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.
How do you make bread rise without yeast? ›
You can substitute yeast with equal parts lemon juice and baking soda. So if a recipe calls for 1 teaspoon of yeast, you can use half a teaspoon of lemon juice and half a teaspoon of baking soda. Keep in mind that the bread will not need the typical proofing time and the dough will begin rising right away.
What is the bread without yeast? ›
Unleavened bread, or bread without yeast, is a typical Jewish food, the name derives from the Greek azymos (without yeast) which in Jewish becomes mazzah, and it is the symbol of the Passover that recalls the Exodus from Egypt: it was the bread of the fugitives because it was quickly prepared by the fleeing Jews.
Is bread without yeast better for you? ›
Eating yeast free, gluten free bread will help you minimize the effects of Celiac, and will also reduce the side effects from Candida due to reduced sugar and yeast production in your body. Right now, you can get great tasting yeast free, gluten free brown rice bread and yeast free, gluten free multi-seed rice bread.
Is all sourdough bread yeast free? ›
Sourdough is naturally leavened bread, which means it doesn't use commercial yeast to rise. Instead, it uses a 'starter' – a fermented flour and water mixture that contains wild yeast and good bacteria – to rise. This also produces the tangy flavour and slightly chewy texture you'll find in sourdough.
Will 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 happens if you don't add yeast to bread? ›
NOTE: You cannot bake bread without adding yeast. Yeast is the catalyst that makes bread to rise and form and this is different from cake which does not need yeast. If you don't add yeast, you can not produce bread but biscuit.
Which is healthier baking powder or yeast? ›
Yeast has more nutrients, but some may be allergic to it. The others are just types of salts with baking powder being a combination.
Can I use baking powder instead of yeast for bread? ›
Yep, you CAN make an amazing bread without yeast that's just like proper bread! 5 common ingredients: flour, baking powder, oil, milk and sugar. It's a no yeast bread based on Damper, a traditional Australian bread historically made by swagmen and drovers over campfire – except we're using an oven!
Can you knead dough without yeast? ›
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.
Do Not Over-Knead Your Dough. The over-kneading dough is a common bread making mistake, which makes gluten too tight for bread to rise, resulting in chewy bread instead of fluffy. Kneading correctly is most important to strengthen the gluten and give your bread a perfect texture.
What kind of bread did Jesus eat? ›
Thus many theologians conclude that Christ would have used unleavened bread. St. John, in his rendition of the Gospel, says that the Last Supper took place the night before the feast of Unleavened Bread (cf. Jn 13), and some scholars argue that the bread would have been leavened.
Why did they make bread without yeast? ›
In the Bible, yeast/leaven in bread symbolized how sin spreads in a person's life or in a church or even in a whole nation. After the exodus from Egypt, the Israelites were commanded to eat unleavened bread during Passover week to symbolize their commitment to leave sin behind.
Why do they make bread without yeast? ›
This reduces the gluten proteins, adds fiber, lowers the glycemic response and increases the bio-availability of the vitamins and minerals in the bread, giving your body an easy way to access all the good nutrition locked into the grain.
Does rye bread have yeast? ›
The simplest form is made with rye flour, water, salt, and naturally occurring yeast.
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.
Does all gluten-free bread have yeast? ›
Some make the mistake of thinking that gluten-free also means yeast-free, but this is not necessarily true. Many gluten-free products have yeast in them. Read ingredient labels to make sure a product is yeast-free before you eat it if you have an allergy.
