Grandma's Homemade White Bread

Three slices of bread on a cutting board with the rest of loaf behind.

5 from 7 votes

Grandma's Homemade White Bread

Grandma's Homemade White Bread is the best grandma's old fashioned white bread recipe with yeast that makes soft, classic farmhouse bread from scratch.

Prep Time25

Cook Time45

Rise Time, divided1 40

Total Time2 50

Servings:

Calories: 283kcal

Author: Karin and Ken

Ingredients

3 tablespoons sugar
3 packets active-dry yeast
8-9 cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ cups warm milk
2 tablespoons salt
4 ½ tablespoons butter, melted, cooled plus extra for greasing and finish
1 ½ cups warm water, warmer than lukewarm, around 105 degrees
1 large egg, scrambled

Instructions

In a large bowl, combine 1 ½ tablespoons of sugar and water. Sprinkle yeast over top of the mixture and allow it to sit for 10 minutes and foamy.
The yeast puffs up and covers the surface of the water. If your yeast doesn't foam up within ten minutes you might need to use slightly cooler water or get some fresh yeast.
My grandmother always said that as a general rule run tap water on top of the underside of your wrist or forearm until you can just tolerate the heat. That is when you grab your large measuring cup, whatever heat resistant bowl you are using and add your water, sugar and then yeast.
Stir in 2 ¾ cups of the flour until incorporated. Cover with a warm damp cloth and place in a warm area for 45 minutes. My grandmother always left the bread in front of the window with the sun shining on it. This bread needs to rise in a warm area or it will not rise properly.
Stir in milk, remaining sugar, salt and butter until combined.
Stir in 5 to 6 cups of the remaining flour, enough to make a soft sticky dough.
Dump the dough onto a floured surface and knead it for 10 to 15 minutes incorporating as much flour as necessary to prevent sticking. The dough should be smooth and elastic.
Form it into a ball and put it into a well buttered bowl. Coat the dough with butter also. Cover again with a warm, damp towel and let rise for 45 minutes to 1 hour, back in a warm place, until it is double its original size.
Punch down the center of the dough. Separate dough into two pieces and form into 2 loaves. Put each into a buttered loaf pan. Cover with the warm, damp towel again and let them rise again, covered, for 30 to 45 minutes until they almost double in size again.
Scramble the egg and paint on top of both loaves before placing inside the oven.
Bake in the middle of a preheated 425 degree oven for 5 minutes. Lower the heat to 375 degrees and bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until golden. Brush butter on top when it’s out of the oven and partially cooled and everyone will thank you. Turn onto a rack to cool.
Serve and enjoy!

Video

Notes

If your dough is too dry or didn’t rise enough in the final proofing stage the cause is usually over measuring the flour. Baking is precise and you may be adding up to ⅓ more flour than the recipe actually calls for which can cause bread to be dry. If you have a scale, measure a proper cup of flour and it should be about 140 grams. The proper technique however is to spoon the flour into the measuring cup until overflowing, then run the back of a knife across the top to level it. This will result in perfectly measured flour every time.

Nutrition