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
📫 Save this recipe! Send it to your email! 📩
I consent to receiving emails from this site.
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
📫 Save this recipe! Send it to your email! 📩
I consent to receiving emails from this site.
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.
Rio says
Hi, just made this one and it turned out great! Just wanna ask how long is its shelf life?
Nicole says
The Shelflife of homemade banana bread is usually 2-4 days depending on how well it is kept wrapped and sealed at room temperature. Remember that there are no preservatives in it so it won’t keep as long as store-bought bread. For longer storage, you can wrap in plastic wrap and store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Linda says
I am going to make this bread but am wondering if you can freeze the regular bread or if you can only freeze the banana bread?
Nicole says
you can freeze regular bread before or after its been baked. To freeze after its baked- let cool completely, wrap in plastic wrap and store in an airtight container. to freeze before baking- follow instructions for loaf all of the way up to the second rise. Instead, cover in plastic wrap and place into the freezer, once solid you can remove from pan and store in an airtight container for up to three months. thaw overnight in the fridge in a covered greased bread pan and place on the counter in the morning. Let rest until doubled in size and then bake as directed.
Polly says
It last about 2 days in my case but due to the fact that Canada is colder so it may last long but in other places around the world that’s weather warmer and damper might last for shorter periods of time
Nicole says
homemade breads do not contain preservatives and may last longer or shorter depending on what the weather and temperature is. Humid and hot will cause bread to last a very short while whereas a cold dry weather can get the bread to last longer. For longer storage keep your bread in the freezer.
mneme says
What’s the approximate weight of the 5-6 cups of flour (using white flour, at least)? I usually measure out flour by weight, since it’s more reliable than going by volume (particularly comparing sifted flour vs unsifted).
Nicole says
Weight of flour varies based on the way you add it to the cup but it’s roughly 125 grams per cup. 5-6 cups would be 625-750 grams.
Heather says
Never baked before.. This was easy and amazing!
Nicole says
So glad to hear that Heather!
Kristina says
We loved this recipe. Wondering if I could make them into bread rolls??
Nicole says
You can! simply divide the dough into smaller rounds and place into a greased pan (9×13 or 8×8 depending on how many rolls). cover and let rise until doubled and bake. the bake time will be reduced by about half so definitely keep an eye on them to check for doneness around the 15 minute mark.
April says
Hi, thank you for this recipe. I’m going to try it today using instant yeast. I know I can skip the dissolving step. But does anything else change? Like the amount of water?
If not, I’m assuming I just combine all the dry ingredients, including the instant yeast, and then add 2 cups of water and 1/4 cup oil? Guidance on when to add the liquids would be much appreciated.
Nicole says
The amount of water shouldn’t change just because you swapped yeast types and you can add the liquid and oil to the bowl after whisking the dry ingredients together. The amount of water needed can vary based on the weather and your location so add slowly until you get a good dough ball that isn’t sticky. If your dough is too dry, add in water 1 tablespoon at a time. Or do the reserve by adding flour if its too wet.
GB says
Next time maybe include normal human measurements, people outside the US have no idea what “a cup” of anything is. The recipe might as well be in “pocketfuls.”
Nicole says
I’m sorry to hear that you’re having trouble with the conversions. there are many helpful tools online that you can use to figure out the conversion of cups to grams or a more familiar measurement. Our other international readers haven’t had this issue.
A says
Wow that’s a pretty ignorant comment. You’re not better than anyone else just because your country has different units of measurement. I’ve seen recipes with grams etc. that I couldn’t understand, so guess what? I just find a different recipe.
Rochelle says
I live outside the US and i know what 1 cup of flour is and what 1/4 cup of water this….. and if I didn’t I certainly wouldn’t flip my lid publicly online, I would look it up. Google is your friend…..
ellie says
I love to bake bread but I never know how a recipe is going to turn out. This was easy and turned out delicious. Folks raved 🙂 Thanks for a great recipe
Nicole says
thats awesome to hear, so glad you enjoyed this bread recipe
RLR says
Love this recipe….easy and tasty.
Nicole says
Thanks for letting us know you loved it
Em says
Made this today and it turned out amazing! Just one note.. my son says it’s alittle to sweet. Can I take some of the sugar out of the recipe? Of will this effect the outcome? I’m a new baker.
Nicole says
You can reduce the sugar to as little as 1 tablespoon and have it turn out fine. You really just need a little sugar to help feed the yeast 🙂
HTM says
I’ve made your recipe several times now and it’s so good! I’m wondering though… I teach a Foods class and would love to incorporate bread making in my class. I typically do cinnamon rolls over two days with my students and it works great. Do you think this recipe would work to make and rise the dough on day 1, refrigerate overnight, and divide, rise and bake the following day? Thanks in advance!
Nicole says
I think it’d be best if you divided the dough and let it slow rise over night before coming to room temp or resting for an hour before baking
Alicia says
Can I make this dough and let it rise in the fridge overnight?
Nicole says
Yes you can do that. Follow the recipe up to the second rise and cover in greased plastic wrap before placing it into the fridge overnight. In the morning let the bread rest on the counter until doubled in size or while the oven preheats. then bake as directed.
F.Grant says
Hi. Do you have any experience with gluten free flour blends? Do you think it’ll work using this recipe as a cup for cup substitution?
Nicole says
We usually have good success with bobs red mill gluten free baking flour 1:1 ratio
Tammy says
Best recipe I ever tried!
Nicole says
So glad to hear it!
Polly says
It last about 2-4 days in my case but due to the fact that Canada is colder so it may last long but in other places around the world that’s weather warmer and damper might last for shorter periods of time
Nicole says
location and weather definitely do play a big role in the storage of homemade breads. In Florida, we’re lucky to get a loaf to last 2 days before it starts spotting.
N says
I made this today and it turned out great. I have never baked a loaf before – mostly just pizza, biscuits, pretzels, and desserts. It tastes like a regular loaf of bread that you’d use for sandwiches, which is what I wanted. I only have one loaf pan, so I turned the other half into rolls, placed them in a round cake pan, and baked those for 20 minutes. The loaf and rolls baked nice and golden, with a bit of crust. My husband said they are delicious! Thanks for the simple recipe!
Nicole says
That’s wonderful!
Holly says
Hello! My mother is a heart patient and she needs to watch her sodium intake. For the 1 loaf recipe, would it harm the outcome if I only put 1/2 tsp of salt in instead of 3/4? Thank you so much!
Nicole says
I think lowering the salt by that small of an increment should be completely fine.
Elizabeth says
My family asks me to bake this bread at least once a week. Follow the recipe exactly and it comes out amazing every time.
Nicole says
homemade bread is always the best. Glad to hear that you and your family enjoy this recipe
Bill Olson says
This is my go to weekly recipe, perfect every time family lives it.
Jessica says
So glad to hear Bill!
Sara says
I make this weekly. So easy and delicious!!
Nicole says
We’re happy to hear that you like it
Cee says
This turned out really good! I am so happy to find a good recipe to make 2 loaves at a time! I will definitely make this many times and will no longer be buying bread at the store! Hurrah! Thank you!
Nicole says
That sounds like a great plan 🙂
Sandy says
I made this recipe today and it turned out great tthank you! Its been 25 yrs since i tried making homemade bread, needless to say not all have turned out good! Ha ha
Nicole says
We’re so glad you liked this recipe 🙂