There’s a time and place for artisan loaves and fancy brick-oven pizza crusts…
And then there’s a time when you are staring at the flour and yeast in your cupboard and just wanna make a basic loaf of bread because there isn’t any at the store…
This recipe is exactly for those latter situations.
Never made bread before?
This is the recipe for you!
Have minimal ingredients in your pantry?
No problem.
Don’t have a bread machine or fancy mixer?
Not an issue.
Want to make pizza crust, cinnamon rolls, or dinner rolls instead?
You got it.
How Do You Make Dough From Scratch?
Well, there are a million ways, lots of techniques, and plenty of different ingredient lists.
But here’s the secret:
Making bread can be complicated, but it doesn’t have to be.
With just a handful of very basic ingredients, it’s quite possible to make a loaf of homemade bread that will knock the socks off your family.
Friends, allow me to introduce you to the simplest, most versatile easy bread dough recipe you’ll ever meet.
May it be the catalyst that prompts you to finally explore the world of homemade bread… because it’s a delicious skill to have, even when the stores *are* chock-full of baked goods.
(If you want to see what the dough looks like through each step of the process, you can see it all in the video!)
Versatile & Easy Dough Recipe
Yield: One sandwich loaf OR one 12-inch pizza OR one 9×13 pan of dinner/cinnamon rolls.
Before we dive into the recipe, here are a few things you should know about ingredients & substitutions:
- If you have all-purpose flour, it’s a perfect fit for this recipe. However, you can also easily substitute in whole wheat flour or go half and half. If you do use whole wheat, you may need to use a little less, since it soaks up water more easily than all-purpose.
- If you do decide to go all “fancy,” you can even use fresh-milled flour. You’ll want to use hard white wheat berries if you’re grinding your own flour with a mill like mine.
- I haven’t tried this recipe with a gluten-free baking blend– but I have a hunch it’d probably work just fine.
- If you’d like to omit the egg, simple add in an additional 1/4 cup of water.
- For an even softer dough, you can use milk (or whey) in place of the water.
- I use sucanat (an unrefined whole cane sugar) (affiliate link) for all my baking. But you can use regular brown sugar, white sugar, or even honey in this recipe (I love this raw honey).
- Or, if you’re avoiding all sugar, just omit the sweetener altogether.
- Want to DOUBLE this recipe and make two loaves, 2 pizzas, or two pans of rolls? No problem– I’ve even done the math for you below.
- Active, dry yeast is the most common type of yeast sold in grocery stores. I recommend getting the larger jars or packages, as the small single-serving packets tend to not be as dependable. SAF is my favorite brand, but Red Star is good too. (affiliate link)
- I get lots of questions about the mixing bowl I use all the time and always show in my recipe pictures. You can purchase that same bowl here. I love it–it’s sturdy and the perfect size for mixing dough!
The Easiest, Most Versatile Bread Recipe Ever
The most versatile dough recipe you’ll ever find!
- Prep Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 59 minute
- Yield: 1 loaf of bread 1x
- Category: Bread
- Method: DIY
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 1/3 cup warm water (100-110*F)
- 2 teaspoons active, dry yeast
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar or honey (this is my favorite, raw honey)
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon fine salt (this is my favorite salt)
- 3 to 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (where to buy flour)
Instructions
In a large mixing bowl (this is my favorite mixing bowl), combine the water, yeast, and sugar.
Stir until dissolved, then add in the egg and salt.
Add the flour one cup at a time. Once the mixture is too stiff to mix with a fork, transferred it to a well-floured countertop.
Knead for 4-5 minutes, or until smooth and elastic. Add more flour if the dough is continues to stick to your hands.
Shape the smooth dough into a ball and place in a bowl. Cover with a dish cloth and let rise in a warm place for one hour (or until the dough has doubled).
After this first rise is complete, use these directions to turn it into the following baked goods:
SANDWICH BREAD:
Grease a standard-sized loaf pan (9″x5″). After the first rise is complete, punch down the dough and shape it into a “log”. Place it into the loaf pan and allow to rise 20-30 more minutes, or until it starts to peek over the edge of the pan. Bake in a 350* oven for 25-30 minutes, or until lightly browned.
PIZZA:
After the first rise is complete, press the dough into a 12-inch circle on a baking stone, baking sheet, or this cast iron pizza pan (you can also use a standard cookie sheet if that’s all you have). Top with sauce, cheese, and your favorite toppings. Bake in a 450* oven for 15-20 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is bubbly.
DINNER ROLLS:
After the first rise is complete, divide the dough into 15 pieces. Shape into balls and arrange in a greased 9×13-inch pan (this oil sprayer doesn’t use aerosol). Rise for an additional 30 minutes in a warm place. Bake at 375* for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown.
CINNAMON ROLLS:
After the first rise is complete, roll the dough into a 20 x 13-inch rectangle on a floured countertop. Spread 4 tablespoons of softened butter on top (leave 1/2-inch margin around the edges), and sprinkle with 1/2 cup brown sugar and 2 tablespoons cinnamon. Starting on the long side, roll it up and press the seam together to seal the roll. Using a serrated knife, cut into 12 rolls. Arrange the rolls in a greased 9×13-inch pan and allow to rise for 30 minutes, or until the rolls are puffy. Bake in a 350* oven for 25 minutes, or until golden brown.
