As the first hints of fall begin to arrive, there is nothing quite like the aroma of freshly baked bread filling the kitchen. And if you have always wanted to try your hand at bread baking—but worried that it might be too difficult—these recipes are the perfect place to begin!
Today, I’m sharing three easy homemade breads that are especially well-suited for novice bakers, yet so delicious that experienced bread bakers will enjoy them too.
Here is the best news: You won’t need an electric mixer or any special bread-making equipment. With these simple recipes, your own two hands—and a little time—will do all the work!
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Table of Contents
- Easy No-Knead Artisan Bread
- Super Soft No-Knead Sandwich Bread
- The Easiest Homemade Focaccia
- A Lesson From My Sweet Mom Gloria
- More Home Baker Recipes and Posts
- Grand Teton Ancient Grains
- Grind Your Own Flour with the Mockmill
- The Modern Pioneer Cookbook
- The Modern Pioneer Pantry
- Start Your Traditional Foods Journey
- Download Your Free 36-Page Pantry List
- Join the Traditional Foods Kitchen Academy
- Kitchen Academy Videos
- Shop for My Favorite Items
Easy No-Knead Artisan Bread
If you have ever dreamed of pulling a beautiful rustic loaf from your oven, this is the recipe for you!
My Easy Artisan Bread recipe requires only four simple ingredients and very little hands-on work. After you mix the shaggy dough, you simply allow it to rest while time does the kneading for you.
The finished loaf has a wonderfully crisp, golden crust and a soft, chewy interior. Serve it alongside a hearty fall soup or stew, use it to make a rustic sandwich, or enjoy a warm slice spread with plenty of cultured butter!
Super Soft No-Knead Sandwich Bread
If you are completely new to bread baking, this is the recipe I recommend trying first.
This easy batter bread recipe requires no kneading whatsoever. You simply mix the ingredients together to create a wet, sticky dough, let it rise, divide it between your loaf pans, and bake.
The result is a soft and fluffy homemade sandwich bread that is perfect for toast, sandwiches, or simply enjoying with butter and jam. The recipe makes two loaves, so you can enjoy one now and tuck the second one into your freezer for later.
There is a reason the accompanying video has been watched more than one million times. This wonderfully forgiving recipe has helped so many home cooks discover that they really can bake delicious bread!
The Easiest Homemade Focaccia
This focaccia recipe may look impressive, but it is surprisingly easy to make!
This soft and airy Italian flatbread is enriched with olive oil and finished with a beautiful golden crust. You can knead the dough by hand, but you can also choose the no-knead method and let the dough rest overnight in your refrigerator while time does the work for you.
Keep your focaccia simple with olive oil and a sprinkling of coarse sea salt, or dress it up with herbs, cheese, olives, caramelized onions, or colorful garden vegetables.
Serve it in a basket alongside a bowl of soup and watch it disappear!
A Lesson From My Sweet Mom Gloria
My Mother’s Love for Homemade Bread
My sweet mother, Gloria, never owned any type of electric stand mixer, so every loaf of bread she made was prepared entirely by hand.
She was wonderful at kneading bread! I can still picture her working the dough until it became smooth and supple beneath her hands. But as much as she enjoyed traditional bread making, she especially loved the ease of making batter breads.
With a batter bread, there was no lengthy kneading and no complicated technique. She could simply mix the batter, pour it into a pan, let it rise, and then bake it. Before long, she had a delicious loaf that was soft, fluffy, and loved by everyone.
That is exactly the type of bread I show you how to make in my Super Soft No-Knead Sandwich Bread recipe.
An Easy First Step into Bread Baking
So if you are new to bread baking, take a tip from my mom and begin with a batter bread. It is one of the easiest and most encouraging ways to get started.
Once you feel comfortable, you can move on to the artisan bread, focaccia, and eventually the other breads I share—including sourdough. The good news is that none of the three recipes I am sharing today require a machine, and each offers an easy path to homemade bread. We simply use time to do the kneading for us!
