Want to Bake Bread at Home? Start with These 7 Beginner Bread Recipes

So, I hear you want to bake bread! That’s music to my bread-loving ears and I can’t wait to help you get started. Bread baking isn’t hard per se, but it can be intimidating. We’ve all been there, and I can tell you from experience that it’s easier than it seems. Even if you’ve never opened a package of yeast or taken your KitchenAid’s dough hook out of the box, don’t worry about a thing, you’ve got this.

Starting with the most simple bread recipes is the key to learning the basics and gaining confidence. These seven recipes, including no-knead bread, are far from complicated but are sure to result in seriously good loaves that might just rival your local bakery.

But before we get the recipes, let’s start with some helpful tips that will hopefully answer some of the common questions that are likely swirling around your mind. Because even if you’re working with basic loaves, there are sure to be questions that arise in the process. Am I using the right yeast? Is it rising properly? Did I knead the loaf too much? Did I knead it enough? Luckily, we’re here to help answer all of these and more.

• What’s the Difference Between Active Dry Yeast and Instant Yeast?
• Active Dry & Instant Yeast: Best Tips for Working with Yeast
• Longer-Lasting Yeast: Store Dry Yeast in the Freezer
• Bread-Baking Clinic: Under-kneading and Over-kneading
• How to Do the Windowpane Test When Kneading Dough
• How to Shape a Sandwich Loaf of Bread
• How to Tell When Bread is Done

This rustic loaf with a thin, crispy crust and tender, tangy interior is the simplest bread we know how to bake at home and it requires no stand mixer, no starter, no special knowledge, and no kneading.

Get the recipe: No-Knead Bread

Time is what generally makes bread good, but this simple loaf that works with any schedule. It’s similar to classic no-knead bread but includes a step that tricks the yeast into a fast rise that gives a different but still delicious homemade loaf.

Get the recipe: No-Time Bread

Here’s a great thing about no-knead bread: While the bread rests you can prep ingredients to flavor the loaf, simple additions that will take your loaf from basic to brilliant with hardly any extra effort. In this case, that means roasting a head of garlic and chopping some herbs.

Get the recipe: Roasted Garlic and Herb No-Knead Bread

This simple loaf is just like the sliced bread you’re used to buying at the store. It’s sturdy enough to build a sandwich, yet soft and tender enough to melt in your mouth.

Get the recipe: Basic White Sandwich Bread

This sandwich loaf uses the same technique as a white loaf, but treats you to a chewy texture with a deep nutty flavor. The recipe calls for a 50:50 blend of all-purpose flour and whole wheat flour which gives the loaf a more distinct structure than using wheat flour alone.

Get the recipe: Basic Whole Wheat Bread

This focaccia recipe is as fuss-free as bread recipes go. The dough comes together quickly in the food processor. Cast iron is best for achieving a super-crispy crust, but any oven-proof skillet will work. 

Get the recipe: No-Knead Skillet Focaccia

Take your pick between making the dough for this big-batch focaccia using a stand mixer, a food processor, or simply mixing it by hand.

Get the recipe: Easy Rosemary Focaccia

Once you feel confident with the basic breads above, feel free to try experimenting with more. These roundups and recipes are sure to take you to the next level in your bread baking routine.

• 23 Homemade Breads to Fit Any Schedule
• 10 Recipes for Homemade Sandwich Breads
• 15 Bread-Making Tutorials
• How to Make Sourdough Bread
• How to Make Dutch Crunch Bread