Easy Bread recipe made with simple ingredients & detailed instructions showing how to make bread! Best homemade bread recipe for both beginners and expert bakers.
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Homemade Bread is one of my favorite foods of all time. Can you tell by the name of this site?! There really is nothing quite like a warm slice of fresh bread served with a thick pat of butter on top. Mmmmm! This recipe is perfect. It’s simple to follow, takes about 2 hours to make and yields 2 loaves of wonderful bread. It’s quite versatile too, so feel free to use part whole wheat flour if you’d like. Brush butter on top when it’s out of the oven and partially cooled and everyone will thank you.
Yes, you can make this recipe in a bread machine! Scroll down to see full Homemade Bread recipe and ingredients, with printable instructions for your bread machine.
I love to cook and I am a pretty confident baker, however, one thing I’ve struggled with is finding a really incredible bread recipe. I know- kind of funny being as there are a zillion out there and bread is one of those ‘basics” that almost anyone can make themselves. Nevertheless, I keep trying new recipes and have finally found one I really like and have gotten good results from! Even better- it’s easy and from start to finish it takes just over 2 hours!
Steps for most Bread Recipes
If you’ve never made bread before, here is the basic formula for making your own at home. My recipe below follows this perfectly. It’s so much easier and trust me, the scent of fresh bread baking will make everyone really, really excited for dinner!
Step 1: Assemble Bread Ingredients
You’ll need warm water, granulated sugar, instant OR active dry yeast, salt, vegetable or canola oil and flour. That’s it!
Step 2: Dissolve the yeast and activate it by Proofing
This is a simple process that takes about 5 minutes. You can see a picture below what yeast looks like when it’s proofed. It’s possible to kill yeast if you use too hot of water, so aim for slightly warmer than luke-warm, or about 105°F. Combine warm water, yeast and 1 TBSP of the granulated sugar in your mixing bowl. Give it a quick stir and then let it sit for 5 minutes. You’ll begin to see the yeast puff up until it covers the entire surface of the water.
Step 3: Add remaining ingredients and mix
Add the rest of the sugar, the oil, salt and flour (You can use all-purpose flour OR bread flour!), then mix using an electric mixer until it’s well combined, about 2 minutes. You can mix by hand but it will take longer.
Step 4: Knead the Bread
You might be thinking, “Wait! It’s already mixed!” Ha! Not so fast! Going through the process of kneading bread dough is crucial for bread with great texture. Kneading dough allows gluten to form which enables dough to rise better, be lighter and fluffier. you can knead by hand or with a mixer. I use the dough hook on my mixer and knead for 7 minutes. If you knead by hand, you’ll want to knead for 10-11 minutes, depending on how consistent you are.
Step 5: First Rise
Place your lovely smooth, elastic bread dough in an oiled bowl and cover it with plastic wrap or a clean towel. I think plastic wrap works better because it traps hot air inside and thus, my dough requires a shorter first rise. Be sure to spray the side of the plastic wrap that will touch the dough with oil!
If your house is cool, your bread will take longer to rise. In the wintertime when my house is cooler than normal, I like to turn the oven on for 2-3 minutes, then turn it off and let the bowl of dough rise in there. The oven traps the heat for a longtime and it’s the perfect atmosphere for rising dough.
Step 6: Punch Dough and Shape it
Punching the dough down quickly releases any air pockets that have developed and helps your bread have a more consistent rise and texture. Shape your dough by rolling it gently into a ball and rolling it 2 or 3 times on the countertop so that the ball is more oblong. I usually punch down and shape the dough quickly, then place in a greased bread pan.
Step 7: Second Rise
I like to do my second rise in a warm oven that’s not turned on. I turn the oven on just before I punch my dough down, then turn it off once I place the dough in the oven for the 2nd rise. It’s really only on for a minute or two, which is fine! The second rise will help shape your loaf of bread and takes about 30 minutes.
Step 8: Bake the Bread
You’re nearly there! Bread bakes for about 30-40 minutes. You know what I do to make sure my bread is perfectly cooked? I use a digital cooking thermometer! Fully cooked bread will be 190-200 degrees F. Bread recipes that include milk will need to cook until 200 degrees, but since this one doesn’t, I take it out once it reaches 190 degrees. The top will be golden brown.
