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This bread machine bread recipe is the foolproof method for getting perfect white bread every time! Just dump in all the ingredients and let the bread maker do all the work! With about 5 minutes of minimal effort you can have soft, warm bread in just a couple of hours!
The Best Bread Machine Bread Recipe
My good friend Abby makes THE BEST bread. A few years ago I convinced her to let me in on her secret, and to my surprise, she simply stated that the secret is that she uses her bread machine. Seriously!? I honestly didn’t believe her at first, because bread machine bread just isn’t usually good (compared to the classic, manual-rising, oven-baked variety)! I’ve attempted making bread in a bread machine at least a dozen times and it always came out dry and hard, and just not quite right. Well, she proved me wrong. Now making bread/dough in the bread machine is my VERY favorite way to make homemade bread. Trust me, you are going to love how easy and delicious this recipe is!
The Secret to Bread Maker Bread
Bread machines are SO convenient. You just put everything right in, push go, and they do all the work for you! The mixing, the kneading, the rising, the baking – everything! Where a bread machine falls short is in the “baking” part. When it comes to baking bread, the bread machine is not your friend. So what is to be done? Shhh.. I’m going to let you in on the secret. Here’s what you do: Let the bread machine do all the mixing, kneading, and rising. Then dump the dough in a bread pan, put it in a COLD oven (no preheating, YAY!), turn the oven on and bake. It’s THAT easy. Just these few little steps make a world of difference!
How to Make Bread using a Bread Machine (Step by Step)
- First, place 1 cup VERY hot water, 1 egg, 4 tablespoons cold butter, ¼ cup sugar, and 1 ¼ teaspoons salt in the bread machine. No need to mix or anything, just put it all straight in.
- Next, Add 3 cups flour directly to the bread maker. Make a small well in the flour with your hand and add yeast to the well.
- Set bread machine to “dough” for 90 minutes (it should default to 1 hour 30 minutes) and press “start”.
- When your dough is finished, pour it straight into a greased bread pan. If you want to make it look pretty, you can turn it so a smooth side is facing up. Then just tuck down any unruly edges.
- Place the bread pan in the COLD oven. No preheating necessary!
- Set temperature to 350-degrees and set timer for 30 minutes. The bread will rise and bake in this time.
- Remove baked bread from the oven and remove quickly from pan. Place on a cooling rack and brush with butter. Cover with a towel or place in a plastic Ziplock bag to keep from drying out.
What Bread Maker is Best?
Honestly, it doesn’t really matter what kind of bread machine you have. We got the cheapest bread maker on Amazon that had decent reviews. I think it was under $100. Any basic bread maker will do the trick. Just make sure it has a “dough” option so it will stop once the dough is done.
Adapting to Make More Bread Machine Recipes:
We have used this exact dough recipe for all sorts of recipes. Sometimes you have to knead it with some flour to get the right consistency depending on what you are making, but it works like a charm in these recipes:
Gino’s Deep Dish Pizza
Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
Parmesan Pull Apart Bread
Pani Popo (Samoan Coconut Rolls)
BBQ Cilantro Pizza
Quick and Easy Calzones
Caramel Monkey Bread
Pesto Rolls
Fry Bread
Bread Twists
Read more: 35+ Dinner Ideas
Frequently Asked Questions
Bread machines usually call for ‘bread flour’. The main difference between bread flour and all-purpose flour is the gluten content (bread flour has more gluten). All-purpose flour is absolutely fine to use! Your loaf of bread may not rise as spectacularly as it would with the bread flour, but there really isn’t much of a difference.
YES! Not only is it cheaper, but you know exactly what is going into it! No mystery ingredients in your sandwich bread.
Broken down, the savings look like this: The average cost of a loaf of basic white bread is around $4 (more or less), making it yourself costs about $1.
(It also tastes better!)
Nope! Just make sure you are using a quick-rise yeast for it to work best. In this recipe, we just use all-purpose flour. No need to spend extra getting special ingredients.
Bread Machine Bread
Video
Ingredients
- 1 cup water, (very hot)
- 1 egg
- 4 tablespoons butter, (cold- not softened)
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
- 3 cups flour, (you can use either all-purpose or bread flour)
- 1 tablespoon quick-rise yeast
Instructions
- Place hot water, egg, butter, sugar, and salt in bread machine.
- Add 3 cups flour. Make a small well in the flour and add yeast.
- Set bread machine to "dough" for 90 minutes (1 hour 30 minutes) and start.
- When dough is finished. Pour directly into a greased bread pan. If needed, gently turn the bread or tuck in the edges so the top is smooth (it's ok if it is sticky).
