My Mother’s Peasant Bread: The Best Easiest Bread You Will Ever Make
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This is the no-knead bread recipe my mother has been baking for 45 years. Start to finish, it can be ready in three hours. It bakes in well-buttered Pyrex bowls — no need to preheat a baking vessel for this recipe — and it emerges golden and crisp with a soft, tender crumb. 🍞🍞🍞🍞🍞
When I tell you that, if forced, I had to pick one and only one recipe to share with you that this — my mother’s peasant bread — would be it, I am serious. I would almost in fact be OK ending the blog after this very post, retiring altogether from the wonderful world of food blogging, resting assured that you all had this knowledge at hand. This bread might just change your life.
The reason I say this is simple. I whole-heartedly believe that if you know how to make bread you can throw one hell of a dinner party. And the reason for this is because people go insane over homemade bread. Not once have I served this bread to company without being asked, “Did you really make this?” And questioned: “You mean with a bread machine?” But always praised: “Is there anything more special than homemade bread?”
And upon tasting homemade bread, people act as if you’re some sort of culinary magician. I would even go so far as to say that with homemade bread on the table along with a few nice cheeses and a really good salad, the main course almost becomes superfluous. If you nail it, fantastic. If you don’t, you have more than enough treats to keep people happy all night long.
The Magic of the Peasant Bread
So what, you probably are wondering, makes this bread so special when there are so many wonderful bread recipes out there? Again, the answer is simple. For one, it’s a no-knead bread. I know, I know. There are two wildly popular no-knead bread recipes out there.
But unlike the others, this is a no-knead bread that can be started at 4:00pm and turned out onto the dinner table at 7:00pm. It bakes in well-buttered Pyrex bowls — there is no pre-heating of the baking vessels in this recipe — and it emerges golden and crisp without any steam pans or water spritzes. This is not artisan bread, nor is it trying to be. It is peasant bread, spongy and moist with a most-delectable buttery crust.
Genuinely, I would be proud to serve this bread at a dinner party attended by Jim Lahey, Mark Bittman, Peter Reinhart, Chad Robertson, Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois. It is a bread I hope you will all give a go, too, and then proudly serve at your next dinner party to guests who might ask where you’ve stashed away your bread machine. And when this happens, I hope you will all just smile and say, “Don’t be silly. This is just a simple peasant bread. Easy as pie. I’ll show you how to make it some day.”
Peasant Bread Variations
Once you master the peasant bread, you can make any bread your heart desires — this simple no-knead bread recipe is the foundation of many of the other bread recipes on this site, namely this hugely popular overnight refrigerator focaccia and this simple homemade pizza dough. It’s even the inspiration behind this sourdough focaccia and this sourdough sandwich bread and this simple pita bread recipe.
The below post is organized as follows:
- How to Make Peasant Bread, Step by Step
- The Best Way to Store Bread
- Peasant Bread Dinner Rolls
- Peasant Bread Sandwich Bread
- How to Add Seeds and Nuts to Bread Dough
- How to Make Gluten-Free Peasant Bread
- How to Coat the Loaves in Seeds
- How to use Whole Wheat Flour
- How to Bake the Peasant Bread in a Dutch Oven
Many more variations on the peasant bread can be found in my cookbook, Bread Toast Crumbs:
Bread Toast Crumbs
Love the peasant bread? There’s now a book filled with 40 simple bread recipes plus 70 recipes to use up every crumb of every loaf you bake.
How to Make Peasant Bread, Step by Step
First: You need yeast.
This is the yeast I buy exclusively: SAF Instant Yeast. Instant yeast can be whisked into the flour directly without any blooming or proofing. If you want to stick to active-dry yeast, there are instructions in the recipe notes on how to do so. Red Star yeast is great.
Whisk together flour, salt, sugar, and instant yeast. Add lukewarm water.
Mix until you have a sticky dough ball. Let it rise for 1.5 to 2 hours…
… or until it looks like this:
Punch down the dough using two forks.
Then split the dough down the middle again using the two forks.
Because this is a very wet dough, it must be baked in an oven-proof bowl. I am partial to the Pyrex 1L 322 size, but any similarly sized oven-proof bowl will work.
