Old-Fashioned White Bread Loaf
This classic white bread loaf is soft, fluffy, and perfectly golden with a tender crumb. Made using a traditional method, it delivers a comforting homemade flavor ideal for sandwiches or serving warm with butter.
This recipe is lunch, scaled for 8 servings, with 60 min prep and 25 min cook.
Prep: 60 min · Cook: 25 min · Total: 85 min · Serves: 8
Quick cooking notes
- Core ingredients include white bread flour, warm water, dry yeast, shortening.
- Follow all 9 steps in order for the intended texture and doneness.
- Ingredient quantities listed below are for 8 servings.
Ingredients
- 5 cups white bread flour
- 1.25 cups warm water
- 1 tbsp dry yeast
- 3 tbsp shortening
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 2 tsp salt
- 0.5 cup milk (warmed)
Instructions
- Warm the milk with sugar and salt in a saucepan until just warm, stirring until dissolved, then let cool to lukewarm.
- In a cup, mix warm water with a little sugar and sprinkle in the yeast, then let it sit for 8–10 minutes until foamy.
- In a mixing bowl, combine flour and shortening, then add the warm milk mixture and yeast mixture.
- Knead the dough using a stand mixer or by hand until it forms a soft, smooth dough, adding flour as needed.
- Place the dough on a lightly floured surface, cover, and let it rest for 5–8 minutes.
- Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a greased bowl, cover, and let it rise in a warm place for about 1 hour until doubled.
- Punch down the dough, flatten into a rectangle, and roll it tightly into a loaf shape.
- Place the dough into a greased 8x4-inch loaf pan, cover, and let rise again for 30–40 minutes until doubled.
- Bake in a 375°F oven for about 25 minutes until golden brown and cooked through.
Nutrition (per serving)
- Calories: 210
- Protein: 6 g
- Fat: 4 g
- Carbohydrates: 36 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 380 mg
Nutrition values are estimates based on stored ingredient totals and serving size.