Best Bread Machine Bread

Being new to bread making and having a new bread machine I have been looking for different recipes to try. It scared me a bit mixing the yeast, sugar, and water together but it all turned out fine. The bread is just great! This is a wonderful white bread recipe that I will be making again and again. My biggest confusion was that I had Bread Machine Yeast in a jar, not in a packet. After some searching I found that 2 1/4 teaspoons equals one packet of Bread Machine Yeast.

The basic recipe is good but has some issues: 1) "Bread Machine Yeast" is just another name (purely for marketing) for "Instant Dry Yeast" (IDY) which is INSTANT and therefore does not require pre-proofing in water. Simply add it to your dry ingredients and continue without the "dissolve and foam" step noted. There, you've save 10 minutes! 2) Active Dry Yeast is not Bread Machine/Instant Dry Yeast and it *does* like to be pre proofed as noted in the original recipe. Active Dry yeast is in little round beads about the size of a pin head. Instant yeast is very small and more like little threads of yeast, much smaller than Active. You would need about 25% more Active yeast than Instant. 3) Salt: Salt is normally 2% of a recipe's flour amount. Here we have 410g of flour (check the metric version) so we want 8 grams of salt, or about 1 1/2 teaspoon. The recipe as given is therefore missing 33% of the required salt which is more than just a "taste" problem. Salt will not only improve the taste of your bread (this or any other) but is needed to help the gluten's strength by tightening the gluten strands a little. Bread with too little salt will not only taste bland, it will also be too soft. Try this experiment: Make this recipe with the correct 1-1/2 tsp (8 grams) of salt then again without salt and compare the two for taste and structure. You can use the saltless loaf for breadcrumbs or feed the birds afterwards.

This is an excellent starter recipe. I make a few alterations though, as my family likes whole wheat... Here's my exact recipe. This makes a 2-lb loaf. 1-1/3 cups warm water (about 115°) 3.5 tsp bread machine yeast 1/4 cup sugar 1/3 cup oil 2 cups bread flour (essential to be bread flour!) 2 cups whole wheat flour 2 tbls gluten (or 1 tbls per cup of ww flour) 2 tsp salt 1/4 cup dry milk powder (makes the crust flaky) Follow the directions in the original recipe. I like to bake mine inthe oven however. I find that the dough cycle is actually too long on my machine if you use bread machine yeast (1.5 hours), because the end of it is a rise cycle, which I want done in my bread pan. The reason for this is that bread machine yeast actually cuts out the need for a second rise. So, after the final pulse cycle (you'll have to pay attention to your machine to see when this is -- mine is at 50 minutes into the dough cycle), take it out, shape it into your loaf and place it your pan to rise for 30 minutes. Then, bake it at 350° for about 25 minutes. Bread should be brown on top, not just golden. Let the loaf cool completely before cutting! I also like to smear the crust with butter to keep it soft, but if you like really crusty crust, then don't do that. I've tried many recipes, and this is by far the best basic bread recipe I've found. It's perfect for sandwiches, french toast, or anything else you'd use store-bought bread for.

This recipe goes against the grain of any bread recipe I have ever seen or tried. Scary!!! Scary!!! Scary!!! But trust the recipe and try it - this was the best bread ever. Turned out so light, fluffy and just downright wonderful.... It turned out so well, that I threw out all the other bread recipes I had on file! This is my new number one, go to recipe!!! UPDATE: Try carmelizing onions, dicing them, and adding them plus 1/2 tsp of onion powder to the top of the ingredient mixture and let your bread machine do the rest.

This is the best bread machine recipe I have ever tried! It hits the window every time! Thank you Karen. I am using my bread machine every day now. I made a few changes to the recipe. I didn't have any bread machine flour or prepackaged yeast, so I use regular white flour and 2 teaspoons of quick rise yeast and it works great!

If you're new at working with yeast and bread machines like I am, try this recipe - it's wonderful! And if you're avoiding it because it calls for packaged yeast and all you have is yeast in a jar (me again), check the jar - I found the equivilant measurement on the side. Who knew it could be this easy? :)

I was so glad to find this recipe since I can't have milk or eggs. I have been using this recipe for months. I average 6 loaves of bread a week. We love it! So far it is the best homemade bread we have found for sandwiches. Our 9 year old will even asks for slices plain! We no longer buy bread from the store. I was happy to find that you can change a few things and this bread still turns out. For instance, because of the 10 minutes the yeast sets in the warm water with the sugar, I tried using regular yeast. It works GREAT! No more high-cost bread machine yeast! To make it healthier, I use olive oil instead of vegetable oil - great again! Sometimes I throw in a cup of oatmeal with 1 T. of gluten - again it is wonderful! If you find the bread hitting the top of the machine and then collapsing (we had to switch to a bread machine that made 1 pound loaves for awhile and so had to experiment), reduce your water 1-2 T. at a time until the problem is fixed. I am going to try adding a sourdough sponge to it soon. And, thanks to another reveiwer, I am going to try beer instead of water.

I made this in my machine and added 2.5 tbls of brown sugar, 2 tsp of cinnamon, 2 tbls of honey and 2/3 c. of raisins to the dispenser (no white sugar) and set my machine to "fruit & nut bread" setting, it turned out PERFECT. The best cinnamon raisin bread I've ever had, it was very moist and fluffy and everyone at work devoured it. I had used another recipe a few days ago for cinnamon raisin and it was horrible compared to this one.

