Easy Bread Recipes & Baking Ideas

These recipes prove that homemade bread does not need to involve hours of kneading. Mix the dough, give it time and let the oven do the rest.

These dependable loaves are made for slicing, toasting and keeping on hand. Seeds, grains, nuts and vegetables add flavour as well as texture.

When a crisp crust and chewy crumb are the goal, these bakery-style breads are worth the flour on the bench and the wait for the dough to rise.

Soft, buttery rolls make any meal feel more generous. These are made for passing around the table, filling with leftovers or eating warm with butter.

These buns and scrolls can be sweet or savoury, but they all have the soft dough and swirled, filled or glazed centres that make breakfast exciting.

Flatbreads are wonderful vehicles for dips, fillings and toppings. This collection travels from Turkish pide and Georgian cheese bread to soft pretzels.

Focaccia is one of my favourite breads because the dough is forgiving and the toppings can be as simple or as creative as you like.

Start with a good dough, then turn it into pizza, folded calzone, stromboli or crisp little pockets filled with all the good things.

Garlic, butter and cheese are very good friends with bread. These range from quick toast recipes to stuffed loaves and breads made for tearing apart.

These loaves hide cheese, pasta, pesto or savoury fillings inside, making the moment you pull them apart or cut the first slice especially satisfying.

Banana bread is a classic for good reason. These versions range from simple and healthy to coffee, chocolate, tahini and tropical flavours.

Fruit, warming spices and nuts make these loaves ideal with tea, especially when sliced thickly and spread with butter.

The smell of cinnamon buns in the oven is impossible to resist. These have soft dough, fragrant fillings and just the right amount of sticky glaze.

Breakfast bread is at its best when there are plenty of crisp edges for butter, jam or a generous topping to settle into.

Scones, Danishes and breakfast braids sit happily beside bread at the breakfast table, especially when there is butter, jam or custard involved.

The Thermomix handles mixing and kneading beautifully. These recipes use it for focaccia, buns, pies and enriched festive doughs.

These recipes include gluten-free, high-protein, wholegrain and lower-sugar options for times when you want bread to suit a particular need.

Easter baking ranges from classic hot cross buns to rich loaves, braided breads, savoury rolls and giant scrolls. There are traditional fruit and spice versions as well as chocolate, Biscoff and savoury ideas.

Shape bread into trees and wreaths, fill it with fruit and spice or bake a loaf that becomes part of the Christmas table itself.

Bread dough is also wonderful for playful shapes, party baking and slightly spooky Halloween projects.

These breads travel through Italy, Ireland, Switzerland, Croatia and beyond, with fried dough, fruit loaves, plaits and festive breads along the way.

Tangzhong, pillowy buns and crisp salt bread give these Asian and Pacific recipes their distinctive textures and playful shapes.

These recipes stretch from New Orleans beignets and king cake to Yemeni honeycomb bread and Brazilian cheese bread.

Bread does not stop being useful once it is baked. These recipes turn it into custardy puddings, cakes and even a wonderfully unusual ice cream.

Bread adds substance, crunch and comfort to soups, roast dinners and substantial salads.