recipe with wheat flour. But if you would like a wheat bread recipe, I would recommend this one: http://www.yourhomebasedmom.com/bread-making-101/
I have a batch of this waiting to go in the oven right now! I can’t wait to try it! I spread a cinnamon sugar mixture over one loaf before rolling it up ( I am especially excited to try that one)!
Sounds amazing!! I hope you enjoyed the bread Hannah! :)
This bread looks fantastic!!! I have so many soup, sandwich…meatloaf nibbles that this would be perfect in!! Can’t wait to make it :-) warmest, Nic
It is our favorite bread recipe! You’ll have to let me know if you try it…my mouth is watering over here with all you ideas to use it in! :)
I just made this your recipe and came out perfect. I never tried making it..till I’m comfortable with recipe and reviews.
You are genius. :)
I’m so glad it turned out well for you! Thanks for your comment Raval! :)
hi just made this recipe! just took them out of the oven but i couldn’t get the top on mine to brown? any reasons why?
Hmmm, I’m not sure! Mine always comes out golden brown. Every oven temperature varies, maybe try upping the temperature for the last little bit to brown it!
I just made this bread & got the best compliment. My fiancé said it was every bit as good as his mothers! (she made bread all the time and is now in her 70’s)
Mine was light on top when I took it out of the oven. I buttered the top and but it back in for 5 minutes and it sure looked pretty.
I love when my husband compares my food to his mothers, such a compliment! I’m glad you loved the bread! :)
This seems like a very easy, delicious recipe. However, for some reason, I am not very fond of shortening. Do you think it would affect the recipe at all if I left the shortening out?
Hi Tricia! You could definitely leave the shortening out…it just makes it easier so it doesn’t stick! You could replace it with butter or cooking spray and it should turn out the same! :)
I don’t have any evaporated milk on hand. Any suggestions for a substitute? I do have sweetened condensed, but I’m guessing that won’t work!!
I’ve heard that people have substituted powdered milk and water for evaporated milk in bread recipes, but I’ve never tried it myself! I’m sure it would change the consistency a little! If you try it, let me know how it goes! :)
Well I’m not a patient person and it was 3 degrees so no way I was going to the store! I really wanted fresh baked bread! So I went for the sweetened condensed milk and used less sugar and it was AMAZING! My children had it ate before it was even cooled! Thanks for getting back to me:)
Can you use regular milk instead of evaporated?
I’ve never tried it with regular milk, I would think that the consistency would change a bit! I’ve heard that it’s better to substitute powdered milk than regular milk with bread! You’ll have to let me know how it works if you give it a try! :)
I can’t have dairy, do you think almond milk would work for this recipe?
Hi Andree! You know, I’m not sure…I’ve never tried it before! But if you end up trying it, definitely let us know how it goes because I’m sure there are many readers that can’t have dairy!
Almond milk works in this recipe! It came out the same!
Thank you for sharing! That is so helpful to know for those that can’t have dairy. :)
I have made this recipe a dozen times, including twice yesterday. I was always intimidate when it came to making bread, but this recipe helped me to get over that fear. It is so easy to make and amazingly delicious. My family loves this recipe, and I may never buy bread again.
I am so glad you have made this recipe so many times! :) It definitely our favorite bread recipe and is easy enough for people who are new to bread making! Thanks for leaving such a sweet comment! Xo
Can I use plain ol’ all purpose flour? I live out in the boonies and don’t want to drive all the way to the store just to buy bread flour ;-)
Hi Elya! Yes you can, I just prefer using bread flour!
Hi does this bread freeze well. I like to freeze my bread for French Toast.
Hi Clarissa! Yes, this bread freezes very well! :)
I just made this today and it is great!
I’m glad you liked it Pamela! Thanks for your comment! :)
Hola! soy amante de la panaderia y ese pan se ve delicioso. ya mismo me pongo a hacerlo!! gracias por la receta.
OMG! LOVE this recipe! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I have tried for years to make bread with and without a bread machine. It always turned oK, but never could get the big fluffy loaves….until NOW. :) This recipe is getting printed and going into my cookbook. Ill be making bread more often now. I was so excited I turn pictures….. from different angles…. sent them to friends and fam. Is that weird? lol. Again, thanks for this great recipe. You have made me a happy girl and my kids and I are enjoying our first slice right now.
*took
I am so glad you had such success with this recipe!! It is my favorite bread recipe. Thank you for leaving such a sweet comment Christa…it made my day! :)
Hi, I like to make more than 2 loafs at a time since we’re bread lovers here and I don’t want to bake back-toback. To get atleast 4 loaves, would I need to double this recipe?
Hi! I’ve never tried doubling my recipe since it is the perfect fit for my kitchen aid. I’m sure it would work, but you would need a really large mixer! Let us know how it goes if you try it! :)
I never have good luck doubling when using yeast so I just use both my mixer bowls and make 2 of these recipes in separate bowls to get 4 loaves.
Inhave been making bread for years handmade and bread machine! This is THE BEST recipe ever! It turns out perfect every time. I made one cin swirl loaf and one regular tonight and the cin swirl lasted 10 mins out of the oven. I cant wait tommake egg salad sandwiches tomorrow woth the other. How do you store your loaves once cooled?
I’m so happy you like it!! Thanks so much for your comment! The cinnamon swirl loaves are my families favorite too! I usually just wrap them in plastic wrap, but you could buy those loaf bags with a twist tie!
Just made your recipe today! I’m new to homemade bread making, so mine didn’t turn out as “pretty” as your pictures but the bread is still soooo tasty! Great recipe.
I’m glad you tried it Amy! This recipe is my families favorite. Thanks for stopping back by to leave a comment! :)
Just wanted to let you know that after trying a few bread recipes last fall, I tried this one and it stuck, and I’ve been making it weekly every since! I halve the recipe to make 2 mini loaves–one plain, and one cinnamon swirl :) fantastic recipe!
I’m so glad you love this recipe! I need to start making one of them into a cinnamon swirl loaf, my kids would LOVE that! I usually make two regular and freeze one. Thanks for commenting Stephanie, you made my day! :)
Total bread newbie here – any chance on getting instructions for modifying this recipe into Cinnamon Swirl?
