How to Make Bread from Scratch

Making bread is an easy, enjoyable, and inexpensive recipe for both beginner and seasoned chefs. You can make bread at home either with or without yeast as a leavening ingredient for the recipe. Once you’ve learned how to make bread, you can add tasty ingredients, like cheese, nuts, fruit, and spices, to give it a flavorful kick!

Ingredients

Baking Simple Bread

1 package of dry active yeast
2.25 cups (530 mL) of warm water
6.5 cups (832 g) of flour
3 tbsp (37.5 g) of sugar
1 tbsp (17.06 g) of salt
2 tbsp (36.88 g) of canola oil

Making Savory Bread without Yeast

2.25 cups (288 g) of flour
1 tbsp (4 g) of baking powder
1.5 tsp (9 g) of kosher salt
3 large eggs
1.5 cups (350 mL) of milk or buttermilk
6 tbsp (110.64 g) of canola oil
Spices (optional)

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Baking Bread

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1
Dissolve 1 package of yeast in a bowl with 2.25 cups (530 mL) of warm water. Fill a large bowl with warm water, preferably filtered or boiled to remove any traces of chlorine. Then, pour in the dry yeast and wait for it to dissolve, stirring occasionally to help the yeast combine with the water. Be sure to use dry active yeast, rather than quick yeast.^{[1]XResearch source}
- The yeast may begin to bubble when you add it into the water and as it dissolves.
2
Stir in sugar, salt, canola oil, and 3 cups (384 g) of flour. Add the 3 tbsp (37.5 g) of sugar, 1 tbsp (17.06 g) of salt, and 2 tbsp (36.88 g) of canola oil, stirring the mixture. Pour in the flour and beat the mixture until it is a smooth, batter-like consistency.^{[2]XResearch source}
- Remember, you aren’t pouring in all of the flour just yet, as this can cause the dough to become too stiff.
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3
Add the remaining 3.5 cups (446 g) of flour ½ cup (62 g) at a time. Begin adding the remainder of the flour into the bowl, stirring and beating the dough after each addition. Continue stirring and working the mixture until it has a smooth, near-solidified consistency, like a very soft dough.^{[3]XResearch source}
- It’s important to work gradually, as adding the flour all at once can make the dough crumbly and dry.
4
Dust a flat surface with flour and pour the dough out of the bowl. Sprinkle a light layer of flour over a small area, and then carefully dump the contents of the bowl onto the counter. Cup your hands around the dough to make sure that it stays in a contained area and doesn’t spread across the counter before you begin kneading.^{[4]XResearch source}
- If the dough seems to have a liquid consistency, continue stirring the mixture until it becomes more solid and dough-like.
5
Knead the dough with your hands for 8-10 minutes. Roll, squeeze, press, and pull on the dough to add some elasticity to the bread. This will incorporate air pockets into the dough, activating the yeast so it will expand and grow. Once the dough has an elastic consistency, stop kneading.^{[5]XResearch source}
- If you knead the dough for too long, the bread will likely be tough and too chewy.
6
Grease a bowl and place the kneaded dough in it. Spray the inside of a bowl with oil or fat, and carefully pick up the dough and transfer it into the bowl. In the bowl, spin the dough around and flip it over in the bowl to ensure that all sides are coated with the preferred fat.^{[6]XResearch source}
- This helps to give the bread a crusty outer shell and keeps the dough moist while it rises.
7
Cover the bowl and let it rise in a warm place until it doubles in size. Drape a towel over the top of the bowl so that it’s covered completely. Then, put the bowl in a sunny window or on the counter under the light so that it is slightly warm as it rises. Check the bowl after 1 hour, and if it hasn’t grown to twice its size, let it sit for an additional 15-30 minutes.^{[7]XResearch source}
- Some doughs require colder temperatures to rise, but warm temperatures will help this simple dough rise quickly.
- Giving your bread plenty of time to rest ensures it will be the shape you want.
8
Divide and shape each half into a loaf, placing them in greased pans. Pull the dough out of the bowl and use a knife to slice it into approximately equal halves. Then, use your hands to shape them into loaf-shaped tubes, and place each in a pan that has been sprayed or coated with fat.^{[8]XResearch source}
- The halves don’t have to be perfectly equal, so you don’t need to worry about weighing or measuring the dough.
- The fat will ensure a crispy, solid crust on the outside of the bread.
9
Let the loaves rise for 30-45 minutes covered with a towel. Cover each pan with a towel and set them on the counter. This is the final rise, and will give the loaves time to “rest” and grow a bit more before going into the oven. After 30 minutes, check each loaf to make sure it has risen slightly in the pan.^{[9]XResearch source}
- Depending on the temperature and humidity, some loaves won’t rise very much in the pans. As long as the dough grew during the first rise, your loaves will likely turn out fine!
10
Bake at 375 °F (191 °C) for 30-35 minutes. Remove the towel from the pans and place them on the center rack of the oven. After 30 minutes, check the bread by pulling it out of the oven and carefully tapping on the crust. If it sounds hollow, the loaves are ready! Let them cool completely before slicing.^{[10]XResearch source}
- If they don’t sound hollow, bake them for an additional 5 minutes to ensure the middle of the bread is completely cooked.
Tip: Avoid using a toothpick to check the doneness of your loaves, since puncturing the crust can cause the loaf to cool quickly and form holes in the bread.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Making Savory Bread without Yeast

