Top 10 easy bread recipes
Bread-making doesn't have to be a challenge – discover our easy bread recipes for a simple loaf. Try making your own white, rye or tiger bread.
Making your own bread may seem intimidating, but it doesn't have to be. Our easy baking recipes will transform just a handful of storecupboard ingredients into fluffy white loaves. For our simple secrets on making top notch bread, read our helpful guide six steps to brilliant bread.
Watch our video for making three basic bread recipes from a simple dough mixture. To make bread without yeast, see our soda bread recipes. Or find a machine to do the work with our review of the best bread makers.
If you're up for a long-term project, discover the secret to expert sourdough bread. For the ultimate selection of recipes, see our bread collection.
1. Easy white bread
Make this easy white bread for the perfect everyday loaf. Mix strong white flour, salt and a sachet of fast-action yeast in a large bowl. Make a well in the center, add water and olive oil and knead for 10 minutes. Leave to prove, then bake for 30 minutes. To make this in a breadmaker, add all the ingredients to the machine and follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
2. Tiger bread
Create a supermarket favourite at home with this tiger bread recipe. Mix strong white bread flour, yeast, sugar and salt then gradually add water and knead for 10 minutes. Leave to prove until doubled in size. Knead, cover and prove again. Coat the loaf in a paste made from rice flour, yeast, sesame oil, salt and sugar. Bake for 35 minutes – once cooked, the loaf should sound hollow when the base is tapped and should feel light for its size.
More like this
3. Classic white loaf
Get ahead by baking a classic white loaf and freezing for up to one month. This versatile loaf is great for sandwiches, toast and even on it's own with a generous pat of butter. Combine strong white flour, yeast, salt and water and knead by hand or with a stand mixer using a dough hook. Cover and leave to rise until doubled in size. Knead, cover and leave to rise again, before baking for 30 minutes.
4. Homemade bread
This lightly sweetened easy-bake bread is a great way to use up any seeds, nuts or flavourings. Use a wooden spoon to combine bread flour, yeast, salt and a tablespoon of honey, then knead for 10 minutes. Turn the dough into an oiled bread tin and put in a warm place until the bread fills the tin. Bake for 30-35 minutes until golden.
5. Rye bread
For a loaf with bolder flavour, try our hearty rye bread recipe. Feel free to experiment with the ratio of rye flour to white flour. Rye contains less gluten than white flour, so the dough will not feel as springy as a conventional white loaf. Once you've made your dough, leave to rise in a warm place until doubled in size. Slash a few incisions on an angle, then bake until dark brown and hollow-sounding when tapped.
6. Easy bread rolls
Create these versatile white bread rolls, which are perfect for sandwiches, burger buns or dipping into soups. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl until a dough forms, then cover and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Next, knead the dough for 10 minutes, followed by time for proofing. Afterwards, portion the dough into balls and let them rise again. Finally, bake for 25-30 minutes until they achieve a golden brown colour and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.
7. Pittas
Elevate your dining experience with homemade pittas, perfect for dipping into saucy dishes or dips like hummus. Prepare them ahead and freeze for a convenient snack option. To craft your pitta, activate yeast in warm water for 5 minutes, then blend with the remaining ingredients to form a soft dough. Knead for 5-10 minutes before allowing it to rise in an oiled, covered bowl for an hour. Preheat your oven to the highest setting with a baking tray inside, then bake your eight portions for 4-5 minutes until golden.
8. Easy soda bread
Want a simple bread recipe? This Irish soda bread requires no kneading or proving, is yeast-free and takes minutes to prepare. Preheat the oven, then simply mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl. In a separate jug, combine your wet ingredients before gently incorporating them into the dry mixture with a knife. Transfer the dough onto a floured surface, shape it into a ball, and put it in the oven to bake. Simple!
9. Focaccia
Make a simple, homemade version of this classic Italian bread. Serve our rosemary focaccia alongside pasta dishes, or enjoy with green salads. Mix flour, yeast and fine salt in a bowl, then combine with 2 tbsp oil and lukewarm water to form a slightly sticky dough. Knead for 5-10 mins and let it prove for an hour until doubled in size. Oil a shallow tin and stretch the dough to fill it. Let it prove for another 35-45 mins. After preheating your oven, make dimples in the dough, then drizzle with oil, water, flaky salt and rosemary sprigs. Bake for 20 minutes until golden. Drizzle with more olive oil while hot, then cut into squares and serve warm or cold.
10. Olive oil bread
Our olive oil bread recipe is easily customisable with your favourite flavours. Begin by mixing flour, yeast (dried yeast stirred into flour, fresh yeast crumbled in like pastry butter), salt, and sugar in a bowl. Create a well in the dry ingredients, pour in the oil and water, and swiftly mix to form a soft, slightly sticky dough. Knead the dough on a floured surface until smooth, then return it to the bowl, covering it to rest for an hour until it springs back when pressed. Once rested, transfer the dough onto a floured surface, kneading to remove air bubbles, shaping it into a round, and placing it on an oiled baking sheet. Slash the top for decoration and cover, and let it rise for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven, then bake the bread for 30-35 minutes until browned and crisp.
Enjoyed these bread recipes? Find more inspiration below
Top 10 ways to use up leftover bread
Best bread knives
Best toasters
How to make breadcrumbs
The best gluten-free bread taste tested
Six steps to brilliant bread
Healthier bread alternatives
Indian flatbreads
What's your favourite loaf to make at home? Leave a comment below...
As many countries urge populations to stay at home, many of us are paying more attention to our diets and how the food we eat can support our health. To help sort out the fact from the fiction, BBC Future is updating some of their most popular nutrition stories from their archive.
