Are you looking for a cool weekend baking challenge? Then you should check out these 20 funky bread recipes with a twist, both sweet and savory!
Are you a baker?
Sweet or savory?
Whatever you like to bake, you will absolutely find a couple of great sweet and savory bread recipes here below that you can’t wait to try out!
I called it ‘funky’ bread recipes because these are no classic breads.
Breads with a sweet or savory twist to them!
Favorite
My favorite?
That must be the steamed bao buns.
That recipe has been on my to try list for quite some years now but I always keep postponing it. I am sure that my drunken chicken or stewed pork belly would be a great stuffing for these steamed bao buns.
Credits
I could not have assembled this funky bread recipes roundup without the help of a bunch of very talented food bloggers!
So everything you see below: the pictures, texts, recipe ideas and such… credits for all that go to them of course.
For each bread recipe I added plenty of links for you to click on, even the pictures!
Are you ready to get baking this weekend?
Here we go!
20 Best Funky Bread Recipes
Are you looking for a cool weekend baking challenge?
Then you should check out these 20 funky bread recipes with a twist, both sweet and savory!
Enjoy!
1) Julekake, Norwegian Christmas Bread (Outside Oslo)
Christmas bread?
I have baked Christmas bread before, but they never looked as good as Daytona’s Norwegian Christmas bread right here! You can find her bread recipe over at her blog called Outside Oslo.
And this is what she says about her Christmas bread: “The scent of woody cardamom and yeast bread is one of the quintessential signs of Christmas time in my memories. My mom would butter slices of this julekake bread and top them with slices of Norwegian brown goat cheese. It was perfect as a snack during that time of year. I loved the sweet and savory combination of both the bread and the brown goat cheese.”
Thank you so much Daytona for this lovely bread recipes!
2) Cheddar and Bacon Irish Soda Bread (Jessica Gavin)
Have you ever made soda bread before?
I have, and for some reason I failed miserably. I wish my soda bread back then looked just like Jessica Gavin’s cheddar and bacon Irish soda bread! Her blog has her name as well, Jessica Gavin.
And she says this: “There is one classic St. Patrick’s Day treat that my family always love to make each year, and that is Irish soda bread! And I like my soda bread with an extra savory touch to it. I am talking about bits of chopped bacon, gooey cheddar cheese and spring onions. This no rise soda bread recipe is a twist on classic Irish soda bread”
Thank you so much Jessica for this savory recipe!
3) No Knead Cranberry And White Chocolate Artisan Bread Recipe (Cooking With Ruthie)
I once tasted white chocolate bread in the Bahamas.
That was in a Club Med holiday resort and it was so addictive. So that is why I thought I should look for a white chocolate bread recipe for this bread recipes roundup. And I found this no knead cranberry and white chocolate bread! Behind Cooking with Ruthie is a mother and daughter team, Ruthie and Madeliene Louise.
And they say: “This recipe contains only a few ingredients and just needs an overnight raise on the counter. It doesn’t even require you to knead it! This crusty sweet loaf will become a family favorite, just like in ours. We love it.”
Thanks Ruthie and Madeliene Louise for this chocolate bread recipes!
4) Pumpkin Challah Bread (Girl Versus Dough)
Here is another one of those bread recipes that I tried in the past.
Pumpkin bread, and again it didn’t work out that well for me. My pumpkin bread was always too heavy and sticky. In fact I tried a couple of recipes but it never turned out the way I thought it would. What did I do wrong?
I was looking for a texture just like Stephanie’s pumpkin challah bread has! It looks fluffy, light and airy. And that color, it is stunningly beatiful! You can find her recipe on her baking blog by the name of Girl Versus Dough. Maybe I should give it a try again, it looks so tempting!
Thank you Stephanie for this savory recipe!
5) Braided Lemon Bread (King Arthur Baking)
What I instantly liked about this next braided bread recipe?
That custardy look of the lemon filling! This braided lemon bread looks like a treat, what a stunning baking challenge! You can find it over at King Arthur Baking, a company that socialises in selling baking products and goods for home bakers.
And here is what the people behind it say: “There is something about lemon that brings sunshine to even the dullest of days: nothing beats its bright yellow color and zingy taste. This braided bread combines soft and tender sweet dough with the tangy flavor of lemon, all wrapped up in a beautiful and easy to make bread braid.”
Thank you so much for this zesty bread recipes!
6) Sage And Caramelized Onion Sourdough Bread (Caroline’s Cooking)
Well here is a first familiar face!
