If you love warm bread fresh from the oven (with butter melting on top) as much as we do you'll find tons more homemade bread recipes here.
Table of Contents
❤️ Why you'll love it
- There's nothing like the taste (and smell!) of homemade bread!
- Over 900 5 star reviews plus lots of rave reviews on Pinterest and Facebook.
- This easy bread recipe has been in the top 3 on Google since I published it in 2008!
This truly is a no fail buttermilk bread recipe - millions of readers have tried it and loved it because it comes out delicious, light and fluffy every time!
If you've never worked with homemade yeast dough before take a look at this breadmaking guide before you get started. It answers about any question you could have.
⭐ Readers say
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Definitely 5 Stars Thank You for posting these awesome recipes. Having you with your background and experience post for all of us who are always looking to find a better way of preparing delicious food is remarkable!! I personally want to Thank You for your kindness and thoughtfulness!💕💕💕. Debra A.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Just made this for the first time, I have never made bread like this. I was worried because the buttermilk mixture was so fluffy but this bread turned out AMAZING! Such a good flavor! It’s subtly sweet and has great texture. Thanks for the recipe! Stacy
🧾 Ingredients
This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the green recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.
Honey buttermilk bread is so unbelievably light that no one will believe it's made from scratch.
Here are the ingredients for this soft sandwich bread.- I used active dry yeast but you can use rapid rise if you want - just follow the instructions on the packet of yeast.
- Buttermilk in bread adds a little flavor but mostly it creates that soft, tender crumb we all love. If you don't have any you can make homemade buttermilk.
- Salt - kosher salt was used. If you use regular table salt cut the amount by about ¼th or so.
- Bread flour - you can use all purpose flour if you like. There might be a tiny difference in how high it rises. Take a look at this list of different types of flour and how to use them.
🔪 Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. Full instructions are in the green recipe card at the bottom of the page.
Just follow the images to see how to mix, knead, and shape this easy, homemade sandwich loaf.
Mixing and kneading
- Mix the sugar, ginger, yeast, and warm water in a small bowl and set aside until foamy.
- Whisk the buttermilk, honey, salt, and baking soda together in a large bowl.
- Add it to the yeast mixture.
- Pour into the bowl of a stand mixer.
- Add three cups of flour and mix until smooth, about 3 to 5 minutes on low speed of a stand mixer.
- Pour in the butter and blend.
- Switch to kneading hook (dough hook attachment). Add the rest of the flour, one cup at a time, keeping mixer on low speed.
- When buttermilk dough pulls from the sides of the bowl remove it from the mixer to a lightly floured work surface. Knead it by hand a few times until elastic and smooth
- Place dough in greased
mixing bowl , turn to grease the top, and cover with a clean tea towel. Let rise about 1 ½ hours.
Shaping
How to shape homemade sandwich bread step by step.- Punch dough down. You'll want to give it a gentle kneading for a minute or two but nothing like the first time! Don't over-knead it.
- Shape into loaves.
- Place loaves in bread pans and let rise until double. Bake.
- Remove finished loaves from oven. Brush with butter.
- Cool on a wire rack and slice.
- Perfect!
🍞 Bread machine instructions
Many of you have asked how to make buttermilk bread in a bread machine. One reader, Debbie, did and this is what she said:
"If you want to make it and bake it in a bread machine cut the buttermilk bread recipe in half, set it on white bread setting, and add ingredients in this order (or according to your manufacturer's instructions):
- Water
- Buttermilk
- Butter
- Honey
- Sugar
- Salt
- Flour mixed with ginger and baking soda
- Yeast
🎥 Video
Click on the image to watch me knead this. (Video opens in a new tab).
🥫 Storage
Homemade bread doesn't last long after it's baked. You can wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or place in an airtight storage container and keep it at room temperature for about 2 days.
For longer storage cool completely, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, then aluminum foil, and freeze for up to 3 months.
I like to cut it in slices and freeze with a piece of wax paper or parchment paper between the slices. That way I can just thaw what I need without thawing the whole loaf.
To freeze unbaked dough you'll want to double the amount of yeast called for in the recipe and then freeze the dough after shaping it into loaves.
When ready to bake let the loaves thaw overnight in the refrigerator then finish rising at room temperature. It will take a bit longer to rise than normal.
Bake as directed in the recipe.
📖 Variations
This is one of those easy bread recipes that you can change up by adding other ingredients.
- Knead in raisins and add sugar and cinnamon before shaping for a wonderful cinnamon raisin bread - use shaping instructions in this cinnamon swirl bread recipe.
- The rich texture of buttermilk bread makes it perfect for slicing thickly and making into French toast.
- If it gets a bit stale make it into bread pudding. Yum!
