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    Home > Breads

    April 15, 2020

    Easy Everyday Bread

    A good loaf of everyday bread doesn’t require fancy equipment, exotic ingredients or a lot of thought. All it asks for is a bit of your time to lead you into the wonderful world of yeasty things - golden on the outside and soft in the middle!

    Since my family is refusing to eat one more bite of the store-bought bread and I do have a few packs of yeast lying around at home, I've been baking up this old favorite of ours. Its a very simple, nonetheless a very delicious one. The recipe uses only five basic household ingredients (water doesn’t count) and proves that bread doesn’t have to be difficult or intimidating to make. And its ready in 3-4 hours ( in the bread world, that's fast!). So, I thought, why not share it? And up it went on my Instagram Stories. 

    Who knew the simple, unfussy, rustic but very, very tasty bread would make such a splash with my followers? But splash it did. Like a naughty kid doing a cannonball into a swimming pool! 

    And here we are… writing a blog especially for all those who asked for a more precise path to the process of making this Easy Everyday Bread!

    Easy Everyday Bread | How to make Everyday Basic Bread | Easy Baking | Vegan Recipe

    Who can make this Easy Everyday Bread

    This bread is perfect for anyone to try out. For beginners, it's really a simple one with basic ingredients and easy technique for bread making. After a couple of loaves, you will get a hang of kneading the dough, adding the flavorings per your preference and how your oven works.

    This recipe is wonderful for the experienced bakers too. It is a lovely blank canvas for experimenting with.

    How To Make Easy Everyday Bread?

    We start with the basic ingredients - flour, salt, sugar, dried active yeast, olive oil, and water. I have settled for a mix of all-purpose flour and wholewheat flour for the bread. But I have made it with only wholewheat and only all-purpose flour too. All three combinations work. Very well.

    For extra flavour, I like to put a bit of coarsely ground black pepper. You can leave that out if you want. Or add any herbs - fresh or dried, chilli flakes, lemon pepper...any spices that you enjoy.

    Easy Everyday Bread | How to make Everyday Basic Bread | Easy Baking | Vegan Recipe

    Magic of Yeast

    I have always used dried active yeast and I am very happy with the results. If you are more comfortable with fresh yeast, please use that.

    The important part here is to check if the yeast is active. Sometimes we have forgotten packs of yeast lying at the back of our kitchen cabinets...do check for expiry dates and even if they are not expired, check if the yeast is active. How?

    Add some yeast to just barely warm water with a half a teaspoon of sugar. Stir and let it sit in a draft-free place for 10 minutes. If its bubbly like in the picture below, go ahead and add it to your dry ingredients.

    Easy Everyday Bread | How to make Everyday Basic Bread | Easy Baking | Vegan Recipe

    Making The Dough

    Now that your yeast is nice and bubbly, make a well in the middle of your dry ingredients and pour in some olive oil and the yeast mixture.

    Easy Everyday Bread | How to make Everyday Basic Bread | Easy Baking | Vegan Recipe

    Bring the ingredients together in a scraggy sort of dough. Turn it out on a floured surface and knead until the dough feels smooth and supple. If the dough feels too dry, add some more water, a tablespoon at a time. If the dough feels very wet and sticky, you can add more flour.

    Easy Everyday Bread | How to make Everyday Basic Bread | Easy Baking | Vegan Recipe

    Begin by pushing the dough away from you, using the heels of your hands. Then fold over half the dough towards you, press down and again push outwards. Turn it sideways and continue with the kneading. Keep turning and kneading till the dough feels soft, elastic and just a tad sticky. You are lengthening and strengthening the gluten strands in this process. This creates a structure for the gases to get trapped and the dough to rise.

    Easy Everyday Bread | How to make Everyday Basic Bread | Easy Baking | Vegan Recipe

    Once the dough is ready. Place it in a well-oiled bowl. Coat the top of the dough with oil too. Cover with cling wrap or a damp tea towel and place in a draft-free place for 1 - 2 hours or until the dough is doubled in size. It's very warm here now, so my dough doubles in an hour.

    Easy Everyday Bread | How to make Everyday Basic Bread | Easy Baking | Vegan Recipe

    Once the dough has doubled in size, punch it down and knead for 3-4 minutes again.

    Easy Everyday Bread | How to make Everyday Basic Bread | Easy Baking | Vegan Recipe

    Shape it any way you like. We like the baguette shape, so I usually make that. You can use a loaf tin or a round cake tin as well. If using a baking tray, line it with baking paper or Silpat.

    This is the time to add some cheese, olives, jalapenos, garlic or sundried tomatoes to the dough, if you plan to use to them.

    Baking the Everyday Bread

    Easy Everyday Bread | How to make Everyday Basic Bread | Easy Baking | Vegan Recipe

    Place the shaped dough on the tray or baking pan. Cover with a damp tea towel again and let rise for 30-45 minutes or until puffy and doubled. Now is the time to preheat your oven too... to 250C.

    Easy Everyday Bread | How to make Everyday Basic Bread | Easy Baking | Vegan Recipe

    Score the dough by making 4-5 slashes with a sharp knife. And place in the preheated oven. Reduce the heat to 225C and bake for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown. You know the bread is done when you tap the bottom and it sounds hollow.

