Grandmother Bread | Chickens in the Road

Dec
19

Deliciously simple and simply delicious, Grandmother Bread is a daily staple in our farmhouse. This is a heritage recipe, tested by time and the hands of mothers and grandmothers for over a hundred years. This secret family recipe is different from many standard white bread recipes in that it contains no milk, egg, or oil, and its very simplicity produces a bread of light but sturdy texture that yields loaves for perfectly sliced sandwich bread (the best sandwich bread you’ll ever taste! also makes excellent french toast!), plus the same dough can be used to create dinner rolls, cinnamon-swirl loaves, sweet rolls, crispies, and apple-streudel ladder loaf. Many recipe variations for Grandmother Bread are included on this site. (See links below.) And, once you’ve grasped the concept of the standard Grandmother Bread recipe, you can create variations of your own–the possibilities are limitless!

Read all about the family history behind this bread recipe here.

Never baked homemade bread before? Learn how to make bread here.

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How to make Grandmother Bread:

Two-loaf standard recipe

3 cups warm water
1 tablespoon yeast (1 packet)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sugar
7-8 cups all-purpose flour

In a large bowl, combine water, yeast, sugar, and salt. Let sit five minutes. Stir in first three cups of flour with a heavy spoon. Add the next cup of flour a little at a time as needed, stirring until dough becomes too stiff to continue stirring easily. Add a little more flour and begin kneading. The amount of flour is approximate–your mileage may vary! Continue adding flour and kneading until the dough is smooth and elastic. Let dough rise in a greased, covered bowl until doubled. (Usually, about an hour.) Uncover bowl; sprinkle in a little more flour and knead again before dividing in half. With floured hands, shape dough into loaves and place in two greased loaf pans. Tear off two pieces of plastic wrap and grease with oil spray (to prevent it from sticking to the loaves as they rise) and cover loaf pans. Let rise till loaves are tall and beautiful! (About an hour, depending on the temperature in your kitchen.)

Bake for 25 minutes in a preheated 350-degree oven. Makes two loaves. Recipe can be cut in half.

One-loaf standard recipe

1 1/2 cups warm water
1 teaspoon yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
4-5 cups flour

Make Sourdough Grandmother Bread

Modify Grandmother Bread as follows to convert to sourdough. Learn more about baking Grandmother Bread with sourdough starter and how to make sourdough starter here.

One-loaf sourdough recipe

2/3 cup starter
1 1/3 cups warm water
1 teaspoon yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
4-5 cups flour

Two-loaf sourdough recipe

1 1/3 cups starter
2 2/3 cups warm water
1 tablespoon yeast (1 packet)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
7-8 cups flour

Follow general instructions for making Grandmother Bread above.

You can use sourdough starter in any Grandmother Bread recipe. Add the starter to the water/yeast mixture in the first step and add the baking soda along with the flour then carry on with the chosen recipe variation per instructions.

Pizza made with Sourdough Grandmother Bread. Each one-loaf recipe makes two large thin-crust pizzas.

More Grandmother Bread tips:

How to Make Homemade Dough Enhancer–for making Grandmother Bread with whole grains.
Freezing Grandmother Bread–for making Grandmother Bread ahead of time.

Grandmother Bread recipe variations:

Apple-Streudel Ladder Loaf
Cinnamon Crispies
Cinnamon-Swirl Bread
Go Savory: Whole Wheat Herb Loaf, Garlic-Cheese Rolls, and More
Homemade Hot Dog & Hamburger Buns
Overnight Cinnamon Rolls, Caramel-Pecan Rolls, Orange Rolls, and More
Pumpernickel Bread
Raisin Bread
Sourdough Pizza

Recipes using Grandmother Bread:

Breakfast with Grandmother Bread: Egg Grandwiches, Stuffed French Toast, Cheesy Poached Eggs (and more!)
Fried Bologna Sandwiches
Garlic-Herb Croutons
Shrimp Toast
Pepperoni Rolls
Tea Room Coconut Toast
The Ultimate Breakfast Casserole

Dinner rolls.

Cinnamon Crispies.

Egg Grandwiches.

Raisin Bread.

Grandmother Bread shaped in a french-style loaf with garlic and cheese.

Make more out of life. Eat more Grandma Bread!

See the Grandmother Bread Cookbook page.

Note: More Grandmother Bread recipes added regularly. Please check back! Also, feel free to ask questions about breadmaking here, or visit the forum to chat about Grandmother Bread with a bunch of fun people! Ask questions, share ideas, make friends. We’d love to see you.