- This makes a great buttermilk dinner rolls recipe, too! Just shape into rolls and bake at 375f for 10 to 15 minutes.
💭 Things to know
Expert tip: You may need more or less flour than called for in the recipe. Weather and climate can affect your ingredients - humidity will often mean you'll need at least an extra ¼ cup or so of flour. If you bake bread on a rainy day it will rise higher than on a clear one due to air pressure!
- Make sure all ingredients are at room temperature.
- Use yeast that is within the sell by date. If your bread dough isn't rising well it could be that the yeast is too old.
- If you're short on time you can let the bread rise in the refrigerator overnight for either the first or second rising time.
- The baking soda does two things… It works with the acid in the buttermilk to help the bread rise high and light and balances any off tastes from the acids in the buttermilk.
- Make sure your liquids are not hotter than 110F. Check with an insta-read thermometer. If the liquids are too hot the yeast will die.
- Be sure to fully knead the dough. It develops the flavor and texture - and will take 8 to 10 minutes by hand of kneading vigorously.
- Grease the top of the dough before rising.
- Let dough rise in a warm spot. A draft-free place is best.
- If you like the crust a darker golden brown brush it with egg yolk mixed with a teaspoon of water just before putting in the oven.
- Cool the baked bread in the pan for 10 minutes then turn out to finish cooling.
- Brush the loaves with butter while still hot and then cover with a clean tea towel while cooling for soft crusts.
- Here's how to use up that leftover buttermilk!
Troubleshooting
If you're having problems with yeast doughs and homemade bread I have answers!
Also - these tips on getting your homemade bread to rise properly are what keep mine high and light!
👩🍳 FAQs
Yes! This bread recipe is made with honey but you can use sugar in it instead. Use an equal amount or slightly less sugar.
My favorite is glass.
The loaves bake evenly and the crust is perfect. I've heard good things about cast iron but I haven't tried it yet. Aluminum or metal pans are fine if that's what you have - your crust may brown faster so watch it.
Rub the crusts with butter and cover with a tea towel as soon as you bring them out of the oven if you like soft crust.
If you want a crusty bread don't cover it as it's cooling. You can also brush it with egg white blended with 1 teaspoon of water before baking.
You can use an insta-read thermometer if you like. Push it into the side of the loaf - the center of the bread should be about 200F.
You can also turn the loaf out and tap the bottom. It will sound hollow. After you've baked bread a few times you'll just know.
Try removing a tablespoon of flour and adding a tablespoon of wheat gluten for every cup of flour you add to the bread. This helps it rise better and stay light and fluffy.
Sure, you'll need to halve the recipe and follow the manufacturer's instructions. Be careful not to overknead.
📚 Related recipes
🍽️ Serve with...
This bread makes delicious sandwiches! Try it with -
📞 The last word
This country white bread is a classic recipe that you'll use again and again!
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need. Don't forget that you can click on "add to collection" to save it to your own, private recipe box!
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📖 Recipe
Honey Buttermilk Bread
Print Pin Recipe Save Recipe Rate RecipeIngredients
- 1 tablespoon yeast, or 1 packet
- 1 pinch powdered ginger
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ¼ cup water, warm, 105F - 110F
- 2 cups cultured buttermilk, warm, 105F - 110F
- ⅓ cup honey
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, if using table salt use ¾ teaspoon
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- 6 cups bread flour, you may use all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup butter, melted and cooled so that it is warm to the touch but not hot.
Instructions
- In a medium sized bowl mix the yeast, ginger, sugar, and 110F water.
- Set aside for 5 minutes or until foamy.
- Whisk the buttermilk, honey, salt, and baking soda together and add it to the yeast mixture.
- Add three cups of flour and mix until smooth, about 3 to 5 minutes on low of a stand mixer.
- Pour in the butter until it is totally mixed into the batter.
- Add the rest of the flour, one cup at a time, keeping mixer on low speed.
- When dough pulls from the sides of the bowl remove it from the mixer to a lightly floured surface. Knead until elastic and smooth. You can also knead in your mixer according to manufacturer's directions.
- Place in greased bowl, turn to grease the top, and cover bowl with a clean tea towel.
- Allow the dough to rise for 1 ½ hours, or until double.
- Punch down and form into two loaves. Place each in a greased loaf pan with seam sides down. Grease tops.
- Cover, and allow to rise in a warm place for 45 minutes, or until it is just about to the tops of the bread pans.
- Preheat oven to 375F.
- Bake for 30 minutes. You can cover the tops with foil if they brown too fast.
- Remove from oven and brush top of the loaves with melted butter. Place on cooling rack.
- Allow to cool in pans for 10 minutes.
