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    Home » Savory Breads and Biscuits

    The Easiest White Bread Recipe

    Published: May 23, 2020 Updated: May 30, 2020 by Alison Andrews This post may contain affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Vegan White Bread

    The easiest recipe for homemade vegan white bread on the planet! It’s not only super easy, but it results in a perfectly soft and delicious loaf. No kneading required!

    Sliced loaf of white bread on a wooden board.

    One of our very popular posts on this blog is our whole wheat bread recipe. That recipe does not require any kneading and is so simple that even people who have never baked anything before in their lives end up with a perfect loaf the very first time!

    But one of the things I was often asked was: would it work as white bread? And honestly I didn’t know because I hadn’t got around to testing it.

    But somehow I didn’t think it would work. I somehow thought that the ‘mojo’ of the recipe was in that whole wheat flour. Because SURELY it can’t be that easy to make white bread too.

    But I finally got around to testing this recipe, based on our recipe for whole wheat bread, but using all purpose flour for a white bread version rather than whole wheat flour and to my utter amazement it worked perfectly!

    It creates a wonderfully soft and perfectly delicious white bread. It’s also super flexible so if you want to mix up some whole wheat flour in there too for an equally soft and delicious brown bread, you can do that too.

    It’s a little less hearty than our totally whole wheat loaf, but it still has that wonderful homemade rustic loaf thing going on that just makes it irresistible.

    There’s nothing better than a fresh loaf of bread eaten warm straight from the oven. Have it with a homemade vegan lentil soup and go straight to heaven.

    Or just eat it with vegan butter and strawberry jam – one of my favorite ways to eat it.

    And if you love easy bread recipes then also check out our vegan soda bread and vegan focaccia.

    Slices of white bread on a wooden board.

    How To Make Homemade White Bread

    You will find full instructions and measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. This is a summary of the process to go along with the process photos.

    • Add all purpose flour, instant yeast (rapid rise yeast) and salt to your mixing bowl.
    • Mix them together.
    Collage of two photos showing dry ingredients added to mixing bowl and mixed.
    • Now mix two teaspoons of maple syrup with two cups of warm (not hot) water and pour it over the dry ingredients.
    • Add olive oil.
    • Mix into a dough. Don’t knead it or overmix it. Just mix until mixed.
    Two photo collage showing wet ingredients added to mixing bowl and mixed into a dough.
    • Transfer to a 9×5 loaf pan (sprayed with non-stick spray and lined with parchment paper on the bottom) and smooth down.
    • Cover and leave to rise for 20-30 minutes or until it has risen to the top of your loaf pan or just before the top.
    Two photo collage showing bread dough in a loaf pan and covered with a lid.
    • Bake at 390°F for 40 minutes.
    Two photo collage showing bread in a loaf pan before and after baking.
    • Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes before removing from the loaf pan and placing on a wire cooling rack to cool before slicing and serving.
    Freshly baked bread on a wire cooling rack.

    Ingredient Notes

    All Purpose Flour: This recipe uses 4 cups of all purpose flour for a white bread loaf. You can use a mix of all purpose flour and whole wheat flour or brown bread flour to create a soft brown bread. We discuss the variations below.

    Instant Yeast: This is also called rapid rise yeast and this is the reason that this bread rises so quickly and is also one of the things that makes it really easy.

    If you can’t get hold of instant yeast and need to use active dry yeast instead, you can do so, but the method is slightly different and involves dissolving the active dry yeast in the warm water, which needs to be 105°F. We don’t need to be this precise with our water temp when using instant yeast. This article from Cooks Illustrated discusses how to substitute active dry yeast for instant yeast.

    Maple Syrup: This can be replaced with another kind of syrup such as agave nectar or really any sweetener.

    Warm Water: This must be warm and NOT hot. Above lukewarm, but warm to the touch and not hot.

    Olive Oil: You can likely use any oil here but we used extra virgin olive oil.

