11 Sweet And Savory Bread Recipes
Not many things are as comforting as the smell of a loaf of freshly baked bread in the oven. Perhaps this has been written into our DNA. According to research published in the journal PNAS, archaeobotanical evidence from modern-day Jordan indicates that humans have been baking and consuming bread since 14,000 years ago. In the thousands of years since, bread making featuring a myriad of cultivated grains has spread to cultures across the globe, making bread one of the most invaluable sources of sustenance for a large percentage of the human population.
More recently, lots of people took to baking bread during the early days of lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Social media feeds across every platform became inundated with photos of freshly baked loaves of banana bread and sourdough starters. There's some compelling evidence for why this may have been an adaptive way of dealing with stress and improving mental health during uncertainty. Simply, baking inspires creativity, helps us connect, and is a tactile method of self-care.
Regardless of the inspiration behind wanting to bake bread, the number of recipes for flatbreads, yeast bread, and quick bread is multifold. From breakfast to lunch to dinner and beyond, whatever kind of loaf your heart and taste buds desire, our recipe developers here at Daily Meal have you covered. Read on for the best sweet and savory bread recipes to bake for any occasion.
1. Cast-Iron Cornbread
Though you can make this recipe from any cornmeal, stone-ground is best. Beyond its distinctive rustic texture and flavor, stone-ground cornmeal retains many vitamins and minerals, with plenty of fiber, all of which get lost during commercial grinding when the germ and hull are removed.
You can add nutrients and visual appeal to this recipe by loading it with various add-ins. Fresh corn, roasted peppers, green chilis, or chipotles are all dynamite. Lastly, stir half a cup of grated cheddar or pepper jack cheese into the batter before putting this bread in the oven for a pop of umami-rich flavor and luscious texture.
Recipe: Cast-Iron Cornbread
2. Pantry Staples Pumpkin Bread
Nothing signals Autumn and the holiday season like a loaf of pumpkin bread with all the accompanying spices. The warmth, nostalgia, and cheer that come with the aroma and taste of this recipe will surely put you in a festive mood at any time of year.
Make sure you don't inadvertently purchase pumpkin pie mix. If you want to change things up, this recipe works equally well with canned sweet potato. Purée the sweet potato in a food processor before adding the remaining ingredients. And do not be shy about add-ins. Get creative by incorporating chocolate chips, nuts, or dried fruit.
Recipe: Pantry Staples Pumpkin Bread
3. Easy Classic Zucchini Bread
This recipe solves two problems at once by using that bumper crop of zucchini growing in your yard and sneaking healthy vegetables into your family's diet. The secret to success is the inherent moisture trapped within the squash, which slowly leaches out, creating an impossibly luscious bread that hardly needs anything on top of it to make it delicious.
For a fun change of pace, try adding two tablespoons of cocoa powder to the dry ingredients, which will enrich the flavor without impacting the texture of the bread. Amplify the chocolate flavor by folding some mini chocolate chips into the batter before baking.
Recipe: Easy Classic Zucchini Bread
4. Classic Banana Walnut Bread
This one-bowl banana bread recipe is as easy as it is delicious. It features walnuts for a pop of crunch and flavor. If nuts are not your thing, or you dislike the hint of bitterness in walnuts, either leave them out or swap them with slivered almonds, chopped macadamia nuts, or salty pistachios.
You can add more complexity by infusing this bread with ground spices and vanilla extract. While pumpkin or apple pie spice are great, the Chinese five spice provides a distinctive flavor that's simultaneously exotic and comforting. Lastly, substitute the white sugar with brown to give this bread rich, caramel-forward flavor notes.
Recipe: Classic Banana Walnut Bread
5. Easy Garlic Bread
Whether you want bread to serve alongside an Italian dinner or something special to whip up for a fancy breakfast, this recipe is for you. It couldn't be simpler and makes good use of whatever leftover day-old bread you may have in the house.
