Easy Homemade Butter Bread – VIDEO
This homemade butter bread has a super soft interior and an extra chewy crust. It’s made with a few simple ingredients. It’s the perfect sandwich bread and it freezes well too!
This post may contain affiliate links. Read the full disclosure here.
Let’s make homemade butter bread. It is a basic soft, sandwich bread that has a fluffy crumb. It’s made with simple ingredients that are easy to find!
I have made a ton of different bread recipes, from hoagie rolls to sourdough bread. However, this butter bread holds a special place in my heart. It’s soft and fluffy but yet it holds its structure, making it perfect for sandwiches, french toast, and anything else your heart desires.
This old-fashioned butter bread is just like how grandma used to make it. Plus, it has that delicious rich taste of butter.
This Butter Sandwich Bread Is:
- Soft white bread with an extra chewy exterior
- Made from simple ingredients that are easy to find
- Golden brown with an amazing rise
- Simple to make
- Easy to make ahead or freeze
Basic Ingredients Needed:
- Warm Water: Roughly 105-110°F (43°C). To activate the yeast.
- Whole Milk: To soften the bread. Low-fat milk works too, but whole milk is best as it produces a phenomenal texture.
- Dry Active Yeast: Can also use Instant Yeast. This gives rise to the bread.
- Granulated Sugar and Honey: To feed the yeast and tenderize the bread.
- Butter: Melted butter. Adds flavor to the finished loaf. Can be substituted with avocado oil, vegetable oil, or canola oil. Olive oil can also be used, though it will change the flavor profile of the final loaf.
- Egg: Helps create a sturdy structure and adds moisture.
- Salt: Flavor enhancer. Everything needs salt.
- Flour: Bread Flour or All-Purpose Flour can both be used with no changes to the recipe. However, the exact amount of flour used will vary depending on different factors (humidity, altitude, etc). What matters is the texture of the dough. It should be smooth, soft, and not too sticky to handle. It’s important not to add too much flour as that will make the bread become dense. The dough should be slightly sticky and soft.
Overview: How To Make Homemade Butter Bread
- Make The Dough. Combine all of the ingredients.
- Knead The Dough. Knead for roughly 8 minutes.
- Cover The Dough and Let it Rise. The dough rises in roughly 1 hour in a warm environment.
- Shape The Dough. We use the “jelly roll” shape. Reference the video tutorial below for extra help.
- Let The Loaf Rise.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes until golden brown.
Storage
First, let the freshly baked bread cool down to room temperature. Then, place it in an airtight container. This will stay fresh at room temperature for up to five days.
If you need to store the bread for longer, store it in the refrigerator for up to 10 days. You can also freeze the bread for up to three months.
FAQ:
Do I Need A Stand Mixer?
No stand mixer is needed! You can always knead this recipe by hand. It will take some added elbow grease.
Can I Make This Recipe Dairy-Free?
Yes, although it will not be considered butter bread. Instead of milk, use almond milk or any dairy-free milk.
Instead of butter, you can use oil such as avocado oil, vegetable oil, or canola oil. Olive oil can work, too. However, it will change the flavor profile of the loaf.
Help! My Bread Dough Isn’t Rising.
Is your yeast active? Or is your yeast dead? If the yeast is dead, then your dough will not rise. Refer to my Baking with Yeast Guide to troubleshoot this error.
What temperature is your kitchen? If the temperature is too cold, then your dough will rise slower.
Ideas To Pair With Your Butter Bread
There are so many possibilities when it comes to what to pair with this homemade white bread. Butter bread is amazing since you can eat it a million ways. Here are a few ideas for you to try!
- French Toast: Literally the best French toast you will ever eat.
- Tuna Sandwich: All you need are two cans of tuna, some mayonnaise, celery, and salt.
- Philly Cheesesteak: Looking for a warm and savory sandwich? Make a Philly cheesesteak!
- Jersey Mike’s Italian Sub Sandwich: Make a cold sandwich with pepperoni, salami, and ham.
- Classic Peanut Butter and Jelly: It is simple but so delicious!
- Homemade Garlic Bread: Slice up the bread into thick slices. Melt some butter and sprinkle minced garlic, salt, and parmesan cheese on top. Broil in the oven for 1-2 minutes. This is the perfect side for pasta dishes!
