All Purpose Flour Bread Machine Recipe (Country White Bread)

This all purpose flour bread machine recipe creates an old-fashioned country white bread. Moreover, it is simple & easy to make… as your bread machine does most of the hard work!

Have you ever said something like “$&@! I am out of bread flour. How am I going to make some decent bread now?“. Unfortunately, lots of bread recipes call for the use of bread flour. However, there are many times when you find yourself with only all-purpose flour at home (i.e. you ran out of bread flour). Therefore, I decided to create an easy all-purpose flour bread machine recipe that you can use to create a slightly sweet “country” white bread. It only uses simple ingredients such as milk, butter, eggs… and all purpose flour! This basic white bread is perfect for sandwiches or toast.

Of course, this is not some fancy artisanal bread… rather, it is a good emergency recipe if you are missing bread flour and only have all purpose flour at home. This recipe allows you to create nice sandwich bread or toast with a bread machine & all purpose flour. Moreover, this easy recipe hopefully saves you from making a special trip to the supermarket in order to buy some bread flour!!!

All Purpose Flour Bread Machine Recipe – Finished Loaf

Since all purpose flour has less gluten than bread flour, all purpose flour breads often do not rise as well as bread flour breads. The extra gluten in bread flour helps to “trap” the carbon dioxide produced by the yeast and this results in a better rise. Therefore, to offset this “rising” issue, I added an egg to the bread machine white bread recipe (because eggs have a modest positive leavening effect).

Sliced Country White Bread (made with All Purpose Flour)

Since this white bread contains eggs, I decided to turn this all purpose flour bread recipe into a slightly sweet country white bread recipe. Country white breads are usually made with milk, butter and eggs… things that you might find on a farm (i.e. in the “country”side). These ingredients help you to produce a more old fashioned but delicious “homemade” type of white bread.

Ingredients – All Purpose Flour Bread Machine Recipe

• 1 Cup – Whole Milk (lukewarm) – 230 milliliters
• 4 Tablespoons – Unsalted Butter (softened) – 57 grams
• 1 Large Egg (lightly beaten)
• 3 Cups – All Purpose Flour – 360 grams
• 1/3 Cup – Light Brown Sugar (packed cup) – 72 grams – However, you should use only 2 tablespoons if you want a non-sweet bread
• 1 Teaspoon – Salt – 5 milliliters
• 1 Teaspoon – Bread Machine Yeast – 5 milliliters – Not active dry yeast

Servings – Roughly 12 slices

Equipment Needed – Measuring cup & spoons, silicone spatula, oven mitts, cooling rack and a bread machine.

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Key Ingredient – All Purpose Flour

Instructions – All Purpose Flour Bread Machine Recipe

• Settings – 1.5 lb, light color and basic bread
• Unplug your bread machine.
• Remove the bread pan from the bread machine (so when you add the ingredients, they can not accidentally spill into the machine).
• Soften the butter in your microwave.
• Lightly beat the egg.
• Pour the milk, butter & egg into the bread pan and then add the dry ingredients. Place the bread machine yeast in last and the yeast should not touch the liquid (until the bread machine is turned on and the ingredients start to be mixed together by the bread machine).
• Put the bread pan with the ingredients back into unplugged bread machine.
• Plug in the bread machine. Enter the correct settings (1.5 lb, light color & basic bread) and press the “start” button.
• When the bread machine has finished baking the bread, unplug the bread machine.
• Take the bread pan out of the bread machine.
• Remove the bread from the bread pan and place it on a cooling rack. Use oven mitts when removing the bread pan from the bread machine because it will be very hot! Let the bread cool down on the cooling rack for at least 1-2 hours.
• Please read the tips section below for extra information on how to make this recipe successfully & to avoid common bread machine problems.

