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Published: Mar 17, 2020 · Modified: Jan 2, 2024 by Elizabeth Marek · This post may contain affiliate links · 211 Comments

Fast Bread Recipe

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homemade bread recipe
fast bread recipe pin

I love this super fast bread recipe for last-minute bread. Sometimes it's 4 pm and suddenly I decide I want fresh bread for dinner!

If you are new to baking bread, this easy bread recipe is for you. I've had TONS of reviews from people all over the world who have never made bread before but could make this bread perfectly the first time. 

homemade loaf of bread on wooden cutting board with white towel and white background

What ingredients do you need to make bread fast

** Check the notes at the bottom of the recipe card below for recipe alternatives and substitutions**

fast bread ingredients

A lot of people are intimidated by making homemade bread. You don't need any special bread machines or even a mixer (although having one will save you some elbow grease). 

You only need these ingredients to make a fast bread recipe in 60 minutes

  • Bread Flour (or all-purpose flour)
  • Milk (or water)
  • Sugar
  • Instant Yeast (you can use regular active dry yeast, see notes at the bottom of the recipe card)
  • Salt
  • Egg wash

The secret to fast bread is using Instant yeast. I'm using saf-instant yeast. You can usually find instant yeast right next to the regular yeast at the grocery store. 

You don't have to use saf-instant yeast, any brand that says instant will work. Red Star Instant yeast is another popular brand. 

saf-instant yeast

Instant yeast is like regular yeast on steroids. You don't need to mix it with the milk and sugar to bloom it. Just mix it in with the flour, add in the liquid and mix! Using instant yeast makes this bread recipe extra easy because you don't have to bloom the yeast, just mix it in with the flour, sugar, and milk. 

Instant yeast rises much faster than active dry yeast which makes this fast bread recipe so great. 

How do you make easy homemade bread fast?

Combine your flour, yeast, sugar and warm (110ºF) milk in the bowl of your stand mixer and combine for one minute at low speed. 

Don't add in your salt and butter right away, it can get in the way of the yeast activating. 

After one minute, add in the salt and butter. If your dough is too slippery from the butter, sprinkle in ¼ cup of flour to soak up the butter and is kneading properly in the bowl and not just spinning round and round. If the dough is still not sticking to the sides of the bowl, add a couple of tablespoons of water. 

Let the dough mix on medium speed for 5 minutes. 

How do you know when the bread dough is done mixing?

Mixing is the MOST important step in making homemade bread. Developing that gluten is key. 

Poke your dough, does it bounce back? That's a sign it's ready.

checking fast bread recipe for gluten development

Roll a piece of dough in your hand, is it smooth and silky? If so, then it's ready. If it's sticky and lumpy, it needs more mixing.

You can test to see if your bread has developed enough gluten by doing the windowpane test. Start by pulling off some of the dough and carefully stretching it between your fingers to make a little window. 

window test for gluten development

If you can make it super thin without it breaking, then you're good to go. 

If the dough isn't ready, keep mixing for another 2 minutes on medium speed or until the gluten test can be performed successfully. Don't worry about over-mixing. 

You can do all of this by hand but it will take longer. Probably about 10-15 minutes of kneading. Don't worry, it's basically impossible to over-knead dough by hand. 

How do you proof bread fast?

Time to let this dough rise! Place it into a lightly oiled bowl and cover it with a tea towel to keep in the moisture. 

proofing bread by the oven

Place your dough in a warm area to rise for 25 minutes. That's it! Super easy! (If you're using active dry yeast instead of instant, let the dough rise 90 minutes)

I put mine next to an open oven set to 170F. Don't put your dough IN the oven or the hot temperature will kill your yeast. 

How do you make easy bread loaves fast?

The best part about this bread other than how fast it is, you don't need any special loaf pans. 

Just shape your loaves into two (or three or four depending on how many loaves you want). I've even made hamburger buns and hotdog buns with this recipe.

shaping the dough into two loaves

Tuck all the rough edges underneath to form a nice smooth skin on top. This will make your bread look really lovely after it's baked. 

tuck the rough edges of the dough underneath the loaf
make sure the skin of the dough is tight and smooth

Place your two loaves onto a pan with some parchment paper. Make sure they have a good 8" between them so they don't end up touching as they bake. 

