Veg Recipes of India

white bread recipe, how to make white bread, eggless white bread

by

white-bread-loaf
Jump to Recipe

Sharing is Caring!

white bread recipe – this step by step bread recipe i use often to make white bread at home. once you start making homemade bread then you might not feel like buying bread from outside. making bread at home is a lovely experience and is creative too.

i love baking breads at home. the whole process of making the dough, seeing it rising, the yeasty aroma when the bread is getting baked, the joy when you see the bread baked to perfection and finally the satisfaction when you serve the bread to your loved ones……  yes i love it all.

bread is one of the most important food in the whole world. every country has their own history, tradition and methods of making breads. in india we have flat breads like roti, parathas, kulcha and even fried breads like poori, bhatura, naan. the french have their own array and varieties of breads. so do the italians, so do the greeks… so forth and so on.

the portuguese were the first one to bring yeast in india, which produces doubled bread loaves. we indians started calling these double roti or double bread. even today double roti or pav as we call is the most common indian bread which is had with some of india’s favorite snack food like pav bhaji, misal pav, vada pav, bhurji pav.

white bread loaf

in fact i never have memories of my mother baking bread…. but i do have memories of her making chapatis, parathas, pooris. mom would sometimes bake cakes, but in the pressure cooker. if the bread was needed in the house, it was purchased from outside. all the types of bread, my mom would buy from the bakery.

ditto is my mother in law. excellent in making indian breads. but for white or brown bread, it is purchased from outside. i guess most indian families are like mine. we hardly bake. no wonder the indian bread companies are doing so well in their businesses….

things are changing in the indian kitchen lately. with the internet, television, mass media… one comes to know of so many things which otherwise one would have not known. just search brown bread on google and see the millions of results you will get. so just at the touch of a fingertip you have the recipe in the comforts of your home. now its your decision to make it or not. comforts & luxuries of technology….. hence baking is catching up in india, with most homemakers making their own cakes, cookies and breads.

white sandwich bread

what it takes to make a perfect loaf of white bread

unseen intangible ingredients:

  • love…. yes… the most important ingredient… not only for bread but for any food that you make.
  • time – not much – just 15 minutes… the rest of the time the bread is getting leavened on its own without you doing anything… plus baking where the oven does all the work.
  • patience – yes, some patience is required… patience in waiting for the bread to get leavened and then getting baked.

seen tangible ingredients

  • flour – a good quality all purpose flour/maida.
  • yeast – good quality and within the expiration date.
  • warm water – remember warm… not hot or cool… warmth is the key…

what else is required….. nothing else… so why don’t you try making your own bread at home in your oven. doubtful or nervous? there is nothing to doubt or fear. if the yeast is good, the water is warm… success at first step, which brings you success at the last step… when you slice the bread loaf for your family.

white bread recipe

trust me… there is nothing like a home baked bread. once you start making breads at home, you won’t buy them from outside, atleast from the indian bakeries or breads from the indian bread companies. the readymade white breads are so dry and dull. also you don’t know what goes into it or how it is made or how much hygienic it is.

once the husband got a very healthy brown bread with oats & extra fibre… i checked the ingredients and they had used preservatives, additives, soy flour and extra gluten. it was also made with margarine…. margarine is alright to me but not soy flour or the preservatives and additives….. some bakeries even use lard (pig fat). plus you never know the quality of flour, water that is added. i understand that many of us have a hectic lifestyle and making homemade bread is never on our list.

once you make your own breads, you won’t buy from outside, unless you are very very very very busy and occupied neck deep. i have stopped buying breads from out. all i have to do is just spend 15 minutes…. now 15 minutes is not 1 hour. even for making rotis or phulkas i spend 20-30 minutes. also to make some dal or sabzi i might spend more than 30 minutes. so it is just 15 minutes… out of the 24 hours i have 15 minutes to make a perfect loaf of bread for our breakfast, brunch and light evening dinners. so what say… wanna give a try?

white bread recipe

i am sure once you try you will at least think twice before buying any bread from outside. this is a basic recipe of making white bread at home, which is excellent for making toasts & sandwiches.

this white bread recipe is eggless and dairy free. though if you want, you can add some milk also (proportion mentioned in the details below). you can also make it into sweet bread by adding extra sugar. if all of the above unseen and seen ingredients are added to the bread, you will have a perfect loaf which is soft, moist and heavenly.

if you are looking for more bread recipes then do check 100% whole wheat bread, pita bread, veg pizza, whole wheat pizza, bread pizza, whole wheat sandwich bread and eggless banana bread recipe.

white bread recipe details below:

4.41 from 22 votes
white bread recipe
print
white bread recipe | homemade white bread (vegan recipe)
prep time
3 hrs
cook time
40 mins
total time
3 hrs 40 mins
 

homemade white bread - step by step recipe of basic white bread recipe.

course: breakfasts
cuisine: world
servings: 12 bread slices or 1 large loaf of bread
calories: 146 kcal
author: dassana amit
ingredients (1 cup = 250 ml)
  • 3 cups all purpose flour (maida)
  • 1 cup water, 250 ml
  • ½ tablespoon dry active yeast
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1.5 tablespoon vegetable oil, i used olive oil, but you can add sunflower oil or even melted butter
  • 1 teaspoon salt
if you want to add milk to the bread, then substitute the 1 cup water mentioned above with:
  • ¼ cup warm water
  • ¾ cup milk
how to make recipe
making white bread dough:
  1. warm the water. dissolve sugar in the water. sprinkle the yeast and stir.
  2. keep aside for 10 minutes or till the yeast bubbles up and froths.
  3. while the proofing is happening, seive the flour with salt.
  4. add the oil to the flour. now add the frothy yeast.
  5. with a wooden spoon mix everything. the dough will be sticky.
  6. now use your hands and knead the dough.
  7. the dough has to be smooth and light.
  8. grease the dough with oil.
  9. keep in a large bowl and cover loosely with kitchen napkin.
  10. keep aside for 11/2 or 2 hours until the dough doubles up.
  11. if it requires keep aside for some some more minutes.
making white bread:
  1. take the dough on a lightly floured surface. this naturally deflates the dough.
  2. now shape the loaf and place it in a greased pan.
  3. cover again loosely with the kitchen napkin and let it rise again for about 45 minutes till it fully doubled up.
  4. preheat the oven to 190 degrees C and bake for 40-45 mins till you get a golden brown bread.
recipe notes

tips for making white bread recipe:

  1. you can divide the dough into parts and also make dinner rolls or pav.
  2. if the top surface of the bread browns quickly then place aluminum foil or butter paper on the top. this will avoid further browning.
  3. i prefer to knead dough with my hands, but you can knead the dough in a food processor or in an electric mixer with paddle attachment.
  4. if using instant yeast then add 1 tsp instant yeast directly in the flour.

approximate nutrition information per bread slice.

Nutrition Facts
white bread recipe | homemade white bread (vegan recipe)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 146 Calories from Fat 18
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 2g 3%
Cholesterol 1mg 0%
Sodium 202mg 8%
Potassium 53mg 2%
Total Carbohydrates 26g 9%
Sugars 2g
Protein 3g 6%
Vitamin A 0.5%
Calcium 2.2%
Iron 8.1%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.


step by step homemade white bread recipe:

1: heat up 1 cup of water till warm. take it in a bowl. now how do you know if it is warm or not. check it with thermometer? nah… do it indian style… the way your’s and mine grandmothers would do. dip your little finger in the water. if you feel the warmth and mellowness, the water is warm. if you feel a little heat or hotness, the water is not warm.

wait for some seconds or a minute and then check again. add sugar to warm water and dissolve it. now add yeast. mix it well. you can keep the spoon in the bowl if it gets stuck with yeast. keep in a warm place for 10 minutes till the yeast becomes frothy.  i have added golden sugar and thus the bread has a brownish tinge to it.

white bread recipe

2: in the meantime seive the flour with salt. add oil and just keep aside.

making white bread recipe

3: the yeast has become frothy now.

yeast for white bread recipe

4: add the frothy yeast to the flour. if using instant yeast then add 1 tsp instant yeast directly in the flour.

yeast for white bread recipe

5: first mix with a wooden spoon. the dough will be sticky. then knead into a soft smooth dough. if the dough becomes sticky add some flour. if the dough is dry add some warm water. grease the dough with some oil. cover loosely with a kitchen napkin and keep in a deep large bowl at room temperature for 1.5 or 2 hours. i used the same bowl in which i kneaded the dough.

dough for white bread recipe

6: yay… after 2 hours the dough has doubled up and well risen.

dough for white bread recipe

7: now grease a loaf pan. on a lightly floured surface, turn out the dough. this will deflate the dough. no need to knead or do anything. shape the dough and place it in the loaf pan. my loaf pan is slightly bigger for the dough. again cover and keep in a warm place for 45 minutes.

making white bread recipe

baking white bread:

8: the loaf will double up again… with a serrated knife make a long slash lengthwise on the center of the dough not more than 1/4 inch deep. this will give the dough more room for expansion while baking. time for baking white bread now. preheat the oven at 190 degrees C. place the loaf pan in the oven. bake white bread for 40 to 45 minutes till the loaves are golden brown in color and the sides slightly contract from the pan.

preparing white bread recipe

9: hurray… the white bread is baked… my oven browns the surface very quickly. so after 20 minutes i had put aluminium foil on the top of the loaf so as to avoid more browning. but the oven did its browning job 🙂

baked white bread

10: yet still some checking is required. remember the bread is hot and so is the pan. use oven gloves or thick kitchen towels. lift one end of the white bread to check for an even browning at the bottom. if the bottom of the loaf is pale, then keep it directly in the oven for 5 more minutes. check again.

also tap the white bread and it should sound hollow. transfer the loaf from the pan immediately and keep it on a cooling rack. if you keep it inside the pan, the bottom gets soggy. let the loaf rest for 15 minutes to allow the excess moisture to evaporate.

white bread recipe

11: now have the joy of having white bread with your favorite curry or soup or just making one of your favorite toast or snack like i did. i made bombay veg sandwiches again with the homemade white bread.

how to make white bread, white bread recipe




Sharing is Caring!

Reader Interactions

{ 201 Responses }

  1. I tried whole wheat bread as per ur instructions. It came out very well. I must really thank and appreciate you for a very detailed and minute instructions.

  2. Hello madam
    I have tried many recipes of yours & it turned out really well thanks for sharing !!! Once I baked bread n pauv referring some other recipe it was a disaster😄 but this time I will try once again using ur recipe method ….

    • Welcome Heena. Thanks for sharing positive feedback on recipes. Do try the bread and pav recipe as all recipes posted on the blog are tried and tested.

  3. Hi Amit,
    I tried your white bread recipe. I baked it using the convection mode of microwave oven at 200c for 40mins. The only change I did was adding milk powder into the flour and giving a egg wash just before baking. Though the bread turned out soft inside, the crust was hard. Can you please tell me how can we have a soft crust. Thank you so much for this overall full proof recipe.

    • Madhuri, the crust turned out hard, if it gets baked too much. Oven temperature varies with different types of oven. So next time you can bake white bread for less time.

