Baking bread at home is an incredibly rewarding experience. The aroma of freshly baked bread wafting through your home is delightful. Homemade bread also tastes so much better than store-bought varieties. Here are some of the best homemade bread recipes to try.
A classic white loaf is a staple in many households. Made from just a few simple ingredients, it has a soft crust and light, airy crumb. Use bread flour, yeast, salt, sugar, and lukewarm water. Knead the dough, let it rise, then bake in a preheated oven.
For a heartier loaf, make whole wheat bread. Use whole wheat flour instead of regular bread flour. Add in seeds like sunflower or pumpkin for extra nutrition and crunch. The bread will be denser than white bread but still delicious.
If you want a sweeter treat, try cinnamon raisin bread. Add cinnamon, sugar, raisins, and sometimes nuts to a basic white or whole wheat dough. The cinnamon and sugar create a gooey, cinnamony swirl throughout the loaf.
For a crusty, artisanal-style loaf, make no-knead bread. Simply stir together flour, yeast, salt, and water. Let it sit for 12-18 hours, then bake in a preheated Dutch oven. The steam created in the pot helps the bread develop an crisp, golden crust with an airy crumb.
Sourdough bread has a tangy, acidic flavor from using a sourdough starter. Maintaining a starter does require some effort, but the results are well worth it. Sourdough bread is also more nutritious since the long fermentation breaks down the gluten and starches.
Pumpkin bread gets its bright orange color and moist crumb from the addition of pumpkin puree and warm fall spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. The pumpkin provides natural sweetness, so you only need a bit of sugar.
For the ultimate homemade treat, bake a loaf of challah, a traditional Jewish egg bread. Enriched with eggs and oil, challah has a rich, buttery yellow crumb and a golden braided loaf shape.
Focaccia is a flatbread that originates from Italy. Olive oil, rosemary, and coarse salt are commonly used to flavor the bread before baking. Focaccia makes a great appetizer, snack or sandwich bread.
