Fresh, soft, warm bread made with almost no cleanup and no special equipment. Everything happens inside a zip-top bag, making it a perfect hands-on baking activity for kids and beginners. It uses simple pantry staples and produces a genuinely good loaf of soft homemade sandwich bread.
Ingredients
Scale:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 packet active dry yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup warm water (100–110°F)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Instructions
Add the flour, yeast, sugar, and salt to a large gallon-size zip-top bag. Seal it and give it a gentle shake to combine everything evenly before adding any liquids.
Open the bag and pour in the warm water and vegetable oil. Seal the bag again, pressing out as much air as possible before closing it fully.
Squeeze, press, and squish the bag until the flour is fully incorporated and a shaggy dough forms. Keep working it until the dough pulls together into a cohesive ball with no dry floury patches remaining.
Open the bag and turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead it gently for just a minute or two to smooth it out and build surface tension.
Shape the dough into a loaf by flattening it into a rough rectangle, folding the sides in, and rolling it up from one end. Pinch the seam closed.
Lightly grease a baking sheet with oil or cooking spray. Place the shaped loaf seam-side down on the prepared baking sheet.
Let the dough rise in a warm spot until it has doubled in size, approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Bake at 375°F until golden brown on top. Tap the bottom of the loaf — a hollow sound indicates it is fully baked. Let it cool on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes before slicing.
