This simple Traditional Loaf Bread is a crowd favorite.
Ingredients
- 1 cup warm water
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 2 ½ tsp active dry yeast
- ¾ tsp salt
- 4 TBSP olive oil
- 3 cups white flour
Directions
- Warm water (microwave approximately 1 minute)
- In a large bowl mix sugar with warm water
- After sugar is mostly dissolved add yeast
- Allow yeast/sugar mixture to set for approximately 15-20 minutes until foamy
- Add salt and oil to yeast/sugar mixture
- Mix flour into bowl slowly – then knead dough on lightly floured surface until relatively smooth (don’t over knead dough – should only take a few minutes)
- Put dough into an oiled bowl – ensure the top of the dough is also oiled
- Cover bowl with a damp cloth and allow to rise approximately 1 hour or until double in size
- Punch dough down and knead a few times.
- Shape into loaf size to fit a 9×5 inch loaf pan
- Place dough into greased loaf pan and let rise for about 30 minutes or until approximately 1 inch above pan
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Bake bread for about 30 minutes or until golden brown
- Cool for a few minutes before removing from pan
Do you think making bread is just for experienced bakers? The answer is no. This recipe will give you the opportunity to enjoy a Traditional Loaf Bread that is easy to make. Go ahead and try your hand at making bread for your friends and family.
Tips & Tricks for perfecting Traditional Loaf Bread
I prefer to use unbleached white flour for this recipe. However traditional white flour or bread flour will work also
Olive oil is my go to panty oil of choice, however vegetable oil is great in this recipe
When kneading the bread remember not to overdo it. Knead just enough to mix the dough. Typically I will only knead the dough about 8-10 times before I let it rise the first time.
You need to let the dough rise in a warm part of your kitchen
An optional way to let the bread rise is by warming your oven, shutting it off then putting the bowl with the dough into the oven. The key is to barely warm your oven – turn it on 350 degrees for no longer than 1 minute, then shut the oven off. Open the door for about 1 minute, then place the bowl into the oven for about an hour.
If you would like a more buttery crust, 5 minutes before the bread is finished baking, baste about 1-2 TBSP of butter on top of the crust
Background of Traditional Loaf Bread
I have always a been a little intimated by the bakers who seem to just magically create amazing bread. There were too many instructions or too many ingredients or too many little tricks that complicate what to do. So here is a traditional loaf bread with a few ingredients, easy to make, and delicious.
This bread is easy to slice and use for sandwiches, if it lasts that long. In my house, the smell of bread baking gets everyone coming to the kitchen asking when the bread will be done. So even though you should definitely wait until the bread is cool to slice it, that never seems to happen. Someone always slices into it and enjoys a warm slice of bread.
TRADITIONAL LOAF BREAD can be used as the basis of other great recipe creations. For example, you can make the TASTY CROUTONS from this bread. Also it can be used to make yummy french toast, or even bread pudding.
So give it a try. There is nothing like a loaf of homemade bread to delight your family and friends. Serving homemade bread will make any meal or event extra special!