My all-time favorite cooking thermometer is the Thermapen. It’s super fast and incredibly durable. Another great thermometer is the ThermoPop which is a more basic version that works just as well!
Step 9: Cool the Bread
Cool baked bread in the pan for 10-15 minutes, then overturn pan and turn loaf out onto a cooling rack or folded towel to finish cooling. If you leave the bread in the pan for much longer than that, you’ll steam it, which may cause some parts of your loaf to go soggy. No one likes soggy bread!
Instant or Active Dry Yeast for Making Bread
If you use instant yeast, you can add it directly to your other dry ingredients when making bread. If you use active dry yeast, you’ll need to first dissolve it in warm water before using it in a recipe. For the sake of ease, I just always buy instant yeast. BUT, this recipe works for both!
Which bread pan is the best?
I bake a lot of bread and the pans I prefer are either aluminized steel or ceramic. Both types of pans will bake bread more evenly and release the bread more easily after baking. I’ve used glass pans in the past and it seems like my bread sinks too often when using them, so I stopped. I also don’t like using dark or nonstick pans because the bread cooks unevenly. It darkens on the outside before the bread is cooked on the inside, so it’s easier to burn.
How to Make Bread
If you’ve never baked homemade bread before, here are a few tips:
Remember to fully knead
The recipe below kneads for 7 minutes and it’s worth it! Kneading dough helps to develop the flavor and texture of the bread, so don’t skimp on kneading time.
Weather can affect your ingredients
If you live in a moist climate, chances are you’ll need at least the recommended amount of flour, maybe even 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup more. Bread dough should be sticky, but still manageable, especially after the first rise. While you’re kneading, the dough should come together and pull away from the sides of the bowl, leaving the bowl mostly clean. I usually aim to have the very bottom of the dough still attached to the bowl. Try not to add too much flour because your bread will be more dense. When you pick the dough up, some will stick to your fingers. After the first rise, it will be easier to handle!
Temperature affects how long your bread takes to rise
If your house is cool, your bread will take longer to rise. In the wintertime when my house is cooler than normal, I like to turn the oven on for 2-3 minutes, then turn it off and let the bowl of dough rise in there. The oven traps the heat for a longtime and it’s the perfect atmosphere for rising dough.
Don’t overwork the dough
Try not to go crazy kneading your bread after the first rise. I usually knead and shape my dough in about 1 minute, then it’s back in the pan to rest, for the 2nd rise. I like to have the pan rise in the oven for this second rise so that I don’t have to worry about moving risen dough. When it’s fully risen, I just turn the oven on and set the timer to bake!
How can you tell if bread is fully baked?
I like to use a food thermometer. Mine is digital, so it’s very easy to use. Fully cooked bread will be 190-200 degrees F. Bread recipes that include milk will need to cook until 200 degrees, but since this one doesn’t, I take it out once it reaches 190 degrees. The top will be golden brown.
How to Store Homemade Bread
You’ll want to store leftover bread in an airtight container. I bought bread bags off Amazon and LOVE them!
Easy Homemade Bread Recipe
This is the recipe you should follow for making homemade bread in the oven:
- 2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons active dry yeast
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 5-6 cups flour –You can use all-purpose flour OR bread flour!
- In a large bowl, dissolve the sugar in warm water and then stir in yeast. Allow to proof until yeast resembles a creamy foam, about 5 minutes.
- Mix salt and oil into the yeast. Mix in flour one cup at a time.
- Knead dough for 7 minutes. Place in a well oiled bowl, and turn dough to coat. Cover with a damp cloth. Allow to rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
- Punch dough down. Knead for 1 minute and divide in half. Shape into loaves and place into two greased 9×5 inch loaf pans. Allow to rise for 30 minutes, or until dough has risen 1 inch above pans.
- Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30-40 minutes.
- Cool, brush with butter and enjoy!
