sliced white bread sitting on cutting board with plants and chair in background

Mom’s Easy Homemade Bread

Name: Mom's Easy Homemade Bread
Prep time: 20 min
Ingredients: 8 c. all-purpose flour; 2.5 tbsp instant yeast*; 1 tbsp. salt; 4 tbsp. sugar; 5 c. warm water

by Jenniferupdated on February 9, 2021May 27, 201973 Comments

Hi friend! I’m here to share my mom’s homemade bread recipe with you. It’s easy, simple and delicious. This is the only recipe I have EVER used to make bread because it’s come out perfect for me every single time. On top of that, it makes 4 loaves of bread. One for now, 3 to freeze. This means I only have to bake bread once a month. Work smarter, not harder!

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As a child, I grew up watching my mom make this homemade bread on a regular basis. I remember countless times I would tumble in the door from playing outside, greeted by the smell of fresh bread filling the air. Bread day was my favorite day–sometimes we’d make cinnamon rolls or pizza too!

I have to confess, I love bread. I could live on grilled cheese alone (which was proven during my college years). I’ve only recently started baking my own bread, which is SO much easier than I thought it would be. I get such a wave of satisfaction every time I pull a perfectly rounded bread loaf out of the oven.

sliced loaf of bread on cutting board with stick of butter and three loaves of bread next to it

Why make bread homemade?

There are a few staples in my kitchen that I always make from scratch. All of them are relatively simple and don’t take any crazy kitchen know-how. You can check out my full list of what I make from scratch right here. I like knowing exactly what’s in my food and how it was made. It’s healthier, less processed, and there’s less waste involved. Plus, it always tastes better.

I originally started baking my homemade bread during my One Week Plastic-Free Challenge, but I haven’t stopped. It helps me to reduce plastic coming into our kitchen (Yay, save the planet!) and I use organic flour to keep it healthy!

Zero waste bread storage

To avoid using plastic for storage, I freeze the bread wrapped in two large tea towels. Wrap that loaf like it’s a burrito, then tie it with string or a rubber band!

loaf of bread wrapped in towe and tied in a bow with string

Once I take it out of the freezer, I store it in a reusable beeswax wrap that I made. If you haven’t used beeswax wraps before, you are missing out on the BEST reusable food storage option! Beeswax wraps are perfect for storing bread: wrap it around your loaf of bread, use the heat from your hands to mold it around the loaf, and then put it in the refrigerator. The cold air will keep the beeswax wrap tight against the bread, keeping it nice and fresh!

You can DIY your own wraps if you’re feeling crafty or you can buy them here from EarthHero, my favorite online store.

Without further delay, let’s make some homemade bread!

Combine your dry ingredients in a large bowl and whisk them together. You’ll be adding several cups of water to the bowl, so make sure it’s big enough for you to stir and knead the dough in. You want to have room to work.

Add in your warm water. You’ll want it to be very warm, not lukewarm, but also not hot. Using a large wooden spoon, mix it all up until a ball of dough begins to form.

The dough will likely still be a bit wet, so continue to add a handful of flour at a time until your dough is no longer sticky. I usually have switched to mixing the dough with my hands by now.

Once you get the dough to the right consistency (it should not stick to your hands, instead it should be elastic), start kneading it. I find it easiest to put my bowl on the kitchen floor so I can put my weight into it.

silver bowl full of bread dough sitting on wooden table — Dough consistency after kneading!

After kneading your bread dough for 12 minutes, separate it into 4 loaves. Form the dough to fit into your well-oiled bread pans and put them in the oven to rise.

I always use the oven as a safe space so the dough can rise, so that I don’t accidentally bump into them and make them fall. After about 20-25 minutes, your flat blobs of dough will have transformed into bread-shaped loaves. Ta-da! The magic of yeast!

hand holding a bread pan with a loaf of unbaked bread dough in it — Perfectly risen loaf of bread

Very, very carefully remove your bread loaves, set them on the counter and preheat your oven to 350°.

You’re all set! Once your oven is preheated, gently slide the loaves back in, set your timer for 22 minutes, and wait for your bread to bake. My bread usually takes between 22-25 minutes.

You’ll know it’s done when the tops are golden brown. I highly recommend using these nonstick bread pans to ensure the bread pops out easily without sticking to the sides of the pan.

three loaves of white bread sitting on countertop

This homemade bread recipe is one of my favorite recipes of all time! I love being able to make bread from scratch–it just gives me such a sense of accomplishment. Whether you’re a beginner bread maker like me or a seasoned expert, this recipe is the perfect bread recipe for you!

5 from 5 votes