    Easy Everyday Bread | How to make Everyday Basic Bread | Easy Baking | Vegan Recipe
    Easy Everyday Bread | How to make Everyday Basic Bread | Easy Baking | Vegan Recipe

    Serving the Easy Everyday Bread

    Brush the top with butter or olive oil to keep the crust soft. Let the bread cool on a cooling rack for at least an hour before slicing.

    Easy Everyday Bread | How to make Everyday Basic Bread | Easy Baking | Vegan Recipe

    This is a lovely loaf that goes well with soups, salads, use the bread to mop up curries and dals. It makes for wonderful sandwiches and toasts.

    Its a great bread to put out for dipping in olive oil and serving with olives and cheese.

    And of course, eating thick warm slices with soft butter and jam is what we love doing. I don't know anyone who can resist this!

    Easy Everyday Bread | How to make Everyday Basic Bread | Easy Baking | Vegan Recipe

    Variations

    This recipe is fabulously versatile!

    You can add shredded cheese and chopped garlic to the dough. Or maybe some red chili flakes. If you can get your hands on some fresh herbs or even dried ones. Chop some olives, sundried tomatoes and mix it in.

    How about some seeds and finely chopped nuts? This bread holds up very well and produces great results every single time.

    Note: Please add the nuts, cheese, olives, sundried tomatoes, or jalapenos after the first dough rise. But you can add the spices and herbs at the time of kneading the dough the first time.

    I hope this easy everyday bread makes it to your table and you enjoy it as much as we do.

    I’d love to hear from you! Please tag me on Instagram @tashasartisanfoods, using the hashtag #tashasartisanfoods. You can also FOLLOW ME on INSTAGRAM, PINTEREST for more fabulous recipes! Do subscribe to Tasha’s Artisan Foods so you’ll never miss a recipe!

    The baked bread Easy Everyday Bread | How to make Everyday Basic Bread | Easy Baking | Vegan Recipe
    Print Recipe

    Easy Everyday Bread

    A good loaf of everyday bread doesn’t require fancy equipment, exotic ingredients or a lot of thought. All it asks for is a bit of your time to lead you into the wonderful world of yeasty things - golden on the outside and soft in the middle!
    Prep Time3 hrs
    Cook Time30 mins
    Total Time3 hrs 30 mins
    Servings: 1 loaf
    Calories:
    Author: Natasha Minocha

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup Wholewheat flour
    • 1 cup All purpose flour
    • 1/2 tsp Salt
    • 1/2- 1 tsp Black pepper, coarsely ground Optional
    • 1.5 tsp Dried active yeast
    • 1 cup Lukewarm water You may need more
    • 1/2 tsp Sugar
    • 1 tbsp Olive oil You can use melted butter or any neutral tasting oil
    • Extra flour for dusting the surface

    Instructions

    • In a small bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar with the water. Let stand for 10 minutes until foamy.
    • In a large bowl, mix the flours, salt, and black pepper.
    • Make a well in the center and add olive oil and the bubbly yeast mixture.
    • Mix well with a fork or your hand till a rough scraggy dough forms.
    • Flour your work surface well, turn out the dough on to it. Use the heels of your hands to push the dough away from you, then fold it over halfway, press it down and push it away again. Turn the dough sideways and repeat this process. Keep turning and kneading until the dough is soft, supple and just a tad sticky. This will take about 10-12 minutes.
    • Form the dough into a ball and transfer to a lightly oiled bowl. Cover and leave the dough to rise in a warm, draft-free spot for 1 -2 hours or until it doubles.
    • Once its doubled, punch the dough down and knead it again for 3-4 minutes.
    • Shape it into a ball or like a baguette and place on a baking paper-lined tray. You can place the dough in round or loaf tin as well.
    • Cover the loaf loosely with a kitchen towel and let them rise in a draft-free spot for 30-40 minutes until it doubles in size.
    • Preheat your oven to 250C. Make 4-5 slashes with a sharp knife on the loaf. Put the tray in the oven and lower the heat to 220C. Bake the loaves for 30-40 minutes or until they are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.
    • Transfer to wire racks and let cool for at least an hour before slicing them.
    Easy Everyday Bread | How to make Everyday Basic Bread | Easy Baking | Vegan Recipe
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Upasana says

      April 15, 2020 at 1:42 pm

      Head over heels ????with all those minute descriptions jacketed in simple words. Im definitely gonna try this! ????

      Reply
      • Natasha Minocha says

        April 16, 2020 at 12:14 pm

        Oh, thank you so much, Upasana for the lovely words. Really appreciate it! xx

        Reply
    2. Heli says

      April 17, 2020 at 6:52 pm

      Hey! Thank you for the amazing recipe! I made this today. When I put it on the baking tray under a damp cloth, instead of rising, it expanded. So my bread is lil flat and when sliced, looks more like thin bread sticks. By any chance could you figure out why?

