Making homemade bread is a rewarding experience. Imagine the aroma of fresh-baked bread filling your kitchen. The satisfaction of kneading dough with your hands is unmatched. And biting into a warm, crusty slice is pure joy.
Picture stepping into a cozy bakery. Shelves are lined with hearty loaves, and the air is thick with the scent of warm bread. You can recreate this in your own kitchen with these artisanal recipes. Bake a crusty, golden boule or try a fluffy focaccia, topped with herbs and olive oil.
Imagine warm challah rolls straight from the oven, begging to be spread with delicious toppings. Or, picture sinking your teeth into a homemade bagel, perfectly chewy with a crisp crust. These recipes will bring your favorite bakery to your home.
Sourdough bread is a classic. It has a tangy flavor, chewy texture, and perfect crust. Starting your sourdough journey lets you nurture your own starter and create a loaf that’s uniquely yours.
If you love sweet bread, there’s something for you. Enjoy a cinnamon swirl bread with its heavenly aroma. Or, try a moist and flavorful whole wheat bread with nuts, seeds, or fruits.
Don’t stop at these recipes. Get creative with different flavors, herbs, and spices to make your own signature bread. The possibilities are endless!
Whether you’re an experienced bread baker or just starting, these recipes will improve your skills. They’ll fill your home with the irresistible aroma of freshly baked bread. Impress your family and friends with your artisanal loaves.
Key Takeaways:
- Homemade bread brings the satisfying aroma and taste of a bakery to your own kitchen.
- Explore a variety of bread recipes, including crusty artisan loaves, fluffy focaccia, soft challah rolls, and chewy bagels.
- Dive into the world of sourdough and nurture your own starter for tangy, crusty bread.
- Indulge your sweet tooth with cinnamon swirl bread or add wholesome flavors to your bread with whole wheat and various mix-ins.
- Experiment with flavors and ingredients to create your own signature bread.
Easy Focaccia Bread Recipe
If you’re a beginner baker or just want a tasty homemade bread with little effort, this Easy Focaccia Bread is perfect! It has a no-knead dough and is easy to make. You’ll get fresh, fluffy, and crispy focaccia quickly.
This recipe needs only 4 ingredients and 5 minutes of your time. It’s great for busy people. The dough’s high moisture makes it light and airy.
Let the dough rest in the fridge for 18 to 24 hours for the best taste. It can stay up to 72 hours for a deeper flavor. After that, let it rise for 2 to 4 hours, depending on your kitchen’s temperature.
When the dough is ready, bake it at 425ºF for 25 minutes. It should turn golden brown. You can add toppings before or during the rise for extra flavor.
Don’t worry about adding sugar. The dough rises slowly without it. Each piece has 144 calories and only 2 tablespoons of olive oil, making it a healthier choice.
This focaccia is versatile. Enjoy it alone, with dips, or as a side to meals. You can also try different versions, like whole wheat with seeds or sweet focaccia with cinnamon and raisins.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup (120ml) of extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon of fresh ground black pepper
- 2 ¼ teaspoons of instant yeast (one 1/4-ounce packet)
- 1/4 teaspoon of sugar, honey, or maple syrup to activate the yeast
- 2 ½ cups (325g) of all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon of fine sea salt
Nutritional Information (per serving):
- Calories: 144
- Total Fat: 7.8g
- Saturated Fat: 1.1g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
- Sodium: 156.6mg
- Carbohydrates: 16.6g
- Dietary Fiber: 0.9g
- Sugars: 0.1g
- Protein: 2.4g
Try this Easy Focaccia Bread recipe for a simple yet delicious homemade bread. You’ll love it so much, you’ll never buy bread again!
Challah Rolls Recipe
Looking for a delicious and versatile bread recipe? Try making Challah rolls. These sweet and fluffy rolls are perfect for any meal. They’re easy to make and taste amazing.
Making Challah rolls is rewarding. The recipe makes 10 rolls and takes about 5 hours and 45 minutes. This includes resting, preparing, and cooking. The dough needs about 3 hours to proof, making the rolls fluffy and flavorful.
You’ll need a few ingredients for the Challah rolls. These include 2/3 cup warm water, 2 1/4 teaspoons of instant yeast, 1/4 cup of honey, 2 large eggs, 3 tablespoons of olive oil, 3 3/4 cups of bread flour, and 1 teaspoon of kosher salt. These ingredients mix to create a tasty and airy bread.
