12 Easy Bread Recipes To Bake At Home This Weekend!
A loaf of bread baking in the oven is a pretty good reason to stay home, if you ask me. Although as a huge introvert, I don’t need much convincing! So, for all you fellow baking introverts out there, here are 12 easy bread recipes to try at home. Think crusty no-knead loaves, fluffy lemonade scones, skillet focaccia, and spiced applesauce bread for something a little sweeter.
If you’re new here, you might not know I also run a small online store where I keep many of the tools I cook with every day, along with a few timeless homewares for good, slow living…
I love making bread, but it doesn’t always need to involve a long day of folding and kneading (I reserve that for sourdough bread!) Some of these homemade breads come together quickly without yeast, while others need a little rising time but very little hands-on work. Maybe you’re baking your first loaf, or looking for something different to pop on the kitchen table for dinner tonight, whatever your reason, there’s plenty here to get you reaching for that flour canister.
Which Bread Should You Bake First?
If you’re not sure where to start, try the traditional Irish soda bread or lemonade scones- both are super simple and made without yeast, so there’s no waiting around for a pesky dough to rise. Have a little more time up your sleeve? A no-knead Dutch oven loaf is a great bread for a crusty loaf to tear and share with dinner. Just check the resting and baking times before you begin, especially if there’s already a hungry family circling the kitchen.
12 Easy Bread Recipes
From a simple loaf to mop up your favourite beef stew to something sweet for a afternoon tea, there’s plenty to choose from. Let’s get started…
Dutch Oven No-Knead Bread (Farmhouse Style)
This Dutch oven no-knead bread is a simple, 5-minute prep recipe made with just 6 pantry ingredients. No kneading, no mixer, and a crusty, bakery-style loaf every time.
An Irishman’s Wife’s Traditional Irish Soda Bread
This traditional Irish soda bread recipe is an easy, rustic loaf of bread that you can prep and bake in under an hour. Winner! Eat it warm slathered in cold Irish butter.
Super Easy Lemonade Scones – The Fluffiest Aussie Scones!
Fluffy, tall lemonade scones baked in a cast-iron skillet! These super-easy, five-ingredient scones come together in minutes and are ready to eat warm, straight from the pan, in half an hour. Slather them with jam and cream for the ultimate afternoon treat.
Cast Iron Skillet Rosemary Focaccia Bread
Homemade bread from scratch is just the BEST, isn’t it? This cast iron skillet focaccia bread is super easy to make, with very little resting time. It’s delicious slathered with butter and dunked in roast pumpkin soup.Â
Quick and Easy Porridge Bread
Porridge bread. Seriously, does Monday morning breakfast get any easier when you’ve got a loaf of this simple oat, seed, and fruit bread recipe up your sleeve? Throw all the ingredients together, pop it in the oven, do a quick yoga session and it’s ready just as bodies start arriving in the kitchen looking for breakfast!
Dutch Oven Damper Bread
Looking for a quick bread that only has a handful of ingredients and can be whipped up in no time? You’ve found it! In under 45 minutes, you’ll be breaking it open and eating a delicious warm loaf of damper bread slathered in butter. Enjoy!
Pub-Style Irish Brown Bread
This Irish Brown bread recipe has me thinking about blistery coastal days perched by a fire, a pot of seafood chowder, & brown bread smothered with butter.Â
Cheese and Bacon Rolls
 It’s an Aussie staple. Well, this is my version. Light, fluffy homemade bread rolls with a good bit of bacon and cheese thrown into the mix! Â
Easy Pizza Dough From Scratch
A lovely, light dough perfect for pizza or pinwheels
Spiced AppleSauce Bread with a Pecan Crumb Top!
Full of warm spices, apple flavors, and pecan crumble topping, this delicious and easy applesauce bread makes a great breakfast or perfect afternoon snack!
Easy Dutch Oven Bread (Hunter’s Bread!)
There’s something homey about a loaf of freshly baked white bread. The golden crust, the light, fluffy interior, and that unmistakable aroma filling your kitchen—it’s hard to beat, isn’t it?! This easy Dutch oven bread is super easy, super delicious, and super great for lunchboxes – just ask Hunter!
Irish Bacon and Cheddar Soda Bread
Soda Bread… The ultimate quick bread. A time-poor mum’s Sunday morning savior when she hasn’t got a loaf of sourdough on the go. In under an hour, this savory soda bread will save your bacon (pardon the pun!) and give you a delicious, yet totally easy to bake, loaf of bread for the Sunday table.
Cooks notes
Measure your flour carefully. Use kitchen scales when weights are given. If you’re using cups, spoon the flour into the cup and level it off rather than scooping straight from the canister.
Check your raising agents. Baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and yeast need to be in date and stored correctly to do their job, otherwise nothing will rise!
Follow the recipe’s dough notes. Some doughs are quite sticky, especially no-knead breads. Don’t add extra flour unless the recipe calls for it.
Give yeast dough time to rise. A cool kitchen can slow things right down, so look for the changes described in the recipe rather than watching the clock alone.
Let your loaf cool before slicing. As tempting as it is to dive right in, slicing too early can leave the inside gummy. Scones, however, are lovely served warm – have the butter ready!
What to Serve with Homemade Bread
A slice of homemade bread and a bowl of Irish stew will always be one of my favourite dinners, but here are a few more ideas…
- Try a few thick slices alongside this classic beef stew or my lamb shank soup, to mop up every last bit.
- Focaccia is lovely with bolognese pasta or a platter of cheese and antipasti. It also makes the best toasties!
- Lemonade scones call for a big dollop of berry jam, cream and a freshly brewed cup of tea. And that spiced applesauce bread… Morning tea, afternoon tea, after dinner, warm with a scoop of icecream?! It’s a versatile loaf that one!
Can You Freeze Homemade Bread?
Most homemade breads freeze really well, which is great because who doesn’t want to save some for another day if you can? Let your bread cool completely, then wrap it tightly and pop it into a freezer bag or airtight container. Slicing loaves before freezing means you can take out just what you need for toast, sandwiches or a bowl of soup.
I always aim to use frozen bread within six weeks to preserve the texture and flavor, but it rarely last that long. Thaw it while still wrapped, or toast individual slices straight from frozen. Follow each recipe’s instructions for breads with fillings and for freezing unbaked pizza dough.
Well, that pretty much wraps things up. I hope you’ve found an easy bread to bake this weekend! As always, pop any questions and comments below.
Happy Baking!
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