Create this make-ahead Bread Machine Mix once, stash it in the pantry, and you’re halfway to a fresh loaf on a busy day. The dry mix uses pantry basics, then you add warm water, oil, lemon juice, and yeast when you’re ready to bake.
If you like keeping homemade convenience foods on hand, this one earns its shelf space. The little bit of dry milk helps with tenderness and browning, and the lemon juice added at bake time gives yeast a slightly more acidic environment, which can help performance in bread machine doughs according to King Arthur Baking’s bread machine guide.
Ingredients for Bread Machine Mix
For the dry mix, you’ll need:
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons dry milk
- 3 1/2 cups bread flour
- 1/2 cup wheat flour
When you’re ready to bake, add:
- 1 1/3 cups very warm water
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons yeast
If you enjoy stocking more than one loaf option at a time, you can build a small pantry lineup with Homemade Bread Machine Mixes or branch out with Whole Wheat Oatmeal Bread Machine Mix.
How to Make Bread Machine Mix
- Measure the salt, sugar, dry milk, bread flour, and wheat flour into a zip-top bag or vacuum-seal bag.
- Seal the bag tightly and store it in a cool, dry place until you’re ready to bake.
- When ready to make bread, add the prepared dry mix to your bread machine pan.
- Add the very warm water, oil, lemon juice, and yeast in the order recommended by your bread machine manufacturer.
- Select the regular cycle and choose a light or medium crust setting, whichever you prefer.
- Let the machine complete the cycle, then remove the loaf and cool it on a rack before slicing.
If you want to use the mix without a machine, see how to prepare a bread machine mix without a bread machine.
Helpful Tips
Keep the yeast separate until baking day. That gives the dry mix better storage life and keeps the yeast from waking up early if moisture sneaks in.
Level your flour instead of scooping hard from the bag. Packed flour can throw off the dough balance and leave you with a dense loaf that could double as a doorstop.
Watch the dough during the first few minutes of mixing. If it looks dry and shaggy, add water 1 teaspoon at a time. If it smears against the pan like paste, dust in a little more bread flour.
Variations
- Softer sandwich loaf: Use a light crust setting and let the loaf cool completely before bagging.
- Heartier flavor: Replace part of the bread flour with a little more whole wheat flour, but keep the total flour amount the same.
- Savory loaf: Add dried herbs or a spoonful of onion flakes at bake time.
- Slightly sweeter loaf: Increase the sugar a bit if you want a softer, more sandwich-style bread.
Storage
Dry mix: Store the sealed dry mix in an airtight bag or jar in a cool, dry cupboard for up to 6 months for best quality. That is a conservative estimate based on the whole wheat flour and dry milk in the mix, which lose freshness faster than white flour.
Baked bread: Once baked and fully cooled, keep the loaf tightly wrapped at room temperature for about 2 to 3 days for best quality. For longer storage, freeze it well wrapped for up to 3 months.
Do not refrigerate the loaf unless you must. Refrigeration tends to dry bread out faster than room temperature storage, so the freezer is the better long-term choice.
Serving Suggestions
This loaf works well for everyday sandwich bread, toast, garlic bread, or a side for soup night. It also makes a solid base for French toast once the loaf is a day old and a little drier, which is bread’s way of finally cooperating.
💸 Budget101® Price Breakdown: Bread Machine Mix
Ingredient |
Walmart Item |
Pkg Price |
Amount Used |
Cost Used |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Salt |
$0.62 |
2 t. |
$0.01 |
|
Sugar |
$2.98 |
1/4 C. |
$0.08 |
|
Dry milk |
$9.28 |
2 T. |
$0.11 |
|
Bread flour |
$2.96 |
3 1/2 C. |
$0.55 |
|
Wheat flour |
$2.96 |
1/2 C. |
$0.08 |
|
Very warm water |
– |
1 1/3 C. |
$0.01 |
|
Oil |
$3.36 |
2 T. |
$0.07 |
|
Lemon juice |
$0.65 |
1 t. |
$0.07 |
|
Yeast |
$5.24 |
2 t. |
$0.28 |
💸 |
Cost |
|---|---|
🧾 Total Batch Cost |
$1.26 |
👨👩👧👦 Cost Per Serving |
$0.11 |
📅 Walmart prices last verified August 26, 2026. Prices may vary by location and are subject to change. Learn how to calculate the cost of a recipe on your own!
🛒 Walmart Grocery List
- Salt, 26 oz
- Granulated Sugar, 4 lb
- Instant Nonfat Dry Milk, 25.6 oz
- Bread Flour, 5 lb
- Whole Wheat Flour, 5 lb
- Bottled Water, 1 gallon
- Vegetable Oil, 48 fl oz
- Lemon Juice, 15 fl oz
- Active Dry Yeast, 0.25 oz 3 count
Not sure exactly what this batch costs you per serving? Here’s how to break down the real cost of any recipe so you know before you shop.
