Easy Homemade Bread

Step 1

In a 1-gallon resealable plastic bag, combine yeast, sugar, salt and 1 cup of flour. Seal bag and shake to combine.

Step 2

In a small saucepan, heat the milk and oil over medium-high heat, until it reaches 120°F to 130°F degrees. It should NOT boil – you can touch the liquid at this point, but it should be warm to the touch. You do not want to kill the yeast with too hot of liquid.

Step 3

Open the zip-top bag and pour the warmed milk and oil into the bag. Reseal the bag and use your hands to work the bag to combine the ingredients.

Step 4

Add the flour, about ½ cup at a time, working the bag with your hands between each addition, until a soft dough forms and pulls away from the sides of the bag.

Step 5

Sprinkle a clean countertop generously with extra flour and remove the dough from the bag. Knead the dough on the counter for 5 minutes, with your hands. Add additional flour as you knead, just until the dough is smooth and elastic.

Step 6

Cover the dough with a clean kitchen towel and let it rest for 10 minutes.

Step 7

Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a 12x7-inch rectangle. Beginning from one short end, roll the dough up tightly into a log.

Step 8

Place the dough into a 8.5 x 4.4 inch loaf pan that has been greased with non-stick cooking spray. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and set aside in a warm place to rise until doubled, about 1 hour.

Step 9

Bake the bread at 375°F for 30 minutes or until done. Cool the bread for 5 minutes in the pan, then remove and cool completely on a wire cooling rack.