10 Easy Shapes Of Bread | How To Step-by-Steps

Bread making isn’t always an easy thing, especially when it comes to shaping them, it can be a huge challenge at first. But with practice and following the step-by-step guide below, it is super easy to create these 10 different bread shapes like a pro.

Playing with dough is one of my favourite childhood activities. Even as a grown-up, when my kids are unboxing playdough toys, I’d be right next to them to see whether I can get in on the fun too.

The dough for Bread Shaping techniques

Use any type of dough you like to create these fun-looking shapes to bake your bread.

If you are looking for an easy dough recipe, use mine. Follow the 10 easy steps below to start from creating a soft dough to making fun creative bread shapes to baking them.

Step – 1

Use a kitchen-aid mixer or a big enough bowl to add in the ingredients. Add 3 cups all-purpose flour, 2 tbsp sugar, 2 tbsp instant yeast, 3 tbsp butter, and salt.

Step – 2

Turn it to the lowest speed on the kitchen-aid mixer or use your dominant hand to start mixing the ingredients at first.

Step – 3

As you mix them, start pouring in little water at a time until the dough forms into a smooth softball.

Step – 4

Touch the dough to see if it’s done. If it is too sticky to touch sprinkle some flour as you mix or if the dough turns out too dry and not holding the flour together, add small amounts of water to form a well-mixed smooth-looking dough.

Step – 5

When done, cover the dough lightly with a clean cloth or cover the bowl with cling wrap. Set aside for at least 20-30 minutes for the yeast to work. Let the dough rise in size. 

Step – 6 

In the meantime, if you prefer to add a filling to the bread, start creating. When done with the filling, move on to prepare the baking tray (spray with cooking oil or cover it in foil) and have it ready before shaping the bread.

My breadmaking usually comes with a savoury filling. Check out my Fish Bun Recipe for an example. The dough is filled with fish sambal. Other times, I choose to go with a chicken/beef filling. There are endless other choices of fillings you can choose from. Veggies, seafood, proteins, plant-based, are among many.

My Hotdog Buns (pig in a blanket) is another favourite in the family. The kids love them. It always turns out to be a big hit at kids’ parties and a crowd-pleaser at other get-togethers. It’s a great recipe for potlucks, housewarming gifts, or just visiting a friend. This hotdog-covered bread shape is popular.

It doesn’t always have to be a savoury filling. Try something sweet like smores (chocolates + marshmallows), chocolates + peanut butter, Nutella fillings or your favourite fruit jam.

You can also make bread shapes without any fillings. It can totally be plain bread in shapes too.

Step – 7

Next, is the shaping process. Have everything ready, the dough, a dough-roller, fillings (opt), prepared baking tray, clean cloth. and a clean surface/board. 

Let’s start shaping.

It can be a challenge at first for any beginners. Give it a try, play with the dough, and start shaping them.

It is not easy to put it in words alone to understand how you can shape this dough. I have organized them into steps with pictures to show how they can be done.

Here are the 10 different shapes of bread you can make to impress your family or to spoil your kids.

10 different types of bread shapes

1. Round Shape

1. Start by taking a golfball-size dough
2. Use a dough roller or your fingers to stretch and flatten it to a circle
3. Place a small portion of fillings in the middle
4. Bring all the edges, covering it over the fillings by pinching the dough sides together as shown in the picture below
5. Place the pinched side down to keep it sealed
6. Finished look once baked

2. Triangle Shape

1. Take a golfball-size dough, roll or streth and flatten it to a curcle
2. Place the fillings in the middle
3. The edges will be folded from 3 sides. Start by folding 2 sides together. Pinch the dough upto halfway to keep it sealed
4. Fold the last side of the dough and pinch the edges of the sides together to seal everything
5. Tadaaa! you made a triangle shape. Turn the folded side downward, then with your hands shape it into a triangle shape
6. Final look after baking

3. Square Shape

1. Take a golfball-size dough, roll it to big enough to place the filling
2. Place a small portiona of the filling in the middle
3. Take the two opposite sides together over the fillings and pinch the dough from the middle to keep it together
4. Take the other two opposite sides of the dough as well and bring it together over the filling to seal the edges together
5. Once every corner is sealed well turn the folded side down when baking
6. Form the dough to a square with your hands to adjust the shape
7. Final look when baked

4. Rectangle Shape

1. Take a golf-ball size dough
2. Roll it long and wide like an oval shape
3. Place the fillings in a rectangle shape in the middle
4. Take the two lengthy opposite sides of the dough, bring it over the fillings and pinch them together from the middle to keep them sealed
5. Fold the top and bottom sides together meeting the fold we did in the step 4. Pich the edges together to connect with the already folded side
6. Turn the folded side down and shape it with your hands to look more like a rectangular shape
7. Final look after baking

5. Shrimp Shape

This shape will pass as a snake too but it is meant to look like a shrimp. This is still my beginner attempt at making this shape. Forgive me if it doesn’t look anything like a shrimp.