Hi Elizabeth! I just make it like cinnamon rolls and spread melted butter on the dough and then sprinkle cinnamon sugar on top! :)
I’ve made this recipe a few times and it is AMAZING! It came out perfect the first time I made it. I brought it to a party and everyone said it was the best homemade bread they’ve had! Definitely a keeper! :)
Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe and helpful pictures and notes! I made this bread today and wow! it was so easy and worked so well. I have now printed the recipe out as I had written it on the back of an envelope and have had it floating around in my stuff for a while! I have a board of bread recipes to try, but now they seem obsolete. I make bread in my bread machine and love it but takes 3 hours and only get 1 loaf, this way I get 2 big loaves, which are perfect for sandwiches. Thank you, thank you thank you!!!! And the idea for cinnamon sugar is next in the list to do!
I am so happy my recipe has worked so well for you! The cinnamon sugar bread is amazing too! Thanks for your nice comment, it made my day. :)
Hi! Can I use this recipe with my bread machine? thanks :)
Hi Dianne! I’m not sure, I don’t have a bread machine so I have never tried it with this recipe. Sorry!
Hi
Just wondering if where your instructions say to kneed the dough (at step 5) after you have let it rise once and then make the rectangles. Is that extra kneed time supposed to be after you get it out of the mixer? Or should I be kneeling again after rising it? I made this last night (following directions exactly) and it was yummy but very dense?
I have just tried again and put the extra kneeding in after I got it out of my mixing bowl and it just feels so much better already! And I haven’t put it in the oven yet?
A lovely recipe regardless so thank you very much!!
Anna
Hi Anna! I think you have it right the second time. Once you have let your dough rise the first time, sprinkle some flour on the counter and take the dough out of the bowl and knead it with your hands for 2-3 minutes on the counter. Then you cut the dough into two pieces and roll into two rectangles. Hope that helps! :)
First of all I have never made homemade bread (without a bread machine). This recipe turned out fantastic! Even better than the bread machine and I have 2 loaves. First off I used 1/2 whole wheat flour and 1/2 all purpose flour, second we are lactose intolerant so I used 1 cup of almond milk and simmered it down to 1/2 cup. Everything else was kept the same and it was amazing! Thank you.
Great substitutions, thanks for sharing Tiffany! I’m so glad my recipe turned out great for you! :)
Thank you for posting, I only do a bread machine as well.
Thank you for this wonderful bread recipe! I just made it a few hours ago and no need to save the recipe because I have already memorized it.
I’m so glad you loved it! It is my all time favorite bread recipe! :)
Can instant yeast be used instead of active dried?? thanks
Yes, it should turn out the same and it will rise faster! :)
Mil gracias, es un pan riquisimo y a prueba de principiantes.
Hello !!! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe bread looks beautiful…my question is in your ingredients list you have listed 1TB of shortening and 1TB of butter but on the instructions it says comine melted butter with milk and sugar do you mean melted shortening or do we melt both butter and shortening I want to make this delicious bread today thank you God Blessed
Hi! The shortening is just for coating the bowl before the first rise. The melted butter is mixed with the milk and sugar! :)
Thanks, that looks awesome! Can’t wait to try it!
It is amazing! Definitely give it a try soon! :)
Hello I made this recipe yesterday and let me tell you that I made different bread recipes before but this recipe is THE BEST BREAD RECIPE EVER…Thank you so much for sharing this recipe my kids love this bread I made them toast this morning…Thank you againg may the LORD continue to blessed you and your family
I’m so glad your family loved it! It is our favorite bread recipe. Have a wonderful weekend. :)
My sister and I have never made homemade yeast bread before and I found your recipe and decided it was time to try it together today! It turned out amazing!!!! The color was beautiful and the taste was in amazing!!!! I think our husbands and children will be expecting it weekly now!!!
I’m so glad it turned out so well for you and your sister! This is definitely a fail proof recipe and it is amazing!! My family expects it almost weekly too. :)
I made this recipe for the first time today and it turned out so delicious that I’m going to make it again and again. In fact, I’m going to make it within the next few days in order to use up the opened can of evaporated milk that I learned can only be stored for 3 days in the fridge. Who cares….what a great excuse to make some more of this delicious bread and share it with my neighbours. I’ve been looking for a good bread recipe and as far as I’m concerned, I’m done searching….this one is the best by far! One question I do have. Can olive oil be used instead of the melted butter and shortening throughout the recipe?
I’m so glad that you loved this recipe Kathleen! It is definitely one that I make all the time. Yes, if you prefer olive oil, you can definitely use it instead!
Love this bread and the recipe is so easy!! Thanks!
I’m so glad Tina! It is my favorite. :)
Hi…want to try this tomorrow…what do u mean by sit by window? Is the window to be opened ? I have a kitchen window but no sun comes through it…is that the reason for sitting the dough by it..please help?
Hi Tammy! I just put it near a window that has sun coming through. It helps it rise faster! :)
This looks SO great. Im definitely trying it first thing tomorrow :) Just wondering how does the evaporated milk effect the texture?
Thanks so much for the recipe.
The evaporated milk makes it really moist! :) Hope you enjoy this recipe!
Hi, I am really looking forward to making this bread today. Could you please tell me if 375 degree is for conventional oven or fan oven? I have a fan oven, what temp should I bake at? Thanks
Hi! My oven is a conventional oven. With a fan oven you can still bake it at 375. I would just watch it and make sure it doesn’t get too brown. If it is getting brown and it is not done on the inside, you can put a piece of foil on the top to keep it from getting browner. :)
I just made this bread tonight. HEAVEN!!!! I’ve never had bread turn out so amazing. I’ve tried so many different recipes. This one isn’t heavy like some of the others. Definitely light and definitely DELICIOUS. It’s a keeper. Thanks for sharing.
I am so glad you loved this recipe! Thanks for coming back to leave a comment. It is definitely a family favorite. :)
The bread just look WOW ! But I see that some people have issues with the bread maker, mine get the bread nice but it get dry so easy, any tips ? I would love to give this recipe a try ? and Jamie is there any replacement to the evaporated milk? i don’t have any and i don’t buy it usually
Great recipe but I am in the UK, how much is a cup in imperial or metric measurement please?
Hi Alison! Whenever I see recipes with different measurements, I just look up online for a conversion chart and it is pretty easy to convert! :)
I love your recipe! I have made it a couple times and it has come out perfectly both times. The second time I made it…I rolled out the dough after the first rise and spread some shredded mozzerella and rough chopped pepperoni’s on it, then rolled it up, placed it in the pan, let it rise a second time, and baked it. DELICIOUS!! I’m thinking of trying shredded cheddar and chopped broccoli next….so many possibilities! Thank you for the recipe!
