Traditional Recipe for Homemade Bread

Here’s a traditional homemade bread recipe—simple, classic, and great for beginners 🍞

Traditional Homemade Bread

Ingredients

• 3½ cups all-purpose or bread flour

• 1¼ cups warm water (not hot)

• 2¼ tsp active dry yeast (1 packet)

• 2 tbsp sugar or honey

• 1½ tsp salt

• 2 tbsp oil or melted butter

Instructions

1. Activate the yeast

   • Mix warm water, sugar, and yeast in a bowl.

   • Let sit 5–10 minutes until foamy.

2. Make the dough

   • Add oil and salt.

   • Gradually mix in flour until a soft dough forms.

3. Knead

   • Knead on a floured surface for 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic.

4. First rise

   • Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and let rise 1–1½ hours until doubled.

5. Shape and second rise

   • Shape into a loaf and place in a greased loaf pan.

   • Cover and rise 30–45 minutes.

6. Bake

   • Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 30–35 minutes, until golden and hollow-sounding when tapped.

7. Cool

   • Let cool before slicing.

Tips

• If bread browns too fast, loosely cover with foil

• Brush top with butter after baking for a soft crust

• Letting it cool fully helps the texture set

If you’d like, I can share:

• A no-knead version

• A whole wheat variation

• A quick dinner roll recipe

• Conversions to grams

Just let me know 😊