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90 Responses
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1-20
10:11
pm

I was looking for a very specific bread recipe. I wanted to find a bread recipe that was just like one that a friend of the family made for us every christmas.

I’m very happy to say that this recipe was perfect! I was transported to my childhood in one bite.

thank you so much for sharing your family’s recipe!

Justin - Reply
2-1
1:32
pm

Sounds like a great recipe, I shall make it today and see how it turns out. Love the website too. I set up a feed on my homepage so I can check it out everyday.

Connie - Reply
2-14
1:03
am

I had to smile when i read about your Grandmother bread, our recipe i almost identical, except i use a little lard in my bread. I have been making my bread for 35 years now, and it turns out perfect every time. I started making it when i was 20, i am now 53 years old, 4 kids and 5 grandkids have been raised and being raised on this bread. Maybe now i have earned the right to rename mine Grandmothers Bread. Thank you for the article!

Mari - Reply
2-14
4:31
pm

I got a good chuckle from Mari’s comment regarding the bread — my thought was with four kids and five grandkids she’s not only earned the right to call her bread “Grandmother’s Bread” but she also has the right to shave two years off her age if she should so desire!! (started making the bread at 20 and been at it for 35 years; and she’s 53 years old! Bless you!)
This Grandma will also try the recipe!

Maggie - Reply
2-18
12:25
am

hehe, maggie, i used to shave alot more than two years off my age, i`m taming it down a bit, starting to fit into my old skin! Hope your bread turns out wonderful!

Mari - Reply
3-22
6:34
pm

I had to try your Grandmother bread. I thought I would have enough flour to get by but I ran out and the dough was still a soppy mess. So I looked thru my pantry looking for a quick fix and found two packages of maple & brown sugar instant oatmeal which I threw in. It was still not enough and I’m starting to think I will have to throw it away. Then I thought maybe I could grind up some regular oatmeal in my blender. After it was a fine powder I finished the bread using my “oatmeal” flour. I have to say this was the best bread I ever made. Now I still have to make it the real way so I can see what it is supposed to taste like but I think I will not be disappointed. Thanks!

Donna - Reply
4-16
8:19
am

Hi!

I love the history behind your grandmother bread recipe, and the fact it’s tried and true! I do have a question…we’ve tried to cut out white sugar around here and I’m wondering if the bread would do well with honey as the sweetener? I don’t want to go messing up a great thing…just wondering if there’s a way to incorporate honey as the sweetener if white sugar’s not on hand?

Robbyn - Reply
4-16
8:26
am

Robbyn, I haven’t ever tried that, but it sounds like my next baking experiment! I’ll let you know!

Suzanne McMinn - Reply
4-22
1:46
pm

thank you so much for this recipe. I had been looking for a recipe like this for some time. Didn’t know the ingredients, just what it tasted like. Makes a wonderful all around bread. I halved the ingredients and baked it in my bread machine and it was STILL wonderful!

Judy Spradley - Reply
4-22
6:35
pm

Your bread recipes look WONDERFUL and I look forwsrd to trying them! I LOVE recipes that require little effort – or I won’t attempt them. LOL I also love it when you attach pictures of the finished product, so I can see if it looks appealing to me. Presentation is everything, I guess – well, that and the taste. LOL

Donna - Reply
4-23
7:37
pm

It is a good thing this makes 2 loaves, because it isn’t going to last long here in our house. DELISH!! And the house smells so yummy.

Jana M - Reply
4-24
5:29
pm

Is this rapid rise yeast, in this recipe? Or just regular yeast?

Donna - Reply
4-24
6:11
pm

Can you use bread flour? I have used that to make French bread before…does it matter for this recipe?

Donna - Reply
4-24
6:45
pm

Donna, I use either rapid-rise or regular yeast. Either way, with this recipe, I give it the second rise. I don’t usually use bread flour, but you can! It doesn’t matter.

