Last updated on April 3rd, 2025
Table of contents
About
This Home-Style White Bread Loaf is soft and tender with a golden crust and a fluffy, light crumb. I’ve taken a classic 1970’s bread loaf and gave it a modern update that’s quick and simple to make, using a stand mixer vs. kneading by hand. It is perfect to make on a cold winter day to warm up your house and eat alongside a warm bowl of soup.
The inspiration for this white bread loaf comes from my collection of James Beard cookbooks, specifically his 1973 classic “Beard on Bread.” This simple yet traditional recipe is ideal for bakers looking to blend together a few basic natural ingredients and want to bring back old-fashioned flavors back using today’s modern baking techniques.
James Beard (1903-1985) was an American chef, TV personality, and cookbook author publishing 20 cookbooks. His legacy lives on through the James Beard Foundation, founded in 1986 to honor his legacy and support chefs and culinary students.
- The original recipe called for yeast, I used instant yeast instead to speed up the process.
- Instead of using just all purpose flour I used a combination of bread flour and all purpose flour
- I increased the amount of butter to add richness into the bread loaf vs. just using to grease the bowl
- Added instant ClearJel for texture and to retail moisture to keep the loaf fresh longer
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
butter: American butter is made from churned cream that contains 80% butterfat. European butter is churned longer and has a higher fat content (82%-85%), which is why it yields more flavor.
buttermilk: Buttermilk is a cultured dairy product that adds a tangy flavor and creates tenderness in baked goods. When purchasing buttermilk, look for simple, natural ingredients such as “cultured milk”. MAKE YOUR OWN! Add 1 T. vinegar or lemon juice into a liquid measuring cup and add cream or whole milk until it reaches the 1 c. measure line and let it sit for a few minutes before use.
Dry Ingredients
Yeast: To help speed the process along, use instant yeast. I recommend SAF Gold Instant Yeast which is fast-acting and easy to use since you just mix directly with the dry ingredients. Using instant yeast also allows for quicker rising times.
sugar: Sugar is derived from sugarcane and provides sweetness to baked goods. The most common type being granulated white sugar. Cane sugar is a natural option that is less processed with a slightly courser texture.
all-purpose flour: All-purpose unbleached flour is made by grinding the seeds of the wheat plant. It contains a moderate protein content of 10-12%, making it a versatile option for baking cookies, cakes, and pastries.
bread flour: Bread flour is a type of wheat flour that has a higher protein content of 11-14%. Therefore it helps develop more gluten, providing more structure and elasticity, making it ideal for baking bead. It is perfect for making bread, rolls, and pizza crust.
ClearJel: For light and tender baked goods, I add Instant ClearJel to almost all of my baked goods. If ClearJel is hard to find, cornstarch is a good substitute. To swap: If the recipe calls for 1 T. cornstarch, use 1 1/2 T. ClearJel. If the recipe calls for 2 T. flour or tapioca, use 1 T. ClearJel.
salt: Use a fine-ground pink salt which adds essential minerals and nutrients to baked goods.
Dietary Substitutions
For the past 12+ years, I have owned an all-natural specialty bakery converting conventional recipes to gluten free, vegan, wholesome, etc. Read more about it here.
TO MAKE GLUTEN-FREE
Here are some tips for gluten free baking
- Use a premium gluten-free flour blend. You can easily convert this recipe and your other favorite recipes using my premium gluten-free flour for proven, delicious results every time.
- Be sure to let the batter rest to help eliminate grittiness. Even letting the batter sit 15 minutes will yield a light and tender baked good. You can let batter sit in the fridge overnight, and up to 3 days.
- Add 1-2 tablespoons additional buttermilk to help hydrate the flour.
- Reduce the oven temperature by at least 25° to bake low and slow, since gluten-free flour is delicate and tend to burn before the center is cooked through.
- Gluten-free baked goods have a shorter shelf-life than conventional baked goods and dry out faster. Store in airtight container on counter 1-2 days, refrigerate 3-5 days, or seal in plastic and place in a freezer-safe container for up to 6 months. After pulling the container from the freezer, bring to room temperature before opening the lid.
TO MAKE VEGAN/DAIRY FREE
- Use oil or swap out the butter with unsalted vegan butter sticks.
- Replace the dairy with unsweetened oat or almond milk or just use all water.
Equipment
Recommended tools: (affiliate links)
Storage
Baked Loaf: Cover in air-tight container and leave on counter up to 3 days. To freeze, cover in saran wrap and place in freezer-safe container up to 6 months. Thaw on counter in the container for 1/2 hour before opening up the container.
Home-Style Bread Loaf
Ingredients
DRY INGREDIENTS
- 3 ¾ c. unbleached flour
- 1 T. instant ClearJel or cornstarch
- 2 ¼ tsp. instant yeast one packet
- 2 tsp. sugar
- 2 tsp. salt
WET INGREDIENTS
- ¼ c. unsalted butter room temp
- 1 ½ c. warm milk (110°)
- ¼ c. warm water (110°)
Equipment
Instructions
PREP
- Gather equipment. Grease 9x5x3 bread pan with non-stick spray or butter.
- Warm up the water in microwave until it reaches 110°.
- Mix together buttermilk and butter in large liquid measuring cup or bowl. Put in microwave until it reaches 110°.
DOUGH
- Place yeast, sugar, and warm water in mixer bowl with the dough attachment and mix together.
- Add flour and salt and mix together.
- Add in warm milk and butter and mix for about 10 minutes until the dough pulls away from sides of bowl and is no longer sticky. Remove dough from the bowl and use butter or oil to grease the bowl. Put dough back in and roll it around until all coated. Cover with saran wrap or towel.
PROOF
- Let rise in a warm place about 1 hour-1 1/2 hours. The dough is ready when it doubles in size or touches the saran wrap.
- Place dough onto a board or counter dusted with flour and knead by hand to shape into a rectangle. Roll up and place in bread loaf pan. Cover with saran wrap or towel.
SECOND PROOF
- Let rise in a warm place another 45 minutes-1 hour. The loaf is ready when it reaches slightly above the top of the bread pan.
BAKE
- Bake at 400° for 15 minutes. Reduce oven to 375° and bake an additional 25-30 minutes until center is 210°.
- Let bread cool before slicing. Cover and store in airtight container and keep on counter 1-2 days, refrigerator for 3-5 days or freeze up to 6 months.
Notes
– Storage: Gluten-free baked goods do not have the same shelf-life as conventional baked goods. Store in airtight container on counter 1-2 days, refrigerate 3-5 days, or seal in plastic and place in freezer safe container for up to 6 months. When freezing, allow to come to room temperature before opening the container. TO MAKE VEGAN – In place of the buttermilk, use unsweetened oat, coconut or almond milk
– Use canola oil or vegan sticks instead of butter. I like Country Crock Olive Oil sticks.
– To replace the egg, add 1 tsp. soda to the batter with 1 T. vinegar poured on top of the soda.
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Leave a comment below and let me know how it turned out for you!
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