Let them rest on the pan for 20 minutes. (If you're using active dry yeast, let the bread rise for 30 minutes)

Brush the surface of your loaves with some egg wash to promote browning. 

Brush the loaf with egg wash

Then make 3 or 4 slices on top of the loaf with a sharp knife at a 30º angle about ¼" deep. (wow that is super specific I know).  

make four slices in your bread loaf

These slices help the bread rise evenly and keep it from tearing. 

Bake your bread for 25-30 minutes at 375ºF. I rotated my loaves halfway through baking to prevent uneven browning. 

two loaves of homemade bread on cooling a rack on a white background

And that is how you make the MOST amazing, super easy fast bread recipe in only 60 minutes. 

How long does this homemade bread last?

We devoured one whole loaf with dinner and saved the other loaf for tomorrow. The great thing about this fast bread recipe is you can make more bread easily whenever you need it. 

Wrap your loaf in plastic wrap to seal in moisture and leave it on the countertop. 

You can reheat slices or the whole loaf either in the microwave for 10 seconds or in the oven for 2-3 minutes. 

three slices of homemade bread on a white background
slice of warm homemade bread with butter on top an bite taken out of the bread

Need more bread recipes? Check these out
Easy Soft Dinner Rolls
Easy Focaccia Bread
Master Sweet Dough Recipe

Recipe

Fast Bread Recipe

Need bread fast? This soft and fluffy bread only takes 60 minutes to make and is pretty much the most amazing bread I've ever had. No special pans or bread machines. You won't believe how easy it is to make your own homemade bread.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate Recipe
Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
proofing: 30 minutes minutes
Total Time: 1 hour hour
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Servings: 24 servings
Calories: 147kcal
Author: Elizabeth Marek

Equipment

  • Stand mixer with dough hook

Ingredients

  • 28 ounces bread flour or all purpose (about 5 ½ cups, spooned and leveled)
  • 10 grams instant yeast needs to be instant (about 3 teaspoons)
  • 2 ounces sugar 4 Tablespoons
  • 16 ounces warm milk (110ºF) or water (two cups)
  • 1 ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 ounces melted unsalted butter ¼ cup
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Heat milk to 110ºF-115ºF
  • Combine flour, instant yeast, sugar, and milk in the bowl of your stand mixer with the dough hook attached and mix for one minute
  • Add in salt and melted butter
  • Add in a ¼ cup more flour if the dough is not sticking to the bowl because of the butter. If the dough is still not sticking to the bowl, add in 1-2 Tablespoons of water.
  • Mix for 5 minutes on speed 2
  • After 5 minutes, take a piece of dough and stretch it between your fingers. If you can make a very thin "window" that does not tear then you have developed enough gluten and you can shape your dough.
  • If the window tears, then mix for 2 more minutes.
  • Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for 4-5 turns until you can form a smooth ball
  • Coat a large bowl in a little olive oil
  • Place the dough top side down into the bowl to get the top of the dough covered in oil then flip it over. Cover with a cloth and place in a warm area for 25 minutes to rise until the dough doubles in size *see notes*
  • Preheat your oven to 375ºF
  • Divide your dough into two loaves (or more if you want to make hoagie's or rolls)
  • Let your loaves rest for 20 minutes
  • Brush your loaves with egg wash to promote a nice golden brown color
  • Use a sharp knife to make three slashes at a 30º angle in the top of the loaf, about ¼" deep. These slashes make the loaves look nice and also keeps the crust from tearing while it bakes in the oven.
  • Bake your loaves for about 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. You can also use a thermometer to check the center of your bread. If the temperature reads 190º - 200º your bread is done.

Video

Notes

** I turn my oven on to 170ºF and open the door then place my dough on the door near the opening of the oven to proof, not INSIDE the oven. 
** If you don't have instant yeast your can use regular active yeast but it will take longer to proof. 
1. Let your dough proof for 90 minutes or until it doubles in size
2. Divide the dough, shape, brush with egg wash, make cuts with the knife and let rest for 30 minutes before baking. 
** Egg wash - crack one egg and whisk with 1 Tablespoon of water. Use a soft pastry brush to brush it onto the loaves. If you don't use egg wash your bread will be very pale. You can also use milk instead of egg for the wash.  
** You can use oil instead of butter
** You can use water  or almond milk in  place of milk
** You can replace white flour with wheat flour (use 24 oz instead 28 oz because wheat flour is denser than white flour)

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 147kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 5mg | Sodium: 115mg | Potassium: 37mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 59IU | Calcium: 6mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
 

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Margaret says

    September 20, 2020 at 1:46 pm

    5 stars
    The best recipe I’ve run across - and it doesn’t take all day. Thank you so very much!

