20 Bakery-Worthy Bread Recipes You Can Make at Home

By Frances Kim
Updated March 29, 2020
Mike Krautter
Looking for a weekend project that offers a delicious result? Whether you prefer sweet or savory, learn how to make a loaf of bread at home with these recipes.
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Mike Krautter

Don't be intimidated by the idea of baking bread from scratch! With our foolproof recipes (and yes, a little patience with the yeast), you'll get the hang of it in no time. Plus, once you taste a fresh loaf of delicious homemade bread, like the Pressure-Caramelized Oat Bread pictured here, you'll never look back. This is a weekend project that you'll want to repeat again and again.

If you want to start with basic sandwich bread, make our Classic White Bread—it's perfect for everything from morning toast to your mid-day PB&J or BLT. It only requires six basic ingredients and a few simple steps, so it's a great starter recipe for anyone who's never  made their own bread before. Another easy recipe with an absolutely delicious result is our Pull-Apart Garlic Bread. Start by making regular bread dough, roll it out thin, spread on homemade garlic butter, cut into squares, fold, place in a loaf pan, and bake until golden. It's the perfect accompaniment to an Italian supper or roast chicken.

For something sweeter, make our babka-inspired Chocolate Cinnamon-Swirl Bread. The combination of cocoa powder and chopped chocolate—as well as a tablespoon of cinnamon—add so much flavor to the filling. If the braiding looks intimidating, follow our step-by-step guide to master each and every twist.

Another recipe that's sure to start your morning off on a sweet note is our Japanese Milk Bread. It begins with a starter made from all-purpose flour and whole milk, which is then incorporated into a mixture of dry ingredients (bread flour, nonfat milk powder, sugar, yeast, and salt), along with more whole milk and melted butter to create the dough. The result is a super soft, fluffy loaf that's unlike any bread you've tasted before.

From French baguettes to Irish soda bread, choose your favorite recipe then start mastering the art of bread making at home.

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Chocolate Cinnamon-Swirl Bread

Con Poulos
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Inspired by Jewish babka and Japanese Shokupan, this decadent swirl bread has a next-level chocolate and cinnamon filling. While there are multiple steps here, none of them are complicated and the majority of the time is spent letting the dough rise.

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Martha's Soda Bread with Rye and Currants

Thomas Loof
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Whether you make this Irish classic for St. Patrick's Day or just because you want a different kind of breakfast treat, it's guaranteed to be delicious (especially with a shmear of Irish butter). A combination of wheat bran, caraway seeds, and currants make it extra nutty and dense.

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Pull-Apart Garlic Bread

Linda Pugliese
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If you can't get to the grocery store to buy garlic bread, try your hand at this homemade version (it's so much better than the store-bought kind anyway). The intricate folds look complex, but it's simply a matter of folding squares of dough and stacking them back to back in a loaf pan and baking.

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Seeded Marble Rye Bread

Marcus Nilsson
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We love the flavor of this earthy, nutty bread as toast, for sandwiches, or served alongside soup. Molasses, caraway seeds, and a hint of dark cocoa powder (two tablespoons to be exact) give this bread its unique flavor and color.

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Japanese Milk Bread (Shokupan)

Marcus Nilsson
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This sweet (but not too sweet) bread is a Japanese version of a traditional pan loaf. A starter made from whole milk and flour helps to create a super fluffy, pillowy slice.

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Portuguese Cornmeal Bread

Marcus Nilsson
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Stuck at home with some extra time on your hands? Make this yeasted cornmeal bread, which is different than traditional quick cornbread made in a skillet or muffin tins. This version is made in a Dutch oven, so it gets crusty on the outside and remains super soft on the inside.

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Treacle Brown Bread

Martyna Szczesna
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Many recipes for brown bread call for a dark beer, but instead we use a dry hard cider, which makes it a little sweeter. A combination of all-purpose flour and coarse wholemeal flour create a dense, nutty crumb.

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Classic White Bread

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Your toast and sandwiches will never be the same! We break down the process with our step-by-step photo guide. The best part? It's the starting point for three other delicious breads—Multigrain, Rye, and Cinnamon-Raisin. Try them all!

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Pumpernickel Bread

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We take the classic German rye bread to new heights using unsweetened chocolate, molasses, and ground caraway seeds.

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Multigrain Boule

Anna Williams
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Rye and whole-wheat flours, as well as toasted wheat germ, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, and flaxseed give this traditional French bread tons of flavor and texture.

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Pita Bread

Lennart Weibull
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Making homemade pita is easier than you think. The secret is a very hot oven—it activates the yeast and creates steam, which makes the dough puff up and form the signature pocket.

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Honey Whole-Wheat Bread

Marcus Nilsson
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Just 25 minutes of hands-on time and you'll be rewarded with a hearty, faintly sweet bread that's the perfect partner for butter, jam, or anything spreadable.

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Gluten-Free Sandwich Bread

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Get over the sticker shock of store-bought gluten-free bread by making your own! Wheat eaters and abstainers will both love the earthy, whole-grain flavor.

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Challah by Hand

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Making braided challah from scratch is as fun as it is rewarding! And don't forget—leftover challah makes out-of-this-world French toast.

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Skillet Breads

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No oven? No problem! You "bake" these easy five-ingredient loaves in a cast-iron skillet set over a campfire or on a medium-high grill.

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Multigrain English Muffins

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Homemade English muffins are a revelation, especially when they incorporate whole-wheat and white flours, rolled oats, wheat germ, and flaxseed and caraway seeds. Low-fat buttermilk gives the muffins a slight tang and a light texture.

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Brioche

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Fluffy, eggy brioche is scrumptious when fresh and super versatile when stale. It makes outstanding bread pudding, croutons, French toast, and is fantastic simply grilled with warm fruit.

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Pane Integrale (Whole-Wheat Bread)

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We have bread-baker extraordinaire Jim Lahey to thank for this no-knead recipe. Time is key here, as the dough needs almost an entire day to rise. The deeply flavored loaf that results is more than worth it.

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French Baguettes

Anna Wiliiams
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Master our recipe for French dough, and not only can you make baguettes, but also rolls and boules galore.

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