Easiest Loaf Bread

Easiest Loaf Bread is a beginner-friendly American white loaf made from just flour, yeast, salt, and water, designed to rise tall with minimal effort. The dough mixes in one bowl, gets kneaded briefly until smooth, and then rises until doubled before being shaped into a simple loaf pan. After a second rise, it bakes into a golden, high-rising loaf with a soft crumb and mild bread flavor that works for sandwiches and toast. This recipe is written step-by-step for first-time bakers so they can learn how the dough should feel and look at each stage.

Easiest Loaf Bread

Easiest High-Rise Loaf Bread is a simple American beginner loaf made from flour, yeast, salt, and water, mixed and kneaded quickly, then baked in a pan into a tall, soft everyday bread.

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Rising Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Total Time 2 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

Servings: 12 slices

Course: Loaf

Cuisine: American

Calories: 140

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 3 cups all-purpose or bread flour about 375 g, plus a little extra for kneading
• 2¼ tsp active dry or instant yeast one standard packet
• 1½ tsp fine salt
• 1¼ cups warm water

Equipment

• Large mixing bowl
• Measuring cups
• Measuring spoons
• Wooden spoon
• Clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap
• 9×5 inch loaf pan
• Oven mitts

Method

 

Mix the dough

1. Add 3 cups flour, 2¼ tsp yeast, and 1½ tsp salt to a large mixing bowl and stir with a wooden spoon until everything looks evenly combined.
2. Pour 1¼ cups warm water into the bowl with a measuring cup; the water should feel warm to the touch but not hot.
3. Stir with the wooden spoon until a shaggy dough forms and most of the flour is absorbed, scraping the sides and bottom so no dry patches remain.

Knead and first rise

1. Lightly flour your work surface, then turn the dough out of the bowl onto the flour.
2. Knead by pressing the dough away with the heel of your hand, folding it back over itself, and turning it, adding a dusting of flour only when it sticks, for about 8 minutes until the dough feels smooth, stretchy, and slightly tacky but not sticky.
3. Shape the dough into a ball and place it back into the large mixing bowl lightly greased with a drop of oil, turning the dough so the top gets a thin coat.
4. Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm spot for about 1 hour, until the dough has doubled in size and feels airy when gently pressed.

Shape and second rise

1. Grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan.
2. Punch down the dough gently in the bowl with your fist to release extra gas, then turn it out onto a lightly floured surface.
3. Pat the dough into a rectangle slightly shorter than the length of the loaf pan, then roll it up tightly from the short side into a log, pinching the seam with your fingers.
4. Tuck the ends under, place the dough seam side down in the loaf pan, cover with the kitchen towel, and let it rise for 30 to 40 minutes until it domes about 1 inch above the pan.

Bake

1. Place the loaf pan on the middle rack of a preheated 375°F oven using oven mitts.
2. Bake for 28 to 32 minutes until the top is golden and the loaf sounds hollow when you tap it lightly with your fingers.

Cool and slice

1. Remove the pan from the oven with oven mitts and set it on a heat-safe surface, then let the bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes.
2. Run a knife around the edges if needed, turn the loaf out onto a rack or cutting board, and let it cool completely before slicing so the crumb stays tall and doesn’t squish.

Notes

• If your kitchen is cool, give the dough more time to double during each rise rather than forcing a strict clock time.
• The dough should stay slightly tacky; adding too much flour during kneading can lead to a dense, low-rise loaf.
• This loaf freezes well when sliced; wrap tightly and toast slices straight from the freezer or thaw at room temperature.