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This easy Bag Bread recipe is so simple to prepare, even for the novice baker! With very little effort, you end up with the fluffiest, tastiest loaf of bread or dinner rolls.
Have you heard of bag bread? It wasn’t until recently that I learned about this wild, wild method for baking bread. Follow me.
My sister-in-law is crafty with my nieces and nephews, making baked goods with them that are easy enough for them to be involved. I recently had dinner with her and my brother, and their youngest son baked us this very recipe.
He turned the bread dough into individual rolls and I was blown away at how magnificent they were.
So here’s the scoop with bag bread. The dough is prepared inside of a zip lock bag so that novice bakers and kiddos can have great success. The dough does eventually come out of the bag for kneading and baking.
And can you skip the bag? YES! The recipe on its own is so marvelous that even if you aren’t into the concept of preparing bread dough in a bag, I have a feeling you’ll love the end result.
You probably already have all of the simple ingredients on hand! Let’s discuss them in detail because all of the inputs are significant to the output.
Ingredient Notes:
Bread Flour: Pick your favorite flour for baking bread. I chose an organic whole wheat bread flour for this recipe, but a gluten-free flour blend works great too, as does a regular bread flour. There are endless options here, but just note that the texture and fluffiness of the bread depends on what kind of flour you use.
Active Dry Yeast: The leavening agent that helps the bread dough rise to fluffy deliciousness.
Sugar or Honey: Sugar helps feed the yeast to help it grow. Yeast needs sugar in order to bloom, which causes it to reproduce and off gas, which is what creates the fluffy airy texture of bread.
Avocado Oil or Olive Oil: To add richness and moisture to the rolls, we need a few tablespoons of some form of oil. I like using avocado oil or olive oil for the omega-3 fatty acid content.
Garlic Powder and Italian Seasoning: Adding some dried herbs brings a lovely rustic flavor to the bread! You can halve the amount of garlic powder and add ½ teaspoon of onion powder too. Or, skip the seasonings if you want a classic bread flavor without any spunk.
Sea Salt: A little salt helps enhance the flavor of the bread. If you aren’t into salty food, halve the amount of salt.
Resealable Plastic Bag: You will also need a large plastic ziplock bag, a stand mixer, or a mixing bowl to prepare the recipe.
How to Make Bag Bread:
Mix one cup of warm water (ideally 105 to 115 degrees Fahrenheit), one cup flour, yeast, and sugar in a large zip lock bag (or use a stand mixer or a mixing bowl to make the dough).
Seal the bag and squish everything very well until the ingredients are combined.
This will take a few minutes of squishing to be sure all the lumps of flour are out. Let the bag of yeasty flour sit for 10 minutes to give the yeast time to activate.
Add in one cup of flour, the garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and sea salt. Seal bag and squish everything around again until the dough is well combined.
Open the bag and add one final cup of flour. Seal and squish to combine.
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for 5-10 minutes, or until the dough is very smooth.
Place dough in an oiled bowl and place it in a warm spot for 30 minutes to rise, covered with a kitchen towel.
The dough should be at least double its original size before proceeding. While the bread rises (toward the end), you can preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
From here, you can split the dough in half and use two bread loaf pans to bake two loaves of bread. Or, you can section the dough into 8 sections and make smaller rolls.
For the loaf option, bake in two bread pans at 375 for 25-30 minutes. Be sure to use a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan and spray it with cooking spray prior to transferring the dough.
Or, divide the dough into 8 sections for smaller rolls and bake at 375 for 15 minutes, or until the tops are slightly golden brown.
Check the internal temperature of the loaves or the rolls by inserting a digital thermometer into the center of one. The bread is ready if the internal temperature is 190 degrees F or higher. For the best results, try to take the bread out of the oven at 185 degrees F to 190 degrees F.
Allow the bread to cool for at least 15 minutes before serving.
I love slicing a roll in half and smearing butter on it for the tastiest little side dish to go alongside a lovely bowl of soup.
Storage Options:
- Room Temperature: Store the bread in an airtight container or a zip lock bag on the counter for up to 2 days.
- Refrigerator: Refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 1 week.
- Freezer: Transfer leftover bread to a freezer bag and freeze for up to 2 months.
Recipe Tip
If your house is on the cooler end, preheat your oven to 200 degrees for a few minutes, then turn it off. Use your warm oven for proofing the bread dough (allowing the bread dough to rise).
Bag Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 cups bread flour, divided
- 1 cup warm water, at 105 to 115 degrees F
- 1 (¼-oz) package active dry yeast, 2 ¼ teaspoons or 7 grams
- 3 Tbsp cane sugar , or honey
- 3 Tbsp avocado oil, or olive oil
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 ½ tsp sea salt
Instructions
- Mix one cup of warm water (ideally 105 to 115 degrees Fahrenheit), one cup flour, yeast, and sugar in a large zip lock bag (or use a stand mixer or a mixing bowl to make the dough). Seal the bag and squish everything very well until the ingredients are combined. This will take a few minutes of squishing to be sure all the lumps of flour are out. Let the bag of yeasty flour sit for 10 minutes to give the yeast time to activate.
- Add in one cup of flour, the oil, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and sea salt. Seal bag and squish everything around again until the dough is well combined.
- Open the bag and add one final cup of flour. Seal and squish to combine.
- Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for 5-10 minutes, or until the dough is very smooth.
- Place dough in an oiled bowl and place it in a warm spot for 30 minutes to rise, covered with a kitchen towel. The dough should be at least double its original size before proceeding. While the bread rises (toward the end), you can preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- From here, you can split the dough in half and use two bread loaf pans to bake two loaves of bread. Or, you can section the dough into 8 sections and make smaller rolls.
- For the loaf option, bake in two bread pans at 375 for 25-30 minutes. Be sure to use a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan and spray it with cooking spray prior to transferring the dough.
- Or, section the dough into 8 sections for smaller rolls and bake at 375 for 15 minutes, or until the tops are slightly golden brown.
- Check the internal temperature of the loaves or the rolls by inserting a digital thermometer into the center of one. The bread is ready if the internal temperature is 190 degrees F or higher. For the best results, try to take the bread out of the oven at 185 degrees F to 190 degrees F.
- Allow the bread to cool for at least 15 minutes before serving. I love slicing a roll in half and smearing butter on it for the tastiest little side dish to go alongside a lovely bowl of soup.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate and comment below!
Frequently Asked Questions:
The reason why a bag is used in order to make bag bread is that it contains all of the mess of preparing the dough. This way, you can “get your hands dirty” without actually getting your hands dirty.
Preparing bread dough in a bag is particularly useful for young kids, as they often want to be involved in baking projects but also prefer them to be fun and approachable. Squishing around the ingredients is a satisfying and fun way for them to feel like they have contributed.
Use a 1-gallon zip lock bag. A sturdy plastic bag works best for this, because it is easier to peel the dough away from the bag as a cohesive whole, and it is large enough to contain all of the ingredients without any issues.
Yes! Feel free to use a stand mixer or mixing bowls. For a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment for steps 1 and 2, then switch to a dough hook when it is time to knead the bread.
There is no compelling reason why this bag bread recipe must be made in a bag, so feel free to approach it using your preferred method.
Yes, regular all purpose flour works in bread recipes, although the texture turns out different from using bread flour. All-purpose flour has a lower protein content (9-12%) than bread flour (12-14%), which changes the protein (gluten) structure of the homemade bread.
