I can’t believe this worked!
I canned this white bread back in August….and opened a jar of canned bread today for breakfast sandwiches and they came out super yummy, just as fresh as when they were first done!
I like to do a basic white bread recipe. And just like with baking bread in the oven, the recipe has to be adjusted according to humidity and the alignment of the planets. But I’ll give you what my recipe starts with and then adjust it to what you need.
Read More: What is Canned Bread – Brown Bread, Raisins, White >>
By the way, this makes two loaves of bread, so it is a large recipe and can be paired down. So I usually can some and also make a loaf to eat right away.
Please note – canned bread is very controversial as for keeping in food storage, on the shelf or in a prepper pantry due to the right conditions for organism C. botulinum to form when conditions are right and can be an extremely potent toxin. We suggest to make your bread and store in a cool, refrigerated environment for safety.
Here are canning essential tools you’ll need for these recipes (and any basic canning):
- 6-8 wide-mouth pint jars with lids (or wide-mouth quart jars, adjust timing)
- baking towels or kitchen towels
- lightweight mixing bowls – I like the KitchenAid mixing bowls with balance
- bread rising bowl (*optional – depends on a recipe below, substitute mixing bowl)
- toothpicks or testing tool
- shortening (to grease the inside of the jars for easy removal)
- pressure canner (I use the Presto 23 qt Pressure Canner)
- canning supplies and tools set
All these links are at the end as well for you to check out and get started canning quickly with products like these that have lasted me for many years.
Ready to make your own white canned bread?
Let’s get to it!
Ingredients
- 2 tbs instant yeast
- 2 1/2 – 3 cups water (add or subtract as needed)
- 6-8 cups flour (again add or subtract as needed)
- 6 teaspoons salt
- 2 tbs sugar
- 1 tbs oil
Canned Bread Instructions – Pressure Cooker
1. Sanitize and dry about 6 wide-mouth pint jars. (Using wide mouth is a must, you’ll never get the bread out otherwise)
2. Combine ingredients and knead until gluten is developed.
3. Transfer to a bowl, cover, and let rise till it doubles. (20-60 minutes depending on the temperature of your house).
4. Knockdown dough. Portion out 6 golf ball sizes of dough.
5. Grease the inside of the jars with shortening.
6. Smooth out balls and place them in wide mouth pint jars or wide mouth quart jars. Try to keep out air pockets under the dough. Smoosh it with your fingertips into the bottom edges of the jar. You can use canning tools to help.
7. Put lids on and do a second rise. Let rise till there are 2 inches of headspace in the jar.
8. Place in a pressure cooker and pressure can for 20 minutes (based on 1000 asl). Check your levels and times.
9. Take out and let cool.
Cook Time
| Prep time | Pressure Cook time | Ready in | Yields |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 hr 15min | 20 min | 3 hours (cool) | 6-8 pint jars of bread |
Canned Bread in a Jar – Oven Variation (NO pressure canning)
Please note, this method does not provide shelf-stable bread and it is recommended to only store for up to 7 days, otherwise, please store properly in a cool or refrigerated environment for up to 3 weeks.
- Get 6-8 clean wide-mouth pint-size canning jars and lids. They don’t have to be hot, just clean.
- In a large bowl, mix up your favorite quick bread recipe as usual (banana bread, zucchini bread, apple bread, etc). You can also try Kendra’s Pumpkin Spice Bread Recipe from New Life on a Homestead and substitute 2/3 c. shortening for the 1 cup of vegetable oil it normally calls for.
- Grease your jars with shortening, all the way around the inside.
- Pour the bread mix immediately into the jars, filling them halfway. DO NOT OVERFILL.
- Bake the bread in the pint jars (WITHOUT lids on) at 325* for 45 min. Test one with a toothpick to make sure they are completely cooked before removing the jars from the oven.
- When done, wipe the rims with a wet cloth and quickly screw the lids on.
- Let sit for at least 3 hours until cool.
Cook Time
| Prep time | Oven Cook time | Ready in | Yields |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 min | 45 min | 3 hours (cool) | 6-8 pint jars of bread |
Different Canned Bread Variations
Here are some of the different types of bread this recipe can make:
- pumpkin
- banana
- apple
- carrot
- applesauce/pineapple
- cranberry
- cranberry sauce
- zucchini
- applesauce/raisin
- peach
Important Guidelines
- You must use wide-mouthed jars – this is a big one…. you need to use wide-mouth jars (pints or quarts) for this recipe so that the bread will come out of the jar easily to prevent losing its loaf shape. The batter going into the jar is a lot more flexible than the bread coming out.
- You should use shortening – you may be tempted to substitute with any other type of oil, but we suggest against this. If you want this bread to keep longer in those jars, you should use shortening. Any other oils will make this bread go rancid much faster.
- You must sanitize your jars before using them – Food safety is a priority always….. especially when canning. In addition to sanitizing your jars, make sure you wipe off the tops before and after baking.
