Even after learning to make a decent loaf of bread, I still had the idea that baking good bread for say, sandwiches or toast (the kind with that nice muffin top shape), was a difficult undertaking. But after my mom made a few experimental loaves, we discovered that it’s not too difficult to make a solid loaf of all-purpose sandwich bread at home.

It’s actually disturbingly easy. It takes only a little time, a few ingredients, a bread pan, and almost no discernible technique to make a beautiful bread loaf that tops anything from the store.

Here’s the thing, our bread-making techniques are a little unorthodox. We don’t really measure ingredients or time much of anything (the bread comes out of the oven when it smells like its done). The only two golden rules are to use roughly 3 cups of flour and to begin baking the loaf when it has risen significantly and is nice and puffy.

The following instructions are largely open to interpretation and experimentation. No two loaves have been the same, but they’ve all been pretty good.

Ingredients

Steps

1. Mix flour, salt, sugar and yeast.
2. Slowly add warm water. Pour in a small amount and then pause to mix it in. Repeat this process until a shaggy dough forms. This usually requires about 1.5 cups of water.
3. Briefly knead the dough and shape it into a ball. If it is very sticky, adding additional flour to the surface of the dough will make it easier to handle. Cover the dough in a bowl with a towel and set it aside to rise.
4. After resting for an hour or two, the dough should double or triple in size. Although it can be left to rise for up to 24 hours, once it has achieved a significant increase in size, it’s ready for the next step.
5. Knead the dough for a few minutes and then shape it into a loaf and place it in an oiled bread pan. The kneading will deflate the dough and result in a pliable but springy dough consistency. Cover the bread pan with a towel and set it aside to rise again.
6. When the loaf has risen enough that it begins to lift the towel off the top of the bread pan, it’s ready to bake. This may take one to three hours. If you miss this window, and the bread begins to deflate, you can briefly work the dough and then let it rise again.
7. Bake at 400 F for 20-30 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.

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Notes

• On Flour: I recommend using some bread flour in this recipe. It can be mixed with other types of flour. We have experimented with white, whole wheat, rye, and oat flours.
• On Pans: We use a standard bread pan to give the loaf the classic sandwich bread shape, and use olive oil to grease the inside of the pan.
• On Other Factors: Things like humidity, temperature, and the age and type of ingredients (such as yeast and flour) can impact the extent of the rise and the taste and texture of the bread.