There are all sorts of creative ways to make bread without yeast. You might ask, “Why would I want to know how to make bread without yeast?” Maybe for the sake of preparedness – simply knowing how to make due without yeast…
This is very basic ‘bread’, but it works, and it’s edible.
Here’s how to make it:
The final product is pictured above. I have previously posted the recipe in an article titled, “How To Make Basic Bread From Dough Without Yeast”, however I thought I would add more pictures in this post, along with more details, as well as a request for you to share your own creations and recipes for bread (with no yeast).
This is an edible bread from basic ingredients that have a good shelf life without the requirement for refrigeration or without yeast. The results are not going to be the traditional fluffy bread you’re used to, but it’s not too bad… Surprisingly (given the ingredients) the bread has a consistency crossing between actual traditional bread and a biscuit. Certainly not a light and fluffy bread, but it’s not a brick either.
Bread Ingredients & Shelf Life
Flour. Unopened bags of white flour will generally stay fresh up to one year. As the flour gets older it will eventually develop a bad taste, and then go rancid. For a shelf life up to ‘decades’, store ‘wheat berries’ (not having been milled yet). When it’s time to make bread, you will need to mill the wheat into flour – with a flour mill.
Baking Powder. First of all, I prefer ‘aluminum free’ baking powder for health safety (aluminum is thought to contribute to Alzheimer’s). The shelf life of unopened baking powder is generally indefinite, depending on the storage environment (which needs to be dry so moisture won’t penetrate its packaging over time). Once you open a container of baking powder its potency starts to diminish (from moisture in the air). So if you keep your ‘working’ baking powder in a sealed dry container, its effectiveness ‘should’ last for quite a long time. It’s the opening and closing and then reopening and closing that allows more and more moisture to be absorbed into the baking powder over time which eventually reduces its effectiveness. With that said, their ‘best-by’ dates are generally one year within its original hard-pressed cardboard packaging.
Oil. The recipe calls for extra-virgin olive oil. Pretty much all oils have a general shelf life of about one year – although cool and dark storage conditions will extend that. Eventually, oil will go rancid. You keep store oil in a freezer for longer shelf life.
Water. You either have it, or you don’t…
Bread Recipe (no yeast)
1. Add to a bowl 3 cups flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt.
2. Begin to mix while adding 1/3 cup of oil (extra virgin olive oil).
3. Continue to mix while adding 3/4 cup of warm water. I start with a wooden spoon and finish working the dough with my hands. If necessary, continue to add more water a little at a time until the mixture holds together and will roll into a ball while barely sticky. If it becomes too soupy, just add a bit more flour. Etc..
(You can be creative and add pretty much anything to the dough for an enhanced bread – maybe some herbs, nuts, whatever floats your boat)
4. Grease an oven-proof dish (8″ x 4″ bread loaf pan, for example) and flatten the dough into the dish. Then flip the dough to get oil/grease on both sides of bread.
5. If you have foil, cover tightly (holds in the moisture). Bake at 375 F for 20 minutes. Then check it. I like to sprinkle some sea-salt on top at this point. You will likely need to continue cooking for another 10 to 20 minutes – just check for a golden top, and it should spring back when touched. I uncover the foil after 30 minutes to assist baking a golden top. Your times may vary depending on your oven and its temperature calibration.
That’s it! Simple. Next time you might add two or three tablespoons of sugar for sweetness…
Note: The bread dough appears to double in size throughout the baking process.
Note: Approximately 2,000 total calories (1,365 flour, 635 oil)
If you’re looking for Sourdough, here’s an article on that:
Sourdough Starter Recipe Without Yeast From Scratch
Classic Sourdoughs: A Home Baker’s Handbook
FAQs
Soda Bread
This sturdy breakfast bread comes together and relies on baking soda as a leavener. You can swap out the walnuts and dried currants with any chopped nuts, seeds and dried fruit you have in your pantry.
