This easy one hour bread recipe requires no proofing with beautiful golden brown results. It truly only takes 60 minutes from start to finish!
Why this recipe works
Making homemade bread seems daunting, especially if you’ve never tried it before. Kneading, multiple rises, perfect measurements, the list of do’s and don’ts can be a bit overwhelming. This one hour bread recipe is excellent for both beginners and the experienced, as it quite literally only takes 60 minutes to make, from start to finish.
That means no proofing here, and only a quick 25 minute rise. We love to see it. This recipe yields two beautiful golden brown loaves that taste just as divine as the aroma seeping out of the oven. You can shape them into a regular loaf or a circular loaf. Then, use any leftovers to make homemade croutons. It’s the recipe that keeps on giving.
Ingredients you will need
Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable version at the end of this post.
Ingredient Info and Substitution Suggestions
FLOUR – You can use all purpose flour if you don’t have bread flour. Bread flour will provide more chew, and you’ll get a better rise, but all purpose will definitely do the job.
YEAST – You’ll want to use a rapid yeast, or instant yeast. Though the two aren’t necessarily the same in every aspect, it is totally fine to use either at a 1:1 ratio here. Rapid yeast is designed to work extra fast, which is ideal for this one hour bread recipe. It’s meant to be mixed directly into your dry ingredients, skipping the proofing process (the same will go for instant yeast). In fact, proofing it can weaken rapid yeast. I have made this bread using both instant yeast and rapid yeast, and they each came out great.
DOUGH – This is a stiff dough. So, don’t be concerned if the dough balls up in the mixer and you find you have to push it back down during the dough hook step. If you are concerned about your mixer not being able to handle this dough, you can most certainly knead it by hand.
EGG WASH – We use an egg wash so we can have a nice brown, glossy finish. This step is totally optional.
How to Make One Hour Bread
These step by step photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make this recipe. You can Jump to Recipe to get the printable version of this recipe, complete with measurements and instructions at the bottom.
- Stir together dry ingredients in the bowl of your stand mixer. Add oil and water and mix for 1 minute with the paddle attachment. Check the consistency of the dough. The dough should be a little sticky and stiff, but not so sticky that it has to be peeled from your fingers.
- Change the mixer to the dough hook. Mix for 5 minutes on low, occasionally stopping to push the dough back down below the dough hook if needed.
- Spray baking sheets with cooking spray and set aside.
- Spray kneading surface with cooking spray and turn dough out onto the surface. Knead dough briefly until it has a smooth even consistency (this will only take several turns of the dough to accomplish).
- Divide dough into 2 pieces and form loaves into desired shapes. Place loaves onto prepared baking sheets. I bake one loaf per sheet as they will rise a little more while baking. Cover with a large dish towel and let rise for 25 minutes.
- While loaves are rising, preheat oven to 350 F.
- When loaves have finished rising, whisk egg in a small bowl. Gently brush each loaf top with egg.
- Use a sharp knife (you can lightly spray your knife with cooking spray to prevent dragging) to make several slashes in the top. Make each cut about 1/4-inch deep at a 30 degree angle. Bake loaves for 25 minutes, or until they are golden brown.
- Move loaves to a wire rack to cool.
Frequently Asked Questions & Expert Tips
Slits in bread dough, known as scoring, help control how the loaf expands in the oven. They give rising gases a planned escape route, preventing the bread from bursting unpredictably. Scoring also influences the final crust and crumb structure while helping the bread bake more evenly. Score your bread just before baking, using a sharp knife.
Store bread with the cut side down inside a bread box or paper bag covered with a plastic bag. Storing bread in a paper bag will help absorb any excess moisture. Storing the bread inside a paper bag followed by a plastic bag will prevent the bread from going stale. You can easily store this bread inside a large ziptop bag as well, squeezed of any excess air. Keep at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Yes, absolutely! Wrap your fully cooled loaf (or loaves) in foil, then place it inside a large zip-top bag, squeezing as much air out as possible. Freeze for up to 3 months. You can freeze whole loaves or slice them into individual portions. I’d recommend wrapping each individual slice in foil before placing it into the bag so that you can grab and go easily. To thaw, leave the whole wrapped loaf at room temperature for a couple of hours. You can toast individual slices straight from frozen if preferred, or thaw them (still wrapped) at room temp. Thawing the loaves/slices still in the foil will help prevent condensation from forming on the bread.
