Simple Vanilla Sweet Bread

In a rush? You can skip straight to the Simple Vanilla Sweet Bread recipe at my Tumblr. Or you can jump to my Just the Basics section.

Stressful things seem to pop up when they’re least expected, right?

But if there’s one thing I can count on to counteract stress, it’s desserts. After all, stressed is merely desserts spelled backwards!

So this week I made something so ridiculously easy and simple that it didn’t add to my stress levels at all: Simple Vanilla Sweet Bread.

This recipe takes almost no time at all. Just a few minutes of mixing, and it’s ready to go in the oven. No need for special tools or equipment. No need for special ingredients.

And it’s just plain yummy, pure and simple.

Better still, this vanilla sweet bread is incredibly flexible and versatile. You can add nuts, chocolate chips, fruit, frosting, glaze – you name it, you can add to the recipe and it will still taste amazing.

Time

Prep time:  5-10 Minutes
Rise time: None
Cook time:  45-50 Minutes
Total time: 50 Minutes to 1 Hour

Ingredients

Don’t have a lot of ingredients in your pantry? No worries. You only need a few staples for this recipe:

• 240 Grams (2 Cups) All-Purpose Flour
• 201 Grams (1 Cup) White Granulated Sugar
• 12 Grams (1 Tablespoon)Baking Powder
• 3 Grams (1/2 Teaspoon) Salt
• 80 Grams (1/3 Cup) Vegetable Oil
• 240 Grams (1 Cup) Milk
• 4.2 Grams (1 Teaspoon) Vanilla Extract
• 1 Large Egg

Although this recipe is for sweet vanilla bread, you can leave out the vanilla if you wish and go for a simpler more neutral flavor or swap it out for something more your style, like lemon extract.

Additional Equipment

While you don’t need fancy equipment to make this recipe, you do need the following items on hand:

• Measuring Cups, Bowls, and Spoons
• 9″ by 5″ Bread Pan
• Wire Cooling Rack
• Oven Mitts

I’ve provided links to a few basics on Amazon, but you can just as easily find these items in any convenience store.

Instructions

Simple Vanilla Sweet Bread comes together fast, so if you’re ready to bake, go ahead and preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (176 degrees Celsius).

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.

In a smaller bowl, combine vegetable oil, milk, vanilla, and egg.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.

Pour batter into lightly greased bread pan. Feel free to sprinkle a light layer of sugar on top for an extra hint of sweetness.

Bake 45 to 50 minutes. If you insert a toothpick into the bread and it comes out clean, you’re done!

Let the bread cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 10 minutes.

Then turn the loaf out onto the wire rack to finish cooling.

While your bread cools, feel free to make your own glaze or frosting to the bread. But in my opinion, this bread is beautiful all on its own, with maybe a bit of butter.

This bread stays freshest when stored in a sealed plastic bag or covered in plastic wrap. It will keep for 5 days at room temperature.

You can also wrap this loaf in heavy foil or place it in a freezer Ziploc bag and freeze it for about 3 months, though you’ll want to bring it to room temperature again before serving.

Just the Basics

Secrets to Success

This vanilla sweet bread recipe is a great one for beginners. All you need to do is a little mixing and you’re good to go.

However, I feel like I should emphasize little mixing.

As with many quick bread recipes, you don’t want to overmix your bread. If you overmix, your bread might sink in the middle. You want to mix until the flour is just moistened – and that’s it.

If you keep mixing minimal and you still struggle with a sinking loaf, consider only spraying the bottom of the pan. The batter will still to the sides of the pan and give the bread a little extra support while it bakes.

Additionally, you may want to measure your ingredients by weight rather than volume. Some measuring cups are less accurate than others, so measuring by weight will guarantee consistent results.

Nutritional Information

Simple Vanilla Sweet Bread is a sweet bread, which means it has quite a bit of sugar in it. If you’re tracking your calories, keep this nutritional information in mind:

Please remember that calories per serving will vary depending on how you slice your bread. I managed about 12 slices per loaf, but your slices may be bigger or larger than mine.

Did You Try It?

I love hearing from my fellow bakers. If you tried it, feel free to come back and rate the recipe. Share your suggestions in the comments below, too. If you have recommendations to make this bread even better, let me know! Your comments matter to me and make my entire week.