finding time for cooking

for the time-starved or curious culinary adventurer

Bread Recipes

I’ve got all the bread recipes you need, from traditional loaves to braids, stuffed sweet wreaths, challah, biscuits, and so much more.  

Don’t be intimidated by baking with yeast, it’s really quite forgiving and just takes a bit of practice!  Over the past several years I’ve gone from a total bread novice to finding bread baking quite therapeutic.  And I’m a total sucker for sweet twisty breads, like delicious challah and babkas.  

Not sure where to start??  I’ve created a detailed post that helps you decide what bread is best for you based on the time you have and what you’re looking for.  Here are a few of my absolute go-to recipes:

You can see a full list of bread recipes in my recipe index or browse visually here.  Or pore through the archives below…

Oatmeal Brown Soda Bread

Last summer I tried making bread for the first time, and was shocked by how well it turned out (I’d been scared of baking with yeast for forever). That kicked off a veritable bread-baking spree, where I tried all manner of artisan yeast breads.

But for some reason I’ve only made a super traditional Irish soda bread up…and yet, when I tried this hearty oatmeal brown soda bread recipe, it made me wonder why I ever bother with the finicky-ness and waiting of yeast breads.

Oatmeal Brown Soda Bread | This simple quick bread is like a traditional brown soda bread with oatmeal. A fast bread ready in under an hour, no yeast. Healthy and delicious. #bread #quickbread #sodabread

This bread is totally easy and delicious. Now, to be fair, this isn’t authentic Irish soda bread, which only has four ingredients and definitely doesn’t have any sweeteners. But it still is soda bread, and there’s something special about it versus its yeast-based counterparts.

Something about the chemistry of the ingredients (maybe the soda and buttermilk?) makes it moist and soft, much more resistant to drying out in the open air. Soda bread in its modern form became popular in the U.S. during colonial times because it was cheap, fast, and easy, and that’s still the case today.

Oatmeal Brown Soda Bread | This simple quick bread is like a traditional brown soda bread with oatmeal. A fast bread ready in under an hour, no yeast. Healthy and delicious. #bread #quickbread #sodabread

That’s right—best of all? There’s no rising time for soda bread, so that means you can have hot, fresh bread within an hour or so of deciding you’re craving it.

brown oatmeal soda bread finished

Save for later:  A Tool to Decide What Bread to Make Based On How Long You Have…

So we’ve got an hour til you have fresh bread in your hot little hands. Start your engines…
READ THE POST

Unleavened Treats: Cottage Cheese Rolls

Since I was such a tease with the leavened cake the other day, here’s a real unleavened treat—cottage cheese rolls. Though we’re close to the end of the Days of Unleavened Bread, there are still a couple days left to make this DOUB classic. I know some people already use this recipe (because I’ve seen them talk about it on Facebook), but if you haven’t then you must immediately!

Unleavened Cottage Cheese Rolls | These soft, buttery rolls are perfect for the Days of Unleavened Bread, as they do not have any leavening agent. My family has made them my whole life! #passover #unleavened #bread

This was my mom’s go-to recipe during this season. I never could understand why people would want to eat matzo, because it’s like eating cardboard. These, on the other hand, are moist and buttery and chewy and flavorful and FULL OF AWESOME.

cottage cheese rolls dough ready to bake

This recipe is really versatile. You can make it as-is, substitute whole wheat flour for part, add savory or sweet flavors, make rolls or roll out flat. I mixed it up a lot this week, using some rosemary, some cinnamon-sugar, and some whole wheat flour.
READ THE POST

Amish Country Bread

It’s that time of the year when I’m trying to use up all my yeast, baking powder, and baking soda before Passover so I don’t have to throw much out. I hate waste. So I’m officially back on my bread-baking kick. I started last weekend with this delicious, soft, salty bread—nicknamed Amish country bread.

Easy Amish Country Bread | This delicious Amish country bread is easy and versatile, perfect for any meal or just snacking. Soft and chewy, with a good crust and a little saltiness. A great easy bread recipe! #bread #breadrecipe

This recipe was super easy to throw together, even though I had some trouble with the texture of the dough. Mine was much drier than I think it should have been (too much flour? maybe weather-related too?). However, it didn’t seem to make any difference—the bread baked up soft and chewy, with a nice crisp crust on the outside.

amish bread finished2

I used my handy-dandy enameled cast-iron dutch oven, and the lid makes an awesome seal that traps the moisture in, which gives you that crusty outside and chewy inside. If you don’t have a dutch oven, you can bake on a castiron griddle (or pizza stone or some other oven-safe contraption), with some ice water in a separate pan to create steam.

