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 it 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 an amazing 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 alike.
📃 Why it Works
- You don't need yeast, and it doesn't require buttermilk or baking soda.
- It takes minimal effort to make this beauty - it's mixed in the bowl with a wooden spoon - no kneading or rising!
- It goes great with all sorts of dishes! Use 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 to be smeared with butter.
- This milk bread doesn't taste soapy, salty, or bitter as some soda breads do.
Quarantine no yeast milk bread
When the going gets tough, the tough get going. As the COVID-19 plague ravages the earth and secures its place in history books, we work harder to meet the challenge.
We are making the best of these stay-at-home weeks in our kitchens: we 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 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. 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. 🤦🏻♀️😆 But then I nailed it!
For those who love to keep things simple, this milk bread is the best. 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 undoubtedly use wheat or do half and half. I haven't tried using gluten-free flour, so I can't say for sure it would yield the same results.
Baking powder - This is what 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 no-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 any 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. Mix 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.
👩🍳 Top Tips
- 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 for 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 Amazing Recipes to Try
Liked this recipe? Leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating and/or a review in the comments section. Your feedback is always appreciated! Stay in touch through Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook! Don't forget to sign up for my email list below too!
Croatian No Yeast Milk Bread
Equipment
- saucepan
- 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 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.
- 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!
Recipe Video
Expert 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.
- 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.
Patti says
Is the 37 grams of carbs for the whole loaf? I have a diabetic that needs to carb count
Jas says
No, it's per serving, and it makes 10 servings or 10 slices.
Lois Luckovich says
My paternal Grandpa was Croatian so I'll give this recipe a try
Jas says
That's great! Let me know how you like it. I hope you'll try these Croatian recipes as well. 🙂
Teresa earhart says
Came out perfect !!
Jas says
Yay! So glad to hear. 😀
Kristina says
Made this tonight. I really liked it! I may add a bit more salt to it next time or use salted butter, but overall, really happy with how it turned out. Plus, it helped use up my milk before it went bad. Can't wait to toast some for breakfast and have it with butter and jam.
Jas says
So glad you enjoyed it, Kristina! 🙂
Kayla says
I loved this, but feel compelled to try it with the addition of yeast, too. If I just add yeast to the existing recipe would that mess it up??
Jas says
Hi Kayla, traditional bread with yeast is a different animal, but if you want to try it, I would leave out the baking powder. I also think you might have to add more flour, although I have made loaves of bread before with super sticky dough (I can only handle it with a wooden spoon), and they turned out great. However, make sure you adjust the baking time. The bread is done when it sounds hollow when you tap it on the bottom. Good luck, and let me know how it turned out! 🙂
Nicole says
Mine also came out similar to a biscuit, but was delicious. I had to use heavy whipping cream, so that could be why. Great recipe!
Jas says
Glad you enjoyed it, Nicole. The texture of this bread is denser than the ones made with yeast, which is expected. The fermenting agent, when activated, works on the dough and is responsible for raising it, making the bread lighter. You can add a bit of baking soda to the yeastless bread to make it airier, but it will also taste different. 🙂
Shawna says
Can I use almond milk?
Jas says
I haven't tried it myself, so I really can't advise, but I guess it wouldn't have the same taste and richness. If you're lactose intolerant, give it a try.
STANKA KOPF says
Upravo na internetu tražim kruh bez kvasca, jer mi stvara upale-autoimuna bolest i naiđem na vaš recept u USA nastao u Hrvatskoj i moram ga probati. Jas, dali je to Jasna, Jasminka ili Jasenka, u svakom slučaju hvala. Lijep pozdrav.
Stanka iz Osijeka
Jas says
Pozdrav, Stanka! Nadam se da ce Vam se svidjeti. Nije vazdusast kao oni sa kvascom ali je nama jako dobar. Ovdje me Ameri zovu Jas, porodica Jasna, a puno ime je Jasminka. Hvala sto ste uzeli vremena da mi ostavite poruku! Sve najbolje, Jasna. 🙂
Annabelle says
Delicious! Thank you for sharing the recipe.
Jas says
So glad you like it! 🙂
Angela Gwee says
This was my first time baking bread with no yeast. No need to wait for the dough to rise! No stand mixer, no dough hook! So simple! Thanks for sharing your recipe
Jas says
I'm so happy you like it, Angela! Thanks for stopping in and happy baking! 🙂
Lois says
Do you think you could use this to serve soup in? I know you would have to play around to vary this size and maybe make 2 or more batches but you think it would take the soup? I’m excited. Thanxxxxx
Jas says
Hi Lois, I can't say for sure as I haven't tried it myself. If it helps, the bread has a dense texture very similar to pound cake. If you experiment, please let me know how it turned out! 🙂
Joanne Paulson says
Hi.lovely recipe..could I use a gluten free flour instead..my dr has told me to eliminate wheat and dairy , so could I use the (gluten free )All purpose Flour Blend from Robin Hood ...thanks.....joanne
Jas says
Hi, Joanne! Thank you...If you have used that particular flour in other bread recipes with success, you could use it in this recipe. I haven't tried making it with GF flour, so I can't say for sure. Only one way to find out, right? 😉
Sylvia says
It looked and smelled amazing. I added everything seasoning. Only thing is that it didn’t cook through in the time. I added 10 more minutes and still some areas were moisty. I didn’t want to make anyone sick. Any ideas? As to why
Jas says
Oven temperatures vary. I always have to take out my food earlier than specified in recipes from other people. My advice is to keep your eye on it during the last 10-15 minutes of baking. If you have to bake it longer for 10-15 minutes, it's not a bad thing. You can always lightly cover it with a piece of aluminum foil, so it doesn't get too dark. When the bread is done, it should sound hollow when you tap it on the bottom.
Norah says
Hello,
I was wondering what makes this bread Croatian? Is it actually a traditional Croatian bread? I did some research and didn't find much. Trying to make a recipe from every country but don't want to be mislead. Looks like good bread regardless.
Thanks.
Jas says
Hi, Norah! I can't prove that this recipe is in Croatian cuisine history books as it has become popular in recent decades (especially during the civil war). My late aunt used to make it for us and she lived in Croatia her whole adult life. I researched it in our language and it led me to this Croatian blogger, but if you want an authentic old Croatian recipe, try this easy side dish that originated from the Croatian coastal area. 🙂