After trying most of the recipes that came with my bread machine, I was starting to think that spending 100 dollars on the machine was a big mistake. Then I decided to try this recipe, with the addition of an extra 1/2 tsp of salt. I'm glad I did, the bread turned out perfect! It is light and fluffy but has a nice crust. I also really like that this recipe does not contain any milk. Just a tip, this recipe makes a perfect 1.5 pound loaf (in case your machine has different size settings). Thanks for the great recipe and for restoring my hope that I didn't waste my money on my bread machine.

Don't use canola oil, you have been warned.

This bread was so great, that I went out and bought another bread machine, I now have 2, so I can make 2 loaves at once. The one thing I did change was to put it on the dough cycle, and when that is complete, I put it in a loaf pan and put it in the oven that has been preheated to 200 degrees and turned off. I cover it with a tea towel and let it rise for 20 minutes..I then remove it from the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees and then bake the bread for 30 minutes...soooo delicious. I have not bought store bread since I discovered this recipe.

The previous reviewer must have done something horribly wrong. I live in Denver where baking bread is always a challenge because of the altitude. I've pretty much given up since almost every loaf I make either collapses or is extremely dense/chewy. I took another reviewers advice and added another half teaspoon of salt. I am not sure if that was the MAGIC solution but I got the most tender, flakey loaf of bread I've baked in the twenty years I've lived here! If other reviews criticize this bread it is NOT due to this recipe but rather baking technique. I got a PERFECT loaf of bread and I couldn't be happier. I'll be making this all the time, thank you, thank you, thank you.

My 4 year old said this is the best bread he's ever tasted and eats it plain. Took a couple of the suggestions: 2 TBSP honey instead of sugar and sub 1/2 cup wheat flour for 1/2 cup white. I make the dough in the breadmachine and when ready fold it under itself trying not to deflate it too much, put it in a slightly greased breadpan, top it with a damp towel, and place in a warm spot to rise again for ~30 minutes. Baked in 375 degree oven for 30 minutes. Took it out of breadpan and placed on rack when done to prevent softening. Very easy.

I never used a BM recipe that went against my BM mfg. instructions but this is great. Simple tasty white bread. Will go in my BM recipe book as one of my best and easiest. As a treat we love fresh warm bread, only slightly cooled, out of the machine. It still has that yummy yeasty flavor. Heaven with butter! But I also HIGHLY recommend slicing what’s leftover of the loaf, when mostly cool, with an electric knife and a Bread Slicing Guide. The knives are under $20 and the Guide is under $10. The guide is a non-mechanical plastic loaf holder with slots to guide the knife in uniform slices. Various models are found where bread machines are sold. It is well worth the investment. Makes your bread machine lots more appealing and useful. The evenly pre-sliced bread is ready for toast or sandwiches and the whole loaf is always eaten with no waste. Also handy, plastic containers made especially to store bread machine loaves are sold or you can re-use empty commercial plastic bread bags with the twisty ties.

I read several of the lowest ratings and they all said that the bread either did not rise or rose too much and then fell. Many of the disappointed bakers admitted that they added extra yeast. Well, that's the problem. Too much yeast. In this case, more is definitely not better. I fiddled around with my bread machine and found that the ideal amount of yeast for me is 5/8 of a teaspoon. For any bread recipe, not just this one, if the bread rises and then falls, leaving a depression in the top, try reducing the yeast an eighth of a teaspoon at a time until you get a good loaf. Trust me. Or, trust your bread machine manual. That's where I found the advice to reduce, not increase, the yeast.

This is an awesome recipe. I use 3T sugar and 1 1/2 tsp. sea salt. I also use 1/4 cup real butter instead of oil. Turns out perfect every time after I learned the following: When measuring flour, don't dip the measuring cup into the bag. Take a spoon and dip the flour out and put in the measuring cup, then take a knife and scrape across the top to make an accurate measure. I put the measuring cup on a paper plate so I can save the flour that spills over. I haven't had any problems with the loaf falling. It comes out soft with a nice crust.

Excellent!! This loaf turned out perfectly ~ no problems with sinking or anything! I had added about a Tbsp of italian seasoning and about a Tbsp of chopped sun-dried tomatoes and the bread had a very nice taste!! I will add more of each of these next time (probably about 2 Tbsp each)! Yummy! I look forward to experimenting with other ingredients too! UPDATE: this is a staple recipe for me that I have made more than a dozen times...always turns out great and there are so many seasonings/ingredients you can experiment with. EXCELLENT recipe!

After my first very positive review I am coming back and say few more words. After months and months of baking this bread I continue to appreciate easiness and variability of this recipe. I use different flours, from specialized bread machine flours through whole wheat until the cheapest all purpose flour. And surprise - it is all working nicely. In this moment I have in machine mix of whole wheat and all purpose with olive oil and dried marjoram. And I know it will come out perfect. That is one from what I love about this recipe - reliability.

After discovering this recipe, I asked my 13 year old son if he wanted to make it. This was his first time to make bread. He followed the directions without changing anything. The bread came out delicious. My 13 yr old and I had been reading the reviews about how light and fluffy it was and that it was better than store bought bread but we didn't say anything to the rest of the family. The bread was ready just in time for dinner and my husband started asking me how expensive it is to make bread and maybe I should consider making this instead of buying bread. I thought my 16 yr old son was going to explode before he stopped eating it . I would have to say the recipe is a keeper, anyone can make it. I think I may try different variations but this will definitely be my basic bread. I can't wait to try a grilled cheese out of it. My son wants to make croutons...lol. I had the settings on basic with a medium crust, it took 3 1/2 hours from the time he started the machine.