  5. Hi Dassana I am planning to make this today so should i follow the same baking method in convection mode also

  6. HI DASSANA AMIT JI
    THANKS FOR SHARING THIS RECIPE.. I AM RIGHT NOW TRYING IT. BUT AS DIRECTED HERE, DRY ACTIVE YEAST STIRRED WITH WATER DN’T BECAME THICK EVEN AFTER MORE THAN 10 MINUTES AS SHOWN IN PICTURE NO. 3. KINDLY SUGGEST.

    • madhuri, the dry active yeast has not get activated. it should become bubbly and frothy. discard and make the solution again. if the water is slightly cold or hot, then yeast cells do not get activated.

  7. Hi Dassana

    Big fan of your blog.. yours is like a go to blog for any of my cooking expeditions.. I have tried the white bread recipes for 3 times now with great success and the taste of this plain white bread is also exceptional. I just love the way you write your blog with so much personal touch.. applaud your effort.

    • thanks a lot shraddha. homemade white bread tastes much better than store brought ones. in facts its better to use homemade white bread in recipes that call for it instead of getting bread from outside. happy baking.

  8. Hi Dasanna, today I baked white bread , and am very happy with the result but outer crust very crunchy.. but taste very satisfied… Before this I tried and failed but your recipe just full proof … Step to step followed instructions and result am very happy other than outer layer crunchy…

  9. Hi Dassana,

    I have tried both the wheat and white bread recipe. Wheat was a little dense however the white bread came fine. The only problem was that the crust was a little hard. How can this be rectified? I had kept in the oven with the top and bottom heating element on. Also in order to make the bread a little more sweeter, do I need to substitute milk as you have mentioned in the recipe. I had used water while baking.

    • thanks remya. for wheat bread, while baking just use the bottom heating element. this will ensure that the top crust does not become hard. too much heat or the pan kept closer to the top heating element, can create a hard or overdone crust.

      to make the bread sweeter, you can add some sugar or jaggery in it. avoid adding honey as honey gets toxic when cooked or baked. you can add milk if you want. but milk won’t make the bread sweeter. it will make the bread rich in taste and flavor. for a sweeter taste, you can add sugar or jaggery.

  10. I baked this bread exactly how you have written..The bread has great pores..Tastes awesome..But the only problem is the crust…Mine is 33 ltr otg from Croma… I baked at 190C for 45 minutes, placed the baking tray in the middle and turned both top and bottom rods on…Which led the crust was almost like a French baguette’s- very crisp. Though I love the hard crunchy burnt taste of the crust… People in my house don’t. Is there a way to ensure I can have a beautifully browned perfectly baked bread?

    • fine. whenever you bake bread and its get browned from the top and sides faster, then cover it with aluminium foil. thats why i do. so after 15 to 20 minutes of the baking, you can remove the pan and cover the top with an aluminium foil. due to this covering, the top does not get crusty or burned. alternatively, you can also use loaf pans which have lids.

  11. Hi Dassana,
    In OTG while baking bread do we need to bake with both upper and lower rods on?
    Please explain. In Which temperature it needs to be baked?
    Thanks in advance.

      • Firstly both rods on for pre heating and then below rod on for baking. I followed this but I dint get that golden colour on top of d bread. Mine is Morphy Richards 52 ltr otg.

        • okay. 52 litres is a big oven. i have 35 litre bajaj oven. so i think it depends on the size of the oven. to get the golden color on top, just keep the top rod on or both the top and bottom rods on. if keeping the top rod on, then you have to be careful as within minutes, the top layer gets browned.

    • the outer crust had got baked too much. since the timing varies from oven to oven, it could be that the time taken to bake is faster in your oven. so whenever baking, always check the time as per the oven you have. no two oven bakes at the same time. next time you can reduce the time for baking. also if the pan is kept close to the top heating element, the the outer crust will get hard. in this case, covering the pan with a foil helps the crust not to get overdone.

  13. Hi,

    I tried this bread today.my 1 cup measures 200ml.i followed the recipe as given but used instant yeast 1 tsp.

    Dough rised well both the time .i baked for 30 min. but the outer part was hard inside seemed ok.

    I really wanted to know that I baked for too long so is the outcome.?

    Should i have reduced the baking time as my cup measures smaller than you (200ml)?

    Before this i have tried twice , those times they were like hard stone.my hubby made fun of me saying whom you are going attack using this stone like that….:-)

    Jokes apart, really need to know pls help

    • revathy, 200 ml cup gives less proportions of flour, water and other ingredients as compared with 250 ml. the time will reduce for baking, if using 200 ml cup. usually when the bread becomes hard, then the culprit most of the times is yeast proofing not gone well. the yeast mixture should bubble and become frothy. if you bake for too long, the top becomes crusty and hard, but the texture of the bread will have some softness. so here in this case, its the prolonged baking time. also you can try using a good brand of yeast. also the temp of water should not be hot or on the cooler side.

      • Actually i used recently bought instant yeast from the local bakery only.

        I should try again again…

        • revathy, was it instant yeast or fresh yeast. usually bakeries sell fresh yeast. instant yeast comes in the form of fine granules which look similar to poppy seeds. fresh yeast is in a form of a solid block and is soft. if using fresh yeast, the amount will increase for any recipe that calls for dry active yeast. in this recipe, if using fresh yeast, you will need to add 1 tablespoon of it.

  14. Hi Dassana,
    I am a fan of your blog and it is my first go to place when in doubt.

    Tried making whole wheat bread in the past and white bread today, in both cases the dough rose very well, and had a beautiful crust on baking: however the loaf was dense and doughy on the inside both times, even after baking it for an extra 20 mins. What could have gone wrong?

