I Kneaded This: My Bread Redemption Arc
Homemade White Bread: Or, How I Made Peace With Yeast
Listen, I can whip up 4 dozen chocolate chip cookies with my eyes closed and one hand tied behind my back (probably holding a Deep Eddy lemon press, if we’re being honest). But bread? Bread has been my final baking boss. The Big Bad. The yeasty beast that simply Would. Not. Rise.
We’ve been in a years-long standoff, me and bread dough. I’d approach it with good intentions and a dreamy Pinterest mindset, and it would respond by sulking in the bowl like a sad pancake. Flat. Heavy. Emotionally damaging.
So for a while, I just… bowed out. Shelved the whole “homemade bread” thing. Let other people post their cloud-like loaves and golden crusts while I stood in the store aisle side-eyeing the sandwich bread and wondering, Is this the life I chose?
But recently, I had a moment. I felt that old, stubborn kitchen spark. I left bread OFF the grocery list on purpose (the ultimate act of manifestation, obviously) and declared, “It’s me and you, dough. No more running.”
And y’all… SHE. ROSE. I got two fluffy, warm, soft loaves of homemade white bread that looked like they came straight outta a cozy countryside bakery and not my chaotic kitchen. If I can do it, with my flour covered leggings and questionable history with yeast, you absolutely can too.
So here’s the recipe. I pinky promise it’s beginner-friendly, and the vibes? Immaculate.
🌾 Soft + Fluffy White Bread
You’ll Need:
1 ⅔ cups lukewarm water, divided
2 ¼ tsp instant yeast (or active dry yeast)
1 tsp sugar
1 tbsp honey (or just more sugar, if that’s your jam)
1 tsp salt
1 ½ tbsp unsalted butter, cubed and room temp
4 ½ cups all-purpose flour, divided
1 ½ tbsp melted butter (for brushing your golden goddess loaves)
🥣 Let’s Bake:
In your stand mixer bowl (fitted with the dough hook, obviously), mix the yeast, sugar, and half the lukewarm water. Let it get bubbly and foamy for 5–10 minutes (if you’re using active dry yeast, wait a bit longer—15 mins). This is the yeast’s dramatic little entrance.
Add the rest of the water, the honey, salt, cubed butter, and 4 cups of flour. Mix on low speed until the dough comes together. It should be soft and a little tacky, but not like, cling-to-your-hands sticky. Add more flour as needed. Keep kneading for 6–9 minutes until the dough is smooth and starts pulling away from the sides like a diva making her exit.
Transfer dough to a greased bowl and roll it around like a cozy dough burrito so it’s fully coated. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm, draft-free place for about 45 minutes—until it’s puffy and doubled in size. You’re looking for “bread baby” energy.
Gently turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Divide it into two equal pieces. Press each into an 8x12” rectangle and gently press out air bubbles. Starting from the short end, roll tightly, pinch the seams, and tuck the ends underneath. Place each loaf into a greased 8x4” loaf pan, seam-side down. Cover and let rise again for 45 minutes in a cozy corner.
Preheat oven to 390°F (yes, oddly specific—trust the process) and make sure your rack is in the lower-middle spot.
Bake for 25–30 minutes until beautifully golden and the internal temp hits 208–210°F. You can also tap the bottom and listen for that hollow thump—the sound of success.
Let the loaves cool on a wire rack, brush the tops with melted butter (this is the glow-up moment), and try—TRY—to let them cool before slicing.
🍞 Final Thoughts From Your Bread-Formerly-Fearing Blogger:
There’s nothing like slicing into a loaf you ade, smearing on some butter (or homemade jam if you’re feeling ✨extra✨), and realizing… this is power. This is what barefoot dreams are made of.
So light a candle, play some folk tunes, and let the scent of warm bread fill your kitchen and your soul.
Next up? I’m eyeing cinnamon rolls. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves.