This is indeed the Best Bread Machine Bread. I recently bought a bread machine and was using the recipes included with the instructions...they were pretty bad...bread hot out of the oven should taste good but these ones just had a weird almost moist cloth sort of texture. They were only bearable when they were cooled or toasted. Also they were very dense, didn't rise well (mini loaves) and could never be kept for more than a day because they got hard very quickly. I tried your recipe and was astonished with the difference. The bread is amazing warm and equally good cooled or toasted. It is so soft and will keep for days it also rose to the top of my bread machine to make a full loaf. This is how bread should be. Thanks for this great recipe I will be using it again and again.

So disheartened! First time, the bread didn't rise - realized I didn't use 'bread maker' yeast. 2nd time, even with 'bread maker' yeast, it didn't rise. Obviously, I'm the exception to the bullet and idiot proof comments but would greatly appreciate any suggestions as to what I may be doing wrong. Thank you!

YUM!! Perfect white bread! I use plain ol' yeast and plain ol' flour and prefer the taste over that made with the listed ingredients (it has the consistency of a major grocery chains famous french bread). Super simple, totally foolproof!

Great and simple recipe! Some advice from a long-time bread baker: 1) Don't worry about mixing the yeast and water in the bread machine. This is just fine! This allows you're yeast to bloom and become active, and is the norm for traditional hand methods. THE EXCEPTION is if you are using a delay cycle for your machine (i.e., throw it together in the morning, and have it start 4 hours later). 2) To keep the dough from falling apart, as a few had problems with, it's important to give the bread a 'peek' once or twice during the kneading cycle. If it is crumbly or in pieces, just add a little water about 1 teaspoon at a time. In general, a wetter load is better than a dry one. The ideal dough is still slightly tacky, yet will stay together when kneaded.

This recipe is excellent because it is so easy and flavorful. The only changes I made were: 1. Use 2.5 unbleached white flour, .5 wholemeal. 2. Use 3 tablespoons of sugar 3. Add 3 tablespoons of gluten powder (found in WholeFoods and most grocery stores) for better texture. Gluten powder will create fluffier, softer and chewier texture. It's definitely worth it. Tip: You can add in Splenda for additional sweetness. It will sweeten without affecting the texture of the bread. This bread is fine as is though, in terms of sweetness.

This recipe is wonderful! The first time I made it I did not follow the instructions, in terms of mixing the yeast with the water first. I did what my bread machine instruction booklet said: ALWAYS ADD THE YEAST AT THE END. HOWEVER... When making this a second time I followed the exact instructions of the recipe and it turned out even better! Definitely mix the yeast with the water prior to adding the other ingredients. Thanks!

I replaced most of the oil with butter, so I'm not going to rate this. But I have to say... this is probably my favorite bread that has ever come out of my bread machine! Very versatile, and a nice texture, too. I rubbed it with garlic butter and toasted it on the barbeque while I was grilling steak last night and it completed the meal. This morning I made a few pieces into french toast - delicious! Tonight we see how it stands up to clubhouse sandwiches! Thanks for this recipe Karen, it's a keeper!

This bread was outstanding!!! For those who had trouble slicing the bread, cut with an electric knife when the loaf has cooled. I also use a "bread slicing guide" for uniform slices. It's worth the investment.. believe me (SEE MY PHOTO). Also for those who use jarred BREAD MACHINE yeast, the amount is 2 teaspoons for a 1 1/2 pound loaf and 2 3/4 teaspoons for a 2 pound loaf. (Keep in mind the measurements differ for "active dry" yeast versus "bread machine yeast").Thanks for the GREAT recipe, using simple ingredients!!!

The first time making this recipe, I made some of the changes suggested in prior reviews. I increased the salt to 1.5 tsp, cut the yeast back to 2 tsp and used olive oil instead of vegetable oil. What a disaster!!! I got a rock solid lump that not only looked terrible, it tasted horrible! Figuring that the 400+ rave reviews for this recipe just couldn't be wrong, I went back and tried again. I still increased the salt to 1.5 tsp and decreased the yeast to 2 tsp, but this time I used veggie oil as called for in the recipe and I cut back the bread flour from 3 cups to 2 3/4 cups. DEEEEELISH!!! I got a perfect loaf (for the first time ever!) out of my bread machine that not only tasted great but it looked perfect! I had read a lot of the reviews that talked about the loaf over-rising and sometimes collapsing, so when it started to rise too much, I simply poked the top of the loaf a few times with a toothpick. What I ended up with was a loaf that looks as perfect as store bought but tastes better! If I was forced to say anything negative about this recipe, I would have to say that the loaf may be too light to use for sandwiches. I don't know though....we gobbled up the loaf warm out of the bread machine with lots of butter. I'll test the sandwich theory when the loaf that's in my bread machine now is done!!!

