5 Ways to Make Bread without Yeast ( Easy Recipes)

Did you find yourself with a stockpile of flour or grains but no yeast?  Don’t worry.  There are actually numerous ways to make bread without yeast.

Here are six methods plus 13 no-yeast bread recipes including traditional bread, Irish soda bread, dinner rolls, breadsticks, flatbread, cornbread, and more.

Go here if you want to learn how to make yeast or here if you want to learn how to store dry yeast.

Irish Soda Bread Recipe

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 55 minutes

Total time: 70 minutes

Yield: One loaf

Description:

In this recipe, the baking soda interacts with the acids in the buttermilk to form bubbles.  The crust will be harder than you are used to, so don’t be tempted to take it out of the oven too early.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups flour (you can use a mixture of white and whole-wheat)
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 Tbsp. butter (or oil or shortening)
• 1 cup buttermilk (see note)

Instructions:

1. Mix the dry ingredients together and then add cut in butter.
2. Add buttermilk until a dough forms.
3. Knead until the dough comes together.
4. Form the dough into a round shape. Put on a lined baking tray.
5. Cut a large X on top of the dough.
6. Bake at 425F for 55 minutes or until it sounds hollow when tapped.

Note:

Don’t have buttermilk? Make buttermilk by adding 1 Tbsp. of apple cider vinegar, white vinegar, or lemon juice to the milk and letting it sit to curdle for 5 minutes.

Baking Powder Bread

Baking powder and baking soda are both leavening ingredients, meaning they will make bubbles and cause baked goods to rise without having to use yeast.

However, baking soda and yeast are NOT interchangeable.

A lot of people prefer baking powder no-yeast breads because they don’t have as much of a metallic taste as those with just baking soda.  You’ll have to try it out yourself to see which you like better.

Read: How to store baking soda

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Simple Baking Powder Bread

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 20-35 minutes

Total time: 35-50 minutes

Yield: 20 biscuits or 1 large loaf

Ingredients:

• 4 cups all-purpose or plain flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 1/3 cup of milk (if you don’t have milk, use water with 1 Tbsp. of oil or butter)

Instructions:

1. Mix the flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.
2. Stir in the milk and form a dough.
3. Knead the dough until you get a uniform consistency.
4. Shape into a bread shape and put on a lined baking pan. Cut an X on the top. Or form into small biscuits; these don’t need an X on top.
5. Bake at 375F for 35 minutes (for a loaf) or about 20 minutes (for biscuits), or until it sounds hollow when tapped.

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Fluffier Baking Powder Bread

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 35 minutes

Total time: 45 minutes

Yield: One large loaf

Description:

This recipe uses both baking soda and baking powder to leaven the bread.  The result is a fluffier no-yeast bread.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 Tbsp. sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 cup warm water
• 2 tsp. apple cider or white vinegar

Instructions:

1. Mix all the dry ingredients in a large bowl
2. In a separate bowl, mix the water and vinegar
3. Add the water/vinegar mixture to the dry ingredients.
4. Stir to form a dough.
5. Knead the dough with floured hands. Keep kneading until you get a smooth consistency.
6. Put the dough on an oiled baking sheet. Form into a round shape.  It should be only 1 ½ inches high.
7. Cut an X on the top.
8. Bake at 400F for 35 minutes, or until the crust is brown and it sounds hollow when tapped.

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Dinner Rolls

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Total time: 35 minutes

Yield: 15 rolls

Ingredients:

• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 1/2 cup oil
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 2 ½ tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 3 cups flour (I used half all-purpose and half whole-wheat)
• Butter or egg yolk (optional)

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients except the flour.
2. Slowly add in the flour to form a dough.
3. Knead the mixture with floured hands until you get a uniform consistency.
4. Take a plum-sized piece of dough and form it into a ball. Put the balls on an oiled baking sheet.
5. Optional: Brush melted butter or beaten egg yolk on the top of the balls. This will give them a glossy finish when baked.
6. Bake at 370F for 20 minutes.

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Easy Baking Powder Biscuits

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 16 minutes

Total time: 31 minutes

Yield: 8 biscuits

Ingredients:

• 2 ¼ cups of all-purpose flour
• 4 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter (if using salted butter, remove 1/2 tsp. of the salt)
• 1 cup buttermilk (see note)

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.
2. Cut the butter into cubes and cut into the flour mixture.
3. Slowly add the buttermilk and mix until you form a very thick batter. It should not be as thick as a normal dough.
4. Using a ¼ cup measuring cup, scoop pieces of batter onto a skillet or an oiled baking pan.
5. Bake at 450F for about 16-18 minutes.

Note:

Don’t have buttermilk? Make buttermilk by adding 1 Tbsp. of apple cider vinegar, white vinegar, or lemon juice to the milk and letting it sit to curdle for 5 minutes.

