I use this really simple bread recipe to make naan, pizza dough, and sandwich bread. The elevation of Colorado Springs, where I live, is roughly 5,500 feet. For me, this recipe works pretty well.
| Prep Time: | 25 mins |
| Cook Time: | 30 mins |
| Additional Time: | 1 hr 40 mins |
| Total Time: | 2 hrs 35 mins |
| Servings: | 8 |
| Yield: | 1 loaf |
Ingredients
- 1 cup warm water (100 degrees F/40 degrees C)
- 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 3 cups bread flour
- ¼ cup coconut oil, melted
- 1 tablespoon white sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Combine water and yeast and let sit until foamy, about 10 minutes.
- Combine flour, coconut oil, sugar, salt, and yeast mixture in a bowl. Knead until silky-smooth, about 15 minutes. Place dough in a large, lightly-oiled bowl and turn to coat. Cover with a towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a loaf pan.
- Punch down dough and turn onto a lightly floured surface. Shape into a loaf and place into the prepared pan. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise until doubled in volume, about 30 minutes.
- Uncover and bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes for an Italian-style loaf or 45 minutes for a sandwich-style bread.
- If using a bread machine, add the dry ingredients, then start the machine on the dough cycle and slowly add coconut oil and the yeast mixture.
- If you are using a clay baker, soak the baker in water while preheating the oven. Bake the bread for 30 minutes with the cover on, and bake uncovered for 15 additional minutes to get a nice brown crust on top.
- I also use this recipe for naan (just roll out into 1/4-inch-thick discs and fry on a griddle) or pizza (skip the second rising and just roll it out). I use coconut oil or olive oil around the edge of the pizza dough to give the crust a nice golden brown.
- Use 2 1/4 teaspoons of yeast and a bit more salt if using this recipe at a low altitude.
Reviews
I moved from sea level to almost seven thousand feet and have been looking for a bread recipe for ten years. I cannot believe how easy this loaf was to make. And it turned out absolutely perfectly. I hope the person that posted this recipe sees this because honestly I just wan to hug you and tell you, thank you. It also works for dinner rolls and the roti made were fabulous.
Made one loaf of this, it was good! Will try again with olive oil to see how it turns out. For the author, or anyone who has made it into pizza dough, what temp do you bake it at, and for how long?
This recipe is spot on! I bake at 5280 altitude and have tried for 6 years to make a good loaf of bread. I finally succeeded. Thank you so much!!!
My wife bet me I couldn’t bake bread, but thanks to this recipe and to the comments following this recipe I proved her wrong. I followed the recipe closely. I did add a little flour because we live at 8500 ft in the la Plata mountains and a half teaspoon of yeast as recommended in the comments and it went perfectly. Also, I was inspired by one of the comments to try the cinnamon, brown sugar butter. It was incredible. Thank you one and all, you made me a winner!
Love it! I don’t use bread machine. Why do my loaves turn in pan while baking??? Also I can’t get those folds out of dough when shaping into loaf. This one was better but I still don’t want any of this! We’re at 5436’ elev.
I live at 8500 feet I and this turned out great! I used Lodge cast iron bread pans. I did decrease the yeast by 1/2 tsp. and added a tsp of sugar to the yeast.
This is the absolute best high altitude bread I have ever had! It is so easy to make. The taste is fantastic. My family likes it so much that I have been making a loaf every other day!!!! I don’t buy bread in the store anymore.
I live in Northern Arizona and use this recipe all of the time. It makes a wonderful loaf of bread. It barley gets a chance to cool before someone is fighting for the end. Love this recipe.
Excellent. First time, pleased with flavor and ease using cuisinart for entire process. I live @ 6700 feet; prepared bread during significant lightning/rain storm. Set it to 1 1/2 # loaf on medium crust; virgin olive oil rather than coconut oil; changed flour to 1 1/2 c bread and 1 1/2 c stone ground whole wheat flour (though I used scale rather than measuring cup); short third rise then back into bread machine for baking. No other modifications. Very slight dip on top of bread, will increase salt next time. Crust isn’t dry
easy and oh so good the smell that filled my kitchen was one of the best things I’ve ever had the pleasure to smell I served it warm with brown sugar cinnamon butter and poetry a Wonderfull way to spend the afternoon
I live at almost 6000 ft and this recipe never lets me down. I use vegetable or avocado oil. I’ve never been a fan of coconut oil in my cakes or breads. I love it for many other things. I use this amazing recipe all of the time.
So far so good, in the middle of letting it rise, doesn’t seem to be rising to double so added 30 more minutes for it to double. I am at 6,412 ft and using both the bread machine and with my kitchen aide with bread hook. I will update as it rises.
Used canola, 8000 ft. Worked great, cooled slowly to avoid wrinkles on the crust
I have lived in Colorado Springs for nearly a year. I have failed repeatedly trying to bake bread and using all the suggestions. This was the FIRST time I’ve made a good loaf of bread. Thank you so much for a wonderful recipe. I don’t feel like a bread failure anymore.
This was awesome! I ran out of coconut oil so I used butter instead, and it worked great!
I didn’t have coconut oil on hand so I used olive oil. I used one cup of whole wheat flour and two cups bread flour. I baked for 40 minutes. I’m at 6160 elevation. The loaf is perfect. It’s SO tender and delicious!
Finally a recipe that works at 6000 feet! It got a little dark because I’m using a tiny oven and the bread rose to the top and touched it. I’m super happy with the outcome and will just make the loaf a little smaller next time.
I didn’t have coconut oil so I used vegetable oil. I used rapid rising yeast. The dough was super sticky. When I took the cloth off after the first rise, the dough collapsed. Came out after baking a little flat and crumbly.
Great recipe! Came out beautifully! The only think I might adjust is the type of oil. The coconut oil cane through a bit too much for my taste, so I Amy try avocado or something else. We’ll see what happens! 🙂
I used 2 and a half cups of white bread flour, and half a cup of whole wheat flour.
Very easy and tasty, and the bread has a good crumb! I did the dough in the bread machine and finished in the oven, I added the water and the yeast to the bread pan to let it bloom, then added the dry ingredients. The proportions are good – I did not have to adjust liquid or flour to the dough. I substituted butter for coconut oil. I’m in Denver at 5280′.