This is the best!! However I too tweaked it a bit. I add 1 1/2 tsp. salt (as others suggested) and 2 TBS Agave nectar or Honey instead of the white sugar and also 1/3 cup olive oil (instead of 1/4 vegetable oil), I also add 2TBS of dry instant milk. I use this for my basic recipe and change it up depending on what kind of bread I am making. For wheat bread I use 1 1/2 cup King Arthur Bread flour and 1 1/2 cup King Arthur Wheat Flour and add 4tsp. of Vital Wheat Gluten, and many times add either 2/3 cup sunflower seeds or flax seeds. I use the basic recipe to make french bread and just put it on the dough cycle, shape 2 French Bread loaves and let rise for about 45 min. before baking. Makes great cinnamon raisin bread too...just add raisins and cinnamon! LOVE THIS BREAD!! Only recipe you ever need.

Just like my favorite bread at Papa Vino's Italian restaurant. I made it using the dough cycle, then stretched long, thin (approx 1-1/2" diameter), it makes 2 loaves. Put in a greased french bread pan and let rise before baking at 350 deg. After it was browned and hot, we dipped into seasoned olive oil with roasted garlic in the bottom of the dish. The bread needs to be torn gently, it's very soft and it compresses down to pick up all the good garlic in the plate. Thanks for the recipe, it allowed me master a long sought out recipe!!!

What can you say, except WOW! Just like everyone else I resurrected my bread machine after 10+ years of no use. Its great as is or as a starter base. I've added seasonings to make pizza crusts, fried dough, biscuits, etc... Just a great recipe all around. Trust me, ignore any negative input about it. You'll love your machine and create lovely food! Enjoy!

I got a bread machine yesterday and this was the very first bread I've ever made. I don't know what Bread Machine Yeast is (I didn't see anything called that in my grocery store) so I used active dry yeast, but other than that I followed everything to the T. It was so easy and came out delicious. We couldn't wait to dig into it! The bread was a very light with a crisp crust on the reg. crust cycle. I was very impressed and now know that I will get tons of use out of my bread machine. I hope all my bread recipes are as tasty and easy as this one. Definitely worth trying!

FYI on the yeast: A .25oz package is equal to 2 1/4 tsp not what has been said by other reviewers. Nice bread though.

I am using a Sunbeam Model 5891 bought brand new and this was my first time ever using a bread machine. I've tried this recipe twice now and both times it collapsed while baking. The second time I added a little more salt, which was recommended by someone who had the same problem. But it still fell. But I've finally perfected this recipe, at least in MY bread machine: 1 1/4 cup water (approx. 110 degrees) 2 Tbsp sugar 2 tsp bread machine yeast Mix together in bread pan(don't forget paddle)and let proof for approx. 10 minutes. Add: 4 cups bread flour 1/4 cup oil (I use olive oil) 1 1/2 tsp salt 1 Tbsp dry milk 1 or 2 Tbsp butter (optional) Even though it's 4 cups of flour, I set my machine for light color and 1.5 lb loaf. It turns out perfect and delicious every single time. And it doesn't collapse!

Excellent

I'd felt uneasy about going against the manufacturer's instructions, when it came to mixing the yeast with water/sugar and letting it foam for ten minutes. My bread machine has an initial preheat cycle and I was worried that this prolonged waiting period might further jeopardize the effectiveness of the yeast. However, based on the 1400+ positive reviews, I felt like I had to give this recipe a try. I'm so glad I did! The bread turned out wonderful, soft and fluffy with a crunchy crust. My family loved it. I used 1/2 tsp. more salt, as previous reviewers suggested and used olive oil instead of vegetable oil. My bread maker has a 2 lbs max capacity and this recipe filled the bread pan, completely. There is no comparison between the dense white bread recipe that came with my bread maker and this one. This is the ultimate winner!

Sooooo yummy! I followed the recipe very closely except I used traditional active dry yeast instead of instant/bread machine yeast---made no difference. Will definitely make this bread again!

Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful recipe! I've had my Zojirushi bread machine for 3 years and stopped using it after the first 6 months because we absolutely hated every recipe in the manuel. Every loaf turned out brick hard for the first half inch or so all the way around the loaf. The loaves were also very packy and not light and fluffy like my mom's Wilbilt machine. I spent $200 on this machine that was supposed to be amazing, so you can imagine my disappointment. Well, I recently pulled it out of the closet and decided to try a recipe that wasn't in the owner's manuel. I couldn't believe it when you said to add the yeast directly to the water (forbidden in the manuel). Wow! Who would have EVER thought that my machine that previously had only produced bricks could produce such a soft, fluffy and oh so tasty loaf of bread!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH for saving my machine from being sold on e-bay! I am still shocked that all I had to do was find a different recipe. (I used olive oil instead of vegetable oil and apparently it didn't hurt anything because it was delicious!)

The perfect loaf of bread. We like to use the dough setting on the bread maker, then shape into a loaf, let it rise for about half an hour, and pop into the oven at 375 for 30 mins.

WOW! I tried a million variations on the recipe that came with my bread maker, but it would always collapse and come out too dense. This came out perfect the first time! Don't be scared of mixing the yeast with water first. The crust is just the right amount of flaky and the bread is very soft. The first one I made I accidentally used too much yeast (thanks to the person who posted the correct amount of jarred yeast) and the bread came out delicious, but too soft for sandwiches -- great for just ripping apart and eating, though! The right amount of yeast and substituting in some wheat flour made it firm enough for sandwiches too. I wish I could give it six stars, thanks Karen!!

