Giant 5-ingredient air fryer bread loaf recipe

I still cannot believe how easy this large 5-ingredient air fryer bread loaf recipe is. You get one big, golden homemade loaf with a soft, fluffy middle… and the whole thing is baked right in the air fryer.

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Check out my large 5-ingredient air fryer bread loaf recipe video below and see exactly how I make it. If you like easy air fryer baking recipes, give the video a like and subscribe to my YouTube channel for more.

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Why you’ll love this 5-ingredient air fryer bread

This is a proper big loaf, not one of those tiny air fryer breads that gives you a few slices and disappears. With almost 1 kilogram of flour, you get plenty of bread for toast, sandwiches, or thick slices with butter.

This air fryer bread has a lovely golden outside with a soft, fluffy middle. The crust gets a little crisp as it bakes, especially around the top and edges, while the inside stays nice and tender.

The flavor is exactly what I want from a simple homemade loaf. It is not sweet, even though there is a teaspoon of sugar in the dough. That small amount is there mainly to give the yeast a little help at the beginning.

I love this bread slightly warm with butter, but it is just as good toasted the next day. Let’s be honest… freshly baked bread sitting on the kitchen counter never lasts very long anyway.

Large air fryer bread ingredients

This really is a 5-ingredient air fryer bread, and you probably already have most of what you need in the kitchen.

• 3 cups (700 milliliters) lukewarm water
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 3 1/2 teaspoons (11 grams) instant dry yeast
• 8 1/4 cups (980 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon (18 grams) salt

The water should be warm, but not hot. If it feels comfortably warm when you touch it, that is what you are looking for.

Can I use bread flour?

Yes, bread flour will work if that is what you have. Because it has a little more protein, the dough may feel slightly firmer, and the finished loaf can have a little more chew.

For this air fryer bread recipe, I prefer all-purpose flour. It gives the bread a nice soft middle, works really well with this amount of water, and it is something most people already have at home.

Equipment you’ll need

• Large mixing bowl
• Sieve
• Spatula
• Electric hand mixer with dough hooks
• Plastic wrap or clean kitchen towel
• Large air fryer
• Parchment paper

You do not need a mixer to make this bread. If you do not have dough hooks, you can use your hands and knead the dough until it becomes smoother and stretchy.

How to make bread in an air fryer

Step 1: Get the yeast started

Add 3 cups (700 milliliters) of lukewarm water to a large mixing bowl. Then add 1 teaspoon of granulated sugar, followed by 3 1/2 teaspoons (11 grams) of instant dry yeast.

Give it a good stir, then cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and leave the yeast mixture for about 10 minutes. You should see some bubbles and a little foam forming on top, which is a good sign that the yeast is active.

Did You Know: Instant yeast can normally be added directly to flour, so this extra 10-minute rest is not required for instant yeast to work. I still like doing it here because you can see that the yeast is active before adding such a large amount of flour.

Step 2: Add the flour and salt

Take a sieve and sift in 8 1/4 cups (980 grams) of all-purpose flour. Sifting gets rid of any stubborn lumps and makes such a large amount of flour much easier to mix into the water without leaving dry patches hiding in the dough.

Then add 1 tablespoon (18 grams) of salt.

Step 3: Mix the dough

Use a spatula to start mixing everything together. Keep going until most of the loose flour has mixed into the water and the dough is beginning to come together.

Then switch to an electric hand mixer fitted with dough hooks. Keep mixing until the dough starts looking smoother, softer, and more stretchy. It may look rough and sticky at first, so give it some time before deciding that anything needs changing.

As the dough develops, you should see it starting to pull away from the sides of the bowl. If you do not have dough hooks, knead it by hand instead until you get that same smoother, stretchy feel.

Top Tip: Do not keep adding flour just because the dough feels sticky at the beginning. This is a fairly soft dough, and adding too much extra flour can give you a heavier loaf. Let the dough mix properly first.

Step 4: Let the dough rise

Once the dough looks smooth and stretchy, shape it into a ball and leave it in the mixing bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel, then put it somewhere warm.

Leave the dough for about 40 to 50 minutes, or until it has roughly doubled in size. Your kitchen may be warmer or cooler than mine, so the way the dough looks matters more than the exact number of minutes.

Step 5: Take the risen dough out

Once the dough has nicely doubled in size, remove the plastic wrap or kitchen towel. Then use your hands to gently loosen the dough from around the sides of the bowl.

Work your way around slowly and ease it away without tearing it. The dough will be soft and full of air at this point, so support it with both hands as you lift it out. Then place it onto a lightly floured work surface.

Step 6: Fold and shape the dough

Fold the dough over itself a few times to help tighten it up and make it easier to shape. Turn it as you go, then keep folding gently until the dough starts holding its shape better.

You do not need another long knead here. A few folds are enough. Then shape the dough into a nice round ball, ready for the second rise.

Second rise in the air fryer basket

Line the air fryer basket with parchment paper, covering the bottom and letting the paper come partway up the sides. Carefully lift the shaped dough with both hands and place it in the middle of the basket.

Gently adjust it if needed, but try not to press all that lovely air back out. Then cover the basket with a clean kitchen towel and leave the dough to rise again for about 20 to 30 minutes, or until it looks really puffy and has roughly doubled in size.

This is when it starts looking huge… and I love it. Seeing that big pillow of dough filling the basket is so satisfying.

