I did a lot of searching for an easy bread recipe to follow. I thought about starting with the Queen, Martha Stewart, and then dabbled in considering the bread master, Paul Hollywood. Alas, I decided to keep it simple for week one. I repeatedly came across mentioning and links to this YouTube video, featuring a man that seems to be pretty confident this is the easiest bread recipe for beginners. With over 8.8 million views, it must be a solid tutorial. As Larry says, “If you’re a beginner, this is the place to start”.
Howdy, Larry.
So, let’s do this. I tried really hard to follow this video to the letter – I mention this because I have been known to just throw around a recipe and follow my heart in the kitchen just like my mamma taught me (huge shout out to my mamma, Val. She’s the best cook I know).
Baking is a different story. I figured I better stick to exactly what Larry tells me to. Here’s what happened.
Stage 1: I got all my ingredients ready and was ready to rock and roll.
Stage one: Get the ingredients into the bowl and mix away.
I added the water and yeast in a giant bowl. I always thought you needed warm water and sugar to activate the yeast. Weird that I didn’t have to do that. Once that was in and I added all the other ingredients, it was time to knead the dough for 8 minutes. Yes. 8 minutes of kneading with my hands, which I thought would be no big deal, but let me tell ya. It’s no joke. Who *kneads* (see what I did there?) the gym, when you’re busy pushing and pulling dough? I have to say that kneading this dough was incredibly soothing. In the beginning the dough was very sticky, and I was super skeptical. I need to learn to relax and trust the process because eventually it all worked out and became incredibly pliable. Surprise! Following instructions works.
Working it for 8 minutes.
Once I was done, I put it into a giant bowl and covered it. I had to let it sit for an hour. I thought you needed to let it rise in a warm spot. I found it weird that I didn’t have to do that as I clearly remember my mom doing that with her dough as I grew up. I tried really hard not to peek during the hour, but I couldn’t take it. At 30 mins, I peeked. I panicked because it didn’t look like it was rising, so I moved it into warmer spot (under the window with the sun shining). It felt right in the moment, and I could hear Val’s voice telling me it needed some warmth. This was the only time I didn’t follow Larry. Sorry, pal. Val knows best.
Peace out, dough. See you in an hour.
Stage 2: After one hour, I took the cloth off, and it really looked like nothing happened. I didn’t think it rose at all. I thought these things were supposed to double in size! Again, I need to learn to trust the process. I took it out of the bowl, and as soon as I touched it, it definitely felt much bigger and lighter. The giant white bowl I used deceived me. Once it was on my countertop, I found Larry’s method for shaping the dough interesting. I had to spread it out, fold it over, make it into an odd, elongated triangle, and then roll it up into a log and plop it into the buttered pans. Then, AGAIN, I had to let them rise, covered, for another hour. Honestly, woah. This breadmaking takes a really long time. Sigh. I was starting to lose my mojo.
Not me getting tired of waiting.
Despite Larry not suggesting to let it rest in a warm place, I put it back under the window in the sun. It just felt right considering it worked out well the first rise. I tried my hardest not to peek again, but I couldn’t resist. They looked fantastic.
Ready for the oven!
Stage 3: After another hour of rising, into the oven they go. 40 mins at 400 F. The smell was incredible. Good thing I checked them at the 35 minute mark because I thought I smelled burning. They were starting to get a little dark on the top, so I pulled them out and brushed the tops with melted butter, just as Larry suggested, and let them cool.
I made that!
Stage 4: Get at it. It was soft, felt light, and, as Larry suggested “let’s butter a slice and giv’er a taste!”. Delicious. My kids and husband also loved it. Half a loaf down the hatch, just like that.
DELISH. I hope you’re proud, Larry.
We will be crushing this all week.
Overall, Larry’s video was extremely easy to follow. I had no problem pausing and rewinding where needed. I realized that I didn’t use quick rise yeast as the recipe called for. I just used active dry yeast. Are these two different kinds of yeast? I’m not sure if this altered the recipe or not, but, clearly, I have 2 tasty loaves, so it doesn’t really matter. I don’t have much to be critical about except for the fact that I wish Larry would have told me how long the entire process takes. That’s my fault because I didn’t watch the whole video before I started. I will 100p do that next time. Now that I know this about this recipe, there’s no way I could bake bread after work….too many other distractions. This has to be reserved for a weekend when I have 4 hours “to spare”. I started this at 2:40pm and didn’t get the loaves out of the oven until 6:40pm. Four hours is a long time to spend baking bread. Perhaps next week, I will see if there’s a quicker recipe – if that’s even an option. Am I totally naïve, or does baking bread always take this long?
So, Larry. Right now, since I have no comparison, I’d give it 4.5 dough balls/5.
Interested in making this recipe? Here’s the full video I followed. If you try it out, let me know your thoughts!
This was such a fun read! It makes me want to try to make my own bread! I loved the step-by-step photos and that you included the Youtube link so I could try it if I wanted. My favorite part was definitely your doughball rating system! So creative!
I have heard from many people that bread takes a long time. But I can recall a recipe that a friend of mine used to make where it took a lot less time, they would make it before supper. So there have to be some recipes that won’t take as long. If I come across any I will be sure to share them with you! Good luck with your next batch!
Thanks for your comments, Sarah! I would LOVE to have that quick bread recipe from you if you’d like to share. Stay tuned for more doughball ratings….
Laura, Your recipe for bread is fantastic. Even so, it makes me want to bake bread at home rather than purchasing it elsewhere, like from Walmart or a supermarket. The sequential approach you described for this recipe is even more interesting than the recipe itself, and I have gained more knowledge from it. Reading about Larry’s suggestions was interesting.
That Recipe is pretty intriguing. I’ll be using the YouTube video you used to demonstrate how to make bread. I’ll make an effort for my buddies at home in the upcoming weeks.
I’m glad I am acting as inspiration for you to bake your own bread! The video is, honestly, the best way to follow along, and I sincerely think your buddies at home will enjoy it. Just remember to carve out a solid 4 hours of your day to engage with the recipe 🙂
This is so funny Laura. Larry seems like a stand up dude in my opinion. I tried to teach myself how to make bread during the COVID lockdown, but of the three loafs I tried, none turned out unfortunately and I have been scared to return to the kitchen ever since (mainly due to the ruthless torment from my family and friends). Maybe I need to let Larry teach me the ways of the bread?
Thanks for your comments, Mariah. I actually only tried making cinnamon buns, once, during COVID lockdown. I kind of wish I spent more time doing creative things like baking, but c’est la vie. I think Larry would be able to help you out. He’s a pretty solid teacher.
Laura, this was great! I loved reading your post and I especially loved the 4.5/5 dough balls! The bread looked like it turned out so GOOD! I bet your boys loved eating it. Great job!
Thanks for your comments, B. Wait until you read week 2! 🙂
Hahaha love this post, Laura. Outside of the delish looking bread, I love your writer’s voice — so entertaining, and makes reading blogs so much more enjoyable! I, too, now feel compelled to learn from Larry, but maybe Val needs to start her own channel… just a thought 🙂