Best Homemade Bread Recipe

How to make delicious perfect homemade bread with items from your pantry! Even better, proof your dough in the Instant Pot to make it rise in half the time!

We love this homemade bread so much, it’s ridiculous. This recipe is easy to make and now I can make it even faster by using the Instant Pot to proof my dough.

We use this same recipe for our delicious dinner rolls.

Proof Homemade bread 3 different ways:

1. Traditional method

2. Proof dough in Lux Model Instant Pot (without yogurt mode)

3. Proof dough in Instant Pot with yogurt mode for all other models.

If you don’t have an Instant Pot, don’t worry, you can still proof the dough the traditional way.

Traditional Proofing method

Place dough in a large greased bowl and cover with a tea towel. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in size (about an hour).

Proof dough in Lux Instant Pot (without yogurt button)

Place trivet in bottom of pot. Add 1 cup water to pot. Grease a glass or stainless steel bowl that will fit inside the Instant Pot.

Place dough inside bowl and place bowl on trivet. Cover Instant Pot with a clear lid or plate. Push KEEP WARM button and set a timer for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, turn off and unplug Instant Pot. Set another timer for 15-20 minutes.

Let dough rise until double in size during this time.

How To proof dough in Instant Pot with yogurt mode

Grease pot or use a piece of parchment paper in bottom of pot. Place dough in bottom of Instant Pot.

Cover with a clear lid or plate that fits (I prefer clear lid to see the dough rise). Push yogurt button. Press adjust button until set to ‘less’ or ‘low’ temperature. Do NOT use it if screen reads boil, this will burn your dough. Keep adjusting setting until ‘low’ reads on screen. Set a timer for 20 minutes,. Dough is done when doubled in size.

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ITEMS NEEDED TO MAKE Homemade Bread

I use this cute pistachio green Kitchenaid Mixer for making bread, cookies, cakes, you name it!

However, I have my eye on a larger mixer like this one by Bosch, so that I can make a double batch of rolls, which I often need to do whenever we have family visiting from out of town for holiday meals. It’s on my wish list.

I currently have this large package of active dry yeast in my freezer because it’s so much cheaper to buy in bulk Costco vs the little individual packets. It lasts for a really long time in the freezer without going bad. I believe I’ve owned this particular package for over 2 years and am still only half way through.

If that feels like too big of a commitment, you can buy these smaller packets of active dry yeast

You’ll need some flour to make rolls. I recommend organic flour whenever possible, to avoid consuming grains sprayed with glyphosate.

You’ll need a large greased mixing bowl for the dough to rise in. If you don’t already have one in your kitchen, this one is a great choice.

Clear lid to see dough doubling. You can use any lid that fits or you use the official Instant Pot one.

If using the Instant Pot Lux for proofing dough, you’ll need a bowl that will fit inside the pot. This is the bowl I have and it fits! Plus, I use it for so many other things.

You’ll need 2 loaf pans. I like this ceramic one, a safer choice than nonstick pans.

Cooling rack

How to make bread

Add water, yeast and sugar into bowl of a stand mixer. Let rest for 5-10 minutes, until it becomes bubbly.

Add oil, 3 cups of flour and salt to the yeast mixture. With dough hook attachment, mix all ingredients on low speed for 1 minute.

Continue mixing on low speed until flour is incorporated. Slowly add remaining flour cup by cup until dough clean itself from the sides of the mixing bowl. The dough may need an additional 1/2 cup of flour (for a total of 5.5-6 cups of flour). Continue mixing for 5 more minutes to allow time for the dough to become more elastic from activating the gluten.

Next, proof dough. Choose 1 of the 3 methods (shared above) to proof the dough: Traditional, Instant Pot Lux or Instant Pot with yogurt button.

After dough has doubled in size, punch down dough in the bowl/pot. Divide dough in half.

Grease baking loaf pans.

Dust counter with a little flour. Using a rolling pin, roll each ball of dough into approximately 8×5″ sizes. Roll the bread into loaves, pinching the seams together on the bottom of the bread.

Put dough in pans and cover with a tea towel. Place in a warm spot for the second rise, and set a timer for about 45-60 minutes. Allow dough to double in size.

9. Preheat oven to 350F. Bake bread for 25 minutes, until tops are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped on top.

10. Remove from oven and allow to cool on cooling rack for 5-10 minutes. Remove from pans and allow to cool completely before storing.

11. Enjoy warm or after cooled. Cut into slices using a bread knife.

Homemade Bread

Perfect homemade bread recipe that you can make easy and fast with Instant Pot dough proofing! Learn how to proof dough 3 ways:

1. Traditional method

2. Proof dough in Lux Model Instant Pot (without yogurt mode)

3. Proof dough in Instant Pot with yogurt mode for all other models.

(This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.)

5 from 2 votes

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 1 hour hour 40 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes

Total Time: 2 hours hours 5 minutes minutes

Servings: 2 loaves

Ingredients

• 2 cups warm water
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp active dry yeast
• 2/3 cup olive oil
• 2 tsp salt
• 5 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• Nonstick spray

Instructions

• Add water, yeast and sugar into bowl of a stand mixer. Let rest for 5-10 minutes, until it becomes bubbly.
• Add oil, 3 cups of flour and salt to the yeast mixture. With dough hook attachment, mix all ingredients on low speed for 1 minute.
• Continue mixing on low speed until flour is incorporated. Slowly add remaining flour cup by cup until dough clean itself from the sides of the mixing bowl. The dough may need an additional 1/2 cup of flour (for a total of 5.5-6 cups of flour). Continue mixing for 5 more minutes to allow time for the dough to become more elastic from activating the gluten.

Next, proof dough. Choose 1 of the 3 methods below to proof dough:

• To proof dough traditional method: Lightly grease/oil a large bowl. Remove dough from mixing bowl and gently shape into a ball and place in the greased bowl. Cover with a light towel and let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
• To proof dough with Lux Model Instant Pot (without yogurt mode): Place trivet in bottom of pot. Add 1 cup water to pot. Grease a glass or stainless steel bowl that will fit inside the instant pot. Place dough inside bowl and place bowl on trivet. Cover Instant Pot with a clear lid or plate. Push KEEP WARM button and set a timer for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, turn off and unplug Instant Pot. Set another timer for 15-20 minutes. Let dough rise until double in size.
• To proof dough in Instant Pot with yogurt mode: Grease pot. Place dough in bottom of Instant Pot. Cover with a clear lid or plate that fits (I prefer clear lid to see the dough rise). Push yogurt button. Press adjust button until set to 'less' or 'low temperature. Do NOT use it if screen reads boil, this will burn your dough. Keep adjusting setting until 'low' reads on screen. Set a timer for 20 minutes. Dough is done when doubled in size.
• 5. After dough has doubled in size, punch down dough in the bowl/pot. Divide dough in half.
• 6. Grease baking loaf pans.
• 7. Dust counter with a little flour. Using a rolling pin, roll each ball of dough into approximately 8x5" sizes. Roll the bread into loaves, pinching the seams together on the bottom of the bread.
• 8. Place dough in pans and cover with a tea towel. Place in a warm spot for the second rise, and set a timer for about 45-60 minutes. Allow dough to double in size.
• 9. Preheat oven to 350F. Bake bread for 25 minutes, until tops are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped on top.
• 10. Remove from oven and allow to cool on cooling rack for 5-10 minutes. Remove from pans and allow to cool completely before storing.
• 11. Enjoy warm or after cooled. Cut into slices using a bread knife.

Nutrition

Serving: 1grams