How to Make Homemade Butter Bread (2024)

• 1 cup warm water (105-110°F)
• 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
• 4 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole milk (warmed)
• ¼ cup honey
• ¼ cup salted butter (softened)
• 1 egg (beaten)
• 1 egg yolk (beaten)
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 6 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil (for greasing)
• 3 ice cubes (for baking)
• 2 Tablespoons salted butter (softened, for brushing)

• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, pour in warm water (105-110°F). Add sugar and stir until dissolved. Sprinkle yeast over the top and let sit for 10 minutes, until foamy.

• Turn mixer on low speed setting and mix in flour (only 1 cup), milk, honey, butter, egg, egg yolk, and salt, one at a time until incorporated. Switch to a dough hook attachment and slowly mix in 6 to 6 ½ more cups of flour (1 cup at a time) until dough pulls away from the sides of the mixing bowl. Allow mixer to knead the dough for 3 more minutes or knead by hand for 8 minutes.

• Remove mixing bowl from stand mixer. Lightly coat top of the dough with olive oil and cover bowl with greased plastic wrap or a damp cloth. Let rise in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in size.

• Grease two 9x5 inch loaf pans with olive oil and set aside.

• Punch down bread dough and turn out onto a floured surface. Divide dough into 2 equal halves. Using a rolling pin, roll each half into a rectangle about 13 inches long and 9 inches wide. Starting at a short end, roll the dough up into a log shape. Pinch bottom and side seams closed and place into greased loaf pans (seam-side down).

• Cover each loaf with greased plastic wrap. Let rise for 45-60 minutes, until dough has risen 1 inch above tops of loaf pans.

• Uncover loaves and place in a 350°F oven. Throw 3 ice cubes in the bottom of the oven and quickly shut the oven door. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until bread has browned and internal temperature has reached 190-210°F. Immediately take bread loafs out of pans to cool on a wire rack and brush tops of loaves with softened salted butter.

• Allow bread to cool completely (about 1 hour) before slicing.

• Slice, serve, and enjoy!

Storage

Loaves can be stored in bread bags or containers for about 4 days at room temperature or frozen for up to 3 months; make sure to thaw bread for at least 1 hour before serving.