Other Homemade Bread Recipes You Will LOVE:
Easy Cici’s Cinnamon Rolls Copycat Recipe
Best Homemade Butter Bread
Save This Recipe
Enter your email below and I’ll send it to your inbox, and I’ll let you know when new recipes come out every week!
Ingredients
- ½ Cup (120 ml) Water warmed to about 110°F (43°C)
- ½ Cup (120 ml) Whole Milk warmed to about 110°F (43°C)
- 1 Tbsp (13 g) Granulated Sugar
- 2 ¼ tsp (7 g) Active Dry Yeast
- 2 Tbsp (28 g) Unsalted Butter melted
- 1 (1) Egg
- 2 Tbsp (42 g) Honey
- 1 ½ Tsp (9 g) Salt
- 3 ¾ Cups (468 g) All-Purpose Flour or Bread Flour plus more as needed
Instructions
- Bloom the Yeast: Whisk the warm water, milk, sugar, and yeast together in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment. Cover and let sit for five minutes. The yeast should turn foamy.
- Add the butter, egg, honey, salt, and 1 cup of flour. Knead on low speed for 30 seconds. Then, scrape down the sides of the bowl with a silicone spatula. Then, add another cup of flour. Knead on medium-low speed until relatively incorporated (it's okay if the ingredients aren't fully integrated yet). Add the remaining flour and continue to knead.
- Knead The Dough: Continue to knead the dough in the stand mixer and beat for an additional 5-8 minutes. If the dough is too sticky, add an additional 1 teaspoon of flour at a time. The dough should be soft and slightly tacky. Do NOT add more flour than you need! After kneading, the dough should feel soft. You can also perform a "windowpane test" to check if your dough has been kneaded sufficiently. Simply tear off a small piece of dough, about the size of a golf ball, and gently stretch it until it becomes thin enough for light to pass through. Hold it up to a window or light source—if the light shines through without the dough tearing, it's ready to rise. If it tears before becoming translucent, continue kneading.
- First Rise: Lightly grease a large bowl with oil or cooking spray. Place the dough in the bowl, cover it, and let the dough rise in a warm place for roughly one hour. You are ready to move on to the next step when the dough has doubled.
- Lightly grease a 9×5-inch loaf tin with butter or non-stick spray.
- Shape the Bread Dough: Punch the dough down to release the air. Lightly flour your work surface, a rolling pin, and your hands. Place the dough onto the lightly floured surface. Roll the dough out into a large rectangle, roughly 8×15 inches. Roll it up into an 8-inch log and place it into the 9×5-inch bread pan. This is called the "jelly roll." (See the video on my blog post for a visual).
- Second Rise: Cover the shaped loaf with aluminum foil, plastic wrap, or a clean kitchen towel. Allow to rise until it's roughly 1 inch above the top of the loaf pan, about 1 hour.
- Preheat Oven: Adjust the oven rack to a lower position and preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). (It's best to bake the bread towards the bottom so that the top does not burn.)
- Bake the bread for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown on top. If the top is browning too quickly, loosely tent the pan with aluminum foil. The bread loaf is done when you tap it and it sounds hollow. For a more accurate reading, use an instant-read thermometer and poke the center of the loaf. It should read 195°F(90°C) when the loaf is done baking.
- Remove from the oven and allow the loaf to cool out of the pan on a wire cooling rack. It is recommended to let it cool for one hour or until it is at room temperature.
- Cover leftover bread and store at room temperature for four days or in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.
Video
Notes
- Check Out My Post for the helpful recipe video.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Stand Mixer | Cambro Container (for accurate bulk rise) | 9×5-inch Bread Loaf Pan | Rolling Pin | Instant Read Thermometer | Wire Cooling Rack
- New To Baking Bread? Refer to my Baking with Yeast Guide to learn about baking bread, rise times, and other helpful tips.
- Rise Times: Rising times are dependent on your environment and the temperature of your kitchen. Your dough may take a longer or shorter time to rise. What is important is to watch the dough double in size. If the dough has not doubled, do NOT move on to the next step.
- Storing Instructions: Place the bread in an airtight container and store it at room temperature for up to 4 days or in the refrigerator for up to 10 days. It can be stored in the freezer for up to three months. You can reheat the bread when you’re ready to eat it.
- Other Easy Bread Recipes You Will Love:
