Very Simple White Loaf by Allinson's

  • Total Time

    55m

    • Prep Time

      20m

    • Bake Time

      35m

  • Serves

    1

  • Skill Level

    Easy

  • Dietary Needs

    EF/Veg
    • Egg free
    • Vegetarian

  • 54 Reviews

    5 star rating

If you haven't tried making your own bread before, then this is the best place to start. Lots of people think that making bread is daunting, but it's actually very simple! This is a basic simple white bread recipe using Allinson's very strong white bread flour. In just a few simple steps of mixing, kneading, proving and baking, you'll have a loaf of freshly made bread soon. 

Making your own bread isn't just fun, it fills your home with the one of the best smells in the world and you get to enjoy the results at the end of it. If you don't know how to knead bread, we've got some easy videos in the method steps to help you on your way. 

If you haven't got a loaf tin, do not worry. You don't need a loaf tin, just shape it into an oval and there you have it. 

Homemade bread doesn't contain any harsh chemicals so you'll notice it doesn't last as long as supermarket bread. Store in an airtight container for 2-3 days for ultimate freshness. You can freeze your bread if you wish, just wrap tightly with cling film or use a sandwich bag. When you come to use it, just defrost at room temperature for a couple of hours beforehand. 

Homemade bread is perfect for toasting too. Morning, lunches, as a side for dinner- it's so versatile! 

Method

  1. Mix the flour, salt and sugar in a large bowl. Rub in the butter, stir in the yeast.

  2. Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture and add the warm water. Mix together until a soft dough starts to form. This will take a couple of minutes.Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic, this can take up to 10 minutes

  3. Shape into a loaf and drop into a lightly greased 900g (2lb) loaf tin, or shape into a round on a baking tray. To make rolls, divide the dough in to 50g-75g pieces, shape into balls and place on a warm baking sheet.

  4. Cover the dough with oiled cling film or a damp tea cloth and leave to rise in a warm place for about 45 minutes- 1 hour or until the dough has doubled in size.

    Top Tip: How to Get a Crisp Crust on your Bread

  5. Pre-heat your oven to 230°C, 210°C Fan / 450°F / Gas Mark 8.

  6. Sprinkle the dough with a little flour to create a crisp, rustic coating on top of the bread. Place in the centre of the pre-heated oven and bake for 15 minutes then reduce the oven temperature to 200°c (180°C fan, 400°F, gas mark 6) and cook for a further 15-20 minutes until the bread is risen and golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped underneath.

  7. For rolls, bake just for 15-20 minutes at 230C, 210 Fan/450F/Gas Mark 8. Turn out the bread and cool on a wire rack.

Let's Bake

The easiest way to follow a recipe

Reviews

  1. 4 star rating

    I substituted 100 ml of the water with 100 ml of milk, it gives it a fancy crust also the second prove should be a cold one maybe in the fridge overnight, much lighter bread

  2. 2 star rating

    I used the written recipe, whilst the flavour was nice it wasn’t a loaf in the traditional sense. It was very dense, did not rise when cooking. Had a nice crust. I think the video method (which I watched afterwards will produce better results).

  3. 5 star rating

    I made this loaf very hesitantly as I've always had bad experiences when making bread but this turned out wonderfully! I followed the recipe to a T, kneaded by hand and left it to rise in the sun.
    I didn't have a loaf tin so I just shaped it into a round on a baking tray. It was a huge cob after baking, enough for at least 8 people imo.
    I will definitely use this recipe again.
    Thanks for giving me the confidence to make bread!

  4. 1 star rating

    Did I miss something, in the video you allow the dough to ferment for two hours, then knock it down and shape before placing in 2lb loaf time for final proving. However your written instructions say to shape and place straight into a loaf tin, totally skipping the fermentation stage. Which method is correct?
    ________________________________________________
    Hello,

    You can use either method, traditionally you prove the dough twice, but if you are short of time a 1 prove bread is lovely,

    Happy Baking!

  5. 5 star rating

    Just made this, came out great

  6. 5 star rating

    Thank you for such a straight forward and successful recipe. Delicious bread baked for brunch this morning. A delicious crust too.

  7. 5 star rating

    OMG - I surprised myself! First loaf and it's amazing!

  8. 5 star rating

    Never made bread in my life. Tried first on a baking tray lovely oval loaf. Next bought a loaf tin and made a classic shaped loaf. Both turned out perfectly.
    Give it a go, you will never buy supermarket factory produced bread again.
    If i can do it anybody can.

  9. 5 star rating

    At last easy well explained recipe that work
    Thank you !!!!!!!!

  10. 5 star rating

    Thanks for the this this is my first time doing this and the smell is amazing thank you so much.

  11. 5 star rating

    How many g yeast is in the sachet please
    --------------------------------------------
    Hi there, a sachet of Allinson Easy Bake Yeast weighs 7g. Good luck and happy baking :)

  12. 5 star rating

    How much yeast do I need
    ________________________________________________
    You should use 1 sachet of Allinson's Easy Bake Yeast (equivalent to 7g) in this loaf. Happy Baking!

  13. 5 star rating

    Brilliant Recipe, nice and easy, the bread tastes delicious.
    Didn't have a sachet of yeast, just the little tub, So i used 2 teaspoons of yeast. Definitely be making again

  14. 3 star rating

    Mine was a bit heavy inside too, what causes this? Not enough kneading or not cooked long enough? It doubled its size so not that Please help then will try again. Thanks

    -------------------------------
    Hi there,
    Sounds like it needed a bit longer to cook in the oven. Best way for checking if it's done is to knock on the underside once it's baked. If you hear a hollow 'light' sound, it's ready, a dull thud or a soft knock tends to mean it's still a bit under baked. If you bake for 5-7 minutes thereafter and keep checking. This should do the trick.
    Happy Baking

  15. 5 star rating

    Lovely bread. Followed the recipe exactly and it was foolproof. Makes fabulous toast as well!

  16. 3 star rating

    Thanks for the recipe, I would like to know if I can double or triple all the ingredients to make more loads of Bread. I like to bake for the week, we have a Large Family.
    --------------------------------------
    Yes you can! The larger the dough ball you make, the longer it will take to prove and bake. You're best off making the dough and then segmenting it into smaller pieces to prove and bake. This way they'll all prove at the same time.
    Happy Baking!

  17. 5 star rating

    I have made a few loaves since we have been in lockdown and have never got the texture or the crust just how I wanted it. This recipe and method produced a really lovely loaf. Beautiful springy texture and a nice crisp crust. Thank you.

    I made a couple of small variations - I mixed the warm water with the yeast and then added that to the dry mixture. I then used a Kenwood Magimix to mix and knead the dough for around 8 minutes. I left the dough to prove for an hour. When I preheated the oven I put an empty metal flan dish on the bottom shelf. I scored the top of the loaf and lightly sprinkled it with flour. When I put the loaf in the oven I poured some boiling water into the empty flan tin to produce some steam.

  18. 5 star rating

    we made it yesterday for the first time and my 6 years old daughter loves it. We baked it for 35 min in 180degC ( my oven tend to get hotter ) and came out really good, will do it again soon.

  19. 5 star rating

    Great recipe - found that adding a few drops of olive oil to bowl in warm environment made the dough easy to shape to the tin and really smooth and expanded quickly ! Tastes amazing !

  20. 5 star rating

    Love this recipe my bread comes out amazing every time
    It’s so easy .i make a fresh loaf every 2 days love it

  21. 5 star rating

    Excellent recipe p and beautiful bread

  22. 4 star rating

    I have been making this bread recipe for over three weeks, but I cannot get it right. I knead and stretch for 10mins, but it never becomes smooth. It bakes well and tastes good, but it is so dense

  23. 5 star rating

    Easy, tastes delicious

  24. 5 star rating

    Excellent recipe

  25. 5 star rating

    I used plain white flour instead of bread flour and the recipe worked just as well!! The bread was a little dense, but I’m fairly certain that’s because it was my first time making bread!

  26. 5 star rating

    Wow. Never had bread rise to this size before in my life! Looks delicious. Thank you. Will wait till its cooled down and then slice up bread for the freezer.Thanks for sharing recipe.

  27. 5 star rating

    Need to be able to buy tin and all ingredients in these times.

  28. 1 star rating

    Tried making this today very doughy, thick rock hard crust, was hoping for soft light 🤮

  29. 5 star rating

    Made today & it cane out lovely.

    Nice crust, nice & soft inside. Will try the rolls next

  30. 5 star rating

    Brilliant recipe, very tasty and rises well to make nice spongy bread.

  31. 5 star rating

    Want to make this but want to know if I can freeze it afterwards and for how long ty
    ________________________________________________

    Yes you definitely can freeze bread, we would actually recommend slicing it then wrapping and freezing the slices (or a couple of slices together) separately so that you only defrost what you need and the rest of the bread can be saved for another time. To freeze make sure that the loaf has fully cooled, then double wrap in cling film and place in the freezer. To defrost leave the bread to room temperature then you can warm in the oven (wrapped in tin foil) for 10 mins so it's taste like freshly baked bread.

  32. 5 star rating

    It came out so well. Very soft and yummy. I have sprinkled sesame seeds over it. Simply soft and nice. Thanks for the recipe.

  33. 5 star rating

    I have used this recipe to make the bread in the oven and also the bread maker and it's just fantastic.
    No matter how you make your bread this is just the best recipe I've used and looking forward to trying more from this site five stars all round.

  34. 5 star rating

    Just made a 2lb loaf and it came out fantastic! Really glad I found this recipe.

    Can this recipe be adjusted for a 1lb loaf tin and if it can, how?

    Thank you!

  35. 5 star rating

    Beautiful loaf, subbed water for semi skimmed milk. Delicious!

  36. 5 star rating

    Omg! This is the easiest tastiest bread EVER! We have to make two at a time as the first loaf doesn't get chance to cool! Why would you buy bread when you can make this! Thankyou!

  37. 5 star rating

    After spending years baking bread from packet mixes. I found most of them quite dense and heavy. But now I've discovered baking mad. I am now on my second loaf. I followed the Allinsons video to letter..the result was brilliant. Now I have the family queuing up to try it. It was light and crispy. Can't wait to experiment with a few more recipes.

  38. 5 star rating

    Well the results of my bread are amazing tastes just as good too. Nice and crunchy crust and very tasty.

  39. 5 star rating

    Have just made 2 1lb loafs using this recipe and have just put them in the oven. Looking forward to seeing the end result.

  40. 5 star rating

    Will this recipe take 50% wholemeal flour & 50% white?
    _______________________________________________

    Hi,

    Yes you can alter the flour quantities to 50% white/wholemeal. You may need to add a touch more water to the mix however as wholemeal flour can make the dough a little drier.

    Happy Baking!

  41. 5 star rating

    I have made this loaf a few times now and added a little twist by using semi skimmed milk instead of water. It produces the best loaf I have ever made. It is light and browns really nicely due to the milk. This loaf has been a hit with family and friends and is definitely a simple way to make a great loaf.

  42. 5 star rating

    Made bread today using your simple recipe and it turned out fantastic. It was so yummy, will definitely be making it again.

  43. 5 star rating

    Just in the process of making this it’s in the oven cooking and if it turns out as good as the last time i made family will be very happy it’s so easy to make just wondering if I could sprinkle some sesame seeds on the top

    ________________________________________________
    Hi

    Yes you can add toppings to your loaf, you may want to brush the top of your dough with egg wash before sprinkling the seeds.

    Happy Baking

  44. 5 star rating

    Tried this yesterday and was very happy with the results not only does it look great it smells beautiful and tastes better than store-bought bread, in the middle of making another as the last results were amazing. It’s so simple and all the things you need are not very pricey. Fabulous!

  45. 4 star rating

    Just took load out looks amazing. Hubby will test when he gets home from work.

    Just a question. I kneeded for roughly 10 minutes. But it didn't get as big as in previous pics. Posted. But finally I have made one that has risen and looks amazing. Been trying out recipes and am a beginner.
    ________________________________________________

    Hi,

    It is correct to knead your dough for 10 minutes by hand, or alternatively 5 minutes using a dough hook attachment in a food mixer. This however, will not increase the size of your loaf, this happens when it is left to prove, covered, in a warm environment. Typically a kitchen should be warm enough, however in winter you could prove it close to a radiator to give it a helping hand.

    There is no set time to leave your dough to prove, it should be left until it has doubled in size. If it has not reached the size that you have expected, leave it a little while longer. However, be careful not to let it overprove as this can lead to a sunken loaf.

    Happy Baking

  46. 5 star rating

    I must say this is a very easy and tasty recipe, the family loved it I made 2 loafs and it bearly made it to the second day. I shall most definitely be making it again.

  47. 5 star rating

    This loaf is so easy to make and the best recipes I've used. Really good. Those of you who are not confident to make your own bread ,give this a try - Superb

  48. 5 star rating

    This loaf is so easy to make and the best recipes I've used. Really good. Those of you who are not confident to make your own bread ,give this a try - Superb

  49. 5 star rating

    Made this with my young sons this morning and it is great! We made it as rolls. Thanks for a simple easy bread recipe that tastes lovely x

  50. 5 star rating

    So easy and tasty. I will be making bread every day and so therapeutic kneading the dough

  51. 5 star rating

    I've never made bread before and made this loaf last week for the first time and am going to make it again today. It was lovely and the crust was delicious. I didn't use a bread tin, I just made it into a round as suggested. After sprinkling flour on the top I dragged a knife across both ways to get that diamond look you get on some loaves in the bakers. It looked really professional.

  52. 5 star rating

    I baked this loaf for the first time on Friday it turned out really well and it was so simple to do just follow the instructions and you can not go wrong.

  53. 5 star rating

    I have been trying to bake bread for ever, even buying a bread machine with no success aways had break your teeth bread ot always tasted funny maybe yeasty? Then last week I found your website and Halleluha I have found your recipes simple and best of all they taste great. I have not bought shop bread since hoep your profits do not suffer. HA HA.

    I can bake cakes quite but today I am going to try some cakes from your site as there are some I was too nervous to make. Your recipes are so eay to follow that I sure they will be as successful as the bread.

  54. 5 star rating

    First time I have made bread & this turned out great. I have now decided to bake my own in future. All I hope is that it freezes ok

Leave Your Thoughts

Ingredients

  • 500g Allinson's Very Strong White Bread Flour
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1 tsp Silver Spoon White Caster Sugar
  • 15g Unsalted Butter
  • 1 Sachet Allinson's Easy Bake Yeast or Allinson's Time Saver Yeast
  • 300ml Warm Water

Utensils

  • 2lb Loaf Tin

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