traditional bread recipe

I've made a lot of bread recipes and this one has become my absolute favorite! I make a batch every couple of weeks!

My Favorite White Bread Recipe

instant yeast (two 0.25-ounce packets)

sugar

salt

unsalted butter, cubed,

all-purpose flour

unsalted butter (melted, for brushing)

In the bowl of a mixer, stir to dissolve the yeast in ¾ cup of the warm water, and let sit for 5 minutes. Add the remaining 2⅔ cups water, sugar, salt, room temperature butter, and 5 cups of the flour and stir to combine.

Using a dough hook, mix on low speed and gradually add the remaining flour until the dough is soft and tacky, but not sticky (you may not need to use all of the flour). Continue to knead until a soft ball of dough forms and clears the sides of the bowl, about 7 to 10 minutes.

Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl and turn it over so it is completely coated. Cover with plastic wrap and set in a draft-free place to rise until doubled in size, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Turn the dough out onto a clean, lightly floured surface. Gently press it all over to remove any air pockets. Divide the dough in two and, working with one piece at a time, gently pat it into a 9x12-inch rectangle. Roll up the rectangle, starting on the short end, into a very tight cylinder. Pinch to seal the seams and the ends, tuck the ends of the roll until the bread, and place into greased 9-inch loaf pans. Cover the loaves loosely and place in a draft-free area until doubled in size, 30 to 45 minutes.

Position an oven rack on the lowest setting and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Brush the loaves with some of the melted butter. Bake the loaves for 30 to 35 minutes, rotating halfway through, until golden brown (an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read 195 degrees F).

Remove from the oven and immediately brush with more of the melted butter. Allow to cool for 10 minutes, then remove from the pans and cool completely before slicing. The bread can be stored in an airtight bread bag or wrapped tightly in plastic wrap at room temperature for up to 4 days. It can also be frozen for up to 1 month.

https://content.jwplatform.com/videos/AHlGGT59.mp4

This is a classic white bread recipe, and so easy! The loaves bake up incredibly tall, soft and fluffy… the perfect white bread!

Recipe video included. You won&#x27;t believe how easy this Italian bread is to make! With its soft interior and crusty exterior, it tastes like a loaf straight from your favorite bakery.

Italian Bread

water (~100°F)

active dry yeast ((2.25 teaspoons))

bread flour

brown sugar

olive oil

egg white (lightly beaten)

sesame seeds

Stir the yeast into ½ cup of the warm water. Let proof as you measure out the dry ingredients.

Combine 5 cups flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer. Add the yeast mixture, remaining water, and olive oil. Using a dough hook attachment, mix on the lowest speed of electric mixer (stir setting on a KitchenAid) until a dough starts to form, adding more flour as needed, up to an additional ¾ cup. Knead on low speed (2 on a KitchenAid) for 7 minutes. Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and knead by hand for 1 to 2 minutes, or until a smooth, firm, elastic dough is formed.

Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl and spray the dough with a thin coating of cooking spray. Wrap the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside to proof in a warm, draft-free place for 1½ hours or until doubled in size.

Remove the plastic wrap, punch down and flatten the rounded dough with the heel of your hand. Roll the dough up tightly, sealing the seam well after each roll. The dough should be elongated and oval-shaped, with tapered and rounded (not pointed) ends.

Place a baking stone on the center oven rack and preheat the oven to 425°F. Place a metal baking pan on the lowest rack.

Place the dough on a baker&#x27;s peel heavily dusted with flour, or alternately on an inverted baking sheet. Allow the dough to proof, loosely covered with a floured dish towel, for 30 minutes, or until doubled in size.

If using the topping, brush the dough with the egg white and sprinkle the sesame seeds over the top. Using a razor blade or sharp knife, slash the dough lengthwise about 1/4-inch deep, keeping the blade at a 45-degree angle.

Just prior to placing the bread in the oven, pour 1 cup of water into the metal pan you placed on the bottom rack of the oven. Then, transfer the loaf from the peel to the stone in the oven.

Bake the dough until golden brown and a hollow thud is heard when tapping the bottom of the bread (it should register at least 195 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer), about 30 to 40 minutes. Allow the bread to cool before slicing.

https://content.jwplatform.com/videos/8L1T5Q1V.mp4

You won't believe how easy this Italian bread is to make! With its soft interior and crusty exterior, it tastes like a loaf straight from your favorite bakery.

Italian Bread Recipe

Easy, homemade classic Italian bread with a chewy crust and soft interior. Perfect for sandwiches, toast, breakfast bakes and more!

