The best homemade bread recipe! Honey White Bread is soft, fluffy, and tasty! This homemade white bread is sweetened with just honey. The ingredients are simple and this bread recipe makes two loaves. The perfect sandwich bread!
This recipe for Honey White Bread is going to change your life! No joke! I have been working on perfecting this homemade bread recipe for over a year and I am finally ready to share it with you all! To be honest, this is the first recipe I have hesitated to share on my blog. This bread recipe is absolutely incredible! You won’t believe homemade bread can taste this good! And I have tested so many different things with this bread so this recipe feels special to me.
BUT I started my food blog to SHARE the best recipes so here it is! I just ask that you credit my blog for this recipe if you share it, preferably sharing the link with family and friends. I spent so much time on this recipe and putting this post together and I am thrilled to share this AMAZING bread recipe with you all!
What makes this Honey White Bread recipe so good?!
- It has the BEST TEXTURE!
- It’s tender and flavorful.
- The bread is slightly chewy and SO soft!
- Almost everyone I shared this bread with asked me for the recipe.
- This recipe is tried and true!
- Every time I make it I am blown away by how good it is! I’ve made it countless times over the past year and my kids and husband still beg me to make it again over and over!
- It really is THE BEST BREAD RECIPE!
Ingredients needed and Tips:
The ingredients are simple but just the right ingredients in the right amount create the perfect texture!
Warm Water- You’ll want the water to be between 100-110 degrees F. I usually microwave the water for about 50 seconds then use a thermometer to check.
Honey- I tested this recipe with honey, sugar, and cane sugar and honey was a clear winner. It also gives the bread moisture and such a great flavor! (Note it is still is great with sugar or cane sugar, if you use that instead, just reduce the flour by about 1/2 cup)
Active Dry Yeast- You will proof the active dry yeast at the beginning of the recipe along with the warm water and honey. If after 10 minutes it hasn’t become foamy and bubbly you will NOT want to proceed with the recipe but start over. It’s VERY important that the yeast proofs. You shouldn’t have a problem though as long as your yeast is fresh and your water is at the right temperature.
Butter- A little melted butter makes this bread so tasty! I did another taste test where I made this bread with oil, butter, and coconut oil, which proved butter was definitely the best!
Egg- The secret ingredient! It makes the bread more flavorful, rich, and it adds color. The addition of an egg also helps make the crumb more tender and the bread softer.
Salt- Enhances the flavor!
Bread Flour- Makes this bread recipe lighter and chewier. Bread flour is higher in protein so it can produce more gluten and it gives the bread a good structure.
How to Make Honey White Bread:
Gather your ingredients together.
Proof the yeast with warm water and honey.
Add melted butter, egg, and salt.
Slowly Mix in the flour 1 cup at a time. (The amount of flour will depend on the moisture and temperature in the air. I have noticed I usually need a little more flour in the summer versus the winter.) Here are some great tricks for keeping track of how much flour you have added.
Knead for 7 minutes.
Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl and let rise for about 1 hour. (You’ll want it to rise in a warm place, I usually use the proof setting on my oven, or if you don’t have that just turn the oven on to 170 F but only for 1-2 minutes of preheating just to warm the oven slightly.)
Shape the dough into 2 loaves
Rise for about 30 minutes
Bake for about 30 minutes
Let cool and enjoy!
Kitchen Items Needed for Making Honey White Bread:
Having the right tools makes it easier and more accurate to make homemade bread! Here are my favorite items. (affil. links)
- Thermometer
- Pyrex glass measuring cups
- Measuring cups & spoons
- Active Dry Yeast
- Kitchen Scale
- Bread Pans
- Kitchen towels
- Bread knife
- Bread bags
How to Make Mini Loaves!
You can either make 1 regular loaf of bread and 3 mini loaves or 6 mini loaves of bread. These are my favorite mini loaf pans. You’ll just bake it for less time, about 19-21 minutes.
Making mini loaves is my favorite! The slices are adorable!
How to Store the Bread:
Store bread in a dry and cool area for 3-4 days.
To freeze: Let cool completely, wrap bread tightly in plastic wrap, put in a freezer ziplock, seal tightly, and store in the freezer for up to 2 months. When ready to eat, take it out of the freezer and let thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
Enjoy!
