Making bread is really enthusiastic experience, there is no great mystery in it but simple things do need to be followed. One most important and first thing to bear in mind that too much heat will kill off yeast. Here I am sharing basic homemade bread recipe with you. Making your own home baked bread really give you a tremendous feeling of creativity and satisfaction. 
INGREDIENTS:
- Warm water – 1 1/2 cups (100 degree F)
- Active dry yeast – 1 1/2 tsp
- Sugar – 1 Tbsp
- Salt – 1/2 tsp
- All-purpose flour – 4 1/2 cups
- Unsalted butter, very soft – 2 Tbsp
- Unsalted butter, very soft – for greasing and brushing (1 tsp)
- Olive Oil – 1 Tbsp
METHOD:
Yeast Mixing :
- In a large mixing bowl, Combine 1/2 cup of the water with the yeast and sugar and leave until frothy - about 10 minutes.
Flour Mixing :
- Add the remaining water, butter, 2 1/2 cups of flour and the salt to the yeast mixture. Mix with a wooden spoon (or in a mixer), adding the remaining flour , one cup at a time , until dough pulls cleanly away from the sides of the bowl. Knead well until dough become smooth and not sticky.
Kneading :
- Turn dough out on to a lightly floured surface, fold it in half towards you then push down and away from you. Give the dough a quarter turn and repeat folding and pushing, using the heel of your hand. The dough will be soft and sticky at first, but it will become more elastic as you knead it well, so don’t be tempted to add more flour. Don’t try to pull or tear the dough. If you do so, you will break the strands of gluten that you are working hard to develop.
- Continue kneading for an additional 5 to 10 minutes the dough feels soft, smooth, silky and elastic.
Rising:
- Shape dough into a ball and place it back in the large, lightly oiled mixing bowl and cover with lightly oiled plastic wrap to rise until doubled, about 1 to 1 and 1/2 hours. Slowly risen dough makes the best bread, so leave the dough at room temperature or in a very gently heated place.
Work on Risen Dough:
- Turn the risen dough out onto an un-floured surface and punch down all over to flatten out the air. Now Knead the dough again and again until smooth and elastic. No need to use any extra flour as it will spoil the final texture of the bread.
Grease loaf pan:
- Grease your 8x4 inch loaf pan with butter and keep it aside.
Shaping the dough:
- Shape the dough into about a 9 inch wide x 12 inch tall rectangle, with the short side towards you. Fold one third of the dough down, then fold it down again. Pinch the bottom seam to seal. Your rectangle should be approximately 9x4 now. Turn the seam side up. Fold each end over about 1/2 inch, tuck in any loose ends and pinch to seal. Place the loaf seam side down into the greased 8x4 inch loaf pan.
- Cover loaf pans lightly with oiled plastic wrap and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 45-60 minutes. Dough will rise above the top of the pan.
Baking :
- Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375 degree F.
- Brush the risen dough with butter or olive oil before baking.
- Place your loaf pan in oven and bake for 35 to 40 minutes. Your bread is done when the loaf will be golden color and when turn it out of the pan and tapped on the bottom with your knuckles - it should sound hollow.
- Now you can turn the loaf out of the pan and bake upside down on the oven shelf for 3 minutes to crisp the crust all over.
- Remove the loaf from the oven and and let it cool completely on a wire rack(3 to 4 hours) before slicing.
Note:
- Most breads are best eaten about 3 to 4 hours after baking.
- warm water must be not hotter than 100 degree F. A liquid that is too hot will kill off the yeast and the dough will not rise.