Butter the bowls well; then transfer half of the dough to each prepared bow.
Let the dough rise again until it crowns the rim of the bowl, about 30 minutes.
Transfer the bowls to the oven to bake:
This bread is irresistible when it’s freshly baked, but it also makes wonderful toast on subsequent mornings as well as the best grilled cheese. It’s also my favorite bread to use for these egg salad sandwiches and for this no-tuna “tuna” salad.
The Best Way to Store Bread
If you want to store the bread at room temperature for 3 to 4 days, I think the best method is in a ziplock bag. I’ve tried other eco-friendly options, but nothing seems to keep bread freshest — the crumb the softest — better than a ziplock bag. You can re-use the bags again and again.
If you intend to keep the bread for longer, I would freeze it. I often slice bread as soon as it cools completely, transfer the slices to a ziplock bag, then freeze. This way, I know the bread was frozen at its freshest.
A ziplock bag will not prevent the crust of bread from turning soft, which is why I suggest always reheating day-old bread. I use a toaster at breakfast for slices of bread, and I reheat half or quarter loaves in the oven at 350ºF for 15 to 20 minutes when serving for dinner.
Bread revives so beautifully in the oven or toaster.
No-Knead Dinner Rolls
To use the peasant bread dough to make rolls, simply divide the dough into smaller portions and place in a buttered muffin tin as in these No-Knead Thyme Dinner Rolls (pictured above). This recipe for no-knead buttermilk pull-apart rolls is also based on the peasant bread as are these brioche pull-apart rolls.
No-Knead Sandwich Bread
To make sandwich bread, multiply the recipe below by 1.5 and bake the bread in two buttered 8.5×4.5-inch loaf pans.
Made with half all-purpose flour and half King Arthur Sprouted Wheat Flour, these seed-coated sandwich loaves (pictured above) have a soft and light crumb. I really like KAF’s sprouted wheat flour, which is made from white whole wheat berries that, when sprouted, yield a creamy, sweet, milder-tasting flour. You can use 100% all-purpose or bread flour for an even lighter loaf or your favorite whole wheat flour in place of the sprouted wheat flour.
How to Add Nuts and Seeds to Bread Dough
To add seeds and nuts (or dried fruit and cheese), simply stir them into the dry ingredients. This recipe for Quinoa-and-Flax Toasting Bread will offer guidance on how much to add.
How to Make a Gluten-Free Peasant Bread
Making gluten-free peasant bread (pictured above) unfortunately isn’t as simple as swapping in gluten-free flour for the wheat flour. But the process and recipe is still super simple — in fact, because there’s only one rise, many people find the gluten-free peasant bread to be even simpler than the original. Find the recipe here: Gluten-Free Peasant Bread
How to Coat the Loaves in Seeds
To coat the peasant bread in seeds, as pictured above, simply coat the bowls with everything bagel seasoning or with dukkah or sesame seeds or whatever seed mix you wish. The seed-coated loaves look so beautiful, and it’s amazing how much the flavor of the coating permeates the loaves. Find the recipe here: Everything Bagel Seasoning Peasant Bread
How to Use Whole Wheat Flour
To use whole wheat flour in the peasant bread, simply replace as much as 50% of the all-purpose flour with your favorite whole wheat flour: I like KAF’s sprouted wheat flour, and I’ve been loving the Cairnsprings Mill Trailblazer stone-milled flour. With the Trailblazer, I can use up to 75% of it in the peasant bread, and it yields a beautiful, chewy texture as well as a lovely flavor and aroma.
When using whole wheat flour, you may have to use more or less water — there is no rule as to how much more or less, and it will take some trial and error to get right because all flours absorb water differently. When I use KAF sprouted wheat flour, for example, I don’t change the water amount at all. When I use the Trailblazer flour, on the other hand, I reduce the water by at least 50 grams.
If you’d like to learn more about whole wheat flour and stone-milled flours, read this: Easy Sourdough Bread (Whole Wheat-ish)
How to Bake the Peasant Bread in a Dutch Oven
If you’re looking for more of a crackling crusted boule (characteristic of a loaf of sourdough bread) as opposed to the buttery crispness of the peasant bread, you can bake the peasant bread dough in a preheated Dutch oven.