Frequently Asked Questions about Bread Machine Mix
You can. Swap the 1/2 cup wheat flour for 1/2 cup bread flour and the loaf will usually bake up a little lighter and softer. The wheat flour adds a bit more flavor and body, but the recipe still works fine without it.
It’s best to keep it in there if you want the mix to behave as written. Dry milk helps with browning, tenderness, and a softer crumb, so leaving it out can give you a plainer loaf with less color.
Absolutely. Use the same 2 teaspoons if your machine handles instant yeast well, or follow your manufacturer’s yeast recommendation if it gives one. Instant yeast often rises a bit faster, so it’s a handy swap when that’s what you keep on hand.
That small amount helps acidify the dough a bit, which can support yeast activity and dough strength in bread machine recipes. It won’t make the bread taste lemony, so you won’t end up with sandwich bread that tastes like dessert by mistake.
Plan on one standard loaf, roughly a 1 1/2-pound loaf, though the exact size depends on your machine and how much moisture your flour absorbs. It’s a good fit for the regular cycle on most basic bread machines.
Check it during the first kneading cycle and adjust in tiny amounts. Add water 1 teaspoon at a time if it looks crumbly, or add bread flour 1 tablespoon at a time if it looks loose and sticky. Small fixes work better than one heroic dump that creates a whole new problem.
Yes, as long as you package each batch well and label it. Separate batch-size bags make life easier later, and they keep you from measuring flour while half awake and hoping for the best.
Cool it completely first, then wrap it tightly or bag it once the steam is gone. Trapping warm steam makes the crust soggy at first, then oddly dry later, which is an annoying little trick bread likes to play.
Yes, and that’s the best option if you won’t finish the loaf within a couple of days. Wrap it well, freeze it for up to 3 months for best quality, and thaw it at room temperature still wrapped so it keeps more of its moisture.
Use it anywhere you’d use plain sandwich bread. It works for toast, grilled cheese, deli sandwiches, garlic bread, and soup on the side, so one loaf can cover several meals without much drama.
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Did you make this recipe? Tell us how your loaf turned out and what crust setting you used in the comments.
🖨️ Print-Friendly Bread Machine Mix
Bread Machine Mix
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ¼ cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons dry milk
- 3 ½ cups bread flour
- ½ cup wheat flour
- 1 ⅓ cups very warm water
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons yeast
Equipment
Instructions
- Measure the salt, sugar, dry milk, bread flour, and wheat flour into a zip-top bag or vacuum-seal bag.
- Seal tightly and store until ready to use.
- Add the prepared dry mix to the bread machine pan.
- Add the very warm water, oil, lemon juice, and yeast in the order recommended by your machine manufacturer.
- Select the regular cycle with a light or medium crust setting.
- Remove the loaf when done and cool on a rack before slicing.
Recipe Size Alteration
💡 If you altered the ingredients above by doubling or tripling the recipe, you may also need to change the pan/dish size and adjust the cook time.
Notes
Prep time is an estimate for measuring, bagging, and loading ingredients.
Dry mix storage estimate: up to 6 months in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.
Baked bread storage: 2 to 3 days at room temperature, or freeze up to 3 months for best quality.
Here is a picture of this bread mix I made last night. It turned out looking pretty good, however, we have not tried it yet. After breakfast I’ll let you know how it taste.
this bread just got rated a 9 at our house. The kids said the only reason they didn’t rate it a 10 is because it doesn’t contain cheese or chocolate. LOL” I think it taste better than store bought, and any of the recipes that came with my bread maker!!!
The bread didn’t fall apart when you put jelly on it.
i love my bread machine and i’m always looking for new recipes. i think i’m going to try this tonight!
this sounds great! i am going to make it now. can you tell me how many loaves this recipe makes.
is it for just one of the machine pans or do i need to break it down?
This recipe makes 1 loaf.
wow-i’m running off to make this right now!
where do i find the bread flour reciepe? please help
just add 1 tsp wheat gluten per cup of flour or use all purpose flour instead
i love fresh home made bread…going to make some for breakfast!
i love making home made bread & the bread machine makes it so much easier. i’m going to try this recipe in the morning for breakfast!
i made this the other day and it was a big hit!! family loved it. my bread maker is 15 years old and is making odd noises..
so I am forced to buy a new one.. oh darn:party1:
What would be a good alternative to the refined sugar in this recipe? I cannot have refined sugar or artificial sweeteners only natural sugars.