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Bread machine honey white bread is a soft, lightly sweet milk and honey sandwich loaf that comes together in the bread machine with about 5 minutes of active prep. Perfect for peanut butter and jelly, grilled cheese, or just a warm slice with butter.
This honey white bread recipe is the workhorse sandwich loaf at our house. Lightly sweet from a few tablespoons of honey, soft from a mix of milk and a little butter (or neutral oil), and fluffy enough to hold up to any sandwich filling your kids will throw at it. It’s a close cousin to my plain Bread Machine White Bread, but with enough sweetness to pair beautifully with peanut butter, jam, or honey.
The milk and honey combination is what makes this loaf special. Honey is naturally hydrophilic, which keeps the bread moist for longer than the average sandwich bread, and the milk gives a softer, more tender crumb than a plain water-based loaf. It’s also what makes it such a favorite for packed lunches. The bread stays soft for days.
I’ve tested this recipe in my Zojirushi Home Bakery Supreme, in a budget Cuisinart bread machine, and in smaller vertical-loaf machines. It works in all of them. The recipe card has both 2-pound and 1 1/2-pound amounts, with notes for 1-pound machines. See the Variations section below for extra-soft, sweeter, and dairy-free versions, or browse my full collection of bread machine recipes.
Why you’ll love this family favorite recipe!
I adapted this recipe from The Bread Lover’s Bread Machine Cookbook, which is my absolute favorite bread machine recipe book (and I have more than a few). The original was a little too dry and wouldn’t knead right in my machine, so I increased the water and milk, and now it comes out soft and perfect every single time.
My kids devour this with peanut butter, banana, and honey sandwiches, and my husband is a diehard for it with ham and swiss. When my little ones grab up the last piece for their breakfast toast, I can have a fresh loaf on the counter in time for lunch. This is the bread that made us stop buying sandwich bread from the grocery store.
Quick Look at the Recipe
- Makes: 1 loaf, about 10 slices
- Active prep: 5 minutes
- Total time: about 3 hours (basic white cycle)
- Loaf size: 2 lb (1 1/2 lb and 1 lb amounts in recipe notes)
- Machine setting: Basic White cycle, light crust (honey browns faster than plain white bread)
- Flour: 3 3/4 cups all-purpose or bread flour
- Yeast: 2 tsp SAF instant yeast (also sold as bread machine yeast), added to the dry ingredients
Ingredients for Bread Machine Honey White Bread
A good milk and honey sandwich loaf needs both wet fats (milk and a little oil or butter) and a proper sweetener (honey) to get that soft, tender crumb. Everything here is standard pantry, nothing specialty.
The recipe is written for a 2-pound loaf, the default size on most modern bread machines, with 1 1/2-pound amounts in the recipe notes. To make a 1-pound loaf on a small machine, cut the 2-pound amounts in half.
Add the ingredients in two batches: liquid ingredients first into the bottom of the pan, then dry ingredients on top. This keeps the yeast dry until the cycle starts, which matters especially if you’re using the delay timer.
- Water: Part of the liquid base. Use lukewarm water, warm to the touch but not hot (over 110°F starts killing the yeast).
- Milk: The other half of the liquid. Gives the bread its tender crumb and helps it stay soft for days. Whole milk produces the richest result, 2% is fine, skim works but the bread is slightly less tender. Evaporated milk works 1:1 as a substitute. For dairy-free, replace the milk with additional water (see Variations).
- Butter or Canola Oil: Adds tenderness and helps the crumb stay soft. Canola is what I usually use; melted butter work well and adds richer flavor, but any other neural oil (canola, grape seed, avocado oil, etc) also works. Olive oil works but leaves a subtle flavor.
- Honey: The signature flavor. Adds subtle sweetness, feeds the yeast, and keeps the bread moist for longer than plain sandwich bread. Any liquid honey works. Can substitute maple syrup for a slightly different flavor, or brown sugar dissolved in the water.
- White flour: All-purpose or bread flour both work. I usually use King Arthur All-Purpose because it’s what I keep in bulk for everything. Bread flour gives a slightly fluffier, firmer-crumbed loaf that holds up better to sandwich fillings; AP gives a softer, more tender crumb.
- Salt: Essential for flavor, and it regulates the yeast so the bread rises steadily instead of over-rising and collapsing. Do not skip or reduce significantly.
- SAF instant yeast: The rising agent. SAF instant yeast is what I use (it works in both bread machine and oven recipes, and the 1-pound bulk bag is much cheaper than packets). Bread machine yeast is the same product as SAF instant and uses the same amount. For active dry yeast, see the notes below.