- Place bread in COLD oven and set oven to 350 degrees. Set timer for 30 minutes.
- When finished baking, remove from oven and carefully remove bread from the pan.
- Place on a baking rack to cool and brush the top with butter. Place a towel over the bread or place in a plastic Ziplock bag to keep from drying out.
- Serve immediately or place in a plastic Ziplock bag to keep from drying out.
If Making Rolls:
- Remove dough from bread machine and place on a floured surface.
- Knead in a little flour if dough is too sticky to handle.
- Divide dough into 12 equal pieces. Fold and pinch into dough balls and place in a greased 9×13 glass baking dish.
- Place in a COLD oven and set to 350 degrees. Set timer for 25 minutes.
- Remove rolls from oven and brush with butter.
Equipment
- Bread Machine
Notes
- using as a crust to spread with jams, from raspberry to fig to cherry, and drizzled with honey
- toasting and slathering with garlic and cheese, and pairing with soups, salads, and vegetables
- your favorite new sandwich
- French toast, a morning staple
- and finally, the classic bread and butter, not to be overlooked.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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How do you drop an egg in VERY HOT WATER and it not be at least a partially cooked scrambled egg in your bread? (Yuk)Also is the purpose of dropping cold butter in the hot water to melt it before kneading begins? I find your method intriguing and would love to try it but I am
skeptical about the results of beginning with dropping an egg in hot water.
You don’t want the water to be boiling, just as hot as your tap water will get. When you put it in the bread machine it cools the water almost immediately until it is just very warm. I have never had the egg cook because of the water. And yes, the water is warm enough that it will melt the butter.
But I would never use tap water for bread, I don’t even use tap water making noodles most times. Very hot water is boiling to me. I want to know why make the dough in the bread maker and not just let it cook the bread? Is there a reason it’s better to place it in the oven?
In this case you can boil the water and then allow it to cool until it is only very hot, not scalding. I responded to your last comment with my reasoning for baking it in the oven, but if you would like to keep it in the bread machine, you can. If you read through the comments, hundreds of people have had success with this recipe. If you are wary of it you can absolutely bake it your own way or make a bread recipe from your bread machine’s manual.
hello
first timer making this bread . i used bread flour i hope i am doing it right.
i am worried ..
Bread flour is fine! I hope your bread turns out great!
I’ve been wanting to dust off my bread machine and this recipe was perfect! The texture was perfect and it tasted better than store bought! A lot of people have commented on it being baked in the oven rather than the machine. I baked mine in the machine because I didn’t have a bread pan. It comes out perfect as far as texture and taste but the size is made for Hungry Jack! The loaf is significantly larger than a “normal” loaf of bread. My husband and I were able to share a sandwich because the slices were so big. I cut the slices in half and put garlic butter on them and put them in the air fryer on 370 for about 7 minutes. Perfect garlic bread! I have since bought a bread pan and plan on making another batch today and baking it in the oven. I would like to only cook half the dough though since it’s just my husband and I. Would I be able to keep the other half in the freezer for future use?
I would suggest baking the bread and then putting it in the freezer. If you freeze the dough, you will have to thaw it and then let it fully rise before baking. We haven’t tested this recipe for freezing the dough so I can’t say for sure.
Why would say bread machine bread and referring to bake it in Pan. This is misleading for first time bakers
The far majority of this recipe is done in the bread machine. The mixing, the rising, the kneading… you use a bread machine for all of it. You can absolutely keep the dough in the machine and have it bake in there if you would prefer. It just doesn’t come out near as good. I have never baked a bread in the bread machine that comes out as good as this recipe and I have made dozens of them. Again, it is totally up to you.
But what makes it different? Thank you for your answers. Is it less dense or what? I don’t have a bread pan and as a new baker I would’ve just trusted the recipie was actually for the bread to be cooked in the bread maker also not that it’s going to go into the oven. I wouldn’t understand what settings to use for the bread maker vs oven. (Instructions lost a long while back).
Reminds me of when I read a recipe that’s listed as taking ten minutes butin reality you have to spend half an hour just prepping, perhaps waiting for something to rise etc. It feels deceptive.
Hi Lisa- Every time I have baked bread in the actual bread machine, the crust is dense and dry. I think it bakes too close to the heat source in the bread machine for it to actually bake right. You can absolutely bake it in the bread machine if you would prefer. It will still be a decent bread, just not as good as if you transfer it to the oven.
🤦🏼♀️
Is that all purpose flour or bread flour??
You can actually use either one. I have had success with both.
I love this recipe! I’ve been making it every week. Is there a variation that would work to use whole wheat flour instead? Or even half and half?
