How to Bake Simple Bread

Co-authored by Quynh La

Last Updated: March 9, 2023

Baking bread takes a little time, but it’s a simple process that yields satisfying results. With a few common ingredients you probably have on hand, you can bake a delicious loaf of bread and fill your house with its wonderful aroma. This article gives instructions for how to bake three types of bread: white bread, wheat bread, and banana bread.

Ingredients

Simple White Bread

1 Tablespoon white sugar
2 ½ teaspoons yeast
1 cup lukewarm water
2 ½ cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons olive oil

Simple Wheat Bread

1 ¼ cups hot water
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 Tablespoons honey
1 Tablespoons molasses
1 teaspoon salt
3 ¾ cups whole grain wheat flour
2 ½ teaspoons yeast

Banana Bread

3 or 4 ripe bananas, smashed
⅓ cup oil (vegetable or olive)
1 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups flour

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Simple White Bread

1
Proof the yeast. Combine the sugar and the yeast in a large measuring cup. Add the lukewarm water and stir to combine. Allow the mixture to sit until bubbles begin to form on its surface, about five to ten minutes.
- If the mixture does not bubble in this amount of time, your yeast may no longer be alive. Start over with a fresh package of yeast.
- Make sure the water is not too hot, as this will kill the yeast. If it’s too cold, the yeast will not proof. The water should be warm to the touch.
2
Combine the flour and salt in a medium-sized bowl.

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3
Add the yeast mixture to the flour mixture and stir to combine with a wooden spoon.
4
Sprinkle flour on your countertop or kitchen table. Empty the dough onto the surface and begin to knead it (see How to Knead Dough for more instructions). Add more flour as necessary to prevent the dough from sticking. Knead for a couple of minutes, stopping when the dough forms a cohesive mass and becomes shapeable. Form it into a ball.
5
Place the dough in an oiled bowl and cover it with a kitchen towel. Allow the dough to rise until it has doubled in size.
- If you place the bowl in a warm, dry spot in your kitchen it should double in size in several hours.
- Alternatively, you may place the bowl in your refrigerator and let it double in size overnight.
6
Knead the dough a second time, incorporating the olive oil. Sprinkle flour over your counter or table and knead the dough again, this time working with it until it becomes elastic and smooth.
- If you stored the dough in your refrigerator overnight, let it come to room temperature on the counter before you begin the second knead. Allowing it to rise slowly overnight also gives the bread a deeper flavor.
7
Shape the dough into a loaf and place it in an oiled loaf pan. Cover with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rise and rest in a warm, dry place. Wait until the dough has expanded over the top of the pan, then remove the plastic wrap. While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
8
Bake the bread for 40 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. Allow it to cool before turning the bread out of the pan. Serve with butter, or slice into sandwich bread.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Simple Wheat Bread

1
Place the water, olive oil, honey, molasses, and salt in a medium bowl and mix.
2
Add 2 cups flour along with the yeast. Stir until the dough is just mixed.
3
Add the remaining flour ½ cup at a time until the dough is slightly sticky. Do not over mix the dough or the bread will be too tough.
4
Cover the bowl and let the dough rise for 45 minutes. Place the bowl in a warm, dry section of your kitchen.
5
Turn the dough out onto a floured countertop and gently shape it into a loaf. Place it in an oiled loaf pan and allow it to rise until it has almost doubled, which should an hour or two. When it is almost finished rising, heat the oven to 350 degrees.
6
Bake until the bread is golden, about 35 minutes. Allow the bread to cool before turning it out of the pan. Serve with butter or store for later use.
- Store in a tin or a breadbox. Do not store this bread in the fridge, as the texture will become unpleasant.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Banana Bread

1
Combine the bananas, oil, sugar, egg, and vanilla in a large bowl. Stir until the ingredients are thoroughly mixed.
2
In a separate bowl, combine the baking soda, salt and flour.
3
Add the flour mixture to the wet mixture and gently combine with a wooden spoon. Do not over mix, or the bread will be tough.
4
Pour mixture into an oiled loaf pan. Bake for one hour at 350 degrees. Allow to cool, then slice to serve.

Community Q&A

Question

Why is there no kneading for the wheat bread?

Community Answer

The kneading over-activates the yeast in the bread, making it have a stiff, stale, and harder texture. I've made that mistake a couple of times, and it does not affect the taste of the bread, but gives it an unpleasant consistency.