Serving Suggestions
Serve your quick and easy one hour bread warm with butter or slathered with jam or jelly. It’s an excellent base for sandwiches, too! As I mentioned above, keep any leftover (or stale) bits of bread to make homemade croutons. A bread this good shouldn’t go to waste!
Everyone knows it’s much easier to buy a loaf of bread than it is to bake a loaf from scratch. My youngest daughter is used to eating store bought bread, so when she ate a slice of this homemade loaf she said “This was yummy. Can I have more later?” It’s so good and surprisingly easy, I hope you love it as much as we did!
More Homemade Bread Recipes
I love to bake and cook and share my kitchen experience with all of you! Remembering to come back each day can be tough, that’s why I offer a convenient newsletter every time a new recipe posts. Simply subscribe and start receiving your free daily recipes!
One Hour Bread
IMPORTANT – There are often Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!
Print It Pin It Rate ItIngredients
- 24 ounces white bread flour 680g, 5 1/4 cup
- 3 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons table salt
- .50 ounce rapid rise yeast 2 packets, 14g
- 1 ½ Tablespoons olive oil
- 14 ounces VERY warm water 100-110F (1 3/4 cups)
- 1 large egg optional
- cooking spray such as vegetable, canola, or olive oil spray
Things You’ll Need
- Stand mixer with paddle attachment and dough hook
Before You Begin
- This recipe yields 2 loaves, or more depending on how you shape them. It should make between 16-20 slices of bread.
- You can use all purpose flour if you don’t have bread flour. Bread flour will provide more chew, and you’ll get a better rise, but all purpose will definitely do the job.
- You’ll want to use a rapid yeast, or instant yeast. Though the two aren’t necessarily the same in every aspect, it is totally fine to use either at a 1:1 ratio here. I have made this bread using both instant yeast and rapid yeast, and they each came out great.
- This is a stiff dough. So, don’t be concerned if the dough balls up in the mixer and you find you have to push it back down during the dough hook step. If you are concerned about your mixer not being able to handle this dough, you can most certainly knead it by hand.
Instructions
- Stir together dry ingredients in the bowl of your stand mixer. Add oil and water and mix for 1 minute with paddle attachment. Check the consistency of the dough. The dough should be a little sticky and stiff, but not so sticky that it has to be peeled from your fingers.24 ounces white bread flour, 3 Tablespoons granulated sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons table salt, .50 ounce rapid rise yeast, 1 1/2 Tablespoons olive oil, 14 ounces VERY warm water
- Change mixer to the dough hook. Mix for 5 minutes on low, occasionally stopping to push the dough back down below the dough hook if needed.
- Spray baking sheets with cooking spray and set aside.
- Spray kneading surface with cooking spray and turn dough out onto surface. Knead dough briefly until it has a smooth even consistency (this will only take several turns of the dough to accomplish).
- Divide dough into 2 pieces and form loaves into desired shapes. Place loaves onto prepared baking sheets. I bake one loaf per sheet as they will rise a little more while baking. Cover with a large dish towel and let rise for 25 minutes.
- While loaves are rising, preheat oven to 350 F.
- When loaves have finished rising, whisk egg in a small bowl. Gently brush each loaf top with egg.1 large egg
- Use a sharp knife (you can lightly spray your knife with cooking spray to prevent dragging) to make several slashes in the top. Make each cut about 1/4-inch deep at a 30 degree angle. Bake loaves for 25 minutes, or until they are golden brown.
- Move loaves to a wire rack to cool.
