Homemade Bread: an Easy Recipe for Freshly Baked Delight

Baking your own bread at home may seem like a daunting task, but don’t let intimidation keep you from enjoying freshly baked goodness fresh from the oven. With no special equipment or baking skills required, you can create a mouth-watering loaf of delight that’s sure to give you a sense of pride. Here’s a simple recipe for homemade bread to get you started!

Ingredients

  • 3 cups of all-purpose flour

  • 1 teaspoon of sea salt

  • 1 package of instant yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)

  • 2 tablespoons of olive oil

  • 1 1/2 cups of warm water

Instructions

1. Preparing the dough

In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, yeast, and oil until well blended. Then gradually stir in the warm water until the dough forms a slightly sticky and soft ball.

2. Kneading the dough

Lightly dust a kneading surface with flour and place the dough on it. Knead the dough for about five minutes, adding a bit more flour as needed to keep it from sticking. You should end up with a soft and elastic dough.

3. Let the dough rise

Oil a large bowl, place the dough in it, cover with a damp cloth, and let it rise in a warm place for about an hour. After that, it should have doubled in size.

4. Shaping the loaf

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and shape it into a rectangle or oval, depending on the shape of the loaf you’d like. To make fancy edging, you can press the edges of the dough between your fingers.

5. Let it rise again

Place the dough onto a lightly greased cookie sheet and cover it with a damp cloth. Let it rise again for about an hour.

6. Baking the bread

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Once the dough has finished rising, sprinkle it lightly with flour and bake for about 40 minutes, or until golden brown.

Enjoy!

Your homemade bread is now ready to be enjoyed! This easy recipe produces a light and fluffy loaf that’s perfect for sandwiches, or use it as a side dish for soups and salads. It’s also a great companion to any hearty stew or casserole.

You may find that you enjoy experimenting with different ingredients, such as fresh herbs, seeds, or even dried fruit. You can also make tweaks to suit your tastes and dietary needs, such as adding whole-grain flours or honey instead of sugar.

With such a versatile recipe, the possibilities are truly endless. Give it a try today and let us know how your homemade bread turns out!