There’s nothing quite like a loaf of warm homemade bread fresh from the oven. This soft, simple bread has a tender inside and a beautifully golden crust—and you don’t need a mixer to make it.
Perfect for sandwiches, toast, or simply sliced warm with butter.
Ingredients
- 3½ cups bread flour
- 1¼ cups warm water
- 2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast (1 packet)
- 2 tablespoons sugar or honey
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or melted butter
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the warm water, sugar or honey, and yeast. Let sit for 5–10 minutes, until the mixture becomes foamy.
- Add the olive oil and salt to the yeast mixture.
- Gradually add the bread flour, mixing until a shaggy dough forms.
- Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 8–10 minutes, until the dough is smooth, soft, slightly tacky, and stretchy without tearing. If the dough feels too dry, add warm water 1 teaspoon at a time.
- Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover. Let rise for 1–1½ hours, or until doubled in size.
- Gently punch down the dough and shape it into a tight loaf. Place in a greased 9 × 5-inch loaf pan.
- Cover and let rise again for 30–45 minutes, or until the dough has risen about 1 inch above the top of the pan.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Bake for 25–30 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the loaf sounds hollow when gently tapped. The internal temperature should reach about 190–210°F.
- Remove from the pan and allow to cool on a wire rack before slicing.
Recipe Notes
- All-purpose flour can be substituted 1:1 for the bread flour. The loaf may be slightly less chewy and structured but will still be soft and delicious.
- Make sure the water is warm, not hot, so it doesn’t damage the yeast.
- For a softer crust, brush the top of the warm loaf with a little melted butter after baking.
- Allowing the bread to cool before slicing helps the inside finish setting and gives you cleaner slices.