    Can’t wait to try again, but will wait for your reply before i do. Thanks in anticipation 🙂

    • thanks girish. dense loaf can be due to yeast not proofing well or the quality of yeast. second not kneading the dough very well. if kneading with hands, then the dough has to be kneaded for 8 to 10 minutes. for yeast quality, you can buy a good brand of yeast like red star, mauripan/gloripan or you use fresh yeast, which is available in bakeries. but for fresh yeast the amount to be added will be more as compared to dry active or instant yeast. most of the times when the bread becomes dense, its the yeast proofing which is at fault. but since you mention that the dough had risen well, i am doubting if it is the yeast. if the proofing is done well, the dough also rises well. also try adding some more water while kneading. a faint slightly sticky dough is fine.

  15. Hi,I followed your white bread recipe and it turned out fine as you described. I’d probably add another tsp of salt to suit my taste next time I make this bread. I used instant dry yeast.Thanks for the recipe.

  16. Hello mam, whenever I use milk (3/4cup milk and 1/4cup water to proof active dry yeast) dough proofing is very slow and less especially the 2nd raise., whereas when I use water alone the dough proofing is good. So should I use more yeast if using milk? Kindly reply.

    • there is no need to use milk for proofing. you can add milk when kneading the dough. i have never used milk for proofing yeast, so i am not aware about it being slow. i always use water. if more yeast is used, then the bread gets a too much yeasty aroma and sour taste.

      • No mam, I used only water to proof the yeast. I used 1/4cup water to proof the yeast., and then directly added 3/4cup milk while kneading the dough. I didn’t use milk to proof the yeast.

        • okay benny. did you use warm milk or cold milk or milk at room temperature. its best to use milk at room temperature or lukewarm milk. if cold milk is added, it will affect the yeast multiplication in the dough.

  17. Hi dassana..i tried your bread recipes and it comes out very well…one thing what you said is correct…once we start to make homemade breads ..we wil not feel to buy store bought breads..thanks to you that now in my home we have a chemical free bread

    • thank you savitha for the feedback. homemade breads are so better than the store brought ones. even a simple white bread like this one is much better than the store brought white bread.

  19. hi mam, this is benny from chennai. Hope u remember me. Already I have commented on your paneer-butter-masala recipe. made this white bread and it came out well. And also saw your link for making whole wheat bread and the secret tip u gave to make it softer. So next I’m planning to try that also since it’s healthier than white bread. your blog helps even men to cook easily. All your recipes are so easy to follow that even a 10yr old can make it. Will share the results after making whole wheat bread. Thank you very much. bye for now.

  20. I tried this today…. it became too hard… outside crust was perfect but from inside it was just like a dough??? what to do?

    • shona, looks like the yeast did not proof well, hence the inside had a doughy texture. white bread is one of the most easiest breads to make. the only key point is that the yeast should proof well. if the yeast does not proof well or does not proof at all, then always throw the solution and start again. if the water is too hot, the yeast cells die. if the water is on the cooler side, the yeast cells do not get activated. a properly proofed yeast will help in leavening the bread well.

  21. Hi, Dassana! I would love to try this recipe but can I use bread flour instead of maida? will it change anything else in the recipe? Please advice.

  22. I am new to baking..after using my microwave for 5 yrs for purely reheating food ..I finally made bread today..it came out perfect. Thanks 🙂

  23. Hi Amit

    So well you have described the process with pics. Thank you .

    I am planning to buy Panasonic bread maker and would like to know if anyone has used bread maker

    Also can we use our normal chapati atta for the flour.

    Can you help please?

  24. Hi mam,
    I tried ur white bread recpie but instead of loaf i made cinnamon rolls amd garlic rolls which were perfect..second tine i made loaf with the same. Recpie but d bread was crumbley and crust was very hard.third i prepared stuffes mozorella chesse and sauted onions with corns and shaped like dominos garlic bread..it was also perfect..dont know what is the provlem wiyh loaf??

    • could be that more moisture/water was required in the dough. crumbliness could be due to not kneading the dough properly or less moisture. since a loaf is the entire dough being baked at once, try kneading very well and let the dough be soft, smooth and pliable.

  25. hi can we bake this bread in any aluminium pan like rectangular cake pan or we must bake in a bread loaf pan alone? and i kept the dough for rising for 2hrs even though it doubled in 1hr.is this could be the reason for the dense bread i got after baking?please clarify?bread was not very soft and little bit crumbling.

    • krithika, if making in a round pan, the structure and the shape of the bread can go awry. instead of spreading the dough completely in the pan, you can make small to medium sized buns and then place them in the pan leaving some space between them. dense bread is mostly due to yeast proofing not done well or quality of yeast. in a warm and humid climate, the dough can rise quickly.

  26. i have posted my doubts once again i dont know what happened to my previous posts?if it is a long post it wont appear?clarify my doubts regarding yeast smell, the pan to be used,if the dough increases in one hr is that enough,and can i insert a toothpick to check the bread ,i want to try once more.sorry for bothering u with too many questions.

    • harini, not received any of your queries. nothing like if its a long comment, it won’t appear. its alright, you can ask too many queries 🙂
      1. yeast smell depends on the quality of yeast. sense of smell is relative and for some there can be a sensitivity to the aroma of yeast.
      2. the rise of the dough depends on the temperature. in a hot and humid temperature, the dough will rise first. so if the dough has risen well, then its fine.
      3. you can try with a toothpick. i always knock on the loaf and only when i hear a hollow sound, i remove the loaf from the pan.

  27. If using instant yeast
    Then should v add 1/2 tbsp or only 1 tsp ?? Directly in flour
    Pls help ṭhank you

  28. hi, forgot to tell this. the yeast i used is good it frothed like urs in the picture.

  29. Hi!! Thanks for the stepwise pictures. Gives more confidence to novice bakers like me:)
    Tried this recipe yesterday. The bread came out slightly more dense than expected but the crust was too hard. I had a tough time cutting it into slices. Any idea what could have gone wrong?