1. Take a piece of dough
2. Roll it wide and long like an oval shape
3. Place the fillings straight in a line as shown below
4. Bring in the lengthy sides together folding over the fillings and connceting together like a wrap
5. Make one end flat and make the other end pointy. Cut the flat end into two parts
6. Carefully bend the entire dough into a curve
7. Use black pepper seed as eyes and use a scissor/knife to cut lines to the tail
8. The end result after baking. (Keep in mind, when baking the dough will expand which can make the shape look alittle off….like my jumbo shrimp)

6. Hedgehog Shape

1. First, take a golfball-size dough and roll is flat into a circle
2. Place the fillings in the middle
3. Bring in all the edges together over the fillings. Pinch the dough together to keep it sealed
4. Turn the folded side down. Use your hands to shape the dough into an almost triangle shape
5. Use black pepper seed as eyes to the narrow corner of the shape. Then use scissors to make tiny cuts on the back of the hedgehog to look like its quills
6. Final look after baking

7. Braid Shape

1. Take a piece of dough
2. Roll it flat, long and wide into an oval shape
3. Place the fillings generously in a straight line in the middle of the dough. Then take a knife and make cuts as shown on the step 3 below on either side of the dough
4. Fold both the ends over the fillings to keep them from falling out
5. Take each piece of cut dough on each side and fold it in an angle, one over the other one like on the step 5 below.
6. Continue to overlap each piece of the dough strings in an angle to look like a braid
7. Viola! You braided the bread

8. caterpillar shape

1. Take a piece of dough first
2. Roll it flat, long and wide like an oval shape
3. Place the fillings in a straight line on the middle of the dough. Keep one side as is but cut the other side of the dough into strips using a knife as shows on step 3. You can cut it into thin or thick strips it’s up to you
4. Fold the uncut side over covering the fillings
5. Then take each cut strips and stretch it carefully over the already folded dough as shows on step 5 below
6. Use black pepper seeds for thee eyes. You may keep it straight as is or curve it to a C shape
7. Final look after baking

9. Flower Shape

1. Take a generous amount of dough and roll it large, thin, and flat
2. Use a circle shape like a bowl or a cookie cutter to cut 3 to 4 circles. Place each circle lapping over the other one as shown in the step 2 below
3. Place the fillings in the middle in a straight line across the 4 circle like shown on step 3 below
4. Then roll the dough along with the fillings all the way into a wrap
5. Then use a knife to cut from the middle, turning it to two pieces
6. Turn the cut edge downward. Make the pedals a little more open if needed adjusting
7. Viola! You got 2 flower shaped bread

10. Rose Shape

1. Take a golf-ball size dough
2. Roll it thin and flat. Use a round shape bowl or a circle cookie cutter to cut a perfect circle. Then make 5 cuts like shown in the step 2 below. Keep in mind to leave the middle uncut
3. Place a small portion of filling in the middle
4. Then fold one side dough covering just the sides of the filling leaving the top open. Next, take the opposite side of the dough and cover the side as well leaving the top open
5. Continue to fold each side as the petals covering the fillings from the sides and letting the top open
6. When all the sides are sealed well. From the top, open up the petals slightly to make it look more like a rose
7. Final look. (My petals started to open up more as it baked. So keep in mind when sealing the sides make sure it doesnt open when its being baked)

Step – 8 

Once all the shapes are done. Place them in the baking tray an inch apart. Gently cover on top with a clean cloth and let it sit for another 10-15 minutes.

This step is totally optional but highly recommended. By giving it extra time to sit, the shaped dough has another chance to expand more giving it a nice fluffy smooth final look.

Step – 9

To enhance a golden colour when baking. Use a beaten egg or warm milk to brush over the shaped bread before baking.

This step is also an option but I highly recommend so that the bread brings out a beautiful shiny golden colour.

Without the extra help, the bread will turn out to be a light brown without the shine. Try both and see how you like your bread to look at the end.

Step – 10

Bake at temperature 320’F/160’C for about 25- 30 minutes or until the top is turned to a golden colour.

So here they are… The 10 different kinds of shapes you could do to impress your loved ones or to spoil your little ones.

happiness is when the house fills with the smell of freshly baked bread. So delicious that we barely leave any for later.

Take a quick look at the recipe collection HERE.

Choose recipes from snacks & appetizers, curries & sides, sweets & dessertsto meals & more.

Find ways to create delicious meals to satisfy your food cravings.

Kid-friendly recipe

This is an amazing activity to spend time with your little ones. Get your kids to help with this kid-friendly dough recipe. Remember to have fun, create a mess, enjoy the moment, while you perfect the shapes.

Bring your family into baking. Don’t forget to capture the fun to cherish these memories you create.

Want to show off your shaping skills? Send in the pictures today!

Share how your bread shapes turned out. Whether you tried the same shapes or something new… I’d be happy to add pictures of your bread shapes to this post.

Send in your images with a note attached of your experience creating them. Good or bad send them all. Email it to info@berrychik.com with the subject line – Shapes of Bread. Don’t forget to mention your experience.

Find out what else I’ve been up to by following me on
PINTEREST – FACEBOOK – INSTAGRAM

Lovin’ the recipes?

Follow for more!!!
Join NOW to receive berrylicious recipes sent to your inbox for FREE!

SUBSCRIBE NOW
Receive recipes forFREE!

👨‍🍳 Would you like to become a food blogger too? 👩‍🍳

🤩 Start your food blog today with 5 easy steps.
No coding or web expertise needed.
Create a food blog to share those drool-worthy recipes 🤤

Start A Food Blog In 5 Easy Steps

RELATED – Check out the 14 essential FREE plugins all beginner bloggers must-have to help maintain and improve your food blog.

RELATED – If you are still not sure if food blogging is right for you…ask yourself these 10 questions to help clarify your next step. The answers to these questions may help build your food blog stronger from the start.