Notes
- The water you use should be warm, not hot. Test it with your finger– it should feel about the temperature of a good bath.
- Dough rises best when it’s warm. I like to put my rising dough next to our wood stove or near the oven if something is baking. However, if you don’t have those options, simple preheat your oven to 350* for 3 minutes, turn it OFF, and then allow the covered dough to rise in the warm oven for one hour.
- A lot of people are intimidated by kneading– don’t be. Perfect technique isn’t important. Just work the dough until it’s smooth and add more flour if you need it.
- I get lots of questions about the mixing bowl I use all the time and always show in my recipe pictures. You can purchase that same bowl here. I love it–it’s sturdy and the perfect size for mixing dough!
How to Double this Easy Dough Recipe:
Here are the measurements for making 2 loaves, 2 pizzas, or 2 pans of rolls.
- 2 2/3 cups warm water (100-110*F)
- 4 teaspoons active, dry yeast
- 4 teaspoons brown sugar or honey
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons fine salt (I love this one)
- 6 to 7 cups all-purpose flour
Follow the same directions above for mixing, kneading, and rising.
Edited to add: So many folks are asking what bowl I use for breadmaking. This 12″ stoneware bowl is my hands-down favorite. But of course, any bowl is just fine for this purpose.
Can I Freeze This Dough?
Yes! Simply make the dough and let it complete the first rise. Then, punch down, wrap tightly, and freeze for up to 3 months.
I’ve also had good luck with freezing the loaves of bread after I bake them. I allow them to cool completely, then wrap tightly and freeze for 3-6 months.
Need More Pantry Cooking Ideas?
- Easy Homemade Tortillas
- Crockpot Taco Meat
- Fast Tomato Sauce Recipe
- Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Recipe
- Chocolate Pudding Cake Recipe
- How to Make Your Own Broth
I am thinking of using starter in place of yeast. The starter is active I am thinking of using 1/2 cup of starter and see how it goes
Let me know! I have a starter that I would love to use!
Mine turned out great!
Hi Jill. I love this recipe and use it all the time. I am trying to convert it so I can use my Pampered Chef mini loaf stoneware for mini loaves. I am unsure of the time…how long to bake, etc. I appreciate any help you can give.
Thank you!
Valerie
This recipe doesn’t call for oil or oiling the baking pan. Why not? Won’t the bread stick to the pan?
I did add oil in the bottom of my bowl (to both bread and pizza pan )
I did the one dough recipe but my dough was very sticky even with the 3.5 cups of APF. I added more (4.5 cups in all) until it was more or less manageable but was still a little bit sticky. Nevertheless, it came out to be a nice bread and small pizza. Thanks
When you put the dough n the off oven …that’s been preheated do you shut the oven door or leave it open. I have an electric oven.
The egg is the fat in the dough
I have made dinner rolls ahead of time. Can I leave them and cook them later ?
Can I substitute the egg with oil? If yes, how much? First time baking bread. Did half and half on the flour and turned out perfect. Thanks.
could someone help me please. I would like to make this bread. I only have the little packets of yeast. It says it’s packet is equivalent to 2 1/4 teaspoons just believe but this recipe is 2 tsps. Will it be ok to use the whole packet?
Love this recipe! We make it all the time. Thank you!
If i freeze the dough after the first rise, ehat is the process when i want to use it? We mostly use it to make pizza.
Hi Jill,I love your recipe, unfortunately due to the shortage of yeast I was only able to get bread machine yeast.I dont have a bread machine ?I was wondering how I can incorporate it into your re recipe?
I have been making bread for many years, and I routinely keep both Active Dry and Bread Machine yeast on hand in my freezer. Bread Machine yeast is another name for “instant” yeast. You can definitely use it in this or any other yeast bread recipe, but be prepared to keep an eye on your bread while it is rising as it will rise faster than the recipe states. Start checking the first rise at about 30 minutes, and the second rise check for it to ride just above the top of the pan.
I am making this for rolls. First attempt…we shall see?
I’ve made 2 loaves so far without adding oil to the pans. The bread did not stick to the bottom. Also, using the recipe, I made a pizza with it, also not using oil or adding corn meal to the bottom (primarily because i forgot to do that) Still, I did not have any issues with it sticking to the bottom. Now, that doesn’t mean it wont stick, Mostly I think I may have gotten lucky. I can’t believe just how easy this is to do. With my wife being sick, I’ve found that I tend to make this with ease and no fear!
Eric L
We are so glad you are enjoying this dough recipe! 🙂 Happy baking!!
I love baking ,making bread.. i have bedore mini oven its broke do i use this recipe for improvised oven …thanks
I used this recipe for pizza crust and the whole family agreed…it was the best homemade pizza we have made yet!!! Thanks for the recipe!
This was my first time ever making homemade bread and although it didn’t come out looming like yours (it wasn’t as fluffy) it was still good and the kids loved it so YAY!!! Lol
HUGE win!! yay!!