But start with that batter bread. I think you will find yourself loving it just as my mother did—and as millions of home cooks have discovered through my video.
The Secret Ingredient Is Always Love
Most of all, remember that we are home bakers. Our loaves do not have to look perfect. They simply need to be made with that secret ingredient…love. When your friends and family come to the dinner table, no one will know whether the bread is perfect or not. All you hear is the delighted refrain…“Wow! You made bread for me!”
I hope one of these easy recipes inspires you to fill your kitchen with the comforting aroma of freshly baked bread as we welcome the beginning of fall.
And no matter which loaf you choose, I look forward to you joining me in my Texas Hill Country Kitchen as we continue making traditional foods together! 😊
More Home Baker Recipes and Posts
Discover the Joy of Whole Grain Baking With These Recipes
Bake a flaky whole wheat pie crust, savory lemon arugula tart, and easy one-bowl lemon cake and discover the joy of whole grain baking.
Baking Questions Answered with Ted and Mary!
Join me and my husband Ted for a Q&A filled with practical kitchen tips, helpful techniques, and answers to your baking questions.
How to Make a One-Bowl Whole Wheat Lemon Cake Everyone Will Love
Bake a moist, tender whole wheat lemon cake in one bowl—an easy, wholesome dessert bursting with fresh citrus flavor.
Grand Teton Ancient Grains
Check out the organic berries and flours available from Grand Teton Ancient Grains. I love their high-quality Einkorn, Emmer, Spelt, Millet, and more you can get to create nutritious and delicious baked goods.
Exclusive Newsletter Discount Code
Sign up for my Mary’s Nest newsletter for an exclusive discount code you can use on your order of berries and flours. This discount is available for a limited time, so be sure to stock up on the Ancient Grains you would enjoy using to bake delightful breads, desserts, and more.
And if you’re looking for a grain mill to make fresh flour from your wheat berries, I recommend the Mockmill electric grain grinder. (See below.)
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.)
- Get the Mockmill 100 Stone Grain Mill (Same product I show you in my unboxing video.)
- Mockmill 100 Grain Mill unboxing
- Flake Lover’s Flaker from Mockmill in action (Using this device, you can flake whole grain in minutes.)
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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.
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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!
Start Your Traditional Foods Journey
Sharing my passion for traditional cooking goes beyond my YouTube cooking school—it also comes to life in the pages of my cookbooks. Both of my books, The Modern Pioneer Cookbook and The Modern Pioneer Pantry, are proudly published by Penguin Random House.
The first is filled with time-honored recipes to help you create a traditional foods kitchen, while the second is your complete guide to home food preservation. Order both books today to start or continue your traditional foods journey.
Download Your Free 36-Page Pantry List
For an extensive list of the traditional foods you can make and purchase to stock your pantry, be sure to download my free 36-page Traditional Foods Pantry List. This comprehensive eBook is full of links to recipe videos, helpful articles, and more!
Join the Traditional Foods Kitchen Academy
Are you looking for more traditional foods videos? If so, I invite you to join the Traditional Foods Kitchen Academy. Members of this optional paid YouTube community get access to exclusive videos and other members-only perks. Plus, your YouTube comments include a special members-only badge.
Kitchen Academy Videos
How to Mix Whole Grains for a Warm and Nourishing Porridge
Learn to mix oat groats, barley, and other whole grains for a warm, nourishing porridge with easy make-ahead tips and tasty toppings.
How Much of Each Natural Remedy Should You Make?
Use your family’s needs, past experience, and seasonal habits to decide how much to prepare for your Healing Pantry.
Baking with Whole Grains: The Maslin Method, Grain Mills, and America’s Bread Basket
Explore whole grain baking with The Maslin Method, fresh-milled flour, grain mills, heritage wheats, and more.
Stay in Touch with Mary’s Nest
- Subscribe to My YouTube Channel for Traditional Foods Videos (Free) - When you subscribe, be sure to click on the notification bell that will let you know each time I upload a new video.
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- 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.
- Order The Modern Pioneer Pantry - Get Mary's latest hardcover cookbook 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!
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