I was just sitting down to write this post when I got a text from my daughter’s schoolteacher. “Aimee slapped another child in the face.” WHAT?! My Aimee girl? The child who soothes her brother when he barely scrapes a knee? The girl who tells her friends to be more kind when they tease her for no reason? It couldn’t be.
As a parent, there’s a lot of things you can’t control and sometimes kids just pick up actions and language out of the blue. We like to pretend that we can discipline or encourage or bribe them into submission, but the truth of the matter is that sometimes your kid is going to do or say something that shocks the heck out of you. Sometimes your kid is the savage that slaps someone cold in the face.
Children vs. Adults
Kids get away with things that would never fly in adulthood. When you’re a grown up you can’t just slap someone in the face and go back to sitting at their lunch table. There’s no coming back to class when you’ve pooped your pants or got caught talking to a stuffed animal. And while crying in public works okay for toddlers, people will seriously start to worry if you incorporate that into your daily routine as a 30 year old woman.
At 3 and almost 2, my kids are at the ages where they are making developmental leaps and bounds everyday. I see so much kindness and love in their little lives, but there are still those weekly (okay, daily) moments where I think, “Now where on earth did we go wrong here?”
It’s in those moments that I say a little prayer and throw my hands up in the air because you just can’t prevent all the mini come-aparts that come with tiny children. Sometimes your kid is going to be the one who throws golf balls at cars or pours a cup of milk on the couch for no reason. You might have the kid laid out on the floor at Target because they didn’t get that new pair of Paw Patrol sneakers. We can’t prevent every slap to the face, hair pull, or temper tantrum because they’re kids. They’re really cute but they act like animals sometimes, okay?
So to the child who just got a face-full of my daughter’s palm, I’m so sorry. I promise we’re trying to get it right. And to the parents out there who have to strap it on to train up their children in the way they should go: hang in there. You’re not alone.
Buttermilk Bread
This buttermilk bread is for the children in your life. It makes the absolute best morning toast and PB&J sandwiches. It’s mild, fluffy, and the perfect vehicle for all of your favorite sandwich toppings. Buttermilk bread is simple and crowd-pleasing, the type of thing every parent needs.
Making the Bread
To make your own buttermilk bread, we start with yeast. Dissolve some active dry yeast in warm water and then add room temperature buttermilk, melted butter, and honey. When combined, stir in some salt and all-purpose flour until a shaggy dough comes together. You can use your hands or the dough hook on an electric stand mixer to knead this buttermilk bread, but just do so until a smooth, slightly tacky ball of dough is formed. Allow the dough to rise in a warm spot in your kitchen until doubled in size.
Once round and fluffy, dump the buttermilk bread dough out onto floured surface and form it into one giant loaf. This video from King Arthur Flour is seriously helpful if you’re new to the loaf-making game. Place the loaf into a large, greased bread pan and allow it to rise a second time, just until the dough has risen an inch out of the pan. Bake it in a preheated oven until golden brown, hollow-sounding when tapped, and about 190 degrees internal temperature.
Homemade goods like this buttermilk bread are a simple pleasure your whole family will enjoy. Give it a try and let me know what you think. Happy Tuesday, friends!
If you like this buttermilk bread, you should check out:
PrintButtermilk Bread
This buttermilk bread is a mild and tangy white yeast bread made with all-purpose flour. This bread is fluffy vehicle for sandwiches, breakfast toast, and more!
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 35
- Total Time: 180
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup (60 gm) lukewarm water
- 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
- 1–1/4 cup (300 gm) buttermilk, at room temperature
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 3–3/4 cup (490 gm) all-purpose flour
- 1–1/2 teaspoons salt
Instructions
- In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, sprinkle the yeast over the lukewarm water and allow to sit until dissolved, about 5 minutes. In a separate bowl, stir the buttermilk, honey, and butter. Once the yeast has dissolved, add the buttermilk mixture and stir to combine. Add 2 cups of flour and the salt and stir to incorporate. Add the remaining flour and knead the dough, either by hand or using the dough hook of the stand mixer set to medium speed, for about 8 minutes or until the dough is smooth and slightly tacky. If after a few minutes the dough is still sticking substantially to the sides of the bowl, add 2 tablespoons of flour at a time until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Spray a large bowl with baking grease and place the dough inside, covering tightly with a sheet of plastic wrap to rise in a warm spot of your kitchen until doubled in size, about 1-1-1/2 hours.
- Once doubled in size, form your dough into a loaf and place in a greased 9″x5″ loaf pan and cover again with plastic wrap to rise until dough puffs about an inch over the top of the pan, about 40 minutes.
