The most delicious bread for breakfast that you have never eaten. No oven Ingredients: 1 cup warm water (200 ml) 1 tablespoon yeast (10 grams) 4 teaspoons sugar 1/3 cup vegetable oil (60 ml) 1 cup warm milk (200 ml) 1/2 teaspoon salt .. 🟦Must express something to keep getting my recipes

 

Why Homemade Soft Bread Is So Rewarding

There’s nothing quite like the smell of fresh bread in your home, the warm, yielding crumb, the slight give under your fingers. Soft breads (sandwich loaves, pull‑apart loaves, enriched breads) have extra richness and tenderness compared to crusty artisan breads. The keys to softness include:

• Enrichment (oil, milk, butter)

• Higher hydration (a wetter dough)

• Gentle handling & proper kneading

• Techniques like tangzhong / “water roux” to retain moisture Bon Appétit

• Adequate rise times (fermentation)

• Baking temperature, steam, and covering during cooling

Below is a tried & true version you can adapt. Later I’ll explain how to tweak for different flours, techniques (tangzhong), shapes, and how to keep softness over days.

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Ingredients (makes one standard loaf)

Here’s a baseline recipe you can start with:

Ingredient	Quantity	Purpose / Notes
Warm water	200 ml (≈ 1 cup)	Activates yeast; part of dough hydration
Warm milk	200 ml	Adds richness, tenderness
Active dry yeast	10 g (≈ 1 tbsp)	Leavening
Sugar	4 tsp (≈ 16 g)	Feeds yeast, softens crumb
Vegetable oil (or melted butter)	⅓ cup (≈ 60 ml)	Adds fat for softness
Salt	½ tsp	Flavor, controls fermentation
All‑purpose flour / bread flour	~ 5 cups (≈ 600 g)	Main structure
Butter, melted (optional, for brushing)	~ 50–100 g	To soften crust after baking

This version comes from a recipe on GreenKu for soft homemade bread. Greenku Recipes

You’ll also see versions using strong (bread) flour + plain flour in combination to balance chew and softness. Andrea's Dainty Kitchen

As an alternative, the “Soft Homemade Bread Dough” recipe uses:

• 4 cups all‑purpose flour

• 2 tsp salt

• 2 tsp sugar

• 1½ tbsp dry yeast (or 2 tbsp fresh)

• 1½ cups warm water

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil Evelyn's Cooking

You can mix, adapt, or choose based on what flour you have.

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Equipment & Setup

You’ll need:

• Large mixing bowl

• Measuring tools (cups / grams)

• Wooden spoon or dough whisk

• Clean counter or board for kneading

• Loaf pan (standard size, ~9×5 inch or equivalent) or baking sheet

• Kitchen towel or plastic wrap

• Oven preheated, rack in middle position

• Cooling rack

If you have a stand mixer with dough hook, that can speed kneading.

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Step‑by‑Step Instructions

Below is the full walkthrough, with approximate times and tips.

1. Activate yeast & combine wet ingredients

• Warm the water + milk to about 38–43 °C (100–110 °F) — warm to the touch, not hot.

• In a small bowl or cup, combine warm water + 1 tsp of the sugar + the yeast. Stir lightly and let it sit ~5–10 minutes until foamy (this proves the yeast is alive).

• In your main mixing bowl, mix remaining milk (if not all used), oil (or melted butter), remaining sugar, and salt.

2. Combine dry & wet, form dough

• Add the yeast mixture into the wet mixture.

• Begin adding flour gradually, stirring to bring the dough together. Use around 4 cups first, then add more as needed. The dough should come together and pull away from the sides, but still be soft and slightly sticky.

• Transfer to a lightly floured surface.

3. Knead

• Knead ~8–10 minutes by hand (or 5–7 minutes with a mixer) until the dough is smooth, elastic, and springs back when poked. If too sticky, add small amounts of flour (1 tbsp at a time). Be careful not to add too much.

• Alternatively, some recipes use stretch & fold method rather than continuous kneading to preserve softness.

4. First rise (bulk fermentation)

• Shape dough into a ball. Lightly oil a bowl and place dough inside, turning to coat.

• Cover with a clean towel or plastic wrap. Place in a warm, draft‑free place. Let rise ~1 to 1½ hours, until doubled in size.

• If your kitchen is cool, place near a warm appliance or turn oven light on (not the heat) to create gentle warmth.

5. Shape & second rise

• Gently punch down / deflate the dough to release gas.

• Turn it out onto a floured surface, shape into a loaf: roll into rectangle, then roll up like a log (for sandwich loaf). Seal seams and ends.

• Place into a greased loaf pan, seam side down. Or shape into a freeform loaf and place on a baking sheet.

• Cover again and let rise ~30–45 minutes (or until puffs up to ~¾ full, or slightly above rim).

6. Preheat oven & bake

• Preheat oven to 190 °C / 375 °F (some recipes use slightly lower or higher).

• Optional: brush top with milk or milk + butter for a softer crust and golden finish.

• Bake ~25–30 minutes (depending on loaf size). The bread should be golden brown.

• To test doneness: tap bottom — it should sound hollow. Internal temperature ~88–95 °C (190‑200 °F).

7. Cooling & finishing

• Remove loaf from pan (if in pan) and cool on wire rack.

• If you like a soft crust, you can brush melted butter all over the loaf while still warm — this adds richness and helps soften the crust.

• Let cool fully before slicing (unless you’re impatient — but slicing too early can compress the loaf).

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Enhancements, Techniques & Variations

Tangzhong / “Water Roux” method

One powerful technique to improve softness and shelf life is tangzhong (also called water roux). You cook a bit of flour + water/milk into a paste, then add it to your dough. This paste gelatinizes starch, helps the dough absorb more liquid, and helps the bread stay moist longer. Bon Appétit

To do this:

• Use about 5% of flour weight (by weight) and 25% of water/milk to make the tangzhong (e.g. 30 g flour + 150 g water/milk).

