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 😂
Hello just wondering what type of sugar you use, I only have caster sugar will that be ok? Thanks!
Came out great. Needed something to go with tonight’s 15 Bean Soup. Hope it lasts that long.
Nagi, check your IG handle, the post says we should shout you out at @recipetineats
What a life saver in a time where yeast is impossible to find. I tried many other recipes, but this was the only one that was truly fantastic! Thank you, Nagi!!
That’s great to hear Taylor! N x
wonderfull
Hi Nagi I have not received any emails from you for a month.Hope you are well and safe.Maybe the new site you have has knocked my name of the list please would you check.
Hi Beryl, could they be possibly in your junk folder? Let me know if they aren’t and I’ll look into it! N x
What temp oven? not sure of C
Hi Francie, it’s noted in the recipe in step 1 & 7. N x
Hey does this bread rise like normal yeast-based bread?
Thank you Nagi!
My bread is tender and fluffy, just right for me.
Hi Ania, yes the rising gent is the baking powder. N x
Hi Nagi I’m addicted to this yummy bread. I’ve been experimenting by not using as much sugar and only 6 tsp baking powder. But it is very dense on the bottom. What missing ingredient would cause this?
Also, can the milk ever be too warm?
Thanks for a great recipe.
Robyn
Hi Nagi, going to try this today ti have with your amazing lentil soup 🙂
One question though, does the sugar make a difference in how this cooks or is it just for taste? Can I sub with honey or even omit?
Thanks
Hi Yasmeen, use honey in its place – enjoy! N x
Made the bread today and looks great but tasted more like scones than bread it was great toasted with butter and marmalade
Can you bake this in a Halogen air fryer?
Wow! What a great and easy recipe. I am so excited to add this to my staple of items. The bread turned out so well and the texture is just perfect. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
That’s great to hear Dee! N x
How would you recommend storing this after making it? Refrigerator or on the counter? How long is it good for
Bread in oven but I think you need to check your cup conversion to metric. I had to add a lot of extra liquid and I think the conversion should have been 480g not 600
Hi Patricia, 4 cups of flour is 600g here – this recipe has been tested many many times and all the measurements are correct. Did you definitely use 565 ml milk? N x
Hi Nagi, I just want to know if glass loaf pans are ok?
Hi Donna, I imagine it will work fine 🙂 N x
Thank you for sharing this recipe 🙂 I tried making it the other day and it is super simple and turned out great! I was wondering if you had any suggestions on adding any extra ingredients, such as honey, raisins or cinnamon and if it would have any affect on the finished product. This would just be for a different variation 🙂
Nagi,
Thank you for all your recipes. I absolutely enjoy trying out all your new recipes. However I absolutely goofed on your no yeast bread and put 8 tsp of baking soda rather than baking powder. Now I have all this flour and soda wasted. Do you have any suggestions on what I can make with it before tossing it. I hate to waste it!
Thanks
Anhdria
Hi Anhdria – as baking soda is stronger than baking powder, I usually use 1/4 tsp per cup for SR four. The mix you’ve created is really strong – your only option is to dilute with more flour to make a self raising mix. N x
Hi 4 cups of flour translates to 500g flour right. You have written 600g in metric. I have tried this recipe,I have halved it, using 2 cups, 1 of all purpose 1 whole wheat, the bread rose beautifully, but tasted bitter as i used 4 teaspoons of baking powder. Could you tell me 8 teaspoons for 500g or 600g ? So for two cups i use 3 or 4 teaspoons of baking powder?
Hi Lalita, 4 cups is 600g – if you’re ever unsure, use the gram amount I have listed a thats universal no matter where you are located in the world! If you were to halve the recipe, you’d need 4 tsp baking powder. N x
Hi Nagi, though tasted really nice, my bread had a cakey crumb texture. It didn’t slice nicely like yours, quite crumbly and breaks easily. I followed the recipe and didn’t change anything.
Hi Kat – sorry you had issues – can I ask what type of flour you used? N x
Nagi, just normal plain flour (healthy baker) from woolies.
Thank you so much for the recipe. Ran out of yeast and needed bread and found your recipe, it was very easy to make and came out superb, i used some seeds and oat as well in thr mix, its yummy!! Thanx again!
So easy to make and it smells delicious! I’m waiting for it to cool now – can’t wait to try it. Nagi, a question on the greasing step – grease the pan then place parchment on top right? May I know why the pan should be greased – is it so the parchment paper don’t stick to the pan? Thank you.
That’s great to hear Sandra!! N x