Suzanne McMinn - Reply
5-2
3:55
pm

Today I am in the category of “try again”. I was so excited to make Grandmother bread today, as my husband was going in later and would be here to have it hot. I goofed, big time. First of all, we have a water softener in our home, so I had to get my kitchen water warm in the microwave. I got it TOO HOT, not “very warm”. So, I decided to let it cool. It was not cooling fast enough for me…so I answered my email. When I returned, it was not “very warm” but lightly warm…I went ahead. I also heated it a tad on the oven burner, to get it a bit warmer, which it did…in the five minute time frame.
However, my bread was not rising…I went to check if I used “rapid rise” yeast…it said “active yeast”. I GUESS that is rapid rise? It didn’t matter this time, either way, because I happened to see the expiration date!!!!! I set of packets expired in ‘05 and the other set, March of ‘07. OMG!!!!! Has it been THAT long since I’ve made French bread? LOL I went ahead, hoping that if they didn’t rise, they would at least taste good. They didn’t. LOL Flat, cooked hard dough..thankfully, we had lunch out today.
But, I am going to “try again” and I can’t wait!!!

Donna - Reply
5-2
4:00
pm

Oh, I just noticed your comment above about the yeast…so yeah, it was the fact prob. that the yeast was long expired. LOL I prob. used the ‘05 packet! GEEZ A LOU!

Donna - Reply
5-4
5:42
pm

Okay, I tried Grandmother Bread again today, with my NEW yeast! (I left my comments on the “how to made bread” page). I had to try a piece just now. I could not wait on my husband. I wanted to know. It is still very lightly warm. It has a very nice texture…I would not say it is doughy, but it is LIGHTLY chewy, like a lightly chewy dinner roll. Does this mean I needed more flour OR did I knead too much? I wonder if I just needed to bake it about 5-10 more minutes. It tastes VERY good and does not appear to be doughy, like raw dough at all…just sort of chewy…does that make sense – in other words yours above looks more airy/floury…mine looks more like the French loaf sandwhich bread in the pic. Anyway, it tasted good! AND…I can’t wait to try again…knowing it’ll be better each time!

Donna - Reply
5-4
6:10
pm

Donna, it WILL be better each time! It sounds to me as if possibly it needed a little more baking time. Occasionally I have a loaf that comes out that way either because I misjudge it or I’m in too big of a hurry. It’s still good, and sometimes toasting it can be the best way to use a slightly undercooked loaf.

Suzanne McMinn - Reply
5-5
11:38
am

Suzanne…I will keep trying. We had it for toast this am and it was VERY good..I made the mistake yesterday of covering the bread with plastic wrap, when I THOUGHT it was cool enough…it wasn’t and steamed it…but it seemed even better this am and tasted good, for sure. It must not have been too bad because my husband has already eaten FOUR pieces! (and he is finicky! LOL) Thanks for the encouragement! I do think I hurried a bit and need to take my time, with it.

Donna - Reply
5-18
3:02
pm

I made Mormon bread this weekend…I wrote about it on another section – I think of Princess making bread. Anyway, it was NOT as good as Grandmother bread AND I would have to “try again” because it did not come out like my friend’s, who gave me the recipe. She has you mix the yeast, oil, honey and 1 and 1/4 cup of flour together with lukewarm water and then let rise and get SPONGEY…then work down and put the rest of the flour in and knead 12-15 minutes…but being as I cut the recipe in half, I only kneaded about 6. It bakes at 375 for 30…but it was not tall..and seemed it could have cooked about another five to ten.

Donna - Reply
6-3
12:01
am

Well, this recipie sounds yummy – and I, too will have to go buy new yeast as the one I have are expired and I guess that explains why my Hot Cross Buns well . . .they had the correct flavor, but they were little mounds of lead. After the screaming stopped I thought “maybe the yeast was old”. Now I’ve had that confirmed by you all. (thank you!)I guess I never had yeast around that long that it would expire!! When I was a child (in Emerson, NJ) the bakery sold “grandmother loaf”. It was a yeast bread with rasins, dried cherries, walnuts and a basic crumb topping. Anyone else familiar with something like that?

Ann Marie - Reply
10-6
3:28
pm

I never leave my name on any website unless I am ordering something but with all these recipes I wanted to comment and ask …what are we subscribing to..your website is so open to everyone….I am a bread baker and a great grandmother and I bake all the time…I have been printing some of your recipes this morning, thank you. Your ideas on the bread pans are right on…I learned that glass and size do make a difference but I learned that the hard way….thank you again, Ann

Ann R Adrignola - Reply
10-6
3:35
pm

Hi, Ann! The “subscribe” button on the menu bar at the top is if you use a feed reader. You can subscribe and get my daily posts by my RSS feed through your feed reader that way. If you don’t use a feed reader, you can just visit every day. (I hope you will!)