    Reply
  2. Rebecca H says

    October 05, 2020 at 9:28 am

    Can I add in things like ground flaxseed, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds etc.? If so, would you recommend a certain amount, or just dump some in until it looks good? Thanks!!

    Reply
    • Elizabeth Marek says

      December 06, 2020 at 1:17 pm

      OH definitely! Add as much as you like 🙂

      Reply
  3. Krista says

    October 13, 2020 at 10:55 pm

    5 stars
    Delish! Thanks!

    Reply
  4. Gretel Ghee says

    October 24, 2020 at 8:32 pm

    Can I mix then knead the dough my hand ? I do not have one of those dough hooks

    Reply
    • Elizabeth Marek says

      November 14, 2020 at 10:54 am

      Yes you can definitely knead by hand

      Reply
  5. Harinie Immanuel says

    October 27, 2020 at 1:42 am

    I tried the first time using olive oil, instead of butter. It turned out absolutely delicious.... Thanks so much! Easiest and quickest recipe for bread I've ever found...

    Reply
  6. Vivian Luka says

    November 01, 2020 at 1:33 pm

    I love your bread amazing. Can this be made in a bread machine and would I have to cut the flour in half for 2 pound loaf?

    Reply
    • Elizabeth Marek says

      November 02, 2020 at 10:43 am

      I dont know much about using bread machines unfortunately

      Reply
  7. Michelle says

    November 01, 2020 at 4:38 pm

    5 stars
    Excellent recipe. Easy and delicious. Just finished my first slice with butter and blueberry honey. Mmmmmm
    Thank you so much for sharing this

    Reply
  8. Lee Anne says

    November 11, 2020 at 1:10 pm

    Just made the dough...it is proofing at the moment. Have you ever used it for cinnamon rolls? I thought I'd make one loaf of bread, and use the rest for cinnamon rolls. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Sugar Geek Show says

      November 11, 2020 at 4:13 pm

      Hi! You probably could, however the fast bread recipe isn't as sweet as my sweet dough. Here's my cinnamon roll recipe so you can compare the doughs, I'm sure the fast bread turned into cinnamon rolls would be delicious, but might not taste quite right. https://sugargeekshow.com/recipe/homemade-cinnamon-rolls-recipe/

      Reply
  9. Mark says

    November 14, 2020 at 7:29 pm

    Hi if you only have salted butter can you still get good results by adjusting salt?

    Reply
    • Elizabeth Marek says

      November 15, 2020 at 9:57 pm

      For sure, just leave out the salt. It might taste a little on the salty side but it should still be ok

      Reply
  10. Jocelyn A says

    November 15, 2020 at 9:29 am

    5 stars
    Hello Ms Elizabeth,
    I am so happy I finally made a successful bread with your recipe-It’s been a hit or miss for me with bread but today I know this will be my go to recipe from hereon-halved the recipe( coz i always fail on first try)and it turned out wonderfully well. Doing more now! Thank you thank you thank you!

    Reply
  11. Teri Bendell-Bou says

    November 22, 2020 at 11:50 am

    5 stars
    This is soooo easy and super yummy!!! My hubby wants me to do a rye bread and a whole wheat bread. Any suggestions???

    Reply
    • Elizabeth Marek says

      November 22, 2020 at 4:30 pm

      I have a whole wheat recipe. If you want to make rye, replace half the wheat flour with rye

      Reply
  12. Priya says

    November 25, 2020 at 11:22 pm

    Ma'am how can suggest recipe for one loaf of bread please.

    Reply
    • Elizabeth Marek says

      November 26, 2020 at 10:35 am

      Cut the recipe in half 🙂

      Reply
  13. Leah says

    December 03, 2020 at 3:47 pm

    I love fast homemade bread recipes. Waiting for this to rise as I write this. The dough is beautifully smooth and soft. Can’t wait!

