The secret to homemade bread in an hour

The other week, I had a friend staying with me. And it was approximately 11:15 a.m. when I realized: I have nothing to make her for lunch. I was fresh out of bread, the crisper drawer was in a sad state, and a few eggs lingered in their carton.

But I had a trick up my sleeve: our new Crisp & Airy Focaccia Mix Kit. Thanks to this mix, we had fresh, fluffy focaccia on the table by 12:30 p.m., split and stuffed with a fried egg and a few creative condiments to make hearty, brunch-worthy sandwiches.

Fresh bread ready in one hour sounds like a magic trick, or maybe even a scam. But with our latest line of bread mix kits, it’s possible. Choose between crispy focaccia, chewy pretzel bites, fluffy flatbread, or cheesy pull-apart garlic bread — all of which go from box to the table in just about 60 minutes.

Photography by Danielle Sykes; food styling by Yekaterina Boytsova

With these mixes, our Research & Development (R&D) team set out to create flavorful, impressive breads that could be made in a short period of time. To speed things up, they called on a few smart strategies to maximize flavor and minimize time and effort.

For example, they included sugar and yeast extract in the mixes to feed the yeast and help with flavor and browning; what's more, the yeast extract also encourages dough relaxation (which typically needs extended time to achieve). In addition, the mixes call for water that’s hotter than what you’d typically use in bread, which shortens the time the dough needs to rise. And to ensure the breads are still flavorful with limited fermentation time, they incorporated herbs, seasonings, glazes, and more additions to make each bread crave-worthy.

Overall, the techniques are simple and straightforward; none of the mixes require a stand mixer, and some mixes, like the focaccia, don’t even require kneading. (You just stir together the ingredients until combined!) As Research & Development Specialist Jonathan Brasil, who helped develop these mixes, explains, “These are perfect for people who are ‘yeast-shy’ or are a first-time yeast baker. They’re designed to be as simple and easy as they possibly can be.” And even if you’re an experienced baker who makes bread every week, they still deserve a place in your pantry — how else can you get fresh, homemade bread on the table on a weeknight? And if you want to think outside the box, Jonathan and the R&D team dreamed up unique recipes to make with every kit.

So, which mix kit is best for you? Here’s the full lineup:

Photography by Danielle Sykes; food styling by Yekaterina Boytsova

Soft & Chewy Pretzel Bites Mix: This mix yields dozens of savory, salty bites that have the distinct chew and flavor of street vendor pretzels, without the need for a traditional lye bath (or even a baking soda bath). Dip them in mustard, queso, pimento cheese, cinnamon butter, or a sweet cream cheese dip. The mix includes an accompanying glaze packet (for that customary malty exterior), coarse salt packet, and yeast packet; all you need to add is water and oil.

Use it to make:

• Pretzel Pizza Crust 
• Quick and Easy Pretzel Buns 
• Pretzel Pigs in Blankets 

Photography by Danielle Sykes; food styling by Yekaterina Boytsova

Crisp & Airy Focaccia Mix: Focaccia is a simple bread to make from scratch, and this mix streamlines that process even further. All you need to do is mix the batter, pour into a baking pan, then dimple and bake. Ample olive oil ensures a crunchy top and bottom of the bread, and a garnish of sea salt and rosemary (included with the mix) adds extra flavor.

Use it to make:

• Golden Potato Focaccia  
• Quick Breadsticks 
• Crispy Focaccia Pizza

Photography by Danielle Sykes; food styling by Yekaterina Boytsova

Perfectly Tender Flatbread Mix: Make a batch of these flatbreads and you’re halfway to dinner already. You can use them to scoop up savory dips or serve as an accompaniment to soups or salads. The shaping process is straightforward: After dividing the dough into balls and leaving to rise, you then pat the dough balls into flat circles and cook in a preheated skillet for a few minutes. Dust with the Za'atar Herb Blend that comes with the mix for a zingy, herby spin.

Use it to make:

• Pea and Feta Flatbread Pockets 
• Easy Fried Dough

Photography by Danielle Sykes; food styling by Yekaterina Boytsova

Pull-Apart Garlic Bread Mix: This final mix may be the biggest star of the bunch. It makes irresistibly buttery, garlicky rolls that get baked together in a cake pan. Because their sides touch, they bake up impossibly soft, and to enjoy them, you get to pull apart each cheesy bite. This mix is the best way to upgrade any dinner or steal the show at a cocktail party — all you need is water, butter, mozzarella, cheddar, or Gouda cheese, and an hour of your time.

Use it to make:

• Sky-High Garlicky Herb Biscuits 
• Cheesy, Easy Biscuits 
• Cheese-Stuffed Pull-Apart Bread

Find all of our mixes online, or on a store shelf near you.

Cover photo by Danielle Sykes; food styling by Yekaterina Boytsova.