Easy Sandwich Bread for Beginners

No starter needed for this delicious bread loaf! IF making bread intimidates you, this is the perfect recipe for beginners.

If you are anything like me, then becoming a good bread maker is something you hope to accomplish this year. I want to get to the point where I don't have to buy bread from the store! This recipe is simple and easy, and there are options for those who have a stand mixer and for those who do not! Another awesome thing about this recipe is that you DO NOT need a sourdough starter, this truly is for a beginner bread maker!

*Excuse the fact that my slices are not perfect, I need a bread slicer as well as a good bread knife!! Just know that even without those things, YOU CAN DO IT TOO!*

This recipe was inspired by Restless Chipotle, I found it on Pinterest, it is a No-Fail recipe, and I have to agree, I did add my own little tweaks here and there, and I learned a few things by trial and error, so I will share those as well!!

I will post pictures below the recipe, because I personally just like to jump to the recipe and start, but I have learned it is important to check the steps for some good tips, so if you feel you need a little extra information it is below the recipe!!

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Easy Sandwich Bread for Beginners

Total Time: ~ 2 hrs 30 mins Cook Time: 30 mins Prep Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• 1 cup Water, 110°F

• 1 cup milk, 110°F

• 2/3 cup sugar (you can use less if you want)

• 1 1/2 tablespoons active dry yeast **the one I like is at the bottom**

• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt

• 1/4 cup coconut oil (can also use melted butter or veg oil)

• 5 1/2 cups all Purpose Flour

• 2 tablespoons melted butter

Instructions

1. Heat Water & Milk in a pot to 110°F, stir in sugar until dissolved. It is important to make sure the temperature is 110°F. **If it goes over 110°F then cool it back down to 110°F before adding the yeast.**

2. Whisk in the Yeast

3. Set aside for 5-10 minutes or until yeast becomes foamy.

4. Stir in 1 cup of Flour, then whisk in the salt and oil

5. With your mixer running, with the dough hook, add the remaining flour 1 cup at a time until the dough pulls away from the bowl. (I used only 5 cups total for my last batch, and all of the flour for the batch before, each loaf is different)

6. Knead by machine for 5 minutes on medium-low speed

If Hand Kneading

1. mix in the flour until you have a sticky dough, put dough onto a floured surface and knead by hand for about 10 minutes until it is smooth and stretchy, add flour if needed as you knead.

Rising

1. Oil a large bowl and place the ball of dough in it, oil the top and then cover with a damp cloth.

2. Allow it to rise for about 1 hour or until the dough has doubled in size! I like to place mine outside in the sun to speed up the process. You can also preheat your oven to 215°F then turn it off and place the bowl in the oven to rise.

Shaping

1. Punch the dough down

2. Knead for a few minutes and then divide your dough in half

3. Let it rest for 5 or so minutes

4. Shape into loaves and then place in greased loaf pans. 9x5 sized pans

5. Brush the tops with butter and allow to rise for 30 minutes. (I set mine out in the sun for this too)

Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes, loaves should sound hollow when tapped, when done.

If you want a soft crust (yes please) you will want to place your damp cloth over the baked loaves for about 15 minutes while cooling. Then take the loaves out and place on a cooling rack and place the damp cloth over them while cooling. When your loaves stop steaming you can take the damp towels off to finish the cooling process.

Tip: You want to wait until the loaves are completely cool before cutting into them.

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My ball of dough placed in the glass bowl before I put it outside *covered* in the sun! I have heard that it is best to rise dough in a glass bowl, but everyone has their own preference. I bought this bowl especially for making bread :)

Here is dough after I split it and rolled them into loaves. My two bread pans are very different sizes than recommended, but I need to buy some, OKAY! lol. This is a comparison for before and after my dough rose in the sun!!

After I pulled it out of the oven and sat them on the cooling rack!

Last but certainly not least, my favorite yeast I have found so far!!

Amazon.com : Fleischmann's Active Dry Yeast, The original active dry yeast, Equals 16 Envelopes, 4 oz Jar (Pack of 2) : Grocery & Gourmet Food

I hope you get the chance to try out this great and easy sandwich bread recipe, perfect for beginners. If you try it out, let me know how it went!!! I love it and so does my family, this stuff doesn't last long around here. <3