    Loaf of freshly baked bread on a wooden board.

    Flour Variations

    You can make this with 4 cups of all purpose flour as per the recipe. But you can also make variations such as:

    • 3 cups all purpose flour, 1 cup whole wheat flour
    • 2 cups all purpose flour, 2 cups whole wheat flour
    • 1 cup all purpose flour, 3 cups whole wheat flour

    You can also use different flours such as brown bread flour, white whole wheat flour, whole wheat pastry flour and likely other flours too, but you would have to make it an experiment.

    Loaf of bread with slices cut on a wooden board.

    Recipe Tips

    Rising Time:

    We have found this to be variable depending on the freshness of your yeast and the weather conditions. Very fresh yeast and warm weather results in a quick rise of about 20 minutes. I had some yeast that had been sitting in my cupboard for a while and that batch plus a colder day resulted in a rise that took closer to 40 minutes. So be flexible and keep an eye on it.

    Make Vegan Gluten Free Bread:

    We tested this recipe for gluten-free as well, using a gluten-free all purpose flour blend in the same quantity as regular flour (4 cups/500g). And I must say, I had my doubts, but it worked! We had a delicious soft loaf of vegan gluten free bread. A couple of caveats:

    • This must be a gluten-free all purpose blend!
    • Let the bread cool completely before slicing. We found it to be quite gluey in texture while still warm, which made me think we had a flop on our hands, but once completely cooled, the gluey texture disappeared and we had a lovely soft bread.
    • For an even softer loaf, increase the olive oil by a tablespoon or two.
    • It’s best on the day of baking. By the second day it’s hard as a rock. If you use extra oil, it lasts a bit longer. But it’s still good to take whatever you don’t finish on the first day and slice and freeze so you can make toast.
    • It makes great toast! So enjoy it on the day of baking as bread or toast but from then on, it’s best as toast only.
    Loaf of bread with slices cut on a wooden board.

    Storing and Freezing

    This is a fresh is best kind of situation and the day of baking is when this bread is at its absolute best. The second day it’s perfectly edible but not as good and it makes good toast. The third day it’s good as toast only and that is the end of the shelf life of this bread.

    If you think you’ll take longer than 3 days to finish it, then you can slice it and freeze it and make toast with it straight from the freezer. It makes really good toast so this is a good option.

    Slices of buttered bread in a stack on top of a wooden board.

    More Vegan Bread Recipes

    1. Whole Wheat Bread
    2. Vegan Beer Bread
    3. Vegan Zucchini Bread
    4. Vegan Soda Bread
    5. Vegan Naan
    6. Vegan Cornbread

    Did you make this recipe? Be sure to leave a comment and rating below!

    Slices of white bread on a wooden board.

    The Easiest White Bread Recipe

    The easiest recipe for homemade white bread on the planet! It’s not only super easy, but it results in a perfectly soft and delicious loaf. No kneading required!
    4.91 from 11 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Savory, Side
    Cuisine: American
    Diet: Vegan
    Prep Time: 30 minutes
    Cook Time: 40 minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
    Servings: 16
    Calories: 125kcal
    Author: Alison Andrews

    Ingredients

    • 4 cups All Purpose Flour (500g)
    • 1 Packet Instant Yeast 2 ¼ teaspoons
    • 1 tsp Salt
    • 2 tsp Maple Syrup
    • 2 cups Warm Water (480ml)
    • 1 Tbsp Olive Oil Extra Virgin
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    Instructions

    • Spray a 9×5 loaf pan with non-stick spray and line the bottom with parchment paper. 
    • Add the all purpose flour, instant yeast and salt to your mixing bowl and mix them together. 
    • Add the maple syrup to the warm (not hot) water and mix it in and then pour it over the dry ingredients.
    • Add the olive oil. 
    • Mix into a dough. Don’t knead it or overmix it. Just mix until mixed.
    • Transfer to your prepared loaf pan and smooth down. 
    • Cover the loaf pan and leave the bread to rise for 20-30 minutes or until it has risen to the top of your loaf pan or just before the top.
    • Preheat the oven to 390°F (200°C). 
    • When the bread has risen place into the oven and bake for 40 minutes.  
    • Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes before removing from the loaf pan and placing on a wire cooling rack to cool before slicing and serving.  

