Description
Soft and fluffy homemade bread made with six simple pantry ingredients. Perfect for sandwiches, toast, and freezing for later.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups warm water (105–115°F)
- 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
- 1/4 cup honey or sugar
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 tablespoons oil (canola or vegetable)
- 4 to 5 1/2 cups all-purpose or bread flour
Instructions
- Add warm water, yeast, and a pinch of sugar or honey to a large bowl and allow it to rest for 5–10 minutes until foamy.
- Add the remaining sugar or honey, salt, oil, and 3 cups of flour and mix to combine.
- Add another cup of flour and mix again until incorporated.
- Gradually add more flour, about 1/2 cup at a time, until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and becomes smooth and elastic.
- Knead the dough for 4–5 minutes using a mixer or 5–8 minutes by hand on a lightly floured surface.
- Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover, and allow it to rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours.
- Punch down the dough and divide it into two equal portions.
- Shape each portion into a log and place into greased loaf pans.
- Cover and allow the dough to rise again for 45 minutes to 1 hour until about 1 inch above the pans.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and bake for 30–33 minutes until the loaves are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped.
- Remove from pans, brush with butter if desired, and allow to cool before slicing.
Notes
- Bread flour will create a slightly chewier loaf than all-purpose flour.
- Instant yeast can replace active dry yeast; skip the proofing step.
- Store bread in an airtight container for 2–3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Rising Time: 3 hours
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 202
- Sugar: 3
- Sodium: 196
- Fat: 2
- Saturated Fat: 1
- Unsaturated Fat: 1
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 41
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 5
- Cholesterol: 0