    • thanks sandhya. the texture of white bread comes out very well if the yeast has proofed well. if the yeast has not proofed well, then the texture can becomes hard. so i feel this would be due to the yeast proofing or the quality of yeast. the crust also would become hard in this case. do try to use a better quality of yeast. also the water should be lukewarm when adding yeast. if its on the cooler side, the yeast do not activate and if on the hotter side, the yeast die. hope these tips help.

      • Thanks for your response 🙂
        I did take great precaution with proofing the yeast. It did froth but the entire vessel was not covered with froth. Only the centre portion was frothy. I used Bakers’ brand and the yeast is well within the expiry. Do you have any suggestions on a good brand available in India?

        • okay. even i used to have issues with baker’s brand, so i stopped using it. the froth should cover the entire bowl. it should be very frothy and bubbly. you can use mukhsha brand or bluebird. i use gloripan/mauripan brand of dry active yeast and instant yeast. instant yeast is better while making breads as the time taken is less.

  30. i have a doubt. my bread is sticking to bread pan even after applying oil. i know its the pan fault. i cant get a new one now. i bake bread every week. my doubt is can i bake bread by placing a parchment paper in the pan, so it wont stick.

  31. this is a great recipe. i tried this twice and on second attempt it was awesome. everybody liked it. thank you for posting this recipe. its a keeper. all your recipes r so good. i tried few recipes which turned out great. have to try a lot more.

  32. I am a great fan of your cooking . Please do help by telling how to bake a bread in microwave convection mode. For how much time we need to preheat the oven. I don’t have auto preheat option in my microwave. Do we need to keep the baking tin on a small stand or rack while cooking. Please help . it’s urgent. I am new to baking.

    • thanks sweta. oven needs to be preheated for 15 minutes. you have to manually preheat the oven in the convection mode. set the temperature to 190 degrees celsius and then preheat the oven for 15 minutes. then stop the oven. keep the loaf pan. again set the temperature to 190 degrees celsius and then bake the loaf.

  33. hi

    i tried this recipe with exact measurements and it came out fluffy and nice.
    i had some problems.
    1. it had yeasty smell even after baking. can i reduce yeast to 1 tsp for this recipe. didn’t like the yeasty smell. i used active dry yeast(blue bird)
    2. it was tasting a bit bitter.can u say why it is tasting like that.

    • the yeasty smell is due to the quality of yeast. i am not sure why the bitter taste. guessing could be due to the quality of flour. you can reduce the yeast to 1.5 tsp.

      • 1.5 tsp(7.5 ml) is same as 1/2 tbsp(7.5 ml) right. pls correct me if i’m wrong.
        i thought as the bread was yeast smelling i can reduce yeast to 1 tsp or even less.

        • in volume, the things are measured in ml. but in weight (as in grams), i think 1.5 is equal to 1/2 tbsp. so try using 1 tsp. i would also suggest that you buy a good quality yeast, if you plan to bake often.

  35. Dear dassana,I love the way you share your recipes they are so very well described and written.i tried the whole wheat bread but it turned out dense not that soft like market??plz suggest me where could I had missed also the top became hard n in this recipe how should I try half of this recipe??will wait for your reply

    • did the yeast proof well. meaning was the mixture bubbly and frothy. whenever a bread loaf turns out dense, its the yeast proofing thats at fault. you can halve this recipe. use water which is warm for proofing the yeast and it should not be hot.

  36. I wanna try it but there is a query. While searching on homemade yeast on Google I came across a site in which how to prepare yeast was given . One cup maida two tb dahi two tsp sugar and one tsp saunf were to mix together with luke warm water for about 5-6 minutes. Then stored in airtight container for 18-24 hours for yeast to form . Can I use it and what propotion should be for baking bread if not then where can I get dry active yeast.

    • harsimrat, i am not sure about the proportions and the time taken is too long. overnight should be fine. you will have to try this method to see if it works or not. i use the khameer or homemade yeast method for making bhaturas on this link – https://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/bhatura-recipe-bhature-bhatura/

      just use baking soda instead of baking powder in the above method and add the whole mixture to the bread recipe. use 2.25 to 2.5 cups flour and add water as required to get a soft smooth dough. don’t add any sugar. just add salt and oil. try this way if it works. you can also halve all the ingredients and make a small size of bread.

      yeast you can buy online also.

  37. Hello,
    Your recipe is very easy, did you cook this in microwave oven? If not, how to set the microwave oven to bake this bread, what is the temperature exactly? Thanks a lot.

  38. Awesome awesome…first time in my life I BAKED MY OWN BREAD!!!!Lovely recipe and so simple…thank you…

    • pooja, it should be baking safe. you have to ask the shopkeeper before buying that the tray is baking safe or not. the tray should withstand high temperature.

  41. Hi, thank for your reply. I just now tried Banana Cake and everybody loved it. My whole house was smelling of this cake. I wanted to know if you had any recipe for Khara(Spicy) bread and Palya bun(stuffed potato). Kindly help.

  42. Hi, I tried this bread receipe and it came out fine. I tried 1/3 rd of the quantity as this was my first time bread baking experience. I had a few issues. I wanted to know the time for baking 1/3rd of the quantity…Will it be the same 40-45 mins or less? I tried for 18 mins and it was baked completely however, the outer crust was extremely hard. I even brushed a few tsps of milk on it. Inside was soft but outside was hard. I did not wait for the bread to cool. I started to cut the bread immediately. Was it wrong?? Also i dissolved the yeast in water + milk mixture. Hence, the whey and milk fats were separated and through out the baking the bread smelt like curds. Is that wrong again? Pls advice.