    Notes

    1. Measure your flour correctly using the spoon and level method (spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level off the top with a knife, don’t pack it in and don’t scoop it) or weigh it on a food scale. 
    2. Instant yeast is also called rapid rise yeast.
    3. The maple syrup can be replaced with another kind of syrup such as agave nectar or another syrup.
    4. The water must be warm and NOT hot. Warmer than lukewarm but WARM to the touch and not hot.
    5. You can likely use any oil such as vegetable oil or canola oil instead of olive oil. 
    6. The rising time can be variable depending on the freshness of your yeast and the weather conditions. Very fresh yeast and warm weather results in a quick rise of about 20 minutes. If your yeast is older and the weather is colder this can be 30 minutes or even up to 40 minutes. Be flexible and keep an eye on it. You just want the bread to rise as high as the top of your loaf pan or close to that. 
    7. Flour Variations: You can make this with 4 cups of all purpose flour as per the recipe or with variations such as: 3 cups all purpose flour, 1 cup whole wheat flour; or 2 cups all purpose flour, 2 cups whole wheat flour; or 1 cup all purpose flour, 3 cups whole wheat flour. You can also use different flours such as brown bread flour, white whole wheat flour, whole wheat pastry flour and likely other flours too, but this would be up to you to experiment with those. 
    8. This bread is BEST on the day of baking. The second day it’s better as toast and the third day it’s good as toast only and that is the final day of shelf life for this bread. It is freezer friendly so if you think you’ll take longer than 3 days to finish it, then slice it and freeze it and make toast straight out of the freezer. It does make very good toast!
    9. Make It Gluten-Free: We tested this with a gluten-free all purpose flour blend and it worked! So you can make this with a gluten-free baking blend in the same quantity (4 cups/500g) as all purpose flour. See the blog post for further notes about making this gluten-free.  
    10. Prep time includes 20 minutes spent rising. 

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1Slice | Calories: 125kcal | Carbohydrates: 24.6g | Protein: 3.5g | Fat: 1.1g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 148mg | Fiber: 0.9g | Sugar: 0.6g
    DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? Rate it & leave your feedback in the comments section below, or tag @lovingitvegan on Instagram and hashtag #lovingitvegan
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    About the Author

    Hi I'm Alison Andrews, I'm the voice and cook behind Loving It Vegan. I love making delicious vegan food and creating vegan versions of all your old favorites, so that you’ll never feel like you’re missing out. Find out more about me here.

    Loving It Vegan is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. This site may contain some of these links to Amazon.com. If you make a purchase through one of those links, Loving It Vegan will receive a small commission from the purchase at no additional cost to you.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. RiaSunflower says

      June 07, 2022 at 12:29 pm

      I made this bread last night with a little whole wheat flour mixed in, fresh rosemary and sunflower seeds. Served as toast for a light lunch.

      Voted 10/10 in my household.

      I have a fan oven so most of my recipes cook faster than your recommended times. Not sure if I should lower the temperature sometimes? Still practice makes perfect.

      Many thanks. 🙂5 stars

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        June 08, 2022 at 11:24 am

        So glad it worked out great! Yes, for a fan oven the temperature should be 40°F (20°C) less than for a conventional oven. So in the case of this recipe, you can do it at 350°F (180°C).

        Reply
        • RiaSunflower says

          June 09, 2022 at 2:22 pm

          Many thanks for your reply. I’ll cook the next loaf at 180°C and lower by 20 degrees for the rest of your wonderful, delicious, vegan recipes.5 stars

          Reply
    2. Lily says

      December 11, 2021 at 11:04 pm

      Can I use Bob’s Red Mill GF 1:1 flour? Also I only have an 8×4 loaf pan how should I adjust the baking time? Hope to hear back from you!