That sounds amazing! I will definitely have to try some mozzarella and pepperoni’s next time. :)
I have always heard and read that dough should rise in a warm place. My house is always cool…..we keep the thermostat set at 55 degrees! Do I just leave this on the counter, since it’s as cool as leaving it in a window, or do I need to find a warmer place to let it rise? I’ve never had much luck making bread and this sounds like a great recipe. Thanks
Hi Pattie! I would set it in the window where the sun is shining on it…that should work! :)
How long does the bread last for?
Hi Kate! This bread is usually gone really fast in my house, but it should last up to a week. I always freeze a loaf or give a loaf away! :)
I used bread machine yeast, which omitted the first rise. Cut the time in half nicely. Would kneed white a bit more next time. Didn’t use quite a full Tbsp salt as it seemed a lot. Beautiful and delicious. With using this recipe for wheat; I used wheat flour. Added a cup of golden flax seeds. I also added 2 Tbsp wheat gluten in 1 cup and filled with wheat flour rest of way. With another 1 cup I filled 1/3 (roughly) with garbanzo bean flour and then filled rest of way with whole ground flax seed meal. I finished adding wheat four according to the recipe. My husband and I call this bird seed bread. This recipe was incredibly tasty and allowed for all the healthy stuff without giving up the taste. I also did a loaf of wheat rolled with honey and cinnamon, cinnamon roll style and it was wonderful. Thank you for posting such a cornerstone recipe for bread making.
Thanks for sharing all your substitutions Kari! I’m glad the bread turned out well for you! :)
This bread is delicious. However, I live in Alaska, so with temperatures at -3, I did not place my loaves ‘by the window’ to rise. I missed the part about rolling the dough prior to placing it in the pan plus I didn’t place plastic wrap on top of the pan (I need to follow instructions better). Nonetheless, the bread turned out wonderful.
I’m glad the bread turned out well for you Shannon! Thanks for sharing! :)
I made your recipe 3 times. The first two times it didn’t raise as much as it could so today I left it proofing for almost 4th. And oh boy! It was absolutely beautiful.
Thanks for sharing.
I’m so glad you liked it! Thanks for sharing! :)
Hi,
What is a TB?
I an from Argentina and I did not find This in any other recipe or Google.
Is This a table Spoon? A tera byte?
Many thanks
Maria Carolina Cotarelo.
Hi Carola! TB is a Tablespoon. :)
Perfect explanation! Can’t wait to try at home!
There are two different amounts of sugar in this recipe. How much goes into step one and how much into step two? Can’t wait to try your recipe!
Hi Jessica! 1/2 Tb for Step 1 and 1/4 cup for Step 2! :)
Is this read good for sandwiches?
Yes it is!
Hi
I’m in the UK, I have cups in sizes but can you tell me in the recipes
What does tb equate to?
Many Thanks
I have used your recipie for white bread many timers. Thank you so much for posting. It is the best recipie i have ever come across. I do not have words to describe the finished product. Thanks again.
Thank you so much! I am so glad this recipe turns out so well for you, it is my favorite! :)
I’ve been making bread for years, yours is a little different, but am going to try it. It looks delicious.
I’m making this bread today and I’m wondering… The recipe calls for 2. 5 tsp of yeast but my Active Dry Yeast package is 2 1/4 tsp….. Would this be okay or should I open another package to get the other 1/4tsp out?
Thank you!
I would go ahead and try it without that 1/4 teaspoon, Brandee!
The recipe calls for 2 1/2 tsp of yeast, the packets I bought are 2 1/4 tsp per packet. Is this okay or should I open another packet to get the extra 1/4 tsp? Thank you!!
This is the first time that I’ve ever attempted to make homemade bread. Excellent! My boyfriend said it was the best bread he’s ever had ( and he’s a tough critic) My grandmother would have been proud. It brings back memories of my childhood. Are you sure your name isn’t Margaret? Sent from heaven!
How much sugar goes into step one?
Hi Jessica! In step one, you use the half a tablespoon (that’s equivalent to one and a half teaspoons). Then you add the quarter cup of sugar with the flour in the mixer.
I used your recipe to make my first batch of bread last week, and it was a success! It browned beautifully and was light and soft inside. The only “problem” I had was that it took a lot longer than 1 1/2 hours to rise. I didn’t start until late afternoon, so there wasn’t much sun left (and we don’t get much to begin with) and we keep our house pretty cool. I’m planning to make another batch this week, so I will start in the morning to take advantage of any warm sunshine. Thanks for sharing!
I made this bread last week…it was my first attempt at any type of bread and it came out perfect! I posted the picture on Facebook and everyone was in awe. Haha! I’m totally going to make it again, but I’m going to try to half the recipe because I don’t like defrosted bread and we can’t eat two loaves. It lasted five days wrapped in plastic wrap left on the counter. I also forgot to add the salt. Ha! Everything worked out fine, it was just very sweet.
Hi. I was wondering, can I use all-purpose flour or does it have to be bread flour?
Thanks!
Bread flour has more gluten in it; you can certainly try AP flour, it just may not turn out as tender. :)
I had never made bread before & was pretty sure that it’s a tedious job and was prepared that I would mess it up at one stage or the other BUT to my surprise it has come out so well !! I just want to thank you for the wonderful explanation of the steps involved . I followed every step carefully except that I used instant yeast instead of dry active and sweetened condensed milk instead of evaporated milk (I omitted the sugar in step 2 though ! )thanks again. Stay happy Stay blessed. Today with your help I fulfilled a dream . May god full fill yours’ !
Hi, wondering if I can use this recipe for rolls as well? making the bread as we speak and can’t wait to try it!
You probably could use it for dinner rolls, I haven’t tried! :)
Hi Jamielyn….I have one silly question before I make this bread….
One of the ingredients says 1/4 cup melted butter …… or do you mean 1/4 cup butter, melted. Please reply.
Thanks.
Patricia
Hi Patricia, it states 1/4 cup melted butter – since butter doesn’t evaporate while melting (unless you take it to popping and sizzling), 1/4 cup butter, melted should be an equal measurement to 1/4 cup melted butter. :)
I accidentally used 3 C flour then 3 C bread flour and it still came out sooooooo good!! I wish i could post a photo! Thank you for sharing!
I have tried so many bread recipes and they were blah. I couldn’t get my kids to eat it. They had no taste and were really dense. I stopped making bread for about a year and decided I wasn’t going to give up. I found this recoup on Pinterest and thought I’d give it a try since the ingredient amounts were different. Omg this bread was amazing. Thank you so much for posting this.
