Spare Spoons Kitchen · which loaf, and how to choose

Bread

Homemade bread sounds like a project — but most of these are a wet dough you stir together and walk away from. The trick is picking the right loaf for what you want and what you've got: a crackly crust or soft sandwich slices, bread flour or all-purpose, a Dutch oven or just a sheet pan. Start with what you're after, and the bread picks itself.

Start here — what do you want?

Crusty and chewy, with a crackling crust → No-Knead Everyday Bread
Soft slices for sandwiches and toast → Buttermilk Sandwich Bread
Flat, dimpled, and rich with olive oil → Overnight Focaccia
Something for chili or a pot of greens → Southern Skillet Cornbread
Friday pizza → Pizza Dough
Tall, hollow, a little dramatic → Classic Popovers
Sweet, pull-apart, for a crowd → Monkey Bread (Sweet Rolls)

Or answer a question

Have a sourdough starter?

The no-knead and buttermilk loaves each have a Sourdough toggle — flip it and it folds in the starter and resets the flour, water, and yeast for you.

Which flour's in the cupboard?

The no-knead has a Flour toggle for bread flour or all-purpose — pick yours and the amounts adjust. Focaccia and pizza want bread flour; cornbread and popovers, whatever you've got.

What can you bake in?

Dutch oven → no-knead. Loaf pan → buttermilk. Sheet pan → focaccia. Cast-iron skillet → cornbread.

Want to make it ahead?

The no-knead, buttermilk, and focaccia doughs all keep in the fridge for days — mix now, bake when you like.

The breads

No-Knead Everyday Bread

Crusty no-knead boule — 2-hour rise, then the dough keeps in the fridge and you bake when you like.

Time ●●●●○ A Project

VeganVeg

Buttermilk Sandwich Bread

Soft no-knead sandwich loaf — buttermilk-tender, and the dough keeps in the fridge for a week.

Time ●●●●○ A Project

Veg

Overnight Focaccia

High-hydration no-knead focaccia — crisp oily bottom, airy crumb, an easy overnight rise.

Time ●●●●○ A Project

VeganVeg

Southern Skillet Cornbread

Crackly-crusted buttermilk skillet cornbread — savory, not sweet.

Time ●●○○○ Anytime

VeganVegGF

Pizza Dough

Make-ahead pizza dough — mix days ahead, ferment cold for flavor. The Workshop dough lesson.

Time ●●○○○ Some Doing

VeganVeg

Classic Popovers

Hollow, dramatic, and done in 40 minutes — just eggs, milk, flour, and one rule: don't open the oven.

Time ●●○○○ Some Doing

Veg

Monkey Bread (Sweet Rolls)

Pull-apart cinnamon-sugar monkey bread from canned biscuits, baked in sticky brown-sugar caramel.

Time ●●○○○ Anytime

Compare them all

Bread	Crumb	Flour	Bakes in	Make-ahead	Sourdough?	Effort
No-Knead Everyday Bread	Chewy, crusty	Bread	Dutch oven	Up to 5 days	Yes	A Project
Buttermilk Sandwich Bread	Soft, tender	All-purpose	Loaf pan	Up to 5 days	Yes	A Project
Overnight Focaccia	Airy, oily	Bread	Sheet pan	Overnight	—	A Project
Southern Skillet Cornbread	Crumbly	Cornmeal	Cast-iron skillet	No — quick bread	No	Anytime
Pizza Dough	Chewy base	Bread	Oven / stone	Cold-ferments	—	Some Doing
Classic Popovers	Hollow, eggy	All-purpose	Popover / muffin pan	Batter overnight	No	Some Doing
Monkey Bread (Sweet Rolls)	Sweet, pull-apart	Canned biscuit	Bundt pan	No	No	Anytime

Or browse it all: The Library · Spare Spoon Spreads · Dough buckets · Kitchen Notes · How this works