Yes, I come across Caroline’s recipes almost everyday on Twitter. And it is also not the first time that one of her lovely recipes ends up in a roundup such as this bread recipes collection right here. So what do you think of this heavenly looking sage and caramelized onion sourdough bread? You can find this bread recipes over at Caroline’s Cooking.
And she says: “This sourdough bread may take a bit of time to make, but it is absolutely worth the wait. Believe me! Combining the classic light sourdough flavor and then those sweet caramelized onions, this is a wonderfully tasty loaf.”
Thank you so much Caroline for this savory bread recipes!
8) Cranberry and Orange Scones (Kitchen Sanctuary)
One of the very first treats I learned to bake when I was little…
Were scones! These sweet little buttermilk breads are a real treat. And what recipe should I add but these cranberry and orange scones from Nicky over at Kitchen Sanctuary! Nicky is yet another very talented food blogger that I met on Twitter some time ago.
And she says: “Zesty, fluffy scones with juicy cranberries… These taste just perfect with a dollop of clotted cream on top! My cranberry and orange version is packed with flavor. Be generous with those cranberries. There is nothing more disappointing than cutting open a scone and find just one or two lonely cranberries in it.”
Thanks Nicky for this sweet recipe!
9) Homemade Garlic Knots (Sally’s Baking Addiction)
Now this next one looks like a delicious treat!
What a lovely appetizer these garlic knots are, with a tomato sauce as a dipping sauce. Credits for this one go to Sally who is a cookbook author, photographer and blogger. You might have heard of her popular blog Sally’s Baking Addiction before.
And she says: “These homemade garlic knots are so soft, airy and fluffy. I made them with my favorite 6 ingredient pizza dough and topped them with a savory garlic herb butter before and after baking them. Shaping the knots is a breeze, watch my video tutorial or step-by-step picture guide. These knots also freeze perfectly well.”
Thank you so much Sally for this savory bread recipes!
10) Taiwanese Steamed Bao Buns with Pork Belly (China Sichuan Food)
Now stop right there…
Because this next bread recipe is one that you have to steam! The previous bread recipes above all needed their time in the oven. This one not. I for one love steamed bao buns. Yes, this is bread! The fluffiest and lightest bread ever, if you make it right.
Pork belly bao buns are very popular in Taiwan. Elaine over at China Sichuan Food has the perfect bao bun recipe and she shows how easy these are to make. Once you have made the bao bread, you can stuff it with just anything you like. Elaine’s pork belly bao buns sound excellent and easy to make. Try it!
Thank you Elaine for this great bao recipe!
11) Belgian Craquelin Sugar Bread (Couplet Sugars)
Now hold your horses…
Because this next bread recipes is one that comes with an awful lot of sweet childhood memories! And sweet, you can take that literally here in this case. I am Belgian, and when I was little my grandmother would send me very often to the baker shop a little down the road after school to fetch a sugar bread.
Just imagine, a brioche kind of bread with lumps of semi melted pearl sugar on the inside. And crunchy baked pearl sugar on the outside. Credits for this trip down memory lane and this superb looking craquelin sugar bread go to Couplet Sugars, a Belgian company specialised in sugars.
I can’t thank you enough for this recipe!
12) French Rosemary And Garlic Fougasse (Spice Roots)
If there is one bread that my husband is good at making…
Then it is a French fougasse! Pretty name, and it kind of sounds like focaccia. Because it is very similar, if not just the same. Credits for this lovely fougasse bread recipes go to Ansh who is the cook, baker and wine enthusiast behind the blog Spice Roots.
And she says: “Fresh rosemary has a nice woody aroma and goes well with garlic and olive oil. I added extra moisture, less yeast and extra time. Because time is what you need if you want the flour to work its magic. Only then will you end up with a delicious and beautiful bread.
Thanks Ansh for this bread recipes!
13) Cinnamon Swirl Raisin Bread (Drizzle And Dip)
And how about we add a little pinch of cinnamon to this bread recipes roundup!
Credits for this next lovely looking cinnamon swirl raisin bread go to food blogger Sam who is a professional food stylist, recipe developer and food photographer hunting down the delicious things in life. You can find this recipe on her blog by the name of Drizzle And Dip.
And she says: “This cinnamon swirl raisin bread is enriched with butter and egg, so in the end it kind of resembles a classic brioche but without all the hard work. This bread is so easy to make and the dough is extremely soft and pillowy.”
Thank you so much Sam for this sweet cinnamon bread recipe!
14) Brazilian Gluten Free Pão de Queijo Cheese Bread (No Diets Allowed)
This next cheese bread comes from Brazil!