Expert Tips & FAQs
- Store bread with the cut side down inside a bread box or paper bag covered with a plastic bag. Storing bread in a paper bag will help absorb any excess moisture. Storing the bread inside a paper bag followed by a plastic bag will prevent the bread from going stale. You can easily store this bread inside a large ziptop bag as well, squeezed of any excess air. Keep at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- Freezing – Wrap your fully cooled loaf (or loaves) in foil, then place it inside a large zip-top bag, squeezing as much air out as possible. Freeze for up to 3 months. You can freeze whole loaves or slice them into individual portions. I’d recommend wrapping each individual slice in foil before placing it into the bag so that you can grab and go easily. To thaw, leave the whole wrapped loaf at room temperature for a couple of hours. You can toast individual slices straight from frozen if preferred, or thaw them (still wrapped) at room temp. Thawing the loaves/slices still in the foil will help prevent condensation from forming on the bread.
Nutrition
The recipes on this blog are tested with a conventional gas oven and gas stovetop. It’s important to note that some ovens, especially as they age, can cook and bake inconsistently. Using an inexpensive oven thermometer can assure you that your oven is truly heating to the proper temperature. If you use a toaster oven or countertop oven, please keep in mind that they may not distribute heat the same as a conventional full sized oven and you may need to adjust your cooking/baking times. In the case of recipes made with a pressure cooker, air fryer, slow cooker, or other appliance, a link to the appliances we use is listed within each respective recipe. For baking recipes where measurements are given by weight, please note that results may not be the same if cups are used instead, and we can’t guarantee success with that method.
This post was originally published here on Dec 11, 2009 and has since been updated with new photos and tips.
- Strawberry Sangria - May 19, 2026
- Chile Lime Chicken - May 13, 2026
- Key Lime Pie - May 11, 2026
Noreen says
I have been making bread for decades, and it always takes a long time for all the kneading, raising, etc. I couldn’t believe yeast bread could be made in an hour. It took me slightly more than that, but now I will make bread more often using this recipe. Thank you so much.
Amanda Davis says
So glad you loved it Noreen!
Pam says
My bread came out very heavy. Not sure what went wrong. Tasted ok. Was good for toast.
Amanda Davis says
Hmm, did you weigh your flour according to the recipe, or did you use cup measurements?
Pam says
Cup measurment.
Amanda Davis says
Ok, we highly recommend using a kitchen scale to measure your ingredients, especially flour. I have 3 different sets of measuring cups, and using the scoop and sweep method to measure they all come out different. Weighing your ingredients is the best option for baking.
Marilyn Casella says
My Brest dies not brown!!what am doing wrong
Amanda Davis says
My first thought is that you may want to invest (less than $10) in an oven thermometer to make sure your oven is actually reaching the temperature you set it to.
Susan says
My cousin made your bread and it looked amazing. I am gluten-free and was wondering if I would be able to replace with gluten-free bread flour? And if there would be alterations, I would need to do.?
Amanda Davis says
We haven’t tested that. If you decide to experiment, we would love to hear your results.
Hugh says
Excellent Italian bread! Followed recipe and it turned out perfect!!!
kc duffy says
It’s a flatbread. We always ate it spread with butter, sugar & cinnamon, then rolled & eaten like a taquito.
I just made bread again, wanted to use my NEW bag of bread flour. Something seemed weird, I thought it seemed very different from unbleached flour I’d had before. Come to find out, I inadvertently ordered wheat bread flour. I went ahead and made up the recipe here…had to add more water… it’s rising now…smells good, but all yeast bread smells good. *sigh*
kc duffy says
This is the first bread I made since 10th grade home ec, 1971. I found Rachael’s recipe first, so have been making it for several months now. First time was Baking With Kaylee Day (my granddaughter). Video didn’t work, we did it all by hand. We LOVED it. Everyone loved it. Then, somehow, her video loaded for me one day, and I have been using my stand mixer ever since. Still delish, but yeah, it flattens out a lot…I live in NE Florida! It’s so humid, I didn’t know I had curly hair till I moved here. Now, I have made your burger buns (with instant yeast), found this alteration to the Hour Long bread, and am happily a homemade-bread-baking grandma. My little family is VERY happy with this, and so am I.
Have you ever made lefse? (Norwegian potato bread – it’s next on my list.)
