This bread machine white bread is made especially for sandwiches, for those times when you want to make thrifty homemade bread but you’re craving your favorite store-bought.
Recipe | Using Milk Powder | Making Substitutions | Proofing Your Yeast
I love homemade bread. It’s soft and warm and wonderful. You can pull off big chunks of it and slather on some butter. I could easily make a meal out of homemade bread and butter.
When you’re craving a grilled cheese or a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, you need a bread recipe that will stand up easily to slicing. This is that recipe.
Ingredients
Ordinarily, you need only five ingredients to make a white bread from scratch but I wanted to add a little extra sweetness. Adding milk is the perfect choice.
- Bread flour
- Sugar
- Yeast
- Vegetable Oil
- Instant Milk Powder
- Salt
Using milk powder to make bread
I prefer to use milk powder for the milky goodness but you can use milk, if you prefer. Healthline has more milk powder substitutes too.
I didn’t use milk in this recipe because I don’t like heating up milk. You would need to heat it up to the same temperature of the water. Milk powder is a convenience and it’s nice to have in the pantry anyway, just in case.
If you want to use milk, use one cup water plus ⅓ cup milk instead of 1 ⅓ cups water.
Making Substitutions
As far as I can tell, these two flours have no difference and are interchangeable for this recipe. It’s probably only marketing with the two names.
The most common forms of yeast are active dry and quick rise. When using a bread machine, there are specific rising times preprogrammed. These don’t work as well with quick rise yeast. As far as I can tell, bread machine yeast is the same as active dry yeast and can be used interchangeably for this recipe. Again, probably only marketing.
If you prefer the taste of butter (and who doesn’t), use the same amount of butter stated, but cut it into small pieces so you don’t end up with a big hole of butter. Not cutting it up could mean that your bread will be wet and uncooked in spots.
Proofing your yeast
I know that most bread machine instruction books I’ve seen don’t include this important step. In the beginning, I didn’t do this and there were a couple of times that my bread was pretty solid. Brick-like? Maybe. Don’t tell.
If your yeast has expired, it may not rise at all. That’s what happened to me. I didn’t realize that it had expired.
In a two cup measure, place water, yeast and sugar. Stir it up.
If the yeast hasn’t expired, the yeast will start bubbling fairly quickly.
In about 10 minutes, you should have a nice foamy layer to the water mixture and you can go ahead and use it. You’ve confirmed that it’s alive and ready to make you some soft, fluffy bread.
Measuring the flour
Note on flour amount: When first writing this recipe, over 5 years ago, I had learned to bake using the scoop and level method of measuring flour because that’s how my family has always measured flour, all the way back to my great grandmother’s cookbooks. As I’ve learned from many visitors here, in chef cookbooks and in other places on the internet, it isn’t an accurate method because you never know how each person will measure.
Instead, I’ve edited the recipe. I measured out the flour the way I always did and weighed it to determine the most accurate weight in grams. Then I spoon and filled the same amount of flour to see how many cups it measured in a spoon and fill method. Believe it or not, it resulted in about a 1 to 1 ¼ cup difference!
Some people had no problems with the recipe and others had significant problems. I believe this was caused by how each of us measure the flour. Everything should now be resolved with the actual weight measurement in grams. I’m sorry for any confusion.
Using a bread machine
I’ve used a Cuisinart bread machine for this recipe. In fact, I use the Cuisinart for all 24Bite bread machine recipes.
If you don’t have a bread machine, have a look at this Cuisinart Bread Machine (aff link) that we use. We’ve had it since 2013 and it still works great.
For more information, check out our Cuisinart Bread Maker Recipes.
What else can you do with a bread machine?
Our Cuisinart bread maker will mix, rise and bake, right in the bread pan. I prefer to use the machine for dough so that I can form it in whatever shape or size I like.
I’ve used the bread machine to make homemade pizza dough and mashed potato dinner rolls. Although I haven’t tried it yet, you can even make jelly in there! Who knew?
Serving Suggestions
This bread recipe is made especially for sandwiches. It’s sturdy enough to make nice clean cuts and stands up to your peanut butter and jelly like a champ.
For breakfast, you can eat it freshly sliced or toast it. Serve it with jelly or jam and butter.
If you want to make your own jelly, I have a recipe for small batch fruit jam. You can make it with only one pound of fruit, sugar and a little bit of lemon juice.
My jam recipe makes one cup of jam. You don’t need to know how to can and there’s no pectin required.
You make the jam in only 30 minutes. That’s it!
Recipe
Bread Machine White Sandwich Bread Recipe
Equipment
- Bread Machine, if using Bread Machine instructions (Cuisinart Bread Maker 2 Pound used)
- Standing Mixer with dough attachment, if using Standing Mixer instructions
- 12" x 4.5" loaf pan, if using oven for baking
Ingredients
- 1 ⅓ cup Water warm, 105-115°, to activate yeast
- 2 ¼ teaspoons Yeast equal to one standard packet
- 3 tablespoons Sugar
- 2 tablespoons Vegetable Oil
- 570 grams Bread Flour (about 4 ¾ cups spoon and fill) *see note
- 2 tablespoons Milk Powder instant dry milk powder
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- Vegetable oil optional, if making by hand or mixer
- Cooking Spray like Pam, optional for any use other than baking in bread machine
Instructions
- Proof the yeast: In a small bowl or glass measuring cup, stir together water, yeast and sugar until mixed well. Set aside.