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Breadsticks

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 15 minutes

Total time: 30 minutes

Yield: 12 breadsticks

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4cups all-purpose flour
• 2 Tbsp. sugar
• 1 1/2teaspoons baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 2 tsp. Italian seasonings
• 3/4 cup milk
• 3 olive oil or melted butter

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl, mix all the dry ingredients together.
2. Slowly add the milk to create a dough.
3. Put the dough on a floured surface and knead for a few minutes. The dough should have a soft, uniform consistency.
4. Divide the dough into 12 equal balls. Roll them out to form breadsticks. You can twist the dough to create interesting shapes, if desired.
5. Bake at 450F for about 15 minutes.

No-Yeast Flatbread

Flatbread is one of the most traditional types of bread and is eaten around the world.  Flatbread is very simple to make and many recipes don’t require yeast since it isn’t as important to get the dough fluffy.

These are great for wraps.  Or you can cut flatbread into strips and put it into soups.

Roti

Prep time: 40 minutes active

Cook time: 15 minutes

Total time: 45 minutes

Yield: 12

Ingredients:

• 2 cups flour + ¼ cup for rolling out the dough
• Pinch of salt
• 2 Tbsp. oil or melted butter + extra for brushing on the rotis
• ¾ to 1 cup boiling water

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl, mix the flour and salt. Add the oil.
2. Slowly add the boiling water. Mix as you add the water.
3. Keep adding water and mixing until you form a dough. The dough should be soft but not sticky.  You might need more or less water depending on the type of flour you used.
4. Knead the dough to get a uniform consistency. When pushed with your finger, it should leave an imprint.  If it is too hard, add a bit more water and knead again.
5. Cover the dough with a damp towel/cloth and let it sit for 30 minutes.
6. Knead the dough again and then divide into 12 equal balls.
7. Dust the balls with the extra flour and roll them flat. Brush off any excess flour.
8. Heat oil in a pan over medium-high. Then the pan is hot, add the rotis one-by-one. Cook on one side until you see bubbles forming and it starts to puff up a bit.  Then flip and cook the other side until it starts to brown.
9. Remove the rotis and immediately brush with oil (optional). Serve warm.

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Naan

Prep time: 20 minutes active

Cook time: 30 minutes

Total time: 50 minutes

Yield: 10

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. salt
• ¾ tsp. baking powder
• 2 Tbsp. oil, plus more for frying
• ½ cup milk

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl, mix together all dry ingredients.
2. Make a well in the middle and slowly add the oil and milk. Stir to form a dough.
3. Put dough on a floured surface and knead to get a uniform consistency. Add more flour if the dough is too sticky.
4. Let the dough sit for 10 minutes.
5. Divide into 10 equal pieces. Roll into very thin, oval shapes.
6. Heat a skillet on medium-high. When hot, add the first piece of dough.
7. Cook each piece of dough for about 1-2 minutes on each side, or until some parts start to blacken.
8. Brush with oil or butter and seasonings when done, if desired.

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Lefse Norwegian Potato Flatbread

Prep time: 4 hours

Cook time: 30 minutes

Total time: 4 hours 30 minutes

Yield: 10

Description: These flatbreads resemble a crepe.  They are great to make when you are running low on flour and need to think of other ways to use up starches like potatoes.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. potatoes
• ¼ cup butter or oil
• ¼ cup heavy cream
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 cup flour

Instructions:

1. Heat the oven to 400F.
2. Clean potatoes and pierce the skins in several places with a fork. Roast in the oven for 1 hour, or until you can easily pierce them with a knife.
3. Let the potatoes cool and then scoop out their flesh. Mash the flesh until as smooth as possible.
4. Mix the potato flesh, salt, butter, and cream in a large bowl until smooth.
5. Slowly add flour to create a soft dough. Add more flour if the dough is still too sticky.
6. Chill the dough in the fridge for 1 hour.
7. Divide the dough into 8 to 10 equal portions. Dust each with flour and roll out until at most 1/8 inch thick.
8. In a heated skillet or non-stick pan, cook each lefse for about 2-3 minutes on each side. They should be golden brown on each side.