Amanda Formaro says
That’s great, thank you! I haven’t made Norwegian potato bread, I’ll have to try it!
sabrina says
does the recipe above include the increase of flour and the decrease of water?
Amanda Formaro says
There is no decrease of water :) But yes the recipe states that if you need more flour after using the recommended measurements, you can do that.
Melanie Ann Pelczynski says
Worked well made half a recipe for one loaf but kept the sugar amount for the two. Made for a nice sweeter bread.
Amanda Formaro says
Oh that’s fun!
Lucy says
Can all purpose flour be used instead of bread flour in this recipe?
Amanda Formaro says
Yes that should be fine :)
Tammy Taylor says
So I have wanted to try making bread for a while now but was afraid. I came across yours in a search for a recipe and decided to take the plunge! I think it came out great! Thank you for making this so easy!
Amanda Formaro says
Awesome, so glad it was a success! Baking bread is actually very satisfying!
Diana says
I moved from NC to PA and since I moved here, every loaf of bread I made was a flop and I couldn’t figure out the problem… I tried your recipe and it worked beautifully!! Thank you so much..now I know what my problem has been.
Amanda Formaro says
So glad this was helpful Diana!
rose says
MADE THIS BREAD SOMEHOW IGOOFED AND PUT ONE AND A HALF CUPS OF OIL ,IT DID NOT REALLY RISE TILL IT WAS BAKED. TASTED GREAT MORE LIKE A CAKE, BUT EVERY ONE LOVED IT, WILL TRYIT AGAIN THE RIGHT WAY .STILL A GOOD BREAD.
Amanda Formaro says
Hi Rose! Well I’m glad it still turned okay! Hope you enjoy it the second time around :)
Joe says
Oops, I meant 5-3/4 cups flour. That is a lot of flour for just 1-3/4 cups of water to handle.
Joe says
Only 1-3/4 cups water for 5-3/4 cups water? That sounded insane, because the bread recipe I usually use says 2-1/4 cups water with 5-1/4 cups flour. I worried it would be way too dry to make dough, but I trusted you and tried it. Sure enough, it was way too dry…Might as well just put a cooked loaf of bread in the mixer bowl and try to turn it. Luckily I have a 600 watt mixer. That dry would have burned out the motor on a 300 watt Kitchenaid. Are you sure there is not a typo in your recipe. Maybe in works in a humid climate, but here out west it is a recipe for disaster.
Amanda Formaro says
Hi Joe. Yes, the measurements are correct. I have made this bread many, many times. Note, that in my blog post I mention that I had to adjust the flour and water measurements as I live in a more humid climate. The dough is quite stiff.
gina says
Love your blog! Great instructions and pics!
I don't know if you've tried the 5-minute-a-day bread recipe yet. I use this dough to make bread, rolls, english muffins, pizza crust. It is so wonderful. I only use 1 Tablespoon of salt and I just use 1 packet of yeast, but it works great every single time. I just mix mine up in the morning – takes maybe 2 minutes, stir, put a walmart bag over my bowl and stick it back in the fridge. It does the rising in there.
They have a blog. The instructions are here:
http://www.artisanbreadinfive.com/?p=1616
They have lots of other recipes and the books are wonderful!
Just an F/Y/I to share this fabulous way to have bread and other things made from bread with little prep time and few ingredients!
Amanda says
You're welcome. We got really busy yesterday, so I never made it with dinner. If I had some in the freezer it would have been great. So today I am going to make a few loaves and parbake them and pop them in the freezer :)
Minny says
Thanks Amanda.. I have some quick rise yeast but wasn't sure if I could use that or not. I love home made bread & love to smell it baking, so I definitely have to try this.
Amanda says
Hi Minny! Yes, Saf is a brand name, you can get it at amazon, that's where I got mine http://www.amazon.com/Saf-Yeast-Instant-Yeast-16-oz/dp/B0001CXUHW You could certainly use a quick rise yeast, like red star or Fleishman's, just make sure you use the quick rise ;)
Minny says
I have a question.. what is the difference in SAF yeast & regular yeast? I'm not sure what SAF yeast is.. unless it's a brand name?