James Martin White Bread

This James Martin white bread is a classic, dependable loaf with a soft, even crumb and a thin, golden crust that slices beautifully for toast and sandwiches. It has a gentle buttery richness and just the right touch of sweetness, exactly what you want from a traditional white loaf. The method is straightforward and beginner-friendly, with most of the time being hands-off while the dough proves. Total time is about 2 hours 30 minutes, including rising and cooling.

What Is James Martin White Bread Like?

This is the kind of everyday white bread you will bake again and again: soft in the middle, lightly chewy, and sturdy enough to hold fillings without turning fragile. The butter in the dough adds a quiet richness, and the crust bakes up golden without becoming tough. It is ideal for sandwiches, toast, and thick slices with salted butter and jam.

Ingredients

For the dough

• 500g strong white bread flour, plus extra for dusting
• 7g instant yeast (1 sachet)
• 10g fine sea salt (about 2 tsp)
• 10g caster sugar (about 2 tsp)
• 40g unsalted butter, softened
• 320ml tepid water (or use 160ml water + 160ml milk for a softer crumb)

For the tin and finishing

• A little oil or butter, for greasing
• Optional: a splash of milk to brush the top before baking (for a softer crust)

How to Make James Martin White Bread

• Prepare the oven: Preheat the oven to 220°C or 200°C fan. Place a shelf in the middle of the oven so the loaf bakes evenly and colours nicely. Grease a 900g (2lb) loaf tin and set it aside.
• Mix the dry ingredients: Tip the flour into a large bowl. Add the yeast and sugar on one side and the salt on the other, then stir everything together. Keeping salt and yeast separate at first helps the dough rise well.
• Rub in the butter: Add the softened butter and rub it into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs. This step helps give the loaf its soft, tender crumb.
• Add water and bring the dough together: Pour in the tepid water (or water and milk mix). Stir with a spoon or your hand until a shaggy dough forms, then tip it onto a lightly floured worktop.
• Knead until smooth: Knead for about 10 minutes by hand (or 7 minutes in a stand mixer with a dough hook) until the dough is smooth, elastic, and only slightly tacky. If it feels very sticky, dust the surface lightly with flour, but avoid adding too much.
• First prove: Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, turn it once so the surface is lightly coated, then cover with a clean tea towel or oiled cling film. Leave somewhere warm for 60 to 75 minutes, or until doubled in size.
• Shape the loaf: Tip the dough onto the worktop and press it gently into a rectangle to knock out large air pockets. Roll it up tightly into a log, pinch the seam to seal, then tuck the ends under so the top is smooth and taut.
• Second prove: Place the shaped dough seam-side down into the greased tin. Cover again and prove for 35 to 45 minutes, or until the dough rises to about 2 to 3cm above the rim of the tin. It should look airy and feel delicate when you gently touch the side.
• Bake: Optional: brush the top lightly with milk for a softer crust. Bake for 25 minutes until deep golden. The loaf should sound hollow when you carefully lift it out and tap the underside. If it is pale, return it to the oven for 3 to 5 minutes.
• Cool properly: Turn the bread out onto a wire rack straight away and let it cool completely before slicing. Cutting too soon can make the crumb seem gummy, even if it is fully baked.
• Slice and serve: Once cool, slice with a serrated knife. For sandwiches, cut medium slices. For toast, cut thicker slices so it stays soft inside while the outside crisps up.

Tips for the Best White Loaf

Why did my bread not rise properly?

The most common causes are water that is too hot (it can damage yeast), a cold proving spot, or old yeast. Aim for tepid liquid, and prove somewhere comfortably warm. If your kitchen is chilly, prove the dough in an (unheated) oven with the light on.

How do I know when the dough is kneaded enough?

It should feel smooth and springy, not rough. A simple check is to stretch a small piece of dough gently; if it stretches into a thin “window” without tearing straight away, gluten is developed and you are good to go.

How can I get a softer crust?

Brush the top with milk before baking, and cool the loaf under a clean tea towel for the first 10 minutes on the rack. For an even softer crust, replace half the water with milk.

Why is my loaf dense or tight-textured?

Usually it is under-proved (not enough rising time) or shaped too loosely. Let the dough double on the first prove, then make sure the second prove is well-risen and airy. When shaping, roll tightly so the loaf has structure and rises up rather than spreading out.

Serving Suggestions

• Thick toast with butter and marmalade
• Egg mayonnaise or tuna mayo sandwiches
• Cheese toasties with sharp cheddar and a little mustard
• Alongside soup, especially tomato or leek and potato

Storage

Room temperature

Store the cooled loaf in a bread bag or tightly wrapped at room temperature for up to 3 days. If your kitchen is warm, keep it out of direct sunlight and away from the hob.

Refrigerator

I do not recommend refrigerating white bread as it stales faster. If you must, wrap it very well and use within 2 days, preferably toasted.

Freezing

Freeze for up to 3 months. For convenience, slice the loaf once fully cool, then freeze slices in a freezer bag with baking paper between a few slices if you like. Toast from frozen or defrost at room temperature.

Nutrition

• Calories: 180 kcal
• Carbohydrates: 32g
• Protein: 5g
• Fat: 3g
• Saturated fat: 2g
• Sodium: 330mg

Nutrition values are estimates and will vary depending on ingredients, slice size, and brands used.

FAQs

James Martin White Bread

Recipe by Milli Rose

0.0 from 0 votes

Course: BreadCuisine: BritishDifficulty: Easy

Servings

12

slices

Prep time

20

minutes

Cooking time

25

minutes

Total time

150

minutes

Calories

180

kcal

45

minutes

A soft, classic British white loaf with a light crumb and golden crust. Easy to make by hand, perfect for sandwiches and toast.

Ingredients

• 500g strong white bread flour (plus extra for dusting)

• 7g instant yeast (1 sachet)

• 10g fine sea salt (about 2 tsp)

• 10g caster sugar (about 2 tsp)

• 40g unsalted butter, softened

• 320ml tepid water (or use half water, half milk for a softer crumb)

• A little oil or butter, for greasing the tin

Directions

• Grease a 900g (2lb) loaf tin and set aside.
• Mix flour, yeast, salt and sugar in a large bowl. Rub in the butter, then add tepid water and mix to a soft dough.
• Knead 10 minutes by hand (or 7 minutes in a mixer) until smooth and elastic.
• Place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and prove 60–75 minutes until doubled.
• Shape into a tight loaf, place in tin, cover and prove 35–45 minutes until the dough crowns 2–3cm above the rim.
• Bake at 220°C (200°C fan) for 25 minutes until deep golden and hollow-sounding underneath.
• Cool fully on a wire rack before slicing.

Notes

• For the softest crumb, swap half the water for milk.
• If the top browns too quickly, tent loosely with foil for the last 5–10 minutes.
• Let the loaf cool completely before slicing to avoid a gummy texture.