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 😂
Amazing 😍😍. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
What will happen if I don’t reduce the temperature from 220 to 200?
I have a convection microwave oven and you cannot just reduce the temperature immediately.
It taste really good and I enjoyed making it but mine is a little more crumbly and how do you get it to look like perfect sandwich slices?
Made it with with spelt flour and almond milk. My husband enjoyed it. (I dont eat grain). It was a bit moist so may bake longer or use less milk. But that didnt stop him asking for seconds. Will definitely make again.
Wonderful was in a pinch and just did this and wow… My kids loved it. Thanks for sharing.
I just found your cooking site through Youtube and tried making the no-yeast bread. It came out divine and so easy! I am thrilled. Next I will use wheat flour..excited! Thank you so much for the cookbooks..I can’t wait to try some of your other recipes
A million thanks for sharing this recipe, Nagi!! You are a true bread fairy! All the best!
Made it and it is wonderful. I have a yest allergy, brewers and bakers and this turned out so fluffy and delicious! So happy!
This is amazing. I’ve tried a few other recipes but none were even close to this one. I used half milk half water and it turned out great. You are right that it slices better on day two. Sliced so beautiful and now I can have a sandwich like everyone else. I will be keeping a loaf in the freezer at all times. Thank you!!!
Due to Candidiasis, we have need of a totally yeast free sandwich bread & I finally found this recipe. I had been considering soda bread & making one alteration that I hadn’t heard of, so I tried it on this. Whipped a couple of egg whites into a merengue. When making the dough/batter I used bread flour, and used a couple of tablespoons less milk and first only used three cups of the flour mix. After mixing the milk, oil and three cups of flour mix I gently folded the merengue into the batter. I then added the fourth cup of flour mix. The merengue adds a lot of tiny bubbles into the same as the baking powder does, just in a different way. The bread turned out GREAT. I don’t know if it’s lighter than without merengue, but it’s great.
Ummm it says. Milk: WARMED
IN DIRECTIONS AND NOTES IT DOES NOTHING TO EXPLAIN THIS STEP. PLEASE HELP
30 second bursts in the microwave, stirring in between until warm, or gently on the stove.
Thank you very much for this idea💡
We used this recipe as the template but used Pamela’s 1 to 1 gluten free flour, and happy to report that it was a success. I know the recipe stated it may not work with GF flour, just wanted to let you know it did. We got a loaf that was tasty and squishy–maybe slightly dense–but held together well for Sammies and toast. Thanks again. Happy eats!
I never comment on these things. But this turned out Great!
This bread is amazing and I can never thank you enough. I was looking for a healthier version and bread and used your recipe with sweetener and a different type of all purpose flower and it was amazing.
I don’t have any loaf pans, will it still turn out good if I just freeform it on a sheet pan?
Easiest bread I’ve ever made! I stuck to the recipe this first time and found it to need a bit more salt for my taste. I will be making again with any number of add-ins. It seems to be a great base for other flavors plus no egg or yeast needed!
I’ve tried lots of no yeast breads and, without exception, they’ve all tasted much like an inferior cake EXCEPT this one. I’m not in the habit of writing reviews but I had to write to say how good this one is and, as you say, as close to the real thing as you can get. will definitely make again
Excellent bread recipe, (as are all your recipes!) this is the second time I have made it!!
Made this a few times now and hasn’t failed to satisfy. Starting to look to adapt to our tastes by adding chili flakes/oil and some herbs. Would be interested to see how raisins come out.
Super basis recipe to use as is, or adapt.
Thank you !!
Can I use coconut oil? Do I need to use less if using almond milk because it seems to be hard not to over stir because of liquid amount.
This bread was so quick and easy to make and turned out perfect! I will be making this again for sure!
The results are great. This is a quick, easy and efficient recipe.
Wow I would have never imagine to make bread in a matter of minutes.