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.
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Whole Wheat Bread
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No Knead Bread
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This recipe was first published December 2016.
I just made this … It was great …. My first successful home baked bread. U she have seen my earlier 2 attempts. ?. I made these as dinner rolls and used 1/2 part MILK and just a little more sugar. They are so soft AMD yummy. Thank you.
You are so welcome! You should have seen mine, too!! Thanks for letting me know!
I made this BREAD ONCE AND IT WAS GREAT, MAKING AGAIN NOW BUT EVEN AFTER RISING OVER AN HOUR, THE DOUGH IS AT LEAST 1.5″ FROM THE TOP OF THE PAN. DOES YOURS REALLY RISE ABOVE THE TOP OF YOUR PANS??
The total rise time is 2 hours. Not sure if this is after the 2nd rise. Did it at least double in size the first time, before punching down? As it bakes, it will get higher.
I’m having a awful time getting my yeast to bloom I’m on my 4th try. Water is right temp waited 10 and nothing. My yeast isnt old. Dont know what to do.
I’m sorry, I wish I knew?? If the water is the right temp & the yeast is not old, I’m not sure what it could be. The yeast could just be bad. Has it been the same yeast each time?
The Other Bread recipes i made have taken all day so i was a bit nervous that i had started this recipe in the middle of the afternoon—i Had nothing to be worried about! My dough Was a little On the sticky side but it turned out perfect!! So quick, easy and DELICIOUS! I love how soft the bread turned out. I will be making another very soon 🙂
Thanks so much for the great review! Glad you tried it & liked it!
Great recipe! Makes beautiful loaves, plus its vegan, which is a huge bonas! Thanks!
Hi, I’m making your bread for the first time. It’s currently in the pan for the second rise, but I’m wondering, what size loaf pan should I use? I have both 8.5 and 9 inch pans. i assume it’s the 8.5 inch pan since at the rolling stage, you say the rectangle should be approximately 8 inches long. Can you advise? I will let you know how it turns out once it’s baked. I’m going to try 8.5 inch for now and see what happens, but if you could let me know, I will make a note of it for next time! thank you so much! (i DON’T MEAN TO BE SHOUTY, BUT THE COMMENTS WILL ONLY ALLOW ALL CAPS). 🙂
Sorry to not have responded sooner. I try not to work over the weekend. Yes, either work just fine. I hope they turned out!
(Sorry for the capital letters – The WEBpage doesn’t seem to let me turn it off).
I love this recipe, it’s so easy to follow and turns out great. My kids no longer want store bought bread! Just one question – sometimes I get big air bubbles, and sometimes I don’t – what am i doing differently? Do I need to make sure all the air bubbles are gone when i roll it out after the first rise? Thanks!
That makes me so happy!! I would try to get them out, but when it rises, it will create some. I get different results each time, so it’s ok 🙂
Thanks so much for the reply. I’m glad that it’s not strange to get different results each time 🙂 One thing that is consistent though is how amazing this bread tastes! My family won’t let me buy bread now – this is the only one they will eat. Thank so much again 🙂
You are so welcome!! It’s hard to buy store bought after this..I agree!
This is the one!
I’ve tried two other recipes, multiple times. They each used yeast, milk, egg, oil…in some combination. The crumb was large and crumbly, and could only be used for grilled sandwiches – but still fell apart.
Thank you for this! Now i can move on to brown breads!
Yay!! Glad you found it! Thank you for letting me know!
This is the first time i’ve made bread without a bread machine. Totally worth the extra effort! This recipe is super easy to folloW. The bread has a great flavour and the texture is perfect. This Is a perfect recipe for novice and experienced bakers.
Yay!! I am so happy you think so 🙂 Thank you for saying that!
Can I use instant dry yeast and if so how much? I cannot find active dry yeast in any store and all that was available was instant dry yeast
You could, though I do not. I would look up conversions between the two, so you know exactly how to substitute it.