Three Simple Ways to Adapt a Bread Recipe (Plus Two Things Not to Do!)

So you’ve found a delicious sounding bread recipe – maybe it’s stuffed with slow roasted tomatoes, garlic and grated cheese, or maybe it’s shaped into a stunning centrepiece fit for a celebration. But there’s just one problem: it’s not quite your style. Maybe you don’t have all the flavourful ingredients, you need to skip the dairy or you want something a little more bite-sized. The good news? There are some very simple ways to make that recipe your own.

Let me guide you through three easy changes you can make to almost any bread recipe to suit your taste, plus two pitfalls to steer clear of when adapting bread at home. Ready to become your own bread recipe developer? You can watch the video below or read on for more information.

1. Change the Fillings You Use in Your Loaf

This is certainly the easiest way to personalise a bread recipe. Most bread doughs are really versatile and work well with both sweet and savoury flavours.

Savoury ideas:

• Swap roasted tomatoes for pesto or sun-dried tomatoes
• Try chopped olives, caramelised onions or chilli flakes
• Use different cheese or milks, including dairy-free alternatives

Sweet Twists

• Try out cinnamon sugar and butter
• Spread on jam or try out a chocolate or praline spread

The key to this? Get creative but keep your fillings reasonably dry (find out why below).

2. Make it Dairy-Free

If the original recipe calls for milk, butter or cheese, don’t panic if you’re dairy-free (or baking for someone who is). Most enriched doughs (those with added milk, butter, eggs and sugar) can be altered to suit, 

You can substitute: 

• Plant-based milks like oat, almond or soy. Choose a plant-based milk that’s relatively high in fats if substituting for milk in a bread recipe. 
• Dairy-free spreads instead of butter 
• Vegan cheese, or simple leave out the cheese altogether and lean into herbs and spices for your flavours. 

These swops work beautifully in small quantities and won’t drastically change your dough’s structure. 

3. Change the Shape

Let’s say the original recipe makes a big tear-and-share loaf. Great if you need it but maybe not what’s required for a family meal on a Wednesday night. Not to worry.

You can absolutely re-shape your dough into:

• Individual rolls, perfect for lunchboxes or freezing
• A swirled loaf, such as a savoury babka or cinnamon roll-style bread
• Mini plaited buns for an elaborate look without too much effort

Just remember to adjust your baking time. Smaller shapes will cook more quickly, whilst big loaves need more time in the oven. Keep an eye on your bread as it bakes and check that it is golden brown all over and sounds hollow when tapped underneath.

Two Things Not to Do When Adapting a Bread Recipe

Let’s talk about two common mistakes that can lead to disappointing dough when making ingredient swops (and no-one wants that!). 

1. Don’t Swop Flours Without Adjusting Your Recipe

Tempted to swop white wheat bread flour for wholemeal wheat flour or perhaps rye flour? Hold that thought!

Flour isn’t a simple trade. White wheat bread flour is high in protein, which helps create a strong structure in your final loaf. Wholemeal wheat bread flour, whilst also high in protein, absorbs a lot more water in your dough. Swopping directly for strong white wheat bread flour without adapting your recipe could lead to you baking something more like a brick.

As for rye flour, this still contains gluten but much less that wheat flour. A dough made with rye flour will therefore act very differently to a wheat dough and you should choose a recipe accordingly.

If you want to use alternative flours, you can, but you’ll need to adjust the amount of water in the recipe plus how you knead and shape the dough. It’s best to start with a recipe developed for that particular flour to avoid disappointment. Why not try out my tips for baking a wholemeal loaf? 

2. Don’t Use Wet Fillings

Yes, we love fillings. But there’s one golden rule: don’t go overboard on moisture. 

If your filling is too wet, for example larger pieces of fruit or vegetable or a very loose sauce, shaping your dough will be really difficult. The filling will slip and slide out of the dough and the dough itself will become sticky and hard to handle. Plus, wet fillings can lead to soggy, underbaked parts of your final loaf. Not ideal. 

Stick to thicker, paste-like fillings or blot juicy ingredients with a paper towel before using them. You can even gently roast fruit or vegetables before using them to dry them slightly and intensify their flavour. Your bread (and your patience) will thank you. 

Your bread, your way

Whether you’re making a showstopper centrepiece bread or just baking a midweek loaf, don’t be afraid to make it your own. 

Swop out the fillings, choose ingredients to suit you, shape it however you want, just don’t get too cheeky on your flour swops or soak your dough with wet fillings. Stick to these simple rules and your bread adaptations will turn out delightfully. 

Happy baking!