30 simple bread recipes: from easy sourdough to brilliant bagels
Flour power
The scent of freshly baked bread is pretty hard to beat. If you're keen to bring that alluring aroma into your own kitchen, our step-by-step guides, tips and tricks are here to help. Whether you want to try easy soda bread, go Italian with ciabatta and focaccia, whip up a batch of flatbreads or learn how to make the perfect crusty, crunchy, chewy sourdough loaf (it's easier than you might think), there's a bread recipe for every baker in our collection.
Ready to bake your best loaf yet? Click or scroll through our gallery to discover 30 recipes that will help you to do just that.
Soda bread
Soda bread is the easiest bread to make, so this is a great starting point if you're a beginner. It doesn't contain yeast, so there's no rising to wait for and no kneading required – in fact, to prevent it from becoming tough, the less you handle the dough, the better. Follow our recipe and, in just 40 minutes, you'll have a freshly baked loaf on the table. Soda bread should really be eaten on the day it’s made. Alternatively, slice, pop in the freezer and toast from frozen.
Spelt loaf
Spelt is an ancient variety of wheat, which some people find easier to digest than standard wheat. In this easy recipe, the spelt is mixed with strong white flour (it's called strong because it's high in gluten, which makes the dough rise). If you can't find spelt flour, use strong wholemeal flour instead. This loaf requires just one rise, so it's relatively quick to make.
Cornbread with Manchego and chorizo
Cornbread is simple to make and this one has a lovely tanginess from the cheese and spice from the chorizo. Some cornbread can be overly sweet, but this recipe only calls for a little maple syrup. Do take care not to over-mix the batter, which can make the cooked bread tough. If you can't find Manchego, a strong, mature Cheddar would work very well.
Blueberry and cranberry bagels
These New York–style bagels, dotted with dried cranberries and blueberries, are fabulous served with cream cheese and berry jam. While the recipe is relatively simple, the raw dough does need to be left to rest overnight in the fridge so that the flavours have time to develop. Poaching the bagels in honey and water, meanwhile, ensures they develop that characteristic chewy texture and dense inner crumb.
Olive focaccia
Studded with pitted olives and topped with thinly sliced onion, this is a lovely bread to serve warm with drinks or as an accompaniment to a cheeseboard. Like most breads it requires two rises – the second, shorter rise improves the texture of the bread, making it smoother and eliminating any large air pockets. Focaccia is best eaten on the days it's baked.
Burger buns
Take your next barbecue or burger night to new heights by making your own buns. For something extra special – and just a little bit different – these tasty soft rolls with a crisp, glossy crust contain grated cheese and are topped with sesame seeds.
Paratha
An unleavened flatbread originating from the Indian subcontinent, paratha might just be the perfect accompaniment to curry. With only four ingredients, the breads are quick to whip up, too. Usually made with ghee or clarified butter, here paratha are made with coconut oil, which adds depth of flavour. The folding process to incorporate the oil is essential to help create those flaky layers.
Super seeded bread
Packed with almonds, pine nuts, oats and three different seeds, this is a healthy and filling loaf. The bread requires a little time for the first and second rises, but the mixing and kneading can be done in a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment. As with most loaves, tap the base to check it's cooked fully – it should sound hollow.
Sea salt focaccia
Perfumed with fruity olive oil, the crunch of sea salt and aroma of herbs, this rustic Italian bread is crisp on the outside and soft and light within – just the thing for serving with a cheese and charcuterie platter. Once you've mastered the basic recipe, you can add all manner of different herbs and flavourings – think olives, tomatoes, rosemary and sage. Dimpling the dough with your fingers creates little indentations which collect the oil and salt, so don’t skip this part.
Breadsticks
Homemade breadsticks are far tastier than anything you’ll find in the shops and they’re also easy to make. Our recipe gives you two options: one is Indian inspired and features spices, seeds and sultanas and the other is made with Parmesan and basil. Breadsticks are best eaten on the day they're made, but you can freeze them once cooked and reheat in a hot oven.
Gluten-free seeded bread
Gluten is the protein in flour that causes bread to rise and become aerated, so a bread without gluten is tricky, but we think we've nailed it here. This loaf is made with gluten-free flour, chopped walnuts and four different seeds. Gluten-free bread doesn't keep very well, so eat it on the day it's made, or slice and freeze.
Fougasse with olives and courgettes
Fougasse is the southern French cousin of Italy's focaccia, albeit with a chewier crust. It's traditionally shaped like a blade of wheat and baked in a very hot oven – if you have a baking or pizza stone, use it here to achieve the signature crunchy crust. Spraying the oven with water just as you put the bread in also helps to get the bread that bit crispier.
Sesame bagels
A bagel with a difference, these oblong-shaped Palestinian breads are coated with a sticky, sesame seed glaze. They’re easy to make and, unlike classic New York–style bagels, don't require poaching in water. Serve as part of a mezze platter with pickles, dips, falafel and olives and pop any leftovers in the freezer.
