Bread Machine White Bread Recipe – Soft & Buttery (+ Video)

Here is an easy bread machine white bread recipe. It creates a buttery white bread that is perfect as a sandwich bread or as toast. Your family will love the taste of this delicious buttery white bread… and you will love how easy it is to make!

White bread is one of the most popular breads to make at home because it is so easy to make with a bread machine. Given its simplicity, white bread is an excellent “starter” bread until you gain more experience with bread machines and move on to more advanced recipes such as bread machine French bread.

Sliced Bread Machine White Bread (1.5 lb Loaf)

Recipe Sections

• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Recipe Video
• Helpful Tips

If your kids are not too adventurous (or they just love white bread… the unhealthy little devils!!) then this buttery white bread recipe is perfect for you. It is very easy to make and uses only a limited number of ingredients. Moreover, this recipe was designed in order to create an extra buttery tasting white bread (when compared to most online white bread recipes).

Since this buttery white bread recipe is done in a bread machine or bread maker, it is simple & easy to make. It takes me about 5-10 minutes to prepare and then the bread machine does most of the hard work (such as mixing, kneading & baking). My bread machine white bread recipe also shows you to make 1.5 lb and 2 lb loaves.

Bread Machine White Bread Recipe (2 lb Loaf)

Ingredients – Bread Machine White Bread Recipe – 1.5 lb Loaf

• 1 1/8 Cups – Milk (lukewarm) – 259 milliliters – 1 1/8 cups of milk is equivalent to 1 cup and 2 tablespoons of milk
• 5 Tablespoons – Unsalted Butter (softened) – 71 grams
• 3 Cups – Bread Flour (not all purpose flour) – 360 grams
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons – White Granulated Sugar – 19 grams
• 1 Teaspoon – Salt – 6 grams
• 1 Teaspoon – Bread Machine Yeast – 3 grams

Ingredients – Bread Machine White Bread Recipe – 2 lb Loaf

• 1 1/2 Cups – Milk (lukewarm) – 345 milliliters 
• 6 Tablespoons – Unsalted Butter (softened) – 86 grams
• 4 Cups – Bread Flour (not all purpose flour) – 480 grams
• 2 Tablespoons – White Granulated Sugar – 25 grams
• 1 1/2 Teaspoons – Salt – 9 grams
• 1 1/2 Teaspoons – Bread Machine Yeast (Instant Yeast) – 4.5 grams

Servings – Roughly 12 slices

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

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Recipe Video – Watch How My Bread Is Made

Instructions – White Bread Machine Recipe for 1.5 lb Loaf and 2 lb Loaf Versions

• Bread machine settings – 1.5 or 2 pound loaf, light color and “basic” bread setting.
• Soften the butter in your microwave. FYI – I like to semi-melt the butter for better “mixability”.
• Unplug your bread machine.
• Remove the bread pan from the unplugged bread machine (so when you add the ingredients, they can not accidentally spill into the machine).
• Pour the milk into the bread pan and then add the other 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 bread pan with ingredients back into unplugged bread machine.
• Plug in bread machine. Enter the correct settings (for either 1.5 lb or 2 lb loaf version) and press the “start” button.
• When the bread machine has finished baking the bread, unplug the bread machine and remove the bread pan from the bread machine. Wear oven mitts as the bread pan & bread machine will be hot.
• Remove the bread from the bread pan and place the bread on a cooling rack. Use oven mitts when removing the bread as the bread & bread pan will be hot.
• Optional – Right after you remove the hot bread from the bread pan and place it on the cooling rack, you can use a pastry brush to brush a very light coat of melted butter on the top of the bread. This creates a more golden crust and adds even more buttery flavor. This works best when the bread is still hot. FYI – Do not use too much melted butter or it will run all over the sides of the bread. Also do not brush on when the bread has cooled down.
• After removing the bread, 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.
• Let the bread cool on the cooling rack for 1-2 hours before cutting.
• Please read the tips section below for extra information on how to make this recipe successfully & to avoid common bread machine problems. You also can watch my recipe video to “see” how to perform each recipe step.

