How to bake bread 🥪

Homemade Bread

LAST UPDATED ON SEPTEMBER 26, 2022• Jump to Recipe

Look no further for the BEST and simplest homemade Bread recipe made with just six simple pantry ingredients! It’s the perfect white bread for sandwiches and it freezes well too!

Our favorite way to eat freshly baked bread is with homemade strawberry, raspberry, or peach jam. It’s simply heaven.

There are so many things to love about this bread recipe, but if I had to highlight the best parts, it’s that it only requires shelf stable ingredients (no milk, eggs or butter needed!) and it’s EASY and fool-proof to make! Whether you’re a newbie or experienced bread maker, you can’t mess this up, and I know you’re going to love it!

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Ingredients needed:

Warm water: (105-115 degrees)- to activate the yeast.
Active Dry yeast: Instant or rapid rise yeast can be substituted, following my adaption notes in the recipe card.
Granulated sugar or honey: the sugar is used to “feed” the yeast and tenderize the bread.
Salt: to enhance flavor
Oil: Vegetable or canola oil, or melted butter could be substituted
Flour: Bread Flour or All-Purpose Flour can both be used with no changes to the recipe. The exact amount of flour used will vary depending on different factors (altitude/humidity etc.). What matters is the texture of the dough. It should be smooth and pull away from the sides of the bowl. It’s important not to add too much flour or your bread will be dense. The dough should be just slightly sticky when touched with a clean finger.

Pro Tips:

Use fresh yeast! If your yeast is expired or bad, the bread will not rise properly. We will test it in step 1 of the recipe. Store yeast in the refrigerator to maintain best quality.
To speed up the bread rise time: Make dough up to first rising, placing it in a well greased bowl, turning it once to grease the dough all over. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Preheat oven to 180 degrees F, then turn oven off. Place bowl into the oven, leaving the oven door slightly cracked open. Allow to rise until doubled. Then remove, punch down and shape into loaves.

Do I need a Bread Maker or Stand Mixer?

NO! You don’t need any special equipment for this white bread recipe. If you have a stand mixer it makes the process easier, but you can simply use a mixing bowl and wooden spoon, and then knead the dough with your hands. You can use bread machine with this recipe if you have one, but you may need to cut the recipe in half (to make just 1 loaf), depending on your machines capacity.

How to make Bread:

Proof the yeast: In a large bowl or stand mixer add the yeast, water and a pinch of the sugar or honey. Allow to rest for 5-10 minutes until foaming and bubbly. (This is called “proofing” the yeast, to make sure it is active. If it doesn’t foam, the yeast is no good, and you need to start over with fresh yeast).
Prepare the dough: Add remaining sugar or honey, salt, oil, and 3 cups of flour. Mix to combine. Add another cup of flour and mix to combine. With the mixer running add more flour, ½ cup at a time, until the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl.
Knead the dough: Mix the dough for 5 minutes on medium speed (or knead with your hands on a lightly floured surface, for 5-8 minutes). The dough should be smooth and elastic, and slightly stick to a clean finger, but not be overly sticky.
First Rise: Grease a large bowl with oil or cooking spray and place the dough inside. Cover with a dish towel or plastic wrap and allow to rise in a warm place* until doubled in size (about 1 ½ hours).

Four process photos for making bread dough in a mixer.

5. Punch the dough down really well to remove air bubbles.

6. Divide into two equal portions. Shape each ball into long logs and place into greased loaf pans.

7. Second rise: Spray two pieces of plastic wrap with cooking spray and lay them gently over the pans. Allow dough to rise again for about 45 minutes to one hour, or until risen 1 inch above the loaf pans.

8.Bake: Adjust oven racks to lower/middle position. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Bake bread for about 30-33 minutes, or until golden brown on top. Give the top of a loaf a gentle tap; it should sound hollow.

Four process photos for shaping and baking homemade bread.

Invert the baked loaves onto a wire cooling rack. Brush the tops with butter and allow to cool for at least 15 minutes before slicing.

A loaf of homemade white bread cooling on a wire rack.

Storing: Once cool, store bread in an airtight container or bag for 2-3 days at room temperature, or up to 5 days in the refrigerator.

Make Ahead And Freezing Instructions:

To make ahead: Make the bread dough through step 4, before the first rise. Place in a large airtight container, and refrigerate for up to one day. Remove from fridge and allow to come to room temperature. Proceed with punching down and forming loaves.