Also, if you register, you can use the forum. There are a lot of great recipes posted by a lot of great ladies there, and also a lot of craft ideas and more! You can register here–there’s a link above the smilies in the comment box–or you can register on the main forum page. (The primary purpose of registration to post on the forum is to prevent spam attacks. You can read the forum without registering, but you can’t post on it unless you’re registered, which allows me to block out spambots.)

Suzanne McMinn - Reply
10-16
12:41
pm

Great webb site…love your bread receipt…wonderful bread.

Jean K

Jean K - Reply
10-17
10:36
am

I made the bread yesterday and it didn’t rise. The yeast was traditional yeast and well within its date. I checked the water temp and it was about 105..not too warm to kill the yeast. Measured out 3 cups of water and proceeded…but it took the full 5 1/2 cups of flour to not be too sticky.
The bread would not rise…maybe a tiny bit but it resembled dead yeast bread. Went ahead and cooked it but it’s chewy and tough.
I’ll try it again with new yeast.

Miss Dana - Reply
10-17
11:59
am

I made this bread and it worked! I was doing a happy dance. I had to add almost 7 cups of flour though. I’m not sure what I did wrong. Is it supposed to be sticky? At 5 1/2 it was just pure goop. At 7 cups it was still sort of sticky, but I was afraid to add more. It did turn out, but wasn’t as brown as the pictures above. My kids loved it for sandwhiches. I couldn’t believe it. Delicious!

Jaymi B. - Reply
11-17
2:25
pm

OMGosh!

I have never baked bread in my life. I chose to try yours because I just loved the story behind it (and the fact that a 9 year old could do it didn’t hurt either!). I decided to dive right in and give it a whirl. Because I REALLY had no clue what I was doing, I followed your recipe and hoped for the best, keeping in mind I may not get it right the first time.

I DID IT!!!!

This bread taste wonderful! My family give it two thumbs waaaay up, and they’re a tough crowd whenever I try something new.

So, thank you, thank you! I will be trying your other recipes now. Oh, before I forget…I really enjoy reading your blog.

Jennifer Burdock - Reply
11-17
7:36
pm

Wonderful recipe! I made some over the weekend, subbing 1/2 WW pastry flour and it came out perfect. Great sandwich bread. Thank you for sharing the recipe :-)

Mary - Reply
11-27
12:45
pm

Thank you so much for the Grandmother Bread recipe. I have not baked bread in years but baked this bread yesterday. I made one plain loaf and 1 with butter, cinnamon and sugar rolled into it. They are both delicious. My husband and daddy are enjoying them and I look forward to using it again and again with some of the variations. Thank you again for inspiring me!

Frances - Reply
11-28
9:14
pm

I made this last week for the first time and it turned out perfect. A bit sweet for my taste for regular everyday bread though. This week I was asked to bring rolls for Thanksgiving dinner for 23 people. Yikes! I made your recipe into rolls without altering it and everyone just raved! I’ve always used my bread machine for the first half of a bread recipe and then do a final rise and bake it in a traditional bread pan. This always turns out perfect. I have never been successful in making bread completely from scratch until now! Thanks so much for sharing this recipe and the fun instructions that takes all the anxiety out making bread from scratch. Ü

Syndee - Reply
12-16
12:41
pm

I tried this for the first time a few weeks ago. With the price of bread so I high I figured I would try making my own. I absolutely love this recipe. Each time it gets better. I use my kitchen aid mixer so I don’t have to knead it by hand (love that!). Just a tip for high altitude (I am at 5800 feet) I have to use a little more flour, don;t know how much I just keep mixing until it pulls from the side of the bowl, and I have to add about 5-8 minutes of cooking time to get it “just right”. I don’t know how many batches I have made now but I have only bought one loaf of bread in the last 3 weeks and that was only because we were so busy that I didn’t have time to make some. Today’s batch I am going to try it with half whole wheat flour and see what happens! :clap:

Jennifer Hallenbeck - Reply
12-20
9:00
am

Hi Suzanne,
Enjoy your site, recipes and sense of humor.
Say, I’ve baked the grandmother’s bread several times and each time the loaf sinks down slightly on the top. The bread is still good, just looks a bit less appealing and amateurish. The only thing that I do differently is place a shallow pan with hot water on the bottom of the oven at the start of the bake. Could this be the problem – Too much humidity keeps the loaf dome too soft, thus letting it sink? I know, the answer would be to bake w/o the water, but I just thought you might have a thought or two…BTW, I’ve tried the recipe for the Ladder Loaf, but used home-made sugarless raspberry jam and a dollop of marscapone/sugar/egg mixture smeared down the middle. Was excellent! I’m baking the caramel pecan rolls as I type, along with a sunken loaf of bread! Ho Hum…
ShadowWoods