Once the dough is ready, shape the rolls. Each roll has 2 strands in the braid, making them look beautiful. To make sure each roll is the same size, divide the dough by 10.
Add Your Personal Touch
Challah rolls let you add your favorite topping. Choose from sesame seeds, poppy seeds, or skip the topping. Make the rolls your own with your favorite topping.
Bake the rolls for 25 minutes at 350ºF (177ºC). They stay fresh in an airtight container at room temperature for about 4 days. This makes them great for meal prep or enjoying all week.
For extra enjoyment, serve the rolls warm or toast them first. They get crispy on the outside and stay soft inside. This contrast is delightful and will make your taste buds happy.
Each serving has about 220 kcal, so these rolls won’t ruin your diet. They’re sweet but not too sweet, making them perfect for any occasion.
Try this easy Challah rolls recipe and see how simple it is to make these delicious rolls. They’re perfect for bread lovers or anyone wanting to try something new. These rolls will bring joy to your kitchen and table.
Homemade Bagels Recipe
Making homemade bagels is a fun and rewarding experience. With just a few simple ingredients, you can make perfect bagels in your kitchen. You can choose from plain, sesame seed, or everything bagels. Enjoy them with cream cheese, smoked salmon, or your favorite toppings for a great breakfast or snack.
Total Time: 3 hours.
Yield: 8 bagels.
Ingredients:
- 2 ½ cups warm water
- 4 tablespoons honey
- 1 ½ tablespoons instant or rapid-rise yeast
- 1 ½ tablespoons coarse, kosher salt
- 5 to 5 ½ cups (709 to 780 g) bread flour
- ½ cup (57 g) Parmesan or Asiago cheese for topping
Instructions:
- In a large bowl, mix warm water, honey, and yeast. Let it sit for 5 minutes until foamy.
- Add salt and mix in the bread flour, kneading until smooth.
- Cover the dough and let it rise in a warm place for about 1 hour, or until it doubles in size.
- Punch down the dough and divide it into 8 equal parts. Shape each part into a smooth ball.
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius).
- In a large pot, boil 4 quarts of water, honey, and baking soda.
- Cook the bagels in the boiling water for 1 minute on each side.
- Place the bagels on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with Parmesan or Asiago cheese.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until golden brown and chewy.
- Let the bagels rest for 15 minutes before slicing.
Variations:
- Cinnamon Raisin Bagels: Add ½ cup of raisins and 1 tablespoon of cinnamon to the dough.
- Everything Bagels: Top the bagels with a mix of sesame seeds, poppy seeds, dried onion flakes, dried garlic flakes, and coarse salt.
- Salt Bagels: Sprinkle coarse salt on the bagels before baking.
- Cheese Bagels: Mix in ½ cup of shredded cheese (like cheddar or Gruyère) into the dough.
Tips:
- For whole wheat bagels, use half whole wheat flour instead of bread flour.
- Store bagels in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Now, enjoy the delicious taste and aroma of homemade bagels from your own kitchen. Treat yourself to these freshly baked bagels and their irresistible flavor. They’re perfect for any breakfast or a satisfying snack anytime, with their golden crust and chewy texture.
Sourdough Bread Recipe
Sourdough bread is a classic that combines fermentation’s flavors. It makes an artisan loaf with a unique taste and texture. Unlike commercial yeast, it uses natural wild yeast. This makes the bread easier to digest and more nutritious.
Start by feeding your sourdough starter 4-12 hours before making the dough. Make sure it floats in water, showing it’s active and ready. This step is crucial for baking.
The dough then goes through bulk fermentation, lasting 6-12 hours. The time depends on the temperature and starter’s maturity. Using a kitchen scale helps get consistent results in sourdough baking.
For more flavor, refrigerate the dough for 12-15 hours. This long fermentation makes the bread’s flavor complex and the texture delightful.
Before baking, score the dough with a razor. This helps it expand and look better. With practice, you can make beautiful designs that will impress everyone.
This sourdough bread recipe has been a hit on our blog for over a decade. It has gotten millions of views each month. Our author, with over 13 years of experience, has perfected this recipe for both new and experienced bakers.
There are many types of sourdough starters, but they all need to be ready for use within 2-12 hours. The temperature affects this time.
It’s important to store your sourdough starter to keep it alive. If you bake often, keep it at room temperature and feed it daily. This keeps the starter strong.
