3 Simple Bread Recipes and How They Compare

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Simple bread recipes have been on my wishlist for a long time. I have tried to make several types of bread in the past, but I always seem to mess up something. Things that would turn out great for others would flop for me.

One issue that I have to deal with that others might not have to, is that I live in high altitude at 6200 ft. That makes baking more complicated than where I grew up in Texas.

So I picked 3 bread recipes that claimed to be “simple” and put them to the test. I really want to make fresh bread for my family on a weekly basis. This is one of the homesteading skills I am committed to learning this year.

3 Simple Bread Recipes and How They Compare

Recipe #1: 90 Minute Man Bread @ Don’t Waste the Crumbs

I wanted to start simple because making homemade bread has always been a challenge for me. Here is what I found:

What I Like About This Recipe

1. 90 minutes is pretty quick for bread.
2. There was minimal kneading involved.
3. You don’t use a bread pan which makes things even easier.
4. It tasted great.

What I Don’t Like About This Recipe

1. The consistency was very dense.
2. The final product came out crumbly. It was probably something I did, but I’m not sure what.

Recipe #2: Kitchen Aid Mixer Bread @ Humorous Homemaking

This bread recipe was a little more time consuming than the first, but it was worth it.

What I Like About This Recipe

1. The mixer did the kneading for me.
2. The loaves were pretty when they were completed.
3. I like the consistency of the bread. Probably not great for sandwiches, but awesome for butter or honey.
4. The taste was really good.

What I Don’t Like About This Recipe

1. It had a little less flavor than the first recipe.

Recipe #3: Beginners Whole Wheat Bread @ One Perfect Bite

Since I had tried two white bread recipes, I wanted to try my hand at wheat bread. Now this recipe is really half white/half wheat.

What I Like About This Recipe

1. I like that it has wheat flour, which would be healthier.

What I Don’t Like About This Recipe

1. This took the longest to make out of the three recipes. It had to rise for over an hour, two different times.
2. This recipe was too crumbly. It definitely wouldn’t work for sandwiches.
3. This recipe only made one loaf.

Results:

The Kitchen Aid Mixer Bread was the best choice of the three in my opinion. It made two large loafs, the texture and consistency was great and it had a great taste. I can’t wait to make this recipe again!

I want to continue making bread weekly for my family. Once I realized this, it was obvious that I would need a better bread knife.

My husband has found this one for me and I believe it will be my Valentines Day present.

For those of you that think that isn’t very romantic, it’s okay. I’m a pretty practical person. I would rather have something I can use than flowers or jewelry any day.

Update: I did get the bread knife for my Valentines Day present and I love it! It works awesome for bread and meat and has a handy wooden holder for the counter. Awesome!

I am so excited that I found a bread recipe that I can make and that my family loves! It feels so good to learn this skill. The next step: sourdough!

Do you have a favorite bread recipe you make for your family? Let us know in the comments below. And if you found this post helpful, please share! Thanks!