ShadowWoods - Reply
12-20
9:17
am

Hi, ShadowWoods! It sounds to me as if it’s possible that the dough is being over-risen. That can cause the loaf to collapse during baking. Also, be sure your oven is HOT when you put the bread in to bake. (The only time I recommend not having the oven at baking temp before putting the bread in is in variations where a second rise is omitted and the bread is put into the oven directly after shaping, which is not the case in regular loaf-style Grandmother Bread.) Let me know how it goes! I hope that helps.

Suzanne McMinn - Reply
12-20
10:00
am

Thanks Suzanne!
It’s strange that all the variations (Ladder Loaf, Carmel Rolls which BTW are FANTASTIC!) have never collapsed, just the bread. I make/rise/bake them at the same time with a loaf of bread. Given your sage advice, I’m going to shorten the second rise. I’ll keep you posted.
Best,
ShadowWoods

ShadowWoods - Reply
12-20
12:36
pm

Probably the difference is that with the ladder loaf and rolls, the mass is smaller. The mass of a loaf makes collapse possible if it’s over-risen (or if the oven isn’t all the way to baking temp when you put it in). Good luck! Making bread is a lifelong experiment!

Suzanne McMinn - Reply
12-26
8:59
am

I enjoy your site every day! Your pictures are wonderful and they have inspired me to try to make my photography better. Your Grandmother’s Bread is great. I have made a couple of batches and we enjoyed them a lot. Plan to make some today, in fact. My daughter-in-love made your Bourbon balls and they are soooo good. Thank you for your great site.
Frances

Frances - Reply
1-1
6:13
pm

my Gma bread came out stumpy and heavy…it looks so easy!!

any idea’s what I couldve done wrong?? Hubby says it looks like it didnt rise enough(it is short & stumpy!..the bread, not the hubby.)

Summer

Summer - Reply
1-1
6:19
pm

Hi, Summer! Your hubby might be right. One of the causes of a heavy loaf can be inadequate rising. Other reasons include water temperature could have been too hot or too cold, yeast could be bad, or not enough kneading. Try again? You learn something every time you make a loaf. (I still do.) Great bread is a lifetime endeavor! (And so worth it.)

Suzanne McMinn - Reply
1-2
9:49
am

ooOoOoOOoo..the water could be TOO hot. guess i’ll not put it in the microwave this time (grinning)

I’m new at this….can you tell??

I’m gonna try it again…if nothing else, the geese are getting free meals & LOVING IT!!

THANKYOU!!
Summer

Summer - Reply
1-4
7:54
pm

Batch 2!!! warm water…more time to rise…not perfect yet, but pretty close since one whole loaf has been desimated by children & hubby alike!!WOOT!!

3rd batch as soon as these are gone!(2 days, I’m thinking)

Thank you Thank you :purr:

Summer

Summer - Reply
1-5
1:06
am

Hi i always wanted to try bread at home, so now i have got the recipe and it looks easy..i think so..and i hope its tastes good too,am definitely going to try it today.
Thanks and thumbs up for the good job :thumbsup:

Ammara - Reply
1-5
5:40
am

Summer, that’s great! I’m glad to hear it!

Hi, Ammara!

Suzanne McMinn - Reply
1-10
9:15
pm

I was making the basic white bread, but after I baked it and we cut it to eat. It tasted a little floury or yeast taste. What did I do wrong? Thanks again. I like your website.

Rita Shaffer - Reply
1-11
7:53
am

Hi, Rita! If bread has an excessively yeasty taste, usually it’s because the dough was over-risen. Sometimes it can also be because the water temperature was too high, or due to insufficient kneading. It’s always difficult to pinpoint from afar, LOL, but I’d suggest you look closely at those steps and try again! You’ll learn something every time you make bread. I do!

Suzanne McMinn - Reply
1-12
8:05
pm

Oh I am so making this tomorrow! Thanks for the recipe! I’m an avid bread baker and I’m always on the lookout for a great recipe. Orange rolls Saturday morning for my guys!

