Love the taste of homemade bread? A good, reliable bread-making recipe is invaluable and can be turned to again and again to make delicious homemade bread.
You can use this versatile bread recipe to make bread and bread buns, using different ingredients for different types of bread.
Best of all, making yeast bread isn't difficult, once you know how.
How to Make Homemade Bread
Dissolve yeast:
- 2 tbsp. yeast dissolved in
- 1 cup of warm water with
- 2 tsp. of white sugar
(Let rise until foamy, about 10 minutes.)
Into a large bowl add:
- 1/2 cup of sugar
- 1/2 cup of fat
- 2 tsp. salt
Then add:
- 3 cups of hot water to dissolve the fat
- 3 cups of cold water to achieve the right temperature before you add the yeast. Water should be warm but not hot enough to kill the yeast.
- Stir in yeast mixture
Mixing Bread Dough:
- Start adding in the flour (15-20 cups), using either a soup bowl or a flour scoop.
- Stir your wet mixture with a wooden spoon, until ingredients are well blended.
- Keep adding flour and stirring until your dough becomes stiff.
- Sprinkle more flour on the top of the dough ball and start kneading the bread dough with your hands.
- Keep kneading and adding flour each time dough starts to feel sticky.
- When dough becomes firm, start folding bread dough inward with the heel of your hand, folding and heeling, working in a circle. Dough will develop an elastic feel.
Once you have a large ball, smooth on oil and cover with a tea towel. Set your batch of homemade bread in a warm place to rise, until doubled in size.
Punch down and let rise again. Test by poking two fingers into the dough. If a depression remains, your bread dough is ready.
Shaping Bread Loaves:
- Punch down and cut bread dough into 7-8 portions.
- Place dough portions on a floured counter and shape into oblongs, tucking dough under at the sides.
- Place in greased pans, cover, and set to rise.
Preheat oven and bake bread at 325 degrees for approximately one hour.
Homemade Bread Variations & Additional Ingredients
Substitute all or part of the white flour with whole wheat flour for brown bread, or use graham or rye flour when making homemade bread.
Ingredients for Bread:
- toasted sunflower seeds
- flax seeds
- chopped nuts
- poppy seeds
- sesame seeds
- raisins
- cinnamon
- oatmeal
- wheat germ
- bran
- ground brown rice
- freshly ground wheat
- ground Kamut
Bread Toppers
- Place bread dough in pans. Make a lengthwise slit in the top of the bread and press in sesame seeds and poppy seeds for crunchy goodness and eye-appeal.
- Dust with sifted white flour
- Top with cornmeal
Braided Bread
- Roll bread dough into 3 pan-length strips. Press together on one end and braid dough for a decorative oblong braided loaf.
- Shape braided dough in a circle and place in pan. Dust with poppy seeds.
Homemade Bread Buns
You can also make buns from this bread recipe. A good combination is 4 loaves and 1-2 pans of buns.
Cut palm-sized balls and place on counter. Bring together thumb and middle finger, and start rolling bun dough in a counter-clockwise motion. Perfectly formed balls will form. Place balls in greased pans. Cook bread buns for a shorter period, 15-20 minutes at 325300 degrees until golden brown.
Bread Baking Tips
- Use shortening to grease pans (Do not use oil as bread may stick to pans)
- Double-pan so that bottoms do not over-brown
- Leave spaces between bread pans when in oven for air flow
- Do not allow baked bread to cool in pans, as bottoms will become soggy
This versatile bread recipe can be used for most types of homemade bread and is suitable for making 6-8 loaves.
Breads & Quick Breads:
- Making Homemade Cinnamon Rolls--how to make your own delicious sticky buns using fail-proof methods for perfect results.
- Homemade Sesame Crackers--butter adds a rich flavor; sesame seeds deliver a pleasing crunch.
- Easy Dumpling Recipe--how to get light dumplings every time using a fail-proof dumpling recipe.
Melody Rhodes - M. Rhodes is author of the Bedbug Books. She's been published in Canada, U.S. U.K. & NZ and has won awards for her poetry/prose.
