Description
This Simple Bread Recipe is the ultimate beginner-friendly yeast bread that delivers soft, bakery-quality loaves in under two hours. Perfect for sandwiches, soups, or everyday snacking—no experience required!
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour or bread flour
- 1 ¼ cups warm water (100–110°F / 37–43°C)
- 2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast (1 packet)
- 2 tbsp sugar or honey
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp melted butter or vegetable oil
- Optional substitutions: whole wheat flour, maple syrup, coconut oil, or sea salt for added flavor
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine warm water, yeast, and sugar (or honey). Let stand 5–10 minutes until foamy.
- Add flour, salt, and melted butter (or oil) to the yeast mixture. Stir until a rough dough forms.
- Transfer to a floured surface and knead for 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
- Place dough in a greased bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and let rise for 1–1.5 hours or until doubled in size.
- Punch down dough, shape into a loaf, and place in a greased 9×5-inch loaf pan.
- Cover and let rise again for 30–45 minutes until puffy.
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C) and bake 25–30 minutes until golden brown and hollow-sounding when tapped.
- Cool 10 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.
Notes
To make it whole grain, swap half the flour for whole wheat. For dairy-free bread, replace butter with olive or coconut oil. Avoid skipping the yeast activation step for best results.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 150
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 200mg
- Fat: 2g
- Saturated Fat: 1g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 28g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
Keywords: simple bread recipe, easy homemade bread, beginner bread recipe, quick yeast bread