There are detailed instructions below the recipe in the notes section, but one thing to keep in mind before you begin is dough hydration. The peasant bread is a very high hydration dough, meaning there is a lot of water relative to flour. Because baking the peasant bread in a Dutch oven will require some handling of the dough — to shape it into a round and to create some tension — you may want to reduce the water from the start. Consider holding back 20-30 grams of water to make the process more manageable for you.
My Mother’s Peasant Bread: The Best Easiest Bread You Will Ever Make
- Total Time: 2 hours 27 minutes
- Yield: 2 loaves
Description
Notes:
The bread:
This is a sticky, no-knead dough, so, some sort of baking vessel, such as pyrex bowls (you need two 1-qt bowls) or ramekins for mini loaves is required to bake this bread. See notes below the recipe for sources. You can use a bowl that is about 2 qt or 2 L in size to bake off the whole batch of dough (versus splitting the dough in half) but do not use this size for baking half of the dough — it is too big.
Peasant Bread Fans! There is now a book: Bread Toast Crumbs, a loaf-to-crumb bread baking book, filled with tips and tricks and answers to the many questions that have been asked over the years. In the book you will find 40 variations of the master peasant bread recipe + 70 recipes for using up the many loaves you will bake. Learn more about the book here or buy it here.
Ingredients
- 4 cups (512 g) unbleached all-purpose or bread flour
- 2 teaspoons (10 g) kosher salt
- 2 cups (454 g) lukewarm water (made by mixing 1.5 cups cold water with 0.5 cup boiling water)
- 2 teaspoons (8 g) sugar
- 2 teaspoons (8 g) instant yeast, I love SAF Instant Yeast, see notes below
- room temperature butter, about 2 tablespoons
Instructions
- Mixing the dough: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, sugar, and instant yeast (I love SAF Instant Yeast). Add the water. Mix until the flour is absorbed. (If you are using active dry yeast, see notes below.)
- Let it rise. Cover bowl with a tea towel or plastic wrap and set aside in a warm spot to rise for at least an hour. (In the winter or if you are letting the bread rise in a cool place, it might take as long as two hours to rise.) This is how to create a slightly warm spot for your bread to rise in: Turn the oven on at any temperature (350ºF or so) for one minute, then turn it off. Note: Do not allow the oven to get up to 300ºF, for example, and then heat at that setting for 1 minute — this will be too hot. Just let the oven preheat for a total of 1 minute — it likely won’t get above 100ºF. The goal is to just create a slightly warm environment for the bread.
- Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Grease two 1-qt or 1.5-qt oven-safe bowls (see notes below) with about a tablespoon of butter each. Using two forks, punch down your dough, scraping it from the sides of the bowl, which it will be clinging to. As you scrape it down try to pull the dough toward the center (see video below for guidance). You want to loosen the dough entirely from the sides of the bowl, and you want to make sure you’ve punched it down. Then, take your two forks and divide the dough into two equal portions — eye the center of the mass of dough, and starting from the center and working out, pull the dough apart with the two forks. Then scoop up each half and place into your prepared bowls. This part can be a little messy — the dough is very wet and will slip all over the place. Using small forks or forks with short tines makes this easier — my small salad forks work best; my dinner forks make it harder. It’s best to scoop it up fast and plop it in the bowl in one fell swoop. Some people like to use flexible, plastic dough scrapers for this step.
- Let the dough rise again for about 20 to 30 minutes on the countertop near the oven (or near a warm spot) or until it has risen to just below or above (depending on what size bowl you are using) the top of the bowls. (Note: Do not do the warm-oven trick for the second rise, and do not cover your bowls for the second rise. Simply set your bowls on top of your oven, so that they are in a warm spot. Twenty minutes in this spot usually is enough for my loaves.)
- Bake it. Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 375º and bake for 15 to 17 minutes longer. Remove from the oven and turn the loaves onto cooling racks. If you’ve greased the bowls well, the loaves should fall right out onto the cooling racks. If the loaves look a little pale and soft when you’ve turned them out onto your cooling racks, place the loaves into the oven (outside of their bowls) and let them bake for about 5 minutes longer. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes before cutting.
