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This is the best homemade bread recipe! The bread is soft and airy with a buttery crust. With only 5 ingredients, it will turn out every time you make it.
I’ve told you before that baking bread is my all-time favorite. I have tried and tested many, many bread recipes over the last couple of years trying to find one that I absolutely love. Finally, I just created this recipe because I could never find one I liked, ha! It’s really the best homemade bread recipe. I promise!
I wanted the bread to have minimal ingredients, two proofing steps, yield 2 large loaves, and have a perfectly crispy crust. Tall order? Nah. Turns out simple, as usual, is best. I should have started there in the first place!
I love this bread and I actually do think it’s the best homemade bread recipe. I love it so much I’ve made it every week since I developed the recipe. I’ve tweaked it a few times to makes sure it was perfect for you!
I lovethe texture and flavor of the bread, and it staysgood in the pantry for a few days which is always a challenge with homemade breads.
Additionally, it has the best crust ever! Crispy and buttery and just the right thickness. The secret? I take the bread out 10 minutes before it’s finished baking and brush it with melted butter, being sure to let some drip down inside of the pan. Then I let it finish baking – it brings a whole new level of delicious!
Table of Contents
Home Made Bread Ingredients
- All-purpose flour
- Salt
- Yeast
- Honey
- Water
- Butter
For the exact amounts needed, please see the recipe card below.
Why are the ingredients for this home made bread recipe so simple?
That is another question I get all the time with this recipe! I tested close to 100 bread recipes trying to get this just right. One of my goals was tonot include butter, milk, or eggs in the dough because I wanted to bread to stay moist but be able to stay in the cupboard without getting dry for a few days.
Butter, milk, and eggs make a bread dough richer, but that wasn’t what I was going for here. I wanted asimple bread recipe that would be easy and inexpensive to make often.
While butter, milk, and eggs can lend some flavor to a dough, the real flavor comes from rising time. Again, this is a quick, simple, inexpensive daily loaf. If you are interested in making artisan-style bread, I highly recommend the bread baking cookbook I have:The Bread Baker’s Apprentice: Mastering the Art of Extraordinary Bread
(affiliate link).
What type of yeast do I use for this bread recipe?
- I also need to make a note about the type of yeast I use. This is one of the most common questions I get about this recipe and the answer is super simple!
- I use instantyeast when I make this recipe, which is more potent than active dry yeast and doesn’t need to be bloomed in the water like active dry yeast does.
- If you’re using active dry, don’t worry, just put it in with your water for a few minutes instead of the flour. If you forget which kind of yeast you have, it really won’t make too big of a difference in this recipe.
- Mixing active dry yeast into the flour instead of water in this case just means the breadwill take longer to rise and may not rise quite as much.
Can I make this bread recipe with gluten-free flour?
- Unfortunately, this recipe will not work with gluten-free flour. The reason most yeast bread requires intense kneading steps (like this one) is to develop gluten – which is just a protein found in wheat.
- The gluten develops as the dough is kneaded and that is what provides the structure of the bread, all those little air pockets, the texture of the dough, and the rise the loaf gets is due to yeast, kneading, and gluten development.
- That is why most gluten-free bread is flatter, crumbly, and denser. They also require an additional leavener like baking soda or baking powder.
- If you need great gluten-free bread, check out this Easy Gluten-Free Bread from my friend Brianne on her blog, Cupcakes and Kale Chips.
- My friend Beth also has incredible gluten-free baking recipes like these Gluten-Free Banana Muffins on her blog, The First Year.
Can I use bread flour instead of all-purpose flour?
- Bread flour will change the density and texture of this homemade bread. It has a higher protein content, which will lead to more gluten development.
- Gluten is what gives bread its structure so increasing that could make the bread denser and less soft.
- However, the change may not be something you are worried about or mind! Give it a try and see if you like the way it turns out.
How to make Homemade Bread
- Mix dry ingredients together in large bowl or the bowl of a standing mixer.
- Add honey and 2 cups water with the mixer on. Let it mix together for a about 1 minute.
- Gradually add the final cup of water and add more if necessary. The dough should stick to the bottom of the bowl but clean the sides and be sticky to the touch. If you add too much water, don’t worry! Just add a bit more flour to get it back to the right consistency.
- Knead 6-8 minutes in a mixer or 8-10 minutes by hand until the dough is smooth and elastic. Don’t skimp on the kneading! This helps create the structure of the bread.
- Let the dough rise (covered, room temperature) in the same bowl you mixed it in for 1 hour or until doubled.
- Remove from bowl gently and form into 2 loaves. This is most easily done by creating a crease in the middle of the piece of dough with your palm and then folding the dough over the crease and pinching it together at the bottom, just imagine folding a piece of paper in half and gluing the bottom shut. Repeat this a few times until you have a smooth loaf shape. You may have to tuck the long ends in a few times as well.
- Place in greased bread loaf pans and raise (covered, room temperature) 1 hour or until doubled.
- Preheat oven to 375ºF.
- Bake at 375 degrees F for 25 minutes, remove from oven and brush each loaf with a tablespoon of butter.
- Return to oven and bake 5-10 more minutes, or until golden brown. The internal temperature of the bread should read right around 200 degrees F.