(1 packet) Red Star active dry yeast*

water (about 110°F)

bread flour flour

In a large bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, combine yeast, sugar and warm water. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes or until yeast is foamy.

Add 2 cups flour, olive oil and salt. Stir with a wooden spoon or with a dough hook on low speed until a shaggy dough forms. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead by hand 10 minutes, adding just enough of the remaining flour until a soft, smooth and elastic dough forms; OR, increase dough hook speed to medium and knead dough in stand mixer 5 minutes, adding just enough of the remaining flour until a soft, smooth and elastic dough forms.

Shape dough into a ball; place in an oiled bowl and turn to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let dough rise 1 hour until doubled.

Heat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, a silicone mat or lightly grease the surface with oil or cooking spray. On a lightly floured surface, punch down dough, then carefully shape into a batard/torpedo about 12 inches long. Transfer to prepared baking sheet. Cover with a tea towel and let rise another 20 to 30 minutes until puffy.

Use a bread lame or serrated knife to make a few 1/4-inch deep slits in the surface of the loaf. Bake loaf 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely on a cooling rack before slicing.

I didn't have sugar on hand so I used honey (1:1 substitute) and was worried it might not turn out well but it was absolutely delicious! Thank you for this easy and versatile recipe, its now my go to!

Bread cane out great!  I usually do follow recipe measurements but just happened to notice that one msg. As you said, probably good either way. Thanks for the great recipe &amp; quick reply. 

I know this is an old comment, but in case anyone has this question in the future, I substituted 1 cup of the flour with whole wheat and it turned out great! For my personal taste, I wouldn't use more than that, but that doesn't mean it wouldn't work.

Your bread recipe was amazing.. thank you . 

Just finished a slice for breakfast and was sending the link to a friend so I thought I would add a comment. No need to buy bread from the grocery ever again! This is a very forgiving recipe. I’ve made it a dozen times as written, a couple of times adding a little KAF white whole wheat flour, and a couple of times using a cup of  my 28 y/o sourdough starter discard as a  My latest twist is to sub out a little water w the yeast  for more olive oil in the dough.   Comes out perfect every time. I’m in Hawaii, so relearning how to bake bread here has been tough sometimes. It’s hotter and more humid. Using yeast helps (vs none for a sourdough), and I usually need more flour to combat the humidity.  Looking to try some of your other recipes! Wondering if you’ve ever thought of providing the measurements in grams? Many thanks! 

Oops. Using a cup of sourdough as a biga.....

I makes this bread every holiday.  My job during the holiday meals is to make 5 loafs.

Easiest Italian Bread recipe I've found!  Delicious!!!

This is my favorite Italian bread recipe! I keep the recipe handy at all times so that I can whip up a batch whenever I’m in the mood and send the link to people constantly because it’s so easy and delicious. Thank you!

Thank you for sharing this recipes!  I made it yesterday to have with our pasta dinner. The video really helped with getting the shape correct!

Since I found this recipe a month ago I have made approximately 12 loaves so far, for us, for friends and neighbours during this virus situation.  Passed it on to my sister too.  Nothing better than fresh bread every day.  I highly recommend this even to a newbie who has never made bread.  Just follow instructions.  Yummy

Came out perfect, gives me faith in bread making!

This is the BEST bread recipe I have tried thus far.  My kids loved it.  I even tried splitting it in half and putting some garlic butter on it and it was a hit as well.  Thank you so much for sharing this recipe.  IT WAS A HIT!!!!!!!!!!!!

So easy to do and yet so tasty!  Very authentic and earthy! Thanks Stephanie!

I made this bread and it was easy to make and tasted great. 

Delicious bread, near perfect texture.  Needed closer to 3 1/2 cups flour, though.

I make this bread weekly.  Sometimes I add spices to change it up.

My crust didn’t come out crispy.  The center was perfect.  I baked it for 25 minutes.  Should I go longer.  Mine wasn’t as golden brown as in your pictures.  I was afraid to go longer.

Fantastic!  Easy!  Delicious!   Thank you?

Made this bread tonight and I can’t even begin to explain how amazing and perfect it came out!  This is my go to recipe from now on. I’m certain I’m going to have dreams about this bread tonight — that’s how good it is.  Thank you for this! 

This came out really well it was soft but hard on the outside and delicious on it's own

Followed instructions carefully. Dough never rose  i think the step 1 instructions are missing something.

