Yeasted Bread Recipes

Don't be intimidated by homemade bread — with a little mixing, kneading and patience, freshly baked rolls and loaves can be yours.

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The Dough Will Rise

Though these recipes are not speedy (requiring mixing and likely kneading, plus time for the dough to rise), breads that get their lift from yeast are among the most common and popular of the freshly baked variety. From simple dinner rolls to white, wheat or fruit-studded loaves, there's nothing quite like a fresh-from-the-oven bread. Yeasted breads aren't always savory, either — cinnamon rolls, sticky buns and babkas abound. Read on for a collection of our best yeasted bread recipes, then get busy baking.

Parker House Rolls

Since their fabled start at Boston's Parker House Hotel in the late 1800s, Parker House Rolls have been a (frequently reproduced) dinnertime breadbasket staple. The soft, buttery rolls have a crispy, browned, egg-washed exterior and large flakes of kosher salt that nicely offset the bread's sweetness.

Get the Recipe: Parker House Rolls

No-Knead Peasant Bread

This is the ideal starter recipe for the timid bread baker. Composed of only five ingredients, this simple bread needs only to be mixed by hand and then folded a few times after it has risen.

Get the Recipe: No-Knead Peasant Bread

Wonderful White Bread

Tyler Florence's sesame seed-studded white bread is the sort of classic loaf you'll make once and then want to repeat over and over again. School lunches and morning toast will never be the same.

Get the Recipe: Wonderful White Bread

Sticky Buns

Not sure what differentiates sticky buns from cinnamon rolls? In a sticky bun recipe such as this, the glazed topping (Bobby Flay's has honey, orange juice and zest, and almonds) is poured into a baking pan and covered with the naked rolls of dough. When unmolded from the pan, the buns have a delightfully thick, tacky and super-sweet topping.

Get the Recipe: Sticky Buns

Homemade Flatbread

Did you know that flatbread has the same amount of yeast as a classic bread recipe? It has been rolled out into a very thin disc before being baked or, as in this recipe, grilled. This recipe would make the perfect backyard barbecue accompaniment.

Get the Recipe: Homemade Flat Bread

Soft Pretzels

Brown sugar gives these pretzel rolls the touch of sweetness you'd expect from the comforting favorite. The golden brown, salt-kissed knots are best enjoyed with stone-ground mustard.

Get the Recipe: Soft Pretzels

Cinnamon Buns

An excellent cinnamon bun recipe has the right proportion of "schmear" (it keeps the dough moist and tacky) and dough that's been mixed the ideal amount. Gale Gand advises that you stretch a small piece of dough and hold it up to the light — if you see webs (strands of gluten), your dough is ready. And her brown sugar, butter, honey and cinnamon glaze? It's just right.

Get the Recipe: Cinnamon Buns

Croissants

Flaky, tender croissants are no small baking feat, requiring extremely careful working of the dough and frequent chilling. Gale Gand outlines the detail-oriented process in this recipe, producing the sort of results you'd expect to find in a Parisian boulangerie.

Get the Recipe: Croissants

Pita Bread

Ever wonder what the key is to making puffy pockets of warm pita bread? Make sure that each circle of dough you roll is completely smooth and free of creases; they'll prevent the pita from puffing up properly. Once it does, though, it'll rise quickly and naturally deflate, creating a pocket of air in the center.

Get the Recipe: Pita Bread

Homemade Cinnamon-Raisin Bread

Skip the store-bought, processed variety you were raised on and make Giada De Laurentiis' homemade cinnamon-raisin bread instead. Filled with nutmeg and cinnamon and flecked with both raisins and walnuts, this brown-bread recipe isn't quite as sweet, which makes it ideal for topping with a bevy of spreads.

Get the Recipe: Homemade Cinnamon-Raisin Bread

Hazelnut Babka

A classic cinnamon-sugar babka gets an even sweeter, nutty edge when filled and topped with chopped hazelnuts.

Get the Recipe: Hazelnut Babka

Rapid Rolls

Kelsey Nixon's popular rolls are, as their name suggests, the most-rapid yeasted bread recipe (ready in just an hour!), requiring just 20 minutes of rising time, thanks to triple the amount of yeast, and 25 minutes of baking time. But you'd never know it from the resulting soft, chewy rolls.