How to store this Bread Recipe
This bread is best kept in an airtight container. I like to use twist-tie storage bags because the loaves fit better. You can also use Gallon size zipper size bags but you’ll have to cut the bread to get it to fit.
Can I freeze homemade bread?
Yes, definitely! I freeze whole, baked loaves as well as the dough. I actually have a very detailed blog post about prepping and freezing bread. I talk about freezing bread dough, rolls, and roll dough in the breads section. Click here to read it!
How long does homemade bread stay good?
Homemade bread will stay very fresh for 3 days, after that it can get stale. If you won’t use both loaves in that time, wrap and freeze one.
Best Bread Recipe FAQ
Can I use fresh yeast in this recipe?
I have not tried using fresh yeast in this homemade bread recipe, but again some of my amazing readers have. They used a 2:1 ratio for the measurement conversion from dry yeast and reported fantastic results. They also recommend shopping for fresh yeast at a specialty baking store.
Can I make this bread in a bread machine?
While I don’t have a bread machine myself, I have some amazing readers who have tested this out for everyone! Most readers recommend halving the recipe if you want to make it in a bread machine or just letting the bread machine mix and raise the dough and then baking it in the oven.
I don’t have a stand mixer; can I still make this home made bread?
Yes! I make this in both my stand mixer as well as by hand. I have instructions for both methods in the recipe card below.
I have heard that the KitchenAid Artisan stand mixers can struggle a little kneading this much dough at once, so be sure to follow the recommendation for only using speed 1 or 2 for kneading bread, and maybe knead half the dough at a time in the stand mixer if yours seems to be struggling.
Is it cheaper to make your own bread?
Typically it is cheaper to make your own bread. Bread ranges from $2-5 per loaf and this homemade bread is about $0.75/loaf.
How do you make bread soft and fluffy?
There are a couple of ways to make bread soft and fluffy. The first is to make sure you don’t dry out your dough. This dough should be sticky! Letting the bread rise all the way will also help keep the bread fluffy. This recipe makes a loaf that is medium density, not light like a sandwich loaf but it shouldn’t be to dense.
What are the 4 main ingredients in bread?
Flour, yeast, water, salt.
What does egg do in bread?
Adding and egg to bread will make the dough chewier and bouncier. I also find that it can make the bread dry out more quickly so I omitted it in this recipe.
Why is supermarket bread so soft?
Supermarket bread is so soft because it contains some preservatives to help it last longer and be more shelf stable.
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4.79 from 41 votes
The Best Homemade Bread Recipe
This is the best homemade bread recipe! The bread is soft and airy with a buttery crust. With only 5 ingredients, it will turn out every time you make it.
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword best homemade bread recipe, homemade bread, homemade bread recipe
Prep Time 2 hours hours 20 minutes minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes minutes
Total Time 2 hours hours 55 minutes minutes
Servings 30 slices
Calories 137kcal
Author Longbourn Farm • Alli Kelley
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Ingredients
- 8 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 1/2 tablespoons yeast
- 1/4 cup honey
- 3 1/2 cups water see note
- 2 tablespoons butter melted – use at the very end! NOT with the wet ingredients.
US Customary – Metric
Instructions
Mix dry ingredients together in large bowl or the bowl of a standing mixer.
Add honey and 2 cups water with the mixer on. Let it mix together for a about 1 minute.
Gradually add the final cup of water and add more if necessary. The dough should stick to the bottom of the bowl but clean the sides and be sticky to the touch. If you add too much water, don’t worry! Just add a bit more flour to get it back to the right consistency.
Knead 6-8 minutes in a mixer or 8-10 minutes by hand until the dough is smooth and elastic. Don’t skimp on the kneading! This helps create the structure of the bread.
Let the dough raise (covered, room temperature) in the same bowl you mixed it in for 1 hour or until doubled.
Remove from bowl gently and form into 2 loaves. This is most easily done by creating a crease in the middle of the piece of dough with your palm and then folding the dough over the crease and pinching it together at the bottom, just imagine folding a piece of paper in half and gluing the bottom shut. Repeat this a few times until you have a smooth loaf shape. You may have to tuck the long ends in a few times as well.
Place in greased bread loaf pans and raise (covered, room temperature) 1 hour or until doubled.
Preheat oven to 375ºF.
Bake at 375 degrees F for 25 minutes, remove from oven and brush each loaf with a tablespoon of butter.
Return to oven and bake 5-10 more minutes, or until golden brown. The internal temperature of the bread should read right around 200 degrees F.
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Notes
I use standard size loaf pans, either 9×4 inches or 10×5 inches.
I use instantyeast which is more potent than active dry yeast and doesn’t need to be bloomed in water like active dry yeast does. If you’re using active dry, don’t worry, just put it in with your water for a few minutes instead of straight into the flour. If you forget which kind of yeast you have, it really won’t make too big of a difference in this recipe.
The exact amount of water you will need for this recipe (or any baking recipe) can vary quite a bit. This is due to altitude, humidity, and weather. I live in an arid high-desertmountain climate, so often my readers need to less water if they live at a lower elevation with more humidity. If too much water is added, simply add more flour gradually until the proper consistency is reached.
Nutrition
Calories: 137kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 2mg | Sodium: 164mg | Potassium: 39mg | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 25IU | Calcium: 6mg | Iron: 1.6mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @longbournfarm or tag #longbournfarm!
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