NOTHING beats delicious homemade bread! And as you can imagine, we are biased – our homemade bread recipe is the BEST!!
We’ve tested classic bread recipes time and time again, and this is the recipe we keep coming back to. We use it for everything – French Toast, Grilled Cheese, Homemade Croutons – you name it!
The flavor is PERFECTION! But also – most of the ingredients can be found in your pantry, so you can make it any time. It also requires only about 20 minutes of hands-on work! The rest is rising and baking time.
And like most bread recipes, this is great to make ahead and store so you always have fresh bread on hand.
If you love a good bread recipe, you’ll also love our French Bread, White Bread, and Whole Wheat Bread!
Why we think you’ll love it:
- Made with pantry staples. The ingredients are simple and ones most everyone has on hand.
- Used for so many recipes. It’s perfect for sandwiches like Grilled Cheese or a batch of French Toast.
- Cost-effective and healthier. Making homemade bread will use about $1.25 worth of ingredients per loaf, and you get to control the ingredients!
Homemade Bread Ingredients
- Active dry yeast (2¼ teaspoons, 1 packet): Leavens the dough so the loaves rise tall with a fine, even crumb.
- Warm water (2¼ cups): Hydrates the flour and activates the yeast for a steady, strong rise. Water temp matters, aim for warm to the touch, about 105 to 110°F, to wake up the yeast without harming it.
- Sugar, plus 1 pinch (¼ cup, plus pinch): Feeds the yeast and adds a touch of sweetness that helps browning.
- Salt (1 tablespoon): Balances flavor and strengthens gluten for better structure.
- Vegetable oil (2 tablespoons): Keeps the crumb tender and the loaves soft for days.
- Bread flour (5½ – 6½ cups): Higher protein builds strong gluten for lift, chew, and sliceable structure. Or an equal amount of all-purpose flour, or make your own bread flour: add 1 teaspoon of vital wheat gluten to a 1-cup measuring cup. Spoon all-purpose flour to fill the cup the rest of the way and sift.
- Butter for topping, optional: Brushed on the hot crust for a soft, glossy finish and buttery aroma. Other toppings include Homemade Strawberry Jam, Honey Butter, and Cinnamon Butter.
How to Make Homemade Bread
DOUGH. In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, dissolve active dry yeast in warm water with a pinch of sugar. When the yeast mixture is bubbly and foamy, the remaining sugar, salt, oil, and 4 cups bread flour, and mix with a dough hook until smooth.
Add the remaining 1-2 cups of flour, ½ cup at a time, to form a soft, smooth dough. The dough should stick just slightly to your finger when touched, but not be overly sticky.
Knead with the dough hook on medium speed for 5-7 minutes, until smooth, then roll into a ball.
RISE. Use olive oil or cooking spray to coat the sides of the bowl. Transfer the dough to the oiled bowl, turn over once to coat the top with oil, and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise for one hour (in a warm spot), or until doubled for the first rise.
SHAPE. When the dough has risen, punch it down gently and divide it in half. On a non-stick baking mat or lightly floured surface, roll each half of the dough into a long rectangle about 8 inches wide.
- Roll the dough up, starting at the short edge, to form a cylinder that is approximately 8 inches wide. Repeat with the remaining dough.
2ND RISE. Place the dough, seam side down, into lightly greased loaf pans, and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise for a second time for one hour, or until the dough is ½-1 inch higher than the top of the pan.
BAKE. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the loaves are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped.
SERVE. Brush loaves with a little melted butter after baking. Remove to a cooling rack and cool before slicing. Makes 2 loaves of bread.
Use your bread in some of our favorite recipes: French Toast, Grilled Cheese, French Toast Bake, Garlic Bread, Homemade Croutons.
Kristyn’s Recipe Tips
- Yeast. Be sure to activate the yeast correctly otherwise, the dough will not rise. Make sure it foams when mixed with warm water and sugar.
- Flour. My #1 tip for any bread recipe is to measure the flour accurately! Too much flour can result in dense bread, and we all know bread should be soft. The dough should be slightly tacky, not dry.
- Add flour gradually until the dough is soft and slightly tacky, it should just pull away from the bowl.
- Knead. Knead 5 to 7 minutes until smooth and elastic, a windowpane test should stretch thin without tearing.
- Watch the rise time. If you don’t allow it to rise long enough it will be dense. If you proof it for too long, it will fall and become unusable.
- Shape. Let shaped loaves rise until ½ to 1 inch over the pan, baking too early can cause dense slices.
Easy Homemade Bread Recipe
Equipment
- loaf pans
Video
Ingredients
- 2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast, (1 packet)
- 2¼ cups warm water
- ¼ cup sugar, plus 1 pinch
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 5½ – 6½ cups bread flour
- butter for topping, (optional)
Instructions
- In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, dissolve the yeast in warm water with a pinch of sugar. When the yeast is bubbly and foamy, add the sugar, salt, oil, and 4 cups flour, and mix until smooth.
- Add remaining flour, ½ cup at a time, to form a soft, smooth dough. The dough should stick just slightly to your finger when touched, but not be overly sticky. Knead for 5-7 minutes, until smooth, then roll into a ball.
