April 22, 2020

Homemade No Yeast Bread

A bread easy for anyone to make

More than anything I love a warm slice of bread with butter and flake salt, how about you?? Something about that simple pleasure of bread and butter is nostalgic, maybe reminiscent of our childhood or just simpler times.

During our extended time at home, I find myself cooking and baking a lot more than normal, which is A LOT! One of the things that goes the quickest around here is a loaf of bread. Going to the store daily is out of the question and I know many folks have had a hard time finding yeast. So I bring you a simple, no yeast bread that will satisfy that craving and is versatile enough to create a plethora of options.

No Yeast

So how does this bread work with no yeast? It is a basic quick bread so it bakes and rises more like a cake, where it rises during the bake time vs rising pre-bake. The reaction for rise comes from mixing baking soda with an acid, in this case we are using yogurt. That chemical reaction gives the bread it’s rise, also sometimes known as soda bread. Pretty cool, right?

Ingredients

Simple breads require simple ingredients. The idea behind this loaf is that almost anyone can make it with pantry staples. Not all of us have yeast on hand regularly so this is a great option to create a tender loaf of bread.

All purpose Flour – it’s best to use all-purpose flour in this recipe, however, you are certainly able to swap out half of it with some whole wheat flour. Replacing all of it will create a much too dense bread.
Salt – I always use kosher salt in my kitchen in most applications. In this case, using 2 teaspoons. Check notes for subbing table salt.
Honey – I like the hint of honey in this loaf but replacing it with brown sugar is great option if you don’t have honey on hand.
Baking Soda – baking soda and baking powder are NOT interchangeable. You do need baking soda in this recipe as that is what reacts with the yogurt.
Baking powder – a hint of baking powder is also added to include an extra rise in the bread.
Egg – since we are trying to achieve a tender bread, the egg gives a nice enhancement. You can always sub a flax egg, see notes.
Yogurt – I’m convinced that the reason this bread is as delicious as it is, is because of the yogurt. It creates such a nice flavor and tenderness to the bread. If you don’t have yogurt, you can substitute buttermilk or sour cream, or check notes to see how to make your own soured buttermilk at home.
Butter – Since this is more like making a cake rather than traditional yeast bread or even scones. We’re going to melt our butter to incorporate. You can sub a neutral oil in it’s place if you’d like.
Seeds – The topping is absolutely optional! I like a seedy bread so I sprinkled some Everything But the Bagel Seasoning on top before baking. Other options include sesame seeds, poppy seeds, caraway seeds or even pepitas and flake salt.

The Process

The beauty of this bread is it doesn’t involve any special equipment! One bowl, a spatula and a loaf pan. No heavy mixer, no waiting to get your hands on some fresh bread.

In a large bowl, combine your wet ingredients and blend until combined.
Next add your dry ingredients and fold gently with a spatula until a shaggy dough forms.
Pour into your prepared loaf pan and bake!!!

Once the bread has cooled, slice into nice thick slices and enjoy with butter or a delicious sandwich. The bread holds well wrapped in beeswax or in a ziplock bag. Although if not eaten quickly, storing in a bag will create moisture. You can keep in fridge to help slow the moisture. Bread can also be wrapped and frozen whole or in slices. When ready to enjoy, remove slice or whole bread and allow to thaw in fridge, or take slice and toast immediately.

As always, I love seeing your creations. Please leave a review or share your dish with me on social media which lets me know what is working for you! You can find me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest. For more delicious recipes to your inbox, sign up for my newsletter!

xoxo,
Cosette