Notes
- The bowls: The cheapest, most widely available 1-qt bowl is the Pyrex 322. Update: These bowls are becoming harder to find and more expensive. As a result, I’m suggesting this cheaper option: the Pyrex 3-piece set. You can split the dough in half as always (see recipe) and bake half in the 1-quart bowl and half in the 1.5 quart bowl. The loaves will not be the same shape, but they will be delicious nonetheless.
- Yeast: I buy SAF Instant Yeast in bulk from Amazon I store it in my fridge or freezer, and it lasts forever. If you are using the packets of yeast (the kind that come in the 3-fold packets), just go ahead and use a whole packet — It’s 2.25 teaspoons. I have made the bread with active dry, rapid rise, and instant yeast, and all varieties work. The beauty of instant yeast is that there is no need to “proof” it — you can add the yeast directly to the flour. I never use active-dry yeast anymore.
- If you have active-dry yeast on hand and want to use it, here’s how: In a small mixing bowl, dissolve the sugar into the water. Sprinkle the yeast over top. There is no need to stir it up. Let it stand for about 10 to 15 minutes or until the mixture is foamy and/or bubbling just a bit — this step will ensure that the yeast is active. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. When the yeast-water-sugar mixture is foamy, stir it up, and add it to the flour bowl. Mix until the flour is absorbed.
- Troubleshooting: You can find step-by-step video instruction here.
- Several commenters have had trouble with the second rise, and this seems to be caused by the shape of the bowl they are letting the dough rise in the second time around. Two hours for the second rise is too long. If you don’t have a 1-qt bowl, bake 3/4 of the dough in a loaf pan and bake the rest off in muffin tins or a popover pan. The second rise should take no more than 30 minutes.
- Also, you can use as many as 3 cups of whole wheat flour, but the texture changes considerably. I suggest trying with all all-purpose or bread flour to start and once you get the hang of it, start trying various combinations of whole wheat flour and/or other flours.
- The single most important step you can take to make this bread truly foolproof is to invest in a digital scale. This one costs under $10. If you are not measuring by weight, do this: scoop flour into the measuring cup using a separate spoon or measuring cup; level off with a knife. The flour should be below the rim of the measuring cup.
- Here’s a printable version of this recipes that’s less wordy: Peasant Bread Recipe, Simplified
- How to Bake the Peasant Bread in a Dutch Oven: Preheat a Dutch Oven for 45 minutes at 450ºF. Dust a clean work surface with flour. After the first rise, turn the dough out onto the floured surface and shape it into a ball: I like to fold it envelope style from top to bottom, then side to side; then I flip it over and use the pinkie edges of my hands to pinch the dough underneath and create some tension. Transfer the dough to a sheet of parchment paper. Let rest for 20 minutes. If you feel your dough is spreading too much you can lift up the sheet of parchment paper, dough and all, and place it in a bowl of a similar size. After the 20 minutes, transfer the dough, parchment paper and all to the Dutch oven. Carefully cover it. Bake 30 minutes. Uncover. Bake 15 minutes more.
- To bake the peasant bread in a loaf pan: If you are using an 8.5×4.5-inch loaf pan or a 9×5-inch loaf pan, you can bake 3/4 of the dough in it; bake off the rest of the dough in ramekins or other small vessels … the mini loaves are so cute. You can also make 1.5x the recipe, and bake the bread in 2 loaf pans. If you have a large loaf pan, such as a 10×6-inch loaf pan, you can bake off the entire batch of dough in it. For loaf pans, bake at 375ºF for 45 minutes.
- How to Bake at Hight Altitude:
- First try the original recipe as written (preferably with a scale). You may not need to make any adjustments. One commenter, who lives at 9200 ft finds the original recipe to work just fine as is.
- If the original recipe doesn’t work, try adding a little bit more water because it rises fast and it is so dry: about a quarter cup for every 512 g of flour.
- Try decreasing the yeast to 1.5 teaspoons.