My grandma always made homemade bread, she also made rolls with her dough. If I make 1 loaf & make rolls how many should I get? I’ve never tried making bread before, grandma passed when I was 10 now 55 time to try.
Thank you for sharing your recipe with us.
God Bless.
Hi Donna! It really depends on how large you make your rolls. :)
This looks really tasty! Thanks for sharing your recipe!
Curious what the purpose of “set by the window” is? I’ve never seen that in a bread recipe before. Is it to capture sunlight/heat? We’re near Seattle, that won’t do much here. LOL Just wondering. Thanks.
Yes, if you set it in a slightly warmer spot of your kitchen, it will rise more quickly. :)
This looks so yummy! Would love to use it for homemade sandwiches or as toast with eggs nomnom
I can’t wait to give this recipe to my mother in law. She loves making bread!
I love making my own bread! Yum!
love your process photos
Homemade Breads always the best! Your loaf looks gorgeous!
Hi there, I am going to try this recipe as I just bought a stand mixer and want to put it to use. I’m assuming that I still need to knead the dough once the mixture has been mixed with the dough hook correct? I tried my hand at something and used the dough hook to knead and the rolls were a bit tough.
If they were tough, they were over kneaded (which is oddly easy to do in a stand mixer!). Once it’s mixed with the dough hook, you only need to to do a few knead to release air bubbles and get it set to rise. :)
I need to tell you, this is the best recipe ever! After trying many recipes I am so thankful to have see this one. Thank you so much for sharing.
Sincerely,
Donna
The Eclectic Farmhouse fb
Dear Jamielyn,
I found a minor typo. The recipe says floured service. It should have read floured surface. Love bread and this one looks yummy! Looking forward to trying this recipe! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks, Caroline, I got it updated!
Someone mentioned about using sweetened condensed milk? I won’t use it. One time I didn’t have evaporated milk so I used 2% milk. Yeast – I’ve used every kind of yeast except cake yeast. Redstar Platinum yeast works great. King Arthur Flour has SAF instant yeast and it last me a long time. I keep mine in the fridge in an air tight container. Some stores sell it. With active dry yeast you must do a double proofing. SAF instant yeast you just add it to the ingredients.
Thanks, Caroline!
Yummy, what a great recipe. been looking for decent bread making recipe. Thanks for sharing.
Simon
what is TB sugar?
A tablespoon of sugar. :)
Can I substitute the shortening with something? Will it turn out the same? I don’t get shortening in my country.
Lard would be a great substitute!
This is hands down the best bread recipe I’ve ever used. Thank you so much for sharing it. I’ve been making it weekly for months now. Recently, I broke it down into 3 loaves, simply to get some smaller loaves out if it, and it amazed me that it’s even more delicious. I wasn’t expecting a change in the texture, but it’s a little different. For the good! We all love it.
Again, thanks so much,
Donna
Also, for Neha, I coat the bowl and pans with butter. Works great!
I make this bread recipe about 3 times a month. The best one I’ve tried. Thanks so much for sharing. Recipes like this sure help me to learn how to prepare my own food. My family loves this bread.
Thank you for the compliments, John! I’m so glad you and your family enjoy it!
What do you cut your bread with?
A long, serrated bread knife.
Hi! Just come across this recipe via Pinterest and can’t wait to try it! Question – if I use instant yeast (all I can get here) how should I use it?? According to pack instructions or as you describe for active dry yeast??
According to their package instructions! :)
Please tell me the trick of how to cut it in slices, , no matter how sharp the knife is, it aways swishes it and slices then are flat ..
I use a very sharp serrated bread knife. :)
What size of bread pan do you recommend? My dough just overflowed during the rising in the pans!
I use two standard size bread pans — they are 8 1/2 by 4 1/2
Hello,
I’m french, I like your blog . For this recipe I would like to know if the evapored milk is with sugar or not ? Thanks
Evaporated milk does not have sugar added. :)
No egg? 🤔 Just curious what will hold the bread together?
The yeast! :)
Most yeasted breads do no contain eggs.
Will this recipe work in bread machine if cut in half?
I haven’t tried, but I can’t think of any reason why not!
As anyone tried before?
I have milnot milk on hand, it’s a ‘filled’ evaporated milk. Will that work rather than the regular evaporated milk? I’d rather not go to the store if I don’t need to.
I’m afraid I don’t know what that is, so I cannot say definitely if it would work. The chemistry of it sounds different than evaporated milk.
My wife and several members cannot eat wheat products as they are allergic.
I was wondering this recipe would work if we substituted “Bob’s Red Mill one to one Gf flour One to One flour”?
We see so many awesome recipes out there and she never gets to eat them anymore. This looked like on of the easiest recipes out there and the best I’ve seen in a long time. I’m hoping it’ll work but as you know all gf flours are insanely expensive.
Please let me know. It’d be nice if all recipes had gf versions next to them but I know that is not going to happen. I haven’t found one true good airy moist bread gf recipe on any other site or book. We’ve tried several.
Thank you, I look forward to your response.
Hi Jerry, I’m Laura, the community manager, I have a sever wheat allergy and have been gluten-free for over 12 years. I can tell you, substituting gluten-free flour in this recipe will NOT work. Yeasted gluten-free baked items are a completely different chemistry than yeasted items using wheat.
I’m not familiar with Bob’s Red flour that you speak of (because they put things in the flour that my kids are allergic to), so I cannot speak the chemistry of that. I use King Arther Flour Gluten-Free Multi-Purpose Flour (it must be multi-purpose, not the all purpose). It’s equal cup for cup in baked items (that do not contain yeast).
For cakes and muffins, I add one teaspoon of xantham gum for every cup of flour. For brownies and cookies, I add one-half a teaspoon of xantham gum for every cup of flour.
Here’s a quick list of recipes I can guarantee will work using this method:
https://www.iheartnaptime.net/apple-muffins/
https://www.iheartnaptime.net/cranberry-orange-chocolate-chip-bread/
https://www.iheartnaptime.net/cream-cheese-filled-pumpkin-bread/
https://www.iheartnaptime.net/apricot-yogurt-muffins/
https://www.iheartnaptime.net/orange-muffins/
😀
Could this be made without the added sugar? I tend to not like bread that has any sweetness to it (like Hawaiian rolls… Ick!). I’d like to try this, but I know I won’t like it if it tastes sweet.
Hi Amanda!
I haven’t tried it without the added sugar – you can certainly try, but it’s possible that the chemistry of the bread would be thrown off (especially since it helps feed the yeast).
