Easy 5 Star Homemade Bread recipe made with simple ingredients & detailed instructions showing how to make basic bread! Thousands of comments & reviewers agree this is the BEST homemade loaf for both beginners and expert bakers.
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.
A decade ago when I was just beginning to bake confidently, I still struggled with making bread. I tried countless recipes and none of them were quite right. I found this one and never looked back. It uses basic ingredients, comes together fast and I love the bread it makes. It’s soft, chewy with fantastic flavor. Feel free to reduce the sugar if you prefer. Enjoy the process and enjoy that bread!
Where to start on your bread making journey
This is a very comprehensive post with tons of information I’ve gleaned over the years making bread. Where would you like to start first?
JUMP TO–> LEARN THE BASIC STEPS TO MAKING BREAD
JUMP TO–> HELPFUL TIPS FOR MAKING YOUR FIRST LOAF OF BREAD
JUMP TO–> GET THE OVEN BAKED BREAD RECIPE
JUMP TO–> GET THE BREAD MACHINE BREAD RECIPE
Basic Steps for Making Basic Yeast 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!
BEST BREAD PAN?
I bake a lot of bread and the pans I prefer are either ceramic, glass or cast iron. These pans will bake bread more evenly and release the bread more easily after baking. I 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 the coloring is uneven. Read more about which bread pan is the best here!
Helpful Tips when Making Your First Loaf of Homemade Bread:
If you’ve never baked homemade bread before, here are a few tips:
1. 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.
2. 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!
3. 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.
4. 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!
Easy Homemade Bread Recipe
Here are the ingredients for the oven baked recipe, which yields 2 loaves of bread:
— WATER: You need 2 cups warm water. (110° F/45° C) I recommend you take the temperature using a cooking thermometer until you get the hang of how warm the water should be. If your water is too hot, it will kill the yeast and your bread will be dense and flat!
— SUGAR: We add 1/2 cup white sugar. You are welcome to reduce this even further and use just 1/4 cup.
— YEAST: We add 1 TBSP + 2 tsp active dry yeast to the dough to help it rise.
— SALT: You need 1 1/2 teaspoons salt to enhance the flavors in the bread. If you’ve never had bread with not enough salt, it does not taste good! I forgot to add it once. Don’t do that.
— OIL: We used 1/4 cup vegetable oil but you can also use coconut oil or canola oil. I’ve tried it with light olive oil and it just has a strange aftertaste that I don’t love.
— FLOUR: You’ll need 5-6 cups flour. You can use all-purpose flour OR bread flour!
How to Make 5 Star Homemade Bread
In a large bowl, or a stand mixer, dissolve the sugar in the warm water. I just combine the two and whisk it slightly to dissolve the sugar. Stir in yeast. Allow to proof until yeast resembles a creamy foam, about 5 minutes.
Add in the salt and oil. Begin to mix, using a rubber scraper or the dough hook on your stand mixer. Add the flour one cup at a time, reserving the last cup of flour to see if you need it. You might not use all of the flour. The dough should pull away and clean the bowl, sticking on the bottom in a small circle about the size of a quarter. If your dough does this with just 5 cups of flour, do not add more. However, if your dough still sticks to the bowl, add more a couple tablespoons at a time until it cleans the bowl, sticking in just a small circle on the bottom.
Now knead dough for 7 minutes. Set a timer as a full knead is important! Place in a well oiled bowl, and turn dough to coat. Cover with a damp cloth. Allow to rise in a warm area until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
Punch dough down. Knead for 1 minute and divide dough 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° F (175° C) for 30-40 minutes. Cool, brush with butter and enjoy!
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.
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° F/45° C
- ½ cup white sugar
- 1 ½ TBSP active dry yeast
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 5-6 cups flour all-purpose flour OR bread flour
Instructions
- In a large bowl, or a stand mixer, dissolve 2 TBSP of the sugar in the warm water. I just combine the two and whisk slightly to dissolve the sugar. Stir in yeast. Allow to proof until yeast resembles a creamy foam, about 5 minutes.