Homespun Mommy - Reply
1-18
7:43
pm

I can’t seem to find your post on whole grain Grandmother Bread. Did it disappear?

Ang. - Reply
1-18
7:49
pm

Hi, Ang! I’m actually redoing that post to make it better. For now, the basics are that yes, you can replace honey in equal parts for sugar. You can use all whole grain, or part, but be sure to use dough enhancer (especially if using all whole grain) as whole grain breads rise so much better with dough enhancer. Though–if you don’t have dough enhancer, if you use one cup whole grain per two cups all-purpose flour, bread still rises quite well without dough enhancer. I hope that helps! If you have questions, let me know!

Suzanne McMinn - Reply
- 1-19
  3:17
  pm
  
  Oh, good! I am not going crazy! I have been making whole wheat grandmother bread for several weeks. I guess I had made it enough that the recipe was ingrained in my head. Whew! My loaves always rise nicely and then become flat when I bake them. It tastes good but makes for some short sandwiches. I am going to try the Italian bread next time. Sounds so tasty! Thanks for the reply.
  
  Ang. - Reply
1-28
7:27
am

My mother was a master bread maker but never used a recipe. Was so happy to find this recipe and make it about twice a week. Just wanted to add a little tip from my mom , when the bread comes out of the oven, take a paper towel and dip in Crisco, spread it on the top crust, it helps the crust stay soft and not get all hard and crusty, but does not add any flavor to the bread.

Debi - Reply
2-2
1:11
pm

Hello,

I am new to your site and just made Grandmother bread for the first time!! I have never made bread before and it turned out great. Mine just wasnt very brown in color?? anyways, thank you for the wonderful website and the great foods!

angie pallikan - Reply
- 2-2
  1:19
  pm
  
  Hi, Angie! If it came out great and was baked through, then it was done. Mine always browns real well, but maybe it was the position of your oven rack? Hard to say, but if it came out good, that’s the point! My bread doesn’t always look perfect, either.
  
  Suzanne McMinn - Reply
2-6
11:22
am

Suzanne,

I made my first grandma bread and after reading your comments here, I think my water was to hot for the yeast. It did not bake as high as yours in the picture. I will try again though. What a mess I made. Flour and dough everywhere. I am not a neat cook like your daughter was in those pictures where she is only 9. It tastes good, but I am willing to work for perfection. (or as close as I’m going to get!) LOL

trish - Reply
2-19
2:48
pm

Thank you so much for this recipe! I had a very similar one (milk instead of water, and some butter) taped to my wall for ages, I used to make a loaf almost every day. I stopped for a while and then lost the recipie and it’s been driving me mad trying to re-find/re-create it.

THANKS from my whole family!!

Kat - Reply
2-25
2:41
pm

How do you convert this for a bread machine that makes a 1 pound loaf? and also for 2lb

Thanks
Jill

Jill - Reply
- 2-25
  2:42
  pm
  
  Hi, Jill! I’m sorry, I’m not a bread machine user, so I don’t know. You could convert it by making it by hand.
  
  Suzanne McMinn - Reply
2-25
4:31
pm

I did it by hand and it was so good my husband said it was a keeper. A friend of mine gave me a bread machine to use to see if I wanted one and I had wondered how to convert your bread recipe for him. Thanks anyway.

Jill - Reply
3-4
1:14
am

Ok, I have to complain about one thing….I made your grandmother bread and I have gone through 25 lbs of flour in 2 weeks time!!! It is the most amazing bread I have ever made! So simple, and so yummy! I am an addict, thanks to you and your grandmother (although I think you said it had been in your family for over a hundred years), but really I am to blame them all for any extra pounds I might have gained. I have been giving this bread away to family and neighbors and have made many a loaf for my family as well. Thank you for sharing. P.S. Have you ever tried mixing this recipe with some whole wheat? I am afraid to mess it up, however, I’d love to add some whole wheat. Thanks a million!!!

shannon - Reply
- 3-4
  6:04
  am
  
  Hi, Shannon! Yes, I make it with whole wheat sometimes. When I do, I use homemade dough enhancer (link in the Grandmother Bread post above). I’m glad you are enjoying it!
  
