How to Make Bread | Unique Bread Recipes

The Bread + Blend Project x Selefina

If you want to learn how to make bread, then welcome to my breadmaking series, where we dive into the culture, science, and history behind all kinds of bread. From fluffy loaves made with just flour, water, salt, and yeast to breads that don’t rise at all, this series is all about building confidence, creativity, and curiosity in the kitchen.

To read the full article series, check it out on selefina.com, including personal anecdotes, fun educational notes, tips, and additional pictures from my kitchen.

I’m featuring six special spice blends from Selefina Spices – each used in a unique bread recipe. The recipes below were developed and tested in my personal kitchen to illustrate the concepts in each article.

These recipes illustrate six bread foundations:

1. Lean bread: flour, water, salt, and yeast. We make a fougasse, which uses a high-hydration dough and both yeast and a poolish, with soft bits of onion and garlic throughout.
2. Enriched breads: pillowy breads made with ingredients like butter, eggs, milk, and sugar. We make fluffy doughnuts filled with a spiced custard.
3. Boiled breads: dough that is boiled before baking, creating a smooth, shiny exterior. We make dill and ranch-flavored bagels, with tips on how to shape them.
4. Flatbreads: intentionally cooked flat, these breads are quick and versatile. We make a stuffed bread made with whole wheat flour that requires no rising time.
5. Alternative flours: non-wheat flours yield different results – especially when gluten is low or absent, such as rye flour. We make a rye loaf filled with seeds and warm spices.
6. Quick breads: baking soda and baking powder give us a different kind of texture, but make baking quick. We make a beautiful, almost cake-like cornbread with cacao and maple notes.

The Bread + Blend Project Recipes

1

A Girl and A Spoon / Rena Sak

Sweet and Zesty Onion Fougasse

Fougasse (foo-gaas) is a rustic, decorative French bread sometimes described as a cross between a focaccia and a flatbread. In fact, focaccia and fougasse have the same origin: the panis focacius of ancient Rome. A higher hydration dough will reward you with a golden, crisp crust and lacy interior while the pre-ferment (or poolish) adds complexity and a slightly nutty touch. This version is laced with flavors of onion and garlic from the Sweet + Zesty Onion Mix.

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2

A Girl and A Spoon / Rena Sak

Five Pepper Cacao Doughnuts

These doughnuts are super soft, super fluffy, and super hard to stop eating (believe me). Made with an enriched dough, they’re almost bread-like but still delightfully light. The filling is a warm, spiced custard with a kick, infused with the Five Pepper Cacao blend, honey, vanilla, and cinnamon. You can make it more saucy-like (like a dipping sauce this was inspired by), or more thick, like a traditional custard-filled donut.

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3

A Girl and A Spoon / Rena Sak

Dill-icious Ranch Bagels

These bagels are made for sandwiches! Full of herby flavor from dill, parsley, and chives, with savory garlic and onion to ground it all. Bake as is or top with your favorite toppings after boiling. This lean dough is easy to handle, and an overnight rest (cold proof) yields lovely blistered crusts ready to bake fresh in the morning.

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4

A Girl and A Spoon / Rena Sak

Jerk Chicken Paratha

Paratha is a hearty, unleavened, whole wheat flatbread from India and Pakistan, and it was one of the first breads I remember my Pakistani classmates sharing with me in school. This recipe takes inspiration from keema paratha, a version filled with spiced ground meat, rolled thin, and shallow-fried until crisp and golden. With the long reach of Indian flavors in the Caribbean, pairing this comforting flatbread with Jamaican-inspired jerk chicken felt like a natural fit.

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5

A Girl and A Spoon / Rena Sak

Seeded Harvest Rye Loaf

This warm, seeded rye loaf is dense, wholesome, and perfect for an open-faced sandwich. The dough is mixed as a thick paste, not a kneadable dough, and rises only modestly, producing a tight crumb studded with grains and seeds. The addition of Harvest Spice brings subtle, comforting notes that work for savory or sweet toppings.

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6

A Girl and A Spoon / Rena Sak

Cacao Maple Cornbread

In an indulgent twist on sweet cornbread, we take advantage of the natural nuttiness of cornmeal by adding warm notes of maple, cacao, and cinnamon that complement without overwhelming. The result is sweet, tender, and perfectly crumbly. It’s just as good alongside a warm bowl of chili as it is on its own, especially with melted butter and a drizzle of maple syrup.

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