- If your dough is especially gooey, try decreasing the water by 1/4 cup. But, if you aren’t using a scale, my first suggestion would be to buy a scale and weigh the flour, and make the bread once as directed with the 2 cups water and 512 grams flour, etc.
- Punch the dough down twice before transferring it to the buttered Pyrex bowls. In other words, let it rise for 1-1.5 hours, punch it down, let it rise again for about an hour, punch it down, then transfer it to the buttered bowls.
- Variations:
- #1. Cornmeal. Substitute 1 cup of the flour with 1 cup of cornmeal. Proceed with the recipe as directed.
- #2. Faux focaccia. Instead of spreading butter in two Pyrex bowls in preparation for baking, butter one 9×9-inch glass baking dish and one Pyrex bowl or just butter one large 9×13-inch Pyrex baking dish. If using two vessels, divide the dough in half and place each half in prepared baking pan. If using only one large baking dish, place all of the dough in the dish. Drizzle dough with 1 tablespoon of olive oil (if using the small square pan) and 2 tablespoons of olive oil (if using the large one). Using your fingers, gently spread the dough out so that it fits the shape of the pan. Use your fingers to create dimples in the surface of the dough. Sprinkle surface with chopped rosemary and sea salt. Let rise for 20 to 30 minutes. Bake for 15 minutes at 425ºF and 17 minutes (or longer) at 375ºF. Remove from pan and let cool on cooling rack.
- #3. Thyme Dinner Rolls
- #4 Gluten-free
- #5. Everything Bagel Seasoning Bread. Simply coat the buttered bowls with Everything Bagel Seasoning. Watch a how-to on Instagram Stories here.
- #6: Whole Wheat Peasant Bread. Use as much as 50% whole wheat flour. I like King Arthur Flour’s white whole wheat flour (see this post) or sprouted wheat flour (see this post).
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 32 minutes
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
6,381 Comments on “My Mother’s Peasant Bread: The Best Easiest Bread You Will Ever Make”
I’m a completely newbie baker but in the past, I used a no-knead bread recipe (which I’ve lost) and used it to make hand-pie type things. I’d flatten it out, put a filling in it and put a top on it or fold it in half and seal it.
Would this recipe work for this in your opinion?
I look forward to trying this recipe as written as well but my husband ADORES the handpie things for lunch!
Thanks! <3
Hi Tracey!
Hand pies are very traditional! They are so good. Google “Cornish Pasty” for many recipes on the original versions that miners and farmers eat in the British Isles. The filling I make is like stew but just a bit of sauce/gravy. They freeze great, which you likely already know! I’ve not used a yeast end dough as its to soft.
Hi Tracey, I think you could use the dough for hand pies — are they similar to calzones? I’ve used pizza dough for calzones, as here, so I say give it a go!
Came out perfect, the fastest and easiest bread I’ve ever made.
Yay! So happy to hear this!
Hi I tried this recipe today and the dough mixture never got as wet and gloppy as your videos. I checked and rechecked the amounts and did exactly as your recipe called for. Am I missing something? I’m also new to bread making so not sure if I’m just not seeing something that is obvious. Thanks.
Hey! Are you using a scale? That’s the essential tip if you are having dough issues. You’re probably adding too much flour. If you don’t have a scale, I would use a lighter hand when measuring the flour.
Trying a lighter hand on flour today! The texture looks just right and the dough has risen beautifully. Just waiting for it to cook!
Hi! I’m hoping I can get some troubleshooting….
I made Peasant Bread last night for the first time (after my Pyrex bowls finally came)! I cut it this morning, and it was unexpectedly moist/wet. Is that how the crumb is supposed to be? I noticed in the directions it says that the dough is really wet a few times…
For reference: I used Red Star Quick Rise yeast, and used the instructions for instant yeast. I weighed my flour, had the bread rise for about an hour and fifteen minutes, had the second rise on top of the oven, and cooked the bread for 15 minutes (and 425) and then 15 minutes (at 375). Then I left it on the cooling racks overnight and cut it this morning.
All of this is to say: is the bread supposed to be so wet?