To freeze bread dough: Prepare the recipe through step (6), before the second rise. Place the shaped loaves into a freezer-safe or disposable aluminum bread pan. Cover tightly with a double layer of aluminum foil and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, allow the loaves to thaw and complete the second rise, at room temperature (about 5 hours). Bake as directed.

To freeze baked bread: Allow baked bread to cool completely. Place each loaf in a freezer-safe resealable bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature on the countertop, or overnight in the refrigerator.

Variations:

Cinnamon swirl bread: After punching dough down and dividing into two pieces (step 7) roll each piece out into a large rectangle. Mix ¼ cup sugar and 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon together. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture on top, leaving a 1-inch border around the sides. Roll the dough up very tightly into a log. Pinch the ends to seal and place into prepared loaf pans, seam side down. Continue with step 8.
Raisin Bread – Add 2 cups of raisins to the bread dough in step 3, then follow instructions above for adding cinnamon swirl.
Rolls
Breadsticks
Whole Wheat Bread
Artisan Bread
Pizza Dough

Uses for Leftover Bread:

Homemade bread will dry out after 2-3 days, but I have many recipes that use bread slices, including:

Baked French Toast Casserole
Bread Pudding
Classic French Toast
Bread Crumbs – Allow the bread to dry out completely, then pulse it into crumbs using a food processor or blender.
Dried Bread Cubes for Stuffing
Overnight Breakfast Casserole

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Recipe

4.99 from 7640 votes

Homemade Bread

Look no further for the BEST and simplest homemade Bread recipe made with just six simple pantry ingredients! It’s the perfect white bread for sandwiches and it freezes well too!

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AUTHORLAUREN ALLEN

COURSEAPPETIZER, SIDE COURSE

CUISINEAMERICAN

SERVINGS24

CALORIES202

PREP 15MINUTES MINS

COOK 30MINUTES MINS

RISE TIME: 3HOURS HRS

TOTAL 3HOURS HRS 45MINUTES MINS

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Equipment

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Ingredients 1x2x3x

▢2 cups warm water (105-115 degrees)
▢1 Tablespoons active dry yeast*
▢1/4 cup honey or sugar
▢2 teaspoons salt
▢2 Tablespoons oil (canola or vegetable)
▢4 – 5 1/2 cups all-purpose or bread flour*

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Instructions

Prepare the dough: In a large bowl or stand mixer add the yeast, water and a pinch of the sugar or honey. Allow to rest for 5-10 minutes until foaming and bubbly. (This is called “proofing” the yeast, to make sure it is active. If it doesn’t foam, the yeast is no good, and you need to start over with fresh yeast).
Add remaining sugar or honey, salt, oil, and 3 cups of flour. Mix to combine.
Add another cup of flour and mix to combine. With the mixer running add more flour, ½ cup at a time, until the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl. The dough should be smooth and elastic, and slightly stick to a clean finger, but not be overly sticky. Add a little more flour, if needed.
Knead the dough: Mix the dough for 4-5 minutes on medium speed (or knead with your hands on a lightly floured surface, for 5-8 minutes).
First Rise: Grease a large bowl with oil or cooking spray and place the dough inside, turning to coat. Cover with a dish towel or plastic wrap and allow to rise in a warm place* until doubled in size, about 1 ½ hours.
Spray two 9×5” bread pans generously with cooking spray on all sides. (I also like to line the bottom of the pans with a small piece of parchment or wax paper, but this is optional.)
Punch the dough down well to remove air bubbles. Divide into two equal portions. Shape each ball into long logs and place into greased loaf pans.
Second rise: Spray two pieces of plastic wrap with cooking spray and lay them gently over the pans. Allow dough to rise again for about 45 minutes to one hour, or until risen about 1 inch above the loaf pans. Gently removing covering.
Bake: Preheat oven to 350 F. Bake bread for about 30-33 minutes, or until golden brown on top. Give the top of a loaf a gentle tap; it should sound hollow.
Invert the loaves onto a wire cooling rack. Brush the tops with butter and allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing.
Once cool, store in an airtight container or bag for 2-3 days at room temperature, or up to 5 days in the refrigerator.

Notes

Flour: Bread flour or all-purpose can both be used with no changes to the recipe. Bread flour will produce a slightly chewier loaf. Whole wheat flour can’t be substituted cup-for-cup because it’s gluten levels are different. Here is my favorite Whole Wheat Bread recipe.