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        December 13, 2021 at 10:59 am

        Hi Lily, yes this recipe actually works well with a gluten free flour blend and Bob’s is a good blend. I’m not sure about the smaller loaf pan and how that will impact things. It may increase the baking time, but just keep a check on it.

        Reply
    3. Geraldine Pike says

      October 12, 2021 at 2:15 pm

      I was very skeptical about this recipe as I have tried a lot of bread recipes that were not to my liking. So glad i just did it, it was amazing. I just could not stop eating it. The texture is great, the taste is great. Now I can have my bread and eat it in less time that it would take for me to go buy the bread.4 stars

      Reply
    4. Maria says

      September 05, 2021 at 1:58 pm

      THIS BREAD IS SOOO GOOD!!!! My son and I made it and it was quick, easy and incredibly good! 3 days later it’s still just as good!! Highly recommend it – also as rolls! SO GOOD!5 stars

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        September 06, 2021 at 11:53 am

        Yay! Thanks so much Maria!

        Reply
    5. Anna says

      February 01, 2021 at 2:49 pm

      Easy and delicious recipe!!5 stars

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        February 01, 2021 at 3:15 pm

        Thanks so much Anna!

        Reply
    6. Maureen Mcgachan says

      December 27, 2020 at 1:25 pm

      I just made this bread , I messed up flour only put 2 cups flour in and realised so added 2 more cups after mixing it ! I WAS THINKING THIS WONT WORK ! it did work to my amazement and its so nice. I love this sight I’ve made a few of your recipes.
      Maureen Happy Xmas

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        December 28, 2020 at 10:16 am

        So glad it worked out! Thanks so much Maureen and Merry Christmas to you too! 🙂

        Reply
      • Maureen McGachan says

        December 30, 2020 at 11:45 am

        Hi can I leave out the syrup ? Has anyone tried that ?

        Reply
        • Alison Andrews says

          December 31, 2020 at 10:26 am

          Generally yeast needs a little sugar to work properly and for the bread to rise.

          Reply
    7. Heike says

      July 09, 2020 at 11:01 am

      So simple and turned out brilliantly!5 stars

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        July 09, 2020 at 11:41 am

        Awesome! Thanks Heike!

        Reply
    8. ELENA says

      June 10, 2020 at 6:15 am

      The easiest bread recipe. It’s true! I bake it quite often and i love it because it is fluffy ans still good to eat after 3 days. Thank you 🙂5 stars

      Reply
    9. Anna says

      June 01, 2020 at 6:01 am

      I could not believe that making this simple recipe with gluten free flour could work, but it did! What an amazingly simple recipe! Thank you Alison for making life so much easier for us vegan, gluten free peeps!5 stars

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        June 01, 2020 at 9:23 am

        I was honestly amazed myself! So glad it worked out well for you too! Thanks for the great review Anna. 🙂

        Reply
    10. Elle says

      May 29, 2020 at 5:28 pm

      Can I change the Instant Yeast for Active Dry Yeast??

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        May 30, 2020 at 10:05 am

        Yes you can, the method is just slightly different and you would need to dissolve the yeast in the warm water, which needs to be 105°F. See this article from Cooks Illustrated that discusses using active dry yeast in place of instant yeast.

        Reply
    11. Vilma says

      May 24, 2020 at 5:08 am

      I would like to know if it works with gluten free flour.

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        May 25, 2020 at 9:17 am

        I’m not sure. My feeling is no! But I could be wrong. We are going to test it and will update the recipe when we do. 🙂

        Reply
    12. amanning says

      May 23, 2020 at 4:08 pm

      Can you use almond flour?

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        May 25, 2020 at 9:04 am

        No, that is something that I can’t see working at all in this recipe.

        Reply

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