From making sourdough starters to baking a milk loaf, bread making became a pandemic pastime. Kitchens across the world pushed bread baking into new culinary heights experimenting with an array of flavours. The art of bread baking has turned out to be a creative outlet for individuals confined at homes in this challenging time. Bread enthusiasts also vouch that rolling, kneading and mixing have a calming quality on the mind. There is nothing like a loaf of fresh, homemade bread piping hot right out of the oven. So, here’s looking at how you can creatively add on many flavours in baking delicious bread.

Honey challah bread

This is a brioche-like bread that was brought to the US by immigrants from Central and Eastern Europe. It is a rich, traditional Jewish bread served on the Sabbath and is made with eggs, a little honey (traditionally sugar is used), oil, along with flour, yeast and salt. Its rich texture (by using more eggs and less fat, unlike brioche), makes it perfect for French toast or bread pudding. These are often braided into long six-strand braids or round braided loaves. When done, brush the loaves with an egg wash twice that will give them a wonderful golden colour.

Pumpkin bread

Moist and warmly spiced, this bread packs a pumpkin punch. Cinnamon and nutmeg are the key spices along with pumpkin puree, eggs, a pinch of salt, almond milk (or any type of milk or water), which are used to make this rich bread. It’s essential to avoid over-mixing the wet and dry ingredients together, which can make it dense. Do not devour this loaf straight out of the oven. Allow it to cool completely to let the flavours of the spices intensify and to get a softer texture.

Zucchini bread

This fluffy, moist, lightly spiced bread is made healthier with the addition of grated zucchini. Make it wholesome by preparing it with whole wheat flour (instead of refined flour), honey (instead of brown sugar), eggs, vanilla extract, a dash of cinnamon and coconut oil (instead of butter). Remember not to peel the zucchini before grating it; leave the skin on.

Banana bread

This all-time favourite is a great way to use up overripe bananas. The biggest challenge of making this bread is that it tends to be dry, crumbly and not even moist most of the time. If you are making an eggless variety, try adding a little extra pureed bananas. Add sunflower seeds to make it more nutritious, but you can easily skip adding them. Remember to add cinnamon and nutmeg powder to the batter to heighten its flavour.

Do you know of any other bread avatars? Share in the comment section below.