Homemade bread

Here’s a simple, dependable homemade bread recipe—soft inside, golden crust, and no special equipment needed:

🍞 Ingredients

• 3½–4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 packet (2¼ tsp) active dry yeast
• 1¼ cups warm water (not hot)
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp oil or melted butter

👩‍🍳 Instructions

1. Activate yeast
   In a bowl, mix warm water + sugar + yeast. Let it sit 5–10 minutes until foamy.
2. Make the dough
   Add salt, oil, and 3½ cups flour. Mix into a soft dough. Add more flour if too sticky.
3. Knead
   Knead for 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
4. First rise
   Place in an oiled bowl, cover, and let it rise for 1–1.5 hours until doubled.
5. Shape
   Punch down, shape into a loaf, and place in a greased loaf pan.
6. Second rise
   Let it rise again for about 30–45 minutes.
7. Bake
   Bake at 180°C (350°F) for 30–35 minutes until golden brown.
8. Cool
   Let it cool before slicing (this keeps the texture right).

🧠 Tips

• Tap the bottom—if it sounds hollow, it’s done
• For a softer crust, brush with butter after baking
• For a crisp crust, place a small tray of water in the oven

If you want, I can show you no-knead bread, whole wheat bread, or even quick bread without yeast.