This recipe changed mu mind on bread making! It was always so complicated and easy to mess up…so it seemed. You made it easy and make sense and no stress and I’ve made the most amazing loaves, cin rolls and dinner rolls, I now use it every weekend and don’t buy bread anymore!!!!
Can this recipe be doubled or tripled? Thinking of making the dinner rolls for holidays but we have a very large family! Thank you so much!
Yes, feel free to double or triple
I want to use live yeast, too. How did it turn out?
Total fail! I pulled my bowl out of the warm oven after the hour. Dough was crusty on top (yes, I covered it) and the bottom was so sticky, I had trouble getting it out of the bowl. What did I do wrong?
Hi Judy! Not a total fail :). You’re talking about the dough after an hour proofing in the oven correct? I put my dough ball in a clean bowl for proofing… and spray the bowl with cooking spray AND the top of the dough to prevent it from drying out. You could also use cooking oil or melted butter I imagine. I also put a wet towel over the bowl to help prevent the top of the dough from drying out. It also sounds like your dough “might” be a little on the wet side. I’d try greasing the bowl and dough first… if that doesn’t work the next time add a little more flour to the dough perhaps. I’m new to this baking thing too :). Keep trying!
I did the same. Was perfect!
I can make the bread very easily you did a very good instruction don’t make them bread but I need more detail on putting the pizza together the tomato sauce the cooking oil and the cheese I need more detail on that to make sure I do it correctly can you help me out
Press the dough into baking pan add sauce on top spread evenly add toppings (if any) add cheese and bake !! Viola
I was looking for a user friendly recipe for my 9 year old to try her hand with, and it was perfect! The video along with the recipe was really helpful.
On the video the lady said to add 1 and a halv teaspoon of dry yeast, but on the written recipe it says add 2 tsps??
no sorry the video you said to add 2 teaspoons of yeast ,but on the written recipe it says to add 1 and a half teaspoons of yeast, so which is it. now i am comfussed,please reply thankyou, love your video though …colleen
I had the same question so I split the difference- fingers crossed I’m waiting for the first rise
Thanks for the great recipe. My kids and husband love pizza so I am looking forward to trying the pizza dough. I know you said that the dough could be frozen, so would this recipe work for premade freezer pizzas? So my husband could just pop them in the oven for the kids? Maybe flash freezing the dough then add the topping and back to the freezer? Thanks again!
I just made this recipe last night. I used the 2 tsp of yeast, and my bread turned out beautifully!
I too saw the difference, and figured out that 2t is for all-purpose flour and 1-1/2t is for bread flour. works for me.
I.used 2 tsp.. turned out beautiful
How did it go with using sourdough starter?
Curious on this too…. My starter I think is ready now and I was going to try it with 1/2 c of starter like someone suggested above.
How did it go? I attempted to use 1/2 c starter in lieu of the 2 tsp dry yeast. I’m really new to all of this – new like, I made my sourdough starter 15 days ago. I don’t think my starter was active enough. It didn’t turn out a brick but it hardly rose during the first and second rise. The top half of the loaf looks great but the bottom half is pretty dense. Any tips to try next time besides catching the yeast when it’s more active? Was it my kneading? I used 1/2 c starter and started with 3 c of all purpose flour. I’m guessing I added about 1/2 c more flour into the dough while I was kneading it. It rose a little bit during the first rise, I checked it at 30 min looked like it needed more time. So I went an hour and checked again. It was dinner time and looked like it could use more time so I let it rise for about 2 hrs total (Using the preheated oven trick). The second rise didn’t rise past the top of the pan at all. I baked it anyway… it wasn’t a total fail but definitely there is room for improvement 🙂
I have made the bread and rolls so far. Absolutely love this recepie. Except I have found the bread and rolls to be heavy after baking. What can I change or omit in the recepie.
Thanks
She did have a tip above, to make rolls or bread softer you can replace water with milk.
How is it possible that I’m 65 and never baked a loaf of bread??? This recipe has made me a fan! Loaf turned out beautifully and tasted great. It’s never too late. Thanks for the great tips!! Blessings and happy Mother’s day!
I have been dabbling in bread and pizza crust recipes since the pandemic started. I have to say, this is by far the best one yet! I doubled the recipe for 2 pizzas, and am so impressed and thrilled with the way it turned out!! Delicious!! I’ll be trying it out for bread and rolls next!! Thanks, from ths prairies of Canada!
Is this recipe in your cookbook? I’ve had it on my wishlist and haven’t purchased yet so, I’m just curious. Thanks!
Thank you so much for sharing. I’m glad that I found you at this moment. Could not be happier.
This particular recipe isn’t in my cookbook, but it as a lot of other bread/tortilla/rolls recipes in it!
Never ever add more flour if your dough is sticky. This is a huge mistake and will ruin your dough.
What would you do if it was super sticky?
I would add oil or butter little bit and it will be fine.
I just try this easy bread recipe today April 20/2020 an mien it was amazing,soft fluffy an delicious ??
for the 2 loaves of bread i read it said add 3teaspoons of active dry yeast, now it says add 4 teaspoons, which is correct thankyou, colleen
I added more flour during the kneading process because it was sticky and it didn’t hurt it at all
I’m not intimidated by kneading. It’s the yeast that I am intimidated by. I tried using it once and it was a total failure. But I’m thinking of making my own bread because you can’t find it in the store and who doesn’t love the smell of fresh bread.