- While the dough is rising preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Once the dough has risen, bake in the oven for about 35-40 minutes, or until the loaf is golden, sounds hollow when tapped on the top, and reaches an internal temperature of 190 degrees. Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes and then place on a cooling rack to finish cooling completely.
Notes
See link in blog post text regarding forming a loaf from dough.
57 thoughts on “Buttermilk Bread”
How do you store the finished loaf and how long can you store it for before it goes bad?
Fantastic bread. Tasty, and great texture. After eating the first slice (warm from the oven), my husband said “you’re making this again”. Now making my fourth loaf. Love it. Oh, ….and the aroma
This has become our “go to ” bread recipe. My kids love it for their sandwhiches .
I always double it and sometimes mix half spelt half white flour.
Thanks for the great recipe.
hooray! I’m thrilled to hear this!
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I made this bread today….for the second time. It is a very flavourful and soft bread. I find it has a butter taste without needing to add butter. I have never been able to get the full amount of flour incorporated. I usually get 3 1/3 cups in. ….depending on the thickness of the buttermilk. I will definitely make again. Next time I think I’ll make a double batch.
HOORAYYYY!!! I’m so happy to hear this! Enjoy!
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I followed the recipe exactly and have ended up with a dry, extremely dense dough, not tacky at all. I had to add a couple splashes of water to get the amount of flour to incorporate with the dough. Am I missing something? Did I need to sift the flour or…?
oh no! I’m sorry to hear you had trouble. the dough isn’t dry… the only thing I can think is maybe a difference in measuring? if you try it again, maybe add a half cup less of flour and see if that happens. I’m sorry this wasn’t a success for you!
This is true. I have to use about 3 1/2 cups flour here where I live. My first one was a bit dense, my second try came out great!
My second time making this loaf is currently proving – my 7 year old son loved it so much the first time he requested it again. It’s a little sweeter than I usually make bread but I suppose that’s why he loves it so much – half a loaf is usually gone within the first hour that we start to eat it. Super easy to make – this recipe is a keeper.
★★★★★
yayaayya!!
Forgot to give it a 5-star rating!
★★★★★
Made this last night. What a lovely bread. I don’t know how I made something so perfect. Thanks for this recipe, Kate. Best toasting/sandwich bread I’ve ever made (and I made lots).
This recipe is super reliable and forgiving. I am not a precise measurer and it always turns out wonderful. I typically sub fast rise yeast and just add it with the flour.
★★★★★
I’m thrilled to hear this!
This is a fantastic and reliable recipe. I have made it as written but also sometimes subbed 2.25 tsp of instant yeast for active dry, and it works well. Even though the instant yeast doesn’t need to bloom, I added it to the water at the beginning as with the active dry yeast. The only difference is that the proofing times were much faster with instant yeast, so I’d keep a close eye on the dough if using instant yeast.
Thank you for the great recipe!
★★★★★
I’m thrilled to hear this! Thanks!!
Thank you for sharing this recipe with the world! I made a loaf last night, subbing in some whole wheat flour mixed in with the all purpose and added a little bit more yeast. The loaf turned out beautiful.
★★★★★
hooray! thrilled to hear this!
Hi Kate,
I baked the bread following your step to step Instructions. It turned out awesome. It was very light Airy and rich in Flavor. If i had to make the bread using whole wheat flour should i be following the exact same ingredients or need to modify. Please your reply . Thanks in Advance.
★★★★★
yayaayya!!!!
Delish! I add 2 large eggs to the recipe requiring more flour…I also use bread flour. I make into bread and/or dinner buns. They are beauties!!! My Brother goes crazy over the buns…lol..being a single Male.
Thank you again for a delicious recipe as I have dough on to rise at this moment.
I’m thrilled to hear this!!!
Has anyone made this in their bread machine?? I’d love to try this!
I haven’t, but looking forward to feedback from others!
This the best recipe for homemade bread. Time number 3 for making it. My family just loves it. Thanks so much for the recipe.
★★★★★
Oh, I’m so thrilled to hear this! Thank you Dorothy!
If I wanted to make 2 loafs at a time do I double this or can I just split the dough?
you can split if you use smaller loaf pans! but otherwise I’d just double 🙂
I’ve tried several recipes but nothing worked like this one does. Am sticking to this, now and forever. Thank you, Kate.
Oh, hooray! I’m thrilled to hear this.