Really yummy! I wanted an aromatic bread so I altered the recipe slightly by throwing in some herbs (rosemary, sage and oregano), I also added in some garlic- my house smells amazing! I did as others advised and increased the salt amount, (doubled, really)no sunken loaf for me! I will be making this again and again!

Awesome base recipe! I made a few changes based on others comments. I changed the sugar to 2 heaping TBSP of Honey, used a package of regular yeast, changed the vegetable oil to olive oil, used 2 1/2 cups of bread flour and 1/2 cup wheat flour and a rounded tsp of salt. I made the dough in my bread machine and then put in a bread pan and allowed it to rise an additional 30-40 mins. split the top and and brushed with melted butter. Baked at 350 degrees for 30-40 mins till golden brown. (Tip: place dish of boiling water in bottom of oven. makes for great crust) soo good! thanks! Recipes do not get a hand written card in my recipe box unless they are keepers and this one is already in there!

I read all the reviews and thought I would try a new recipe instead of the one I normally use. This bread did NOT come out tasting good. It tasted very bland and the crust was way too thick. I thought I may have did it wrong so I tried again and followed the instructions to the t, but again icky. I will not make this again.

This is the quickest and easiest bread machine recipe ever. Makes a perfect loaf. I replaced a cup of bread flour with whole wheat flour and that came out great, too. I recommend using the light crust setting on your machine with this recipe. If you're cost conscious you'll like knowing that this recipe costs about .55 cents per loaf to make, .60 cents for wheat...much better than even thrift store prices!

I used my bread machine for the first time and baked my first bread. I was so easy and tasty. I accidently used the wrong bake setting but it still turn out good. Maybe it would taste even better if use the right setting. Used melted butter instead of oil. (Update) Tried it using multi-purpose flour. It tasted even better with a softer texture.

I held my breath when I took the dough out because the directions are completely different from the manufacturer's. I used the dough only cycle, rapid rise yeast, and canola oil. Bread turned out perfect! When I lifted the dough out of the bread pan, I knew it was a winner by the way it felt. Baked it in a buttered 9" aluminum loaf pan for 30 mins. at 375. Brushed the top generously with melted butter before baking it which prevented the flakes. Did tent it with foil after 20 mins.s to prevent overbrowning. I was absolutely thrilled with the results! The recipe that came with my machine is no match for this recipe!!!!! Will NOT make it again. WILL make this recipe over and over.

My girlfriend and I were browsing through a Goodwill store and I happened on a Sunbeam Bread Maker, that looked brand new. For $10 I figured I couldn't go wrong. My girlfriend, on the other hand, thought I was crazy. Being from the Philippines she thought making bread was a long, arduous process. When we got home I told her to watch and learn. I found this recipe, read a couple of reviews, made a couple of changes and put it all together. She was just sitting at the table watching, probably wondering when the "real" work would start. After putting everything in the pan and dropping it into the breadmaker, I pressed a couple of buttons and turned and walked out of the kitchen saying, "that's it." "Huh? Don't you have to mix the dough?" "No, the machine will do that." "How about getting the dough to rise properly." "Uh, machine will do that." "Well, what do you have to do?" "Actually, I'm pretty much finished. The only thing to do now is wait about three hours, come back and pull the pan out and drop the bread out of it. Wait about ten to fifteen minutes and then cut it up and enjoy it with you." She didn't believe me. Three hours later she was right there by my side as I pulled the pan out of the machine and popped the bread out of the pan onto a paper towel. "Ooooooo. That looks good and it smells great." A few minutes later we each had a thick slice of bread with some Country Crock and she was completely converted. The changes I made were pretty much wh

I didn't feel like taking out my bread machine so I just made it with my kitchen aid mixer and it turned out wonderful! It was flavorful, soft and my kids DEVOURED it. If you're wondering how to do it without the bread machine: Proof your yeast with the sugar in the bowl until foamy/creamy (about 10 minute). Add the rest of the ingredients on low, then mix on high for a few minutes. Place in a well-oiled bowl covered with a damp cloth in a nice warm place (like your oven with the light turned on) and let it rise for about an hour or until doubled in size. Punch down put in well oiled bread pan and let it rise again for about half an hour or until it rises above your bread pan. Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes. On a side note I doubled the recipe, ended up using less flour than called for and added 1 and 1/2 tsp of salt for every package of yeast.

Great recipe! Nice a fluffy. I did use 1.5 tsp of salt like others have recommended. My kids love it too.

This recipe makes excellent hamburger buns. I expanded it by 1/3 (changed to servings to 16) and loaded into my Zojirushi machine letting the yeast cure first as recommended in the original. I put the Zo on the dough cycle and pulled the dough out at the end of 2nd rising, shaped the dough into ten flat buns and let them rise another 45 minutes. Baked in regular oven for 20 minutes at 400 degrees. Outstanding result.

I got a bread machine 6 yrs ago for my wedding, made a few loaves using the manufacturers instructions, and they were so dense, that it sat for all this time on the shelf. I saw this recipe and thought I'd try it. I was also scared as it is totally against what the manufacturer recommends. Boy am I glad I tried this...the bread is PERFECT...crusty on outside and soft on inside, still fairly easy to cut with a bread knife. Followed recipe to the letter except for I only used 2 tsp of yeast instead of 2 1/4, glad I did as it rose right to the window. It made a tall loaf (I have a horizontal breadmaker) but that was fine as we all fought over this bread and it was gone within 1/2 an hour! Will be using this again, and not buying expensive store bought with who knows what chemicals, and not very fresh. Thanks for this AWESOME recipe!