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1
Preheat your oven to 350 °F (177 °C) and grease a loaf pan. Turn on the oven before you begin working so it heats to the right temperature. Then, spray or coat a pan with a layer of butter or any type of cooking oil so the batter doesn’t stick to the inside of the pan as it bakes in the oven.^{[11]XResearch source}
- For this recipe, you’ll only be making one loaf, so you only need to grease one pan.
2
Combine the dry ingredients, including the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl, combine 2.25 cups (288 g) of flour, 1 tbsp (4 g) of baking powder, and 1.5 tsp (9 g) of kosher salt. If you’re adding any spices, such as rosemary, thyme, or oregano, add small pinches to the mixture to ensure they aren’t overpowering.^{[12]XResearch source}
- Don’t be afraid to get creative with a variety of different savory and sweet spices, like cinnamon, cloves, or even pumpkin spice!
3
Whisk the wet ingredients, including eggs, milk, and oil, in a separate bowl. In a different bowl, use a spoon or a whisk to combine 3 large eggs, 1.5 cups (350 mL) of milk or buttermilk, and 6 tbsp (110.64 g) of canola oil. The mixture should be smooth and liquid.^{[13]XResearch source}
- It’s important to keep these ingredients separate from the dry ingredients, because you want them to be completely combined before they’re absorbed by the dry ingredients.
4
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients slowly, mixing with a spatula. Stir the ingredients together until the batter is smooth, with no lumps or dry ingredients remaining. It may take 1-2 minutes for the ingredients to fully combine. Make sure you stop stirring as soon as the dry ingredients have dissolved.^{[14]XResearch source}
- If you like a tougher bread, you can stir the batter for 1-1.5 minutes after all of the dry ingredients are dissolved. This will incorporate air into the batter, which will cause it to rise more quickly and form a denser loaf.
5
Transfer all of the batter into the loaf pan and bake for 40-45 minutes. Pour the batter into the greased pan and then place the pan on the center rack of the oven. After 40 minutes, remove the pan from the oven and insert a toothpick into the center of the loaf. If the toothpick comes out clean with no residue, the loaf is ready.^{[15]XResearch source}
- If the toothpick has a sticky residue on the outside, bake the loaf for an additional 5 minutes to ensure that the center is completely cooked.
Adding Ingredients to Your Bread
Sweet: cranberry, orange, raisins, walnuts, cinnamon sugar, chocolate
Savory: bacon, cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, chives, olives, basil, rosemary

Community Q&A

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Question
My bread dough rises well the first time and again the second time after being shaped. It will rise in the oven for a short time and then it collapses on top. What am I doing wrong?
Community Answer
Splash a jug of water into the oven for steam. It'll allow the gluten and yeast to develop that little more before it gets killed.
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Question
I would like to make bread dough ahead of time and maybe freeze the unbaked loaves. How would I do this?
Meagan Jewett
Community Answer
Freeze your dough in an air tight container. When you go to cook it, let the dough sit out and thaw before you put it into the oven.
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Question
My dough rises well the first time and the second time after being shaped, immediately when it enters the oven the size will not remain the same, it will collapse. Can I cover it inside the oven again?
Ann Hupe
Community Answer
Skip the second rising and shape the dough and place in the loaf pan (or on a stone if doing it freeform) and have the second raising in the oven. Be careful not to be tempted to let it rise a lot in the oven, or it will collapse during baking.
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Tips

Be patient when it comes to letting your bread rise. Depending on the temperature and humidity in the kitchen, it can take longer for some doughs to rise.
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Feel free to mix other ingredients, like cheese, spices, nuts, and berries, into either type of bread for a tasty, flavorful version of the recipe
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