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Luchi

Prep time: 15 minutes active

Cook time: 30 minutes

Total time: 70 minutes

Yield: 10

Description:

Luchi is a fried no-yeast bread which puffs up when it’s fried.  It’s not at all like the bread you are probably used to, but is really satisfying.  Because they are a bit oily, they are best served with acidic meals like spicy curries.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups fine flour (like cake flour)
• 2 Tbsp. ghee or 2.5 Tbsp. oil
• 1 tsp. salt
• About ½ cup of water
• Ghee or oil for frying

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl, mix the flour, ghee, and salt.
2. Add a small splash of water and mix.
3. Slowly add more water while stirring. Stop adding water when you get a smooth, soft dough.
4. Cover the dough with a towel and let it stand for 30 minutes.
5. Take plum-sized pieces of dough and form into balls.
6. Using a rolling pin or glass jar, roll the balls into flat rounds. They should only be about ¼ inch thick.
7. Heat ghee in a frying pan. When hot, add the luchi dough one by one.
8. Fry on one side. It will start to puff up.  When the oil stops sizzling, flip the luchi and fry the other side.  They should be light and puffy, not browned.
9. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and put on a plate lined with a paper towel to absorb the extra oil.

5. Corn Breads

Corn flour is a lot mealier than wheat flour.  It also doesn’t contain gluten, which means the flour doesn’t stick together as well.  Because of this, breads made from corn tend to be more crumbly, dense, and require eggs.

You can still use corn breads for things like sandwiches, but it is best to serve with stews and gravies.  You can just pour the stew or gravy right over the bread and eat it all with a fork.

With the pupusas recipe below, you actually stuff your filling right into the corn dough before frying.   It’s a nice break from wheat flour or a good way to use up corn flour when wheat isn’t available.

Pupusas (Stuffed Flat Corn Bread)

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 30 minutes

Total time: 45 minutes

Yield: 18

Description:

This dish is El Salvadorian and incredibly versatile.  It uses masa harina, which is essentially corn flour.  You don’t have to stuff it with anything if you want to save time.  But, if you put forth the extra effort, they taste great stuffed with fillings like sauted veggies, cheese, and beans.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups masa harina
• 2 tsp. salt
• 3 cups cold water
• 1 cup filling of choice (such as refried beans and cheese)
• Oil

Instructions:

1. In a large bow, mix together the masa harina and salt.
2. Slowly add the water and mix to form a dough.
3. Fill a shallow bowl with water and a splash of oil.
4. Dip your hands into the water/oil bowl and then grab a plum-sized ball of dough. Roll it into a ball and then flatten.
5. Put about 2 tsp. of filling in the middle of the dough. Fold it over and seal the edges. Then pat it down to make a round shape again.  Be careful you don’t let any of the filling spill out of the dough. If it does, patch the area with a bit of dough.
6. Heat a large pan to medium-high. Add a bit of oil to the pan and then add about 5 pupusas.  Cook the pupusas for 2-4 minutes on each side or until golden brown.

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Cornbread without Eggs

Description:

This cornbread recipe also uses some wheat flour.  The wheat flour helps hold it together.  If you want to use only corn flour or meal, then you’ll need to add egg as a binder or alternatives like flax meal or chia seeds.

Ingredients:

• 1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup corn meal
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. seasonings (rosemary, oregano, basil…)
• 1 Tbsp. baking powder
• 1 ¼ cup milk
• 1/3 cup oil

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl, mix all of the dry ingredients.
2. Add the milk and oil. Stir until combined.
3. Pour batter into an oiled 8×8 pan.
4. Bake at 400F for 20-25 minutes. Test doneness by inserting a fork into the middle of the bread; if it comes out clean, the bread is done.

6. Fermented Bread (Injera)

This recipe comes from Ethiopia and is one of my personal favorites.  It looks and feels like a crepe but has a very tangy, distinct flavor.  You can actually use it instead of a fork: just tear off a piece of the injera bread and use it to scoop up chunks of stewed food or curried lentil mash.

The bread is so unique because of how it’s made.  You first mix up the dough and then let it sit so the natural yeasts can grow within it.

Injera Recipe

Prep time: 15 minutes active

Cook time: 20 minutes

Total time: 35 minutes

Yield: 18

Ingredients:

• 1 cup teff flour (or use barley flour if you don’t have teff)
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ½ tsp. salt
• 3 cups water, preferably distilled or highly-filtered

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl, mix the flours and salt together.
2. Add the water and stir until you get a uniform consistency.
3. Cover the bowl with a clean towel. Let it stand undisturbed overnight.
4. The next morning, stir the mixture. Then let it sit undisturbed overnight again.
5. Repeat the process of letting the mixture sit and gently stirring in the morning.
6. After 3-5 days (depending on the temperature), the mixture should be bubbly and have a sour smell. It is done.
7. Bring 1 cup of water to a boil. Stir in about half of the mixture. Stir constantly until it thickens. Remove from heat and add this back to the original batter.
8. Stir the mixture. Add enough water (about 1/3 to 2/3 cup) to get a crepe-batter consistency.
9. Add a small amount of oil to a pan and heat.
10. When the pan is hot, add some batter to the pan and prepare like you would make a crepe. You do not have to flip; only cook on one side.

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