Hi Nikki! It sounds as though you are doing everything right. It sounds as though you just need to cook it a little longer. I usually do 17 minutes or longer at 375 — were the loaves kind of pale when you took them out? I think this will be an easy fix for you: give the bread 5 to 10 minutes more of cooking. You added the salt, right?
Hi!
Yeppers, I added the salt. The loaves were a nice golden color, but I just looked at your Instagram and they weren’t quite as dark. I will try again tonight!
Thank you for the prompt and helpful response!
Perfect, good luck! And report back!
Hello! I made the peasant bread for my second time last night….again, same problem. I cut open the loaf after baking it for a bit longer than last time, and it was still really wet. So then I put the second loaf back in the oven (outside of the Pyrex bowl) for….twenty minutes? And it still was wet! I’m wondering if the culprit is the first rise being too short? Or maybe my yeast brand (I’ve noticed both in your book and your blog you talk a lot about Saf Instant yeast)? I am determined to make this bread work for me!
I also made your vegan one pot lentil soup last night, DELICIOUS. I used the full amount of vinegar, and it turned out superb.
Hi Nikki! So happy you liked the lentil soup but so sorry you’re still having bread issues! We’ll get to the bottom of it. Question: does your oven run cool? It sounds as though you just need a lot longer cooking time than what typically is needed. You have the Pyrex bowls, so you’ll be able to see when they are evenly golden all around. If the top is too brown but the bottom (the surface touching the pyrex) you could try cooking it a 375 for the entire time, but cook it for 45 to 50 minutes. Also, is your oven standard size? I ask because I recently cooked in a friend’s NYC kitchen, and I had to adjust times for anything that went in the oven because it cooked things so differently than my oven. I do find SAF instant yeast always gives good results. You could also try letting the first rise go longer: 1.5-2 hours, and letting the second rise go for as long as needed — as soon as the dough peeks above the rim, it’s ready for the oven. But I would try cooking longer first. Good luck!
I don’t seem to be able to reply to your most recent comment, so I’m replying here!
I don’t know what a standard oven is….mine is slightly smaller than my parents’ oven but it’s not a small oven? So I’m not sure if that’s a factor. My oven tends to run a bit cool, but I have a thermometer in there so I can monitor the temperature.
I took your advice and let the first rise go for a full two hours, then the second rise for 20-25 minutes, and then I baked the bread at 375 for 45 minutes. It was totally golden all the way around, and it smelled amazing while it was baking (I hadn’t really noticed an aroma the first two times). I cut into it, and the crumb is still kind of wet! It’s DEFINITELY better, though.
I’m going to grab some SAF Instant yeast on Amazon, I kind of doubt that will be the magic answer but I’m going for it anyway!
OK, progress! How long are you letting it cool? I think the first time you let it cool completely, right? Like overnight? The longer you can let it cool the better. AND, I might suggest now cooking it even longer: try 55 min at 375.
I THINK WE’VE DONE IT
I:
Mixed the dough using SAF Instant yeast, covered it with Glad Press N’ Seal, let it rise for 2 hours and 5 minutes on my counter. Then I punched the dough down/divided it as before, and initially let the dough do its thing on top of the preheating oven but when I noticed that it was rising kind of a lot (15 minutes in?) I moved it to the counter near the oven. After 30 minutes total, I put the bowls in the oven and lowered the temperature to 375 (I accidentally preheated to 425). I let it bake for a full 55 minutes, then took them out. I actually forgot to remove them from the glass bowls right away, so they partially cooled for….maybe a half hour? in those bowls. I turned them out onto the counter, then let them cool completely overnight, then cut into them this morning.
It’s definitely a moist bread….right? If so, I think we’ve done it!!!!
Woohoo! It definitely is a moist bread. It dawned on me recently, that I never asked you where you live? I wonder if your climate is affecting anything. A friend of mine who lives in San Francisco cuts the water back by a quarter cup, and that helps him get the right consistency. In any case, I applaud your perseverance, and I hope you are happy with the results!
Hi, friend! I live in the upper Midwest–maybe I will cut the water by a wee bit next time I make the bread. Thank you for all of your help and troubleshooting! Now that I know the Peasant Bread works for me, I can’t wait to try the other recipes from Bread Toast Crumbs.
