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Dairy Free
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Nut Free
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Vegan
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Vegetarian
How to make Foolproof Bread for Beginners
This homemade bread recipe is perfect for beginners! You can make your own bread with this easy bread recipe at home.
Bread is the starter of every sandwich, a classic addition to the side when you have soup, and almost always in the basket or cart when you’re doing your grocery shopping. There’s rarely a week that’ll go by without most people enjoying one form or another of bread. If you’ve always wanted to make your own bread at home, you’ve come to the right place.
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Just how easy is it to make bread?
This foolproof recipe is impossible to mess up. With just a mixer and a baking tray, you can make your own bread without a single issue. With a quick mix in the mixer, a short time to rise, and baking, this great recipe will bring out an artisan bread that you’ll be proud to call your own creation.
The best bread recipe is always one that you can successfully make your first time. There’s recipes like sourdough bread that are difficult to make, but when you have simple ingredients and instructions, there’s no need for anything else. You can enjoy your favorite sandwiches made with this sandwich bread, or have slices of this delicious homemade bread on the side with soup at a dinner party. The soft texture of this bread goes perfectly with any topping.
When you find that one perfect recipe, you surely keep it, and this is my favorite bread to make. It’s not entirely a white bread recipe since it also has whole wheat flour, but no need to fret. Whole wheat contains B vitamins, potassium, and iron. It helps to make the golden brown color that you can see on the crust, as well.
Here are some pro tips to get some really good bread:
Don’t pack the cups. When measuring out the flour, it’s best to put the flour in with a spoon rather than scooping the flour from a large container. Scooping packs the cup, while spooning it in helps to have more even and soft distribution.
Let the loaf rise in a naturally warm place. Of course, don’t heat up your oven just for the bread to rise, but putting it in a place that’s warmest in your kitchen is the best option. An environment of 70-75F is best.
Slice the bread while it’s still warm. You don’t want to burn yourself, but let the bread be a little bit warm when you cut it. Pro tip: that first warm slice is perfect with butter!
Next time you make this recipe, you’ll know by heart what gets best results and in time, you’ll know how to make this easy recipe without having to pull out the instructions.
Is it cheaper to make your own bread? It is cheaper to make your own bread than to buy store bought! You can lower the cost per loaf made by up to 50%. That can save quite a bit of money.
Is milk or water better in homemade bread? Using milk in homemade bread can make a softer loaf and will brown faster while baking. Also, it lengthens the bread’s shelf life.
What do I need to make this recipe?
All-purpose flour starts off the base of this bread dough.
Whole wheat flour adds nutrients and flavor.
Salt because you can’t make any recipe without it!
Oil and warm water to build the dough. You can’t have any dough without the liquids!
Sugar for a touch of flavor.
Active dry yeast for rising, of course. I prefer it to instant yeast, but you can use instant if you have it.
Here are more recipes you’ll enjoy:
A Quick, Creamy, and Delicious Mushroom Crostini Recipe as an appetizer.
This Baked Carrot and Cheese Crostini Appetizer Melt is a great side dish.
How to make Foolproof Bread for Beginners
Equipment
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Stand mixer
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bowl
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spatula
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Wooden cutting board
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 1½ tsp salt
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 1½ tsp dry yeast
- 2 Tbsp oil light olive oil or canola oil
- 1½ cups warm water
- 1 tsp oil to brush the top before baking
Instructions
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In the mixing bowl of an electric mixer combine the flour and other dry ingredients (salt, sugar, and dry yeast).3 cups all-purpose flour, 1½ tsp salt, 1 Tbsp sugar, 1½ tsp dry yeast, 1 cup whole wheat flour
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Once the dry ingredients are mixed, slowly add warm water and oil and continue mixing until you have nice and soft dough. This will take about 10-15 minutes. Mixing it for that long is a very important step, so make sure you let it mix for at least 10 minutes. The dough will stop sticking to the sides of the bowl as it mixes.1½ cups warm water, 2 Tbsp oil
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Take the dough out, remove the hook, shape it into a ball, and leave on the counter top for 10 minutes. Just cover it with the mixing bowl.
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In ten minutes, place the dough back into the mixing bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let it rise for 1.5-2 hours, or until it doubles in size.
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After it’s done rising, place the dough on a greased baking sheet or dish. The dough should be oval shaped with rounded edges. Let it stand for 45 more minutes (it’s very important to let it rise for that long because you want to achieve good results).
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Next step, take about 1 tsp of olive oil and coat the dough with it. This will make the bread crunchy on the outside.1 tsp oil
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Take a sharp knife and make a few strips on the top. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, if desired.
- Bake at 390 F for 30-35 minutes.
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Take it out of the oven, transfer onto a wooden board, cover with a clean towel and let it cool down for 10 minutes before enjoying.
Can I use bread flour instead of all purpose
yes you can
Is there no kneading?
I do this bread in my stand mixer with the dough hook, which does all the kneading for me.
Is there a recipe that doesn’t call for the hook attachment??