I love bread!
Thank you thank you. Love this bread. My bread always fell apart this holds and the taste is amazing.
OMG thank you for this recipe. My husband and I were craving homemade bread this past weekend and I just had the motivations n to make some last night. BEST recipe ever!!! My mom made a beautiful homemade bread when I was a child but now that I’m grown up..always wanted to learn how t make it myself. Love love this recipe. I’ve marked it as one of my favorites
Thank you so much for the recipe. Great instructions. First time making any kind of bread at all and it turned out sooooo fantastic!!! Definitely a keeper, specially since hubby loved it.
So you don’t knead this bread? Just mix and let it raise??
Correct!
Love your bread recipe it looks very easy to make by hand since I don’t have a mixer, definitely will try soon
Can’t wait!
Is there a way to make this into a roll recipe?
Instead of shaping it in bread pans, you can shape it into rolls! Cook until done – I’d start checking around 20 minutes or so. :)
I love this bread! It is amazing! I love it so much that I share it with others and therefore I have to make it often. :-)
With that said, I had a question. I have a KitchenAid Pro 5-quart mixer. Do you think it would be able to handle two batches of the bread at one time? I asked, because I have noticed in your other recipes that you also use a KitchenAid mixer. I wondered if you had ever tried a double batch.
I haven’t! I would be concerned that it would get too full… if you try, let me know how it works out!
Have you ever just let your dough rise in your KitchenAid mixer Bowl?
I do the first rise in the KitchenAid mixer bowl. :)
Hi. I’ve never made bread before. Sorry if this question sounds silly. Is it 375 degrees Celsius or Fahrenheit?
Fahrenheit :)
I made a batch of this bread today, one half i made a loaf,the other half I made a pan of dinner rolls.. dinner rolls only had to bake for 15 min. The finished product turned out amazing ! Thank you so much.. <3
Bread turned out amazing. Loved it totally… Thank you so much.
I used 2 cups all purpose flour and 4 cups wheat flour. Texture was so wonderful and bread was so soft and moist.
Ah, the memories of my grandmother’s bread coming out of the oven and peanut butter and dill pickle sandwiches on it!
Hello
I tried your bread receipt just now and my husband is my tester well he like it so well that now I only have 1 loft left and I am garding it.
this will be the substitute for bread that I buy weekly if I can keep it I have to go he’s getting another peace.
Thank you.
Haha, you’re welcome! :)
I noted someone asking about tbs. vs. tsp in a recipe. Can you confirm that a lower case t is tsp. and upper case T is tbsp.????????This is the way I have always assumed the measure.
Tablespoons can be noted as T or Tbls or tbl. Teaspoons can be noted as t or tsp.
Hello, my Kitchen Aid is down, how long do I mix and kneed the dough without the mixer? Thank you for your help
It’s going to be quite a workout to mix by hand! Just kneed and kneed until you have an amazingly soft, pliable dough. When my grandma made bread, I want to say it was about 15 minutes but I cannot recall to be certain.
Can I make the dough the day before and put it in the fridge?
I haven’t tried it! In theory it would, since you can be refridgerated dough in stores but I cannot say one way or another. If you try it, let me know!
I made my dough for the bread loaves yesterday then after their first rising I refrigerated them until today.I shaped them and let them rise and baked them.they turned out perfect!!
Can this be made in bread maker?
I’ve heard a few people tried and it was successful!
I just wanted to let you know I’ve successfully made this recipe 3 times, doubled each time as my 5 kids and hubby LOVE homemade bread and it doesn’t last long! But it is a fantastic recipe! The only thing I change is I use honey in place of the sugar and mix 1/2 C honey with the warm water and yeast right off the bat. I don’t add the extra where you have the tsp of sugar. I goofed and made it this way the first time and it turned out beautifully so I keep doing it that way lol. But for those who’d rather use honey-it works wonderfully! It also freezes great! Thanks!!
Love making breads, cookies, and cakes from scratch. It’s been ages since I have. Time to start again.
Hi! I was wondering if you or anyone you knew have made this bread with Gluten free flour?? If so, how did it turn out?
Hi Amber! It would likely not turn out. Gluten-free baking with yeast is a completely different chemistry than baking with wheat flour and yeast. Typically, gluten-free yeasted items will take a lot of eggs to recreate the similar texture and rise of wheat-based items. (I’ve been gluten-free for 12 years and still haven’t perfected baking with yeast yet.) Please do not hesitate to email if you’d like some other ideas of what recipes on iheartnaptime.net would work out well as gluten-free!
community@iheartnaptime.net
I made this bread last night. I don’t have a proof box so it took a bit longer for the rise portions as it’s December and not warm enough for it to happen in the normal timeframe. I also noticed that after 25 minutes it looked perfectly done but when cut into was still a bit doughy in the middle. So I put the second loaf back in the oven for an additional 10 minutes and that seemed the perfect amount.
The taste was amazing and I made toast with it toast with it today. Amazing. Will bring loaves as hostess gifts for Christmas events.
Can I use stand mixer without dough hook? Mine does not have one.
You can try, but it might make the gluten in the bread get overworked and become more chewy.
I have a bread machine but never seem to get it right. So I tried your recipe on Wednesday using my regular hand mixer with the dough hook and it came out perfectly. Right now am making another batch of 4 using smaller loaf pans. Thank you for sharing.
I made this yesterday and we love it and i certainly would like to make it again. Just wondering if I would like a smaller portion (for just 2 persons), can I half the recipe i.e. simply divide every ingredient by half? I’m a starter in making bread.
You can try, but with the yeast it might not quite work out right. You can always freeze the second loaf and defrost it a day before you need it. :)
This is the best !!!! Since making it 3 weeks ago I have made it 4 times. Thanks
Can I substitute the evaporated milk with something. I’ve been to the store twice today and forget it both times.
I’ve heard regular milk works, but I haven’t tried it. :)
This bread is wonderful! I didn’t have any evaporated milk on hand so I used the 2% I had and it turned out beautiful. I will be replacing my old recipe with this one from now on. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Made it and OMG love it. I was never much of a baker always worked the front line. So baking never came easy to me. Thank you for this wonderful recipe.
MADE IT AND LOVED IT! thanks!!
I have made this recipe several times now. It is wonderful . And super easy.
Yay! I’m so glad you enjoy it!
Thank you so much for this recipe! I have tried to make bread too many times and it has never come out nice. I finally gave up thinking that maybe I just couldn’t bake anything containing yeast. This recipe was so simple and so yummy! My kids loved it and I look forward to making it a lot!