I ate loads of this bread when I was there. And now I can make it at home thanks to Camilla over at No Diets Allowed and her Brazilian gluten free pão de queijo cheese bread recipes!
And she says: “This pão de queijo is a classic bread in Brazil, where I come from. And it is also a gluten free cheese bread! In Portuguese pão means bread and queijo means cheese. We usually have it for breakfast, as a snack during the day or with an afternoon cup of coffee. You will find it everywhere, in every baker shop, grocery store or coffee shop.”
Thank you Camilla for this cheese bread recipe!
15) Spinach And Pepperoni Stuffed Bread (365 Days Of Baking And More)
Do you like pizza?
Then here is a funky recipe with a twist for your next pizza night! I like the look of this spinach and pepperoni stuffed bread. Credits for this one go to Lynne Feifer over at 365 Days Of Baking And More. Another food blogger that I came across on Twitter!
She says: “This spinach and pepperoni stuffed bread is a homemade pizza dough from scratch that I filled up with spinach, pepperoni and provolone cheese. It makes a great weeknight dinner, is the perfect finger food for Game Day and is also a meal that you will be asked to bring again to that next potluck.”
Thank you so much Lynne for this savory bread recipes!
16) Italian Schiacciata Grape Focaccia (Mint And Rosemary)
This next bread recipes is also a flashback.
When I was reading Andra Constantinescu’s blog post, it said: “I can still vividly remember that schiacciata that I ate near Florence.” Well it is right there in Florence that I also tasted schiacciata for the very first time. A flavor and texture sensation that I will never forget! Check her sweet schiacciata grape focaccia over at Mint And Rosemary!
And she says: “There are foods you only eat once and you love them forever. This schiacciata consists of two layers of sweet focaccia dough, one on top of the other, and both are topped with plenty of grapes and sugar.”
Thank you so much Andra for this sweet grape bread recipe!
17) Homemade Jalapeño Cornbread (Cincy Shopper)
I like a good cornbread.
Preferably a homemade one. Not the instant box stuff. However cornbread is quite unknown here in Europe. When I started food blogging, I was amazing that cornbread is actually a side dish! Jen has a great homemade jalapeño cornbread recipe. I love the sound of that! Find her recipe on her blog Cincy Shopper.
And she says: “My homemade cornbread with jalapeño is the perfect side dish for all of your chili, stew, and soup recipes this fall and winter. It is the perfect southern comfort food for colder days. You will find this recipe so much better than the store bought instant mixes.”
Thank you so much Jen for this savory jalapeño bread recipes!
18) Baked Scallion Bread 蔥油麵包 (Healthy Nibbles)
Well I like scallion pancakes already.
So I am very certain that I will love this fluffy scallion bread! Food blogger Lisa over at Healthy Nibbles has this amazing looking baked scallion bread recipe, check it out!
And she says this about it: “My baked scallion bread is inspired by Chinese bakery scallion breads. The dough is based on a milk bread recipe, which uses tangzhong to give the bread a nice and soft texture. Tangzhong is a Chinese baking technique of mixing flour and warm water into a paste that is added to the bread dough. This technique gives this scallion bread its beautiful light and fluffy texture.”
Thank you so much Jen for this savory scallion bread recipes!
19) No Knead Mediterranean Sun Dried Tomato And Olive Bread (Passion Spoon)
Another familiar face!
I have known Mateja Brescak for a while now, I got to know her on Twitter where she was sharing her lovely recipes that are on her blog Passion Spoon. And I thought that her mediterranean sun dried tomato and olive bread would be perfect for this funky bread recipes roundup.
She says: “This mediterranean olive and sun dried tomato bread will become your favorite go to bread recipe. The combination of those black olives, sweet and salty sun dried tomatoes and fresh rosemary is heavenly good. And this bread is also a no knead one! Give it a try and make freshly baked bread in no time.”
Thank you Mateja for this savory mediterranean bread recipes!
20) Japanese Milk Bread Rolls (Donal Skehan)
Remember that scallion bread I talked about a little earlier on?
Well this Japanese milk bread rolls recipe is very similar! I love the idea of making individual rolls, perfect for lunchboxes, potluck parties or breakfast! Credits for this recipe go to Donal Skehan, an Irish cookbook author and popular TV personality.
And he says: “To make Japanese milk bread you need to use an interesting technique of creating and adding a roux to the dough which is responsible for the lightness and fluffiness that this milk bread is famous for. It is one of the more complex bread recipes but is worth giving it a try for its show mouthwatering result in the end.”
Thanks Donal for this recipe!
