This recipe will make one MASSIVE loaf of bread, but I like making two smaller loaves from this excellent dough. The addition of baking powder reacts perfectly with the buttermilk, giving it almost a sourdough flavor. No need to proof the dough before forming it into loaves - so it comes together quickly.
It just isn’t realistic to me to make ONE loaf of bread, but a full batch of bread is overkill for myself alone. Making two smaller loaves lets me enjoy one - and then share the second one with a friend, or pop it in the freezer.
My favorite bread recipe can become an all-day affair, but this one is ready to bake in about one to 1-1/2 hours. It bakes at a higher temperature, which I was suspicious of at first - but it produces a fluffy, tender bread with a nice chewy crust. After a day or two the crust becomes soft, which I also enjoy. Be sure to position your oven rack so that the top of the bread is in the center of the oven (to prevent over-browning at this high of a heat).
I’ve found that my bread turns out best when I use cheap-o tin pans I found for a bargain when I was first married. They don’t look very pretty or trendy, but they make awesome bread with a perfect crust.
Each of my kids have a different preference for freshly made homemade bread - some of them like the “innies” (or center slices) and a few like the “outies” (or what we call the EARS of the bread). But when it comes to temperature - hot from the oven is irresistible.
This is from one of my first cookbooks as a newlywed - “Betty Crocker’s Breads” - and after thirty three years, I’m sure it’s now out of print. It’s paper-clipped, splashed pages with folded corners is evidence of how much I’ve used it over the years. Next time I’m going to try making pan rolls from this fast-to-fix recipe.
*Please note that in the photos above I have doubled this recipe - two loaves plain and two loaves braided (because I can always make a new friend, or a better one, by giving bread away)
For a photo tutorial on how to make braided bread (from my favorite standby recipe) - go HERE.
For this faster-to-fix recipe for Buttermilk Bread, go to:
Thank you so much for posting this recipe and you comments. I love to bake bread, but do not have a single-rise recipe yet. Can't wait to try it!
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