If you are scared your yeast won’t work, test it by pausing after the first step in this recipe. That is, stir together your warm (not hot!) water, sugar, and yeast: then wait 5 minutes or so before continuing. If your yeast is going to work, it will become frothy and a bit bubbly. If it does not, then your yeast is dead and your dough will not rise if you continue on. I keep my yeast in a dark container in my fridge, and I will not use it past the “best before” date, if it gets that far, because old yeast tends not to do its job! (I bake almost daily, and have for decades. ) Good luck!
Did you microwave the water?
You mean to warm the water before adding your yeast? When I get my warm water, I just get it from my tap. When I run the hot water, it always starts out as cold at the faucet, so I let it run until it just turns warm, and that’s when I grab it. The problem with microwaving your water for testing your yeast is that it is too easy to accidentally get the water too hot, which will kill the yeast. So, the temperature you are aiming for is best described as “barely warm on the inside of your wrist.” Does that help?
Yup! You want your water to be about bathwater warm, or about 110 degrees or so. This helps activate the yeast.
Thank you so much for your time I’m a little confused you don’t add no oil to your bread that confuses me big-time
If you’re finding that your dough forms a crust while it rises, you can coat the dough with some oil before setting it to rise. Is that the oil you’re talking about?
Hi! I tried this recipe for the second time today. Kneading was going great until i let my 4 year old help. The dough instantly became sticky and messy (i was almost at the “smooth and shiny” stage.) Could it have been hand temp or something? Baking now so i am not sure of the end result yet.
Not sure if this comment was intended for me, but…. When the young kids “help” with bread kneading, which they love, I cut off a piece of dough for them to make a kid-sized loaf. They all have smaller sized tins (“patty-pans”, per Laura Ingalls Wilder!) , and they get to use them. Baking in the mini pans doesn’t take very long! Maybe 5 minutes?
Having said that, yes, it is strange, but any dough they touch does get sticky almost immediately, lol!
Hi..can I use white bread flour? Thank you…cant wait to try the recipe?
You certainly can. Bread flour just has a higher gluten content than AP flour that helps build the gluten in bread.
Has anyone been successful using this with a cup for cup all purpose gluten free flour?
For the double recipe it says 1/4 cup sweetener which would be 4 Tablespoons…. it should be 4 teaspoons? I’m making this right now and I used 4 teaspoons.
It smells and looks amazing!
Ack! Yes, 4 teaspoons is correct! Fixing that now!
I’ll be makeing bread too might thank you so much for this resipe ptl
When I went to roll out my dough for the dinner rolls, it was super sticky. Does that mean I didnt put enough flour in to begin with? Is there any thing I should have done at that point to fix them?
Hello! Thanks for sharing; I saw your post on IG and hopped on over here to get the recipe. My son, daughter, and I baked a loaf of bread and dinner rolls today–delicious! Question, though. Should there be a 30-minute second rise for the dinner rolls like there is for the loaf of sandwich bread? My bread baked beautifully, but my rolls didn’t expand when baking and were considerably tougher. Wondering if I missed a step.
Thanks,
jess
recipe says raise 30 min. more after forming rolls.
Thank you for sharing this. This is my first time making bread. On hand, I have “Bread Machine Instant Yeast.” Is this ok to use? This is what happens when I hand Hubby a grocery list . Bread machine yeast even if he knows we do not have a bread machine at home. Lol!
I haven’t personally used “bread machine yeast” but I’d imagine it’s pretty much the same idea, and should pretty much be treated the same.
Do the rolls need a second rise in the 9×13 pan?
Yes– I forgot to include that — sorry! 30 minutes for a second rise should be sufficient.
can we use the sourdough starter with these recipes instead of commercial yeast?? Thanks
The video says 2t yeast
Printed states 1.5t yeast
I was already committed to the process so I split difference (1.75t) … attempting to make the rolls
Hi Jill. I love this recipe and use it all the time. I am trying to convert it so I can use my Pampered Chef mini loaf stoneware for mini loaves. I am unsure of the time…how long to bake, etc. I appreciate any help you can give.
Thank you!
Valerie
Depending on how much smaller the loaf is, I’d guess you should cut the baking time in about half, check it, and go from there.
Can this dough be used to make bread bowls for soup? If so do you have instructions to do that? I have always wanted to make bread bowls,
Have you tried this recipe using white whole wheat?
I am making this right now. It’s on its first rise! I’m excited/nervous and scared. Lol. I don’t know why making bread is such a daunting thing to me! If this goes wel, I will feel encouraged and confident enough to try again! Thank you for the terrific recipe and to the Prairie Homestead for The awesome video.
Thank you for this! My grocery was out of bread this morning.
What about preheating the baking stone in the oven for pizza. I thought that was the point of the stone, to be hot? My problem is getting pizza doughs with topping to slide off the peel and on to the stone without losing all the toppings on the hot atone. Any ideas? Thanks!