Start Canning Quickly!
From the canning jars, to the tools to towels to the mixing bowls, I love to share products I use while canning and making my favorite recipes.
I have all my favorite canning tools & essentials at my Amazon storefront here: Canning Tools & Essentials >
One of my favorites is the KitchenAid mixing bowls set that have this flat bottom that help keep the bowl sturdy and not move around a bunch when mixing in it. I got the red set, but it comes in other colors, too.
I hope you enjoy them for years like I have!
~~ And as always friends, take care, be kind to yourself and others, and always keep learning to be better and do better.
*We sometimes use affiliate links on our site for items that I use, recommend, and love. The links are free for you to use and it helps support my site by providing a commission for the recommendation. I greatly appreciate you clicking on any recommended links I provide.*
Grab some of my favorite items mentioned in this article:
Check out my Amazon storefront with ALL MY FAVORITE THINGS! >
Or, go directly to my full list of Canning Tools & Essentials >
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Original post: February 28, 2022
Updated: December 11, 2023
Updated: February 22, 2024
When you made your canned basic white bread in pressure canner, did you vent it 10 minutes, first? Does pressure canning the bread bring it up to 240F, and so kill any chance of botulism? I mean, that’s the whole, entire point of pressure canning, right?
Hi Elizabeth, Yes, I vented for first per instructions which is done for everything I pressure can, but you should check your pressure canner’s instructions to find out how long you should vent yours. As for the temperature, pressure canning is the only safe and recommended method of canning low-acid foods. With pressure canning, using 2 to 3 inches of water within the pressure canner, jars of food are heated to at least 240° F. This temperature can only be reached in a pressure canner.
Admin, I’m considering making B & M Brown Steamed Bread. And I’ve found a recipe steam canning on stovetop in mason jars with lid & ring. My question is, considering the recipe uses sour cream or buttermilk and Joy of Cooking, 1973 insists, “Needs the acidity of sourcream or buttermilk”. It doesn’t say why, but in your opinion could it possibly be in the recipe to help make pH acid enough to keep bread safe from botulism?
Elizabeth, this is a great question – I think I’m going to research that option and even try this and see what happens – I don’t know the answer to that, but I am going to try to find out for you! 🙂
The recipe states to grease the inside of the jars with shortening
Yes, shortening is the best option, not only to help the bread come out of the jars easier, but it also helps it keep longer opposed to other types of oils that can make it go rancid too quickly.
You have a photo of baked/canned bread in wide mouth quart jars. I would like to see the bread after it has been removed from the quart jar. I’m thinking it isn’t going to just slide right out in one piece.
Hi Popeye! Thanks – yes, it doesn’t seam like it would come out all in one, but I use a knife to gently scrape around the outside and it will slide out with a little bit of gently pulling….. it worked for me, but I think it just takes a couple times to learn to do it.
I would like to try the oven method, how long will it keep on the shelf?
I usually keep them for only about 1 month, but I have had ones on the shelf for about 3-6 months
I have some jars that I’m still eating that are 3 years old. And I’m still alive and they still taste good! I just made sure I put the lids on immediately out of the oven.
Oh wow that’s great! That’s a long time and happy to hear that you’ve been able to store them so well for such an extended time!
How long does the oven jar method last in the jar?
I usually keep them in there about 3-6 months
How many pounds to pressure can?
She wrote 20 min. in one place, and 30 min. in another.
the different times were were for pressure can vs oven cooking, but I’ve actually updated this to reflect a proper 20 min pressure can and 45 minutes in the oven. Thank you!
Is it ready to eat when you open the jars, or do you need to bake it to brown it?
It is ready to eat right out of the jar!
20 minutes in a pressure canner. At what pressure?
Pressure depends on your altitude, not the recipe.
If you are pressure canning anything, and you are over 1000 above sea level, you will can at 15# pressure.
Below 1000, it’s 10# pressure.
Yes, Janet is correct, : “If you are pressure canning anything, and you are over 1000 above sea level, you will can at 15# pressure.
Below 1000, it’s 10# pressure.”
I’ve been looking for a white bread ina jar recipe! Never thought of pressure canning though! Do you grease the jars? Also, is your recipe for the jars only half of the dough? Thank you!
Yes, you can definetly spray some cooking spray such as olive oil, avocado oil, etc on the the inside to help with removal.
But your recipe warns, shortening, not oil!
You can use an oil, but for longer storage it’s best to use shortening to prevent them from becoming rancid quickly.
When baking the white bread do you need to grease or spray the inside of the jars? Planning to try the white bread recipe. Will be the first time to PC bread. I want to do it right
Did you grease the jars? Thanks in advance!
In the instructions, she said she greased the jars with shortening.
Yes, HI Jennifer! I did end up putting grease the inside of the jars which made it SO much easier to remove the bread in one piece… nearly slipped right out! 🙂