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Other Bread Dad Sections

• Bread Machines – My favorites
• Bread Machine Cookbooks
• Bread Mixes – Ingredient kits
• Bread Tools – Bread slicers, etc.

2 Lb Bread Machine White Bread

Helpful Tips – White Bread Recipe for Bread Machine

• The tips below are designed to help bread machine “novices” and those who haven’t touched their bread machine in years.
• 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.
• If you would rather “see” how this recipe is made, please watch the step-by-step recipe video on this page. It is a short & simple video that shows you how to make this recipe.
• This recipe is part of Bread Dad’s series on easy Bread Machine Recipes (such as banana bread, French bread and multigrain bread).

• Optional – Try our buttery & oven-baked White Bread Instant Yeast recipe if you want to make the white bread dough with your bread machine but finish it in your oven in order to achieve the classic bread loaf shape (vs the bread machine “block” shape) and avoid any bread machine mixing paddle holes in your loaf. It is the oven version of the recipe on this page.
• Visitors – Do you add anything to your white breads in order to make them better or more unique? For example, do you add extra ingredients such as dried herbs, cinnamon, chopped walnuts, raisins, etc. Or do you “baste” the finished bread top with butter? Please post your ingredient additions in the comment section below. You are helping beginning bakers with your suggestions & recipe variations.

• Do NOT confuse or mix up the 1.5 lb & 2 lb ingredient amounts and machine settings when making this bread machine recipe (i.e. accidentally using some of the 2 lb ingredient amounts when making the 1.5 lb version). Cough, cough… I know because I have done this before!
• 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.
• 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 1.5 lb and 2 lb bread loaves. 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 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).
• For bread machines with a loaf capacity greater than 1 lb, you should consider making the 1.5 lb version first. Some bread machines with a supposed 2lb loaf capacity are smaller than advertised. See how the 1.5 lb version works in your bread machine before attempting the 2 lb version.

• Many bakers 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.
• Do not use cold milk. 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). If the milk is just coming out of the refrigerator and thus is too cold, I like to put the milk in my microwave for 15-20 seconds in order to warm it up. However, you should also be aware that the milk/water should not be too hot because very hot milk/water can kill the yeast.
• 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 food containers in order to extend their shelf life. Airtight containers protect ingredients from moisture (in the air), pests, dust, etc.

• Optional – If this white bread machine recipe is too bland for your family, you can add a tablespoon of your family’s favorite herbs or seasonings (i.e. Italian seasoning herbs, onion powder or dried rosemary) in order to add some extra flavor to your bread.
• Optional – You can add a 1/2 cup of raisins or dried cranberries if you would like to “enhance” your white bread.
• Optional – As I stated in the instructions – Right after you have removed the hot bread from the bread pan, you can “baste” the top of the bread with melted butter. A small pastry brush works best to brush on the melted butter. This optional step helps to improve the appearance of the bread and adds some extra buttery flavor.
• Optional – If you have run out of milk, you can use water as a substitute. However, while still good, bread made with water will be a little less tasty. You can also use non-dairy substitutes such as plain soy milk, oat milk, etc.
• Visitors – How are you using this buttery bread? To make lunch sandwiches? Stuffing? Crotons? Grilled cheese? French toast? Please post your bread “usage” ideas & tips in the comment section below.

• 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), using all purpose flour (versus bread flour as called for in the recipe), 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.
• 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. The flour will pick up extra moisture from the air while sitting in the pantry and this can throw off recipes, spoil flavor, degrade shelf life, etc.
• 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.

• Optional – If you want a “crustier” bread (harder crust), you should try the medium crust color setting (versus light crust color setting recommended in this recipe). I would not recommend skipping straight to the dark crust color setting as this can overbake/burn the bread in some bread machines. Try the medium color first and then try the dark color if the medium setting is not “crusty” enough for you.
• According to Wikipedia, “White bread typically refers to breads made from wheat flour from which the bran and the germ layers have been removed (and set aside) from the whole wheatberry as part of the flour grinding or milling process, producing a light-colored flour. This milling process can give white flour a longer shelf life by removing the natural oils from the whole grain”.