    • hi usha, 1/3rd of the bread will take less time. the bread was baked must have got baked much earlier than 18 minutes. hence the crust got hardened due to over baking. if you cool, the crust will soften a bit. while proofing yeast, i always use water and not milk. i think some reaction has happened with the yeast and milk and hence the milk has got curdled. if adding milk, then add milk while kneading the dough. so in this case, you take half of water and proof yeast in that. then add milk when kneading. do keep the milk at room temperature or lukewarm.

  43. Hi! I have instant yeast.. Please suggest the amount n can I put it directly or I need to dissolve in water?

  44. Dassana yesterdays dinner rolls turned out good as left for frothing in milk and water, they befores dinner rolls were slight hard not vry, except for the stuffed chicken rolls which turned out soft may be due to filling. If i happen to go to town will check on the packing again. Dassana a request for doughnuts and jalebis pls. Thks!

  45. Dassana it took 2hrs for dough to risen, had kneaded dough with warm milk and water (qty as u mentioned). Pack mentioned dry instant yeast, so i had directly added to dough not left aside to froth. Is 2hrs ok after using dry instant yeast… Thk!

    • hi mohini, i think, its dry active yeast and not instant yeast. instant yeast packs are just labelled as instant yeast. ideally it should not take so much time. when i use it just take about 45 minutes. miracle… if the bread has doubled up, then you can bake. i hope the bread turned out good.

  46. Gd Mrng Dassana i did check the table u sent regarding qty of instant and dry active yeast, thks. In above recipe u hv mentioned dry yeast half tbsp so if using instant yeast it will b 1tsp right and sugar will b same 2tbsp…

    • good morning mohini. sugar quantity will be same. you are right, use 1 tsp of instant yeast. the time for rising of the dough will be less, while using instant yeast. that you have to check.

  48. Gd Mrng Dassana, made the white bread turned out excellent, thks a million. My hubby was vry happy that i culd bake bread at home. Next time i wuld like to give it a shape of dinner roll, culd u pls tell me hw that is dn. Thku!

    • thanks mohini for sharing positive review on white bread. i cannot explain how to shape the dinner rolls without photos. there are many shapes. you can check some youtube videos on how the rolls are shaped.

  49. hi..
    can i make bread in aluminum mold??
    and how to know… the dough is perfect for bread??
    what is mold is small in size?? can i divide in to two part??
    is it easy to make in otg?

    • you can make in aluminium pan, but it should be oven proof. meaning it should stand the high heat of the oven. when the dough has risen and doubled up, it means the bread can be rolled into a log and placed in the oven. you can divide into two parts. yes easy to make in OTG.

  50. Hi. I have a Pullman loaf pan with lid to bake breads. How do I use it for this recipe?
    I mean when shud I put d dough in d loaf pan n when shud I lid it?

    • there is no need to place the lid while baking. its for some bread recipes that lid is used. when the bread dough is getting risen in the loaf pan, that time you can place the lid.

  51. Had a dream of baking a bread. Looks like it’ll fulfill soon. But I don’t have a rectangular bread mould. Only cake moulds and I do have a rectangular aluminum/hindalium (not sure 🙁 ) ice cream maker mould. Can I use that to bake bread?

    • i am not sure about the ice cream mould. you can bake the bread in a cake pan. just the timing may vary due to the size of the pan. so do keep a check while baking.

  52. Hi dasanna…
    Nice to meet you. ..again☆☆☆;-)
    Since a few days I found the bread recipes but I can actually understand.
    But after reading ur article. .its so nice and u wrote it step by step. ..and briefly. .that I like it. ..now I can make it at home easily. .u know ur article became s very helpful to me. ..Thanks a lot. ..

  53. Hello Dassana,

    I am a big fan of ur recipes and have tried many recipes of urs and have never been disappointed by the results… Have recently started baking and have tried ur whole wheat pav and bread recipes and they turned out just too perfect.
    Need ur help in this recipe. I have instant yeast so can I follow the same steps as mentioned for whole wheat bread? also can I Use curd for white bread also,as m sure it helps make bread soft as u had mentioned in the whole wheat bread recipe. If not plz let me know the time I should leave the dough to rest after using instant yeast. Will await ur response. Thanks

    • thanks a lot rashmi. the amount of instant yeast required is much less as compared to dry active yeast. in this recipe you need to add 1 tsp of instant yeast. you can also use this online yeast conversion tool to get the amount of instant yeast for future reference – http://www.traditionaloven.com/conversions_of_measures/yeast_converter.html

      you can add curd in white bread. they will become soft. but just little curd. about 1/2 tbsp. as white bread is already soft when made without curd. after kneading the dough, keep it to leaven for about 35 mins. if the temperature is cool or cold outside, you can keep for some more minutes. after the second rise, make a loaf and then again keep for the second rice for 20 to 25 minutes or more if the temperature is low. then bake in a preheated oven.

  54. Hi my yeast didnt get frothyI tried trice.please tell where i went wrong.

    • shalini, the water has to be warm. if the water is hot or not enough warm the yeast will not get activated. the quality of yeast also matters.

  55. If your bread became hard find a bread bag or a closed container to store it in once it’s cooled down….. I have the same problem but once i do this it cuts nicely. How ever i do not use canola oil…. i use organic sunflower oil but all in all an amazing and great recipe…… few ingredients and great directions/pictures to follow.

  56. Hi,

    Could you please let me know how to bake bread in microwave as I have LG GRILL MICROWAVE.

  57. Hi dassana
    Easy recipe to try. I just baked it today. Texture was alright … It raised well too. Because my pan was round and small, I baked them as smaller buns . Their outer crust was hard and could nt cut them at all due to this. Wonder what went wrong. I baked at 170 c for 40 minutes on convection mode . Do u think I should have reduced the temp further as their size was smaller ?