AVOID SUNKEN BREAD
The easiest and best way to avoid sunken bread is to use a cooking thermometer to check the inside of the loaf. Fully cooked bread will register 200°F on a thermometer. My all-time favorite thermometer is the Thermapen. It’s super fast and incredibly durable. Another great cooking thermometer is the ThermoPop which is a more basic version that works just as well!
EASY HOMEMADE BREAD RECIPE
Ingredients
- 2 cups warm water 110 degrees F/45 degrees C
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons active dry yeast
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 5-6 cups flour You can use all-purpose flour OR bread flour!
Instructions
- In a large bowl, dissolve the 1 TBSP of the sugar in warm water and then stir in yeast. Allow to proof until yeast resembles a creamy foam, about 5 minutes.
- Mix remaining sugar, salt and oil into the yeast. Mix in flour one cup at a time. Dough should be tacky and clean the sides of the bowl save for a small part at the bottom. Too much flour added in yields a dry loaf of bread, so if you're worried you added too much, add a bit more hot water, until you get the correct consistency.
- Knead dough for 7 minutes. Place in a well oiled bowl, and turn dough to coat. Cover with a damp cloth. Allow to rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
- Punch dough down. Knead for 1 minute and divide in half. Shape into loaves and place into two greased 9x5 inch loaf pans. Allow to rise for 30 minutes, or until dough has risen 1 inch above pans.
- Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30-40 minutes. Cool, brush with butter and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
I’ve found this recipe works really well in a bread machine! I just had the halve the ingredients so it would fit. You can see and print out the recipe below.
Loaf of Bread in a Bread Machine
- 1 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 2 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
- 3/4 teaspoons salt
- 2 TBSP vegetable oil
- 3 cups flour –You can use all-purpose flour OR bread flour!
- Add the ingredients to the bread pan of your machine in the following order: water, oil, flour, sugar and salt. Make a small well in the dry ingredients and add yeast.
- Place bread pan in machine. Close lid and set bread machine to bake a loaf of basic white bread.
- Let bread cool when bread machine has completed the full cycle. (Mine takes 3.5 hours.) Remove from machine & pan. Brush with butter and enjoy!
Easy Bread Recipe for a Bread Machine
Ingredients
- 1 cup warm water 110 degrees F/45 degrees C
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 2 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
- 3/4 teaspoons salt
- 2 TBSP vegetable oil
- 3 cups flour all purpose OR bread flour!
Instructions
- Add the ingredients to the bread pan of your machine in the following order: water, oil, flour, sugar and salt. Make a small well in the dry ingredients and add yeast.
- Place bread pan in machine. Close lid and set bread machine to bake a loaf of basic white bread.
- Let bread cool when bread machine has completed the full cycle. (Mine takes 3.5 hours.) Remove from machine & pan. Brush with butter and enjoy!
Nutrition
**Note: In the pics above, I was only making 1 loaf in the oven. The full recipe yields 2 loaves, so plan accordingly!
Enjoy this bread recipe? Here are even more recipes for homemade bread to try:
Yeast Bread Recipes:
- Homemade Buttermilk Bread recipe
- Homemade Hawaiian Bread
- Honey Oat Bread recipe
- Cinnamon Raisin Bread
- Parmesan Garlic Dinner Rolls
- Fabulous French Bread
- Sweet Orange Dinner Rolls
- Homemade Hawaiian Bread
- Easy Homemade Cheesy Breadsticks
- Tomato Parmesan Flatbread
- Potato Bread Recipe
- Soft Cornmeal Dinner Rolls
- Honey Wheat Bread
- Soft White Sandwich Bread
Quick Bread Recipes:
- Best Zucchini Bread
- Pineapple Bread
- Sweet Coconut Bread
- Easy Banana Bread
- Caramel Banana Nut Bread
- Best Pumpkin Bread
Easy Bread recipe made with simple ingredients & detailed instructions showing how to make bread! Best homemade bread recipe for both beginners and expert bakers.
Mary says
This is the best recipe for my bread machine! I am usually a sourdough baker but every so often I use the machine when I want something no fuss. Other recipes have just been so so. This was so light an fluffy. Just delicious!
Nicole says
thats awesome!