    Reply
  14. R Oki says

    December 07, 2020 at 6:43 pm

    5 stars
    Thanks this recipe was spot on. The process flowed exactly and written and I appreciated the notes. It was balanced, not too salty or sweet which left room for what ever you were to pair it with and for customization. Also it did not take all day so I will be keeping this recipe and baking bread more often. I put one loaf in my Pullman pan and it was perfect.

    Reply
  15. C says

    December 10, 2020 at 4:00 pm

    5 stars
    Fast,easy,scrumptious! My second time making it. I added a bit more sugar this time and threw in an egg then divided into 4 smaller loaves this time. Thank you so much for this recipe!

    Reply
  16. Bernie says

    December 29, 2020 at 11:47 am

    5 stars
    This was phenomenal!!! I was super nervous making this because it's cold and I have a small make shift warming area but the extra effort was soooo worth it! We gobbled up the first loaf already and the second will most likely be gone by tonight. Can't wait to make this again!!

    Reply
  17. Tamara says

    January 03, 2021 at 4:52 pm

    5 stars
    Best recipe EVEEEERRRRR!! I make it all the time. My husband always asks me why I don't make more, when he's eaten the last piece!🤦
    2👍👍's up!!

    Reply
  18. Cathy Daymude says

    January 18, 2021 at 11:14 am

    What kind of scale do you use?

    Reply
    • Sugar Geek Show says

      January 18, 2021 at 12:04 pm

      The brand is called My Weight, here is a link to the one I use: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00VEKX35Y/?ref=exp_sugargeekshow_dp_vv_d

      Reply
  19. Arlene Munoz says

    January 22, 2021 at 4:26 pm

    Delicious and easy to make. Thank you for the recipe.

    Reply
  20. Patty says

    January 24, 2021 at 12:49 pm

    5 stars
    This was my second time making bread. The first time was ok, but I absolutely loved this recipe. I don't have a stand mixer, just a hand mixer and I ended up doing a lot of the mixing by hand and with a spatula since the dough seemed a bit thick for my hand mixer. Came out amazing though. My apartment has this wonderful smell of fresh bread, and my son and I loved the taste with some butter slathered on. Thank you so much 🥰

    Reply
  21. Deborah says

    January 27, 2021 at 4:43 pm

    5 stars
    This recipe is fast (er) than most, simple and the house smells AMAZING! Making herbed croutons with one loaf and French toast with the 2nd loaf. So easy.......so many of these reviews make it sound so complicated and it's not. Just go with the flow. If the dough doesn't double in rising, then don't worry about it, go on to the next step, these loaves always come out great! (they will rise when baking) remember, you're using instant yeast so they make not rise a lot. Don't have salt free butter, then use what you have. This recipe is very forgiving.
    Thanks for the fail safe recipe!

    Reply
  22. Irina says

    February 06, 2021 at 6:33 am

    If I wanted to make one larger loaf instead of dividing in two, so I need to change the rising time or baking time?

    Reply
    • Elizabeth Marek says

      February 07, 2021 at 11:13 am

      No I don't think you would but I would make the loaf much longer, like french bread or the bread won't bake all the way through

      Reply
  23. Alicia A Mitchell says

    February 06, 2021 at 12:11 pm

    5 stars
    Hi! This bread is awesome, I've made it a few times now! Question though...can I put the dough in the refrigerator or freezer to bake at a later time?

    Reply
    • Elizabeth Marek says

      February 07, 2021 at 11:11 am

      Sure you can! Just freeze the rolls after you shape them and then let them defrost at room temperature until they have doubled in size and then bake as usual

      Reply
  24. Joy says

    February 06, 2021 at 3:15 pm

    5 stars
    I made the two loafs of bread in October 2020 and they came out great. My family keep asking me to make again and I decided to do it today. Next time I will use whole wheat flour as we do not use a lot of white bread. Thanks so much for sharing

    Reply
  25. Jenny says

    February 06, 2021 at 4:49 pm

    5 stars
    This is now my go to quick bread recipes! Everyone loves it and it’s so easy!

    Reply
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