You are so kind, thanks, Nikki! It was my pleasure. xoxo
Having dealt with a glass Pyrex dish breaking in my oven years ago, I recently purchased two enameled cast iron 2 quart pots to make the peasant bread this weekend. I have all of the ingredients that you recommend and hope to report back in a few days with a success! If you have any suggestions for adjustments for baking in cast iron,please let me know.
Wonderful! My only tip is to make sure the pots are well greased. And you can bake the whole batch of dough in one of those pots. Just be sure to bake it for about 10 minutes longer or so.
Going to try baking your bread this weekend – love baking but have never done bread before. Out of curiosity, why do you punch it down with forks rather than your hands – is it just because the dough is so sticky? Thanks!
Yes, exactly! No knead to get your hands all sticky 🙂
The weekend of my original comment didn’t go as planned, so just finished my first attempt and tried my first slice now… SO GOOD! It’s denser than I was expecting, but I think I might have been a little heavy on the flour… my dough was not as sticky as yours looked. But you’re right, irresistable when warm, love the kind of crunchy crust. Definitely going in my recipe box!
So happy to hear this, Susan!!
Can this recipe easily be cut in half to make one loaf? Thanks.
Yes!
I made this with my 9 year old and it turned about beautifully. She was so happy to make it and it was so easy and tasted great. We ate it for breakfast toasted all week! Definite my going to make it again. I am going to try it in muffin tins for dinner rolls.
So happy to hear this Lori!
Wow. Dinner Rolls!! Please let me know how that turns out. If it works, I want to try it that way, too! Wonderful idea.
Follow instructions here: https://alexandracooks.com/2013/11/26/thyme-dinner-rolls/ So easy and good!
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!! Can’t wait to try it!
I love this bread recipe. I usually make two. One is regular and for the second? I butter the dish, then shake brown sugar on the sides and leave a layer on the bottom. The brown sugar carmelizes and makes a fantastic sweet bread. If I want a sweeter bread, I sprinkle brown sugar across the top as well. It tends to sink down into the bread while cooking.
Healthy? Meh.
Healthier than store box cake? 100%
Loved by family? You bet.
LOVE this idea so much!! Thanks so much for sharing. Can’t wait to do this for my kids.
Very good and very easy. I baked it in a 9×5 loaf pan.
I was hoping someone used a loaf pan… did you need to adjust baking time or anything when you made yours? Tyia for any suggestions 🙂
Make 1.5 times the recipe; bake it at 375 for 40 minutes; two loaf pans
Thank you so much for this amazing, simple and delicious recipe . Tried it today and just loved the bread . My confidence in bread making restored ??.
Yay!! So happy to hear this!
That bread looks terrible .
Not only does it look like a giant dinner roll rather tha true peasant bread. It is made way to fast to develop flavor that only a long fermentation can do.
The crust is pale and crumb is too tight to be a peasant bread.
Hi Kevin,
So what’s your ideal loaf? Super crusty? Long, slow fermentation? This is not that bread. I just saw the breads on your site — they look beautiful. Nice work. But a lot of people don’t have time to light a wood-fired oven when they want to bake a loaf of bread. A lot of people also don’t like when bread is super crusty and hard to chew. A lot of people don’t understand baker’s percentages either. I applaud you on your “artisan” bread baking, but that’s not my goal here. My goal is to show people how easy bread baking can be. My goal is to demystify the process and then send people on their own bread-baking journey, whether its sourdough or Lahey style with minimal yeast and a long slow rise or loading the bread with cheese and nuts and herbs, etc. So many people who have made this bread are experienced bakers and will be the first to say it tastes just as good as the naturally fermented breads they’ve baked but with a fraction of the effort.
Anyway, normally I don’t entertain commenters that just drop by and leave nasty comments because it’s usually not worth the time, but I’m tired of “artisan” methods being equated with “better”. It’s elitist and unfounded. If you bake bread at home, you’re doing it right. And to have a knee-jerk reaction against yeast and faster rises is just silly. I could go on and on. You think your organic flours and rye and spelt flours make your breads better than breads made with ap flour? If you really care about health and wheat flavor, you’re better off seeking out freshly milled and stone-milled flours.
