Basic Soft Bread Recipe (White or Wheat)
This is a basic bread recipe that if done correctly produces the softest homemade bread you've ever tasted. It stays soft for days and is delicious!
This is a basic bread recipe that if done correctly produces the softest homemade bread you've ever tasted. It stays soft for days and is delicious!
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 3 cups flour (can be white or wheat)
- 1 tablespoons yeast
- 1/4 cups vital wheat gluten
- 2 cups warm water (not too hot or it will kill the yeast)
- 3 tablespoons oil (i have used both vegatable and canola)
- 1/2 tablespoons salt
- 1-2 cups flour (just enough to clean the bowl while mixing, less the better)
- Carbohydrate 379.903960011801 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 47.7152600014221 g
- Fiber 13.7100627849196 g
- Protein 89.8568937879886 g
- Saturated Fat 3.61944000019977 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (1068g)
- Sodium 49.7152500223389 mg
- Sugar 366.193897226881 g
- Trans Fat 3.73820000046213 g
- Calories 2328 calories
Step-by-step
- In your mixer, add the 3 cups of flour, yeast, gluten, and warm water.
- Mix until stringy and sticky (you want to see little strands of very wet dough whipping around while mixing).
- Then let the whole thing rest in the mixing bowl covered with a towel until it has doubled (around 30 minutes to an hour).
- Now add the oil, honey, salt and turn on the mixer.
- Start adding the flour very slowly until it starts to clean the sides of the bowl.
- The key here is not to use too much flour (that is what keeps this soft for days).
- when it just barely cleans the sides (it will still be a bit sticky on the bottom), stop adding flour and just let it knead on medium high speed for 5 - 7 minutes (until satiny smooth).
- I then put a little oil on my clean counter where I will be working with the dough, and then rub my hands with some shortening to so the dough won't stick to me (the dough will be very sticky since we didn't add as much flour as we normally would).
- Shape into 2 medium loaves, or 1 large loaf (it will make a very large loaf if only using 1 pan, so you'll need a larger pan).
- I use 8" x 4" loaf pans when I form it into 2 loafs and that works great.
- Make sure to also grease your pans before you put the loafs into it (I just use the shortening I already have on my hands to grease the pans).
- Find a warmish place to let the loafs rise while covered with a cloth (so the tops don't dry out).
- After about 30 minutes to 1 hour, the loaf should have about doubled in size (not too big, it will rapidly grow for the first few minutes in the oven, so only an inch to an inch and 1/2 above rim of loaf pan).
- Place loafs in pre-heated 350*F oven and bake for 25 minutes.
- After 25 minutes, remove from oven, remove from pans, cool on wire racks and immediately cover with towel while still hot (this will help steam the bread and make it even softer).
- Do not cut into it until it has had a chance to cool down for 10 - 15 minutes at least otherwise the inside will turn doughy.
- Keep in an air tight plastic bag, will stay soft for days.
Standard sandwich loaves often lean toward dry, crumbly textures, but this formulation relies on a high hydration approach combined with vital wheat gluten to build serious structural elasticity. By letting an initial wet batter of flour, yeast, and warm water develop stringy strands before adding fats and honey, the gluten network forms efficiently without requiring excessive flour from the start.
Pairing and Adaptation
Warm slices of this homemade bread call for savory spreads that contrast with its natural honey sweetness. Serve thick slabs alongside a sharp cheddar cheese, cured meats, or a rich tomato-based braise that utilizes the soft crumb to soak up liquids. For a dairy-free presentation, vegetable or canola oil integrates seamlessly. Bakers substituting whole wheat flour for white can maintain the soft crumb by keeping total hydration high and respecting the initial mixing rest period.
- If the dough fails to rise, verify that the water temperature remained below 110 degrees Fahrenheit to prevent yeast mortality.
- Stop adding flour the moment the dough clears the sides of the mixing bowl while leaving the bottom slightly sticky.
- Bake the loaves in a preheated 350 degree Fahrenheit oven for precisely 25 minutes.
- Cover the freshly baked loaves with a towel immediately upon removal from pans to trap steam and soften the crust.
