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!
Use for sandwiches, toast, grilled cheese, French Toast – anything you normally make with sandwich bread.
Bread without yeast
This no yeast bread is inspired by the Australian Damper, a traditional bushman’s bread made with flour and water that was cooked over campfires.
Except I’ve brought it into the 21st century to make the crumb fluffier, more tender and tastier, and made it look like sandwich bread rather than a freeform loaf. (Oh, and we cook this in an oven instead of over fire!)
This is THE emergency bread that you make when you don’t have yeast, or you don’t have time to make yeast bread. It has a proper crumb like real bread, rather than being crumbly like muffins which many no-yeast breads are. It’s mixed in a bowl with a wooden spoon – no kneading, no rising. You’ll have this in the oven in mere minutes!
Is it as good as a yeast bread? Yeast gives bread a chew and stretch in a way that bread made without yeast will never have. But this is as darn close as you will get to a yeast bread recipe without using yeast. And it’s off the charts delicious for something that takes 3 minutes to get into the oven!!
What goes into sandwich bread without yeast
Bread lovers might recognise this as a simpler version of Irish Soda Bread. It’s easier because the dough is just mixed up in a bowl (ie no kneading at all) and it doesn’t require buttermilk or baking soda which aren’t pantry staples for everyone.
Here’s all you need to make bread without yeast (let’s pretend I didn’t forget to put the milk in the photo!!!):
Flour – plain/all purpose flour, or switch up to half with wholemeal/wholewheat. Can use self raising in place of flour and baking powder;
Baking powder – this is what gives this bread rise. Skip if using self raising flour, or substitute with baking soda;
Milk – any type, dairy or non dairy, fresh or powder (reconstituted), full or no fat. Can be substituted with water plus 1 tbsp oil or butter;
Oil – Just 1/4 cup gives this bread some much needed moisture. Without it, it’s very dry. Any neutral flavoured oil is fine – canola, vegetable, peanut, grapeseed, rapeseed, sun flower, even a light olive oil;
Sugar – just 1 tablespoon makes quite a difference here to bring out flavour; and
Salt – for seasoning,
No egg. That’s the secret to the real bread-like crumb!
The flour and baking powder in this recipe can be substituted with self raising flour.
How to make bread without yeast
This is just like making your favourite Chocolate Chip Muffins! Mix the dry ingredients, then add the oil and milk. Mix, pour, bake!
Why use a loaf pan? Because the mixture is a very thick batter rather than a kneadable dough (like Friday’s pizza dough or focaccia). So you can’t freeform it like Irish Soda Bread. If you don’t have a loaf pan, make it in a muffin tin – well greased, 20 minutes at 180°C/350°F.
It takes 50 minutes in the oven, so I like to do half the time uncovered to get a lovely golden brown crust, then I cover it the rest of the time (otherwise the crust gets a bit thick and dark).
LOOK at that crust!↓↓↓ It’s tempting to just lift the whole thing off and run away with it! (Swipe the butter while you’re at it)
TIP: Let it cool completely before slicing, otherwise it will be susceptible to crumbling on the edges. On Day 2, it slices 100% perfectly!
Slice it up like normal bread then use it for anything and everything you ordinarily use sandwich bread for. A simple ham sandwich. Or an epic Pastrami or Reuben sandwich. Grilled cheese – or cheesy GARLIC bread. Toast it and slather with jam, Vegemite, peanut butter or whatever you heart desires.
Dunk into soups and stews. You can even make French Toast or Bread and Butter pudding!
Storage
As with all homemade breads, this no yeast bread is at its best on the day it’s made. But even the day after, it’s still very, very good thanks to the touch of oil which keeps the crumb moist. Then on Day 3, a light toasting is all that’s needed to resurrect it.
It also freezes 100% perfectly – which is what I’ve done with the 8+ loaves I’ve made in the past few weeks, trying to nail the recipe. I’m going to be eating this for weeks and weeks – no complaints here!! ~ Nagi x
Watch How To Make It
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Sandwich Bread WITHOUT Yeast! (Dead easy)
Ingredients
- 4 cups flour , plain/all purpose (Note 1)
- 8 tsp baking powder (Note 2)
- 3 tsp white sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp cooking / kosher salt (REDUCE to 1 tsp if using table salt, Note 3)
- 2 1/4 cups milk , warmed (any – Note 4)
- 1/4 cup oil , any plain (vegetable, canola, sunflower, rapeseed, grapeseed, light olive oil)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 220°C/430°F (200°C fan).
- Grease a 22 x 13 cm / 9 x 5" loaf pan, then line with parchment/baking paper with overhang (to lift out).
