How to Make Homemade Bread

I love to make homemade bread. The smell of homemade bread is right up there in the list of best smells in the world with fresh cut grass, coffee, books, and clothes from the line. it’s the kind of thing that can take a miserable day and turn it right around.

I used to make homemade bread in a breadmaker. But those loaves were so tiny, my family would devour it in about ten minutes. If I was going to spend all that time making bread, I needed it to last for at least a few days. I started making it in the oven, four loaves at a time. I discovered that making bread isn’t really that hard. The issue some people have with making bread is that there is a lot of waiting for it to rise, multiple times. You just need to make sure you make your bread when you have no place to go for an afternoon.

The other issue that has happened with making a lot of bread in this house is that I’ve turned my family into what my husband and I like to call “bread snobs.” The other day one of my children was eating some DAY OLD bread. He had this look on his face that kind of said “meh.” When I asked him what was wrong, he replied “it tasted better yesterday.” Yesterday, as in, warm, fresh from the oven with butter slathered all over it. I mean, can I really blame the kid?

My husband, on the other hand enjoys taking this bread for his sandwiches to work for days after it’s been baked. So, there’s a win.

If you want to make homemade bread, follow along as I walk you through it. Full printable recipe is at the end of the post.

Homemade White Bread

The first thing you need to do to make homemade bread is to dissolve the yeast, warm water, and honey together. Mix it together and then let it sit for 10 minutes. This allows the yeast to “proof” which basically means it will get all puffy and foamy.

In a large bowl mix together the honey, salt, melted butter, and warm water, and yeast mixture. Make sure your melted butter isn’t too hot before you mix it with the yeast. Add six cups of flour and mix it together until it’s blended well. Then add the remaining 4 cups of flour, but only a cup at a time.

Mix together until the dough is slightly tacky, but doesn’t stick to your hands. If it is too sticky, add some more flour.

Knead on a floured surface for 8-10 minutes. You can do this right on your counter, but I just do it in the bowl because my bread making bowl is massive! 🙂 I love those perfect dollar store finds!

Once you are done kneading it, form it into a ball and rub some oil all over it to prevent drying out or sticking. I just use canola oil but you can use whatever oil you want.

Put a clean dishtowel over the bowl and let it sit for 30 minutes in a warm place. If you live in an old, COLD farmhouse, that warm place is next to the woodstove. 🙂 I do know people who turn their oven on really low for awhile and turn it off, and then stick their bread dough in there to rise. If you keep it in a cooler room it will still rise, but it may just take a little longer.

After 30 minutes punch the dough down in the middle, and turn it over. Cover it again and let it sit and rise for about an hour to an hour and a half, until it is double in size.

Once double in size you can divide the dough into 4 equal size balls of dough.

It only took me like, 5 years to figure out how to get smooth, nice looking loaves, but I finally have figured it out. Take each ball one at a time, and roll it out on a floured surface.

Then roll it up from one end to another.

Make sure the seam is on the bottom. Tuck both sides under. Put the nicely rolled bread dough into a bread pan. Cover again until double in size, about 45 minutes.

Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 35 minutes.

Let it cool for 15 minutes in the bread pan, and then take it out and let it cool completely on a wire rack. You want to be sure to take it out of the bread pan to completely cool or it will get soggy on the bottom. And nobody likes soggy bread.

Make sure to cut yourself a piece while still warm, slather it with butter, and try to not eat the whole loaf or you will have to make homemade bread again in a few days if you eat it all too soon!

Homemade White Bread

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Ingredients

  

Dissolve and let proof:

• 4 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 1 1/2 tsp honey

Mix together in large bowl:

• 1/3 cup honey
• 1 Tbsp salt
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 3 cups warm water
• yeast mixture
• 10 cups flour

Instructions

 

• Mix together yeast, warm water, and honey.  Let sit for 10 minutes to proof the yeast.
• In a large bowl mix together the honey, salt, butter, warm water, yeast mixture, and 6 cups of flour until well mixed. 
• Add in the last 4 cups of flour, cup by cup until the dough reaches a consistency that is slightly tacky but does not stick to your hands.
• Knead on a floured surface for 8-10 minutes.
• Form it into a ball, and rub oil over it, making sure to get the bottom as well.  Place it in a bowl and cover with a dish towel.  Let it rise for 1/2 hour.
• Punch it down, turn it over, and let it rise again until it is double it's size, roughly an hour to an hour and a half or so (depending on how warm your house is.)
• Knead it for a few minutes, then shape into loaves and place in 4 greased bread pans.  Cover with a dish towel again and let it rise until double, roughly 45 minutes.
• Bake at 350 Fahrenheit for 35 minutes. 
• When finished, let it cool in the bread pans for 15 minutes and then place on a rack to cool completely.