Should I knead the bread? And if so for how long?
I kneeded the dough for two to three minutes.
Can this recipe be made with wheat flour?
You can try! I would replace half the flour with white wheat flour, and if that’s to your linking, adjust a bit more next time. :)
Just wanted to chime in, I’ve been on the hunt for a good white bread recipe for a LONG time, and this is it! For those of you wondering if it works in a breadmaker, it does. I halved the recipe and had to substitute sweetened condensed for evaporated milk, and it’s DELICIOUS. Going to make a second loaf right now! Thank you!!!
This recipe is so easy! This is my first time making bread (except banana bread, HA). I just put it in the oven. With one loaf I coated with butter, cinnamon and sugar and rolled it up and added more butter with cinnamon and sugar. Im going to make some icing for the cinnamon sugar one. My hubby loves cinnamon bread/rolls.
I have a question for you tho. Can this bread be used to make rolls instead of bread? I remember my grandmother making rolls. After she punched it and laid it on the table, she kneeded it a few minutes then just tore pieces off the dough and rolled them up for rolls, put them on a baking sheet, buttered them, covered them with saran wrap and let them rise, then to the oven. I would love to make rolls, never have. So, just curious if you have tried rolls with this recipe?
Thank you!!! Faith
I haven’t, but I know others have used it for rolls! :)
can you use whole milk
We’ve had some readers say they did and it worked!
Hi.
the bread looks very soft and tempting, and I just have one question. What if I don’t have a mixer? If I do it by hand will it still be as pretty and soft?
It should! My great grandparents didn’t have a mixer. :)
If i dont have shortening, can i replace it with olive oil?
I’m afraid not… shortening and oil have different properties and I don’t think the bread will turn out made with oil.
This is the best bread I have ever made. I haven’t made bread without a bread machine in over 20 years! Excellent recipe! Both loaves turned out perfectly!
I’ve got 8 x 4 pans and 9 x 5 pans, but I’ve never seen a 9 x 4 pan! Any way to know which one works with this recipe?
I would use the 9×5 pan. :)
About how long does it take for the rise in the pans?
It depends on the heat and humidity in the house. In summer, it can be as short as 30 minutes; in winter, it’s taken as long as 75 minutes.
I have a question. I recently moved, and have noticed that I have to make adjustments for altitude. We are at approximately 5,000 feet. Has anyone had experience adjusting this recipe for higher altitude?
Hi Laura! I’d try a quick search for “altitude yeast bread” and see what comes up. :)
I have finally conquered my fear of baking homemade bread after attepting a couple of years ago due to yeast failure! Thanks for sharing this fun and easy recipe. Way better than breadmachine bread! Husband approve and Mother in law approve😊
Hi, I recently found this recipe and have made it at least 5 times since Christmas. I typically leave one loaf plain, as in the recipe. The second loaf, I coat the rolled out dough with 2 tbs of melted butter and then cover that with about 1/2 cup of cinnamon sugar prior to rolling it into the loaf to rise a second time. It comes out fantastic.
I was wondering if you have ever added any flavors, herbs, etc to the dough to switch it up a bit. Any suggestions?
Sounds delicious!
Butter and Italian seasoning would be great, too!
Do I add the same amount of instant yeast to the recipe? I don’t have active yeast.
I’m afraid I don’t know, I haven’t tried. ON the instant yeast, does it say how many cups of flour is needed? Maybe you can by that?
I would like to add oatmeal to this. How much flour should I take out and add oatmeal?
I would try replacing just a quarter of cup to start, and going from there. Also, grinding the oats into flour might help, if you want to get the ratio high!
Hi I am wondering if this would be ok to freeze after its baked an cooled??
Yes! Wrap it in plastic really well, and defrost on the counter or in the fridge. :)
Do you preheat oven to 375?
Yes! I usually preheat it while the bread is doing the last rise.
Can I use all purpose flour? I dont have bread flour on hand.
Yes, that should work! :)
Im wanting this beautiful bread for lunch tomorrow but will not have enough time to let it rise tomorrow. Have you ever let it rise overnight? Or stick it in the fridge after the first rise and let it do the second rise tomorrow morning? What do you think?
I haven’t tried an overnight rise, but I think the second one would work better! Let me know if you try either and how it goes. :)
I’ve tried several white bread recipes recently. Made this one today and thought I ruined it because I realized too late that I had used a whole can of evaporated milk. Took a lot more flour.
But… its great. Loads of flavor and texture is wonderful. I can’t wait to see how it to make it with the correct amount of ingredients.
It has been starred and printed out for my kitchen cookbook.
Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe.
I wondered how long you knead it before your first rise.
If you’re doing it with a mixer, until it no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl. If you’re doing it by hand, until it no longer sticks to your fingers. :)
Anybody tried this in a bread machine?
When I first saw your bread recipe I saved it, but was a bit skeptical about all the wonderful rave reviews. I have been baking my own bread for a few years now, and I always figured all homemade bread is a few steps up from store bought, but most of the recipes are close to the same. I finally decided to try your recipe and to all the doubters our there, believe me, this recipe is a WINNER! I follow your recipe, but sometimes I use 1 cup multigrain flour (replacing 1 1/2 cups white flour), and instead of shortening on the dough, I use oil (any kind). This bread is soft, moist, flavorful, toasts up beautifully, and stays fresh for days! Thank you so very much for sharing your recipe!
I’m a bread-making rookie and am wondering what temperature the warm water should be?
When it feels warm to touch but not hot, about 95-100 degrees F.
I have been making bread off and on for almost two years when I got a bread machine. Some good attempts, some just so-so. I have used every kind of flour, just found this recipe last week and decided to give it a try. This is fabulous sandwich bread. I put hot water in a bowl, add the evaporated milk and cold butter and let it sit until butter melts. Then I pour into bread machine, add the rest of the ingredients, with active yeast in well on top. Set on dough cycle and wait for the beep> OMG, it was huge up to the lid, but beautiful. dumped it on board, split in half and put in bread pans. I turn on oven for five minutes, turn off and open door for heat to help final rise. Bake for 25 min and it is a family favorite now. Have made it twice this week and am going to make again tomorrow. Thank you very much! Might try to make it into hamburger rolls next.
Hi there
I loved your recipe for homemade bread and I have a question.. can I use normal wheat flour to make a bran bread with the same quantity of other ingredients?
