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One area of cooking I have shied away from is baking bread. Even though my grandmother’s dinner rolls were melt-in-your-mouth deliciousness, I was not inspired to take up working with yeast. It seemed like a challenge I wasn’t up to.

When I tried it, though, it wasn’t as difficult as I had it built up in my mind. Just follow the directions and anybody can do it.

Here’s a basic recipe to get started.

5-6 cups flour (all-purpose flour or bread flour)

In a large bowl, dissolve the 1 tablespoon of sugar in warm water, then stir in yeast. Allow to proof until yeast resembles a creamy foam, about 5 minutes.

Mix remaining sugar, salt and oil into the yeast. Mix in flour one cup at a time. Dough should be tacky and clean the sides of the bowl save for a small part at the bottom. Too much flour added in yields a dry loaf of bread, so if you’re worried you added too much, add a bit more hot water, until you get the correct consistency.

Knead dough for 7 minutes. Place in a well oiled bowl, and turn dough to coat. Cover with a damp cloth. Allow to rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

Punch dough down. Knead for 1 minute and divide in half. Shape into loaves and place into two greased 9x5 inch loaf pans. Allow to rise for 30 minutes, or until dough has risen 1 inch above pans.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes. Cool, brush with butter and enjoy.

If it says brioche, it must be good. This one and the ones that follow are from Food Network.

One 1/4-ounce packet instant yeast

2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, cubed and at room temperature, plus more for greasing

Combine flour, yeast sugar and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook and mix on low speed to combine. Add the milk and 6 eggs and mix on low until well combined. Increase the speed to medium-high and mix until the dough starts to pull away from the sides.

Reduce speed to medium and start adding the butter, a little at a time and waiting until it is completely incorporated to add more, about 5 minutes. Return the mixer to medium-high and continue to mix until the dough is glossy and slightly tacky but not sticky, about 7 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl; cover with plastic and refrigerate 8 hours and up to overnight.

Generously butter two 9-by-5-inch nonstick loaf pans and divide the dough between them. Generously butter two pieces of plastic wrap large enough to cover the pans and place them butter-side down loosely over the pans. Let the dough rise until it comes to 1 inch above the rims of the pans, about 3 hours.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Beat the remaining egg with 1 tablespoon water. Remove the plastic wrap and brush the top of each loaf with the egg wash; place pans on the middle rack of the oven. Bake, rotating halfway through, until golden brown and the internal temperature of each loaf is 190 degrees, about 30 minutes. Remove pans to a wire rack and let cool 5 minutes. Run a knife around the sides of the loaves to loosen and remove from the pan. Let cool completely on the rack.

3/4 cup water (might need more)

In the bowl of a food processor combine the yeast, sugar, flour, salt and thyme. Pulse to combine. Add the water in a steady stream until the dough begins to form a ball, turn it on to a board and knead with the heel of your hand until the dough is smooth and elastic.

Coat a bowl with oil. Place dough in bowl, and cover with a damp cloth. Put in a warm spot to rise until double in size, about 1 hour.

When the dough has doubled in size, punch the dough, scrape it onto the counter and knead it lightly into a smooth ball. Cut into 20 pieces and with a rolling pin roll out to form very flat 5 to 6-inch circles.

Preheat a stove top grill pan over medium high. Do not oil. Place bread on hot grill and cook without touching it until you see bubbles on the surface, about 1 to 2 minutes. Turn and continue to cook 1 to 2 minutes more or until bread has puffed up. Serve immediately.

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for the pan

Butter a 6-by-3-inch round pan and set aside.

Combine the butter, yeast, sugar, salt and 1 cup warm water in a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment. With the mixer on low speed, add 1/2 cup of the flour at a time, waiting for each addition to be fully incorporated before adding more. Once all of the flour is added, knead on medium speed for 8 minutes.

Transfer the dough to the prepared pan, transfer the pan to a 6- to 8-quart slow cooker and cover with the lid. Cook on high until the internal temperature of the bread registers 200 degrees, about 2 hours. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a rack and let cool completely.

1/2 cup warm water (100 to 110 degrees F)

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

Butter, for greasing the loaf pan

In a medium bowl, whisk together the bread flour, rice flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the warm water and yeast. Let the mixture rest for 5 minutes until foamy.

In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar at medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the eggs, 1 at a time. Beat in the yeast mixture. With the machine running on low speed, gradually add the flour mixture until a ball of dough forms. Remove the paddle attachment and attach a dough hook. (If a dough hook attachment isn’t available, the dough can also be kneaded by hand for 15 minutes on a lightly floured work surface.) Mix on medium-low speed for 10 minutes (scraping the sides of the bowl, if necessary). Add the walnuts and raisins and continue to mix until the dough is smooth and springs back when pushed with a finger, about 5 minutes longer. Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Place in a draft-free area at room temperature (about 85 degrees) until the dough has puffed slightly, about 2 hours.

Butter and flour the inside and outer rim of an 8 1/4 by 4 1/2-inch nonstick loaf pan. Punch the center of the dough to deflate it. Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface and knead for 3 minutes. Form the dough into an 8 by 4-inch rectangle and place in the prepared loaf pan. Cover with plastic wrap and allow dough to rise in a draft-free area at room temperature until the dough rises about 2 inches above the top of the pan, about 2 hours.

Place an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Remove the plastic wrap and bake until golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, about 1 1/2 hours.

Wrap well in plastic and store at room temperature for two days or freeze for up to a month.

Make the doughnuts: In a small saucepan, warm the milk slightly with 1 teaspoon sugar. Add the yeast and let sit for 5 minutes to proof.

In a small bowl, beat the egg with the water.

In a standing mixer with a paddle attachment mix the flour, remaining 1/3 cup sugar, salt, and nutmeg. Add the proofed yeast mixture, beaten egg mixture, and melted butter. Remove the paddle, switch to a dough hook, and mix until well-blended and kneaded, about 15 minutes. Transfer the dough to a large greased mixing bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and chill overnight.

On a floured surface, roll the dough out to about 1/4-inch thick and transfer to a sheet pan. Cover with plastic wrap, and chill for 30 minutes, allowing dough to rest.

Cut dough into 1 1/2-inch squares. Line a sheet pan with a buttered sheet of parchment paper. Arrange dough squares 1/2-inch apart on the sheet pan and cover with another sheet of buttered parchment. Place in a warm place to rise 30 minutes.

Make the Coating: In a small bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon to coat doughnuts.

Heat the oil in a large pot to 375 degrees F and fry the doughnuts for 1 to 2 minutes on each side. While doughnuts are still warm, toss them in the cinnamon sugar, to coat.

Here’s another kooky idea: bread from the microwave. Although there’s no crust or color, it’s light and airy.

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for the dish

Butter a 1.5-quart microwave-safe glass loaf dish and set aside.

Combine the butter, yeast, sugar, salt and 1 cup warm water in a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment. With the mixer on low speed, add 1/2 cup of the flour at a time, waiting for each addition to be fully incorporated before adding more. Once all of the flour is added, knead on medium speed for 8 minutes.

Transfer dough to the prepared dish, cover and let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Microwave on high until the internal temperature of the bread registers 200 degrees, about 4 minutes. Check for doneness starting at 3 minutes, as microwave power levels may vary. Let cool in the dish for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a rack and let cool completely.

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