Put some cornmeal on your pizza paddle and it should slide right off on to the stone.
When you say to turn the oven on before letting the dough rise in it, do you let the oven actually reach 350° and then turn it off or just let the oven warm up a little and then turn it off?
I believe you turn your oven to 350, wait three minutes then turn off. It is then a warm place to allow your dough to rise. You don’t want to cook your dough, just let it rise
Heat your stone with the oven. I bake it at 500. Use cornmeal on your paddle when you make the crust on it, then it will go on the stone, some of it anyway. This helps to get it off the stone again with the paddle, when its baked. Cool on a cutting board and cut after setting up for about 10 min. You can build another pizza on your paddle again right away and bake it so you can make a succession of pizzas quickly. They are great eaten cold or warmed up again later in the week.
Try building your pizza on parchment, then sliding it into the oven with your peel. That’s been a game changer for me lately!
My husband made this recipe this morning. Super soft bread and super delicious. He’s going to be the designated bread baker from now on!
Any suggestions on replacing the egg with something else?! We have egg allergies at our house, but loving the versatility of this recipe!!
She says replace one egg with a 1/4cup water…
Thanks for the recipe.
May I know….. your 1cup in grams please?
Waiting for the reply??
You could try any of the typical egg subs, like apple sauce, which may give the bread a sweeter taste. Or just try without the egg and add a bit of milk or water to create the right texture for the dough without the liquid of the egg.
Thank you for this recipe and especially at this time when more and more people/families are needing to make their own because of stores being out. I have two questions:
1. Does the pizza crust come out crunchy, sort of like the end product of say a self rising Digiorno pizza? Or is it more like from a pizza shop?
2. When making cinnamon rolls with this dough, can the rolls touch when baking or should I separate them? Also, will these have a crispy outer layer or chewy? I prefer chewy, like Cinnabon rolls.
Thanks in advance!
The pizza can be softer or crispier depending on how long you cook it for. The cinnamon rolls can be placed closer together if you want, they’ll probably rise higher as opposed to wider, which is fine, just alters the shape. They’ll taste the same. 🙂
Do you think this could be cooked/baked in a slow cooker? My oven died and not sure when I can replace due to the shelter in place order.
Do you have a recipe for bread using self rising flour?
Has anyone been successful using this with gluten free all purpose cup for cup flour? Thanks!
No instant yeast available, would you please advise how much starter/fresh yeast to use in place?
Hi! Thanks for this! You thought me how to bake bread! Woohoo! I’m loving the process.
Question: I’d like to add some ground flax to my bread but since I’m new, I have no idea how to incorporate this into the recipe without ruining everything. Can you help guide me? Or anyone for that matter?
So glad to hear this! I would recommend just starting to add in your ground flax slowly, so you can get the hang of incorporating it into the dough before making an all-out flax-heavy bread.
I am making this for first time this afternoon, Question, for the rising if the 1 hour in the oven, do you leave the oven door open or closed? Thank yiiu in advance.
Sorry for typos in previous comment. It should read:
For rising in the oven for one hour, do you leave the oven door open or closed? Thank you.
I’d probably keep the door closed to help it stay a bit warmer in the oven. You can also leave the oven light on to help it stay warm in there.
Just moved to elevation just under 5000 feet and my bread baking has not worked. I think you live even higher? So I am thinking this recipe as it stands is good to go without needing to make adjustments for the elevation? Thanks so much!
My daughter and I made two loaves yesterday, baked hers and froze mine after the first rise. Any advice on thawing the Frozen dough before the second rise? For those interested we have used home milled flour from hard white wheat berries and it is still wonderful, perhaps even better than all purpose flour. This recipe is AMAZING, all four of us LOVE it. Thanks for any and all help.
I have the same question. What would be the process with using the frozen dough? I assume maybe let it defrost in the refrigerator and then put in the loaf pan and let it rise again at room temperature? Would it need a longer second rise?
Which method of freezing do you think results in better bread, baking the loaf and then freezing it or freezing the dough after the second rise?
That is one fantastic video and a great recipe. I love the way you put it across and particularly “turn the oven off”. Well done, fantastic stuff
Which cheese to use for the pizza
Any kind you like! We usually use grated mozzarella.
Made this yesterday (first ever loaf of yeast bread) and topped it with everything seasoning before baking. It turned out great! Thanks for your recipe.
That sounds so yummy! So happy that this came out so well for you!
can this recipe be used in a bread machine? I have one that collects dust and want to actually try it out.
I have made this recipe a few times and one of the times we decided to let the bread machine do the kneading for us. After it did the kneading and first prove we removed it so we could shape it into a loaf instead of a giant cube. In theory you can use it in your bread machine but you would need to play with the bake settings. I wish you luck.
What is the best way to store the bread after its been baked? Ive seen bread bags and boxes and tins, whats the best way?
Oh geez! That stinks… I’ve honestly never tried something like that. I don’t know how long it would take in the crock pot… if you try it, come back and let us know how it worked for you!
I have a question on the amount of yeast. On the video you said 2 tsp. and on the written recipe 1 1/2 tsp. Which one do you normally use?