I truly believe this is the best homemade white bread that I have ever eaten….and am old enough to know my way around a good loaf of bread. Had been searching for a bread recipe with buttermilk, and frankly chose your recipe because your picture of this yummy loaf was the most appealing. It is the best recipe since, well dare I say, white bread! Am at an age where making four loaves at a time no longer appeals to me although could be easily accomplished a few years ago….but it won’t stop me from baking more tomorrow. Fabulous!!
★★★★★
Best comment ever! Thank you for sharing!
I made this yesterday and it was the easiest bread I’ve ever made. I had a tough time waiting for this morning’s breakfast to eat it. Fantastic with butter on it. It has a very fluffy yet sturdy texture. I haven’t tried it toasted yet because I want to enjoy it when it’s still fresh. An excellent bread I will definitively make again.
★★★★★
I’m thrilled to hear this. Thank you so much for sharing and HAPPY BAKING!
Kate, I don’t have any children but I’ll make your buttermilk bread recipe for the child in me even though I’m almost 30 🙂
Thanks for the recipe and for the good story, I really enjoyed both!
★★★★★
love it! I can’t wait to hear how you enjoy it. 🙂
Oh gosh this bread looks good! As a psychotherapist and mother I also wanted to say, children are not only the product of our good and bad ways. They come with a full bag of tricks all their own so don’t give yourself a hard time about things they do. Just take a breath and do the most loving thing you can for you both when bad behaviour occurs. Sometimes this needs to be the painful business of learning to apologise, sometimes explanation, sometimes sympathy and a hug. Now my children are nearly the age I was when I had them I can just about resist the urge to blame myself for everything they do but I wish I had stopped earlier.
http://www.psychotherapistscookbook.com
this is wonderful! thank you for sharing. I agree on all levels. 🙂
So very true about the kids; my son laid out on the floor at the supermarket only once to see how far can he go; I left him there, went away but watching his reaction hidden behind the shelves….. he stood up, looked for me and never tried it again 🙂
Bread looks amazing. Keeper it is ! Thank you !
ugh, those moments. do we get a medal? extra jewels in our crown? love ’em but they kill me. 😉
This recipe sizes up well- I made a double batch and made two loaves with the same time and energy. It was perfect timing that you posted this because I had buttermilk that needed used up-another reason for doubling the recipe. Currently giving this bread the side-eye while waiting for it to be cool enough to slice.
oh hooray! that side eye doesn’t make it cool off faster. trust me, I’ve tried. 😉 enjoy!
Just tried the bread, delicious! Thanks
no way! so fast! I’m so impressed. I hope you loved!
They waver between being so sweet and then do the unexpected. As parents, we always want them to behave (especially in public) but when they cannot verbally express their feeling, the next best option (to them) is something physical. I would hope that the parents of the other child get it. I enjoyed reading your take on it! Peanut butter and jam on delicious bread is still something that I love to eat. It’s a weekend ritual at my house. Happy Tuesday!
totally natural. my kids have both been bitten and kicked and clawed at at school multiple times because, okay, THEY’RE KIDS. grace. grace. grace. here’s hoping the other parent feels the same way. 😉
My friend Gretchen and I were just talking about how parenting is a balance between loving your kid through tough times and teaching them the self-discipline they need to take with them into adulthood when actions have consequences. It ain’t easy.
And neither is bread making, but I’m gonna give this one a try. You had me at that PB&J shot. Yum.
so much truth there. it’s really tough!! I think I’ve [been forced to] grown up more in the past three years than the previous 27. mercy.
Your gentle encouragements are a blessing to your readers. I was blessed to be a stay-at-home Mom for many years when my boys were small. My husband, now retired has regular playdates with our 4 grandsons and he is constantly amazed – both by how smart and funny and loving they are and how sometimes they are little beasties (can we say pick up the large push toy and clunk your brother in the head with it???) We fight the good fight by continuing to train them up in the way they should go.
Looking forward to trying this recipe for the buttermilk bread. Sounds like the perfect accompaniment for a PB & J sandwich!
thank you for the encouragement. sometimes I feel as though I may just pull my hair out. 😉
Self discipline is a life skill… Whether you’re holding back a slap to the face or trying not to eat the entire loaf in one day. We all figure it out eventually. Ha!
Also, these photos are brilliant and make me want to totally abandon my tried-and-true wheat bread recipe altogether! Love!
bahaha… nothing will ever be better than your bread. 🙂
It’s the best thing since sliced bread . . oh wait . . never mind.
Beautiful pics, recipe and narration, as per.
★★★★★
thank you Marc!