Nothing beats fluffy white bread 🍞—soft, pillowy, and perfect for sandwiches or warm with butter. Here’s a reliable homemade recipe that bakes up light and tall every time.
Fluffy White Bread
Ingredients (1 loaf)
- ¾ cup warm milk (110°F / 43°C)
- 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast (1 packet)
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon oil (or more butter)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 ½–3 cups all-purpose flour
Instructions
1. Activate yeast
- Mix warm milk, sugar, and yeast in a bowl.
- Let sit 5–10 minutes until foamy.
2. Make the dough
- Add melted butter, oil, and salt to the yeast mixture.
- Add flour gradually until a soft dough forms.
- Knead 8–10 minutes (by hand or mixer) until smooth and elastic.
3. First rise
- Place dough in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise 1–1½ hours until doubled.
4. Shape
- Punch down dough, roll into a rectangle.
- Tightly roll into a loaf and place in a greased 9×5-inch pan.
5. Second rise
- Cover and let rise 30–45 minutes, until dough crowns about 1 inch over the pan.
6. Bake
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Bake 28–32 minutes, until golden and hollow-sounding when tapped.
7. Finish
- Brush hot loaf with butter for extra softness.
- Cool at least 20 minutes before slicing (hardest part 😅).
💡 Secrets to extra fluffiness
- Use milk instead of water (tender crumb)
- Don’t add too much flour—dough should be slightly tacky
- Knead well to build gluten
- Let it rise fully both times
🔥 Variations
- Sandwich bread: Add 1 extra tablespoon sugar
- Ultra-soft (bakery style): Replace ¼ cup flour with powdered milk
- Dinner rolls: Shape into balls and bake 18–20 minutes
If you want, I can also give you a no-knead version, bread machine recipe, or pull-apart rolls using this same dough.