- Add in remaining sugar, salt and oil. Begin to mix, using a rubber scraper or the dough hook on your stand mixer. Add the flour one cup at a time, reserving the last cup of flour to see if you need it. You might not use all of the flour. The dough should pull away and clean the bowl, sticking on the bottom in a small circle about the size of a quarter. If your dough does this with just 5 cups of flour, do not add more. However, if your dough still sticks to the bowl, add more a couple tablespoons at a time until it cleans the bowl, sticking in just a small circle on the bottom.
- Now knead dough for 7 minutes. Set a timer as a full knead is important! Place in a well oiled bowl, and turn dough to coat. Cover with a damp cloth. Allow to rise in a warm area until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
- Punch dough down. Knead for 1 minute and divide dough 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° F (175° C) for 30-40 minutes. Cool, brush with butter and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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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!
Can you Make this bread in a Bread Machine? YES! Here’s how:
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.
Bread Machine Ingredients
You’ll use the same ingredients, only HALF of them, so you can fit them in a 1-lb bread machine.
— WATER: You need 1 cup warm water. (110° F/45° C)
— SUGAR: We add 1/4 cup white sugar. You are welcome to reduce this even further and use just 1-2 tablespoons.
— YEAST: We add 2 1/2 tsp active dry yeast to the dough to help it rise.
— SALT: You need 3/4 teaspoons salt to enhance the flavors in the bread. If you’ve never had bread with not enough salt, it’s… not good. I forgot to add it once. Don’t do that.
— OIL: We used 2 TBSP vegetable oil but you can also use coconut oil or canola oil. I’ve tried it with light olive oil and it just has a strange aftertaste that I don’t love.
— FLOUR: You’ll need 3 cups flour. You can use all-purpose flour OR bread flour!
Making your Loaf of Bread in a Bread Machine
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
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How to Store Basic Bread
You’ll want to store leftover bread in an airtight container. I bought bread bags off Amazon and LOVE them!
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 5 Star Homemade Bread recipe made with simple ingredients & detailed instructions showing how to make bread! Thousands of comments & reviewers agree this is the BEST homemade bread for both beginners and expert bakers.
Valerie says
Followed the recipe exactly and it turned out amazing!! So yummy!
Alison says
Thank you Valerie!
Robin M Drushella says
Best bread recipe ever 😋
Alison says
Thank you Robin!
Patricia says
Thank you so much for your recipe, I love you explained everything step by step. This was my first try at making bread, and there were somethings I didn’t know how to do, proofing the yeast, I appreciate the detailed explanation. The bread came out great and delicious. I am looking forward to trying other of your recipes. Thank you
Alison says
It is always so great to hear that you think our recipes are easy to follow Patricia! Thank you!
Charles says
Its a wonderful and simple recipe to follow for both normally and with the machine. I prefer using the machine its alot easier with my toddlers. I do want to know if adding fruits or cinnamon will make the bread turn out bad?
Nicole says
When working with a bread machine you usually want to wait until after the first rise before adding in fruits like raisins because otherwise, they end up overly mashed. If you plan on taking the dough out and baking in a bread pan then you can simply add them to the machine after a majority of the mixing has happened but before the rise. for cinnamon you can simply add it in with the flour as that makes no difference. Enjoy!
Courtney says
Any tips of how long to let it cool before placing it in a bread bag? Great recipe!
Nicole says
You should allow your bread to cool completely before storing it so that condensation doesn’t form in the bag and cause the bread to become soggy or spoil too quickly
Krissy says
I am ready to try your bread recipe. When you say to turn on the oven for the dough to rise, what temperature do you set it at? Also, I will be using instant yeast. You say to add it to all the dry ingredients. Do you mean all the sugar, salt and all 5-6 cups of the flour? Last question, does the 2 cups of water still need to be at the 110 degrees F?
