Whether you’re just getting started with baking bread or you’re a seasoned baker ready to cozy up and watch some warm loaves rise, this Ultimate Bread Baking Marathon is for you. Get ready for a delicious journey through my best bread recipes—No-Knead Sandwich Bread, Batter Bread, Perfect-Every-Time Boules, and Sourdough too! And after you watch the video, be sure to read on for tips and tricks for how to be the best home baker ever!

Welcome to the Bread Baking Marathon!

There’s something special about baking bread in your own kitchen. The scent, the warmth, the satisfaction of slicing into a loaf that rose under your watchful eye—bread baking is a timeless tradition that brings comfort and joy. In this Ultimate Bread Baking Marathon video, I’ve gathered together all of my most beloved bread-making tutorials so you can enjoy a full day of learning, laughter, and loaves.

From quick and easy batter breads to slow-fermented sourdough, this compilation covers it all. So grab a cup of tea, cozy up with a notebook (and maybe a rising dough bowl nearby), and let’s bake together.

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Table of Contents

1. No Knead, No Fuss: How to Make Easy Sandwich Bread

Let’s begin with a bread that’s as simple as it is satisfying. My no-knead sandwich bread has become a favorite for so many sweet friends because it’s easy to make and bakes up beautifully soft—perfect for everything from toast to lunchtime sandwiches.

The Magic of No-Knead Dough

This dough comes together quickly and easily—no kneading, no fuss, just a quick stir of the ingredients, then dump everything into a loaf pan and let it rise. You’ll pop this into the oven, and in less than an hour, you’ll have the best sandwich bread you have ever tasted. No more grocery store sandwich bread for you!

The Perfect Beginner Bread

This recipe is the perfect first bread for those who are new to baking, and it’s a reliable go-to for seasoned bakers who want a no-stress loaf.

2. Batter Bread: The Easiest Loaf in the Modern Pioneer Kitchen

This simple, no-knead recipe was a staple in old-fashioned kitchens—and it’s still beloved today. With just a spoon and a bowl, you can make a tender loaf that pairs beautifully with everything from soups to jam.

Stir, Rise, and Bake

Similar to the technique used for making sandwich bread, you’ll just mix the batter bread ingredients up and let the oven do the work. No dough hooks, no kneading!

Best of all, this recipe is very versatile. Want a bit of whole-grain flour added? Go ahead. Mix half all-purpose flour with half whole-grain flour, and you’re all set. Want to add spices, nuts, or dried fruit for a holiday twist? You can do it! Add whatever you like to your heart’s content.

Everyday Nourishment

Batter bread is an excellent way to have fresh, homemade bread ready in a pinch, using the pantry staples you already have on hand in your traditional foods kitchen. No need to buy grocery store breads again that have a long list of ingredients we can’t even pronounce.

Once you learn the batter bread technique, you can create fresh bread anytime you want it. And best of all, it takes very little effort on your part. As a busy home cook, that’s the best news yet!

3. Back to Basics: Step-by-Step Bread for Beginners

Have you ever wanted to learn how to make a basic loaf of bread? I’ll show you how by going old school! My Easy Homemade Bread video provides a guiding hand for anyone just starting their bread-baking journey.

I’ll walk you through every step with gentle encouragement and helpful tips. And for the seasoned baker, this video can be a great review course if you haven’t baked bread in a while.

Understanding the Bread Baking Process

From activating yeast to knowing when your dough has risen just enough, I cover it all. Ever wonder what the window pane test is? Or wonder why you would ever need the finger poke test? Don’t worry. I explain these baking tests and tips.

I also give you permission not to stress about any of this. After you bake a few loaves of bread, you won’t need any of those tests anymore. You’ll learn to bake by feel and appearance—just like our ancestors did.

Building Confidence in the Kitchen

Bread baking doesn’t have to be intimidating. With the right guidance, it becomes second nature. And I share gentle reminders that, as home bakers, nothing needs to be perfect. Everyone is just happy you made homemade bread!

4. A Bread So Easy, Anyone Can Make It

This bread recipe is exactly what the name promises. With minimal ingredients and no special equipment, you can create a hearty, wholesome artisan boule that brings joy to any table. Your family and friends will think you bought this bread at a bakery. But they will be amazed when you tell them it’s homemade—by you!

Perfect for Busy Days

Whether you’re short on time or just want something simple, this recipe fits beautifully into any schedule. You mix your dough, but then bake this bread when you’re ready, which can be a few hours or up to 48 hours later. I wasn’t kidding when I said this recipe fits any home baker’s schedule!

Great for Family Baking

This simple recipe is ideal to make with children or grandchildren—easy, fun, and so rewarding. Everyone—young and old—will delight in how a few simple ingredients can create a beautiful and tasty bread with a crisp exterior and tender interior.

It’s the perfect bread for making gourmet sandwiches and even leveling up simple peanut butter and jelly sandwiches! You’ll also discover it’s the best toasted bread to accompany scrambled eggs and bacon.

5. How to Make a Sourdough Starter

Sourdough is a living, breathing tradition—and it starts with a healthy starter. In this recipe, I show you exactly how to make and maintain your sourdough starter so you can confidently begin your sourdough journey.

A Simple Starter Guide

You don’t need any fancy tools—just flour, water, time, and a little patience. I show you how easy it can be to make and maintain your sourdough starter. And if your starter has failed in the past, this video is for you!