• One of our visitors (thanks Connie!) posted some great advice about using a cup of “fluffed” flour versus packed flour… “I would also like to share something I learned about measuring flour. Fluff the flour first and gently scoop and level your cup… If you’re scooping hard and packing the flour your measuring cup, you’re actually using more flour and your measurements aren’t right!”.
• Or if you have a kitchen scale, you can weigh your ingredients for the most consistent results. You will find gram/milliliter measurements in the recipe’s ingredient list. FYI – Many Europeans prefer to weigh their ingredients versus using measuring cups & spoons.

• This recipe uses bread machine yeast (instant yeast). It does NOT use active dry yeast.
• Bread machine yeast and instant yeast are not the same as active dry yeast. Bread machine yeast and instant yeast are added directly to the recipe’s ingredients. In contrast, active dry yeast must be activated in water/milk before being added to a recipe’s ingredients. If you try to use active dry yeast for this recipe, it is much less likely to work properly (as the recipe instructions & leavening time is based on the use of bread machine yeast). Examples of yeast that can be used for this recipe include Fleischmann’s Bread Machine Yeast, Fleischmann’s Instant Yeast, Saf Instant Yeast, Red Star Instant Yeast, etc. You should not use active dry yeasts for this recipe such as Fleischmann’s Active Dry Yeast, Red Star Active Dry Yeast, etc.

• 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.

• If you don’t have any bread flour, you might like to make Bread Dad’s All Purpose Flour Bread Machine Recipe. It uses all purpose flour to create a delicious country white bread.
• If you want to make an even softer white bread, you should try our Extra Soft Bread Machine Bread. It uses Greek yogurt to tenderize the gluten in the bread. Or try making my Buttermilk Bread or Honey White Bread recipes. These bread machine recipes produce soft & delicious white breads.
• Once you have mastered basic bread machine bread recipes (like this white bread), you might like to try some of Bread Dad’s more advanced bread machine bread recipes (i.e. French bread or Italian bread). In these recipes, the bread machine will still do the hard work of kneading the dough but you will have to shape the bread by hand.

• 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 measuring 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.

• If you would like to watch more Bread Dad recipe videos, please visit the Bread Dad YouTube channel.
• 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).
• Before using any bread machine, you should read the bread machine manufacturer’s instructions in order to use the bread machine effectively and safely.
• 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 visit Bread Dad’s sections on Bread Machine Recipes and Homemade Bread Recipes.

If you liked this recipe, please leave a comment below & give us a 5 star rating. Beginning bakers learn a lot from your baking comments, tips & recipe variations. Jump to comment section

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Questions – White Bread Machine Recipe

Is white bread better than whole wheat?

While white bread is fluffy & delicious, much of its bran fiber was removed during the milling process. If you want more fiber in your family’s diet, you should consider some of our other bread machine recipes and make your own homemade whole wheat bread, multigrain bread or oatmeal bread. Nevertheless, many people like to use bread maker white bread recipes in order to make sandwich bread and/or toast.

For more information on white bread and the milling process, you should read this Wikipedia article.

Can I use all-purpose flour to make bread machine white bread?

You can use all-purpose flour to make bread machine white bread. However, all-purpose flour doesn’t have as much gluten as bread flour. Gluten helps to trap the carbon dioxide released by the yeast. Therefore, bread flour rises better than all-purpose flour and creates a chewier bread. However, if you are out of bread flour and can’t get to the store, you can use all-purpose flour instead.  A bread maker white bread recipe made with all-purpose flour should be a decent substitute… just not as good as a white bread created with bread flour.

For more on the differences between various types of flour, you should read this Wikipedia article.

Can I use water to make bread machine white bread?

Our easy bread machine white bread recipe uses milk. However, you can use water if you have run out of milk. You should substitute the water for milk on a 1 for 1 basis (i.e. if a recipe uses 1 cup of milk then you should replace it with 1 cup of water). While a bread machine white bread made with water (instead of milk) will generally be pretty good, it will not be as flavorful as a white bread made with fresh milk.