So, yeah, I made this today and I totally get the pillow comments. It's super easy, my kid who is new to the kitchen did most of the muscle work, including shaping the torpedo.  I made one loaf to eat sliced with butter or with fresh mozzarella and basil. I made another for a recipe to make croutons for stuffing. It called for Italian bread and since I'm dead set on making Thanksgiving dinner from scratch.

This has become my go too Italian bread recipe.
Sometimes I add potato flakes and Asiago.
Wonderful!!
Bruce

Tres bon pain et facile a faire et merci pour votre recette...

Thanks for a great recipe!  Have been searching for a good Italian bread recipe and yours is so delicious and easy. Won a  A+ at family dinner party.

this is by far the best recipie i have ever made

My first bread ever, and it was delicious and simple to make.

Made this recipe today, waiting for bread to cool.  Dough was nice and elastic, but the dough did not rise as expected, somewhat "light"  Did follow rise times per recipe, in a warm environment, maybe should  have sat longer?  The yeast was activated but considering using a larger dose next time.  Rating a 4 instead of 5 to see if the problem was yeast or rise time.  As mentioned, dough came out nice and elastic, ingredient volumes were  instrumental and worked out fine.

Thank you for this recipe. We enjoyed it with Chicken Picatta.

That it is a small recipe, is perfect for us too.

This is the Italian bread I have been looking for.  It's quick, easy and comes out great every time.  I've made it into a loaf and into rolls.  I love it.  And I rarely leave a review!

Wonderfully easy and full of flavor! I added italian spices and oh my goodness... perfect!

I have been making bread for about a year now. I found your recipe and I got to admit this is the easiest recipe to follow and produces the best bread ever .My whole family is hooked on it ! thank you

Super yummy bread! The instructions are easy to follow and it turns out great every time! I’ve made it multiple times.

I found this recipe about 2 months ago.  WOW!  So easy, and the taste and texture is wonderful.  I did some add- ons  in a few of the breads.  One I added Italian seasonings and parmasen cheese.  Then I did a vegetable loaf, I just added a packet of Knorr vegetable soup and 1/4 cup of shredded carrot.  Both turned out so tasty!   Oh, I also made sub buns from this recipe!  I am literally using this recipe twice a week!

This bread was, by far,  the most delicious bread I have ever eaten!  The dough was very sticky after I turned it out onto the kitchen counter and I had to keep adding flour so I was worried about them being dry or not baking correctly. Once I finally got the dough all nice and velvety, it was a piece of cake.  I multiplied the quantities by 1.5 and made 2 torpedos. They looked like they came straight from a bakery and my goodness, they were almost melt in your mouth soft!  If I was served this bread at an Italian restaurant, I would return multiple times just for the bread! I was so proud of myself and I’m making more this weekend!

A little salty, but really good. I love the flavor of the olive oil

This bread passed the Italian grandparents test when I baked it today and delivered a loaf of it to my husband’s grandparents. I just started baking bread in November, and I’ve been trying to perfect that airy texture inside and the crisp, crusty outside, and this recipe achieved that. I did put a shallow pan of boiling water on the rack below the bread to help crisp up the crust. We are already halfway through the loaf! 

Excellent recipe. I. used instant yeast and my kitchenaid for kneading.
So easy and no messy kitchen!
_Can the recipe be doubled? If so, do I need to change proportion of ingredients? One loaf  not enough for my family who absolutely love it!

I'm making this bread for the second time and I am so pleased at how easy it was to do.  Your instructions are great and attaching the video really gave me the confidence I needed to follow through. I was surprised to find that homemade bread was more flavorful than store bought.  My family really enjoyed it, in fact,  it was consumed all in one day. That never happens with store bought Italian bread. Thank you so much for sharing the recipe with us.

This bread is so VERY VERY easy to make. I always have all the ingredients in hand. I use my kitchen aid to knead the dough. Makes it even easier. 
THX for the great recipe!!

Perfect.  I didn't add any extra flour while kneading in the mixer; every ingredient was spot on.  My teenagers commented on the first bite how much they loved this bread.  Thank you!

Had this at a friend’s house and it was outstanding!  Thank goodness he shared your recipe so I can make my own. Thank you for this.

Question please - the bread is fantastic.  ONE QUESTION:  Is there any way/technique to make the crust more "crusty"?  That's a personal desire to have it crunchy.   We have electric oven and I keep a pan of water in it.  Any suggestion?v.   Thanks

Mine didn't rise much
I make sourdough all the time 
Definitely a different process with dried yeast

Very easy recipe! Bread came out perfect and very yummy.