Thanks,
Made the bread this morning and it was amazing!!! I love how it was an easy process and turned out to be so easy and great tasting. Now I’m ready to try it as cinnamon rolls!
I have tried this recipe twice and followed instructions exactly but both times I run into the same issue- after the first rise (in the turned off oven), my dough is a sticky mess! Is it not rising long enough? Did I overwork the dough? More flour needed? It doesn’t rise at all in the second rise and when I bake it’s just a dense loaf, edible, but dense. (I used whole wheat flour if that matters)
Sounds like your dough needs a bit more flour. The dough should be tacky, but workable. Not actually sticky.
Could I make the dough and prepare the cinnamon rolls at night and store in the fridge and bake the next? Does that mess up the rising process?
Yes! That’s a great option.
I made this recipe for the first time today and it went great for the first rise, but when I took it out of the bowel, it was really sticky. Did I just not use enough flour in the making of the dough? (Like super sticky!)
Sounds like you need a bit more flour. The dough will be tacky, but not so much actually sticky.
My daughter and I tried this recipe today and loved it! Cinnamon Rolls will be the next thing we try. I appreciate that it is just a one serving dough vs double. We really only need one arbor a time.
So glad to hear that! I hope the cinnamon rolls came out well for you, too. 🙂
I’ve made your recipe twice now and it turns out perfect. We love the flavor, variations and ease of the recipe. ??
So glad to hear that!
Great, versatile, and easy recipe to follow. I haven’t baked bread for 2 decades, and even then I used a bread machine to do the work for me. I decided to start baking our bread again this weekend and was so pleased with this easy-to-follow, fun-for-kids recipe. Watched your video, too. Felt like I was baking with a friend. We made the dinner rolls – with added garlic powder and garlic on top for our Easter dinner. Yummy. Trying the cinnamon rolls next.
Oh, how awesome! So glad you’re able to get back into bread making again! 🙂
I’m looking forward to trying this! I’ve successfully made dinner rolls and Italian bread, but never sandwich bread before. I’m looking to make a honey/wheat version. Question – Instead of fine sea salt, I have kosher salt and regular table salt. Does it matter which one I use? Thanks!
Whatever kind of salt you have should be fine!
I made the double recipe for two loaves. The rise was great and the baked bread had a nice brown crust. However. it is dry, dense and heavy! Followed recipe and don’t understand how it turned out like this.
What would the cooking time be if I wanted to cook in a covered dutch oven in stead of a loaf pan?
Hello,
I am new to this site and I love this easy bread recipe. I want to try it but I have a issue with the pan. I just moved and somehow left my bread pan so I only have my Dutch oven also. I did not see an answer to this question. Can I just free form it and put it in the Dutch oven or even just on my baking tray. I also have a 9” cheese cake pan. Just no bread pan. I will get one for sure. Thanks
Patti
Thank you for the easy bread recipe. I never made homemade bread but extreme boredom overtook me due to isolation in this crazy time. Your recipe was easy to follow and the bread is delicious! I found the 7 minute video entertaining and useful.
So glad to hear this!
I made this for sandwich bread and it was terrific, thank you for sharing! If I wanted to make cheese bread can I use the same recipe and simply mix in some grated cheddar? If so, at what stage would you recommend I add the cheese? Would I need to modify anything else in the recipe to accommodate the addition to cheese? Thanks again 🙂
Totally! Thank sounds really yummy. You could either mix the cheese right in at the beginning, or you could incorporate the cheese into the dough after the second rise. Either way should work fine.
The recipe say dry, active yeast, but all I can find is instant yeast. Is this okay?
Yes! Instant yeast technically doesn’t have to be proofed, but it’s fine to do it anyway.
I really liked the no fuss recipe to making bread Can You swap all purpose flour for all purpose whole wheat flour . I am having a problem finding a variety of flour on the grocery shelf. At any rate I will my pantry shelf flour to make a loaf if it turns out tha’s great if not I will make it again. Thanks
I’m sure you could! I probably would only swap the AP flour for about 1/2 whole wheat, though. Otherwise the bread will be pretty heavy and dense.
Thank you for the recipe, it turned out amazing for a first time bread maker!! My dough was very sticky even after 3.5 cups of flour and the final product was a dense bread. It tasted yummy but how can I improve next time to make the dough less sticky and bread less dense?
If your dough was very sticky, it may need some more flour. If your dough was too sticky, that may have impacted the rise of your bread, which could have led to the bread being dense. Also, make sure your bread has totally doubled before baking it. That will help your bread be less dense.
This is the best pizza crust ever. My family loves it . We make a double batch on Friday. For Friday night pizza and Saturday morning cinnamon rolls.
