Easy fast bread recipe that only takes 60 minutes to bake up nice, fluffy, and golden brown
I adore this quick bread recipe for when I need bread right away. I occasionally decide at 4 o’clock in the afternoon that I want fresh bread for dinner!
This simple bread recipe is ideal for those who have never baked bread before. People from all over the world who had never baked bread before but were able to make it correctly the first time have left me TONS of feedback.
Read Also: Simple Chocolate Recipes
What ingredients are required to make bread quickly?
**For recipe modifications and substitutions, see the comments below the recipe card**
Making homemade bread intimidates a lot of people. You don’t even require a mixer or other specialized bread equipment (although having one will save you some elbow grease).
These are the only components required to prepare a fast bread recipe in 60 minutes.
- Pastry flour (or all-purpose flour)
- Milk (or water) (or water)
- Sugar
- Quick yeast (you can use regular active dry yeast, see notes at the bottom of the recipe card)
- Salt
- “egg wash”
Using instant yeast is the key to making quick bread. Saf-instant yeast is what I’m using. At the grocery store, quick yeast is typically located adjacent to regular yeast.
Like regular yeast on steroids, instant yeast. It doesn’t need to be blended with the milk and sugar in order to bloom. Simply combine it with the flour, add the liquid, and stir. Because instant yeast doesn’t need to bloom before being added to the flour, sugar, and milk, it makes making this bread recipe much simpler.
This fantastic rapid bread recipe works so well because instant yeast rises so much faster than active dry yeast.
How can homemade bread be quickly and easily made?
In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine the flour, yeast, sugar, and warm (110°F) milk. Mix at low speed for one minute.
Salt and butter shouldn’t be added straight immediately because it could get in the way of the yeast activating.
Add the salt and butter after a minute. Add 1/4 cup of flour to the bowl to help the dough knead correctly and not merely spin around in circles if it is too slick from the butter. Add a few teaspoons of water if the dough is still not adhering to the bowl’s sides.
Allow the dough to blend for five minutes at medium speed.
When the bread dough is finished mixing, how do you know?
The MOST crucial process in baking homemade bread is mixing. The key is to develop that gluten.
Does your dough bounce back when you poke it? It’s ready when that happens.
If you roll some dough in your hands, does it feel silky and smooth? If so, it is prepared. It requires more mixing if it’s lumpy and sticky.
By carefully peeling off a small portion of the dough and delicately stretching it between your fingers to produce a small window, you may check to see if your bread has developed enough gluten.
You’re fine to go if you can make it really thin without it breaking.
If the dough isn’t ready, mix it on medium speed for a further two minutes, or until the gluten test is successful. Don’t worry about mixing too much.
All of this can be done manually, but it will take more time. most likely 10 to 15 minutes of kneading. You can’t really over-knead dough by hand, so don’t worry.
How can you quickly proof bread?
It’s time for the dough to rise! To keep the moisture in, put it in a bowl that has been lightly oiled and cover it with a tea towel.
To create a lovely, smooth skin on top, tuck all the jagged edges beneath. After baking, your bread will have a really nice appearance thanks to this.
Your two loaves should be placed on a pan covered with parchment paper. Make sure they are at least 8 inches apart so they don’t bake up touching.
Give them five minutes to rest on the pan. (Allow the bread to rise for 30 minutes if you’re using active dry yeast.)
To encourage browning, brush some egg wash over the top of your loaves. Then, using a sharp knife and a 30o angle, cut 3 or 4 slices, each approximately 1/4″ deep, into the loaf’s top. (Wow, I realize how specific that is.)
And that is how, in just 60 minutes, you can produce the most incredible, really simple fast bread recipe.
What is the shelf life of this handmade bread?
We stored the other bread for tomorrow and ate one whole loaf with dinner. The best part of this quick bread recipe is that you can easily bake more bread anytime you need it.
To keep moisture within, wrap your loaf in plastic wrap and place it on the counter.
Slices or the entire loaf can be reheated in the oven for 2-3 minutes or in the microwave for 10 seconds.
