Croatian Quick No Yeast Milk Bread

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This quick and easy Croatian no yeast milk bread is excellent when you need bread in a hurry! It only uses a few staple pantry ingredients, and it bakes in 30 minutes with minimal kneading.

When the going gets tough, the tough get going.

As COVID-19 plague ravages the earth and secures its place in history books, we work harder to meet the challenge. 

Quarantine no yeast milk bread

We are making the best of these stay-at-home weeks in our kitchens: we (some of us) learn how to cook, we cook with what we have available, we stretch our meals by using leftovers in inventive ways, and we learn to improvise and make classic recipes without their key ingredient, such as yeast.

We can do this! I have done this before, so I know. Granted, I wasn’t quarantined (other than during city curfew hours), but we lacked food, and we lacked peace. 

We drank chicory coffee, made our version of chocolate (should I share that recipe?), and we baked yeastless loaves. I should say my aunt from Croatia baked them for us. I remembered the taste and texture of her bread, but not the recipe. So I set on to recreate it. 

My failed attempt at baking no yeast bread

Most recipes without yeast will add eggs, so I did too. To be exact, I put in three eggs. I also used too much milk, so the dough was runny, and the finished product was too eggy and unappealing. 

You can see my lame effort to make it presentable by sprinkling it with black sesame seeds. 🤦🏻‍♀️😆

What goes in milk bread without yeast?

For this quick and easy recipe, you will only need a few ingredients (5 ingredients if you don’t count salt), and baking soda is not one of them.

This homemade loaf will rise just fine without the baking soda, which gives the bread a sour flavor note, as in Irish soda bread, for example, or sourdough bread that takes days to make.

How do you make no yeast milk bread?

You don’t need any special skills to bake this simple Croatian milk loaf. Even the novice bakers can follow these easy step-by-step instructions. The best part is that there’s no waiting for the bread to rise. Make the dough and bake it right away!

*Keep scrolling to get the full (printable) recipe, ingredient amounts, and more tips.

1. Melt the butter in milk
2. Mix flour with baking powder and salt
3. Add half the dry ingredients into milk and butter mixture
4. Mix with a wooden spoon
5. Add remainder of the dry ingredients
6. Mix to incorporate and transfer to a clean surface
7. Knead for a couple of minutes
8. Shape the dough and place on parchment paper
9. Transfer to a loaf pan
10. Brush with egg yolk
11. Slash the top of the dough with a sharp knife
12. Bake for 30 min.

Frequently asked questions:

1. WHAT KIND OF FLOUR IS BEST TO USE?

We used unbleached all-purpose by King Arthur because that’s what we had on hand. White flour will yield more tender crumb, but you can undoubtedly use wheat.

2. CAN I USE WATER INSTEAD OF MILK?

You could if you have to. The texture will be less fluffy and fragrant. This recipe is for milk bread, after all. If you’re vegan, you can use almond or soy milk instead.

3. CAN I SUBSTITUTE OIL FOR BUTTER?

Absolutely! You will only need half of the amount the recipe calls for the butter.

4. CAN I MAKE THIS BREAD VEGAN?

Yes, see the answers to the previous two questions above.

5. HOW DO I KNOW MY BREAD IS DONE BAKING?

The more often you bake, the easier will be to tell, but here are a couple of other methods you can use:

1. Hold the loaf in one hand and tap the bottom of it with your finger. If it sounds hollow, it’s done.

2. Insert a thermometer at an angle through the side of the loaf. Bread made with butter, milk, or eggs is usually done at about 200F.

6. HOW TO SERVE IT?

The texture is dense but airy enough, so you can enjoy it plain or dipped in garlic olive oil, smeared with butter or jam, but also sop up a hearty stew.

