4 great bread recipes to bake this month
Celebrate the Big Month of Bread this March.
Date
February 27, 2026
The Big Month of Bread is back!
Last year, we shared a four-week bread-baking plan, designed for beginning your bread journey or just getting out of a baking rut. This year, we’re running it back with four new recipes designed to educate and inspire you, from a protein-packed sandwich loaf to a zingy Middle Eastern flatbread. And as a bonus, all of them have helpful visual guides on the recipe page to make the baking process even easier.
To get ready to bake, make sure to pick up a bag of bread flour. This baking staple has a higher protein content than all-purpose flour (12.7% to all-purpose's 11.7%), which means it’s capable of developing a stronger gluten network, creating elastic bread doughs that result in high-rising loaves. (Learn more: What is bread flour?)
Let’s get baking!
Week 1: Multigrain Protein Bread
This month starts off with a sandwich bread, but it’s anything but basic: It’s packed with protein, thanks to powerhouse ingredients like cottage cheese, eggs, and oats. Because it’s full of grains, the bread flour is crucial for developing a strong, elastic dough. That also makes it easier to shape this loaf and results in a high-rising bread with a lofty crumb. Use it for your morning toast or protein-packed sandwiches for lunch. (Easing your way back into bread baking? This loaf can be made even easier by baking in a bread machine.)
Once you’ve mastered this bread, try these other sandwich bread recipes: King Arthur's 100% Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread, White Sandwich Bread, Vermont Whole Wheat Oatmeal Honey Bread
Week 2: Pretzel Buns
Next up, we’ve got a very fun recipe for pretzel buns. These versatile buns can be enjoyed on their own as a side or split in half for sandwiches and burgers. To achieve the bronzed, malty pretzel effect, the buns are boiled in a baking soda bath before baking, then topped with coarse salt. This is a great recipe for practicing your bun shaping: Check out this video if you need a visual guide.
Want more pretzel-fied breads? Check out these recipes: Pretzel Focaccia, Giant Jalapeño Pretzels, Cinnamon-Sugar Pretzel Bites
Week 3: Parmesan Black Pepper Sourdough Bread
This week, we’re venturing into artisan bread territory with a seedy, crusty bâtard developed by Barb Alpern, known for years as the “Sourdough Queen” on our Baker’s Hotline. Inspired by a loaf she used to make at Zingerman’s Bakehouse in Michigan, Barb packed this bread with over a half pound of grated and cubed cheese and generously spiced it with coarse black pepper. If you’re used to making artisan breads, this fragrant loaf will be a welcome changeup, and if you’re new to this style of bread baking, the recipe includes detailed videos and links to walk you through every step of the process.
After baking this bread, make more flavorful artisan loaves: No-Knead Chocolate-Cherry Pecan Bread, No-Knead Harvest Fruit Bread, Chocolate Sourdough Bread
Week 4: Za’atar Manakeesh
We’re closing out this Big Month of Bread with a showstopper: this toasted, spiced flatbread from cookbook author Maureen Abood’s book Lebanese Baking. Part of this bread’s appeal — beyond the heavy dusting of zippy za’atar on top — is its speckled, slightly charred crust, traditionally achieved by baking in a wood-fired oven. The recipe simulates this super-hot baking environment with a hot baking steel in a home oven, producing perfectly charred flatbreads that are simultaneously soft and chewy. Add additional toppings like mozzarella and mint, and enjoy with labneh for breakfast or alongside stews and soups later in the day.
We love flatbreads! Find more recipes here: Chili Crisp Cottage Cheese Flatbreads, Middle Eastern Meat Flatbreads (Lahm Bi Ajeen), Aloo Paratha (Spiced Potato-Stuffed Flatbread)
Pick up a bag of bread flour at your local grocery store or order a bag online and get baking today!
Cover photo by Patrick Marinello; food styling by Yekaterina Boytsova
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