This easy, authentic Ghana butter bread recipe has all the qualities of perfect bread for making a sandwich or eating it alone. With step-by-step pictures and baking tips, anyone can make this simple homemade butter bread using just a few ingredients.
This butter bread uses flour, water, yeast, salt, salt, butter, and milk. I know many people have all-purpose flour, but using bread flour in this recipe produces a soft, buttery interior with a chewy crust outside. This recipe yields two loaves of bread, but you can easily make half of the recipe.
Let’s make homemade Ghana butter bread! I often make this basic bread in my house since it is easy to make and does not require much time. I love the smile of freshly baked homemade bread; this recipe is foolproof and may become your favorite, too. This is the best butter bread, which reminds me of home. I used to help a bread baker in college during my spare time and was impressed by how simple ingredients can produce delicious buttery and soft bread. This recipe is delicious, just like I used to have. You will find similar versions of this bread among West Africans, like agege bread from Nigeria.
Why You Will Like This Recipe.
- Perfect golden brown with a buttery taste
- Soft butter bread with an extra fluffy texture
- It is made with eight ingredients, which you might have in your pantry already.
- Simple to make
- Easy to make ahead and freeze well.
- It requires only one rising time.
If you are looking for a burger buns recipe? Here is my burger buns bread.
Ingredients Note
The full ingredient measurements and instructions are on the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
I used a mix of milk and water to increase the richness of the bread, but you can use only water or add about two tablespoons of powdered milk to the flour.
- Water: water helps activate the yeast, and I used water and milk in this dough. The water should be between 110 to 115 degrees, or you should be able to dip your finger into it and leave it in and still feel comfortable.
- Milk: To make soft bread, you need fat in the dough, so ensure 1/4 cup of the liquid is milk. I recommend whole milk since it improves the texture of the bread.
- Yeast: You can use dry active yeast or instant yeast. If using active dry yeast, the rise times will be a bit longer, but instant yeast is much faster.
- Sugar: Sugar feeds the yeast, increases activity, and tenderizes the dough.
- Butter: Unsalted butter is an essential ingredient in this recipe. That is where it gets its name and promises a flavorful loaf. The butter should be softened for easy mixing, a buttery flavor, and a softer and sturdier interior.
- Flavor booster: the flavor booster for this recipe is salt, vanilla extract, and ground nutmeg, just like how it is made in Ghana.
- Flour: You can use all-purpose wheat flour if that is all you have, but I recommend bread flour or hard flour for this butter bread.
This recipe needs only one rising time, which is how easy it is to make the bread. All the dough needs 10 minutes of rest time for the gluten to relax so it can be stretched and shaped.
Tools Needed for the Recipe
- Large mixing bowl
- Wooden spoon
- Stand Mixer with the dough hook.
- Plastic wrap or tea towel
- Measuring cup or scale
Step By Step Instructions to Make the Best Ghana Butter Bread
Here is an easy step-by-step with pictures to guide you through making butter bread. For more details and ingredient measurements, check the recipe card.
Step 1: Activate the Yeast by Proofing
Whisk the warm water, milk, yeast, and a tablespoon of sugar in a bowl or large measuring cup. Cover and allow to sit for 5 minutes. After 5-10 minutes, the mixture should be foamy. If not, the yeast is dead and should be tossed.
Step 2: Preparing the Bread Dough
Add all the dry ingredients and mix on low with the paddle attachment until everything is combined in a large bowl or stand Mixer. You can use a whisk to mix if you don’t have a stand mixer. Add the softened butter to the flour mixture and mix to distribute the butter evenly on a low speed. Then, add the yeast mixture to the flour mixture using the dough hook attachment, and mix on medium speed until the dough comes together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, about 2 minutes. You can also do the mixing with a wooden spoon or spatula with a bit of elbow grease.
Step 3: Kneading the Dough
To develop the gluten, continue to knead the dough for about an extra 5- 7 minutes. The gluten helps the bread dough to rise well and produces soft and fluffy dough. You can also knead the dough by hand, which will take longer than the stand mixer.
Step 4: Shape the dough.
As said earlier, this dough requires only one rise, so Lightly grease a large bowl with vegetable oil or nonstick spray. Place the dough in the bowl, turning it to coat all sides in the oil. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and allow the dough to rest for 10 minutes, which helps the gluten that has developed to relax and helps work with the dough.
While the dough rests, prepare two 8x 5 inches loaf pans with easy pan release or vegetable oil and flour. Lightly flour a work surface, your hands, and a rolling pin. Roll the dough out into a large rectangle, about 8×15 inches. Roll it up into an 8-inch log, seal the edges, and place it in the prepared loaf pan with seam side down.