To start, mix 500g of bread flour and 10g of fine sea salt in a bowl. Mix the ingredients together by hand.
Cover the dough with lightly oiled wrap and let it rise at room temperature. It should almost double in size. You can do stretch and folds to make the dough stronger.
This sourdough recipe is easy, needing 25 minutes of work but no autolyse or preferment. The natural fermentation makes a unique and tasty loaf.
Creating a sourdough starter from scratch takes about a week. It’s best to start in warmer seasons for the best results.
If you bake less often, feed your starter every two to three weeks. But if you bake a lot, feed it daily at room temperature.
Buying a sourdough starter is also an option. You can find them online at Breadtopia, King Arthur Flour, and Cultures for Health.
The starter should double in size within 4 to 8 hours after feeding. This means it’s ready for your dough.
For sourdough bread, you need sourdough starter, flour, salt, and water. Tools like a digital scale and a banneton make the process easier.
The steps to make sourdough bread include mixing, bulk fermentation, shaping, proofing, and baking. Each step is important for a great loaf.
This recipe skips the autolyse step and increases dough volume during bulk fermentation. It also suggests a long cold proof for a lighter crumb.
Look for a 50% increase in volume to know when to stop bulk fermentation. Visual cues are better than time because timing varies with starter strength and temperature.
Before shaping, rest the dough for 20-40 minutes. This makes shaping easier. Then, put the dough in the fridge for 12 to 48 hours.
Start baking at 450ºF for 30 minutes. Cover the bread in a preheated Dutch oven for a perfect crust.
Cinnamon Swirl Bread Recipe
Enjoy the sweet aroma of freshly baked Cinnamon Swirl Bread. It’s soft, fluffy, and filled with a sweet cinnamon treat. Perfect for a cozy breakfast or a sweet snack.
The recipe was first shared in 2015 and has been improved over the years. It’s now a favorite among home bakers for its delicious taste.
Michelle, a happy reader, gave it a 5-star rating. She said it’s one of the best Cinnamon Swirl Breads she’s ever had. Michelle loved the fluffy texture and the perfect cinnamon and sugar mix in each slice.
To make the swirls, the dough is rolled into a big rectangle. Before adding the cinnamon sugar mix, it’s brushed with egg white for a beautiful pattern.
Baking takes about 40 minutes. The bread is done when the center hits 195-200°F (90-93°C). You’ll get a loaf that’s golden brown and smells amazing.
The recipe needs water, milk, yeast, sugar, butter, flour, salt, egg white, sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter. These ingredients make a dough that’s easy to work with and tastes great.
Getting this bread ready takes about 3 hours and 30 minutes. This includes 20 minutes to prepare and 55 minutes to bake. The dough goes through two rises for the best texture and flavor.
After baking, you get a soft bread with a gooey cinnamon swirl inside. It’s a hit with families and friends.
This Cinnamon Swirl Bread recipe has a great rating of 4.9 out of 5 from 627 reviews. You can store it at room temperature for up to 5 days, so you can enjoy it all week.
Try making French toast with this bread for a tasty twist. Just slice it thick, soak it in eggs and milk, and fry until it’s golden brown.
Don’t miss the chance to bake your own Cinnamon Swirl Bread. Follow this recipe for a homemade treat that will wow everyone at your table.
Whole Wheat Bread Recipe
Looking for a healthier bread option? Whole wheat bread is a great choice. It’s tasty and nutritious, unlike traditional white bread. Its hearty texture and nutty flavor make it perfect for sandwiches, toasts, and more.
Our homemade whole wheat bread recipe is easy to make and yields amazing results. You’ll need water, milk, honey, yeast, whole wheat flour, salt, and butter. Preparation takes just 30 minutes, but the total time, including rise time, is 2 hours and 40 minutes.
This recipe makes 12 slices of whole wheat bread, full of whole grains. The dough rises twice. The first rise takes about an hour until it doubles in size. Then, it rises for 20 to 30 minutes more. After baking for 35 to 45 minutes, your bread will have a soft texture, a crisp crust, and a flavorful inside.
Why buy bread from a store when you can make your own whole wheat bread at home? Our recipe is easy to follow, even for beginners. With step-by-step pictures, anyone can bake their own nutritious and delicious whole wheat bread. Try it and enjoy the satisfaction of a homemade loaf that’s both healthy and delicious.