Honey White Bread
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups warm water (100- 110 F)
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 tablespoon active dry yeast (not instant)
- 1/4 cup butter, melted
- 1 egg, beaten
- 2 ½ teaspoons salt
- 5 1/2-6 cups bread flour
Instructions
1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add warm water, and honey. Stir until honey is dissolved. Sprinkle in the yeast. Let stand for 10 minutes. The mixture will get foamy and bubbly as the yeast proofs.
2. Fit the mixer with the dough hook and add the melted butter, egg, and salt. Mix until smooth.
3. Add flour slowly, about 1 cup at a time. The dough should stick slightly to your finger when touched, but not be overly sticky.
4. Knead for 7 minutes.
5. Put the dough in a greased bowl and turn dough over to coat all the dough and cover tightly with plastic wrap or place a kitchen towel over the top. Let rise in a warm place for about 45 minutes-1 hour, until doubled.
6. Punch down the dough gently and divide in half. (I use a kitchen scale to divide in half equally.) Sprinkle flour on the countertop and press each piece of dough into a long rectangle about 8-inches wide; roll it up, pressing on the seams, and pinching the final seam together. Repeat with remaining dough. Place the dough, seam side down, into two lightly greased bread pans. (8 ½ x 4 ½ bread pans)
7. Cover with lightly greased plastic wrap or a thin kitchen towel and let rise until doubled and the dough has risen about 1/2-inch above the top rim of the pan, about 30-40 minutes.
8. While the loaves are rising, preheat the oven to 350.
9. Bake 29-32 minutes, or the loaves are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped. (It should be an internal temperature of 190-200 degrees F.) Remove to a cooling rack and spread butter on top. Optional, sprinkle with a little salt. Cool before slicing. Enjoy!
10. Store the bread at room temperature for up to 3-4 days.
Notes
(For mini loaves: Once the dough is divided in half you can divide each of those halves in three. (Use a scale to divide exactly.) Bake the mini loaves for 19-21 minutes.
Tip: Spray all around the top of the dough hook with cooking spray to keep the dough from climbing up on it.
Best recipe I found! Tried many others before! Our family loves this best! Thank you so much!
Wow! Thank you so much! This recipe means a lot to me, I took many many months to get it just right. 🙂 So glad you and your family love it too!
Do you know calorie content for this bread, I made it and I love it.
I don’t have nutrition information on this recipe. Sorry, but you can find a calorie calculator online to help.
Love this recipe. Even my kids will eat it, and they hate homemade bread.
Though, you definitely can’t double it. I may have to play with it a little more. When I doubled, I used 11 cups of flour (made it very heavy and tough) maybe next time I will only use 9-10 cups.
I’m so glad you all like it so much! Let me know how it turns out with less flour when doubling it! I’ve been finding as I am making it in the winter, it needs the lowest amount of flour I call for.
Hello! I’m new to baking and I just want to clarify the amount of warm water is 1 3/4 cup or is I 1 cup. Im sorry. Thank you for any help you can offer. Im excited to make this! Thanks!
It’s 1 and 3/4 cup warm water. Enjoy! 🙂
I have never made bread before wondering if this recipe could be used with instant yeast? I
That should work. Just skip the 10 minute wait time. Let me know how it turns out.
Can this be made in a bread machine?
I haven’t used a bread machine before so I can’t say. But this post looks helpful: https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/blog/2018/04/30/how-to-convert-recipes-to-a-bread-machine
I don’t have a mixer with a bread hook.
I have a bread maker.
How would I half the recipe to make a single loaf in a bread maker.
Divide every measurement by 2.
This turned out perfectly! I’m a novice bread maker, and don’t even have a stand mixer, but I followed your instructions to a T and just kneaded by hand, and these loaves are so delicious and the perfect texture! So happy to give this bread to my family instead of the processed store bought stuff.
Yay! That’s so great to hear! This recipe is a keeper! I tested it over and over again before posting it! 🙂
Simple recipe resulting in tasty bread that has excellent texture. It’s now saved to my favorites. Thank you!
Thank you! I love how simple it is but SO good!
My family loves this bread. Thanks for the great recipe.
That is wonderful! This recipe is a keeper! 🙂
Can I use all purpose Flour?
Yes, but I wouldn’t recommend it though. It won’t come out as chewy and the ratio may slightly be off from the liquid/flour ratio I’ve listed in the ingredients.
Hi, I only have instant yeast. Is there a way to make it work?
I haven’t tried it but I think it should work. You can skip the proof time. Let me know how it goes!
My dough is falling apart…like it needs more moisture…ideas?
Make sure you are measuring the flour correctly and not overpacking it. I do find I need less flour in the winter months. You can add a little more water, or butter to get the right consistency.
Hello, can you freeze the loaves before baking? I was thinking I could make 6 to 8 loaves, freeze and pull out as I need to bake, saving prep time.
I’m sure you can but I haven’t done it so I am not sure. I hope you can find another source to help with this question.
This is only my second time attempting home made bread and I came across this recipe and got really excited. And it came out perfect and it’s absolutely DELICIOUS!! Will be my go to bread recipe from now on. Thank you!
Yay! You’re welcome!
New to making bread have tried several but this is the best. I will continue to make this. Was wondering if you would use wheat flour to make Honey Wheat Bread.
Thank you! I haven’t tried this recipe with whole wheat flour so I am not sure. I think if you just add a small part of whole wheat flour it would work but if you are adding all whole wheat flour you likely will need to add more liquid. If you try it, let me know how it turns out!
What stand mixer do you have? I am in the market to buy one, but am not sure if it is really necessary to go high end for a quality mixer?
I have a KitchenAid Artisan Series 5-quart stand mixer. I don’t know anything different but I love mine!
I have a KA Artisan, also, and am very pleased with it. It gets good reviews, too.
The other nice thing about it is that it has numerous attachments.
Becky, I have made this several times. Family loves it. Thanks for the great recipe
So great to hear! This recipe is truly the best!
I was able to half the recipe to only make one loaf and it turned out so good!!! I ended up only needing half an egg so I used the rest to brush the top of it before I put it in the oven. I would highly recommend this recipe to anyone! Will be a repeat for me
That’s so smart to put some egg wash on top. So glad you loved it! 🙂
I made last week but cut in half. I wish I had thought to use leftover egg for a wash in too. I added a little bit of dill and cheddar before rolling it. It was subtle but good.
That sounds delicious!
Have made this twice and we love this bread! We may never buy store bread again.
That is fantastic! I’m glad you love it as much as we do! 🙂
Favorite bread recipe! Question is, how do you store yours soo the outside doesn’t get too hard? After I cut my slices, I cover with foil and store in linen bag. Street a couple days I notice the outside is harder. Thank you 🙂
Thank you! The way you store it should work fine if you ensure the foil is wrapped tightly around the bread. You could also use a bread bag, an air-tight container, a large zip-lock bag, etc.
I have been making this recipe for my family for several weeks now. They LOVE it!
That’s fantastic! It’s THE best! 🙂
Great bread. I did use all purpose flour. I just watched the dough as I was adding to make sure I didn’t get it too dry. But it doubled it size and did great and tastes great. Thanks for sharing.
Wonderful! I accidentally used all-purpose flour once and it was still delicious just a little less chewy.
When using ap flour maybe just add 1 tsp of wheat gluten if you have it or replace some of the the flour with ground flax seeds or add a tbs of psylium seed husk powder. To add chewiness.
Thanks for the tip!
Had to comment, this has to be the best bread recipe I’ve found to date. Absolutely incredible! About to make it again, thank you for this wonderful recipe
WOW! Thank you so much for this compliment! You’re welcome!
I’ve made home made bread since I was young. Every Saturday we would make bread, cakes and pies to last the rest of the week. My mom was an amazing cook. I’m now almost 70, and I have found a bread recipe that is better than I ever had !! This recipe is so easy and comes out so perfect. My husband can’t get enough. thank u so much for sharing!!
Wow! That is quite a compliment! Thank you for taking the time to comment to let me know! This recipe is incredible and I’m so grateful I was able to create the perfect bread recipe. 🙂
Trying this recipe for the first time. The loaves were just put in pans to rise. Amazing positive reviews here! I’m looking for to tasting it later.
Much appreciated everyone.
Wonderful! I hope you loved it!
What a great recipe! My stepson and I just made it for our family, and it turned out excellent.
Thank you for sharing Becky!
That’s fantastic! You’re welcome!
I just remade it! Do you have any variations that you’ve tried with this recipe? Chocolates chips sound good, but I’m not sure how I’d incorporate them. Anyway, thanks again!
I have only tried it one other way so far, with cinnamon chips, so good! If you add that or chocolate chips I would add it in after you have added about 3/4 of the flour.
I’ve tried multiple white bread recipes and this one is BY FAR the best!!! So soft and fluffy and cut so well! Hoping it saves and freezes well 🤞🏻
YAY! 🙂 I need to try freezing it sometime. We just eat it up so fast! But that should work just fine!
It was my first time trying this recipe and my family loved it so much, I’m not even that good in baking :’)
Been baking this a lot now as per their request. Thank you so much for sharing your recipe <3
That’s fantastic! 🙂
Hadn’t made homemade bread for over 40 years. First attempt! Was Amazing. Even though my pans weren’t the correct size, I made two small loafs in one, and a larger one in the other pan that was a lot bigger than what was called for. Used all purpose flour, and forgot to beat my egg first. LOL, I couldn’t stop eating this! Absolutely delicious!
This is so wondeful! So glad you loved it! Try it with bread flour next time, it’s even better!
Best bread ever! My family loves it and now my husband won’t eat store-bought bread. It is a good change!
Has anyone tried with all purpose flour I didn’t realize it called for bread flour until after I started the water, honey and yeast part and I don’t have bread flour 🙁
I actually have made it before with just all-purpose flour. It works just fine! It’s just not quite as chewy as it would be with bread flour.
I am in the process of Making this as I type, I am So excited to see how it turns out!!! These comments are SUPER helpful!!! I’ve looked at many recipes before I found this one!!! Im a newebie to the Homemade bread world… We shall See!!!
Yay! It’s such a fun recipe to make and eat of course! Hope it turns out great! 🙂
Question. What is the yield for the 2 loaves. Are they considered 2lb loaves each? Want to tweak the recipe for a pullman pan I have that fits 1.5lb
It yields 2 regular sized loaves baked in two 8 ½ x 4 ½ bread pans.
I have a large loaf tin 1000g would I just put the whole mixture in 1 tin and then how long would I bake it for?
Sorry, I am not sure as I haven’t tried it but just bake it until it reaches an internal temperature of 190 degrees F.
I am new to bread baking and this is the best recipe! I’m on my third batch already and have the recipe bookmarked on favorites!
So cool! I’m glad you are loving it!
Do you think this could be made with gluten free bread flour?
I think so but haven’t tried it. Let me know how it turns out!
I accidentally forgot bread was on 2nd rise in the oven (covered by a dish towel!) while oven was pre-heating!
Even with the short 2nd rise and almost setting the kitchen on fire…this is the BEST bread I’ve ever baked! The flavor is so delicate and delicious 😋. I don’t get that “chewing beer” experience like some recipes have.
The texture is sandwich-perfect, and most of all, I know EXACTLY what’s in the bread I’m giving to my grandson’s!
I’m so grateful you shared this recipe! THIS is the one I’ll teach my daughter to make. ❤️
First of all, I’m glad there wasn’t a fire! And thank you for sharing this review. I’m so happy you loved my bread recipe! 🙂 I am biased of course but it’s my favorite!
Tried this recipe yesterday after reading all the comments saying it’s the best bread recipe, and it for sure is!! Absolutely love the flavor and hint of sweetness the bread brings, amazing. Thank you for this recipe! Will definitely be using this many times in the future (:
Thank you so much! I appreciate your kind comment. So glad you loved it!
This is the best loaf of bread I’ve ever made! I’m still new so that’s not to say I’m an expert, but wow. I was expecting it to taste good, but this bread is off the charts delicious.
I followed the recipe, and hand kneaded for 7 minutes since I don’t have a mixer. I think the butter on top really sealed the deal for me. I will be making this bread for my great grandkids. “Oh kids back in my day, there were these things called webpages with recipes for meals on them. You always had to scroll really fr to get to the actual recipe but that’s where the best secrets are!”
Seriously though, 10/10. I even made some cinnamon honey butter to go with it and my son said it’s just like Texas Roadhouse haha. Thank you!!!
Aww! Thank you so much! Reading your comments makes me so happy! This bread is THE BEST! 🙂
I just bought 2 of the Pullman pans. Any idea if the bake time needs to bake altered or if I should or should not bake with the lids on?
“Knead for 7 minutes” do you mean in the mixer or by hand?
Either.
Do you know the nutritional facts?
I don’t have nutrition information on this recipe. Sorry, but you can find a calorie calculator online to help.
Seems like WAY TOO MUCH salt…I know it enhances flavor but I don’t want my bread to taste like potato chips…followed the recipe exactly…I always taste the dough before I let it rise and the salt was overwhelming. I will continue but thru baking, but I am starting another batch with much less salt.
Thanks for your feedback! I personally love it as stated but everyone has different tastes and it is certainly fine to add less.