One Hour Bread
Yes! I developed a recipe for One Hour Bread!
This simple homemade bread recipe is a game-changer if you want to elevate a weeknight meal, make an epic avocado toast, or just want a buttery warm slice.
Just because.
Bread is the thing that hits the table when you go out to dinner and all hands are instantly in the basket.
It's community food in a way that nothing else is and it goes well with everything. Like I actually can't think of anything right now that doesn't go well with bread (I was gonna say ice cream, but there's such a thing as ice cream bread that is really delicious).
This bread is really simple - especially if yeast-bread baking is normally not in your comfort zone.
Not much kneading, not much waiting, and really not many ingredients, but tons of flavor!
The inside is soft and fluffy - a perfect vehicle for butter, olive oil, or avocado. The crust is thick with a little sprinkle of salt, perfect for dipping, and this bread makes a most fantastic grilled cheese. You'll impress whoever you are nice enough to share with, no doubt.
The original recipe came from a chef friend. I adjusted it a little to shorten the cooking time and have made this recipe over and over. It seriously never fails me and be warned: warm from the oven, this bread is hard to walk away from.
Once you cut into it, it disappears.
Ingredients Needed
For this easy, beginner bread recipe, you'll need:
- Active Dry Yeast
- Light Brown Sugar
- Warm Water
- All-Purpose Flour
- Olive Oil
- Kosher Salt (or other flaky salts)
- Fresh Herbs and Garlic (optional)
Tips for One Hour Bread Success
- Use a fast-acting / rapid-rise yeast like this one
- Check your water temperature. With experience you can use your fingers to test; the general rule is for the water to be slightly warmer that body temperature. 120°–130°F is typically the recommendation for a rapid rise yeast. If you don't have an instant-read kitchen thermometer, I highly recommend you get one!
- There are a few ways you can quick-proof the dough.
- On top of the preheated oven (if the stovetop is warm to the touch).
- Microwave a coffee cup of water until it boils. Place the covered bowl of dough in the microwave and close the door. DO NOT TURN ON THE MICROWAVE. This will proof the bread in about 15 minutes.
- In an oven set to 150°- 200°F. If you choose this route, DO NOT preheat the oven to 400°F in step 1. You can also place an oven-safe cup of water (a coffee cup works!) in the oven next to the bowl.
If you love fresh homemade bread, but don't have all day to fuss around with proofing and rising and kneading. OR if you are a beginner bread-maker, this recipe is just the thing.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon active dry yeast a fast rising yeast is best!
- 1 tablespoon packed light brown sugar
- 1 ¼ cups warm water read the yeast package for the best temperature recommendation, but typically you want it just slightly warmer than body temperature.
- 3 cups all purpose flour plus more for kneading
- 2 tablespoons olive oil plus more to brush over the loaf
- ¾ teaspoons kosher salt plus a little more for sprinkling on top
- 2 teaspoons fresh herbs OR ½ teaspoon dried I opted for rosemary - it is the most versatile, but if you have an herb garden or a favorite blend switch it up!
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- In a large bowl stir together the active dry yeast, light brown sugar, and warm water. Let it sit for about 5 minutes -- the yeast will bloom in the bowl.
- Add the flour, olive oil, salt, and herbs. Stir until the flour is mostly incorporated and starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl. It will be mostly smooth -- you can use your fingers to press in any remaining flour bits, but DO NOT KNEAD yet.
- Lift the dough out of the bowl and make a rough ball (this keeps it from sticking to the bowl too much while proofing). Place it back in the bowl, cover with a kitchen towel, and place the covered bowl on top of the stove above the preheating oven. See note. Let it proof for 20-30 minutes.
- Scatter flour on a clean work surface. Turn the proofed dough out onto the flour and knead only 3 or 4 times. Shape the dough into an oval.
- Spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray or line with parchment. Place the loaf on the prepared pan.
- Brush the top with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.
- Use kitchen shears or a sharp knife to cut 3 or 4 slashes across the top of the loaf.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes. The outside will be a pretty golden color.
- Let the bread rest for a few minutes before slicing.
- Best served warm but will keep, tightly wrapped, for 1-2 days (if it lasts that long)
Bro. Thanks for allowing me to outdo myself yet again. I used fresh rosemary and sage in the dough and topped with pink Himalayan salt ??
OOOHHHH THE SALT ?
OMG..easy and delicious! I have made this several times, given it to neighbors, and everyone falls in love with it! I used Mrs. Dash in the bread. I would put a photo of it on here, but it just never sticks around long enough to do that! Yummy yeast bread in an hour...who would have thought??
This recipe is amazing! I usually half it as it is so dangerously good that we would eat too much it if I made a whole loaf. My husband salavates over this bread. The first time I tried this I had ran out of brown sugar so I used an equal amount of honey and have not tried it any other way since. I also use fresh rosemary, chives and sprinkle some garlic powder into it. Yuuuuuummy! Thanks for the recipe!
Thanks so much for the tip on honey, Aubrey!
I made this today and it came out brilliantly. We had it with a chicken and bacon lasagna. Love this and this recipe is a keeper !!
Thank you, Andrea!
Can I substitute the brown sugar with regular cane sugar? I didn't realize I was out of it. Thanks!
Yes! That will work just fine
Thanks for sharing this lovely recipe. I tried it however my bread turned out a little doughy in the center. I used a pizza stone instead of a regular metal pan. Could that be the reason for it? The crust was beautiful and crunchy and delicious though. The bread looked perfect on the outside too.
I did pull it out of the oven in 30 mins as it looked quite done. Could that be the cause?
I am considering breaking the dough into smaller parts and baking next time, so it cooks better. Is that something you have tried?
Happy to have any additional insight from you.
I made this today and it was fantabulous! Thank you for the amazing recipe!
Thank you, Chris! So glad you enjoyed it!
Can I substitute whole wheat flour?
I'd go half and half and see how it goes. Whole wheat flour is heavier and the proteins behave differently so the bread would probably not rise as well / be more dense without a blend
Perfect bread to go with some stew or soup! Made spicy vegetable soup and this loaf went great with it. It has a perfect, salty crust. I went a little heavy with the herbs knowing myself but otherwise followed the recipe exactly.
So glad you had success with this, Ally! Thank you for reading!
@Ally, I'm making this bread with veggie stew too! Can't wait to try it.
YUMMMMMMMMM - hope you loved it as much as we do!
Delicious! Will be making this often!
Thank you, Margaret!
This bread turned out great made just as the recipe said, even though I live in high elevation. It had a crispy, salty, crunchy crust and a thick, dense but fluffy middle....PERFECT FOR BREAD BOWLS OR TRENCHERS. I made it to go with some savory bean and bacon soup that I made tonight. Perfect!
I haven't tried it yet, but am tempted to do so today or tomorrow since it sounds so fast! The only thing is that I have regular sugar, not brown sugar. Can I use that instead? Thanks in advance!
Hi Yvonne! You can! It will feed the yeast the same way ?
I made this last night here in Turkey ?? as an accompanying dish to macaroni cheese & salad it was fabulous!
I sprinkled black onion seeds on the top.
Thanks so much, Maria!
This recipe is so easy and fun for little ones to help with! We added Kalamata olives and sundried tomato pieces to ours and it disappeared almost before I could get the rest of dinner put down on the table! Four little sous chef's all gave it 2 thumbs up.
Dorah this comment made my day! Thank you so much!