As a backup, some people like to have powdered milk at home for the times when they run out of milk and don’t want to drive to the supermarket for fresh milk. Powdered milk can generally last for a very long time in the pantry before it expires.

Can I use milk to make bread machine white bread? Other recipes use water to make white bread.

Many basic recipes for bread machine white bread use water because water is usually more readily available than milk (i.e. no running to the supermarket because you are out of milk). However, we prefer to use milk in our white bread machine recipe because we think that it improves the flavor of the white bread.

Can I make bread machine white bread with vegetable oil (without butter)?

Yes, you can make this easy bread machine white bread recipe with vegetable oil (instead of butter). Some people like to make “no butter” white breads because they have run out of butter or they are trying to reduce the saturated fat in their diet.

You just need to substitute vegetable oil for the butter in this recipe. They are almost equal substitutes. For example, 1 tablespoon of butter equals 3/4 to 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil (depending on the vegetable oil that you use). In addition, when making no butter white bread, you might want to consider using a neutral flavored vegetable oil (i.e. corn or canola oil) versus a stronger flavored vegetable oil. However, while the white bread made with vegetable oil will be okay, it will lack the delicious buttery taste of the recipe above.

What extra ingredients can you add to white bread?

You can add lots of different ingredients in order to change the flavor of your white bread. You can use butter instead of vegetable oil in order to add a more buttery flavor. You can add spices such as Italian seasoning and dried rosemary. You can add dried fruit such as dried cranberries in order to add sweetness & some fruit flavor. You can use buttermilk or whole milk instead of water. All you need to be is creative with your white bread and you can add lots of delicious new flavors.

Can I make bread machine white bread without dairy products?

Yes. You can replace the dairy ingredients in this bread machine white bread recipe with non-dairy substitutes. For example, you can replace the milk with soy milk or oat milk. You also can replace the butter with vegan butter or vegetable oil.

How do I add extra flavor to this bread machine white bread?

If you want to add a little extra favor to your bread machine white bread, you can add some spices such as Italian seasoning, dried rosemary, dried pepper flakes, ground black peppers, etc. You can also use whole milk instead of skim milk. Whole milk has more flavor but also more fat.

What flour is best for bread machine white bread?

The best flour to use for bread machine white bread is bread flour. Bread flour has more gluten than all purpose flour. More gluten results in an airier & fluffier bread (as the extra gluten helps trap more of the CO2 put out by the yeast). You can make decent white breads with all purpose flour but they will be a little denser than white breads made with bread flour.

Why is my bread machine bread so dense?

If your bread machine bread comes out too dense then you need to explore and fix the following common potential problems:

1. You could be using old, stale or moisture contaminated yeast (and thus the yeast grows slower than expected). Use relatively new yeast when making bread. Yeast should always be stored in an airtight container. For longer storage, it also should be kept in the refrigerator or freezer.
2. You could be using a cold refrigerator temperature liquids (which slows yeast growth). Use warm liquids when making bread. Not too cold & not too hot.
3. You could be baking in a cold winter temperature kitchen. Yeast likes kitchen temps of 75-80 degree F.
4. You could be using all purpose flour instead of bread flour. Breads made with all purpose flour tend to be denser than breads made with bread flour. Breads made with bread flour tend to rise better as bread flour has more gluten & this traps more of the CO2 put out by the yeast.
5. You could be placing salt right next to the yeast (salt kills yeast). Always place the salt away from the yeast in the bread pan (i.e. place the yeast in the middle of the bread pan and the salt on the side of the bread pan).

If you liked this recipe, please leave a comment below & give us a 5 star rating. It is ALWAYS great to hear from someone who has enjoyed our recipes! Jump to comment section

Reference Sources

• Wikipedia, Baker’s Yeast
• Wikipedia, Bread
• Wikipedia, Bread Machine
• Wikipedia, Flour
• Wikipedia, White Bread

Related Recipes

• Bread Machine – French Bread
• Bread Machine – Italian Bread
• Bread Machine – Oatmeal Bread
• Bread Machine – Whole Wheat Bread
• Greek Yogurt Bread
• Honey White Bread

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