Thank you! I look forward to seeing your answers, Krissy
Jessica says
When I let my dough rise in the oven, I turn it on 350° for 1-2 minutes, then turn it off. It just needs to be warm. If you use Instant yeast, yes, you can just add it to all the other ingredients. I always proof my yeast (add it to warm water with sugar until foamy) but you don’t have to by any means! Yes, water at 110 degrees. : ) You’ve got this, happy baking!
MJ says
Can I use instant yeast for this and just stir everything together or do I still need to wait for the yeast to foam up?
Nicole says
You could do that with the yeast if desired, but giving the yeast time to foam up is always recommended because it helps you to see if the yeast is bad or not. It’d be horrible to mix everything together only to realize the yeast was expired or dead and now you have to toss away all of that flour. Not only that but dissolving the yeast in water will give you a nicer texture because yeast that hasn’t been properly dissolved will leave little textural bits throughout the dough
Brooke says
Excited to try this out, thank you for such thorough instructions. Would it mess up the recipe to cut the recipe in half since I only have one loaf pan?
Nicole says
You should be completely fine to cut this recipe in half. Just make sure to follow along with the instructions and tips as well 🙂
Holly says
Haven’t tried it yet but just made 2 batches…. first batch I misread the yeast and thought it was teaspoons 🙄…. baked it as a round anyway so as not to waste, we’ll see lol. Second batch, i divided the dough as the recipe states but it never filled both my pans, not sure if I did something wrong. I got bread, just low bread.
Nicole says
Hmm I’m not sure what happened on that second loaf. Did the bread get kneaded well? Was the yeast activated? Was the water too hot and killed the yeast? Did it rise long enough in a warm spot? So many factors could have played a role in that.
Jake's Mom says
Super excited to make this – glad I read the whole recipe. I originally picked this one because it had a total time of 1 hour. BUT…. the total time is closer to 2.5 hours. I’m sure the recipe will be great – I’ll try it tomorrow when I have the full amount of time.
Just wanted to make it clear for anyone else who was trying to squeeze it in before dinner.
Nicole says
Ah yes, bread time can vary pretty greatly depending on how fast your loaf rises. sometimes its as little as 30 minutes and sometimes it takes up to two hours per rise. homemade bread shouldn’t be attempted when you’re in a time crunch but I’m glad you’re making some time to try it soon! Hope it turns out well 🙂
Nancy Brisson says
I have tried many recipes but this one was so easy to follow! My bread turns out delicious every single time with this recipe ! Thank you ❤️
Nicole says
So glad you liked it!
Brynn says
I have yet to make this recipe, but planning on making tonight! Wondering if it would still work if I made a couple of ingredient substitutions? Honey instead of sugar? Olive oil instead of canola oil?
Nicole says
Those substitutions will change the flavor of the dough but it should still taste pretty good. I wouldn’t use more than a few tablespoons of the honey though as the flavor can be pretty strong. (two or three tablespoons should suffice perfectly).
Jerry Roos says
This makes a wonderful loaf of bread. 1 question, though. Why wouldn’t you list the ingredients in the order they are supposed to be added to the machine? I know you list them in the correct order later in the instructions, but am I the only one who made the mistake of following the ingredient list from top to bottom?
Nicole says
Sorry for any confusion but we’re glad that you liked this recipe!
AJ says
Hi!
I am a new baker! I was so happy to find this recipe. This was my first time making bread on my own and I really enjoyed this so much. Like it lasted one day!
I’ve never had FRESH baked bread. Wow.
Anyway, this time I’m going to try to store it. How long this can be kept?
Alison says
You’ll store bread in an airtight container. I bought bread bags off Amazon. https://amzn.to/33GlGrm Just as long as it is tasting fresh!
Cassi says
Can I skip using a bread pan for this recipe?
Jessica says
How would you bake it?