- Gently run a knife around the edge between the bread and the pan to loosen it.
- Turn out and cool completely on a rack.
- Cover the loaves if you want soft crusts.
Notes
-
Expert tip: You may need more or less flour than called for in the recipe. Weather and climate can affect your ingredients - humidity will often mean you'll need at least an extra ¼ cup or so of flour. If you bake bread on a rainy day it will rise higher than on a clear one due to air pressure!
- Make sure all ingredients are at room temperature.
- Use yeast that is within the sell by date. If your bread dough isn't rising well it could be that the yeast is too old..
- Make sure your liquids are not more than 110F. Check with a insta-read thermometer. If the liquids are too hot the yeast will die.
- Be sure to fully knead the dough. It develops the flavor and texture - and will take 8 to 10 minutes by hand.
- Grease the top of the dough before rising.
- Let the dough rise in a warm spot.
- If you feel the bread gets too brown at 375f bake at 350 f.
- Cool the baked bread in the pan for 10 minutes then turn out to finish cooling.
- Brush the loaves with butter while still hot and then cover with a clean tea towel while cooling for soft crusts.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.
This recipe has been undated from the original 2008 version to improve reader experience. Last updated June 26, 2022 for more information and better instructions.
Sue selmic says
Omg this was fantastic bread and I am very new at baking bread, that doesn’t feel like a brick. I make my own kefir and was wondering if I can use this instead of buttermilk. Mine is not as sour as buttermilk. I also bought your book waiting for it to arrive. I can’t wait to read it!!!
Julie G says
This was the best bread I have ever made! I loved the texture and aroma from it. My whole house just smelled wonderful. I will make this over and over again...so easy and delicious!
Kristy says
How to fix frozen bread dough that doesn't rise
In case this helps anyone else.. I tried defrosting a loaf of dough (had kept it frozen as I didn't need 2 loaves at one go) and it refused to rise a second time. Even though I had defrosted overnight in the fridge, then waited about 3 hours at room temp. This is possibly because I had kept the dough frozen for about 1.5 to 2 months.
So I mixed up a new batch of yeast as per the recipe measurements, floured my counter top, put the dough on it and then poured HALF of that yeast mixture and kneaded it in by hand. Added more flour (I think it was about half to 1 cup - I was going based on how sticky it was) and kneaded for about 5 to 10 minutes.
Once it was "only" crazy sticky, I gently "poured" the dough back into the tin (it was too sticky to shape) and let it rise for an hour until it just about reached the top of the loaf pan. Then baked it.
It turned out well - it wasn't too yeasty or anything.
Kristy says
My first loaf of bread was this recipe.. And as a beginner, I found it tricky because of how sticky the dough was. But it turned out amazing and delicious. I had frozen the second loaf of dough, have defrosted overnight in the fridge and now waiting (and praying!) for the second rise to go well. Looking fwd to freshly baked bread!
By the way, I read somewhere that piercing 3 holes, evenly spaced, along the top center of the loaf, before popping in the oven, helps prevent cracking.
Esthe says
I made this last night and it was a hit despite missing some ingredients like ginger. This morning it's still very soft and tasty. I might try using buttermilk on my honey oat wheat bread too.
Thanks for the recipe.
Marye Audet says
YAY! So glad you enjoyed it. You might also like my honey cracked wheat bread. It's made with buttermilk as well. - https://www.restlesschipotle.com/buttermilk-honey-cracked-wheat-bread/
Jessica Shaw says
I'm so glad you're not the perfectionist type. I've been experimenting for a few years with homemade from scratch recipes and find some videos intimidating bc they're so perfect. :p (I laughed when you liked you're fingers while making the zebra cakes, I let my kids lick the bowls when I'm finished!)
To my surprise I've looked up many "homemade" recipes, but they have some store bought mix. ..phooie on them.
I've just seen a few of your videos and hope to try them soon. Thanks so much for being real! 😉
Miz Helen says
Your Buttermilk Bread looks amazing! Hope you are having a great week and thanks so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday.
Come Back Soon!
Miz Helen
Sonia says
Hi
I loved the recipe however I am unable to understand the role of Baking soda in the recipe. I would appreciate if you can elaborate the reason and make me understand the science behind it.
Marye Audet says
Baking soda is an alkaline that reacts with the acid in the buttermilk - this gives it a little extra rise and changes the flavor of the buttermilk keeping it from being too tangy.
Rebekah says
Oh my goodness!!! I just ate a slice of this bread!!!!! Thank you for posting such a great recipe , I am so glad I found it!! Now, to check out your other recipes....
Claudia Davis says
Some questions since Ive not made too much bread in my life and the loaves I did make were in a bread maker.