Yes, just make sure that it is whole wheat bread flour.
This recipe was quick and easy. It had great texture and taste.
So glad to hear you liked it!
I am looking for a bread without a lot of sugar in it would it still be the same if I left the sugar out? Has anyone tried leaving the sugar out?
I haven’t left the sugar out so I can’t say for sure. If you read through the comments, some people have used honey instead. Is this something that could work for you?
You actually need sugar for the yeast to activate I have a recipe for machine low sugar
1cup warm water ,1/4 oil,1pk active yeast,2tablespoons sugar 1teaspoon salt,3cups flour all in bread machine
It’s delicious try it in the bread machine
I did on accident and it tasted good!
Im unsure what im doing wrong. I did this exact recipe twice. Once using bread flour, once using All purpose flour. It falls apart when I cut into it. Some parts seem to not be cooked all the way through. Im unsure what im doing wrong.
This is definitely unusual since this bread usually comes out just right every time. It could be an elevation issue or an oven issue (have you checked the accuracy of your oven?) If it’s not cooked all the way through, you can cover it with foil and bake another 5 minutes or until it’s cooked through all the way.
Came out sooo soft and delicious. I am very pleased with this recipe so thank you!
You are very welcome! So glad this bread turned out so well for you!
This is my go to recipe for my bread dough! It always turns out perfectly and I have been making bread since I was very young.
Glad this is a winner for you! I love how the bread machine gets the dough just perfect. Totally foolproof!
i have a question: why would you use an extra pan when the ingredients are already in the machine that can bake the bread?
I haven’t tried that before but you certainly can. I don’t like how the bread bakes in the bread machine. It doesn’t come out right no matter what I try. My bread machine pan is more vertical than wide so the bread comes out looking kind of boxy instead of a traditional loaf.
I was very skeptical of this recipe, but decided to try it anyway. It is so simple and so good! It literally is so easy, you just throw the ingredients in and push start on your bread machine. I have always preheated my oven, but I followed her instructions and did not. 30 minutes later a perfect loaf I have made this several times and every time it comes out perfect thanks for a great recipe. This is a new family favorite.
I am so glad this recipe was a hit for you! Thanks for taking the time to come back and leave such a nice comment. And thanks for the 5-stars!
What size loaf pan did you use?
I use a standard loaf pan which is 8 ½ x 4 ½ x 2 ½ inches.
My family called this “all time”
Love this recipe and make it multiple times a week! if I’m making multiple batches, can I refrigerate dough until ready to bake? (specifically rolls) and then bring to room temperature before baking?
Absolutely! After the dough cycle, shape into rolls and refrigerate up to 24 hours, making sure the rolls are covered they don’t dry out. Let sit at room temp 30–60 minutes before baking. Hope this helps!
Can this be baked in Dutch oven in oven, instead of in bread pan
I haven’t baked this in a Dutch oven before so I can’t say for sure. I’m not sure how I would adjust the time and temperatures to accomodate a Dutch oven. It might take some experimenting. If you try it, let me know how it turns out!
I had big doubts this would actually work and turn out. I also have always disliked the taste and texture of bread machine bread. Very hot water? Sugar? Cold oven? I was thinking this is never going to work. MAKE THIS NOW! I was very wrong. I followed the recipe exactly. It is an amazing loaf of bread! Soft, light, fluffy, and very tasty! Thanks Erica for such a great recipe.
Thanks Brandi! I’m glad you trusted it enough to give it a try. Thank you so much for letting us know it was a success for you. 🙂
Thank you so much for this recipe! It is delicious! Finally a bread my boys want to make a sandwich with. They love it and I’m happy to give them a healthier version of “white bread”. The consistency is perfect!
Yay! So glad this was a hit with your boys. It’s always an extra win when kids approve haha
The entire purpose of a read machine os to not have to use the oven. This is not a true bread machine recipe a d should not be labeled as such.
You can definitely use it to run the full cycle. The bread machine is the only kind of machine that will mix, time, and allow the dough to rise and it is needed to complete this recipe. It is just finished off in the oven. However, if you want to have it also bake the bread, by all means, allow it to bake the bread, it just won’t come out as nice as when it is baked in the oven.
What kind of flour? Bread? AP? Does it matter?
Honestly I just use AP flour and it works great! I’m sure bread flour would be great too. 🙂
Love this recipe. I am wanting to make it in my 2.2 Pullman loaf pan. In order for the pan to be full would you recommend increasing the recipe to 1.5 what it is or doubling?
I had to look this up because I wasn’t sure. A 2.2-pound Pullman loaf pan can hold approximately 2.5-3 pounds of bread dough.