Save for later:  A Tool to Decide What Bread to Make Based On How Long You Have…READ THE POST

Maple Cranberry Cornbread

Fresh, hot cornbread is just the best, isn’t it??

The problem with cornbread so often (and why I don’t make it much) is that leftover cornbread is bad. Like dry, get-stuck in-your-throat-and-scratch-up-your-mouth bad. It’s just one of those foods that doesn’t translate to leftovers well. And for one person (that’s me) to try and eat an entire pan of cornbread in one sitting is madness.

Not that I haven’t tried…

Maple Cranberry Cornbread | This delicious and moist cornbread is an interesting twist on a classic. #cornbread #cranberries #maplesyrup

So while I was most excited initially about the cranberries in this recipe, it ended up being the overall texture of the cornbread and the hint of sweetness from the maple syrup that I ended up loving. The maple cranberry bread was super moist, and retained that texture for the next 2-3 days while I ate the leftovers. I’ll definitely be using this recipe again even without the cranberries.

maple cranberry cornbread finished

Now the cranberries themselves weren’t quite what I expected. I figured that the combination of the super tart cranberries and the maple syrup would kind of balance each other out taste-wise, but the cranberries were still quite tart. The solution to this, of course, is to drizzle honey all over the cornbread! The cranberries were really good, but I think I might like cherries or something like that even better.
READ THE POST

Snickerdoodle Bread

This bread is magical.

I’m not someone who could generally be accused of being a snickerdoodle freak, though I’m a sucker for a cinnamon-sugar combo. But I might change my mind after having this snickerdoodle bread.

Crazy Easy Snickerdoodle Bread | This delicious quick bread is fluffy, moist, sweet, and pure cinnamon-sugar magic! Only takes 5 minutes to stir together. #snickerdoodle #quickbread #dessertrecipe

The blog I got this recipe from (Lil Luna) warns that the cinnamon chips are usually only in grocery stores during the holidays, so best to stock up on a few bags right now while the getting is good.  There was actually a shortage a few years back for months, and I started effectively buying them on the black market 🙂

snickerdoodle bread finished slice

The other great part about this bread (cake? cake bread? bread cake?) is that it literally takes five minutes to mix together, then you just pop it in the oven and go about your business! I realized late in the day that the next morning was my “breakfast day” at work and I didn’t have much of an evening to make something, and this turned out to be the perfect option (and I carefully packed the second loaf in my carry-on bag to visit my family the next day!). READ THE POST

Buttermilk Dinner Rolls

My mom and I went back and forth for quite a while this year on what bread to make for Thanksgiving. We had a ton of people to feed, but there are so many different flavors and ingredients in Thanksgiving side dishes that we didn’t want the rolls to compete. But my cousin had made these buttermilk dinner rolls before, and sent my mom the recipe. When we saw it, it seemed like the perfect solution.

Buttermilk Dinner Rolls | This easy bread roll recipe is perfect for any type of dinner or holiday gathering...versatile and could use added flavors as well (herbs, garlic, etc.). #breadrecipes

These rolls are fluffy but also still hearty, and a great complement to any meal. They won’t compete with the other dishes and are perfect for sopping up gravy or just slathering with butter and jam.READ THE POST

Two Different Takes On Single-Serving Scones

Boy, I love scones.  They’re kind of my go-to breakfast food if I want to treat myself to something nice on the weekend.  I make plain scones, cherry almond scones, Starbucks pumpkin scones (recipe coming soon), pretty much anything I can.  But the downside is that a recipe generally makes 8-12 scones, which is way more than my poor workout schedule can take care of.  So when I saw not one but two recipes for single-serving scone recipes, I knew my life had just gotten exponentially more awesome.

2 single-serving scones recipes, using healthier ingredients | Finding Time For Cooking

I stopped eating breakfast a couple years ago, and generally on weekends I just have tons of strong coffee to start my morning.  Every so often, though, I’m struck with an intense craving for hot biscuits and honey.  That’s basically what scones and biscuits are to me—an excuse to pile on jam or honey.  You can’t say I don’t have my priorities straight.

easy single person scone recipe in food processor

healthy single-person scones recipes with tea for breakfast

These recipes are fairly similar, though the second one uses a little less sugar (and brown instead of white) and calls for coconut oil in its solid form (and seems slightly healthier overall).  I didn’t have coconut oil on hand the first time so I tried it with butter, but I made the recipe again using coconut oil (and whole wheat flour) and it was still great.  The first recipe also made a little more, I made two scones out of it.  Both also bake at higher temperatures (450 F) than all my other scone recipes. READ THE POST

Delicious Wheat-y Basic Beer Bread

As I mentioned in my beer mac & cheese post, last weekend I was fighting some doldrums and decided to fight them with comfort food. Specifically beer comfort food. Because last weekend was a beer two-fer.