    Suparna

    • hi suparna. the buns have got over baked and thats why the outer crust was hard. small buns take less time to bake than a whole loaf. the temperature is fine. but the time should have been less. next time you can just bake for 25 to 30 mins. when the top gets browned, just tap the buns. they should sound hollow.

  58. Hi Dassana,
    Happy to spot ur bread making site which I was searching from a very very long time,!!!

    ! I have had many attempts with 100 percent whole wheat n which all wer all very dense
    l
    later 2cup maida n 1 cup wheat turned out to b somewhat k.

    When I use 2teaspn yeast for 3 cup flour it s smelling yeasty,but the commrcial. Breads never smells so. Any idea? Also wen u say I 1 cup , how it’s n ltrs or mg

    Cd u tell me

    Ur locatn as wen we keep the dough for 3-4 hrs for rising in India ,it can make. It too sour as the climate is hot
    If u don’t mind my last question is, I use a convection microwave 200 degrees for 45 mts doesn’t cook well near sides ,can u suggest me an ideal temp n time for baking n preheating, my
    Crest is always correct but below dat I seed some thing powdery n looks like. Uncooked
    Thanks in advance!love to hear from u!!!!
    Cheers !!!!!
    Jisha

    • hi jisha

      whole wheat bread will be dense. you can try the whole wheat bread recipe from the blog and this one is not dense. apart from yeast, a lot of additives and preservatives, gluten enhancers are used in commercial bread. thats why they don’t have a yeasty aroma. 1 cup is 250 ml. but when you weight a dry substance, the weight differs as per the density of the substance.

      if the climate is hot or very hot, then you have to keep for a less time than mentioned in the recipe. the dough should be doubled. once its doubled, you can make the loaf and keep again for some minutes.

      i suggest you to keep the bread covered with butter paper or aluminium foil and bake for a longer time. it seems your breads are not getting baked thoroughly. you can bake from 180 to 200 degrees C in your microwave oven in the convection mode. preheating should be atleast for 15 to 20 mins.

  59. What a wonderful recipe. But actually I am looking for a white bread recipe without yeast. Can you help me out with that please?

    • till now i have never made any bread without yeast. so i am unable to help you. there are soda breads, beer breads which do not use yeast, but i have never tried them.

  60. I have tried to follow the recipe but when i backed it in microwave oven the end result was not satisfactory. the bread was not presentable

  61. Hi.. loved your recipe.. tried first with maida.. came out great only thing is crust gets very very hard.. can you tell me how to make soft bread like we get in store? also in brown bread I had to cook it longer so crush was ver hard again and bread was very dense.. please tell me proper ratio of yeast and water for 3 cup of whole wheat flour.. and how to make it less dense(I know as for whole wheat it will be dense)

    Thanks in advance

    • hi sapana. let me know which oven you use. regular oven/OTG or the convection mode in microwave. i generally use 1/2 tbsp of dry active yeast for 3 cups of whole wheat flour. check this recipe for 100% atta bread where i have used yogurt to make the bread light & soft – https://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/100-whole-wheat-bread-atta-bread/

      for the brown bread, depending on the type and quality of flour, you can increase the quantity of water. a slightly moist and wet dough is good and does not make the bread dense while baking. again the yeast must have not proofed well, which might have contributed to the denseness. the yeast should bubble up and cover the whole bowl.

      • Hi Dassana,
        Thanks for replying! I made it in convection mode in microwave. I have added 1/2 tbsp Gloripan yeast in 1 cup of water and not used yogert at all.. I used ashirwad atta 3 cups and added yeast mixture and it was too thick so i have added little milk to make it soft but bread came out very very dense…
        Also My biggest problem is hard crush.. When my bread is cooked it very hard to cut through..
        Please tell me what temperature I need to cook it and for how long. Also suggest me how to make less dense whole wheat bread.. Yeast I use is fantastic quality.. anything else I can do to make it less dense?
        BTW , I tried your pizza recipe.. Its FANTASTIC 🙂 .. Everyone loved it… the pictures u take are tooo goood 🙂

        ~ sapana

        • hi sapana. from your description, its looks like the bread was very very dense. i have also made whole wheat bread without adding curd etc. they were dense but not too much. i think its the flour quality. i know gloripan yeast is good. i use the same brand for active yeast. now for the crust, the issue here is both the denseness as well as the baking time. i keep bread loaf at 200 or 220 degrees C and bake for about anywhere between 35 to 60 mins, depending on the recipe and the size of the bread.

          since you use convection mode, i suggest you to use -10 to -20 degrees less than what the recipe mentions. since microwave have fans in it. so if the recipe calls for 180 degrees in aregular OTG, you can bake for 170 or 160 degrees C. bread should not be hard to cut through.

          whole wheat bread has a denseness. it cannot be as light as the ones made with maida or all purpose flour. the denseness will vary though. if you can get your hands on vital wheat gluten, then it helps to leaven the bread well. then you can also use some yogurt or vinegar. they also help in the gluten development.

          i have also seen two methods of making bread which help to make the bread lighter and softer. one is a japanese tangzhong method and the other uses a sponge and biga mixture. one link from my friend nag’s blog for the japanese tangzhong method and the other one from a blogger friend sangeetha. i hope it helps you. the japanese bread use maida, but you can make them with whole wheat flour too. i haven’t tried any of these methods, but i know these work.

          1. http://www.cookingandme.com/2013/03/hokkaido-milk-bread-recipe-soft-bread.html
          2. http://www.spicytreats.net/2013/10/100-whole-wheat-sandwich-bread-whole.html

  62. Hi! Thanks for your detailed recipe. Luv to try it. Pls tell me if baking has to be fm top and bottom or bottom alone. Eagerly waiting for d response…

    • when i bake breads at home (which i make every week), i keep the bread in the center rack and both the top as well as the bottom heating elements are on. for this bread however, i used the convection mode in the microwave oven and only the top element is heated.

