These little loaves take less than an hour and forty minutes start to finish. That’s right, warm, soft, homemade bread in less than two hours and you don’t have to knead it either!

Homemade bread is just one of those things that speaks love. It makes the whole house smell delicious and there is just something so satisfying about cutting into a crust that crackles a little to reveal beautiful soft bread.

This is fast enough that you can get home from work, throw the ingredients in a bowl and you have wonderful homemade bread ready for dinner.

This makes three small loaves - I find that my family of five eats two of these with dinner easily. Warm and dipped in olive oil and balsamic vinegar, spread thickly with hummus, or dipped into soups or gravy it’s a wonderful addition to a meal. You could always freeze the third loaf or reheat the next day sliced and wrapped in a little foil with garlic butter smeared through it.

You are going to love this bread. Promise. This recipe was a special request from my Leah - and frequently graces our table.

Source Dulcis in Ferno and Share my Kitchen

Pane Veloce

• 500 grams of flour (plus a little more for your work surface)
• 370 mls of lukewarm water
• 1 tspn to 1 Tblspn of honey ( more or less depending on how sweet you would like your bread - I like the larger measurement)
• 1 1/4 tpsns active dry yeast - OR 1 tspn instant yeast OR 12g fresh yeast dissolved in the warm water.
• 1 tspn of salt

Dissolve the honey in the water. Sift the flour into a large bowl - make a well in the centre and add the yeast followed by the warm water and honey and then the salt. Mix briefly with a knife until just combined.

The dough will be very soft and sticky - but that’s fine - that’s exactly how you want it to be. If you think it is a little dry then add a little more water- your dough should not be dry.

Sprinkle the dough with a little flour and cover and place in a warm place for roughly an hour.

While the dough is rising do the following:

Cover a baking tray with parchment and then sprinkle generously with flour.

Place an oven proof dish in the bottom of the oven filled with warm water. Preheat your oven for at least 30 minutes at 220C/450F. Place a Pizza stone in the oven to put your bread tray on if you have one also. This is not essential.

When your dough has roughly doubled in volume carefully turn the dough out on to your floured parchment. I scrape mine out of the bowl with a wide spoon - a knife would work as well.  Divide into three equal pieces and shape into small long loaves. The flour on the loaves and the loose dough makes your loaves look amazing when baked.

Bake for 15- 20 minutes then turn the oven temperature down to 160C/320F and bake for a further 10-15 minutes.

Cool for 15 minutes before cutting.

If you’re after a super fast bread - this is the one.

We would walk in the door after school and we would always know when Mum had been making this gingerbread loaf, the smell would fill the house, the scent of ginger and golden syrup together is one of those things that once experienced.. you never forget. The warm smell of this loaf sends me back to my childhood every time I make it.

This is not a fancy dinner party loaf, this is a loaf that’s quick to make and will keep well in a container for a few days. It freezes well and is easily doubled. Wonderful warm and cut in thick slices, it’s just as good cold spread with lovely yellow butter.

Perfect tucked into a lunch box or as a companion to your hot cup of tea or coffee. This recipe was one of the ones that I left home with at the tender age of 18.

Warm Gingerbread Loaf

• 50 gms/2oz softened butter
• 3 Tblspns golden syrup
• 1/2 cup of sugar
• 1/2 cup of boiling water
• 1 to 1 1/2 tspn ginger
• 1 egg
• 1 cup of flour
• 1/4 tspn baking soda
• 1/2 tspn of baking powder

Place butter, syrup, sugar, and boiling water in a bowl and stir gently until the butter is melted.

Add the egg and whisk briskly

Add the sifted dry ingredients and pour into a greased and floured loaf pan. The mixture will be quite thin.

Bake at 180C/350F for roughly 30 minutes until a skewer inserted into the loaf comes out clean.

Slice thickly if still warm, this is a very tender loaf with a lovely spice to it. If you wish to try some variations you could try:

• finely chop an apple and mix in last
•  a handful of raisins
• a tspn of finely grated orange zest into the mixture.

When cool a slathering of butter on the top makes for a very tasty mouthful!