Do you want to know how to make bread without yeast or baking soda? This easy, no-yeast milk bread recipe is perfect for anyone who wants fresh homemade bread in minutes! No kneading, rising, or special equipment is required!
Making a loaf of yeastless bread is easier than you think and tastes just as good. It takes five essential ingredients: flour, baking powder, butter, egg, and milk, and it's excellent when you need it in a hurry!
Nothing satisfies like a fresh, homemade loaf of bread. And when you're stuck at home without yeast to make the dough and give your house that comforting smell?
You can make a fantastic loaf without yeast that's just like proper, old-fashioned plain doughy white stuff! This delicious loaf of homemade white bread tastes as good on day two as it did when first made - perfect for sandwiches or dipping into soups/chilis.
📃 Why it Works
- You don't need yeast; it doesn't require buttermilk or baking soda.
- It takes minimal effort to make this beauty - mixed in the bowl with a wooden spoon - no kneading or rising!
- It goes great with all sorts of dishes! Use it for sandwiches, French toast, and grilled cheese.
- All you need are five pantry staples and 40 minutes to enjoy this fresh-outta-the-oven loaf of goodness.
- It has a dense yet soft crumb (not crumbly like some muffins), perfect for smearing with butter.
- This milk bread doesn't taste soapy, salty, or bitter like some soda bread.
In tough times like COVID-19, we work harder and learn new cooking skills. We improvise, use leftovers creatively, and even make classic recipes without key ingredients like yeast.
We can do this, as we've done it before, when we lacked food and peace.
I had my first yeastless bread when I visited my aunt in Croatia. I remember the taste and texture of it, but not the entire recipe. Now, it's being recreated.
🍞 The Fail
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. 🤦🏻♀️😆 But then I nailed it!
This milk bread is the best for those who love to keep things simple. You won't find any complicated steps in this recipe!
🛒 Ingredients and Notes
This homemade loaf will rise just fine without the baking soda, which gives it a sour flavor note, as in Irish soda bread, for example, or sourdough bread that takes days to make.
Flour - We used unbleached all-purpose by King Arthur because that's what we had on hand. White flour will yield more tender crumbs, but you can use wheat or do half and half. I haven't tried using gluten-free flour, so I can't say it would yield the same results.
Baking powder - This makes this no-yeast bread rise, and it's essential to use. However, you can use self-raising flour as an alternative.
Milk - Best to use full-fat, but it's not a rule. Skim milk, almond milk, or other non-dairy milk will work too.
Butter - You will get a buttery flavor with most of the benefits of the oil. Using oil might result in a denser texture.
Egg yolk - For brushing the loaf before baking, it will give the crust a golden brown color that is slightly shiny.
Salt - For seasoning.
🔪 Instructions
You don't need special skills to bake this simple Croatian milk loaf. Even novice bakers can follow these easy step-by-step instructions.
Step 1
*Keep scrolling to get the full (printable) recipe, ingredient amounts, and more tips.
- Melt the butter in milk.
- Mix flour with baking powder and salt.
- Add half the dry ingredients to the milk and butter mixture, mixing with a wooden spoon.
- Add the remainder of the dry ingredients; mix to incorporate.
Step 2
- Transfer the dough to a clean surface.
- Knead for a couple of minutes to shape it into a loaf.
- Place on parchment paper.
Step 3
- Transfer the loaf with parchment paper to a loaf pan.
- Brush with egg yolk.
- Slash the top of the dough with a sharp knife. Bake for 30 min.
- You can substitute butter with four tablespoons of oil (canola, vegetable, or even olive oil).
- 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 top 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).
- If you enjoy your loaf warm, resist slicing it with a knife but rather tear it with your hands. If you cut it into a hot loaf, it will withdraw and turn gummy and sticky. Most bread will need 30-45 minutes to cool.
- To slice bread, use a serrated knife. It will make it easier and neater to cut slices.
👉 Variations
One of our favorite things to do is mix in one or more different flavors. You can change this plain bread by adding sharp cheddar cheese with herbs like Italian seasoning (try our homemade blends)! Here are some other ideas:
- Buttermilk + chopped olives and rosemary
- Sour cream + chives
- Feta cheese + marjoram, dill, and mint
- Parmesan + garlic, rosemary, thyme, oregano, and basil
- Oats + honey
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
It has no preservatives, so it's best to eat it on the same day. If you need to store for more than a day or two (and don't want your bread molding!), seal up any leftovers in an airtight container and pop it into the fridge. Then lightly warm it up in a toaster or oven.