Note: Keep the parchment paper low enough that it cannot reach the heating element, and never run the air fryer with loose parchment paper inside. The dough should always be sitting on it and holding it securely in place.

Step 7: Dust the top

Once the second rise is finished, remove the towel and sprinkle a little all-purpose flour over the top of the dough.

You only need a light dusting. It gives the loaf that simple rustic bakery look once the top starts turning golden.

How long to bake bread in an air fryer

Step 8: Air fry the bread

Bake the bread at 356°F (180°C) for about 40 to 50 minutes. Start checking it at around 40 minutes because air fryers can cook very differently, and a loaf this large may need a little more or less time depending on your machine.

If the top starts getting too brown before the bread is ready, carefully flip the loaf over and let it finish baking on the other side. This also helps the bottom brown more evenly.

When the bread is ready, the outside should look nicely golden and feel firm. Carefully tap the bottom of the loaf too. It should sound hollow rather than soft and heavy.

If the bottom still looks pale or the loaf feels soft underneath, give it another 5 minutes and check again.

Top Tip: With a loaf this tall, do not decide it is finished just because the top looks brown. Air fryers brown the top quickly, so checking the bottom before taking it out is much more useful.

Baking bread in an air fryer

Baking bread in an air fryer is a little different from using a regular oven because the loaf sits much closer to the heating element. That is why the top can become beautifully golden before the bottom has quite caught up.

Flipping the loaf near the end is useful if you notice that happening. It gives the underside more direct heat without continuing to darken the top.

Air fryer size also matters with this recipe because this is a genuinely large loaf. Make sure the risen dough still has enough room above it and is not getting too close to the heating element.

If your basket is too small, divide the dough into two loaves instead. They will bake faster than one large loaf, so start checking them sooner.

Let the bread cool before slicing

Once the loaf comes out of the air fryer, give it about 5 to 10 minutes before cutting into it.

I know… this is hard when the whole kitchen smells like fresh bread! But the inside is still very hot and steamy when the loaf first comes out. Giving it a little time to cool helps the inside settle so it slices much more nicely.

Then you can finally cut into it. That golden outside and soft, fluffy middle are exactly what make this homemade bread in the air fryer so good.

Related Recipe: If you liked this bread, you should also try my air fryer bread rolls next here. They come out soft and fluffy inside with a nice golden outside, and they are really easy to make.

Common air fryer bread problems

Why didn’t my dough rise?

If you saw bubbles or foam during the yeast step, the yeast was active. A cool room can simply make the dough rise more slowly, so give it longer if it has not doubled after 50 minutes.

If you saw absolutely no activity from the yeast after its 10-minute rest, the yeast may be old or the water may have been too hot.

Why is my dough sticky?

Some stickiness is normal with this recipe because 700 milliliters of water gives you a fairly soft dough. Keep mixing or kneading before adding extra flour because the dough should become smoother as you work it.

A little flour on the table while shaping is fine. What you want to avoid is working a large amount of extra flour into the dough, which can make the finished loaf denser.

Why is the top getting too dark?

This can happen quite easily when baking bread in an air fryer because the top sits close to the heat.

If the bread already has enough color, carefully flip it over and continue cooking with the bottom facing upward. That lets the loaf finish baking without making the original top much darker.

Why is the bottom still pale?

Turn the loaf over and give it a few more minutes. With a large air fryer bread loaf, the bottom can take longer to brown than the top.

What if my air fryer is too small?

Do not try to squeeze a huge risen loaf underneath the heating element. Divide the dough into two smaller loaves instead.

Smaller loaves will need less cooking time, so start checking them well before the 40-minute mark.

How to store this homemade bread

Let the bread cool completely before storing it. If you put warm bread into a bag or container, the trapped steam can make the outside damp and soft.

Once it is cool, store it in a bread bag or airtight container at room temperature. It is best during the first couple of days, which is usually not a problem in my house… this giant loaf somehow disappears surprisingly fast.

For longer storage, slice the bread first and freeze the slices in a freezer-safe bag. That way you can take out exactly what you need instead of thawing the whole loaf.

Frozen bread will keep well for around 2 to 3 months.

What to serve with it

This is such a simple everyday bread that you can use it for almost anything. I love a thick warm slice with butter, but jam, eggs, cheese, or a bowl of soup are all really good with it too.

It also makes great toast and sandwiches once the loaf has completely cooled. And if you cut the slices nice and thick… even better, in my opinion.

More easy air fryer bread recipes

If you enjoyed this large 5-ingredient air fryer bread loaf recipe, have a look at some of my other bread recipes and easy air fryer baking recipes below. There are plenty more simple homemade breads to try.

• Air Fryer Whole Wheat Bread – This homemade whole wheat bread is soft inside with a nicely baked crust. It’s an easy way to make a hearty loaf right in your air fryer.
• Easy Cheesy Air Fryer Garlic Bread – This easy garlic bread comes out crispy around the edges with plenty of melted cheese and garlic flavor. It’s a quick side for pasta, soup, or dinner.
• Crusty and Soft Air Fryer Bread – This simple air fryer bread has a golden, crusty outside while staying soft and fluffy in the middle. It’s a great everyday loaf for toast or sandwiches.

And if you make this air fryer bread, please leave me a comment and tell me how yours turned out. If you have any questions about the recipe, ask me in the comments below or in the YouTube video comments, and I will try to reply to every question.