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Helpful Tips

• The tips below are for bread machine “novices”. Hopefully, these tips will help you to maximize the success of your bread machine white bread.
• Click on our “print recipe” link if you want to print out this recipe. It includes all of the recipe’s ingredients and instructions. However, the recipe print function does not include our tips section. Please read the tips section in order to avoid common recipe problems.
• This recipe is part of our series on easy Bread Machine Recipes.

• As I said at the top of the page, this recipe does not produce a fancy artisanal bread… as we are using a bread machine! Rather, this recipe creates a nice EMERGENCY white bread if you don’t have any bread flour at home.
• Bread made with all purpose flour will be a little more dense than bread made with bread flour. All purpose flour has less gluten than bread flour. Less gluten means a lower ability to trap the CO2 bubbles put out by the yeast (and thus a less airy bread).

• This bread machine white bread recipe makes what is known as a country white bread or farm bread. This type of bread uses typical farm (country-side) ingredients such as milk, butter and eggs.
• Country white breads are an old-fashioned style of sandwich bread with (in my opinion) a nice homemade taste. However, if you are looking for an extra soft white bread, you should try Bread Dad’s Bread Machine Buttermilk Bread. Or if your family can’t eat eggs, you should try our buttery Bread Machine White Bread.
• This recipe is NOT for 1 lb capacity bread machines. Please check the capacity of your bread machine before making this recipe. This recipe helps you to create a 1.5 lb bread loaf. If you have a small bread machine (i.e. a bread machine that has only a capacity for 1 lb breads), you will be unable to make this recipe. The loaf will be too large for your machine and could overflow the bread pan (and the top is likely to collapse). An example of a bread machine with only a 1 lb capacity is the Zojirushi Home Bakery Mini Breadmaker (model BB-HAC10).

• This recipe uses bread machine yeast (instant yeast). It does NOT use active dry yeast.
• If you haven’t used your bread machine or bread maker in a long time, please buy some NEW bread machine yeast before making your bread. Old yeast can die or lose its potency and this will lead to bread that does not rise properly. Bread machine yeast is not likely to be viable if it has been sitting in your pantry for years. Moreover, if the bread machine yeast is exposed to air & moisture (i.e. the bottle not sealed tight) or is exposed to higher temperatures, the yeast will expire even more quickly.
• Milk and butter help to provide a richer flavor to bread machine white bread recipes. These ingredients also help to soften white breads. Eggs help with things such as color, leavening, structure and moisture in this all purpose flour bread machine recipe.
• Visitors – What do you add to your breads in order to improve them or to make them more unique? For example, do you add extra ingredients such as dried herbs, cinnamon, chopped walnuts, raisins, etc. Please post your ingredient additions in the comment section below. Your recipe tips are a great help to beginning bakers.

• The brown sugar adds a slightly richer & deeper flavor (versus using highly processed white granulated sugar). It helps to create a slightly sweet country white bread. However, if you like non-sweet bread then use only 2 tablespoons of brown sugar.
• If you make the non-sweet version of this bread (i.e. use 2 tablespoons of brown sugar versus the 1/3 cup), you should consider adding 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning or dried rosemary in order to enhance the flavor. You will be making a country “herb” bread!! However, I would not recommend adding the herbs to the sweeter 1/3 cup version (as the flavors of the sugar & spices are more likely to conflict).
• If you make the lower sugar version, the bread will be slightly denser (as the yeast will have less sugar to feed on and this will slow yeast growth).
• The interior of country white breads is usually white with a slight tinge of yellow because of the eggs.

• As you probably know, all purpose flour is used to make many types of baked goods (i.e. cookies, cakes… and bread!) whereas bread flour is used primarily for making bread. Most of us have tons of all purpose flour at home (because it is used in so many recipes) but we might not have any bread flour. Therefore, in order to save you from a trip to the supermarket in order to buy bread flour, I created a simple white bread recipe that uses all purpose flour.
• You can use low fat milk but whole milk creates a bread with more flavor.
• The main problem with using regular milk is that people tend to use cold refrigerated milk and this can slow the yeast growth. Try to use lukewarm milk (or instant powdered milk mixed into warm water). Microwave the milk briefly until it is lukewarm. However, you should also be aware that the milk/water should not be too hot because very hot milk/water can kill the yeast.
• Many bakers (myself included) like to make an indent in the top of the flour in order to hold the bread machine yeast in place (looks sort of like a small flour volcano with a yeast crater). This is done to prevent the yeast from falling into the liquid ingredients (and activating prematurely), coming into contact with the salt, etc. until the bread machine is turned on.

