14 Easy, Sweet Loaves to Ease You Back Into Baking

Reader, I’d be remiss if I didn’t fess up to spending holiday-induced down time consuming episode after episode of The Great British Bake Off. The saccharine episodes go down easier than a basket of well-baked scones and before I knew it, I found myself elbow deep in season 3. Somewhere between the technical challenges, I got lost in a world of opera cakes and stiff foamy peaks of perfectly whipped egg whites.

All the hours spent watching others bake, however, stirred within me a genuine desire to get out there myself. And by "out there," I don’t mean a white tent in the sprawling backyard of an English castle—though that would be nice—but my own kitchen. So, in the spirit of Mary Berry and those culinary hopefuls from across the pond, I’ve gathered a slew of sweet and easy baking projects from our site. Because, after a month of noshing on sweet loaves and fruity breads, why stop now?

With these recipes in tow, and increasingly cold temperatures outside, now's a better time than ever to crank that oven and stay inside for a day—or two!—of baking.

What bread will you celebrate the new year with? Let us know what you choose in the comments.