Because I baked some cheese stuffed buns today and I added wheat flour with plain flour but they came out really hard.. they are not as soft as I made them before with only plain flour.. thanks 😄
You might want to try a white whole wheat flour and start off slow. Maybe replace a third of the flour with the white whole wheat flour and see how that goes, then with the next batch adjust again. It’s all about chemistry, and every different grind of flour has a different reaction. :)
Wow!! This looks so delicious!! Will have to try this. Love homemade bread. I have my mother in laws bread recipe which I have made many time and love, but it calls for shortening in the recipe.
Hello,
In the list of ingredients salt is listed, but the amount of salt is missing. Please provide an update as I am now organizing my ingredients to make this bread and can’t move forward without the salt quantity. Thanks!
One Tablespoon of salt. :)
I was wondering about there not being egg in this recipe. Isn’t that unusual?
Usually bread made with wheat is egg free. :)
I made 2 loafs about 3 weeks ago . I accidently used 2 pkgs. of yeast. I froze one loaf and we ate some of the other. It tasted ok but is it safe to eat ? I love bread!!
Yes! I freeze a loaf and defrost it in the fridge all the time. :)
Made this bread today and super yum! I subbed 2.5c of all purpose for 2.5c of wheat flour… came out amazing!!! Had to cook a tad longer due to high altitude here in Colorado.
Hi…
Can I use whole wheat flour to make the bread?
Do I need to increase the yeast quantity for it?
I would start with replacing just a small amount of flour – maybe half a cup with whole wheat and increase slightly every next time from there. :)
Your recipe sounds wonderful. I made bread when I was growing up, it was a 90 bread recipe.
will recipe be same if you use sifted AP Flour?? As is the case with a lot of bakers, we don’t always have bread flour on hand. Heard you can mix AP with cornstarch to make bread flour but don’t know if true.
Mixing AP flour with cornstarch makes cake flour. :)
Bread flour has a higher gluten rate in it, and I don’t know of a way to mix something with AP flour to do that. But you can use all purpose flour if you don’t have bread flour on hand, I just prefer the bread flour. :)
This bread looks amazing!
For the person asking about squishing their bread while using the serrated bread knife:
The trick is to let gravity and the knife do the cutting. Draw the knife back and forth gently but don’t push down on it. :)
HOW IS THE LEFT-OVERS STORED? DO I LET IT LAY OUT ON MY COUNTER TOPS, WRAPPED-UP!… OR DO I WRAP, AND STORE IT IN THE FRIDGE? I NORMALLY LET IT OUT, BUT THIS HAS MILK, SO SHOULD I KEEP IT IN THE FRIDGE? ALSO I AM 70-YEARS OLD, AND THINGS DO CHANGE COMPARED TO YEARS AGO… BUT CHANGE CAN BE GOOD… <3 … THANK YOU… MARYJO
I wrap and store on my counters, since my family eats it so quickly. But if you find you eat it more slowly, you can store in the refrigerator. :)
I hope to see as many years as you, Marjo, what an honor to live many years and stay vibrant and on top of technology and the times!
Omg- I made this recipe yesterday and it’s the most amazing bread I’ve ever mad. Thanks for your recipe!
I had never made bread before in my 54 years. I’ve made this bread 3 times now, and we LOVE it. I normally don’t eat much bread, but with this sometimes I just go to the cupboard and grab a slice to eat. So bad for me, but this bread is so good! I do have one question. Each time I’ve made it, the bread sort of settles after slicing. Meaning the loaf starts out like 4 or 5 inches tall, but ends up about 3 inches tall. Anyone know what I’m doing wrong?
Thank you for the easy wonderful recipe!
Hi Ree! I’m so glad you have loved this bread recipe, it is my favorite as well. I’m sorry it has been shrinking after cooling…that has never happen to me! Are you using fresh yeast? I know that old yeast affects how well it rises. Hope that helps!
This looks lovely! Is there any way to make the bread a little less sweeter ?
I haven’t tried substituting ingredients in this recipe, but you could tried adding less sugar or substituting the sugar for honey! :)
Does the bread recipe really take a tablespoon of salt?
It does! :)
Omg, I tried this bread and all i can say is wow. The recipe is perfect! I have people asking me for the recipe… I almost didn’t even get any! Thanks for sharing! If you are considering making bread and looking for a recipe, look no further. TRY THIS ONE!!!
I’m so glad you tried this recipe and loved it! Thank you for your nice comment!
I just moved to USA with my wife. Love this recipe. I always had a thing for homemade bread. Jameilyn, this recipe will be the first recipe which i baked with my new bread machine.
Hope you enjoy! This recipe is my go-to and absolute favorite!
Found your recipe when searching for homemade bread, I have a question, can I replace 2 cups of water with 2 cups of warm 2% milk? Thanks in advance for your reply and I can’t wait to try the recipe!
Hi Trish! I’m not sure if the yeast will dissolve completely in milk, but if you have used it in other recipes it should work just fine! :)
Hi Jamelyn, Why I made my homemade bread andthe dough rise doesn’t rise at all, I use the warm water 2cups is equivalent to 500ml water! Izit right or too much? Please advise.
Hi Alice! It looks like there are 470ml in 2 cups of water. Make sure your yeast is fresh and that your water is luke warm. :)
My husband is on a very strict almost no salt diet. :( Will this recipe work if I leave out a the tablespoon of salt? That is way too much for him.
Hi Rita! You could definitely decrease the amount of salt, but I wouldn’t do less than 1/2 Tb.
25 mins is not enough time to cook this bread!!! Tried and its still raw in the middle looks good but not cooked enough I think 25 mins would suit rolls more than a loaf
I’m sorry yours didn’t cook all the way through, 25 minutes has always been enough for my loaves. Every oven is different, so I would add another 5-10 minutes and check it.
Making bread at home is very difficult. but you make it easy i like your post it is delicious recipe.
Thank you! This homemade bread is pretty fail proof and always a huge hit! :)
i made this bread today and i have to say its the best bread i ever made . the dough was so nice to work with and it came out so beautiful . i didnt put it near a window to rise i put it in the oven with the light on and it was fine i will definatly make this again .this is my go to bread from now on.