• Heat and stir until it thickens to a paste, cool.

• Add it with your wet ingredients when making the dough.

This results in a lighter, moister, longer‑lasting soft bread.

Using stronger or blended flours

• Using bread (strong) flour gives good gluten development and structure, which helps bread rise high and hold shape.

• Mixing bread flour + all‑purpose flour softens crumb somewhat (as some recipes do). Andrea's Dainty Kitchen

• You can replace part of the flour with whole wheat (up to 25–30%) but expect a slightly denser crumb.

Enrich the dough

To make it even more tender or “sandwich loaf” style, you can include:

• 1 or 2 eggs (yolks enrich texture)

• More butter or oil

• Milk powder (boosts richness)

• A bit extra sugar or honey

• Soft milk instead of part of water

These enrichments make the crumb softer and more tender but require good dough handling.

Shaping alternatives

• Rolls or buns instead of loaf

• Pull‑apart or braided loaf

• Pan loaf (pain de mie) — bake in a closed / lidded pan for soft crust (thin crust) ويكيبيديا

• Rolls on baking sheet (dinner rolls)

Soft crust tricks

• Brush melted butter after baking

• Cover the loaf with a clean cloth while cooling to trap moisture

• Wrap warm loaf in plastic or foil for a short while to soften crust

• Bake with steam (e.g. place a tray of hot water in the oven bottom) for first few minutes to delay crust formation

Storage & keeping softness

• Homemade breads rarely last as soft as store bought (which use additives).

• Use plastic bread bags or airtight containers (once cooled) to slow staling.

• You can freeze slices and reheat or toast.

• Some bakers purposely under‑bake slightly (until internal temp ~90 °C) to retain more moisture.

• Avoid refrigeration (it accelerates staling).

• Reheat gently (in oven, toaster) rather than microwave (which can toughen crumb).

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Full Example Recipe (Print Version)

Here’s a consolidated version you can follow in your kitchen.

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Soft Homemade Bread Loaf

Yield: 1 standard loaf
Total Time: ~2½ to 3 hours (including rises)

Ingredients

• 200 ml warm water

• 200 ml warm milk

• 10 g (≈ 1 tbsp) active dry yeast

• 4 tsp sugar

• ⅓ cup (≈ 60 ml) vegetable oil or melted butter

• ½ tsp salt

• ~ 5 cups (≈ 600 g) all‑purpose or bread flour

• Butter (for brushing, optional)

Method

1. Warm water + milk (~38–43 °C).

2. In a small bowl, mix water + 1 tsp sugar + yeast. Let it sit ~5–10 minutes until foamy.

3. In large mixing bowl, combine milk, oil, remaining sugar, salt.

4. Add yeast mixture to wet mixture.

5. Gradually add flour, stirring to bring dough together.

6. Transfer to lightly floured surface. Knead ~8–10 min until smooth & elastic.

7. Place dough in oiled bowl, cover, let rise ~1–1½ hours until doubled.

8. Punch down, shape into loaf, place in greased loaf pan.

9. Cover and let rise again ~30–45 min until puffy.

10. Preheat oven to 190 °C (375 °F).

11. Optionally brush dough top with milk or butter.

12. Bake 25–30 min until golden. Check bottom for hollow sound.

13. Remove from pan, cool on wire rack. Brush with butter if desired.

14. Cool completely before slicing.

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Troubleshooting & Tips

Problem	Possible Causes / Fixes
Bread is dense or didn’t rise well	Yeast might be dead or water was too hot/cold; not enough kneading; too much flour; rise environment too cool
Crust too hard or thick	Bake too long or too hot; no steam; don’t brush butter / wrap to soften
Crumb is gummy / underbaked	Bake longer; ensure internal temperature ~90–95 °C; check oven calibration
Bread dries out fast	Too little fat/liquid; over‑baked; no covering/storage; low enrichment
Bread falls after baking	Overproofed before baking; oven too low or oven spring weak; too much yeast; shaping issues
Yeast not activating	Water temperature wrong; yeast expired

Some additional tips from home bakers:

• To keep the crust soft, some wrap freshly baked loaves in foil or cloth to trap moisture. Reddit

• Many recommend tangzhong as a way to significantly improve softness and retain moisture over days. Bon Appétit

• Measure flour by weight (grams) rather than loosely scooping to avoid using too much flour.

• In cooler kitchens, create a warm environment (e.g. inside an off oven, near a warm stove) for rising.

• Brush with melted butter immediately after baking to add flavor and soften crust.

• Avoid cutting the loaf while still hot — let it finish setting, or the crumb can compress.

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Variations & Adaptations

• Whole wheat soft bread: Replace ~25–30% of white flour with whole wheat; allow longer fermentation.

• Milk bread / “Hokkaido” style: Use tangzhong, milk, butter, sometimes egg.

• Sweet enriched bread: Add sugar, eggs, raisins or nuts to turn into breakfast loaf / brioche variant.

• Herb & garlic bread: Add dried or fresh herbs (rosemary, thyme) or garlic powder.

• Cheese bread: Fold in cheese bits (cheddar, mozzarella) into dough or top before baking.

• Rolls / buns: Divide dough into portions for dinner rolls, burger buns, hotdog buns.

• Pull‑apart loaf: Cut dough into cubes, stack, and bake in a tall loaf pan for pull‑apart texture.

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If you like, I can convert this into a Moroccan version (using local flours, adding olive oil, maybe semolina) or make a version that works well in your climate. Do you want me to send that adapted version?