I walk through a variety of problems that home bakers sometimes encounter when making a sourdough starter. Then, I offer solutions to resolve these potential problems. It’s the rare occasion when you have to toss out what you think is a failed starter. Most sourdough starters are salvageable. You just need to know the tricks to revive it!

Nourishing and Traditional

The best thing about learning how to make a sourdough starter and then going on to making sourdough bread is that sourdough brings out the best in grains and connects us with the way our ancestors baked for generations.

Sourdough bread can be a game changer for so many since it’s easier to digest and absorb the nutrients our bodies crave. Once you have a successful starter, it’s time to bake sourdough bread with the next recipe.

6. Sourdough, the Simple Way: Stretch and Fold Method

Once your starter is active, it’s time to try your hand at making a beautiful round loaf or sourdough bread—otherwise known as a boule. This gentle method uses time and technique—rather than kneading—to create a chewy crumb and crisp crust.

Instead of kneading, you’ll just stretch and fold the dough over on itself a few times to create the lightest and airiest sourdough bread you have ever had! No more dense loaves. I guarantee it.

Hands-On, But Not Demanding

You’ll spend just a few minutes with the dough at 15-minute intervals over the course of one hour—not the whole day! Then you’ll let your dough rest for 12 hours on the counter (or 24 in the fridge), letting time do all the hard work for you.

A Meditative Experience

There’s something peaceful about stretch and fold baking—it invites you to slow down and enjoy the rhythm. You might be saying, “Come on, Mary! How can making sourdough bread lower stress?” But trust me. When you watch me implement the stretch and fold method in my video, I bet you’ll start to breathe a little easier! I’m not kidding you. It can be a very meditative experience.

7. Busy Mother’s Sourdough Secret

This recipe method was created with the modern homemaker—the modern pioneer in the kitchen—in mind. You don’t need to rearrange your whole life to enjoy the blessings of fresh sourdough bread. And you don’t even need to make a true sourdough starter. We take a little shortcut, but that’s okay because when we’re busy in the kitchen and in life, we need all the help we can get!

Flexible for Real Life

I’ll show you how to create a mock sourdough starter with just a tiny bit of packaged yeast —yes, just a pinch. And then we’ll break up the process of making a mock sourdough bread across a busy day—or even two—so sourdough fits seamlessly into your rhythm.

Encouragement for the Home Baker

This recipe is for anyone who’s ever said, “I’d love to try sourdough, but I just don’t have time.” You do now—and I’ll show you how. Yes, maybe we start with just a pinch of packaged yeast, but over time—at least in my humble opinion—that pinch develops into a true sourdough starter.

Best of all, you’ll have your sourdough starter and your dough all combined in one container and ready to bake at a moment’s notice. Now, that’s a secret every busy home baker can love!

Wrapping Up with Love and Loaves

I hope you’ve enjoyed this Ultimate Bread Baking Marathon as much as I’ve enjoyed sharing it with you. There’s something truly special about baking bread—it’s a beautiful act of caring, a way to nourish, and a tradition that connects us across generations.

Keep Baking with Me

When you’re ready to explore even more delicious recipes, be sure to visit my complete baking playlist. You’ll find everything from how to stock your baking pantry (with a free printable checklist) plus how to bake a variety of breads and cakes to cookies, muffins, crackers, and more.

More Recipes for Home Bakers

See all →

Grind Your Own Flour with the Mockmill

When it comes to electric grain mills, after I did A LOT of research, I decided to buy a Mockmill. And am I so happy I did! The Mockmill is a very affordable but beautifully crafted German-made mill that stone grinds grain with settings ranging from 1 to 10—fine to coarse ground grain.

Learn more about Mockmill electric grain mills for making fresh flour and their Flake Lover’s Flaker that flakes whole grain in minutes. (This is not a sponsored post, I bought the Mockmill products that I show you, and I’m a happy user of their devices in my kitchen.)

It’s Here! The Modern Pioneer Pantry!

Be sure to add my new cookbook, The Modern Pioneer Pantry, to your Traditional Foods Kitchen bookshelf. It’s my second book in the Modern Pioneer Cookbook Series, and I know you will love it as much as you did my first bestselling book in this series—The Modern Pioneer Cookbook.

preOrder YOUR COPY Now!

The Modern Pioneer Pantry

Simple ingredients, timeless techniques, and a well-stocked pantry. Discover over 100 nourishing recipes to preserve food and turn pantry staples into homemade meals. Build a wholesome, traditional pantry—just like a modern pioneer!

Preorder Now!

And in case you don’t have my first cookbook in this series, The Modern Pioneer Cookbook, you can grab your copy now!

Order YOUR COPY Now!

The Modern Pioneer Cookbook

Seasonal ingredients, traditional techniques, and nourishing recipes. Over 85 traditional, from-scratch recipes! Discover for yourself how you can use simple ingredients and traditional techniques to cook the modern pioneer way.

Order Now!

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  4. Order The Modern Pioneer Cookbook - Get a hardcover book of Mary's nourishing recipes from a Traditional Foods Kitchen. This bestselling cookbook is published by Penguin Random House with their DK imprint.
  5. Preorder The Modern Pioneer Pantry - Be one of the first to get Mary's hardcover book about preserving food and making delicious meals from your Four Corners Pantry. Mary's second cookbook is also published by Penguin Random House.

I look forward to having you join me in my Texas Hill Country Kitchen!

Shop for Mary’s Favorite Baking Items

If you’re on your journey to creating a Traditional Foods Kitchen, be sure to check out some of my favorite baking tools and equipment that I find myself using every week—if not every day!

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