So glad to hear you love making pizza with this dough! And Friday night is pizza night around here, too! How fun. And who doesn’t love a Saturday cinnamon roll? 😉
Made the bread recipe several times. Perfect. I find it’s way too much dough for a 12″ pizza. That’s like a whole loaf of bread on one 12″ pizza. Crust rises to around 1-1/2″. Turns out more like pizza bread. How would I halve the recipe? Thanks…
I made a loaf of bread to start with, best bread ever. The other night I made pizza with it. It looked like a lot of dough for one pizza, but I spread it out on a large cookie sheet, and then put all of my toppings on it, seemed like the 20 minutes to cook was not going to be enough, but it was perfect. I usually like a thin crust pizza, this was thicker but very light texture. My guests told me not to change a thing, they loved it. This morning I made cinnamon rolls..to die for! I love how versatile this recipe is and Ive been passing around the web site to everyone who wants to know what I’m doing with my time. In fact Jill saved my sourdough starter, watched her video and figured out what the problem was.
Hubby bought self rising flower instead of regular (I was not specific enough on my shopping list) ; can I use it in this recipe? Thanks!
Self-rising flour is better for things like biscuits and pastries. It contains baking powder and salt already. I would probably try to stick to AP flour for this bread.
After the first rise my dough was pretty sticky. Any hints on what i can do next time or is that how it should be? Thanks
How long did you let the dough ferment? Sometimes if the dough is overproofed it can cause it to become too sticky. Other than that, you may have to add a tad more flour to your dough next time.
I love this recipe! I use it ll the time, thanks Jill!
I used this bread recipe for the first time and I love it so easy to make. I will attempt to make a raisin cinnamon loaf as soon as I find a recipe that tells how much of each to add. Thank you
Could I use a stainless steel bowl for mixing and rising? I do not yet own a stoneware bowl.
I used a stainless steal bowl when I made the bread. And it turned out fine
The measurements are confusing. How much is a cup anyway? Cups have different sizes…
Using grams and liters would be more helpful.
I’d like to make some cinnamon raisin bread. Would this recipe work? How would i go about making it with this recipe?
I just cut into my very first try at baking bread. Followed the recipe exactly. Came out perfectly. Tastes great. I can’t believe how easy & fast it was. Tomorrow I’m going to try to put vegetables in it. I bought dehydrated vegetables for veg soup. I’ll rehydrate them & work them in while I knead. Fingers crossed ?Thanks so much!
Thanks for the easy recipe and BTW I LOVE your blue pyrex bowl!!!
Anxious to try recipe. Sounds easy enough for me to try. Missing my Mom’s delicious home baked bread.. (When I do cinnamon rolls do I put cut side down in pan (thinking cinnamon/sugar would stick to pan) or leave as rolled up? Thanks, Joan
Does omitting the sugars make the regualr bread taste really different. I find a lot of bread recipes taste too sweet with the sugar in it.
I’m not a bread expert, but I believe omitting the sugar will just make it taste more like a “whole wheat” bread that taste pretty bland. This recipe has very little sugar, compared to most recipes. I tend to like my bread a little sweeter, so I’m adding a little bit more honey next time. If you don’t like super sweet bread, the 2 teaspoons won’t make that much of a difference in taste. As for how the bread will be made, I’m really not sure how that would affect it. I don’t think it would do much harm, though.
You need to add sugar in some form as this is what the yeast feeds on so it can rise, otherwise it won’t work.
I have a Pullman 13x4x4 bread pan… would this recipe be enough for it?
I don’t think that would work well. You’d probably need to double the recipe. Mine was barely enough to fit the 8×5 bread pan that it’s meant for.
Can you add things to flavor the bread? If so, how much would you suggest?
Hi Jill,
I sent a message earlier but I don’t see my comments so I will ask again. Can I bake this bread in my Dutch oven or just on a baking sheet because that is all I have. I can’t wait to make this bread. Nothing better than a hot piece of home made toasted bread with butter for sure.
Thank you
Patti
Hello again,
I forgot to ask if the egg and milk need to be room temperature? I am so excited to make this. I used to bake bread all the time but after I got sick I kind of stopped doing some,things. This is a great easy recipe. My next message will be to tell you how good my bread was. Lol
Patti
Any changes for high altitude?
I just made a loaf
Wonderful and easy. Thank you
Love this recipe! Used it my first time making bread and the video and instructions are so easy to follow. I’ve made it many times now for bread loaves, pizza and dinner rolls, all turned out great. I’ve used instant yeast every time with no issues. For the pizza, if you use the one loaf recipe it makes quite a bit of dough. I’ve managed to get two large pizzas out of it (spread onto sheet pans) that are standard thickness crust, maybe slightly thicker than a New York slice.
I did have a question about freezing/thawing frozen dough. If I freeze for dinner rolls after the first rise, what’s the best method/time for thawing before baking? Is it best to shape them into rolls before freezing? Thanks!
I’ve not seen am answer in the comments, but can I use the sourdough starter for this? If so how much?
Thanks! We used this recipe to make bread for the first time. It was surprisingly easy. There are a couple of grammar/spelling errors on your instructions. Transferred should be transfer and dough is continues should be dough continues.
The first time i tried another recipe, i couldnt get the bread to rise good. I proofed the yeast this time and decided the yeast was bad. Went to store to buy newer yeast but it still did not get particularly frothy when proofed. Could it be because i mixed in the large bowl and the surface area was so large? Anywho…i carried on. After kneading in at least another cup of flour, i found the dough to still be on the sticky side. Rising went pretty well but the dough was very sticky when i tried to put it in the pan. It did not have a smooth top, otherwise, its looking good. Any ideas on why i needed so much extra flour and next time should i try even more? (If it happens again). I did not stir the flour one cup at a time-i think the video showed putting all 3 cups in at once. Thanks for the video.