No bread machine needed. Very good bread.

This is the easiest and best bread I've ever made! I don't care for how my machine bakes the bread, so I opt to use just the dough setting, allow it to rise a 2nd time and then bake my own loaf or rolls in the oven. I also substitute beer for the water, for a very subtle yeastier beer flavor to the bread, which is heavenly with honey butter. Also try mixing whole garlic cloves into the bread for a really delicious garlic bread.

We took our bread machine with us on a cross country trip & made this recipe for folks we visited along the way. I've made this bread at least 25 times. It always comes out great. Only 2 modifications: 1. I decreased the bread machine yeast from 1 1/2 to slightly over 1 tsp. bread machine yeast. (Less collapse on the top of the bread.) 2. I used Canola Oil. The recipe works great with my two machines: Sunbeam 5891 & Oster 9050 I also think the Ingredients list should go: Water,Oil,Flour,Sugar,Salt,Yeast. That's the order the bread machine instructions give. Try the bread, you won't be sorry. Thanks for the original post! (Houston guy "Coopdude" whose bread collapsed, try this recipe, we have the same machine, so it should work for you. Too much yeast is usually the cause.)

This truly is the BEST bread macine loaf ever. It is made weekly in our home as I dont buy storebought bread. It slices oh so nicely, and is moist until we eat the very last piece. I did use others' suggestions of 3 Tbsp sugar, and use 1 1/2 tsp salt, sometimes I even add a Tbsp of butter extract, but every way we fix it, it is excellent. Thanks for a great recipe!!**i just today added an egg and reduced the water by 3 Tbsp. This bread is now over the top of perfection, and soft for days. (This also bakes in an oven great at 350 for about 30 minutes).

This recipe is excellent! It was my first time using my new bread machine and the bread came out better than I expected! I even used all-purpose flour instead of bread flour...

Yummy! Even substituting apple sauce for the oil and splenda for the sugar this recipe still came out very soft and good. Thanks for the great recipe, have been and will continue making this often.

Wow, great loaf of bread. Like other reviewers, I increased the salt to 1-1/2 tsp. I also buy bread machine yeast in the jar, so one packet is equivalent to 2-1/4 tsp. yeast. I used the dough cycle on my bread machine and then put the dough in an oiled bread pan, let it rise for 30 minutes, then baked for 30 minutes at 350°. It makes a soft, dense loaf, and the taste is excellent.

This recipe has me hooked! Such a fluffy white loaf compared to the other dense loaf I have made! I did up the salt to 1.5tsp like reviews said and 1 packet of yeast equals 2.5tsp! it makes a 1.5 lb loaf . My new favorite recipe for cinnamon raisin loaf also!! Same recipe mAke it the same way except when the kneading is done press pause (machine usually beats) take the loaf out roll it flat ( use a little bread flour to roll if needed) add the mix on top of the rolled put dough ( 4tbsp white sugar, 2.5 tbsp brown sugar, 2 tsp cinnamon, pinch nutmeg, 2/3 cup raisins) roll loaf back into a cylinder and tuck sides under to keep the mixture inside. Return to the pan and press start again! Last 10 minutes of baking I brush the top with cinnamon sugar butter. Will be the best gooey cinnamon raisin loaf you ever had!

This bread tastes WAY BETTER than the recipe that came with my bread machine! It's very soft, and I only rate it a 4 because I wanted it a bit softer/flakier crust.

I stopped looking at the photos when I got to 5thsister's BLT on toast and made a run for my bread machine. No disappointment here. Invited neighbor to share lunch with this homemade bread and homemade veggie/beef soup. Pure Heaven. She took the few slices of leftover bread and bread recipe home with her! Will definitely and happily do this again! Thank you!!

This bread turned out so fresh, soft, and delicious! I have made it twice and the second loaf was better than the first. I think the first loaf -I didn't let the yeast foam enough and maybe my water was too hot. Last night, I made it again and the foam was good and thick and I made sure the thermometer was right on when I let my yeast dissolve. It rose to the window! I sliced off a piece for the kiddos and they asked me why all the other breads I have been making weren't this soft? I guess this is THE bread from now on! Things I changed from the first loaf: added a dash more salt and used honey instead of sugar and olive oil instead of vegetable oil. LOVE THIS BREAD!!

Easy peasy! This was my first time using a bread machine and I'm sure it can't get any easier than this! This recipe has totally boosted my confidence up! Thanks for such a easy and great tasting recipe. The bready was soft and airy and the crust was flaky. Yummy!

One word - WOW!!! I was skeptical when I saw how few ingredients there were... and I felt like I needed to look over my shoulder at letting the yeast touch the water against my machine's instructions... but followed the recipe to the letter. Phenominal. Had three slices (with butter - yum) before it had been done 15 minutes! Fabulous recipe!