While the basic recipe calls for parsley, try incorporating different fresh herbs or a combination. Basil, oregano, thyme, and rosemary would all work well. And whatever you do, don't use store-bought pre-grated parmesan cheese. Get some authentic Parmigiano Reggiano and grate it onto the freshly baked bread. The difference in flavor and texture will take this recipe to the next level.
Recipe: Easy Garlic Bread
6. Cheesy Savory Monkey Bread
While nobody knows where this bread gets its moniker, some suggest that the ease with which you can snatch a piece of this chewy bread and pop it into your mouth resembles a monkey nibbling on its food. If the sweet iteration of this type of bread tempts you, this savory rendition will have you pecking away at it bite by bite.
The use of store-bought biscuit dough takes the fuss out of this recipe, creating a chewy, stretchy texture enhanced by the fresh mozzarella and myriad toppings. And don't be shy to play with different toppings, like exotic spice blends or alternative cheeses.
Recipe: Cheesy Savory Monkey Bread
7. Extra Moist Banana Bread
If you have some bananas that are a bit past their prime, do not toss them in the trash. Use them to whip up a batch of this extra luscious banana bread. The secret to success in this recipe is the addition of sour cream. Its high levels of fat and acid help activate the baking soda and encourage gluten strands to contract, resulting in more tender, luscious bread.
You can easily substitute Greek yogurt, crème fraiche, or mayonnaise for sour cream. Though low and no-fat versions of sour cream exist, these are not ideal for baking compared with full-fat.
Recipe: Extra Moist Banana Bread
8. Simple Brioche Bread Pudding
Bread pudding is one of the greatest lessons in frugality ever invented. This dessert or breakfast can take stale bread and revive it into something delicious. While any bread will work for this recipe, challah is perhaps the closest facsimile to brioche, having similar flavor and texture.
Instead of whisking the egg batter, consider using an immersion blender to more thoroughly combine the ingredients. If you want to save time, assemble this dish the night before and let the bread soak in the custard overnight before baking. Swap the maple syrup or honey with melted apricot or raspberry preserves for a fruity twist on a classic.
Recipe: Simple Brioche Bread Pudding
9. Crusty Bread
Home-baked bread sounds challenging, but it is easier to do than it seems. Though you can use an electric mixer, this dough can just as easily be stirred together using a wooden spoon and kneaded by hand.
Before beginning, you should check the temperature of your water with a thermometer. It should be around 110 degrees Fahrenheit. Anything lower can fail to activate the yeast, but temperatures that are too high can kill it. If your yeast is not foamy after 10 minutes, either the water was at the wrong temperature or the yeast you used was no longer alive.
Recipe: Crusty Bread
10. Our Classic Challah Bread
Though challah is considered a classic Jewish recipe, anyone can and should make this recipe. Like brioche, challah is a classic enriched bread dough containing sugar, eggs, oil, and salt. These ingredients give it a marvelous chewy texture and rich golden crust.
While sesame seeds are a classic topping, you can use poppy seeds, za'atar, cinnamon sugar, or Everything bagel seasoning to change things up. If you prefer a more neutral bread flavor, skip the topping and go with the egg wash alone. Leftover challah makes the best French toast and is ideal for bread pudding or breakfast strata.
Recipe: Our Classic Challah Bread
11. Irish Soda Bread
Whether it's St. Patrick's Day or a typical Tuesday, if you're craving a slice of delicious crusty, chewy bread with rich butter, this recipe will fit the bill. This bread gets its name because it does not use yeast as a leavener, instead using baking soda combined with buttermilk.
Though there are many explanations for the stereotypical X-shaped scoring on top of a loaf of Irish soda bread, its practical purpose is to help the bread bake evenly. Classic add-ins for this bread include caraway seeds and dried currants. Others can include nuts, honey, or even a splash of Irish whiskey.
Recipe: Irish Soda Bread