Bread is one of those things that sounds simple until you're standing in the kitchen at midnight wondering why your sourdough starter smells like nail varnish remover. I've been there. I've also lost a starter to fruit flies, forgotten to order from the panadería, and resurrected a Panasonic bread maker from the back of a cupboard at short notice.
What follows is an honest collection of bread recipes - homemade bread recipes that are some traditional, some experimental, and some born out of necessity. They range from no-fuss soda breads to slow sourdoughs, from a two-ring hob flatbread to a teff loaf that surprised me considerably. All of them have been baked at Casa Adora in Monte Lope Álvarez or on the road in the Ducato campervan.
Flour, water, time. Let's get into it.
Sourdough Bread Recipes
Sourdough has a reputation for being complicated, and sometimes it earns it. But it doesn't have to be. These posts cover the journey — from the theory and the backstory to a method that actually works without a folding schedule or a degree in microbiology.
Soda Bread
No starter, no yeast, no waiting. Soda bread is the most forgiving of all bread recipes — mix it, shape it, bake it. These three versions cover the classics and a couple of variations worth trying.
- Butter Honey Soda Bread
- Honey Buckwheat Soda Bread
- Easy Dairy-Free Soda Bread
- Wholemeal Lemon and Rosemary Soda Bread
Scottish Bannocks
Two bannocks from north of the border — one raised with bicarbonate of soda, one with yeast, both with a story behind them.
Fife Bannock — Scottish Soda Bread with Oatmeal
Selkirk Bannock — A Scottish Border Fruit Bread
Rye & Caraway
Dense, chewy, and deeply flavoured — this is the loaf that gets made when the Lidl herrings arrive and the Nordic craving strikes. Years of Scandinavian business lunches, one jar of pickled herring, and a loaf tin. That's all it takes.
Cast Iron Bread
Sometimes the pan does as much work as the recipe. This focaccia is baked in a cast iron skillet — the same pan that goes on the hob, into the oven, and straight to the table. The result is a golden, crunchy-bottomed bread that a standard tin simply can't replicate.
Dutch Oven Bread
A KitchenAid, a banneton, and a very hot Dutch oven — this is the more ambitious end of the Casa Adora baking shelf. From a wholegrain corn loaf with a soft, nutty crumb to a rustic olive oil bread made with early-harvest aceite verde straight from the local mill.
Flatbreads & Alternative Grains
Some of the most interesting baking happens when you move away from standard strong white flour. This section covers flatbreads, ancient grains, and breads that sit slightly outside the usual categories – including one that's been made in the south of France for centuries and one cooked entirely on a skillet.
- What Is Socca?
- Chickpea Flatbread for Vanlife
- Indian Kulcha Bread
- Crusty Oat Flour Loaf
- Nan-e Barbari – Persian Flatbread with Roomal Glaze
- Kebab Shop Flatbread Recipe
- Ancient Spelt Flatbread — A Recipe from Mesopotamia
Bread Machine Loaves
The Panasonic bread maker has had a complicated relationship with this kitchen — it was retired, rediscovered, and pressed back into service more than once. These loaves are for anyone who wants good homemade bread without standing over a worktop for hours.
PIZZA
The foundation of every good homemade pizza is a simple, five-ingredient dough that proves in an hour and bakes in fifteen minutes. Everything else is just toppings.
- Perfect Yorkshire Puddings — Crisp, Golden, and Foolproof
Bread on the Table
Sometimes the best thing to do with good bread is very little at all. This section is for the simple, traditional ways of serving it.
FOOTNOTE
Wonky photos, proper bread, genuine adventures – The Flexible Chef