Easy to make, looked beautiful. My husband siad it looked like a professional made it. Taste was great too. Will definitely be making this again! Thanks for the recipe!

Had to double and make two loaves bc my teen boys and husband devoured done before dinner. Will def keep this one! Thank you for sharing!

I love this recipe!  But I want to adjust to make smaller loaves.  Any suggestions? 

On the 2X recipe, it states to add 2 cups of warm water (about 220°F) . This temperature killed my yeast and the bread did not rise, I thought that temperature was too high but went with what the recipe stated.  In addition, the 5 cup bread flour or all-purpose flour should be increased, 5 cups will leave it too moist, and more should be added until it forms a ball.  I realize there are a lot of variables with a bread recipe but these 2 factors will make all the difference in whether your bread will be even slightly successful especially with someone that is a first-time bread maker.

If you want more rustic style, I suggest mot punching down and doing the stretch and fold method at least 3 times during bulk fermentation :)

The best bread recipe!! I’m so thankful I stumbled upon this page. The bread is so soft and just perfect. I was using a different recipe and the bread (in my opinion) was too sweet. This one is just right! Thank you for sharing 

This recipe is easy (after making bread 1 or 2 times). As I'm new to bread making and wanted organic bread, after some thought,  making bread seemed a good option. And this recipe worked out great! Used organic ingredients and bread is a favorite for my house and grandchildren. I make a lot of soups and this bread is a winner.

Oh my.   Now I understand what pillowy soft bread is.  This bread is heaven.  Thank you for a great, easy recipe.  Good job.

Thanks for sharing, and for the Peter R tutorial!

I have made this recipe often. And love the bread it produces. I love I
Using bread flour and it definitely makes a difference. Thanks for a great recipe! I’ve tried several and this is by far the best.


My question is—can you successfully make one large loaf instead of two smaller ones? 

This is an excellent recipe I have made several times, a few times this week. If we are out of bread, this is my go to. 

Makes wonderful bread, I just doubled the recipe and hope it turns out! I’ll let you know??????

This has become my go-to recipe!! I wondered if it would turn out if cooked in a loaf pan? 

I love this so much! It's my go-to bread recipe. Thanks for sharing and explaining it so clearly.

A recipe for Ciabatta Bread - soft, chewy homemade bread just can't be beat!

Ciabatta Bread

instant (rapid-rise yeast)

water (at room temperature)

¼ cup whole or 2% milk (at room temperature)

Make the Sponge: Combine the flour, yeast and water in a medium bowl and stir with a wooden spoon until a uniform mass forms. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature for at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours.

Make the Dough: Place the sponge and the dough ingredients (flour, salt, yeast, water and milk) in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until combined and a shaggy dough forms, about 1 minute, scraping down the bowl and paddle as needed. Increase the speed to medium-low and continue mixing until the dough becomes a uniform mass that collects on the paddle and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, 4 to 6 minutes.

Change to the dough hook and knead the bread on medium speed until smooth and shiny (the dough will be very sticky), about 10 minutes.

Transfer the dough to a large bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and let rise at room temperature until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Spray a rubber spatula or bowl scraper with non-stick cooking spray. Fold the dough over itself by gently lifting and folding the edge of the dough toward the middle. Turn the bowl 90 degrees, and fold again. Turn the bowl and fold the dough 6 more times (for a total of 8 times).

Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 30 minutes.

Repeat the folding as in step #3, replace the plastic wrap, and let rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.

One hour before baking, adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position, place a baking stone on the rack and preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Cut two 12x6-inch pieces of parchment paper and dust liberally with flour. Transfer the dough to a floured work surface, being careful not to deflate it completely. Liberally flour the top of the dough and divide it in half with a bench scraper. Turn 1 piece of dough cut-side-up and dust with flour. With well-floured hands, press the dough into a rough 12x6-inch rectangle. Fold the shorter sides of the dough toward center, overlapping them like you would fold a letter in thirds, to form a 7x4-inch rectangle. Repeat with the second piece of dough.

Gently transfer each loaf, seam-side-down, to the parchment sheets, dust with flour, and cover with plastic wrap. Let the loaves sit at room temperature for 30 minutes (the surface of the loaves will develop small bubbles).

Slide the parchment pieces with the loaves onto a pizza peel. Using floured fingertips, evenly poke the entire surface of each loaf to form a 10x6-inch rectangle; spray the loaves lightly with water. Slides the loaves and parchment onto the baking stone. Bake, spraying the loaves with water twice more during the first 5 minutes of baking time, until the crust is deep golden brown and the loaves register 210 degrees F, 22 to 27 minutes.