Quick rye flatbreads
When you're yearning for homemade bread but are short on time, these flatbreads will more than fit the bill. There's no kneading or rising required, just a simple dough made from wholemeal flours and yogurt that's ready in 40 minutes. Once cooked, the flatbreads will keep for two days. You could play around with flavours by adding ingredients like fennel or cumin seeds to the mix.
Sausage cornbread
For a perfect weekend brunch, serve wedges of this tasty, sausage-studded cornbread with a fried or poached egg and a dollop of ketchup or chilli sauce on the side. Happily, it's all made speedily in one pan, so there's hardly any washing up. This dish is best enjoyed on the day it's made, as cornbread tends to dry out if left overnight.
Bacon and Cheddar loaves
This might be a straightforward-looking loaf, but the wow factor comes from its filling of smoked bacon and melted cheese. The recipe makes four small breads, so serve one warm and freeze the others for another day. Allow to thaw for an hour, then flash in a hot oven for five minutes to heat through.
Ciabatta
You'll need to start making this classic Italian loaf 24 hours ahead of baking, as it requires a biga, or starter dough, which is a mixture of yeast, flour and water. It's this mix that gives ciabatta its trademark airy texture and slightly acidic flavour and means it will keep for longer. Be warned: this is a very wet dough, but don't be tempted to add more flour – just stay with it and keep mixing (using a stand mixer will of course make this easier).
Potato and rosemary soda focaccia
Italian focaccia is given an Irish makeover in this recipe, which sees a simple soda bread dough topped with slices of potato and grated cheese. The trick is to handle the dough as little possible, so it doesn't become tough. This is a wonderfully hearty bread that's perfect served with a bowl of piping hot soup.
Chapattis
Made using a finely milled wholewheat flour known as atta (or chapatti flour), these Indian flatbreads are ready in just 30 minutes and only call for two other ingredients: water and ghee. They’re great for serving with a curry and make very good wraps, too.
Bloomer loaf
So called because of the way it bakes and 'blooms' in the oven, this is a soft white bread with a crisp crust. It needs two separate rises; don't be tempted to rush these stages by putting the dough in a warm spot, the slow rising adds flavour to the bread and improves the texture.
Cherry tomato focaccia
This simple focaccia recipe has real wow factor, thanks to fragrant, sticky cherry tomatoes, aromatic fresh rosemary and a good glug of extra virgin olive oil and sprinkling of sea salt to finish. Serve it with soft cheeses or with an olive oil and balsamic vinegar dip.
Naan
Naan is a yeasted Indian flatbread with a soft, pillowy texture. It’s traditionally baked in a tandoor oven, although a very hot oven and a pizza or baking stone will give the desired effect. Fab as an accompaniment to a curry, it also makes a great base for pizzas. This recipe uses ghee (clarified butter), but you can use olive or sunflower oil if you prefer.
Montréal-style baked bagels
Canadian bagels are denser than their New York–style counterparts and also have hint of sweetness about them. They’re straightforward to make but do need to be poached in a water and honey solution before being baked in order to achieve the characteristic chewy texture. Cover with sesame seeds or poppy seeds before cooking to keep things authentic.
Cheddar and jalapeño cornbread
This easy oven-baked cornbread is loaded with cheese and a sweetcorn purée. It also contains quark, a low-fat soft cheese, but you can substitute it with Greek yogurt or crème fraîche if you prefer. The brined jalapeños add a kick of heat and a little smokiness, while the Cheddar provides a rich sharpness for a sensational end result.
Gluten-free focaccia
Achieving the light, spongy texture and crisp exterior of a classic focaccia without gluten is no mean feat, but this recipe has it sorted. It calls for a mix of different gluten-free flours, including potato flour and cornflour and is laced with garlic and fresh rosemary. The addition of vitamin C powder (which you can get from a pharmacy) helps to improve the structure.
Mozzarella and tomato bread
These small loaves studded with mozzarella and tomatoes have a similar texture to ciabatta and are utterly delicious served warm from the oven with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil or chilli oil. Once the dough has been kneaded, double check it's ready by pushing the dough with your finger – it should spring back.
Cob loaf
A cob is a small, round loaf made from either wholemeal or plain strong flour, or a mixture of the two, plus water, yeast and salt. The dough is ever so simple to make – it’s kneaded by hand and doesn't even require a tin. This method also makes lovely bread rolls; the quantity in the recipe below will make six rolls or one loaf.
Dough balls with garlic butter
Served warm from the oven with a bowl of garlic butter for dunking, these crisp little rolls are utterly irresistible. The method is simple; the dough balls require just one 30-minute rise, meaning this a great recipe for getting kids involved (they’ll adore eating the results, too).
Maslin bread
Maslin refers to a centuries-old English mixed crop of wheat and rye, which is where the name of this rustic loaf comes from. Because it contains rye and wholemeal flour, this bread is dense, full of fibre and filling. We think it's at its best when toasted and spread with plenty of butter.
Easy sourdough loaf
The search is over: you really can make the perfect sourdough with this detailed step-by-step recipe. Sourdough isn't a quick process, with plenty of resting of the dough needed, but it's largely hands-off – and could result in your best loaf ever.
Get the recipe for easy sourdough loaf here
Last updated by Emily Shardlow-Price.
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