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Homemade Bread
5 from 12 votes

Homemade Bread

Homemade Bread made from bread flour, yeast, sugar, butter, and oil yields a soft yet elastic dough that rises until doubled. Kneading helps develop the dough’s structure before it’s baked to a golden crust. This simple recipe shows how to create fresh bread with controlled flour additions to avoid dryness and density.

Prep Time
25 mins
Cook Time
35 mins
Additional Time
2 hrs
Total Time
3 hrs
Servings: 1 loaf
Calories: 4722 kcal
Course: Side Dish, Breakfast, Appetizer
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

  • 1 3/4 cups water 110 degrees, lukewarm
  • 1 tablespoon instant yeast or rapid rise yeast
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons butter melted and cooled, salted
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 4 1/4 – 5 cups bread flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. In a large bowl or in a stand mixer, add in the water, yeast, sugar, butter, and vegetable oil. Give it a quick stir.
  2. Add in 4 cups of bread flour and the salt. Mix with a bread hook if using a stand mixer until combined.
  3. Begin adding the additional flour 1/4 cup at a time and mix until the dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl but is still tacky. I typically only need 1/4 to 1/2 cup. Adding too much flour will result in a dry, dense bread.
  4. To knead the dough, mix in the stand mixer for 5 to 6 minutes until an elastic dough forms. If kneading by hand, knead on a lightly floured surface for 7 minutes.
  5. Place the dough in a large bowl with 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in it. Roll the dough around to coat it in oil and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm space for about 1 hour to 1 hour and 30 minutes until the dough has doubled. I like to bring my oven up to 350 degrees, immediately turn it off once it’s preheated, and sit the bowl of dough on the stove top to rise. The heat from the oven provides a nice amount of warmth to help with the rise.
  6. Punch the dough down to remove the air bubbles.
  7. Press the dough out on a clean work surface. I like to use my hands to do that, but you can use a rolling pin. Press the dough into a rectangle, keeping the dough only 10 inches wide so it fits in the pan and about 25 to 30 inches long. The length doesn’t need to be exact.
  8. Start at the side that’s 10 inches wide, begin tightly rolling up the dough. Press the edge of the rolled up dough down into the dough that’s laying on the counter every couple of rolls to help seal it along the way.
  9. Once it’s completely rolled into a loaf, pinch the seams together to connect the end of the dough and the roll of dough.
  10. With the seam side of the loaf facing down, push the ends of the dough into the roll of dough, pinch the end seams together, and fold it underneath the loaf.
  11. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray a 10×5-inch loaf pan with nonstick baking spray.
  12. Place the dough seam side down into the prepared loaf pan.
  13. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 30 minutes or until the dough is doubled in size.
  14. Remove the plastic wrap and place in the preheated oven. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Tap on the top of the bread, it will sound hollow if it’s done.
  15. Carefully invert onto a cooling rack to cool completely. If you leave it in the pan, the sides will become soggy.
  16. While the bread is still hot, brush the top with melted butter. You can also just rub a tablespoon or 2 of butter on top and it will melt on its own.

Notes

  • Wrap the bread tightly in plastic wrap or store it in an airtight container at room temperature to keep fresh for up to 4 days.
  • Add flour slowly during mixing to avoid a dry, dense loaf.
  • Use lukewarm water and allow the dough to rise in a warm spot until doubled, about 1 to 1.5 hours.
  • Knead either by hand or with a stand mixer until elastic to develop dough structure.

Nutrition Information

Calories 4722kcal (236%) Carbohydrates 864g (288%) Protein 140g (280%) Fat 70g (108%) Saturated Fat 40g (200%) Cholesterol 60mg (20%) Sodium 1388mg (58%) Potassium 1194mg (25%) Fiber 29g (116%) Sugar 28g (56%) Vitamin A 700IU (14%) Calcium 173mg (17%) Iron 10mg (56%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 1 loaf

Amount Per Serving

Calories 4722

% Daily Value*

Calories 4722kcal 236%
Carbohydrates 864g 288%
Protein 140g 280%
Fat 70g 108%
Saturated Fat 40g 200%
Cholesterol 60mg 20%
Sodium 1388mg 58%
Potassium 1194mg 25%
Fiber 29g 116%
Sugar 28g 56%
Vitamin A 700IU 14%
Calcium 173mg 17%
Iron 10mg 56%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.