  Suzanne McMinn - Reply
3-4
1:36
pm

Suzanne- I just made your Grandmother Bread. I have been planning on making it for a LONG time, but sometimes I am just stubborn. Anyway- I made it and love it and I wrote a post about how good it was- and I gave out a link to this post. Is that all right? I gave you full credit- and introduced my readers to your blog, but then I read your copyright and got nervous. If you’d like me to, will take down this post. It is at http://www.heidiannie.com if you want to see it. Let me know – I’m sorry if I was in error.

heidiannie - Reply
3-16
12:40
pm

I am jumping for joy because this bread tastes just like what my grandma used to make. I have tried and tried and tried different breads and none have tasted like this. Thanks so much for sharing your family recipe…I am going to also claim it as my own.

God bless,
JoyceMarie

Joyce - Reply
3-27
2:06
pm

What is wrong when I can barely get 2 1/4 cup of flour stirred into the “proof”? After that, it crumbles off to the bottom of the bowl. This is for the regular G’ma bread recipe.

MaryLundShu - Reply
- 3-28
  12:48
  pm
  
  Mary, I can’t imagine how that could happen. Are you sure you added 1 1/2 of water?
  
  Suzanne McMinn - Reply
3-28
10:37
am

So.. I am 23 years old and a newlywed. No one in my family ever made bread so this was my first experience with it. I must admit it turned out okay. I used too much flour, so I will have to watch that next time. I got confused as to when it was time to knead the dough and just kept adding more flour. Mistake.. but I will try again. Thanks for sharing this special recipe with me.

Jennifer - Reply
- 3-28
  12:41
  pm
  
  Hi, Jennifer! Thank you for telling me. Good luck and keep making bread!
  
  Suzanne McMinn - Reply
3-30
9:49
am

With such simple ingredients, there should be no excuse for anyone not willing to make their own bread. Mmmmm. looks great.

Linda - Reply
3-31
12:56
pm

Hi Suzanne! I love your site and this recipe! How wonderful to find a delicious bread recipe that is simple and can be made in an afternoon…I’ve made it twice now using different ratios of whole wheat and white flour. The loaves have come out rather stumpy, but very delicious. My loaf pans are rather short, and I was wondering if this might be a contributing factor. I will definitely try making dough enhancer (I might leave out some of the components, I’m trying to stay away from preservatives) and I’ll let you know how it turns out.

mary - Reply
- 3-31
  1:03
  pm
  
  Hi, Mary! Yes, try dough enhancer! It makes a huge difference with whole grain breads.
  
  Suzanne McMinn - Reply
4-9
5:03
pm

D’oh! Okay, I made the dough enhancer (left out the gelatin and pectin), got excited, added it to the yeast/salt/sugar mixture, poured in warm water, and went back to my computer only to find I should have added it with the flour…
The dough was very different, before it took way more than 6 cups of whole wheat flour to get the dough to the right consistency, and the enhancer took care of that problem, but my bread didn’t rise at all! I even let it sit overnight and still nothing…
It might have been the yeast I used, I got some nutritional yeast in bulk at the health food store and I’ve never used it before so maybe that was the problem.
Either way, I’ll still bake it and I’m sure it will be delicious (albeit a little dense..)
Try try again! I’m really enjoying baking bread, and its really fun going through the process of troubleshooting…at least all of my mistakes are delicious

Mary - Reply
4-10
5:58
pm

…actually, it was not delicious. Very sour, I think I let it rise a little too long…whoops!

Mary - Reply
4-22
1:10
pm

Hey, I made Grandmother Bread aon yesterday and it was delicious,
great texture….consiering other recepices with milk and oil…
mine kept coming out all jacked up until I found your recepie online…thank’s a bunch seeing as how I don’t have to buy milk and
oil anymore water will do just fine. ps. leave it to a fellow Texan
to set the record straight (no milk/oil needed).

gette (jet) - Reply
5-6
8:36
pm

I am so excited to have found this site tonight. I love making bread but keep looking for the perfect recipes and I think I found the place.

Gayle Rogers - Reply
5-29
12:28
am

Hi suzanne, love the site!!! Quick question for you (because I dont want to mess up anything since this will be my first time making bread) I noticed you posted the measurements for making one loaf…would you still bake it for 25 minutes, or would you cut the bake time in half as well?

Romie - Reply
7-25
9:04
pm

I am in the midst of making grandmother bread and have a yeast question. I can buy both quick yeast and traditional yeast. On the package for quick yeast it says to add it straight to the ingredients, unlike the traditional yeast which needs to be activated with the sugar and water so….. if I use the quick yeast do I still add it to the warm water with the salt and sugar or do I just dump it into the flour and add the flour to just the water, salt and sugar??