- Place the dough in an oiled bowl, turn over once to coat the top with oil, and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise for one hour, or until doubled.
- When the dough has risen, punch it down gently and divide it in half. Roll each half of the dough into a long rectangle about 8 inches wide. Roll the dough up, starting at the short edge, to form a cylinder that is approximately 8 inches wide. Repeat with the remaining dough.
- Place the dough, seam side down, into lightly greased bread pans, and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise for one hour, or until the dough is ½ – 1 inch higher than the top of the pan.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the loaves are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped. Brush with melted butter, if desired. Remove to a cooling rack and cool before slicing. MAKES 2 LOAVES.
Notes
- Measure the flour accurately! Too much flour can result in dense bread.
- Watch the rise time. If you don’t allow it to rise long enough it will be dense. If you proof it for too long, it will fall and become unusable.
- Be sure to activate the yeast correctly; otherwise, the dough will not rise.
- I like to use bread flour since it creates a perfect rise and chewy texture, but all-purpose flour can be used.
- Use your bread in some of our favorite recipes: French Toast, Grilled Cheese, French Toast Bake, Garlic Bread, Homemade Croutons
- To bake – unwrap and place in a greased bread pan. Cover with an oiled piece of plastic wrap. Allow it to thaw for several hours and then rise until it is about doubled in size. Bake according to recipe directions.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQ
Yes! You can swap instant yeast/rapid rise yeast for active dry yeast in your recipe. Just use the same amount, and your bread will turn out just as soft and delicious!
Place the bowl of dough near a warmer area in your home, such as a warm slow cooker, sunny window, on top of a warm oven, or suspended above a bowl of steaming water.
Add an extra teaspoon of yeast and make the dough as directed. Allow the dough to rise the first time, then shape it into loaves and place them directly on a greased baking sheet. Place them in the freezer and freeze until solid. Wrap each loaf with plastic and again with aluminum foil. Label and freeze for up 3-4 months.
To bake – unwrap and place in a greased bread pan. Cover with an oiled piece of plastic wrap. Allow it to thaw for several hours and then rise until it is about doubled in size. Bake according to recipe directions.
Cool completely and place in a Ziploc bag or wrap in foil. Store at room temperature for 2 to 3 days. Place in a freezer-safe bag and freeze for 3-4 months.
Of course! It’s super easy, and the machine does all the hard work for you!
– Layer the ingredients the right way! Add them in this order:
Warm water, Sugar, Salt, Oil, Bread flour. Then, make a little well in the flour and place the yeast inside so it doesn’t touch the liquid right away.
-Pick your settings: Use the basic bread setting and choose light or medium crust, depending on what you like best.
-Check the dough: After a few minutes of mixing, peek inside! If it looks too sticky, add a little more flour (one tablespoon at a time). If it’s too dry, add a tiny bit of water. You want the dough to be soft and slightly tacky.
-Let the bread machine do its thing! Once it’s done baking, carefully take out the loaf, let it cool on a wire rack.
More Like This
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Focaccia Bread
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Baguette Recipe
15 hrs 14 mins
Easy Italian Bread Recipe
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Bread Recipes
White Bread
3 hrs 15 mins
Whole Wheat Bread
3 hrs 15 mins
Easy Sandwich Bread Recipe
3 hrs 50 mins
No Knead Bread
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This recipe was first published December 2016.
Are you able to sub out the white flour in this recipe for almond or coconut flour to make it gluten free?
I am sure you could, though I personally haven’t tried, so can’t honestly tell you how it will turn out. Though, I don’t see why it wouldn’t 🙂
thank you for the recipe and i’ll definitely try your recipe. than you.
You are welcome! Let me know what you think! It’s the best 🙂
What kind of mixer/kneader is that? Thanks
It wasn’t mine 🙁 I’m not even sure??
I tried this recipe today. It was simple and turned out great! I was little nervous because my dough seemed too sticky, but all turned out well. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Yay!! So happy it did! Thank you so much for letting me know!
Love this recipe, we stop buying bread ????, my kids love it. Tip, I burn the yeast because the water was too hot, so instead of getting rid of the dough I made bread stick with 1/2 and then mix another 1/2 batch form scracth and mix it with the drough that didn’t raised and it work out perfectly
Yay!! I love to hear that! My kids love it, too! Thank you!
Hello, I’m new to baking and I was wondering if I could use “bread flour” instead of All purpose. Thanks!
I’m sure you could, I personally haven’t tried, but I don’t see why you couldn’t 🙂 Good luck!!
I just made your bread and it did take longer than 35 mins. I’m just wondering which rack did you bake it on cause I made it on the second from the top rack.
I use the middle 🙂 All ovens vary, so it’s ok if it takes longer or shorter. Did you like it?
I absolutely love it!!! Was a huge hit with my family! Practically wolfed down the first load in minutes!
Woohoo!! So glad! Thank you!
What kind of oil? And could you substitute it easily, maybe melted butter, coconut oil?
I just use vegetable oil. I haven’t tried the others. Has anyone else?
AWESOME!
Yay!! Thank you so much!
It turned out really well! The butter touch was amazing! It made the bread so soft!
I am happy to hear you liked it! It’s the only one we use. Thank you for letting me know 🙂