That’s right, wheat-y basic beer bread.

easy quick beer bread with whole wheat

The recipe is from one of my favorite food blogs, In Erika’s Kitchen, she always has great, unique, and simple recipes that use produce, whole grains, and less processed foods for awesome results.READ THE POST

Whole Wheat Crusty Artisan Bread Variation

Apparently, without realizing it, I’m on a quest to find the best artisan bread recipe. I guess it’s because bread baking is so new to me, and I’m still kind of giddy about how easy it really is. So I present to you yet another option for easy homemade bread—whole wheat crusty artisan bread!

Whole Wheat Crusty Artisan Bread | finding time for cooking

Making the bread itself is ridiculously fast and easy—literally five minutes to make the dough. The biggest thing to note here is the long rising time…12 to 18 hours. So basically you want to make up the dough at night and then bake it the next day.

whole wheat crusty artisan bread done

To add some extra fiber and whole grain goodness, I did substitute some whole wheat flour.  It definitely makes for a denser bread, but I always like the flavor of whole wheat.

READ THE POST

Fancypants bread (Artisan Bread with Lemon, Rosemary, & Irish Cheddar)

This is one of the “fancy” takes on a basic artisan bread recipe I found on Pinterest (link at the bottom). My mom thought it sounded great when she came to visit, so we gave it a try. And, I can say that while this wasn’t as much my cup of tea, it got RAVE reviews from my co-workers the next day.

I wanted to try this recipe because I’m still trying out different bread recipes, so wanted to see how this turned out. And the flavor combination was really intriguing as well—what’s not to like?!

It also made me realize how badly I need to invest in some good knives. Chopping rosemary shouldn’t be so hard…my mom had to work hard!

I’ve apparently been on a huge lemon kick, between the cheesecake, this, and the lemon/goat cheese pasta I made that weekend (post pending). But it’s just such a great, versatile flavor.

And together it looks like some country’s flag. A country founded on deliciousness.

READ THE POST

Moist, Healthy Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Muffins

A couple weeks ago, my CSA box had some little apples in it. Now apples are one of those fruits I can kind of take or leave—I think I ate way too many some years ago taking the “an apple a day” adage too seriously. But they are fairly good for baking, and I wasn’t about to let these go to waste.

Since I’m trying to be really healthy (and fit into a dress next weekend), desserts like pies, crisps, etc. were out. But I’d pinned this healthy apple cinnamon oatmeal muffin recipe a while ago and decided it sounded sufficiently healthy.

Super moist, healthy apple cinnamon oatmeal muffins | finding time for cooking blog

My biggest complaint with muffins generally is that they’re usually kind of dry. Oh, sure, maybe they’re fine straight out of the oven. But once they cool they’re a surefire way to choking and getting the hiccups from not being able to swallow. BUT NOT THESE. Seriously, these are like magic moistness muffins.

Moist apple cinnamon oat muffins

I had a couple for breakfast all week, and they stayed just as moist and awesome. This might be my favorite muffin recipe ever.

apples chopped

READ THE POST

Amuse Bouche: I inadvertently made the world’s largest loaf of French bread

So, if you’ll remember, I tried out a 1-Hour French Bread recipe a couple weeks ago for my family, and it was awesome. This morning was my breakfast day at work (we take turns bringing in breakfast for our department), so I decided to make the Kale, Bacon, & Egg Breakfast Casserole and (given time restraints) the French bread and also some fresh strawberry jam. I also ended up having unannounced company last night, so I was a little distracted when I was making everything.

Funny story…I forgot that I’d halved the recipe last time I made it, because I didn’t need two loaves of bread. When I rolled the loaf out, I was thinking, “man, this is huge!” (that’s what she said…). But then it just kept expanding as it baked. Needless to say, I’m pretty sure I set a record for the world’s largest loaf of French bread.

Just meant I could feed half the office, not just my department…

Double the pleasure, double the fiber (Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread)

I’ve definitely been on a bread-baking kick lately—though not sure if this one qualifies as an actual “bread”. It’s delicious and moist and fiber-ful and CHOCOLATE. It’s breakfast and dessert. It’s so many things.