- After 10-15 minutes, check the yeast to see that it has a nice foam layer to ensure the yeast is viable. If there is no foam layer, check your yeast. It may be expired and you'll need to try again.
- Add vegetable oil to bread pan in bread machine. Add yeast mixture to bread pan in bread machine. Add flour and milk powder to bread pan. Add salt to bread pan.
- Set bread machine to bake, light or dark loaf as desired. Or, alternatively, if you prefer a standard size loaf, set to dough only.
- If making dough only, once bread machine is finished, remove dough ball and place in loaf pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Cover with towel and allow to rise about 20-25 minutes then proceed to baking in the oven, as below.
- Preheat oven to 375℉. Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden. It should sound hollow when tapped on the top.
- If desired, spread top with butter and sprinkle on sea salt.
Notes
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet. All amounts are estimates and 24Bite® takes no responsibility for actual figures since calculations vary by packaging and supplier. Please calculate the amounts yourself based on package labeling if you have specific dietary requirements. 24Bite®, Kim Guzman or Christian Guzman shall not be liable for adverse reactions or any other outcome resulting from the use of recipes or recommendations on this website or actions you take as a result. 2019-2026 Kim Guzman and Christian Guzman. All rights reserved. 24Bite®
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Is this for a 1, 1-1/2, or 2 pound loaf?
This one definitely filled the bread pan so it’s a 2-pound loaf, for sure.
Can I use white whole wheat flour as a substitute for some of the bread flour? We prefer a healthier blend. Otherwise, this recipe sounds yummy. Thanks.
My whole wheat version is still being tested. I don’t recommend replacing it flour for flour because wheat flour is very dry. It requires more liquid. Please stay tuned because I have it in the works.
This bread looks like perfection and I love that the mixer does so much if the hard work!
Such a delicious bread recipe!
This is very easy and simple recipe. I love making bread at home.
We are still total bread eaters and there is nothing better than homemade bread. I need to get my bread machine back out and use it again.
I’m baking two loaves right now. First time using a bread machine to make my bread. We can’t wait to see how it comes out.
Wonderful! I’m sure it won’t be the last. Enjoy that bread. I need to get some bread going soon too.
Just curious-my Cuisinart CBK-200 Manuel wants the yeast added last, on top of the dry ingredients. Can you explain the success adding the proofed yeast mixture first with the oil, before the flour? Thanks!
I add the yeast mixture first for all my bread machine recipes. There are some ingredients that shouldn’t touch the yeast right away, for example, salt and garlic, because it kills the yeast. I like to separate the yeast with the layer of flour and give it a good head start before mixing it together. I could probably instead place the salt, then flour, then yeast mixture. The goal is simply to keep the salt from the yeast as long as possible.
Thank you so much, did “the proofing” of the yeast before adding the flour and salt; wonderful loaf of white bread…
I’m so glad to hear that it worked well for you! Thank you for visiting.
Thanks! We love the flavor and texture of your recipe. I’ve made it twice. Both times, it rises beautifully, then somewhere around the 30 minute left mark, the top sinks 1/4 of the loaf. I just cut it off level, and we enjoy the rest but would like to figure out what I’m
doing incorrectly. I put in oil, then proofed yeast/sugar/water (110°) mixture, bread flour & powdered milk mixed together, and lastly salt. I set machine to 2 lb loaf, medium crust, and #1 white. Feel like I need to master white bread before I try multigrain or artisan breads.
Are you baking directly in the machine? If so, after the last kneading, right before the final rise, remove the dough then remove the blade. Fold over and shape the dough then put it back in there for the rise. If your paddle doesn’t come out, you may want to try using the dough setting and finish the final rise and bake in your oven instead. I hope this fixes the deflating for you.
Will give it a try. Thanks.
So, Instant Yeast shouldn’t be used in this recipe for the breadmachine?
I only have experience with Active Dry yeast but I’m sure you can still use it. From what I understand, the Instant and Rapid Rise does not need to dissolve first and you can add it at the same time as the other ingredients. But, I would still keep it layered away from the salt.
This was a terrific breadmaker recipe! Thank you!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it. Thank you for visiting!
Can thus recipe be changed to 1 pound?
Yes! Up in the top of the recipe card, you can change the 16 slices to 8 slices, I believe, and the calculations will be done for you. I make the two pound in order to make things convenient for the little packets of yeast. But, if you buy yeast in the jar, it will be easy. You will also need to change the size of the baking pan, or bake it directly in the bread machine. Enjoy!
Great recipe. I have super results putting the yeast mixture on top. Seems to rise more. Tasty either way!
That’s great! Thank you for visiting.
I have only been making bread for a couple of years and just recently bought the bread machine you use. This recipe is by far the best white sandwich bread recipe ever!! I have tried a lot and this is the closest to store bought. The kind you want for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I have made it 4 times now, all very successful. Today, I’m trying it with butter. I’m confident it will be delicious!! I feel so blessed to have come across your recipes and will definitely be trying more. I haven’t bought bread from the store since discovering your website. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge!!
That is so nice to hear. I’m glad it’s working out so well for you. Thank you for visiting!
I found this recipe and gave it a try today. What a nice soft loaf. I did add sunflower seeds to the top…this is my new go to recipe.
That’s great and what a fun addition for the top. Thank you for visiting!
hi, do you have volume measurements for this recipe? Cups and tablespoons are so finicky.
The recipe indicates grams for the bread flour but I’ve never had an issue with tablespoons. I will try to add this to consideration in the future. Thank you for writing!