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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. Plus, it’s the one YOU guys 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 cost about $1.25 worth of ingredients per loaf and you get to control the ingredients!
Homemade Bread Ingredients and Substitutions
- 2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast (1 packet) – If your yeast is old or dead, your bread will not rise correctly, if at all.
- 2¼ cups warm water – The water must be around 105-115°F.
- ¼ cup sugar plus 1 pinch
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil – or canola oil or olive oil labeled for baking.
- 5½ – 6½ cups bread flour – or an equal amount of all-purpose flour (the texture will change a bit). To make 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)
How to Make Homemade Bread
- DOUGH. In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, dissolve 2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast in 2¼ cups warm water with a pinch of sugar.
- When the yeast mixture is bubbly and foamy, add ¼ cup sugar, 1 tablespoon salt, 2 tablespoons 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, 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
Can you make this in a bread machine?
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
- Active dry yeast (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, and—if you’re feeling fancy—brush it with a little melted butter. SO good!
Kristyn’s Recipe Tips
- 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.
- Be sure to activate the yeast correctly otherwise, the dough will not rise.
- 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.
- For best results use bread flour. It creates a better structure and chewier texture than all-purpose flour, although we’ve used all-purposes in a pinch and it still works.
Homemade Bread Recipe
Equipment
- loaf pans
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.
Video
Notes
- 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 totally swap instant yeast for active dry yeast in your recipe. The best part? Instant yeast doesn’t need to be dissolved in water first—just mix it right in with your dry ingredients, and you’re good to go! If your recipe calls for proofing the yeast first, you can still dissolve instant yeast in warm water to keep things consistent, but it’s not necessary. 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 suspend 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.
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This recipe was first published December 2016.
I’ve made this s few times now and it’s the best white bread recipe that I’ve found! So thank you!
You’re welcome! I’m so happy to hear you love the bread recipe!
Oh my God you are so great Luna I have tried for so long to make bread and guess what I made it perfect bread and smells and taste Awesome thank you so much I am very impressed you are the best
Thank you for your kind words! So glad you enjoyed the bread recipe!
Unfortunately Lil I have to hold you accountable for not adding a good Irish stew recepie as a prerequisit to accompany these fine loafs.. I followed the recepie to a T with one exception . I used only 6 cups of A.P. flour. The dough was sticky so I simply tapped my palms in flour and kneaded. Rolled it and after 45 mins of proofing in the pan, did 33 mins in the oven. Although the Mrs. never complains about my homemade pasta and cheese cakes she turned to me after 2 bites and said ” throw out the other bread recepies and make sure ya keep this one. Even in our senior years she still wears the pants most of the time. .I know Im safe as she never reads these recepies . Thks again and thanks for the great recepie.suggest you may want to add a blurp about using the yeast and the time it takes along with temo of water for those who rarely bake bread .
Thanks so much for the feedback. I’m glad your wife enjoyed the recipe too!! Thanks for giving it at try.
What size loaf pan do you suggest using for this recipe?
I think you are always safe with the 8 1/2 x 4 1/2, but this recipe can work in a 9×5 pan too if that’s what you have.
This recipe is awesome, the loaves were light and fluffy, and delicious. Other than the half cup of water for the yeast, I used milk, other than that I made no changes. I will be making the recipe often, next I’m going to use it for buns.
I bet the milk in the recipe was great. And how fun to make it into buns too! Glad you enjoyed the recipe.
First time and came out excellent will try again
So glad to hear it turned out well!
Made this and so delicious 😋
Can I divide this in half to make one loaf?
You bet! Bread freezes really great too, so you can always put that second loaf in a freezer bag. Then when you’re ready to eat it, let it rest on the counter for a couple hours until it comes to room temp and it’ll taste fresh as can be!
I have gotten really into baking over the last few years and this is by far the favorite bread in my household. Perfect recipe. Thank you!
Aw, thank you!! I’m so glad that you love the bread recipe!
Hi there, I am just curious about the elevation where you live. I am at 6,000 feet, so it would be nice to know if I should make any adjustments for the elevation here before baking this bread. Thanks!
The elevation here is about 1200 feet, so you’d for sure be considered “high altitude”. I’d say the biggest thing is to watch the rise time of your dough. It may rise faster the higher you are. Also, watch the amount of flour you use. It may not be exactly 5 1/2 – 6 1/2 cups. Just until the bread pulls away from the bowl. You don’t want to put too much flour in your bread or else it will result in a dense/heavy loaf. You could do a little research on google too about baking bread in high altitudes too if you want any other tips or ideas.
I added a half cup each of butter and lard. Also 1.5 cups of wheat germ. Wish I could post pictures of how it came out. They’re beautiful. Doubled the ingredients to make 4 loaves but I stuck to 1tbsp of salt. Can’t wait to taste.😍
Thanks for sharing what you did. Hope the bread tasted as amazing as it looked! Thanks for giving the recipe a try. 🙂