Sean Magarey says
Same experience as Samara’s comment above (2 April); this is the first time I’ve made bread and I’m very pleased it turned our as lovely soft bread, but its very sweet – I’d use a lot less sugar next time.
Nicole says
Glad the recipe worked out for ya, feel free to reduce the sugar to suit your own tastes
Fairo says
This recipe was so easy to make and turned out perfect!! The bread is delicious and perfect for sandwichs.
Nicole says
so glad to hear it 🙂
Meem says
My 3 yr old and I made this bread together today. SO easy!! I used a cup of oat flour in place of one cup of regular flour, just because I wanted to use it up. It turned out delicious and the loaves were beautiful.
Nicole says
Thats so great to hear 🙂
Nicole says
I needed approx 5 1/2 cups flour and only used 1/4 c sugar & it came out beautiful – & tasted delicious! Thanks for the tip on temperature 😊
Nicole says
YAY! 🙂
Nicole says
Wish the recipe would have said how sweet this bread is – didn’t look at comments til after making it. I’m new to baking so I didn’t have an idea on how much sugar means what in terms of taste. Following the recipe as written makes the bread a little disgustingly sweet. Wouldn’t use it for sandwiches but should be good for french toast.
Nicole says
some people like it with more sugar and others like it with less. this recipe is versatile so you can adjust to whatever you’re looking for 🙂
Emily says
This is my first time making my own bread from scratch and it turned out perfect! All of the tips and tricks were very helpful!!
Nicole says
We’re so glad to hear that!
Jon-Luc P. says
Thanks for the recipe
Nicole says
You’re welcome 🙂
Ty Jakoblich says
I don’t know what what wrong but it all started after I dissolved the sugar in warm water me then stirred in the yeast. 5 minutes later still just liquid. 15 mins, 25 mins, 35 mins waiting for 45 minute for this yeast. Never did. Must have been a bad batch of yeast? Then adding 5 cups of flour one at a time and mixing was a nightmare around 3 cups. Kneading for 7 minutes and placing in a well oiled bowl and turning to cover and then proofing with a wet rag for an hour until doubled in size didn’t happen. Followed everything to a T and I can cook and bake and follow a recipe. Don’t know what went wrong. I could have bought 6 loaves of Kroger bread from the store for what I paid for these ingredients. Not worth the trouble
Nicole says
If you yeast doesnt start to foam up and proof within 5-10 minutes then it could be 1) bad yeast 2) too hot of water or liquid or 3) too cold of liquid. The liquid should be about 110 degrees F for best results. if the yeast doesn’t proof in the beginning then your bread may not rise at all, which is why we proof the yeast first because its cheaper to dump out east and water then it is to throw away several cups of flour and other ingredients.
Debbie says
I made the dough in my machine then baked it in the oven. This is the best bread recipe I’ve found. It’s soft and the texture is perfect. Thanks for a great recipe.
Nicole says
Thats so great Debbie!
Amy says
So I wish the sugar was also mentioned in terms of sweetness in the recipe as I do know you need sugar to feed the yeast. I usually follow the recipe outright on the first try and then modified as needed if I use it again. That being said, I do love how it turned out beyond the sweetness. I made by hand and was comfortable with your instructions. Thank you so much for sharing and I will be using the recipe (with less sugar) again! 😊
Nicole says
Glad you liked it 🙂
Jamie says
This will be my 1st attempt at bread. I bought yeast in individual packets that are 2 1/4 teaspoons each. Will 1/4 teaspoons make a difference, or can I move forward with this recipe?
Nicole says
Just use the packet as-is. That 1/4 teaspoon of additional yeast wont hurt at all 😉
J BUG says
Complete disaster. This recipe is snippets from other recipes and with all the pop ups and ads is super annoying. Total ruined bread. Learned to really look at everything that is available online. I don’t believe these ratings.
Nicole says
Sorry to hear you that didnt enjoy this experience
Melanie says
Thank you for teaching me how to make homemade bread. I followed all your detailed instructions and at the age of 62, I finally mastered making bread. I love the taste of your recipe. Thanks again!
Nicole says
Yay! Its never too late to learn to make your own bread 🙂