This recipe makes a small loaf, so you likely won't have leftovers, but if you must freeze it, use it up within two months. Warm it up in a lightly greased pan in a 350F oven for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
Absolutely. Use vegan butter and dairy-free milk. Substitute butter with oil. You will only need half of the amount the recipe calls for the butter. Note that the texture will be denser with oil. Brush the loaf with oil or almond milk as an alternative to egg yolk.
The more often you bake, the easier it 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.
Nothing. Bread without yeast will have a different texture and taste. The crumb is similar to that of biscuits or pound cake. It's still delicious, though!
✍ Reviews
"I can't thank you enough for sharing this recipe with the world! I came across this recipe while searching for bread with no yeast on Pinterest. Guess what!? My family loved this cozy bread, and now we want it all the time! Great for and with everything! Brings my family together, from the smell to the taste!" - Bianca, via Pinterest.
"This was absolutely worth doing love it, and bonus, hubby the fussy eater loves it. Thank you I'm so happy I found this recipe will definitely be making more" - Tracy, via Pinterest.
"It was soo good and yummy and easy. All my friends loved it. I made it instead of Challah for Shabbat, but also braided the bread like challah bread." - Lena, via Pinterest.
"Tastes very much like biscuits! I made it with reduced-fat milk, and it did not affect the recipe. It's very rich and delicious, and I'll surely make it again. 😋" - Jenna, via Pinterest.
🍽 How To Serve It
Smear it with butter, peanut butter, jam, Nutella, or cream cheese. It is also great for making sandwiches or dipping in garlic olive oil, and it tastes even better when used in conjunction with soups, stews, or chilis.
Here are a few of our favorite recipes that would be perfect for enjoying this wonderful slice:
😋 Other Baked Goods to Try
🧡 LIKED THIS RECIPE? Leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating and/or a review in the comments section. 😋 HUNGRY FOR MORE? Subscribe to my Newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram for the latest updates.
📖 Recipe
No Yeast Quick Bread (Croatian Recipe)
Ingredients
- 1 pound all-purpose flour, we used King Arthur's unbleached
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 stick butter, 8 tablespoon or 4 tablespoon oil
- 1 ¼ cup whole milk
- 1 egg yolk, optional
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.
- 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.
- Oven temperatures vary. If yours doesn't run hot, you might need to bake your bread longer.
- 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 a 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.
- For the best results, read additional tips and FAQs in the post above.
- Please remember that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used.
✨Somebody✨ says
The dough was very watery and sticky, but I added some more flour and it was fine. Cooked for roughly an hour and the bread turned out great. I recommend this with jam.
Jas says
I'm so glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for coming back to let us know. 🙂
Rosemary says
Followed recipe exactly, with the exception of baking it on a stone instead a loaf pan. After 30 minutes the bread looked beautiful on the outside, but was still very doughy inside. I gave it another 10 minutes…still doughy…another 10 minutes…still doughy…currently on my 3rd round of “another 10 minutes “ which will bring total baking time to 1 hour. Hoping it finishes in the middle. It smells delicious.
Jas says
I hope it works out for you, Rosemary!
Sandy Bee says
I tried this recipe, following the recipe, & it came out with a beautiful golden crust, & texture of a undercooked noodles inside. It hit like a brick when I put it in the trash bin. SHM
Jas says
I'm sorry it didn't work out for you like it did for so many happy bakers. I wonder what went wrong - too much flour, type of flour, oven too hot or not hot enough, the altitude...? Hope you'll give it another try and make sure to check the doneness like advised in the recipe notes.
Kelly says
We tried this recipe tonight. Not sure what the issue was but I could not get the inside to finish cooking. Baked for 30 minutes, cooled it a bit and then went to serve and the inside was just doughy. Back into the oven it went. After another 20 minutes it was still incredibly doughy so I gave up. We ate the parts that weren’t doughy and it was quite good. I bake often and consider myself a very good baker, very confused.
Jas says
Hi, Kelly, I'm sorry that happened to you. There can be numerous reasons why bread doesn't bake through:
1. Oven temperature - some ovens run too hot or not hot enough.
2. Too much flour.
3. The size of the loaf pan.
You can always test the doneness with a toothpick as you would with a cake. Or check out other methods in our Frequently Asked Questions section of the post.
Terry C says
Did not seem to rise for me. Gave it a few extra minutes also. Seemed like a biscuit that wasn't baked long enough. Preheated oven first and used center rack. May be baking powder was out of date?, Will try again.