      Reply
      • Natasha Minocha says

        April 18, 2020 at 10:07 am

        Hi Heli, Thanks so much for trying this out. So it should've risen in the oven. So maybe next time sort of tent it with a damp tea towel so the tea towel doesn't touch the dough but just covers it. or just keep in a draft-free place without covering it. I hope this works for you. 🙂

        Reply
    3. Susan says

      April 17, 2020 at 9:20 pm

      I baked this bread yest, it was fabulous. It turned out so good! Will sure make it against

      Reply
      • Natasha Minocha says

        April 18, 2020 at 10:08 am

        Hey Susan, Thanks so much for trying this and I'm really glad it worked well for you! Big love

        Reply
    4. Heli says

      April 19, 2020 at 12:14 pm

      Thank you so much! Shall give it a try

      Reply
      • Natasha Minocha says

        April 20, 2020 at 3:37 pm

        Thank you!

        Reply
    5. Rowena says

      May 02, 2020 at 11:15 am

      Bread was an instant HIT at my house!! Thank you so much for the recipe and highlighting all the steps in detail.

      Reply
      • Natasha Minocha says

        May 02, 2020 at 12:28 pm

        Hi Rowena, I'm so happy to hear that! Thank you so much for the lovely feedback. Stay safe xx

        Reply
    6. Rina says

      June 05, 2020 at 2:38 pm

      The upper c use turns out hard. Hence difficult to slice. What am I doing wrong. Thanks

      Reply
      • Rina says

        June 05, 2020 at 2:40 pm

        Upper crust

        Reply
      • Natasha Minocha says

        June 06, 2020 at 9:02 am

        Hi Rina, maybe your oven was too hot or the bread got baked a little bit longer than required. Usually, if you brush oil or melted butter on the bread as soon as it comes out of the oven, it helps in making the crust softer. Hope it works out better for you next time. 🙂

        Reply
    7. Bhavika says

      July 17, 2020 at 4:09 pm

      Possible to make this in a convection oven?

      Reply
      • Natasha Minocha says

        July 17, 2020 at 5:57 pm

        Yes it is 🙂

        Reply
    8. Nalini says

      July 18, 2020 at 8:42 am

      Can we use a stand mixer to knead the dough? If so how long

      Reply
      • Natasha Minocha says

        July 18, 2020 at 3:28 pm

        Hi Nalini, yes, I'm sure that will work. 5-8 minutes should do it.

        Reply
    9. Ishan Garg says

      November 10, 2020 at 1:43 pm

      5 stars
      Loved It !! 🙂

      Reply
      • Natasha Minocha says

        November 10, 2020 at 4:31 pm

        Thank you, Ishan!:)

        Reply
    10. BR says

      January 14, 2021 at 4:32 pm

      Can I use instant yeast instead of active dry? If yes, how much & any change in procedure? Thnx in advance

      Reply
      • Natasha Minocha says

        January 17, 2021 at 11:23 am

        Yes Bhanur, I believe you can. I think you can add instant yeast directly to the dry ingredients. Other than that, I don't think there should be any change to the recipe. Good luck! 🙂

        Reply
    11. Supriya Kutty says

      February 01, 2021 at 1:02 pm

      Bread is the most important for all the members of my family they need bread a lot. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe with us will surely try making this at home.

      Reply
      • Natasha Minocha says

        February 01, 2021 at 1:08 pm

        Hi Supriya, my family is a big bread eater too! I hope you enjoy this as much as we do. Thank you so much for dropping by. Have a wonderful day:)

        Reply
    12. Caroline says

      February 02, 2021 at 6:48 pm

      5 stars
      I make this every week, we love it at home! So easy and hearty ❤️

      Reply
      • Natasha Minocha says

        February 03, 2021 at 12:12 pm

        Thank you, Caroline. This is music to my ears! Really appreciate your support! xx

        Reply
    13. joan says

      February 23, 2021 at 1:23 pm

      5 stars
      My go to everyday bread! Thank you so much for this easy recipe, it was my first time making bread when I tried this and now I make it every week!!

      Reply
      • Natasha Minocha says

        February 23, 2021 at 2:10 pm

        I'm so happy to hear that, joan! Bread baking is such a joy, glad this recipe is a hit in your home.

        Reply
    14. ayesha mathew says

      March 15, 2021 at 10:51 pm

      5 stars
      I made this with 100% AP flour, turned out so good! Thanks for the recipe, really simple to follow

      Reply
      • Natasha Minocha says

        March 16, 2021 at 11:25 am

        So happy to hear that, Ayesha! Thanks ever so much xx

        Reply
    15. Sandra Luce says

      June 20, 2021 at 2:38 pm

      5 stars
      I make this weekly, following your recipe to the T! best bread, ever. thank you so much for sharing!

      Reply
      • Natasha Minocha says

        June 23, 2021 at 12:29 pm

        I'm so happy to hear that Sandra, thank you for stopping by and sharing your experience!

        Reply
    16. Matt King says

      June 25, 2021 at 12:32 am

      5 stars
      I made this both with AP and AP + WW flour, both times was really good! This is my new favorite bread recipe, thank youuu

      Reply
      • Natasha Minocha says

        June 25, 2021 at 12:35 am

        I'm so glad to hear that, Matt! Thank you so much for sharing xx

        Reply

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