Description
A soft, pillowy homemade bread dough recipe that yields tender loaves or rolls with a golden crust, perfect for sandwiches, toasting, or dinner sides.
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups warm water (about 100°F to 110°F / 38°C to 43°C)
- 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (1 packet)
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat Your Equipment: Warm your oven slightly then turn it off to create a cozy spot for rising, or find a warm draft-free place in your kitchen.
- Combine Ingredients: In a large bowl stir warm water, sugar, and yeast. Let sit 5 minutes until foamy. Add softened butter, salt, and half the flour. Stir to combine and gradually add remaining flour until a soft, slightly tacky dough forms.
- Prepare Your Cooking Vessel: Lightly grease a large bowl with olive oil. Place the dough in the bowl, turning once to coat with oil, then cover with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel.
- Assemble the Dish: Let the dough rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Punch down gently, shape into loaves or rolls, and place in a greased loaf pan or on a baking sheet.
- Cook to Perfection: Let shaped dough rise a second time about 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Bake loaves 25 to 30 minutes or rolls 18 to 20 minutes until golden brown and hollow-sounding when tapped.
- Finishing Touches: Brush warm bread with melted butter for extra softness and shine. Let cool briefly on a rack to set the crumb.
- Serve and Enjoy: Allow bread to cool 15 minutes before slicing, then serve warm with butter, soups, or use for sandwiches.
Notes
- Use lukewarm water to proof yeast, not hot, to avoid killing it.
- Adjust flour a tablespoon at a time if the dough is too sticky; avoid adding too much flour to keep bread soft.
- For extra softness add 1 to 2 tablespoons of milk powder to the dry ingredients.
- To store, cool completely then keep in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days or freeze slices up to 3 months.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: International
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (approx. 50 g)
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 180 mg
- Fat: 5 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 1.5 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 10 mg
Keywords: soft homemade bread dough, homemade bread, easy bread recipe, soft bread, dinner rolls, sandwich loaf