I used the dough setting on my machine and then used half of the dough for cinnamon rolls and the other half for dinner rolls. The cinnamon rolls were wonderful! I kneaded the dough a few times, then rolled it out. Then spread margerine on it, sprinkle cinnamon, white sugar, and chopped nuts. Roll it up jelly roll stlye, cut it into 4 inch slices. Put it on end in round cooking container (I use a pie plate). I then put it in the fridge overnight and put them out first thing in the morning to rise. After they have risen I bake them at 350 until brown. Then ice with simple powdered sugar icing. They were wonderful for Christmas breakfast. I then made the remainder dough into dinner rolls for Christmas dinner. The rolls were OK, but not near as good as the cinnamon rolls. This will be my recipe for cinnamon rolls, but I will keep looking for a dinner roll recipe.

This is the absolute best bread for a bread machine. It is so light and fluffy with a good taste. What I don't understand is how people change a recipe without trying the original first...then they give it a bad review. At least try the recipe as written before slamming it. Trust me...if made the way it is written you'll love this bread!!!

Great bread recipe! I also use it for breadsticks by decreasing the sugar by 1 Tbsp and using the dough cycle. You can add garlic and parmesan if you like. When dough is ready just roll out and slice into breadsticks and let rise and bake 375 for about 12-15 min.Brushing with (garlic)butter when done :)

Use the dough cycle then shape into loaves, let rise 1 hr., and bake at 350 for 35 minutes. Great white bread.

GRRREEAATT Recipe!! So easy & yummy! I've made this recupe twice, and the first time I used the bread flour and it was perfect, But...tonight I used regular flour since I was out of bread flour and it didn't turn out as well...SO, make sure you use BREAD FLOUR! Thanks for the great recipe! :) My family is enjoying it!

I made this as written, with a little additional salt and subbed honey for sugar... based on the reviews. my bread did not rise at all...not sure why.

What a beautiful loaf of bread this made! I entered it in our county fair! I also took first place !! It really is the best bread machine bread!!!

Perfect every time. I premeasure all the dry ingredients (with the exception of yeast) into ziploc bags and keep them stored away. Just add oil and water, dump in the package and it's ready to go - love, love, love it. This is my basic bread dough. I've taken it out and flattened it to make italian flat bread, I've also added cinamon and raisins for a cinammon raison bread - perfect all around!

My husband and I did not like this bread at all. I would never make it again.

I've made this recipe many times now. I first baked it exactly as listed. I found it to be a very soft loaf that rated very high with my son in comparison to several other white bread recipes I have used in the past. Now that I've found the base recipe to be stable, I then started variations. So far all of my variations have turned out just as well. Some of the variations have been a substitution of 10 grain flour mix for the bread flour. Another was all purpose flour with 1 T of gluten per 1 cup of all purpose flour. The last variation I've made was the addition of 1/2 C of granola with pumpkin seeds. It's been just perfect each time. I've not attempted adding milk or eggs to this but I will in the future. I'm very very happy and this is part of my list of successful bread machine recipes.

The bread "flopped" in the middle and partially uncooked. The bread rose so high it got stuck on the top of the maker. The only thing I did differnent is that I used 2 tsp of yeast since I did not have a package....I "thought" the package contained 2 tsp!!! My maker has a "10 cup" capacity so maybe I need to find a "smaller" recipe.....

I debated whether or not to give this bread 3 or 4 stars. I ended up with 4 stars simply because unlike a lot of other bread machine recipes I have used, this one didn't have that heavy, thick crusted consistency that all the others did. The crust was wonderfully crisp and flaky and the bread itself was light and fluffy. BUT...the bread is almost tasteless...it tasted like something was missing. I've been mulling it over and have even compared it to other recipes and I can't figure out what it is. (perhaps not enough salt??...maybe another 1/2 tsp will make a difference? Maybe EVOO instead of vegetable oil?) Also, the bread rose very, VERY high...lifted the lid of my breadmaker. Next time I may cut back on the yeast a little. But I will make this bread again because even with its flaws, it's still a good bread machine recipe.

Absolutely fabulous! Terrific flavour and so easy to substitute and play with. I would never have thought about adding the yeast to the sugar and water as it goes against every bread machine recipe on the planet but it truly makes an enormous difference in loft...it filled up my full 2 lb machine at 1.5lb setting! Not to airy...just right for a basic bread. If you want it a tad denser for sandwiches and toast drop 1/4 tsp yeast and add a smidge more sugar....try it with 3 tablespoons of fancy molasses instead of the sugar for a taste variation:)

Fantastic basic white bread - didn't change a thing.

I tried making this bread. I read all the comments about it over rising and being worried about over flow. It didn't rise at all. This has to be the worst yeast bread recipe I've seen.

Different from the machines instructions. Made a really nice loaf of bread. Yum.

This really does come out great! I followed other suggestions and subbed 1/2 cup of whole wheat flour for 1/2 cup of bread flour and used 1 1/2 tsp salt. I was surprised at how much it rose. Will be making this many more times. Thanks SHECOOKS2.

Having just received my bread machine in the mail yesterday afternoon, was really wanting to try it out and used this recipe, exactly as written. I used my candy themometer to make sure the water temperature was correct. Set machine for 1.5 pound loaf and off she took. Oh the smell as it was rising and than finally baking was like being a little girl again and being with grandma and mom as they made "fresh" homemade bread!! What wonderful memories this bread brought back to me!! Had to wait to slice this morning and sliced very nicely and evenly with a bread knife, no problems at all and taste just like what grandma use to make! Thanks, Karen, for my first successful try with my new machine!!

Just received a bread machine for Christmas and this is the one that I tried first. Excellent bread that can be used easily for sandwiches.