Yeast: to substitute Instant or Rapid Rise yeast, skip the “proofing” of the dough in the first step and add the yeast to the bowl with step 2. Allow the dough to complete its first rise, and then roll and shape into loaves and rise again (rise times will be much faster with instant yeast).

Quick-rise Tip: To speed up the rising time of the first rise, make dough up to first rising, placing it in a well greased bowl, turning it once to grease the dough all over. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Preheat oven to 180 degrees F, then turn oven off. Place bowl into the oven, leaving the oven door slightly cracked open. Allow to rise until doubled. Then remove, punch down and shape into loaves.

Freezing Instructions:
To freeze the dough: Prepare the recipe through step (6), before the second rise. Place the shaped loaves into a freezer-safe or disposable aluminum bread pan. Cover tightly with a double layer of aluminum foil and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, allow the loaves to thaw and complete the second rise, at room temperature (about 5 hours). Bake as directed.
To freeze baked bread: Allow baked bread to cool completely. Place each loaf in a freezer-safe resealable bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature on the countertop, or overnight in the refrigerator.

Bread Machine: If using a bread machine, you may want to cut this recipe in half to make 1 loaf (depending on the capacity of your machine).

Nutrition

Calories: 202kcalCarbohydrates: 41gProtein: 5gFat: 2gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 196mgPotassium: 56mgFiber: 1gSugar: 3gCalcium: 8mgIron: 2mg

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UPDATED September 26, 2022

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lauren Allen

Welcome! I’m Lauren, a mom of four and lover of good food. Here you’ll find easy recipes and weeknight meal ideas made with real ingredients, with step-by-step photos and videos.

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COMMENTS

Rose ColonMARCH 25, 2024 AT 2:43 PM
I’ve made this recipe so many times I know it by heart. It’s inexpensive to make and delicious. The only change I made is to increase the salt.Reply
NicoleMARCH 24, 2024 AT 12:46 PMEasy to make, the whole family loves it!Reply
SueMARCH 23, 2024 AT 9:39 PM
I made this today and it truly is the best recipe ever! So light and fluffy and very easy to make. Thank you for sharing.!!!!!!Reply
Kaitlyn FloresMARCH 22, 2024 AT 5:47 PM
Ok. So this is probably a great recipe, but not for where I live. I live in an RV with a small oven. And I have a wood stove that makes the house a little warmer than a reg house. it over proofed for the first and second rise… so it didn’t exactly fit in my oven!!! lol. I had to move the rack so low that it burnt the bottom of the loaves.just slightly though. Even when I moved it to the lowest line, it still was too big for my lil oven!! Lmao!! But, the bread itself came out amazing!! Had I have the right temp in my house, and a bigger oven, this would be the best bread I ever made!!Thanks for the recipe!Reply
NancyMARCH 22, 2024 AT 2:39 PMWonderful recipe!
My bread seemed to sink down a bit and did not look rounded on top. Any suggestions of what may have happened? Oven to hot?
Otherwise, the flavor was wonderful.Reply
1. Stacy PophamMARCH 25, 2024 AT 7:11 PMThrilled you enjoyed the flavor! 🍞 If your bread sank and wasn’t rounded on top, it might have been over-proofed before baking, causing it to collapse a bit. Oven temperature can also play a part; too hot an oven might cause it to rise too quickly and then fall. Next time, try letting it proof just until it’s doubled in size but not beyond, and check that your oven is at the right temperature.Reply
DonaMARCH 21, 2024 AT 3:59 PM
I have just made your bread recipe and it came out amazingly, I will be doing it again and may evan try the brown bread recipe too 😋 👍🏾Reply
Isabelle CrawfordMARCH 20, 2024 AT 4:40 PM
I was making bread for the first time as a 20 year old mom and 2 and let me just say this recipe is so good and easy to follow. I can’t wait to try your whole wheat recipe next. Thank you for making it simple and a fun experience for me.Reply
Brent NothnagelMARCH 20, 2024 AT 6:37 AM
Hey Lauren
Instead of baking a loaf of bread using your recipe, I broke the dough down into 56g quantities and baked 6 cheese buns and six burger buns. Regrettably your allowable star rating is only 5.
My rating for this recipe : ☆ x 495! 😁❤Reply