- Mix dry: Place flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in a bowl, mix to combine.
- Add wet: Make a well in the centre, pour in oil and milk. Mix until flour is fully incorporated – batter will be thick but stirrable.
- Fill pan: Scrape into loaf pan, using a rubber spatula to scrape the bowl clean and smooth the surface.
- Bake 30 minutes. Remove from oven, cover with foil.
- Return to oven. Turn oven DOWN to 200°C/390°F (180°C fan), bake 20 minutes.
- Remove from oven. Cool in pan 5 minutes, then use excess paper to lift out and transfer to cooling rack.
- Cool completely before slicing – 45 minutes+. It IS more delicate than yeast breads (can't change science!) but slices far better than the usual "cake like" no yeast breads. Slices perfectly on Day 2 and beyond.
- Use for sandwiches, toast, grilled cheese, french toast, bread and butter pudding – anything you use "real" sandwich bread for!
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Life of Dozer
Video Bomber. I cut him from the video edits 😂
I made this and it tasted like a giant biscut? Followed recipe exactly like it said. Not sure what I did wrong?
Could I add cheese to the recipe? If so how much and what kind would you recommend? Thank you!
I haven’t tried to be honest sorry Mary – it may affect the cook and would be something I’d need to test. N x
I’m never buying store bought bread again! This was so easy to make. I made this for the first time the other day and I used water instead of milk, and self raising flour and it came out perfect! Thank you Nagi!
It rose high and split in 2 places
It tastes lovely just had cheese on toast
But why did it split at the top?
Hi Jenny, sorry you had issues, it could be for a number of reasons, but most likely your oven was slightly too hot, try turning the heat down slightly. if you try it again 🙂 N x
Thank you for advice
I will do just that
It taste so good though been a long time since i enjoyed cheese on toast.
J 🙂
I have gout so I can’t eat bread with yeast. I tried this recipe and it was awesome. I’ll be playing with it a bit by adding herbs and using less or no sugar. Thanks a lot for posting this on your awesome website!
That’s awesome Damien!! N x
Just made it’s cooling down know hopefully it will be good and family will like😊 what’s the best way to store left out wrapped or wrapped and placed in the fridge? Also I used a 1:1 ratio of gluten free flour. “ four said it could be used like regularly flour.
Absolutely epic. I took out the salt and sugar, added basil and oregano. Was an amazing herb bread
Can I make this bread with gluten free flour (or can you send me your recipe??) Yummo.
Mine went perfect for a beginner! Im amazed…..i wish I can send its photos!….Thanks
I did this bread and was perfect!!!!!
Thank you!!!
Wahoo!! That’s awesome Patricia!! N x
Made this bread for the first time today. So delicious ! A good crust and soft inside. Many thanks for the recipe Nagi. ( I live in England )
so good yummy
This bread came out perfect.Great texture and taste.I would use it for anything you would use yeast bread for.It would make an amazing sandwich!
sorry I meant to say heat distribution.
Hi… I followed your recipe to the dot and was so exited when i pushed it into the oven.. however 30mins through it was partially dark on the top … After covering it with tin foil for the last 20mins and reducing the heat.. it came out burnt on the outside and hard as a rock… it was a war between the knifes and the bread…Lolz… but on the bright side.. edible… Please tell me what went wrong
Oh no Karen, sounds like you’re oven may run a little hot or there’s a problem with the thermostat! N x
Sorry… I meant to say ‘Heat’ distribution.
Hi Nagi… I just changed the thermostat in my over a month a ago so I doubt its the head distribution ….. I prob have to reduce the heat I guess.
I followed your recipe to the T. The loaf didn’t look anything like yours. It remained pale. When I took it out of the pan, the loaf felt like it weighed 3.pounds. not exactly.sire what I did wrong, it also looked a.bit like pancake mix so I added two tablespoonsore flour. It sure smelled good before I threw it out. I was SO looking forward to tasting bread after 10 years.
Oh no, sorry you had issues Deborah – did you use the metric measurements here? N x
I did. The only thing different was the milk which was A2. Today I used only 2 cups and it STILL looks like pancake mix only slightly thicker. Nothing like what the video shows. I have a feeling it is going to turn out the same.
We run out of bread at home and being in lockdown was not really allowed to go out. This was my 1st attempt EVER, to bake a cake (I am a very lousy baker). But, this recipe was so easy that I was able to follow it and actually presented a yummy and home-made bread. Very, very happy with the outcome and showed tge finished product to my friends and family. Thank you so much, Nagi! Bless you.
Could I hang the recipe ?
Could I half the recipe
It’s a great recipe, thanks a million Nagi for sharing
Forgot to rate it…
Five stars absolutely