Transfer the loaves to a wire rack, discard the parchment, and let cool to room temperature for at least 1 hour before slicing and serving. The bread can be wrapped in a double layer of plastic wrap and stored at room temperature for up to 3 days. Wrapped with an additional layer of foil, the bread can be frozen for up to 1 month. To recrisp the crust, thaw the bread at room temperature (if frozen), and place unwrapped bread in 450-degree oven for 6 to 8 minutes.

Irish soda bread is a delicious quick bread that requires no yeast but gets its beautiful rise from a combination of baking soda and buttermilk. It has a crisp crust and a dense, tender crumb, which makes it the perfect bread for soaking up the remnants of your favorite beef stew (or just slathering in butter!). This simple soda bread can be made in just one hour and with simple ingredients!

Irish Soda Bread

cake flour

baking soda

cream of tartar

unsalted butter (softened)

buttermilk

unsalted butter (melted)

Adjust an oven rack to the upper-middle position and preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, sugar, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt. Work the softened butter into the dry ingredients with a fork or your fingertips until the texture resembles coarse crumbs.

Add the buttermilk and stir with a fork just until the dough begins to come together. Turn out onto a floured work surface and knead just until the dough becomes cohesive and bumpy, 12 to 14 turns. (Do not knead until the dough is smooth, or the bread will turn out tough.)

Pat the dough into a round about 6 inches in diameter and 2 inches high; place on a parchment-lined baking sheet or in a 12-inch cast iron skillet. Score the dough by cutting a cross shape on the top of the loaf.

Bake until the loaf is golden brown and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean, or the internal temperature reaches 180 degrees F on an instead-read thermometer, 40 to 45 minutes. Remove the loaf from the oven and brush the surface with the melted butter. Cool to room temperature before slicing, about 30 to 40 minutes. Leftovers should be wrapped in plastic wrap and stored at room temperature for up to 3 days.

This may not fit the bill for a traditional Irish soda bread, but everyone who I shared my batch of this bread with said it was the best soda bread they'd ever had. This recipe will be a staple in our kitchen going forward. (Surely this would all be considered blasphemy! My ancestors are surely turning in their graves right now!! They can fight me. They have no idea what they're missing.)  I also lightly salted the top before baking. And dare I even admit, I finely grated some Kerrygold Skellig cheddar into the mix?! Damn near put myself over the edge. Thank you for sharing. Looking forward to trying more of your recipes!

I was just reading through the comments so I wasn’t redundant.  I make a similar traditional/classic recipe that has been passed down to me through the generations that adds raisins and caraway.  The warm slice with Irish butter has inspired me to make it this morning.  I just wanted to add you say you cut an X on top...I’ve always been taught that it’s a cross and you say “in the name of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit as you do it.  🤷🏼‍♀️ Just thought it was interesting. ☘️ Thanks for posting this lovely recipe. 

Turned out great!  I used my biscuit technique of grating frozen butter with a cheese grater instead of cutting in - just seems quicker to me. I left out the one cup of cake flour until turning out and kneading  (in retrospect, I think I'd leave out one cup of the AP flour for the turning instead), and like biscuits, I barely worked the dough. With this loaf, I do wish I had kneaded just a little bit more than I do with my biscuit technique; 12-14 turns mentioned in the recipe didn't seem to be quite enough, so when cutting with a knife, the loaf isn't quite supported enough in places and a few pieces would break off. I would definitely knead a bit more to make the loaf more cohesive, but my biscuit technique starts the kneading process with a very wet dough, almost a batter. The flavor, crumb, texture, baking time and temp etc was all perfect!

Hands down, the greatest soda bread I've ever had , let alone made! I didn't have cream of tartar, so used baking powder with an extra 1/4 tsp of soda. Fantastic recipe, thank you! 

P.s. I made it to take to st pattys corned beef and cabbage @ a friend's. I made a half batch with raisins and caraway seeds (because we couldn't wait!) Exquisite!

Top 5 traditional bread recipe recipes from across the web

The most viewed traditional bread recipe recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine

Top Tags

My Favorite White Bread Recipe

Italian Bread

Italian Bread

Ciabatta Bread

Irish Soda Bread

Top 5 traditional bread recipe recipes from across the web

The most viewed traditional bread recipe recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

My Favorite White Bread Recipe

Italian Bread

Italian Bread

Ciabatta Bread

Irish Soda Bread

The most viewed traditional bread recipe recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine