Q&A for How to Make a Loaf of White Bread

It depends on the kind of bread you are making, but mostly yes, the bread machine does all the work for you, especially if you are just looking to make a simple, tasty loaf. Usually, the ingredients need to be added in a particular order (wet ingredients first, followed by dry, etc.), but otherwise the machine will mix, knead, rest, rise, and bake the bread for you. Just remember to use the same ingredients the recipe asks for, such as type of yeast and flour, and you will get a fairly consistent result every time.

There isn't really anything you can use instead, but you can use self-rising flour without it. Your bread will be quite dense and might have a weird texture, but it still tastes pretty good.

Yes. This will be very handy when you are looking for soft, moist loaves of bread.

This bread should be soft.

I did, and it came out fine. I still had to add the 1 cup of water though.

Use 2 8x4 inch pans, or 9x5 inch if that's what you have! This particular recipe makes 2 loaves of bread.

This bread needs to be cooked for 30-35 minutes in at 375 degrees (after oven preheated at 425 degrees).

Just take your time with the process and follow the instructions carefully. The bread should turn out really soft on its own!

There's no need to cover the bread once it goes into the oven! If for some reason the top begins to burn, you could always tent a piece of foil over it for the last 10-15 minutes of cooking.

Nope, absolutely not! The recipe in this article doesn't call for any butter, though that is a common ingredient in some white bread variations.

After the first shape, let it rise for about an hour, or until it has doubled in size. After the second shape, let it rise for about 30-40 minutes. If it's really cold in your kitchen, it might take a little longer.

Yeast flakes (nutritional yeast) won't work because they are inactive and won't make the bread rise. You need active dry yeast, instant yeast, or fresh yeast for proper fermentation. Whole wheat flour can work, but it makes denser bread as it absorbs more liquid and has less gluten. For a lighter loaf, use half whole wheat flour and half white flour, and you may need more water and a longer rise time.

If your white bread doesn’t rise and form properly, the issue could be due to expired or inactive yeast, incorrect water temperature, insufficient kneading, inadequate rising time, excessive salt or sugar, or using old or low-quality flour.