The more types of bread available on the market, the harder it becomes to find the right one—fragrant, tasty, uncolored, and free of unwanted additives. But also one that can be enjoyed the next day. So, if you have the time, become your own baker and bake quality, healthy bread.
Be Your Own Baker -Recipes
Everyday Bread
- 2 kg of all-purpose flour
- 1 kg of rye flour
- 50 g of fresh yeast
- 1 teaspoon of honey or brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon of salt
- 2 tablespoons of oil
- A little butter
- Dissolve the yeast in a little sugar or honey and warm water, and leave it to stand until it froths. Mix both types of flour with salt, make a well in the center, and pour in a little honey, the yeast, oil, and gradually add warm water to knead the dough. Turn it out onto a work surface and knead for 10 minutes until the dough becomes smooth. Shape it into a ball, score the top with a cross using a knife, cover it with a cloth, and leave it in a warm place until it doubles in volume. Knead again, divide into 6 parts, and shape into round rolls or loaves (roll out the dough with a rolling pin and then roll it up to bake better). Place the bread in baking trays and leave for another 40-45 minutes to rise, then put in a preheated oven. After a few minutes, reduce the temperature and continue baking. If you want a crusty loaf, keep a dish of boiling water in the oven; if you prefer a soft crust, brush the rolls with butter 10 minutes before the end of baking. Cool the baked bread on a wire rack.
Quick Bread
- 250 g of rye flour
- 250 g of all-purpose flour
- 3.5 dl of lukewarm water
- 1 cube of fresh yeast
- 50 g of sunflower seeds
- 50 g of flax seeds
- 50 g of toasted sesame seeds
- 2 teaspoons of salt
- 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar
- Dissolve the yeast in lukewarm water and immediately add all the other ingredients. Knead the dough and if it’s sticky, add more flour. Shape into 2 loaves, place them in a cold oven, and only then turn it on.
Oatmeal Bread
- 450 g of whole wheat flour
- 150 g of oatmeal
- 3 dl of lukewarm water
- 30 g of yeast
- 1 tablespoon of brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1 teaspoon of butter
- 1 egg white
- Oatmeal for sprinkling
- Dissolve the yeast in lukewarm water with 1 tablespoon of brown sugar. When the yeast froths, add a tablespoon of butter and oatmeal, and let it sit for 10 minutes. Add salt and whole wheat flour, knead the dough, and leave it covered with a cloth until it rises (about 1 hour). Meanwhile, grease a baking pan with butter and coat it with oatmeal. Knead the dough again, punch down all the air, shape it into a loaf, place it in the pan, and leave to rise again for 1 hour. Brush the dough with a mixture of beaten egg white and a tablespoon of warm water, sprinkle with oatmeal, and bake for 15 minutes at 220°C, then reduce to 200°C. When the bread is baked, brush it with warm water, wrap it in a clean cloth, and let it cool on a rack.
Olive Bread
- 600 g of whole wheat flour
- 300 g of all-purpose flour
- 1 dl of olive oil
- 0.5 l of beer
- 14 g of dry yeast
- 3 teaspoons of salt
- 200 g of black olives
- 1 tablespoon of warm water
- 1 tablespoon of flour
- Mix the flour with the yeast, add salt, oil, beer, and knead into a smooth dough. Shape it into a ball, cover it with a clean kitchen towel, and let it rise at room temperature. Roll out the dough to a thickness of 2.5–3 cm and arrange the dried and chopped olives on top. Sprinkle with a little flour, gently roll with a rolling pin, fold the dough into quarters, and let it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. Knead the dough again, shape it into a loaf, brush with warm water, poke it with a fork in several places, and bake for 15 minutes at 220°C, then reduce the temperature to 200°C and bake for another 20 minutes. Sprinkle the baked bread with water, wrap it in a napkin, and let it cool.
*Bonus Tip: You can add Mediterranean herbs, such as basil, oregano, rosemary, or sage, to this dough.
Potato Bread
- 1 kg of flour
- 500 g of white potatoes
- 30 g of yeast
- 1 tablespoon of brown sugar
- Caraway seeds, salt
- Dissolve the yeast in warm water with sugar and leave to froth. Add cooked, mashed, and cooled potatoes to the flour, along with the yeast, caraway seeds, and salt, and knead the dough. Leave it in a warm place to rise, knead again, make 2 loaves, and let them rise again. Bake, sprinkle with cold water, and let cool.
No-Knead Bread
- 3 cups of flour of choice
- 3 teaspoons of sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon of dry yeast
- Cornmeal
- Place the flour, salt, and yeast in a large bowl (preferably not metal) and mix with a spoon. Add a cup and a half of water, or more, to moisten all the flour, stir quickly with a spoon, and cover to let rest for 12 hours. Stir again with a spoon and let it rest for another 7 to 12 hours, or longer, until bubbles appear on the surface of the dough. Turn the dough onto a work surface dusted with cornmeal and fold it from each side. Flip it over and cover with a cloth. Let it rest for another 1-2 hours, while you preheat the baking dish in the oven for at least 30 minutes at 250°C. Place the dough in the hot dish, cover, and bake for 30 minutes, then remove the lid and bake for another 15-20 minutes. If the crust isn’t dark enough, bake longer. Remove the baked bread and place it on a rack to cool.
Yeast-Free Bread
- 3 cups of whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1.5 cups of lukewarm water
- Mix the flour and salt, gradually add water, and knead into a smooth dough. Cover with a cloth and leave overnight. The next day, knead the dough well again, shape it into a ball, place it in a greased pan, and bake in a preheated oven at 180°C. Allow the bread to cool on a rack. The bread will be quite hard, but it will soften on the second and third days. After that, it is no longer usable.
Buckwheat Bread
- 1 kg of buckwheat flour
- 2 kg of wheat flour
- 1 l of milk
- 40 g of yeast
- 1 tablespoon of butter
- 60 g of salt
- Boil the buckwheat flour in hot milk, whisking well to break up any lumps. Let it cool. Meanwhile, make a dough from the wheat flour, salt, 1 l of lukewarm water, melted butter, and the activated yeast, and let it rise in a warm place. After 30 minutes, mix both doughs, knead well, and let rest for 15 minutes. Knead the dough again. Shape into several loaves, place them in greased pans, and let them rest for another 10 minutes before baking in a preheated oven at 220°C.
Carrot or Pumpkin Bread
- 4 carrots or a piece of pumpkin
- 2 cups of whole wheat flour
- 1 cup of rye flour
- 1 cup of toasted and peeled sunflower seeds
- 4 tablespoons of olive oil
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- Ground coriander seeds
- Oregano, pepper
- Garlic, crushed paprika
- A little cinnamon and grated nutmeg
- Cut the carrots or pumpkin into thin sticks. Sauté them in heated oil with a little water and a clove of garlic until soft. Mix the flours, salt, and spices, add the cooled vegetables, and if necessary, a little lukewarm water. Knead the dough, add the sunflower seeds, shape it into a loaf, and bake for 45-60 minutes in a preheated oven at 180°C.
*Bonus Tip: In any bread dough, regardless of the type, add a handful of soy flour. This will enrich the bread with protein and give it a special flavor.
