---
title: White Bread
url: https://alex.dinnouti.com/recipes/white-bread/
description: A simple, reliable loaf of white sandwich bread — basic ingredients, one rise, one proof.
date: 2026-10-02
tags: bread, baking
---


1. **Activate the yeast.** In a small bowl, whisk together the warm water (110-115°F — about as warm as a baby's bath, not hot enough to feel uncomfortable on your wrist), sugar, and yeast. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes until foamy and fragrant. If it doesn't foam, your yeast is dead or the water was too hot — start over with fresh yeast.

2. **Mix the dough.** In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Pour in the yeast mixture and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Stir with a wooden spoon or spatula until a rough, shaggy dough forms and no dry flour remains.

3. **Knead.** Turn the dough onto a lightly floured counter and knead for 8-10 minutes by hand (or 5-6 minutes on medium-low speed with a stand mixer dough hook). The dough should go from sticky and rough to smooth, elastic, and slightly tacky but no longer sticking heavily to your hands. A good test: press a finger in — the dough should spring back slowly. Add flour a tablespoon at a time only if the dough is too wet to handle; avoid adding too much or the loaf will turn out dense.

4. **First rise.** Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in it, and turn to coat. Cover tightly with plastic wrap or a damp towel. Let rise at room temperature (70-75°F) for about 1.5-2 hours, or in a proofing oven at 90°F for about 1 hour, until roughly doubled in size. Test by pressing a finger into the dough an inch deep — if the indent slowly springs back halfway, it's ready.

5. **Punch down and shape.** Gently punch the dough down in the center to release the gas, then turn it out onto a lightly floured counter. Flatten it into a rough rectangle about the width of your loaf pan. Starting from the long edge, roll the dough into a tight log, pinching the seam closed as you go. Pinch the ends closed too and tuck them slightly under.

6. **Pan it.** Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan (or line with parchment) with the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Place the dough log seam-side down in the pan, pressing it gently so it fills the corners.

7. **Second rise (proof).** Cover loosely with oiled plastic wrap or a towel and let proof at room temperature for 45-75 minutes, until the center of the dough domes about 1 inch above the rim of the pan. Don't let it overproof — if it rises much higher and looks fragile/bubbly on top, it may collapse in the oven.

8. **Preheat.** About 20 minutes before baking, preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) with a rack in the center position.

9. **Bake.** Bake for 35-40 minutes, until the top is deep golden brown. Check doneness with an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center — it should read 190-200°F. (No thermometer? Tip the loaf out and tap the bottom; it should sound hollow.) If the top is browning too fast before the inside is done, loosely tent it with foil for the last 10 minutes.

10. **Cool before slicing.** Turn the loaf out of the pan immediately onto a wire rack (this prevents a soggy bottom from trapped steam). Let it cool for at least 20-30 minutes before slicing — cutting too early makes the crumb gummy, even though it's tempting.

**Storage:** Keep in a sealed bag or container at room temperature for up to 4 days, or freeze sliced for up to 3 months.

**Troubleshooting tips:**
- *Dense, heavy loaf:* under-kneaded, too much flour added, or yeast was weak/expired.
- *Didn't rise enough:* water was too hot (killed the yeast) or too cold (yeast too slow), or the room was too cool — find a warmer spot or use the oven-off-with-light-on trick.
- *Collapsed in the oven:* overproofed before baking — next time, pull back the second rise time slightly.