Grandma’s Perfect Homemade Bread Recipe

I perfected my Easy At Home Bread Recipe from Grandma’s handwritten notes, and the simple secret she kept yields soft, golden loaves every single time.

I still remember the first time I pulled a loaf out of the oven and thought, wow did Grandma really do this every week? Her trick wasn’t fancy, it was basics like good all purpose flour and a dependable packet of active dry yeast that somehow turn into something unexpectedly perfect.

Each loaf comes out soft and golden, and when you slice it you get that little cloud of steam that smells like home. People say homemade is hard, but this one earned its place on my list of Super Easy Bread recipes because it keeps surprising me, and honestly I cant stop making it.

Ingredients

• All purpose flour gives carbs and structure, adds chew, not much fiber though.
• Active dry yeast ferments sugars, makes bread rise and creates that faint tang.
• Milk adds fat, flavor and a softer crumb, water keeps it lean and simple.
• Sugar feeds yeast for rise, gives mild sweetness and brown crust color.
• Butter brings richness, tender crumb and some saturated fat, tastes like home.
• Egg adds protein, color and bind, helps browning, makes slices hold together.
• Oil keeps loaf moist, gives softer crumb and longer freshness, subtle flavor.
• Salt enhances flavor, controls yeast activity, and strengthens gluten network.

Ingredient Quantities

• 4 cups all purpose flour
• 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (one packet)
• 1 1/4 cups warm milk or warm water
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
• 1 large egg room temperature
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil or olive oil
• extra flour for dusting or shaping

How to Make this

1. Warm 1 1/4 cups milk or water until it’s about 105 to 115°F, stir in 1/4 cup sugar, sprinkle 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast on top and let sit 5 to 10 minutes until foamy — if it doesnt foam the yeast is dead, start over.

2. In a large bowl mix 4 cups all purpose flour with 1 1/2 tsp salt, keep the salt away from the yeast mixture at first so it wont kill the yeast.

3. Add the foamy yeast mixture, 2 tbsp softened unsalted butter, 1 large room temp egg, and 2 tbsp vegetable or olive oil to the flour, stir until a shaggy dough forms, add extra flour as needed for handling.

4. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead about 8 to 10 minutes until smooth and elastic, or knead 5 to 6 minutes in a stand mixer with a dough hook.

5. Lightly oil a clean bowl, place the dough inside, cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 1 to
1.5 hours.

6. Punch the dough down, shape it to fit a greased 9×5 loaf pan (or make two smaller loaves), seam side down; you can dust with extra flour while shaping if it sticks.

7. Cover again and let rise until about 1 inch above the rim of the pan or doubled, roughly 30 to 45 minutes; preheat your oven to 350°F during the last part of this rise.

8. Beat the remaining egg with a tablespoon of milk or water and brush the loaf for a shiny crust, then bake at 350°F for 28 to 35 minutes until golden brown and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped or reaches about 190 to 200°F inside.

9. Brush the hot loaf with a little melted butter for a soft crust, let cool 10 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a wire rack and cool completely before slicing, otherwise the crumb will be gummy.

Equipment Needed

1. Liquid measuring cup (for warming 1 1/4 cups milk or water)
2. Dry measuring cups + measuring spoons (for flour, sugar, salt, yeast)
3. Instant read thermometer (to check 105 to 115F for proofing and 190 to 200F for the loaf)
4. Large mixing bowl (for combining and rising the dough)
5. Small bowl or heatproof cup (to proof the yeast)
6. Wooden spoon or silicone spatula, or a stand mixer with a dough hook if you got one (for mixing and kneading)
7. Bench scraper or hands for shaping the loaf, and extra flour for dusting
8. Greased 9×5 loaf pan (or two smaller pans)
9. Pastry brush, plastic wrap or clean kitchen towel, and a wire rack for cooling—dont skip the rack or the crumb will get gummy

FAQ

Grandma’s Perfect Homemade Bread Recipe Substitutions and Variations

• Flour: swap in bread flour for a chewier, taller loaf (use same amount). Or use up to half whole wheat in place of AP flour but expect a denser crumb so add 1-2 tbsp extra liquid, don’t overdo it.
• Yeast: instant or rapid rise yeast works fine in place of active dry, same packet amount and you can mix it straight into the flour no proofing needed.
• Milk or water: any plant milk (soy, oat, almond) can replace dairy 1 to 1, or use buttermilk for a tangy softer loaf, just warm it like you’d warm milk.
• Egg: make a flax egg (1 tbsp flax meal + 3 tbsp water, let sit 5 min) or use 1/4 cup applesauce for one egg if you need an egg free option, loaf will be a bit more tender and moist.

Pro Tips

1) Weigh your flour if you can, but if you dont have a scale spoon it into the cup and level it off, dont pack it down or youll end up with a dense loaf.
2) Make sure the liquid is 105 to 115 F when you proof the yeast, and wait for that nice foamy head, if it doesnt foam toss the yeast and try again, dont risk a flat rise.
3) Keep the dough a little tacky, resist the urge to add a ton of extra flour while kneading, use lightly oiled hands or a bench scraper to handle sticky dough, and use the windowpane test to know when its ready.
4) Bake until the interior hits about 190 to 200 F and let the bread cool completely before slicing, brushing with melted butter while hot helps the crust stay soft but cutting too soon makes the crumb gummy.