James Martin White Bread

This James Martin white bread is a classic everyday loaf with a soft crumb, light structure, and golden crust. It has a clean, comforting flavour that works just as well for toast as it does for sandwiches. The recipe is straightforward and beginner friendly, using simple ingredients and clear steps. Total time is around 2 hours including rising, with very little hands-on effort.

Ingredients

For the bread dough

• 500g strong white bread flour
• 10g salt
• 7g fast-action dried yeast
• 20g unsalted butter, softened
• 300ml warm water
• 1 tsp caster sugar

How to Make James Martin White Bread

• Prepare the oven and tin: Lightly grease a 900g loaf tin and set aside. The oven does not need preheating yet as the bread will rise before baking.
• Mix the dry ingredients: Add the flour to a large bowl. Stir in the salt on one side and the yeast and sugar on the other so they do not touch directly.
• Add the liquids: Pour in the warm water and add the softened butter. Bring everything together with a spoon until a rough dough forms.
• Knead the dough: Tip the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 8 to 10 minutes until smooth, elastic, and no longer sticky.
• First rise: Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a clean tea towel, and leave in a warm place for about 1 hour or until doubled in size.
• Shape the loaf: Knock back the risen dough, shape it into a log, and place it into the prepared loaf tin.
• Second rise: Cover again and leave to rise for 30 to 40 minutes until the dough just crowns the top of the tin.
• Bake: Preheat the oven to 220°C or 200°C fan. Bake the bread for 25 to 30 minutes until golden and hollow sounding when tapped underneath.
• Cool: Remove from the tin and cool completely on a wire rack before slicing for the best texture.

Tips for Best Results

Why is my bread dense?

This usually means the dough did not rise fully. Make sure the water is warm, not hot, and give the dough enough time to double in size.

How do I get a softer crust?

Brush the top with a little melted butter as soon as it comes out of the oven, then cool under a clean tea towel.

Can I knead this dough in a mixer?

Yes, use a dough hook and knead on low speed for about 6 minutes until smooth and elastic.

Serving Suggestions

• Slice thickly and serve warm with butter
• Use for classic sandwiches or toasties
• Toast and top with jam or honey

Storage

Room temperature

Store the bread in a bread bin or sealed bag for up to 2 days. Avoid refrigeration as it dries the loaf.

Refrigerator

Not recommended, as it makes the bread stale faster.

Freezing

Slice the loaf, wrap well, and freeze for up to 3 months. Toast slices straight from frozen.

Nutrition

• Calories: 190 kcal per slice
• Carbohydrates: 36g
• Protein: 6g
• Fat: 2g
• Saturated fat: 1g
• Sodium: 390mg

Nutrition values are estimates and may vary depending on ingredients used.

FAQs

James Martin White Bread

Recipe by Milli RoseCourse: BreadCuisine: BritishDifficulty: Easy

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking time

40

minutes

Calories

300

kcal

Total time

1

hour 

10

minutes

Soft, classic white bread inspired by James Martin, perfect for toast, sandwiches, and everyday baking.

Ingredients

• 500g strong white bread flour

• 10g salt

• 7g fast-action dried yeast

• 20g unsalted butter, softened

• 300ml warm water

• 1 tsp caster sugar

Directions

• Mix flour, salt, yeast, and sugar in a bowl.
• Add warm water and butter, then mix to form a dough.
• Knead until smooth and elastic.
• Leave to rise until doubled in size.
• Shape and place into a greased loaf tin.
• Allow to rise again, then bake until golden.
• Cool fully on a wire rack before slicing.

Notes

• Use strong bread flour for best structure.
• Allow full rising time for a lighter loaf.
• Bread can be frozen once cooled.