  64. Hi Dassana

    Wanted to know if we can try this with any other flour. My husband has gluten allergy hence wanted to bake bread at home with other flours such as ragi / rice/ rajgira/ jowar flour.

    • hi shalu, breads can be made with other flours, but the proportion of the ingredients have to be changed. the whole recipe becomes different. in the market there are gluten free flours available. these are used for making breads and cakes. let me know and i can send you the online links. if you live in india you can buy online. if you live in america then you will be able to get them in the stores.

      if you use exclusively ragi or jowar or rajgira, the results are different. i usually combine ragi with wheat flour to make ragi breads. however i have seen that when i increase the proportion of ragi, the bread becomes way too dense.

  68. I have tried it but my bread became very hard…

    I am not even able to cut it…

    Please suggest some thing to avoid it….

    • the bread become hard as the yeast did not get activated. generally this is the number one reason for bread becoming hard.

  71. hi dassana,
    thanks for this recipe.. i tried it yest and it was really good.. i have posted it in my space too.. do check it out in your free time 🙂
    “http://jopreet.blogspot.in/2013/02/white-bread-my-first-baking-experience.html”

  72. hi Dassana,thanks a lot fr ur white bread recipe.i tried it in microwave ,it cm out vry well.it was soft n all my family members lovd it vry much.all ur recipes are fabulous.i hv tried sm.pls cn u post me th recipe of [atta] brown bread.th expirence of making th bread was great,n th taste n texture was too gud.u just made my day.
    Thanks a ton.

    • thats nice rima. i will post the atta bread soon. bread making is a very satisfactory and lovely task. in fact i make so many breads at home, but just never take pics. there are a few bread recipes in drafts that i will post soon.

  74. Hi Dassana,
    I tried the bread recipe last week and it came out good. I however could use only 3/4 cup of maida to 11/2 cup of wheat flour when using 1 cup of water….it could be because of the quality of the wheat flour or the weather like you mentioned. Nevertheless,it came out pretty good and everyone at home seemed pleased. The next day i made chaat style aloo cheese toast sandwich from the bread that i had baked and it not only tasted great but the whole experience was very gratifying…thank you.

    • thanks ashwini. the quality of the flour does contribute to the bread’s texture. it is so much satisfying to bake your own bread for your loved ones and family. when the bread is baking in the oven, the aroma of the bread baking is soooo nice 🙂

      the chaat style aloo sandwich is also a great option for sandwich. but at home i am so much partial to bombay sandwich, that i often make it, apart from bread pakoras.

      • Can you please post some recipes of whole wheat cookies…..sweet and savory ones.Thank you dassana.

        • dear ashwini, there is one post in the drafts of cheese biscuits made from whole wheat flour. this one is like cheese straws. i had made these spiced biscuits some week ago, but still have to post them. i will also try to make some sweet cookies. i had made a few like banana cookies and semolina cookies. but did not take pics.

  75. Hi, I loved the recipe and thinking of trying it. Can I substitute bread flour instead of all purpose? Also do you think adding chillies, cilantro, onions will make the bread hard? Ypur bread looks soft and perfect

    • sure sinduja, you can make the bread with bread flour. i have also made the same bread recipe with whole wheat flour many times and the bread was soft and moist always. you can add onions, herbs to the bread. they won’t make the bread hard. just chop them finely when adding to the dough.

    • i don’t know which microwave oven you are using. if it is just microwave than you cannot preheat. if your microwave oven has convection/baking and grilling facilities in it than only you can preheat the oven in the convection mode. check the manufacture’s manual to know what kind of microwave oven you have.

      also this bread recipe cannot be made in the microwave… i mean it is not a microwave recipe.

  78. Hi Dasana,
    I made the bread this weekend it was just fantastic.The shape was a bit flat …next time will correct it as I cud nt slice but cut as Pav.The taste n texture was just too good.
    Thanks a ton !

  80. hi Dassana,
    thank you for the links, probably i have done some mistakes as mentioned in the quaker oats link.
    my friends think the bread is quite good, may be i am being too critical. thanks again!
    happy recipe posting

  81. hi dassana
    made wheat bread instead of white has come out well but appears a little dry, don’t know where i went wrong, hope it will turn out better next time

  82. yes truly homemade bread aroma is simply worth making.and your pics wow!! they make it all the more tempting. one query which brand dry yeast is advised?

    • previously i was using crown brand. but i did not like the results it gave. the bread would not rise to its optimum. currently i am using another brand. its very good. i made many breads with it and all were excellent.

      only these two brands are available where i stay. but i do not remember what is its name. i have been struggling hard to remember the name. i have a poor memory for names. i remembered the crown brand as i still have the plastic jar with me. i will update you once i buy the same yeast again.

  84. those are some gorgeous pictures! love the light play.. and a gorgeous loaf. those intangible ingredients are so necessary:)

    Thanks for the comment on brendan’ s interview.. i wouldnt have been able to do it last year.. things are looking up this year,.. lets hope they keep looking up!

  85. i think in point no 14, you have mentioned 11/2-2 hours but i suppose it will be 1/2-2 hours

  86. Hi Dassana

    Wow what a lovely post and congrats on your 300th Post, its really great that u have completed so many fabulous recipes for we readers. Soon you will complete 500 and then 1000.

    take care
    sunita

  87. There is nothing more comforting and delicous then the process, smell and taste of fresh baked bread. Your recipe sounds great! And your photos, WOW! I love the shadows and small highlights. Perfect all around.

    • thanks a lot nancy…. i am a great admirer of your photography. feeling so good to hear such positive & encouraging comments from you 🙂