1. Can I use a metal loaf pan to make the bread? Will it make a difference in the texture or crust?
2. The link you gave for the pyrex pans shows the inside dimensions being less than 9x5 with a lot of people commenting on the amazon site that because of those inside dimensions, it inst good for bread baking. Did you notice that issue on the amazon site? Are you using those exact loaf pans?
3. Ive never measured liquids for my cooking. What do you suggest to buy to measure liquids? All I have is a meat thermometer so I need to purchase something finally.
Marye Audet says
1. Metal will be fine - I just prefer glass.
2.Those are the exact loaf pans I use.
3. Get cup measures in sizes from 1/8 to 2 cups
Claudia Davis says
Thank you so much for the replies. I dont know what I was thinking with question #3. I meant to ask, how do you measure the temperature of liquids? I only have a meat thermometer. Will that suffice?
Marye Audet says
OH! I use and instaread cooking thermometer... but you could also just dip a finger in... if it feels like warm bathwater you're good.
Davina says
What size of pan are you using? Could i omit the baking soda? I do not like that smell in my bread?
Marye Audet says
9x5? I use the pyrex glass pans I've linked to in the post. No, you need baking soda in this bread. However you may like my Amish white bread which is very similar but without the baking soda https://www.restlesschipotle.com/amish-white-bread/
Julie K says
Hi Marye,
I've had this pinned for a while and now that I'm eager to get back to my bread making after having baby #3 in April, I have a question. When my parents were here caring for the bigger kids while I was having the baby, they replenished my buttermilk (I'm a Marberger fan) with fat-free buttermilk. Ew! I mean butter -- milk. The name just screams that dairy fat should be involved, right?! Anyway, I digress. Just wondering if this recipe needs the fat from the buttermilk to have the right outcome? I need to use this stuff up as the expiration date is fast approaching, but I don't want a ruined batch of bread. My hunch tells me it will be just fine since the recipe calls for butter and my usual recipe uses just water, so the buttermilk is there for just the tangy flavor, correct?
Signed,
Not Afraid of a Little Fat In My Buttermilk
A.K.A. Julie
Marye Audet says
The buttermilk helps the flavor and also the texture but you can use the fat free or low fat...
Julie says
Your site makes it very hard to find the comment section. This is very good bread. How long do I defrost it if I freeze it after the second rise?
Kristine Boon says
Made this today and it was delicious! Only trouble is that my bread as bit heavier/thicker texture? Any thoughts on what could cause this? The dough rose nicely.
Marye Audet says
Sounds like either too much flour or not enough kneading - or a combo of the two. 🙂
Kelly says
I made this bread today and it was incredible! My whole family loved it! I baked it about 23 min though and I substituted the butter milk for 1.5cups goat milk and 0.5 cup Greek yogurt mixed. It was fabulous. Thank you!
Janine Evans says
This bread sounds divine. I love making bread but these ingredients give it an extra twist. More breadmaking this weekend! Thank you for sharing.
Nikki says
I absolutely love to bake! I recently had an interest in baking my own breads, which led me to this recipe. I'm on a bit of a budget, and honey isn't very cheap. I was wondering if you had any substitutions for honey in this bread recipe. I remember reading an article that suggested maple syrup as a sub. but I'm not 100% sure that's a good idea.
Thanks!
Marye Audet says
you can always use sugar instead. 🙂
Nikki says
Thanks! I ended up using 2 Tbsp of maple syrup and 1/4 cup of sugar to substitute for the Honey. It worked like a charm. My family liked it so much I've made it two weeks in a row! Thanks for the wonderful recipe and bread baking tips!
Shirla says
I have to give this 5 stars. It is great. My husband loved it. It was an extremely cold day so it took a little longer to rise. You do not taste the ginger in the bread. This will be my go to recipe for bread. Love it. Thanks.
Gretch says
I made bread!!!! You have no idea how horrible I am. I come from a family that bakes bread. My Gram has been making bread since she was probably 12 and my mom and her 7 siblings are right behind her. I bake anything and everything but have never gotten bread right and On Wednesday I'm married 20 years. I should have bread by now. I found your recipe looking for a way to use up leftover buttermilk. You never know the blessings you take for granted. We have a large Amish community here and we get our milk straight from the farm. That includes homemade buttermilk, yogurt, cheese, etc. before someone gets on me, between homogenized and pasteurized they do the one you need and not the one you don't. I can just never remember which is which. Thank you so much for this amazing recipe!!!
Susan says
I halved this recipe tonight just to try it. Not sure why I did that because I'm planning on taking it to visit family tomorrow. Could have used two loaves. That said, This recipe is fantastic! I will be making this again for sure! Thank you for sharing!