The Easiest Soft Bread To Make At Home

There's an art to making bread at home, and it's not just the precarious balance of rising dough and crunchy crust. Even tender, pillowy soft breads need care, attention, and a baker's touch — but in different ways than their hard-crust counterparts. Digging a little deeper into the mystery of soft-bread success, we reached out to an expert in the field, Chef Billy Parisi, owner of Parisi's Italian Kitchen in Crown Point, Indiana.

First off, what exactly constitutes a soft bread? According to Parisi, "Soft breads are any breads that are tender, moist, and have a fine, closed crumb, without any outer crunchy crust." He identifies breads in this category as being "things like brioche, challah, hot dog or hamburger buns, sweet rolls, etc." In addition to these breads mentioned by Parisi, more nuanced soft breads include Hawaiian rolls, steamed bao buns, and the fluffy Japanese milk bread called shokupan. Surprisingly, these bread types are much easier to make than you'd imagine. 

Parisi notes how they're excellent for beginners, being very straightforward and potentially forgiving. "They usually don't have high hydration percentages," he says, "which can be difficult to handle, especially for newbies." As for the easiest soft breads for home chefs? "I honestly think a simple dinner roll or even a plain white loaf is perfect to make at home," he shares, calling them a great place to start. "They come together in a few hours from start to finish and are commonly used breads for sandwiches and side dishes, or just a great snack with a little butter." 

Regardless of which soft bread you're making, there are a few tips to keep in mind, according to Parisi. "The most important tips to remember when making these breads," he says, "are to ensure you cool it to room temperature before eating and giving ample rising time, at least doubled in size, before baking."  When you're ready to go hands-on in your own kitchen, you can get more details from our article on 13 tips for making dinner rolls. They include things like ways to add flavor, how to avoid over-kneading, getting the perfect size and shape, and precise proofing techniques.

Another secret weapon professional chefs rely on is using tangzhong to make bread. This technique involves pre-cooking a small portion of the flour with liquid until it forms a gel. The gelatinized starch can then absorb lots more water, almost double the amount. When added to the dough, it helps the bread stay soft and hydrated for a longer amount of time. This is what makes Japanese milk bread so fluffy, but it also works wonders in other soft bread recipes, including cinnamon rolls, brioche, buns, and more.  

As for making those super-easy dinner rolls recommended by Parisi, there is another perk. You never have to worry about making too many of these tender beauties, as it's easy to turn dinner rolls into a next-day sweet treat. We're talking classic craveables such as cinnamon monkey bread and rich bread pudding. To make these delicacies, you just shred up the rolls instead of using standard bread slices.