More Baking Tips:

• You can substitute butter with four tablespoons of oil (canola, vegetable, or even olive oil).
• Add your favorite herbs (such as rosemary, thyme, basil, or oregano) to the dough for a different flavor.
• When measuring, level off the flour, baking powder, and salt with the back of a knife. These measuring “levups” and “levoons” really help too!
• You can sprinkle the bread with sesame, poppy seeds, or oatmeal before baking.
• If you don’t have a loaf pan, use a round 8 or 9-inch baking pan (or you can shape it any way you want). 
• Egg yolk wash is optional, but it helps with the color. Without it, this bread is pretty pale.
• If you enjoy your loaf warm, resist slicing it with a knife but rather tear it with your hands. If you cut into a hot loaf, it will withdraw and turn gummy and sticky. Most bread will need 30-45 minutes to cool.
• You can always warm it up in 350F oven for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
• To slice bread, use a serrated bread knife. It will make it easier and neater to cut slices. 
• HOW MUCH FLOUR? Flour type, humidity, temperature, altitude, and a multitude of other factors can impact how much flour you need, but it doesn’t have to. Update: others made this recipe, using the exact amount as indicated, with success. Keep in mind that wet dough yields moist crumb.

MAKING THIS RECIPE OR OTHERS?

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Croatian No Yeast Milk Bread

This fantastic no yeast milk bread is not only great for emergencies! With no rise time and baked in 30 minutes, you'll be making it over and over again to enjoy with your morning coffee or alongside a hearty dinner.

5 from 6 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Bread, Side

Cuisine: Croatian

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Servings: 10

Calories: 191kcal

Author: Jas

Equipment

• saucepan
• Mixing bowls
• whisk
• wooden spoon
• Parchment paper
• Loaf pan

Ingredients

• 1 pound all-purpose flour we used King Arthur's unbleached
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 stick butter 8 tbsp or 4 tbsp oil
• 1 ¼ cup whole milk
• 1 egg yolk optional

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 395 degrees Fahrenheit.
• In a saucepan, over low heat, whisk 1 stick butter and 1 ¼ cup whole milk until butter melts, but the milk is not hot (if it is, let it cool down a bit). Transfer the milk and butter mixture to a large mixing bowl.
• Meanwhile, in another mixing bowl, whisk together 1 pound flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, and one teaspoon salt.
• Pour the half of the dry ingredients (eyeball it) into the milk and butter mixture and mix with a wooden spoon until well incorporated and lump-free, about 2 minutes. Pour in the remainder of the dry ingredients and mix until blended.
• Transfer the dough on a lightly floured clean surface and knead until the dough is smooth, for about 3-4 minutes. The dough should not be sticky, but it should be soft and pliable!
• Shape the dough into a loaf and place it on a piece of parchment paper. Transfer to a 9" loaf pan. Brush the top with egg yolk. At this point, you can slash the dough with a very sharp serrated knife a few times if you wish.
• Bake on the middle rack for 30 minutes. Let cool completely before slicing. Enjoy!

Video

Notes

• You can substitute butter with four tablespoons of oil (canola, vegetable, or even olive oil).
• Add your favorite herbs (such as rosemary, thyme, basil, or oregano) to the dough for a different flavor.
• When measuring, level off the flour, baking powder, and salt with the back of a knife. These measuring "levups" and "levoons" really help too!
• You can sprinkle the bread with sesame, poppy seeds, or oatmeal before baking.
• If you don't have a loaf pan, use a round 8 or 9-inch baking pan (or you can shape it any way you want). 
• Egg yolk wash is optional, but it helps with the color. Without it, this bread is pretty pale.
• If you enjoy your loaf warm, resist slicing it with a knife but rather tear it with your hands. If you cut into a hot loaf, it will withdraw and turn gummy and sticky. Most bread will need 30-45 minutes to cool.
• You can always warm it up in 350F oven for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
• To slice bread, use a serrated bread knife. It will make it easier and neater to cut slices. 
• HOW MUCH FLOUR? Flour type, humidity, temperature, altitude, and a multitude of other factors can impact how much flour you need, but it doesn't have to. Update: others made this recipe, using the exact amount as indicated, with success. Keep in mind that wet dough yields moist crumb.
• For the best results, read additional tips in the post above.
• Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on products used.

Nutrition

Calories: 191kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 23mg | Sodium: 249mg | Potassium: 210mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 75IU | Calcium: 96mg | Iron: 2mg

Tried this recipe? Rate it below!Mention @all_thats_jas and tag it #allthatsjas