Can you use a Kitchen Aid mixer for this recipe? If yes what level should I mix up to after ingredients are mixed? I unfortunately have upper back issues and as a result can’t handle kneading much past the mixing process. I know to use the dough mixing attachment, but I also know some bread recipes MUST be mixed by hand or it makes a thick, tough brick (weight, look & feel) Bread.
Hi! I newly found your wonderful podcast and blog. I’m excited to start making bread, but I prefer a hearty wheat bread. Can I use wheat flour in this and add some oats and seeds? Thank you!
For sure!
This came out great-thank you! I tried the sandwich bread and will make pizza crust next. I also want to play around with adding garlic and rosemary to the dinner rolls.
I am a vegan so I added 1 Tbs flaxseed meal to the liquid mix instead of an egg, and it worked perfectly!
Good to know that flaxseed worked well in this recipe!
Can I make this without the salt? I love this recipe and have used it many times. My brother in law is on a no salt diet so wondering if u could use this recipe!
You could remove the salt from this recipe, but it would yield rather bland bread!
I have made this for a friend who is salt free and he absolutely loved it
Curious about milling your own flour for this. You said to use hard white wheat….why can you not use hard red wheat?
Hard red wheat would work as well! It just gives it a heartier flavor that not everybody loves.
This was my first bread. It was so fun a dn turned out great!! Thank you!
This recipe is my go to for bread, and cinnamon rolls. I haven’t tried it for pizza dough yet. I love it, it’s my favourite recipe. I tried it this morning with gluten free flour and no egg for cinnamon rolls as I have people eating it that are gluten free and vegan, and it did not turn out well. The dough tasted gross, it didn’t rise very much, was super sticky, it was just a gong show.
I absolutely love this bread recipe! I made it for Thanksgiving dinner and it was an absolute hit. One question, do you happen to have the nutritional details? Thanks!
Yay! We are so glad you are enjoying the recipe! You can figure out the nutritional details by using an online Recipe Nutrition Calculator (just google that phrase and you’ll find some!).
Made white bread then the whole wheat bread(doorstop dense) and now cinnamon rolls. I’m ecstatic!!!
I had some left over dough that I put in a ziplock bag. How quickly should I use it up and there is some air in the bag does that matter?
In my experience, the sooner you use the dough the better. But if you have to keep it in the fridge up to a week it will still be fine. Other than that, it can be frozen for longer as well. But I personally find that dough doesn’t rise quite as well after it’s been frozen.
I can’t wait to try it out . I really love ur recipes cuz is really simple . I would like to would u know how to make a French Toast??? If u do pls let me know the recipe.
Yes, you can make French toast with any type of bread, really. It’s easy to do, you can google ‘simple french toast’ for exact ratios, but it’s really just mixing an egg with some milk, cinnamon, and vanilla. Dip the bread slices into the batter and then cook them in a cast iron pan. Have fun! Sounds delicious. 🙂
This is the first bread recipe that I have ever made and I love it and so does my family. I have not tried any other bread but will in the future.
My question is what are the approximate nutrients in this recipe? Does anyone know?
Thanks
Steve
We are so glad you enjoyed this recipe! You can do an internet search for a ‘nutrition calendar’ to figure out this for any recipe.
Hello! I have been using your recipe for pizza dough and cinnamon rolls since you posted this (and your video!) in 2020. I have yet to try this as sandwich bread. Can you please recommend a bread loaf pan for this recipe?
Thanks,
Lisa
Lehman’s is a wonderful online shop with some great bread loaf pans. Check them out!
Hi,
Loved this recipe. What do you use to store your flour and sugar in?
Can you print this recipe using grams as measurements
Hi Jill. I love this recipe and use it all the time. I am trying to convert it so I can use my Pampered Chef mini loaf stoneware for mini loaves. I am unsure of the time…how long to bake, etc. I appreciate any help you can give.
Thank you!
Valerie
Jill does not own a mini loaf stoneware so she has no tips here. However, you might be able to do a google search of that phrase and see if it shows you any advice for changing parts of recipes. We hope you get some great ideas!
This recipe is so simple. I made my first loaf of bread a few days ago using this recipe and it turned out great! I’m going to make cinnamon rolls next and my kids can’t wait (and neither can I).
Yay! So glad it turned out great for you!
Amazingly Easy Recipe: I’ve made this bread loaf recipe twice now. Both times I followed the recipe exactly with no changes. The first time it came out perfect! I was able to slice it and put it in a zip lock bag in the fridge to eat all week long. The second time around, the crust was fine but the rest of the bread was too soft and not as easy to slice as the first time I made it. What did I do wrong? Did I accidentally add too much or too little flour, knead it too little or too much? … or some other reason? Help!
Your yeast might have been off or your flour ratios were off. Bread is fussy, but with practice, you’ll get the hang of it!
So happy I found this recipe. It’s easy and delicious, I made it several times and love it!! Thank you so very much!