What happens if you don't put enough yeast in bread? ›
It will just take longer to rise, and because of that it will be a little more flavorful. Try it. A major component of some of the more flavorful yeasty loaves, like baguettes, is something called a “poolish” which is a dough that has a very tiny amount of yeast in it left to ferment overnight.
How to make bread rise without yeast? ›
Instead of using yeast to make the bread rise, quick breads rely on other leavening agents like baking soda and baking powder to get height. "Quick breads, like banana bread, zucchini bread, and cornbread are delicious and easy alternatives to yeast-based bread and can satisfy cravings in a pinch," says Tyler Lee.
What bread has no yeast? ›
The world's best No Yeast Bread – Irish Soda Bread! Irish bread is unique because it's a 4 ingredient, 5 minute recipe made without yeast but still has a proper crumb just like “real” bread. You don't need to be Irish to make this.
What bread does not have yeast or wheat? ›
Irish Soda Bread
An Irish Soda Bread is traditionally made with baking soda, flour, salt, and buttermilk. The bread rises from the baking soda instead of using traditional yeast (hence the 'soda' part of the name).
Does sourdough bread not have yeast? ›
In this process there are only natural yeasts and healthy bacteria, which are both naturally present on all grains and proliferate as the dough cultures. However, it is NOT unleavened bread.
How much yeast for 3 cups of flour? ›
If it is of any help, a typical bread recipe calling for 3 or 4 cups of flour usually recommends 7 grams of dry yeast. You can use less, of course, and the bread will be just fine; you will note that it takes the dough longer to rise when less yeast is used.
Can you put too much yeast in homemade bread? ›
Because yeast does not divide much in bread dough (only 20-30% increase in cell numbers in 4 hours), what you start with is what you end up with in terms of yeast numbers. This can affect the bread by adding a "yeasty" taste if you put too much into the dough.
Does salt activate yeast? ›
Salt slows down fermentation and enzyme activity in dough. The salt crystals draw water away form their environment (salt is 'hygroscopic'). When salt and yeast compete for water, salt wins and the yeast is slowed down.
Which is better, baking soda or baking powder? ›
When to use which one. Baking soda is used in recipes that also include an acidic ingredient, such as cream of tartar, buttermilk, or citrus juice. Conversely, baking powder is typically used when the recipe doesn't feature an acidic ingredient, as the powder already includes the acid needed to produce carbon dioxide.
If you love making baked goods but don't have the time to let dough rise, make dough without yeast. You can easily make fluffy, flavorful dough that relies on chemical reactions between baking soda, baking powder, or vinegar.
Can you make your own yeast? ›
Combine flour and spring water in a medium bowl; stir well. Cover loosely with a cloth and let sit on a kitchen counter for 2 to 3 days, or until bubbly. To use and feed your starter; take out the amount needed for your recipe and then replace that amount with equal parts flour and spring water.
Does Ezekiel bread have yeast? ›
Ezekiel bread ingredients typically include the following: organic sprouted wheat, filtered water, organic malted barley, organic sprouted rye, organic sprouted barley, organic sprouted oats, organic sprouted millet, organic sprouted corn, organic sprouted brown rice, fresh yeast, organic wheat gluten and sea salt.
Is Irish soda bread bad for you? ›
Nutrition Notes
Whole-wheat soda bread is a healthy addition to your plate! One serving—a 1/2-inch-thick slice—provides complex carbohydrates for sustained energy, protein, fiber, and vitamins and minerals.
Does pumpernickel bread have yeast? ›
The loaves are baked in covered pans to keep the moisture inside, which prevents a discernible crust from forming. For American pumpernickel bread, like this recipe, a combination of milled wheat and rye flour is used, as is commercial yeast, producing a springy loaf with a much more open crumb.
Does all white bread have yeast? ›
White bread and whole grain breads, including whole wheat bread, are made with flour, water, and yeast, but minimal fermentation.
Has all bread got yeast in it? ›
There are roughly four types of bread by leavening: yeast breads, chemically leavened breads, sourdough breads and unleavened breads. Yeast breads are obviously out of question. Chemically leavened breads are made with baking soda or baking powder, and are also often called "quickbreads".
