This easy bread recipe is simple and produces fluffy, delicious homemade bread that you will love. It is made with just 5 simple ingredients and it's just perfect! Here is a detailed step by step directions on how to make bread at home.
Get all the ingredients ready and measure them out.
Add flour, sugar, salt and yeast in the mixing bowl. Mix well.
Warm milk or water in the microwave or stovetop. Add oil in the warmed milk and mix well. Warm not hot milk! Hot milk can kill the yeast and the bread won't rise.
Add the oil/milk mixture into the dry ingredients.
Mix together till it comes together then transfer to the mixer or worktop to knead. If kneading by hand, knead for 8 minutes and if kneading with mixer, use the dough attachment to knead for 5 minutes or till dough is stretchy/elastic and pulls away from the mixing bowl.Dough will be sticky initially don't be tempted to add flour.
First proof - Put dough back in the mixing bowl, cover with clingfilm or towel and put in a warm place. Leave to rise for 40 -50 minutes. I put on the oven for 3 minutes then turn it off. I then place the dough bowl in the oven. That way the dough rise faster. If house is cold or cool the dough takes longer to rise that's why i put dough in a warm place.The oven serve as that. If you have instant pot, you can also proof bread in it.
After the 50 minutes, the dough should have doubled in size, punch down the dough, put on worktop and shape bread. Punching down the dough releases any trapped air in it.
Oil loaf pan and put shaped dough in the loaf pan for second rise. Cover pan with clingfilm or towel, put in warm place and leave to rise for another 40 - 50minutes. I also put in the oven for second rise. I simply repeat the tip for the first proofing.
After 40 minutes (second rise) when the dough has doubled in size, bake dough in the oven at temperature of 170C for 35- 40 minutes.
Take bread out of the oven and brush the top crust with butter. Brushing top crust with butter is optional
Leave bread to cool in the pan for 10 minutes then turn on to a cooling rack to cool. That's perfect easy bread ready. Soft, fluffy and delicious.
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Notes
*Important details in the post. If you havent read the post before jumping to recipe, do go back and read so you don’t miss out the details.Calorie information are estimates only.