I’m so glad you loved this recipe as much as we do! Thanks for sharing your experience! :)
I love this recipe and I am wondering when using a smaller pan ie; 8×3 , being smaller than normal bread pans, do you still use the same heat temp, and how long do you bake it for? Thanks for your help
I haven’t tried it is a smaller loaf pan, but it should work just fine. You could decrease the temperature to 350 and check it after 12 minutes until it is golden brown. :)
how do you rolls and cinnamon rolls from this recipe
Hi Marie! I haven’t made this recipe into rolls or cinnamon rolls but this is my favorite roll recipe: https://www.iheartnaptime.net/lion-house-rolls/ and my favorite easy cinnamon roll recipe: https://www.iheartnaptime.net/one-hour-cinnamon-rolls/
I never leave comments. I’ve tried a few different sandwich bread recipes and have never been impressed with how it turned out. But THIS bread?? Holy Toledo, my family and I are blown away. I made one loaf and one batch of rolls… 2 hours after it came out of the oven, the rolls are GONE! Very impressive recipe that is now my go to!
I’m so glad you liked it! Thank you so much for sharing your comment! :)
Can this recipe be use with gluten free flour? I’m knew to the gluten free diet, daughter just diagnosed with chrones. Trying to find good breads and rolls for her.
Hi LaDonna! Substituting gluten-free flour in this recipe will not work very well because yeasted gluten-free baked items are a completely different chemistry than yeasted items using wheat.
Here’s a few tips: If using King Arther Flour Gluten-Free Multi-Purpose Flour (it must be multi-purpose, not the all purpose). It’s equal cup for cup in baked items (that do not contain yeast).
For cakes and muffins, add one teaspoon of xantham gum for every cup of flour. For brownies and cookies, add one-half a teaspoon of xantham gum for every cup of flour.
Here’s a quick list of recipes I can guarantee will work using this method:
https://www.iheartnaptime.net/apple-muffins/
https://www.iheartnaptime.net/cranberry-orange-chocolate-chip-bread/
https://www.iheartnaptime.net/cream-cheese-filled-pumpkin-bread/
https://www.iheartnaptime.net/apricot-yogurt-muffins/
https://www.iheartnaptime.net/orange-muffins/
Just wanted to add that I did try this recipe (halved) with All Purpose Gluten-Free Flour (Betty Crocker). It was very salty (GF flour had salt in it), didn’t rise, and tasted awful! (Texture was ok.) My dad said it wasn’t too bad for gluten-free, but not flying for me! I figured it wouldn’t work, but wanted to try for a family member who switched to gluten-free eating.
The past few months I have been making this (doubled) with mixed bread flour and wheat flour to use as our regular sandwich bread. I LOVE it!
Thanks for sharing that it does not work very well with gluten free flour. I’ve never tried it, but I’m sure it will be helpful to know for other people! Glad you found the right combo and love it now! :)
Hi! I saw someone said they made rolls with this recipe, I want to do that! But I’m not sure what pan I would cook them in or how long to cook them for. Please help!
Hi Kaitlyn! I haven’t tried rolls from my bread recipe before, but I would follow similar instructions to my Lion House Rolls: https://www.iheartnaptime.net/lion-house-rolls/. Hope you enjoy! :)
I make this bread all the time now. It’s easy and delicious. Just started making it about 5 weeks ago. Make it every weekend Now!
I’m so glad you love this recipe Ramona! Thank you for your comment! :)
I made this recipe today, and it’s SO GOOD!! Hubby loves it too! I had to tend to something and left it to rise too long, but this is definitely a keeper in our house!
I’m so glad you loved this recipe! It is a favorite in our house! :)
AWSOME recipe. I bake bread a couple times a week and this is the best white bread recipe! I didn’t have condensed milk on hand so substituted equal amounts dry milk and water. The condensed milk seems like it would make it better and I can just freeze the unused milk. I used my Kitchenade mixer to knead. It’s nice and chewy and but not sweet. I’m going to try making caramel rolls with the dough.
I’m so glad you liked it!! Thank you for your comment and review Trish! :)
I just made this yesterday and this is the best white loaf I have had since I can’t remember when. Thank you for sharing, I was wishing you had more bread recipes since I had such success with this one. I will be making this again and again and the cinnamon buns sounds like a great idea for the next batch.
I’m so glad you loved this recipe! Thank you for your comment and review Karen. :)
WOW! Thank you so much for rhis awesome recipe! I have made A LOT of bread this past year and this is by far the best! is
I’m so glad you enjoy this recipe! It is my favorite! :)
I have used this as pizza dough, dinner rolls, bread, but I also for my vegan friends, have modified it to use coconut oil instead of butter and almond milk instead of evaporation milk. It’s fabulous . It can also be kept kosher as parve when using almond milk coconut oil! If you have trouble rising this bread due to cold, I have just placed a shallow pan with water in my oven and heated it to 200. Turn it off, place dough in oven and it will rise faster! Also, I use rapid rise yeast. This recipe just works for everything! I have used it to wrap hotdogs when out of buns, even folded in sun-dried tomatoes and garlic, rosemary and olive oil on top.
Hi, I’m trying this bread for the first time as it sounds nice, but 5-7 cups of flour has me worried as it’s quite a vague amount and could make the difference between fail and success. How do I decide whether to use 5 or 7?
Thanks
Hi Jade! Everyone measures flour differently, so it really varies. I would start with 5 cups and then keep adding 1/2 cup more and mix until the dough comes off the edge of the mixer. :)
THIS IS THE BEST HOMEMADE BREAD RECIPE!
Try it just once, you will never use another bread recipe again. I’m not
kidding.
I’m so happy you love it as much as we do! :)
wow, it’s just amazing! I was looking for something like this. Thanks for sharing, keep posting good content
Awsm! :D i had made this at my home thanks for your tutorial
I bake from big inning to the ending, really enjoying this recipe,
I love bread and making it in home is awesome.
It’s an awesome recipe.
Thank You!!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe! Thanks so much for your comment! :)
Your recipe making style is simple so that I can try at home.
I love bread with butter for breakfast.
Thanks! Jamielyn
This is by far the best recipe I have ever tried. It turned out perfect on the first try!
I’m so glad! Thanks for your comment and review!
First, let me say, i almost NEVER leave comments on a recipe (unless its horrible and people need to be warned lol) second, let me say I have been searching for probably 6+ month now for the perfect sandwich bread recipe. I found it <3 THANK YOU! the only change i made was using honey with the yeast instead of sugar(same amount as you called for sugar) and half honey with sugar for the remaining amount in the recipe. (this is just personal preference) I also added a pan of water in the oven as it baked to help keep the moisture high in the oven. Absolutely perfect recipe!
I’m glad this recipe turned out so well for you! Thanks so much for your comment and review Debbie! :)
Looks outrageous can’t wait to try it.