Bread

21 Breads That Don't Involve a Sourdough Starter

You don't have to fuss with sourdough starter to make good bread. (Or rolls. Or pizza.)

April 20, 2020

Photo of sliced honey brioche on parchment paper with a jar of honey.

Everyone you know has a new pet: their sourdough starter. But even if you're not quite ready for all the responsibility, the feeding and discarding and babysitting, you can still bake bread. Here are 21 yeast bread recipes to get you started, including challah, ciabatta, bagels, naan, lavash, and the most epic cinnamon-cardamom buns ever.

Photo by David Japy
1/21
Honey Brioche
Make it as a whole loaf or turn it into rolls; any way you bake it, this eggy, honey-laced yeast bread recipe is a winner, and you can use this method to create all sorts of variations.
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Photo by Joseph De Leo, Prop Styling by Anne Eastman, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich
2/21
Parker House Rolls
Any dinner can feel really classy with a tray of these yeasted rolls. The key to their richness: brushed-on butter everywhere.
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Photo by David Cicconi, food styling by Rhoda Boone
3/21
Pizza Bianca
This super simple yeasted dough comes together in a food processor. For the best gluten development and flavor, let the dough rest overnight in the fridge before you bake. Slice each piece in half to make really excellent sandwiches.
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Photo by Quentin Bacon
4/21
Challah
Sweetened with honey and made with either milk or water, this simply braided, sesame-crusted challah recipe makes four loaves.
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Photo by Shutterstock
5/21
Ciabatta (Italian "Slipper" Bread)
Though the dough for ciabatta is very wet and sticky, resist the temptation to add more flour. This yeast bread recipe starts the day before you'd like to bake it, so plan ahead.
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Leo Gong
6/21
Bagels
Bagels are one of the simplest breads to make, requiring only flour, water, salt, yeast, and malt—and one secret ingredient: time (in the form of long, slow, cold fermentation).
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Photo by Romulo Yanes
7/21
Rosemary Olive Oil Bread
A healthy dose of olive oil gives this rosemary-infused bread a rich, moist crumb and pale golden hue; it also helps it keep a little better than other European-style breads. Among other things, this is a wonderful and unconventional loaf for sandwiches.
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Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson
8/21
Traditional Soft Pretzels
Making pretzels from scratch is a project that can entertain the whole family. Serve them with bratwurst and mustard.
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Photo by Michael Graydon and Nikole Herriott
9/21
BA's Best Bread
This bread has a nutty flavor and intense chew; it makes toast that’s a wholesome meal unto itself. To ensure you have fresh bread on time, count back three nights from the day you want to bake.
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10/21
Focaccia with Olives and Rosemary
You can top your focaccia with anything you'd like. It's the perfect thing to serve alongside a big bowl of beans.
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Photo by Alex Lau
11/21
Monkey Bread
No secrets here—the key to the buttery flavor and signature texture of monkey bread is the brioche dough.
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Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Kat Boytsova
12/21
Dinner Rolls Six Ways
One simple master recipe, based on a classic French pain de mie, proves endlessly changeable—feel free to think of the five suggestions that accompany it here as merely a start, and let your imagination take it from there.
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Photo by Squire Fox
13/21
No-Knead Bread
There's a reason this basic no-knead, long-fermented rustic bread is famous: It works. Adapted from Sullivan Street Bakery in New York, it's the king of easy yeast bread recipes, making a wet dough that bakes in a covered pot.
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Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton
14/21
Naan
The key to cooking this yeast-risen, yogurt-enriched Indian flatbread at home is a hot cast-iron skillet.
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