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Basic Homemade Bread

A simple, reliable loaf with a beautiful golden crust

❄ Freezer FriendlyThermomix

16 May 2026

There is nothing quite like the smell of fresh bread baking in the oven. This is a straightforward, reliable recipe that makes two beautiful loaves with a golden crust and a soft, pillowy crumb. The Thermomix does all the hard work — activating the yeast, kneading the dough, and even providing the perfect warm environment for the first rise. Baked in round cake tins, the loaves come out tall and proud, perfect for slicing thickly and spreading with good butter.

Ingredients

10 serves

800g Laucke flour or good quality bakers flour
450g lukewarm water
35g olive oil
2 Tbs caster sugar
3 tsp dried yeast
2 tsp bread improver
1 egg

Thermomix Method

1
Place water, yeast, and caster sugar into the Thermomix bowl. Mix Speed 1.5 / 37°C / 1½ min. Allow to sit for 15 minutes until frothy.
2
Add flour, olive oil, bread improver, and egg. Knead / Wheat button / 4½ min.
3
Leave dough in the Thermomix bowl and allow to rise for 40 minutes.
4
Tip out onto a lightly floured surface. Shape the larger portion into a round cob and place into a greased 18–20cm round tin (11cm tall). Shape the remainder and place into a smaller greased tin.
5
Allow to rise in a warm place until doubled.
6
Bake at 180°C with a dish of water in the oven — large loaf approx. 30 min, small loaf approx. 20 min — until the internal temperature reaches 90°C.
7
Remove from the tins and cool on a wire rack before slicing.

Standard Method

Standard Method (No Thermomix)

1
In a small bowl or jug, combine the lukewarm water, yeast, and caster sugar. Stir gently and set aside for 10–15 minutes until the mixture is frothy and the yeast has activated.
2
In a large bowl, combine the flour, bread improver, and a pinch of salt. Make a well in the centre and pour in the yeast mixture, olive oil, and egg. Mix with a wooden spoon until a rough dough forms.
3
Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 8–10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. Alternatively, use a stand mixer with a dough hook on medium speed for 6–8 minutes.
4
Shape the dough into a ball and place into a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with a clean tea towel or plastic wrap and leave in a warm spot for approximately 40–60 minutes until doubled in size.
5
Punch the dough down gently. Tip out onto a lightly floured surface. For a tall cob-shaped loaf, shape the larger portion into a round and place into a greased 18–20cm round cake tin (11cm tall). Shape the remaining dough and place into a smaller greased tin.
6
Cover loosely and allow to rise in a warm place for a further 30–40 minutes until doubled in size.
7
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Place a small dish of water in the bottom of the oven to create steam. Bake the large loaf for approximately 30 minutes and the smaller loaf for approximately 20 minutes, turning if browning is uneven. The bread is ready when a kitchen thermometer inserted into the centre reads 90°C.
8
Remove from the tins and cool on a wire rack before slicing.

Kitchen Notes

Use a kitchen thermometer to take the guesswork out of knowing when the bread is done — 90°C in the centre is the magic number. The loaves freeze beautifully; once completely cool, wrap tightly and freeze for up to 3 months. Slice before freezing for easy toasting straight from the freezer.

What I'd serve with this

Thickly sliced and spread with good butter while still warm. Also wonderful toasted the next day with Vegemite, or alongside a bowl of soup.