Barb says
Are you proofing in the 2cups of warm water? I’m confused. Recipe doesn’t state if you pour the rest of the water in with the flour . Help. Please.
Nicole says
Yes the yeast is dissolved in all of the warm water
Robyn says
Made this today as a change up from my other recipe (which yields many loaves and is too large for the mixer). Super easy recipe to throw together. Rises well, texture of bread was great. Had such a good rise I actually probably could have made 3 loaves out of it even. My only “complaint” is actually more of a preference in that I found it to be a bit sweet for my liking as a bread. Next time I will add less sugar to the recipe, and it will be just right.
Alison says
Thanks so much Robyn! I always tell people to try the recipe as is and then cut back on the sugar as needed, so that should work great!
Mike says
Made bread for the first time with my daughter and this came out great! Mine also didn’t rise to completely fill two pans but they rose well enough. It’s a lot of bread for two people!
How long will the bread last in the refrigerator? I bought the bags you recommended on Amazon and are really thick. Thanks!
Jessica says
So glad you liked it Mike! As homemade bread ages, you can use it to make toast, french toast, stuffing, bread pudding- you get the idea! Freezing a loaf in one of the bread bags also works- even if you just freeze it for a week or two! I love the bags too, they’re super useful!
Alicia says
OMG! Easy as 123. My bread came out beautiful!
Mae says
Just made this today. It’s delicious! My loaf pan must be taller than yours because there’s no way it would have risen 1″ over the top of the pan before baking, but it did rise perfectly! It was really soft and fluffy. I’m glad I could use a mixer to knead it, because it was way too sticky to knead by hand, which means I would have had to add more flour, which would lead to less fluffy bread. I only baked for 20 minutes, and the crust was very golden. My boyfriend says it’s the best homemade bread he’s had in a long time 😊
Amanda says
I’m out of oil. Can I use melted butter instead, or do I need to go pick up oil? Thanks
Jessica says
Melted butter should be fine!
Deanna says
Can I substitute the oil for water or sour cream or butter?
I just got back from the store— they didn’t have bread and I figured I’d just make some. I didn’t know I was out of oil .. ugh
Jessica says
I’d just use some melted butter!
Paul K says
Until a few years ago I made bread quite frequently and usually got at least satisfactory results, but often inconsistent. Tried your recipe and techniques last night, and got the best results ever in my mind and that of my wife, too. The basic ingredients don’t differ much from ones I had used in the past, so I’m thinking some of the preparation tweaks added here are the secret, e.g., using a lukewarm oven for the rising part, covering the dough with greased cling wrap, and using the instant-read thermometer to judge baking time. I think this bread is as near perfect as my skills will allow. Thanks so much.
Jessica says
So glad to hear this Paul!! That’s exactly what I tried to achieve with the recipe!
Paul K says
Just curious. How would you modify this recipe to add a portion of whole wheat (high fiber) flour and still keep it from becoming too dense? Mission impossible? 🙂
Jessica says
I recommend replacing 1/3 of the flour with whole wheat flour. If you have access to Vital Wheat Gluten, you could add 1 TBSP of that; it’s what many bakeries to use to help the texture of whole wheat bread. But my bread recipe already has a lot of yeast, so you don’t need it. Increase the 1st rise time by 30 mins- 1 hour. Do a 2nd rise in a warm oven like you did before, that way you can just leave the loaf there while the oven preheats. (So your loaf doesn’t fall from being jostled!) Try that and tell me what you think!
Allie says
Made 2 batches. Followed the recipe and directions exactly. This bread turned out very dense.
Jessica says
It sounds like you killed your yeast- was your water too hot? Or was your yeast old?
Lorice Watkins says
This was my first time ever making bread, and this recipe came out wonderfully! The bread was so soft and delicious. It really boosted my bread-baking-confidence 🙂
Nicole says
That’s so awesome! Glad you liked it!