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 😂
TO BE SURE PLEASE… IF I USE SELF RAISING FLOUR – DO I SKIP BAKING POWDER ENTIRELY ?
Yep that’s right Coco! If you use self raising flour, completely skip the baking powder 🙂 N x
what am did i do wrong please ? i used butter as alternative to oil and self raising flour as an alternative to apf with baking powder.
do i need to leave in oven cook for longer? when cutting the outside crumbled and the texture of dough was damper like
Hi Coco, when you take out the oil and sub with butter, it changes the consistency of the dough and makes it more dry and damper like rather than sort & elastic. I imagine this is where the problem was!
I’ve just made this as i was curious how yeast free bread would turn out. It rose nicely but is ever so brown and bitter around the outside. I presume this is an oven thing and will experiment with either covering sooner or using a cooler setting. The texture is lovely, more spongey than a traditional bread but i like that! What makes me knock a star off is that it tastes ever so strongly of bicarb, I’ve had to literally smother the bread in a sweet jam to make it palatable. Any suggestions?
Hi Ej, this is made with baking powder not bicarb, but if you used the bicarb sub did you cut it down to 2 teaspoons, as per the recipe notes?? N x
You have to be some kind of Recipe Goddess!!! Everything I try from your website comes out so yummy! I am Jamaican…and we basically live on a bread we call “hard dough” bread. I have never made bread in my life! Came across this recipe and I think I am still in shock! This bread is DELICIOUS and super easy and will challenge my store bought hard dough bread any day! I have decided….I will not be buying bread anymore. Thank you so much for this awesome recipe!
Wahoo, that’s awesome Zoya!! You’re totally converted now! N x
I’ve just thrown this bread together in minutes in between zoom meetings and funding applications, and feeling generally overwhelmed. I hadn’t tried it before so didn’t hold out much hope as my efforts were not a replica of the calm how to video…What can I say, it’s gorgeous and made me very proud of myself. Thanks Nagi
I’m so glad you gave it a go Joanie, that’s awesome! N x
If using evaporated milk, should water be added?
Hi Grace, I haven’t tried this with evaporated milk sorry! N x
This bread is yummy! Flour, I’ve mixed half Farine type 55 + Farine de blé. Absolutely loves all your recipes, simple n your vidéos are the best to follow! Merci!! 🤗 I’ve done plenty of your recipes.👌Your faithful fan from Réunion France!
Thank you so much!! N x
Ok, I tried the no yeast bread. It turned out yummy. But my loaf was a little darker than yours. I think my oven is the problem. Would it be okay if I lowered the temperature about 5 degrees on the first 30 minutes? My grandkids slathered it with peanut butter and jelly. There’s NO YEAST available anywhere so thank you for this recipe!
Your fans all the way from Hawaii!!!!
Hi Lani, no problem at all – every oven has it’s own personality and some run hotter than others 🙂 N x
Made it gluten free. Made a few adaptations as one has to, turned out very very well and delicious. Well done, and keep up the good work!
Would love to hear abt the gluten free adaptations
I used extra liquid and instead of all gluten free all purpose loaf, I used half of that and half plain sorghum flour just to reduce the starch content as it thickens things too much. Added some Xanthan gum and turned down the heat in oven! Turned out pretty good, not bad for a non yeast dough.
I’m so glad it worked for you Christine!!! N x
mmmmm….mmmmm…mmmmm…that’s the only sound heard at the table with this bread for breakfast! Thanks Nagi! My kids love everything from you. They ask first if it’s from Recipe Tin! lolol I’m def gonna make this over and over. Next time though I’ll turn down my oven a lil bit so the top doesnt crack and get so crunchy so fast.
first time reading your recipes enjoyed it very much.i will definitely be making this bread.i love to bake bread and this looks great.thank you
I hope you try it and love it Louise! N x
Family loved it and it was so easy. Worth a try for anyone expecially the time poor people.
I make a very similar bread. The recipe is called “English Muffin Bread”. It’s nice when I don’t have all the time for a yeast bread and don’t feel like kneading, either.
Perfect Audriana! N x
Hi Nagi, can I subtitute oven with microwave?
I have to work with what I have around..
Hi Larasati, I haven’t tried in a microwave sorry – would love to know if it works though! N x
Hi Nagi
could you make cheese and bacon rolls with this recipe,Dozer always wanting to be in on the picture 🙂
Hi Sally, I haven’t tried to be honest, it would need some testing. N x
Hi Nagi
Can I make this using gluten free flour
Hi Jane, I talk about this in the recipe notes. N x
This recipe is so easy and amazing. I will never make bread any other way again. So good!!!
Wahoo, that’s great to hear Elizabeth!! N x
Can I substitute all purpose flour with bread flour? Thankss!!!
Sure can – I talk about this in the recipe notes. N x
Hello Nagi, I’m also a long time reader, cooker, baker of yours. I love you and all you do. I made this bread yesterday. I was a little disappointed. To me it seemed more like a banana bread in texture and weight. I used it for dinner as an open-faced salmon sandwich then this morning as toast. It was much better as toast, but I’m not sure it was better than an English Muffin Bread I made for toasting. Sorry, but did I do something wrong to make it too heavy? It’s not going to waste though. Toast for dinner with garlic butter to go with the chili. Yeah, that’ll work. Thanks for the recipe and video even if it isn’t perfect the way I made it.
Hi Suzanna, sorry you had issues here, can I ask what flour you’re using? N x
I used all purpose flour. Nothing special. I feel bad giving a not so perfect review. I love everything you do. I measured everything exactly, heated the oven as instructed, turn oven down when needed and covered for the last bit. It looked perfect, was just heavy. Maybe it’s me. Maybe I was expecting a miracle with soft gushy bread like from the store. It’s not wasted. Not at all. I’m making French toast for breakfast tomorrow. Keep sharing all you wonderful creations.
Aloha Nagi. About time I commented. My hubby and I love your recipes and of course we look forward to seeing Dozer with each newsletter. Big Mahalo we certainly appreciate all your efforts to bring us these awesome recipes.
Going to try this bread recipe right now! 🙂
Thanks so much Janet – love to know what you think once you try it! N x
I am using a 8 inch square pan and it says it will take less time because it is not high enough. Do I still bake at same temp? 430 or 350? And if I do it at 350 when I take it out it out and put it back for 20 mins what would the temp be¿ sorry if it’s confusing I’m literally baking it as we speak and it’s got 17 mins left from the first 30 lol
Hi Agnes, sorry for the delayed response (I was asleep at 4am). You’re baking at the same temperature and method, it may just take slightly less time. N x