Shells - Reply
- 7-26
  5:05
  am
  
  Shells, you can still add the quick yeast to the water/sugar mixture. It doesn’t hurt anything. I’m glad to hear your bread turned out well!
  
  Suzanne - Reply
7-26
12:01
am

Well I made the single loaf recipe with the traditional yeast, baked it for 29 minutes (instead of the 25), it didn’t turn out as crusty as I had hoped but I am suitably impressed with myself. It tastes good and the texture is nice.

Shells - Reply
7-27
12:14
pm

I have been looking for a good whole grain bread recipe. I’ve tried and failed many times until I tried this recipe. I’m eating a slice of fresh baked bread from the oven as I type this…perfect! Thanks!

Heather - Reply
7-27
11:51
pm

I feel like I should be raising my hand in a class and waving it about eagerly ……. but anyway, I digress.

What is the cause of large holes in home baked bread?

Shells - Reply
- 7-28
  4:50
  am
  
  Shells, it sounds like you didn’t knead enough after the first rise, leaving too much air/gas in the bread, or possibly could also be caused by over-rising in the second rise.
  
  Suzanne - Reply
8-9
5:54
am

I made the bread yesterday and I have found a new bread recipe. It is wonderful. Thank you

debojo98 - Reply
10-12
1:43
pm

Came across your site while searching for burnt sugar cake recipe which I plan to make rather soon. I have enjoyed the entire site so much DH thinks I will never leave the computer. Just pulled a gorgeous looking loaf of Grandmother bread from the oven. Can’t wait for it to cool enough to try a slice. Also, made a batch of sour-dough starter. Haven’t been able over the years to keep one and make great tasting bread. Thanks Suzanne for wonderful stories and fantastic recipes.

mamawolf - Reply
10-13
7:13
pm

Thank you so much Suzanne! I’ve been trying recipe after recipe for a good white bread and your Grandmother Bread is the most flavorful delicious bread ever! I’ve tried quite a few things from your site (I’ve been reading almost a year now) and when I’m trying something new and my husband raises an eyebrow I tell him,”Honey it’s Suzanne’s recipe don’t worry” and he doesn’t because none of your recipes fail to please!

SarahMom2FourBoys - Reply
- 10-13
  7:15
  pm
  
  I’m so glad to hear that, Sarah! Tell your hubby I said hi!
  
  Suzanne - Reply
10-23
1:33
pm

This makes incredible french toast!! Use a little vanilla and cinnamon in your milk and egg mixture. Used a sourdough version of the grandmother bread. Wow!

Ty Thomas - Reply
10-24
11:55
am

Hello.Thank you for posting all of your recipes, especially Grandmother Bread. I, unfortunately, never knew my grandmothers and my mother wasn’t a bread baker. I felt honored to be able to make this recipe. Being new to bread-baking, I have a couple of questions. 1. The yeast packet that I buy say they are 2 1/4 tsp. but your recipe calls for 1 tablespoon or one packet. Is that okay? My dough didn’t rise well. 2. I am wondering how to store the baked bread. I wrapped them in foil and left them on the counter. Should they be refrigerated? I have read all of the previous posts which gave a lot of advice about kneading, etc. I am trying to find the advice about using glass loaf pans?

Thank you in advance for your time & the great history of this recipe.

Lisa

itzlisa - Reply
- 10-24
  12:03
  pm
  
  Hi, Lisa!
  
  Check out this post for tips on getting bread to rise:
  http://suzannemcminn.com/blog/2008/10/03/cinnamon-swirl-bread/
  
  And this post for tips about loaf pans:
  http://suzannemcminn.com/blog/2008/09/26/raisin-bread/
  
  A tablespoon equals three teaspoons, so a “scant” tablespoon is about a packet of yeast. Back in the day before I used bulk yeast, I used a yeast packet all the time for making my bread. It works fine. There could be other reasons you had trouble with your rise (see the post about tips for getting bread to rise well). I’m glad you’re baking bread!
  
  I store my bread on the counter, usually in a large ziploc bag or just wrapped in plastic or foil. If you think the bread is going to be around for longer than two or three days, you might want to store it in the fridge. I don’t generally keep bread around more than three days. In fact, if bread is three days old, I give it to the chickens! I’m too spoiled to fresh bread to keep bread past a couple days. I just make more. Use the one-loaf recipe if you think two loaves will last too long. Bread is always best fresh!
  
  Suzanne - Reply