Bread Machine Country White Bread

Bread machine country white bread recipe, sliced, with butter in a bowl

The Spruce Eats / Loren Runion

Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 2 hrs 30 mins
Total: 2 hrs 50 mins
Servings: 8 servings
Yield: 1 loaf

This simple bread machine white bread recipe results in a soft bread with a pleasant, chewy texture. It's delicious toasted for breakfast or used to make sandwiches, from a classic turkey club to an ultimate grilled cheese. This white bread loaf doesn't have many air holes or bubbles, and the flavor and texture are wonderful.

You can make this bread on a rapid or quick cycle, but it can also be made on the regular cycle with a little less yeast (about 2 teaspoons).

"Once the ingredients were in the bread machine, this bread recipe was pretty much hands-off. I added 1/4 cup extra bread flour since the dough was a bit on the wet side, which the author warns about. The loaf had a crispy crust, and a very nice crumb, great for sandwiches, or toast at breakfast." —Diana Andrews

Close up of bread machine country white bread, sliced
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups lukewarm water

  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (11 1/4 ounces), more as needed

  • 1 cup bread flour (4 1/2 ounces)

  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

  • 2 1/2 teaspoons bread machine yeast (rapid or instant)

  • 4 teaspoons olive oil

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar

  • 1 teaspoon salt

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for making bread machine country white bread

    The Spruce Eats / Loren Runion

  2. Add all of the ingredients to your bread machine pan in the order recommended by your bread machine manufacturer. Set to the quick or rapid setting (if available) and medium crust. Push start.

    Flour, yeast, baking soda, salt, water mixture in a bread machine basket

    The Spruce Eats / Loren Runion

  3. Once baked, about 2 1/2 hours, turn the bread out onto a rack to cool. Slice and enjoy.

    Bread machine country white bread, sliced, on a cooling rack

    The Spruce Eats / Loren Runion

Tips

  • When your bread machine has been kneading for a few minutes, check the dough. If it seems too stiff, add a little bit of water and continue checking until it seems soft enough. If too wet, add more flour in small amounts until it seems to be soft yet not sticky.

How to Store Bread Machine Bread

As with any freshly baked bread, the first step is to let it cool completely before storing. Make sure to remove the bread from the machine as soon as it is ready and place it on a rack to cool; if left inside, it will turn soggy. To store, wrap in aluminum foil or place in a zip-top bag and store in a cool, dark spot or bread box for up to three days. You can also freeze the bread to enjoy later on, just make sure to wrap it well. It is not recommended that bread be stored in the refrigerator because the cool temperatures cause the bread to become stale quicker.

Can I Bake Bread Machine Dough in the Oven?

The bread machine may make bread-making effortless, as it does everything from mixing, kneading, rising, and baking, but the resulting bread often has a tougher crust and denser crumb. If you prefer, you can finish the bread in the oven; just keep in mind this will require a little work on your end. Place the bread machine on the "dough only" setting and once the dough has finished the first rise and punched down, remove it from the machine. Then place it in a greased loaf pan, let it rise a second time for approximately 45 minutes or until doubled, and then bake.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
231 Calories
3g Fat
44g Carbs
7g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories 231
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 3g 4%
Saturated Fat 0g 2%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 307mg 13%
Total Carbohydrate 44g 16%
Dietary Fiber 2g 6%
Total Sugars 1g
Protein 7g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 10mg 1%
Iron 2mg 11%
Potassium 71mg 2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)