• Sometimes a little flour will stick to the sides of the bread pan during the mixing process. Therefore, during the “pause” between the first and second mixing cycle (when the mixing paddle has fully stopped), I like to scrape the flour from the inside of the bread pan with a soft flexible spatula. Of course, always wear oven gloves when dealing with a bread machine & don’t put your hands inside the machine.
• Do not leave the bread in the bread pan (or the bottom may become too moist). Unlike a quick bread recipe (i.e. banana bread), regular bread should be removed from the bread pan as soon as it is taken out of the bread machine.
• After removing the bread from the bread pan, don’t forget to remove the mixing paddle if it is stuck in the bread. Use oven mitts as the mixing paddle will be very hot coming out of the bread machine. Or wait until the bread is completely cooled and then remove the mixing paddle.
• Before cutting the bread, you should allow it to completely cool. Otherwise, the sliced bread will come out “gummy”. The cooling process is essential for the creation of good breads (because it allows excess moisture to escape as the bread cools). This helps to create a firm and airy bread.

• Use FRESH ingredients (i.e. flour) for the best results. Ingredients that have been sitting in the pantry for months can become stale or pick up weird smells & flavors. Try to keep your ingredients (i.e. flour) in airtight containers in order to extend their shelf life.
• Kitchen humidity can impact a recipe. A winter kitchen tends to be drier due to your heating system drying out the air. In contrast, a kitchen in the summer can be much more humid. This change in humidity impacts baking as flour can soak up humidity from the air. Therefore, you might have to add 1-2 teaspoons of liquid in the winter if the dough is looking too dry. Or you might have to add 1-2 teaspoons of flour in the summer if the dough is looking too wet. If your kitchen is very dry or humid, you might have to add even a little more (but start with 1 teaspoon at a time until you achieve the right consistency). Of course, excessive kitchen humidity or dryness can impact a recipe at any time during the year (not just in the summer & winter)!
• This is one of the reasons that people should store flour in an airtight container if they have already opened the flour package. Flour can pick up extra moisture from the air while sitting in the pantry and this can throw off recipes (i.e. throw off the liquid-to-dry ingredient ratio), spoil flavor, degrade shelf life, etc.

• If your bread comes out too dense, it is likely due to one of the following reasons; You are using old or stale yeast, using a cold refrigerator temperature liquid (which slows yeast growth), baking in a cold winter temperature kitchen (yeast likes kitchen temps of 75-80 degree F), placing salt on top of or next to the yeast (salt kills yeast so it must be placed away from the yeast in the bread pan), etc. For more reasons, you should visit Bread Dad’s Why Is My Bread Machine Bread So Dense? page.
• FYI – Bread machine yeast loses its potency over time. Generally, bread machine yeast lasts for only 3-4 months after you have opened the bottle. However, if the yeast is exposed to air & moisture (i.e. the bottle not sealed tight) or exposed to higher temperatures, the yeast will expire even more quickly.
• Once you have opened the bottle that contains the bread machine yeast, the yeast will last longer if you store the bottle in the refrigerator or freezer. Just make sure the bottle is sealed tight (as yeast will deteriorate quickly if exposed to air, moisture and/or heat).
• Bread machine yeast in a bottle that has never been opened should last until the bottle’s “Best If Used By” date… but only if the bottle has been stored properly (i.e. in a refrigerator, freezer or in a dark, dry & cool spot in the pantry) and the bottle remains unopened.

• Having trouble with bread collapses & misshapen bread tops? Make sure to read Bread Dad’s article on Bread Machine Bread Collapses. It has reasons and solutions to potential bread collapses.
• If you have a problem with a “basic” bread machine recipe, please make sure that you are following the recipe exactly (i.e. using the correct bread machine settings), using the correct amount of an ingredient (i.e. don’t eyeball the measurements versus using a measurement cup or accidentally add a tablespoon when a teaspoon is called for), using the correct ingredients (i.e. bread machine yeast versus regular yeast or bread flour versus all purpose flour), etc. Please don’t “wing” things with recipes.
• If you start substituting ingredients (i.e. using different types of flour not called for in the recipe), you are experimenting and should not expect similar results to the recipe shown above. Experimenting can be fun. However, you should expect some successes but more potential disappointments when you start to experiment with recipes. For example, if you substitute whole wheat flour for bread flour, you will probably experience a problem (as whole wheat flour doesn’t rise nearly as well as bread flour). Moreover, whole wheat flour has a totally different flavor.
• Be aware that some bread recipes may differ slightly between different types of bread machines & bread makers. Therefore, please read your bread machine manufacturer’s instructions for basic bread recipes (i.e. white bread or whole wheat bread) as these are more likely to work on your individual bread machine.

• My recipes are based on US ingredient measurements (i.e. US cups & tablespoons). However, as a courtesy to our European visitors, I have also included some very ROUGH European equivalents (i.e. grams & milliliters). Since I rarely use European measurements when baking, please let me know in the comment section below if any of the European ingredient measurements need to be changed (i.e. for XYZ ingredient, milliliters are more commonly used versus the grams information listed in the recipe).
• With this all purpose flour bread, you can make great ham & cheese sandwiches, roast beef sandwiches, grilled chicken sandwiches, etc. Visit Bread Dad’s sandwich meats section if you need some high-quality meat to go with your homemade bread.
• Always wear oven mitts/gloves when dealing with a bread machine. The bread pan and the rest of the bread machine can get very hot during the baking process. This means that the bread pan and bread machine is likely to be very hot when you attempt to remove a baked good from the bread machine and/or bread pan.
• For more easy bread ideas, please check out Bread Dad’s sections on Bread Machine Recipes and Easy Bread Recipes.

If you liked this recipe, please leave a comment below & give us a 5 star rating. We LOVE to hear from people who have enjoyed our recipes!! Jump to comment section

Other Bread Dad Sections

• Bread Machines – My favorites
• Bread Machine Cookbooks
• Bread Mixes – Ingredient kits
• Bread Tools – Baguette pans, etc.
• Books, Tools & Ingredients

Common Questions & Answers

What is all purpose flour?

All purpose flour is a type of wheat flour commonly used for making baked goods such as cakes, pies and cookies. It has less gluten than bread flour thus all purpose flour is less commonly used for bread making. The higher level of gluten in bread flour creates a greater rise in breads. This is because the higher gluten has a greater ability to “trap” the carbon dioxide bubbles produced by yeast. For more information on the different types of flour, you should read this Wikipedia article on Flour.

Can I use all purpose flour in a bread machine?

Yes, you can easily use all purpose flour in a bread machine. All purpose flour is used in many bread machine recipes, especially sweet “quick breads” such as banana bread, pumpkin bread, gingerbread, zucchini bread, etc. You can also use all purpose flour to replace bread flour in many sandwich-type breads (esp. if you have run out of bread flour). The only caveat is that sandwich-type breads made with all purpose flour will be a little denser (less airy) than sandwich-type breads made with bread flour (because all purpose flour has less gluten to trap the CO2 bubbles put out by the yeast).

Reference Sources

• Wikipedia, Bread Machine
• Wikipedia, Flour
• Wikipedia, White Bread

Your fantastic comments motivate us to write more easy & delicious recipes. Also beginning bakers learn a ton from your helpful suggestions, tips and amazing recipe variations. Thank you!

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