Get the Recipe: Rapid Rolls

Naan: Indian Oven-Baked Flatbread

This flatbread from the North of India is juxtaposition at its most beautiful: pillowy and elastic, with dark charred bubbles and a crispy bottom. It's usually made in a tandoor oven, a clay oven that can reach up to 900 degrees F. That's hard to replicate at home, but this stovetop version comes pretty close.

Get the Recipe: Naan: Indian Oven-Baked Flat Bread

Pretzel Rolls

This cross between a dinner roll and a soft pretzel possesses the savory depth of a sourdough slice and the salty sweetness of the street-cart favorite. The coiled shape makes for nicely browned nooks and crannies — all the better for catching tongue-pleasing chunks of coarse sea salt.

Get the Recipe: Pretzel Rolls

Honey White Bread

A touch of honey makes Ina Garten's white bread recipe even sweeter –– ideal for topping with various jams, butters or soft cheeses.

Get the Recipe: Honey White Bread

Ricotta and Tomato Pizzas

Pizza dough is a great place for a yeast-dough beginner. It's a simple, easy recipe with a spectacular payoff — homemade pizza! This recipe calls for freshly mashed tomatoes, and dollops of ricotta and basil, but customize it to your taste, pantry stock and creativity.

Get the Recipe: Ricotta and Tomato Pizzas

Fabulous Focaccia

Tyler's focaccia earns its high-praise moniker with 5-star reviews from Food Network fans. The dense bread is topped with a Mediterranean-inspired mixture of olives, garlic, onions, herbs and Parmesan cheese.

Get the Recipe: Fabulous Focaccia

Mini Brioche Rolls

To achieve the fluffy, airy rolls you'd find in a bakery, follow Ina's detailed dough-mixing instructions.

Get the Recipe: Mini Brioche Rolls

Cinnamon-Spiced Doughnuts

Dusted with cinnamon sugar on the outside and spiced with just a hint of nutmeg on the inside, Gale's square-shaped doughnuts are the perfect treat to accompany your morning coffee.

Get the Recipe: Cinnamon-Spiced Doughnuts

Potato Rolls

These are an addictive, all-American comfort food that'd be just as much at home at Thanksgiving dinner as at a 4th of July barbecue. Slightly sweet and perfectly doughy, these deserve their classic status.

Get the Recipe: Potato Rolls

Basic Sweet-Roll Dough

Whether it's cinnamon rolls, sticky buns or monkey bread you fancy, this basic dough is the only starter you need to know — just plan your glazes, schmears and dips accordingly.

Get the Recipe: Basic Sweet-Roll Dough

Frosted Twists

Sprinkles prove an unusual addition to these twists, which are similar to cinnamon rolls but sturdier and with crispier edges that give them a nice caramelized flavor.

Get the Recipe: Frosted Twists

Cinnamon Bun Babka

Tyler brilliantly combines two favorite sweet yeasted breads in this recipe. The tacky brown sugar, cinnamon, raisin and walnut filling rolled between the cylinders of dough merges the two treats, while a sugary orange-zest glaze seals in moisture and adds to its dessert-like feel.

Get the Recipe: Cinnamon Bun Babka

Bacon, Bourbon and Hazelnut Cinnamon Buns

Hedy Goldsmith amps up standard cinnamon buns by sprinkling a toasted hazelnut-bacon mixture over the cinnamon-sugar glaze, adding salty, savory flavor and nutty depth to the dessert.

Get the Recipe: Bacon, Bourbon and Hazelnut Cinnamon Buns

Homemade French Baguettes

Channel the smell of a French boulangerie in your own kitchen with Kelsey Nixon's simple recipe. Pay special attention to the dough's moisture level before proofing the dough.

Get the Recipe: Homemade French Baguettes

Multigrain Focaccia with Herbs and Garlic

The word "focaccia" comes from the Latin word for "hearth" — it was traditionally baked in the ashes of the fireplace. This particular focaccia is a savory, whole-grain version, topped with garlic, thyme and rosemary.

Get the Recipe: Multi-Grain Focaccia with Herbs and Garlic

Savarin Cake with Vanilla-Grand Marnier Syrup

This light, airy classic proves that yeast isn't just for savory foods. It's the perfect base for whatever fruit might strike your fancy. Here, bread flour yields an airy cake that can stand up to a soak in sweet syrup.

Get the Recipe: Savarin Cake with Vanilla-Grand Marnier Syrup

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