It’s Bread Week on The Great British Bake Off, and if there’s one thing we’ve learned over the years, it’s that bread can make even the most confident bakers break into a sweat. Between proving times, kneading techniques, and Paul Hollywood’s famous handshake; it’s easy to see why!
But bread doesn’t need to be intimidating. In fact, some of my very favourite yeast-dough recipes are simple, no-fuss bakes that anyone can master at home. From classic morning rolls to foolproof donuts, these easy bread recipes prove (pun intended…) that you don’t need to be in the Bake Off tent to enjoy fresh, homemade bread.
10 Easy Recipes for GBBO Bread Week:
Easy Bread Recipe
I first shared my Easy Bread Recipe back in 2020 during lockdown. This simple loaf is still a favourite with dozens of bakers today. Perfect for beginners, it’s a soft, tasty bread that makes a great everyday loaf, and it also doubles up beautifully as a homemade pizza base.
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Scottish Morning Rolls
A true staple in Scotland, known by many names and loved at breakfast, lunch, or even packed up for a picnic. While it might be easier to grab a bag from the corner shop, nothing beats the satisfaction of baking a batch of these soft, flour-dusted rolls fresh from your own oven.
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Cheese Bread Sticks
A favourite with all ages, this is a brilliant first bread recipe for kids to get stuck into. Easy to customise with whatever cheese you love best, these soft, cheesy sticks make the perfect homemade snack. Not quite a Bake-off Signature like Monkey Bread, but just as fun and creative to make.
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Butteries / Rowies
Another Scottish classic, these rolls are made with a yeast dough that’s laminated with layers of fat, giving them a flaky texture and an irresistibly rich flavour. Originally baked to keep fishermen fuelled at sea, they’re even more moreish when served with a spread of jam, or simply on their own.
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Soda Bread
It might not pass Paul Hollywood’s yeast test, but this traditional loaf is still very much a bread in its own right. Quick and easy to make thanks to bicarbonate of soda instead of yeast, it’s delicious served as toast or alongside a warming bowl of soup – especially in the autumn months.
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Doughnuts
You won’t stumble through the technical challenge with this foolproof recipe. Described as “light as a feather and a proper donut,” these are the real deal: fried to perfection and finished with a coating of sugar, just as a proper British donut should be.
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Iced Finger Buns
Not a hot dog roll with frosting, but a true British classic! These sweet, soft bread rolls are baked into finger shapes and finished with a simple layer of icing. A nostalgic treat that’s as easy to make as it is to enjoy.
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Belgian Buns
Also made with a sweet bread dough, but taken up a notch with juicy sultanas, a swirl of lemon curd, and a topping of icing. Another much-loved British favourite and one that wouldn’t look out of place as part of a GBBO Showstopper.
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Soda Farls
Similar to Soda Bread but even quicker and easier, these no-yeast Soda Farls are perfect when you want fresh bread without the faff. No proving, no long waits, just a simple, hearty bake ready in no time.
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Jam Donuts
Like my classic donuts but with a sweet surprise inside. Filled with jam and rolled in sugar. They’re the kind of bake that could easily earn you a Hollywood handshake!
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recipe featured in:
my debut self-published cookbook…
Scottish Bakes
Next week on The Great British Bake Off 2025 is “Back to School Week”, and you can sure as anything that I will have you covered with recipes in that department!!