Step 5: Rising Time
Cover the dough with tea or a kitchen towel and allow it to rise warmly for about 1 or 11/2 hours. You can proof the dough in an oven. I usually turn on the oven light, producing enough heat for the dough. You can also place the dough in the microwave with hot water, making enough heat to proof the dough.
Step 6: Bake the Bread
While the dough is still proofing, preheat your oven to 350 F.
Bake the bread for 30-34 minutes or until golden brown on top. If you gently tap on the loaf, it should sound hollow. You can use an instant-read thermometer to read the center of the loaf at 195°F (90°C).
Remove from the oven and transfer onto a cooling rack. Allow the bread to cool completely before slicing. Serve and enjoy!
Expert Baking Tips
- If you leave the bread in the pan for much longer than that, you’ll steam it, which may cause some parts of your loaf to go soggy.
- Make sure to knead the dough well to develop the gluten and flavor of the bread.
- Don’t add more flour when kneading because you will have denser bread.
- Use room temperature ingredients.
- If you own a kitchen scale, use it for accurate measurements.
Storage and Freezing Instructions
You’ll want to store leftover bread in an airtight container at room temperature for about three days. Allow the bread to cool completely, then freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature and use it as desired.
Substitutions
You can easily turn this bread into vegan bread by using vegan butter or margarine, a plant base. You can replace half of the flour with whole wheat flour to make whole wheat bread.
More Recipes You’ll Love
Don’t Want to Miss a Thing?
Follow me on Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest, and Instagram to keep updated with all the latest news from the Duchez Kitchen.
If you have any questions about this recipe, I would love to hear them in the comment section below. Did you make this recipe? Let me know by leaving a review and recipe rating below. Tag me @ #theduchezkitchen- on Instagram and Facebook.
Thanks for reading, and stay blessed!
Happy baking
Linda!
Easy Ghana Butter Bread Recipe
Equipment
- Measuring scale
Ingredients
- 5 cups bread flour hard flour
- ¼ cup white sugar granulated sugar
- ½ cup butter softened
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1¼ cups water warm
- 3 teaspoons dry instant yeast
Instructions
- Step 1: Activate the Yeast by Proofing
- Whisk the warm water, warm milk, yeast, and a tablespoon of sugar together in a bowl or large measuring cup. Cover and allow to sit for 5 minutes. After 5-10 minutes, the mixture should be foamy. If not, the yeast is dead and should be tossed.
- Step 2: Preparing the Bread Dough
- In a large mixing bowl or a bowl of your stand mixer, add all the dry ingredients and mix on low with the paddle attachment until everything is combined. You can use a whisk to mix if you don’t have a stand mixer. Add the softened butter to the flour mixture and mix to distribute the butter evenly. Then, add the yeast mixture to the flour mixture using the dough hook attachment, and mix on medium speed until the dough comes together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, about 2 minutes. You can also do the mixing with a wooden spoon or spatula with a bit of elbow grease.
- Step 3: Kneading the Dough
- Continue to knead the dough for about an extra 5- 7 minutes to develop the gluten. The gluten helps the bread dough to rise well and produces soft and fluffy dough. You can also knead the dough by hand, and will take longer time than the stand mixer.
- Step 4: Shape the dough.
- As said earlier this dough requires only one rise, so Lightly grease a large bowl with olive oil or nonstick spray. Place the dough in the bowl, turning it to coat all sides in the oil. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and allow the dough to rest for 10 minutes which helps the gluten that has developed to relax and helps work with the dough.
- While the dough rest, prepare two 8x 5 inches pans with easy pan release or vegetable oil and flour. Lightly flour a work surface, your hands, and a rolling pin. Roll the dough out into a large rectangle, about 8×15 inches. Roll it up into an 8-inch log, seal the edges, and place in the prepared loaf pan with seam side down.
- Step 5: Rising Time
- Cover the dough with tea or a kitchen towel and allow it to rise for about one or an hour and a half. You can proof the dough in an oven. I usually turn on the oven light, and that produces enough heat for the dough. You can also place the dough in the microwave with hot water, which will produce enough heat to proof the dough.
- Step 6: Bake the Bread
- While the dough is still proofing, preheat your oven to 350 F.
- Bake the bread for 30-34 minutes or until golden brown on top. If you gently tap on the loaf, it should sound hollow. You can use an instant-read thermometer to read the center of the loaf at 195°F (90°C).
- Remove from the oven and transfer onto a cooling rack. Allow the bread to cool completely before slicing. Serve and enjoy
Notes
You’ll want to store leftover bread in an airtight container at room temperature for about 3 days. Freezing Instruction Allow the bread to cool completely, then freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature and use it as desired. I like to slice the bread before freezing to thaw just the quantity I need.
Leave a Reply