This recipe saved our bread machine from being recycled. Perfect bread finally. I did follow the suggestion of changing the salt to 1 1/2 tsp which is needed. Bread flour is the best, and I sometimes use 1/3 cup oil instead of 1/4 cup. Recently I started making homemade Greek yogurt and had lots of whey left over after draining it. I use 1 cup of the whey instead of water and the bread is even better! Kind of like sourdough, and full of extra protein. bread usually gets eaten up within the same day by my family.

Great recipe! As others I adjusted the salt. Also I incresed the recipe to make a 2 pound loaf. I added 1/2 cup water, 1/4 t yeast, made the oil 1/3 c, 1 cup flour and 1 t salt. The bread rose to the lid of my machine but all was well! came out light and airy!

Like this recipe needs another review :) But, what can I say that hasnt been said before? Delish! I added the 1.5t of salt as recommended by others. DH cant wait for the next loaf to come out of the machine; then he is already envisioning cinnamon-raisin and parmesan-garlic loaves in the near future. Thanks so much!

This was really easy to make, smelled heavenly while baking, and tasted great even though I used all-purpose flour instead of bread flour. The bread was easy to cut even while hot, and my kids devoured half the loaf immediately. This recipe's a keeper.

This is definately the best bread I have ever had. I use the machine to make the dough and then I transfer it to a oan and cook it in my oven. I like to separate the dough in half, roll each half into a tube shape with my hands and then twist them around each other to look like a rope-bread. I have also added about a half-cuo sugar to make a sweeter variation and also topped it at times with melted butter and garlic to go with pasta dishes. Definately a keeper.

i made a few alterations and have used some suggestions after reading some of the other reviews, and have come out with a perfect loaf!! i proof 2.25tsp TRADITIONAL yeast in the loaf pan with the water and sugar. i use 2 cups all purpose white flour, 1/2 cup whole wheat, and 1/8 cup gluten. i use 2 tsp salt and it turns out great!! (sometimes i have to add a bit more water, but i do that by eye.) this loaf rises evenly, and i don't even get the hard bottom, soft, airy top...it's airy all the way through!! highly recommended

My machine was going to be thrown out if this loaf didn't turn out right! And it did! Was good bread but I don't think I would say it was the "best"

Thank you so much for this wonderful bread recipe. I have never ever tasted such great bread from my machine. I modified the recipe too (as advised by others) - 3 tablespoon white sugar, 6 tablespoons melted salted butter, 1.5 teaspoons salt and 1.5 teaspoons yeast.

I followed BERMYROSE's alterations to this recipe, 3TB sugar, 1.5 tsp sea salt, 2.5C white flour, 1/2C whole wheat (dropped into the cup and leveled, not scooped out of the canister) and it came out PERFECT on a 3 hour light crust basic setting on my Oster 5858. I've made it this way twice now and each one was identical. The trick to this is to make sure your measurements are EXACT. Too much water, or too much yeast, or not enough salt will cause it to fall, and that is precisely why I came looking for a new white bread recipe in the first place, which landed me here. If you follow this recipe with exact measurements, you will not go wrong, it will come out great every time. I used Kirkland Sea Salt, and olive oil, store brand active dry yeast, store brand all purpose flour, and King Arthur Whole Wheat flour, started the yeast for 10 minutes before adding the oil and dry ingredients. With both loaves, I checked on it during each knead cycle and added a TB or so flour at each knead, and each came out perfect. This is a great sandwich bread, soft and fluffy, but knife sturdy on the inside, and just right on the crust for cutting without falling apart. PERFECT RECIPE!!! This recipe has 6 ingredients. Consider that next time you are in the bread isle, deciding on a store bought bread, and look at the ingredient list.

This recipe is perfect as-is. I've been using it for at least 15 years, and it has never failed to produce a loaf that is crusty on the outside and fluffy on the inside. We eat it fresh with butter or made into the BEST toast with breakfast. It's incredibly easy as well. Big thumbs up, here.

Just as it says, flaky, soft and foolproof! I added an extra 1/2tsp of salt as others had said, and I also added 1/2tsp of garlic powder, basil, thyme, and oregano. Turned out perfect and my house smells amazing! Into the recipe box this ones goes. :)

I made this for an office brunch, and it was the first item to go, over all the breakfast casseroles and pastries. Everyone told me this really was the best bread they had tasted, not to mention the smell was heavenly while it was baking. I paired it with the Cinnamon Honey Butter Spread also posted on this website, and the combination was a unbelievable.

This recipe is fool proof! I have all these ingredients on hand, which is great when I want fresh bread and not have to run to the store for special ingredients. It rises everytime (make sure flour is room temp). LOVE IT! Yum!

Great SOFT bread...the first loaf of bread that I made in a bread machine that was soft. Will now throw out all other white bread recipes...this one is a keeper AND so simple !

I usually make the white bread recipe that came with my bread machine, but it's so dense and very salty tasting. I decided to give this recipe a try and it was soooo good! It really was light and fluffy and I couldn't taste the salt. I also was worried about going against my breadmaker's instructions, but it turned out perfect. I'm excited to make it again, but next time I will just make up the dough in the machine and then bake it in the oven so it's a nicer size loaf. Thanks for the great recipe!!

This bread is AWESOME. Light, fluffy, and very tasty. Not heavy and dense like so many other loaves I have made before. Smells great while it bakes, and tastes DELICIOUS.