In terms of flour choice, all-purpose and bread flour both work in this recipe. Bread flour (higher protein) gives you a slightly fluffier loaf with a firmer crumb that holds up to deli meats. All-purpose gives a softer, more tender crumb that’s great for kids’ sandwiches and French toast. If you use bread flour and the dough looks dry in the first minutes of kneading, add a tablespoon of water.
For yeast, SAF instant yeast and bread machine yeast are the same type of yeast, placed in a well on top of the flour with the dry ingredients (they do not need to be dissolved). If you only have active dry yeast, use an extra 1/2 tsp and dissolve it in the water first; wait 10 minutes until foamy, then proceed with the rest of the recipe. Do not use the delay timer with active dry yeast, because it will die sitting in water. Instant yeast and bread machine yeast are both fine for the delay timer when placed on top of the flour.
How to Make Bread Machine Honey White Bread
This is a true “set it and walk away” recipe. Once the ingredients are layered into the pan in the right order, the machine handles everything else.
Step 1. Add the liquid ingredients to the bread pan first. Water, milk, oil (or butter), then honey. Pour the honey over the other liquids so it rinses off the measuring spoon cleanly instead of sticking to the bottom of the pan.
Step 2. Add the flour on top of the liquid, covering it completely. Think of the flour as an island floating on top of the water. You want the yeast to stay dry until the machine starts kneading.
Step 3. Make a small well in the center of the flour and add the salt and yeast. Keep the salt and yeast on opposite sides of the well. Direct contact between salt and yeast can slow the yeast down.
Step 4. Select the Basic White cycle and light crust. The honey in this recipe browns faster than in plain white bread, so the light crust setting typically produces what you’d consider a medium crust. If your machine doesn’t have a crust-color option, don’t worry about it; the loaf will still be great.
Step 5. Press start. The machine will knead, rise, and bake in one continuous cycle (about 3 hours, varies by machine).
Step 6. Remove the loaf when the bake cycle finishes. Turn it out onto a wire rack and let it cool completely before slicing, ideally at least an hour. I know the warm bread with butter temptation is real, but slicing hot bread tears the crumb.
Recipe Tips
Use the light crust setting if your machine has one. The honey in this bread browns faster than in plain white sandwich bread, so the light setting typically produces a medium-browned crust. If you prefer a darker, crisper crust, use the medium setting, but check the top at the end of the bake; you may want to remove the loaf a few minutes early to prevent over-browning.
Watch the first 2 to 3 minutes of kneading on your first loaf. The dough should form a single smooth ball that pulls cleanly away from the sides of the pan. If it looks dry and shaggy, add water a tablespoon at a time. If it looks wet and sticky, add flour a tablespoon at a time. After your first loaf you’ll know what the dough should look like. This same technique works across any bread machine recipe, including my Bread Machine Honey Wheat Oat Bread if you want to try a heartier honey-based loaf next.
Cool completely before slicing. A full hour on a wire rack makes a real difference in how the slices hold together. If you try to slice warm bread for sandwiches, the crumb will tear and the slices will be gummy.
If the loaf rises too much and collapses, reduce the yeast slightly. A few readers have found this bread rose to the top of the machine and collapsed when using very active yeast. If this happens to you, try 2 tsp SAF instead of 2 1/2 tsp on the next batch. See the Bread Machine Troubleshooting Guide for more fixes.
Variations
This recipe is the baseline for a few easy variations. Each is a simple tweak from the base recipe:
- Milk and honey bread machine recipe: This is actually the recipe as written. If you’re looking for a “milk and honey” version specifically, no changes needed. The milk and honey combination is what makes this loaf distinctively soft and lightly sweet.
- Sweet white bread machine recipe: Increase the honey to 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons). The loaf will be noticeably sweeter and excellent for French toast, bread pudding, or topping with a simple butter spread. You may want to drop to the light crust setting if you’re not already there, because the extra honey will brown faster. And reduce the yeast by 1/2 tsp so it doesn’t rise too fast and collapse.
- Extra soft honey white bread: Swap the oil for 3 tablespoons of melted butter, and use whole milk instead of 2% or skim. The extra fat and dairy fat give a softer, pillowier crumb closer to bakery sandwich bread.
- Dairy-free honey bread machine recipe: Replace the milk with an equal amount of water, and use canola or neutral oil instead of butter. The loaf will be slightly less tender than the milk version but still soft and flavorful.
- Honey wheat version: For a whole wheat take on this recipe, see my Honey Wheat Bread, which is the oven-baked version, or my Bread Machine Whole Wheat Bread for a 100% whole wheat bread machine loaf.