And the best thing about this?? It’s surprisingly healthy! No, really.

Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread | finding time for cooking blog

While there’s some brown sugar in it, and the chocolate chips (though I use at least half dark chocolate chips because I think they taste better), otherwise it’s made with oil and honey and zucchini. You could even try using whole wheat flour, though I haven’t yet myself.

The first time I made it, I thought it was done and pulled it out of the oven too early, so seriously everything but the edges was complete chocolate goo. Which sounds great, but actually was just too much. So don’t be like me. Never be like me. The second time I got it right.

READ THE POST

Quick 1-Hour French Bread

“Good bread is the most fundamentally satisfying of all foods; and good bread with fresh butter, the greatest of feasts.”
~ James Beard

When my family was in town last weekend, we cooked and baked our faces off. For dinner Friday night we made delicious chicken, sweet potato fries, and sauteed kale, plus some double-chocolate zucchini bread and awesome rosemary, lemon, & cheddar bread for munching on later. It was fairly prolific, if I do say so myself.

The problem with that is that—as previously mentioned—I have a very small kitchen. We started to run into trouble with number of burners in use, how many items could be in the oven and at what temperature. It got to be 2-3 hours from dinner time and I realized none of my bread possibilities would be ready for dinner.

And that wasn’t going to work, because my mom loves bread.  Like…LOVES it.  Has to have it with every meal.

So I dove back into my Pinterest board and came up with this gem—1-hour French bread. I was skeptical, because good things take time, particularly when they involve yeast.

But I decided to give it a try and it was great. Probably as good as the artisan bread I made a few weeks ago that had to rise several hours before baking.

Save for later:  A Tool to Decide What Bread to Make Based On How Long You Have…

The recipe seriously took about an hour and a half start-to-finish, and that’s partly because I was making several other things at the same time. It was warm, yeasty, and delicious.

Note, I halved the recipe because we only needed one loaf for dinner, so that’s why the dough looks small.

READ THE POST

Easy 5-Minute Artisan Bread

Yeast and I have always had a rocky relationship. I struggle to ever make my bread baking *look* as good as everyone else.  It’s just not as pretty, and I always feel like I’m doing something wrong.  But over the years I’ve found some great go-to recipes that are pretty reliable and always taste amazing. 

This simple 5-minute artisan bread is a good example—no fancy ingredients or techniques, only a few minutes of hands-on time, and super versatile on timings and flavorings.

5-Minute Artisan French Bread | finding time for cooking blog

5-Minute Artisan French Bread | finding time for cooking blog

[Editor’s note: updated May 2020 with new recipe photos]

When I first found this recipe, I was really skeptical. “Easy french bread” it promised.  But bread, in my experience, was anything but easy and fast.

I have to say, though, this stuff is the real deal.  As long as you realize that the “5-minute” part is the actual hands-on time…you still have to give it a lot of rising and baking time.  But still, this is a total win in my book.

I added some fresh rosemary and garlic to my artisan french bread

This 5-minute artisan french bread is simple, delicious, and basic.  It’s amazing with nothing on it, with butter, and with my homemade strawberry balsamic jam.  It’s interesting and yummy with some add-in ingredients like chopped herbs and garlic, or citrus zest and cinnamon.  Cheese wouldn’t be amiss.  Whatever floats your boat.

What is “artisan” bread?  Well, it basically just means it’s made by an artisan, a.k.a. by hand.  Technically it means I should be “trained to the highest ability” in mixing, fermenting, etc…but I’m not quite there yet.

Save for later:  A Tool to Decide What Bread to Make Based On How Long You Have…READ THE POST

Go-To Easy “Fancy” Breakfast (Basic Scones)

So, last August my parents and I spent a week in Ireland, which has been on my bucket list since I was like 14 (and read a Nora Roberts trilogy set in Ardmore with hot Irish guys and cool music…but I digress). And you know what I was probably most excited about?  Scones.

Well, and good beer. But also scones.

Easy Basic Scones | finding time for cooking blog

My basic scones with homemade strawberry jam!

I flipping LOVE scones, and was so excited to try them in their “birthplace” (or close enough). We went to Queen of Tarts in Dublin, I had them in Cashel, basically anywhere we went. Great excuse to have lots of cappuccino too. They came in all shapes and sizes, textures and flavors, moist or dry, etc.

READ THE POST