Bread In A Bag

Homemade bread is made easy with this recipe that starts in a Ziploc bag and finishes as a fragrant, warm, and golden loaf in the oven. It’s a mess-free way to make bread that turns out deliciously perfect every time!

This may be the most fun you’ve ever had making bread! All the prep work is done in a bag so there are no bowls or mixers required. And the result? An unbelievably tasty loaf of white bread that’s perfect for slicing for sandwiches, toast or just to add a smear of butter on and enjoy.

If you have young kids, this method of making bread is also a great way for them to learn about bread-making and to help you out in the kitchen. It’s easy enough for them to measure and add ingredients to the plastic bag without worrying about making a mess or dealing with complicated appliances. They’ll be able to see how the ingredients interact with the yeast and watch it bubble as it turns into dough. Once you take the dough out of the bag, it does need some rising time in the loaf pan before it’s ready for the oven, but that, too, is educational.

My favorite part of this recipe, other than the deliciously baked bread, is that there’s minimal cleanup. The only things I end up washing are the measuring cups and wiping down the counter where I floured and rolled out the dough. Win-win!

So grab all these basic pantry ingredients along with a large Ziploc bag and make this easy bread in a bag soon!

Ingredients Needed To Make Bread In A Bag

Flour – all-purpose flour is fine.

Sugar – use white granulated sugar.

Rapid Rise Yeast 

Warm Water – from the tap of heated and cooled to 110 to 120 degrees

Vegetable Oil

Salt

Freezer Bag – gallon size

How To Make Bread In A Bag

Note: This is a summary of the recipe steps. For complete instructions, see the printable recipe card down below.

1. Place one cup of the flour into a gallon size plastic bag along with the yeast and sugar. Seal and shake to combine.
2. Open the bag and pour in the water. Seal and squeeze to combine.
3. Let the bag rest for 10 minutes so the yeast will activate.
4. Open the bag and add oil and remaining flour and salt. Seal and squish and knead to incorporate the ingredients.
5. Flour a large surface on your counter and remove the dough from the bag and knead for about 5 minutes until the dough bounces back when pressed.
6. Shape the dough into a loaf and add to a prepared 9×5 inch bread pan.
7. Cover and let the dough rise for an hour. It should double in size.
8. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes until golden brown on top.
9. Remove from the oven and get the loaf cool in the baking pan before flipping it out onto a wire cooling rack.

Ways To Serve And Enjoy Your Bread In A Bag Loaf

Your freshly baked loaf of bread is just waiting for you to put it to delicious use in a variety of ways. Here are some tasty ideas for how to enjoy it.

• Freshly Sliced And Warm: A warm slice fresh from the oven and smeared with butter is always a delicious treat.
• Grilled Cheese: Two slices slathered with butter on all sides and filled with your favorite cheese can be skillet grilled to melty golden perfection in just minutes!
• Garlic Bread: slice a thick piece and load it with garlic butter for a quick trip under the broiler to toast it to savory goodness. Perfect with an Italian meal or even tomato soup!
• French Toast: Day-old slices dunked in an egg mixture can be skillet-browned to yumminess for a quick French Toast meal. Top with butter and syrup and dig it!
• Croutons: If your bread is several days old, this is the perfect time to turn it into croutons. Cut the sliced into bite-sized chunks and drizzle with olive oil and seasonings like salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Bake on a sheet pan at 375°F until they start to turn golden brown, Be sure and stir them once or twice so all sides brown evenly. Croutons are perfect for soups and salads!

How To Store Your Bread In A Bag Loaf

Once your bread has been baked, you’ll want to keep it fresh for as long as possible. Here are some tried and true ways to store it.

Counter

Most folks store their bread on the counter for convenience. This is perfectly fine, but here are a few ways to help it stay fresh.

• Store it in paper rather than plastic. Plastic wrappers or bags actually encourage mold growth as they trap heat and moisture inside the bag. Opt for a paper bag instead.
• Keep away from heat sources. Heat will encourage mold growth and well as helping the bread to grow stale much more quickly. Find a cool place to stash your bread, such as a cabinet, drawer, dark pantry, or even a bread box.

Freeze It

• You can always freeze a loaf of bread that’s been completely cooled. This is great for meal planning so you’ll always have a loaf ready to pull out and defrost in the fridge. Wrap tightly in a freezer-safe bag or plastic wrap.
• You can even freeze sliced bread. Use parchment or wax paper between slices before wrapping and sealing so you can pull out a few slices at a time if you don’t want to defrost the entire loaf.

More Bread Recipes

Best Sourdough Bread

Stand Mixer French Bread

Country Bread

Easy As 1-2-3 Bread

Zucchini Bread

Easy Homemade Cornbread