I’ve been searching for an easy and delicious white bread that I can make every day for my family, and this is it! Soft with just a touch of sweetness that goes great with peanut butter, tuna, grilled cheese, or just to serve with butter. This recipe will be a family staple from now on!
FAQs
Yes. Replace the milk with an equal amount of water to make a dairy-free version. The loaf will be slightly less tender and soft than the milk version, but still flavorful and perfectly good for sandwiches. No other adjustments needed.
Both all-purpose and bread flour work. Bread flour (higher protein) gives a fluffier loaf with a firmer crumb that holds up better for sandwiches. All-purpose gives a softer, more tender crumb that’s perfect for toast and kids’ sandwiches. If you use bread flour, you may need to add 1 tablespoon of extra water during kneading.
Honey browns faster than plain sugar, so bread with honey in it always comes out darker on the crust than the same bread without honey. Use the light crust setting if your machine offers one; it typically produces a medium-brown crust on this recipe. If you prefer less browning, use less honey (2 tablespoons instead of 3).
Yes, as long as you’re using SAF instant yeast or bread machine yeast (which are the same product) and the yeast is placed on top of the flour away from the liquid. Don’t use the delay timer with active dry yeast, because active dry needs to be dissolved in water first, which means it will activate prematurely and die off before the cycle starts.
About 4 to 5 days at room temperature in a bread bag or wrapped in a clean dish towel. Honey is naturally hydrophilic, which keeps this bread moist for a day or two longer than a plain white sandwich bread. Do not refrigerate; refrigeration actually speeds up staling in bread. For longer storage, slice the whole loaf and freeze in a zip-top bag.
Bread Machine Recipes
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Bread Machine Honey White Bread
Equipment
Ingredients
Liquid Ingredients (add first)
- 3/4 cup Water
- 3/4 cup Milk
- 2 Tbsp. butter, or neutral oil
- 3 Tbsp. Honey
Dry Ingredients (on top of wet)
- 3 3/4 cups white flour, Bread or All Purpose
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp SAF Instant Yeast, or 2 1/2 tsp. Active Dry Yeast
Instructions
- Add the liquid ingredients to the bread pan in this order: water, milk, oil or butter, honey. Pour the honey over the other liquids so it rinses off the measuring spoon cleanly.
- Add the flour on top of the liquid, covering it completely so the yeast stays dry.
- Make a small well in the center of the flour. Place the salt on one side of the well and the yeast on the other, so they aren’t in direct contact.
- Put the pan in the bread machine. Select the Basic White cycle and the light crust setting (honey browns faster, so light typically produces a medium-brown crust).
- Press start. Watch the first 2 to 3 minutes of kneading. The dough should form a single smooth ball. If it looks dry, add 1 tablespoon of water at a time. If wet, add 1 tablespoon of flour at a time.
- Let the machine complete the full cycle (about 3 hours).
- Remove the loaf from the pan onto a wire rack. Let cool completely for at least 1 hour before slicing.
Notes
- 2/3 cup (160 ml) water
- 2/3 cup (160 ml) milk
- 1 1/2 Tbsp. (22 ml) butter or neutral oil
- 2 Tbsp. (30 ml) honey
- 2 3/4 cups (330 g) flour
- 1 tsp (6 g) salt
- 1 1/2 tsp (4 g) SAF Instant Yeast (or 2 tsp. Active Dry Yeast)
- SAF instant yeast or bread machine yeast: 2 tsp (these are the same product and are interchangeable 1:1). Placed in a well on top of the flour with the dry ingredients.
- Active dry yeast: 2 1/2 tsp, dissolved in the water first (wait 10 minutes until foamy, then proceed). Active dry has larger granules, so it needs a little more to equal the same rising power. Not compatible with the delay timer.
- Dense loaf: old yeast, water too hot, or salt in direct contact with yeast. Start with fresh yeast, use lukewarm water (under 110°F), and keep salt and yeast on opposite sides of the flour well.
- Collapsed top: too much yeast or too much liquid. Next time, try 1 1/2 tsp SAF instead of tsp, or hold back 1 to 2 tablespoons of water.
- Dark crust: honey browns fast. Switch to the light crust setting.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Thank u. Just made one of the honey bread and it came out nice and soft . I used Russell Hobbs 27260 machine . Looking forward to eating it. Thank u
Wonderful!
First times ever using my bread maker! This recipe was so soft and delicious I used it for French toast! I loved it
Lovely! So glad to hear it!
Best bread I’ve ever had
So glad you like it!