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There’s nothing quite like the smell of fresh bread filling your home, and this Simple Bread Machine White Bread makes it easier than ever.
With just a few pantry staples and the push of a button on your bread maker, you’ll have a soft, tender, beautifully risen loaf perfect for sandwiches, toast, or warm slices with butter.
This recipe is wonderfully reliable, even for beginners, and takes only minutes to prepare. Just load the ingredients, choose your setting, and let the machine do the rest—homemade white bread comfort made truly effortless.
It’s easy to make your own bread when you use a bread machine. If you find it hard to fit homemade bread into your busy life, a bread machine could be the answer!
For more homemade bread recipes, try this Homemade Bagel Recipe, Easy Sourdough Sandwich Bread, Homemade French Baguettes, or One-Hour Buttermilk Dinner Rolls.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Perfect for Beginners: This bread machine white bread recipe is perfect for beginners. Just measure, add ingredients, and press start—no kneading, shaping, or guessing.
- Soft, Tender Texture: Classic white homemade bread with a golden brown crust ideal for sandwiches or toast. This white bread machine recipe makes the perfect sandwich bread!
- Hands-Off Convenience: Prep with the simple ingredients takes five minutes while the bread machine handles everything else.
Equipment
- Bread Machine (This is the one I have.)
Ingredients
Find the full list of ingredients, amounts, and instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Water: Provides moisture and activates the yeast.
- Granulated Sugar: Feeds the yeast and helps the loaf rise beautifully.
- Vegetable Oil: Keeps the bread soft and tender.
- Bread Flour: Gives structure and creates a light, airy crumb for this basic white bread recipe. This is the bread flour I often use.
- Bread Machine Yeast: Ensures consistent rising during the bread machine cycle.
How to Make Simple Bread Machine White Bread
Here are the step-by-step instructions for making this recipe:
Step 1: Add all ingredients to the bread machine in the order listed in the ingredient section (Photos 1-4), adding the wet ingredients before the dry ingredients.
Be sure to add the yeast last, on top of the flour (Photos 5 and 6).
Step 2: Place the bread pan inside the machine and follow your bread machine manual instructions for a 2 lb loaf basic white bread cycle and your preferred crust color. (Light crust was used in this batch.)
Step 3: Once baked, allow the bread to cool for at least 15 minutes before slicing.
Tips for Success
- Add ingredients in the exact order listed so the instant yeast stays separate from the liquid ingredients until mixing begins.
- For a softer loaf, brush the top with melted butter right after baking.
- Ensure water is room temperature to slightly warm—but not hot—to avoid killing the yeast.
How to Store
Store leftover bread in an airtight container or bread bag at room temperature for up to 3 days. For longer storage, slice the loaf and freeze in a sealed bag for up to 3 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, but the texture will be slightly denser. Bread flour gives the lightest, fluffiest loaf.
Yes. The water should be room temperature or slightly warm water, around 80–95°F. Water that’s too hot can kill the yeast, and cold water can slow the rise, so keeping it comfortably lukewarm helps the loaf bake up light and fluffy.
This typically happens from too much liquid or expired yeast. Check measurements carefully.
Yes, but you may want to use a little more yeast than this recipe calls for. You may want to increase the amount to 2 tsp, and you may want to proof the yeast first. I haven’t tested active dry yeast in this easy bread machine recipe, so I can’t guarantee how well it will work, but I think it should work fine.
More Bread Recipes
- Homemade Whole Wheat Bread
- Oatmeal Dinner Rolls
- Overnight Cinnamon Rolls
- Irish Soda Bread
- Cheesy Drop Biscuits
If you make this recipe and enjoy it, please leave a comment with a 5-star recipe rating and let me know! Thank you so much!
Simple Bread Machine White Bread
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 1/3 cups water, warm
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil, (I use coconut, avocado, or olive oil)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, or honey
- 4 1/2 cups bread flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons bread machine yeast, or instant yeast
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to the bread machine, adding the liquid ingredients first: water, oil, salt, sugar, flour, and then yeast on top of everything. Allow the yeast to sit on top of the flour.
- Place the pan inside the bread machine and follow the instructions of your bread machine for a 2 lb. basic bread cycle and your desired crust color. (I selected light). The machine will do all the work of kneading and letting the bread rise and then baking it.
- Allow the bread to cool off for at least 15 minutes before slicing.
Notes
- Add ingredients in the exact order listed so the instant yeast stays separate from the liquid ingredients until mixing begins.
- For a softer loaf, brush the top with melted butter right after baking.
- Ensure water is room temperature to slightly warm—but not hot—to avoid killing the yeast.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Can I swap out bread flour for a whole grain flour easily?
I haven’t tested this recipe with whole grain flour. You would probably need to adjust the recipe slightly, since whole grain flours absorb more water and can create a denser loaf of bread.