Hi Alexandria,
You are so right, and he is so wrong. There are many things that affect the final result of a good bread, not just long fermentation. I have a couple of 36 hour sourdough recipes that I like to play with, and feel good when people rave about them. But guess what? When I sprung this one on them, the raves were equal to any I or any of my experienced baking friends have received for our “slaved in the kitchen for hours” breads. This bread is just plain good; chewy crust, moist, flavorful crumb and we all had fun with the “upside down muffin look”. There are as many shapes and sizes of Peasant Bread as there are peasants. Back when these breads were made over a wood fire, nobody at the table cared if it was “artisan” or not. Besides the word artisan simply means “someone who makes something”. Today’s meaning conveys arrogance and pompousness rather than artistry.
Like you, I don’t normally respond to comments such Kevin’s, but this bread is so good, I couldn’t resist. Can’t wait for your book to get here.
Phil
Hi Phil,
Thanks so much for all of this. I have had similar experiences. I’ve made Tartine Bread and various other naturally leavened breads, and they are all delicious, but as you said, this one gets as rave reviews as any. I really appreciate you chiming in. The arrogant/pompous comments are so tiresome. Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! So happy my book is on its way! Thank you thank you.
Ali
It’s called DIFFERENT. Sheesh. Like you said, different breads require different directions. Maybe for someone who doesn’t have the time could let the dough rise overnight and bake in the morning. Or refrigerate the dough so slow down the rise and bake when its convenient. The only wrong way to do this is altering the actual quantities of ingredients. Even then, it’s not necessarily the WRONG way to do it.
Keep up the good work Alexandra. The more people experiment with bread the better they’ll get at it.
Hey, Kevin, your grammar looks terrible. Not only does it make you look ignorant, the whole comment shows how arrogant and rude you really are.
Thanks for the support, Nellie!
Instead of saying the bowels are deceivingly small, could you tell us how many cups they hold so we know if we are using the same bowl or not please.
Sure thing. The bowls are 1-qt each, which is 4 cups. There are some notes about the bowls in the recipe box above the recipe. Hope that helps. Let me know if there is anything else.
I’m in my second year of baking bread and I made this yesterday and itks gone already. Two more are rising as I write this. My ife said it’s the best bread I’ve ever made. I agree. it’ soooo good. we used one of them as a giant bread bowl with cream of asparagus/crabmeat soup. Unbelievable! Thank you.
One question; Is a Pyrex 21/2 qt, (#325) to big to bake the full mix?
Regards, Phil
Hi Phil! SO sorry for the delay here. 2.5 quarts should be just fine to bake the whole batch of dough in. I absolutely love your idea of making a giant bread bowl, and your soup sounds divine as well.
So, so happy you love the bread 🙂 🙂 🙂
I dont have any pyrex bowls. can i use something else,?
Yes, any oven-safe 1 qt bowl will work; 1.5 qt bowls work; 2 qt bowls work (bake the whole batch in one of these). Loaf pans work: make 1.5 times the recipe. What size bowls do you have on hand?
This bread turned out beautiful. Thank you so much for the recipe. My Pyrex bowl was a 2.5. I used regular yeast and stuck with timing. This recipe is so easy *smiles*
So happy to hear this, Barbara!
Greetings the jury is still out until I get them out of the oven. My concern is when I was incorporating the dry ingredients and the yeast I noticed mine was not as wet and sticky as yours was in your video. The 1st and 2nd rise went well. I have never had good luck with any yeast dough. I live almost 5k feet so does altitude play in to your recipe at all? Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks
The bread came out beautifully. I will be making this for our Christmas get together.
No I don’t use a scale for measurements. I am just getting into bread baking and didn’t want to go hog wild until I felt comfortable. I am definitely go to get a scale. Next question, for those recipes that don’t give a weight, is there a standard that I can use?
Thanks Dan
Hi Dan,
Sorry for the delay! I always use this: 1 cup of ap or bread flour = 128 g. But, if I am making someone else’s recipe, such as a bread recipe on the King Arthur Flour site, and they already have the recipe in grams, I just use the measurements they give. Hope that helps.
Happy New Year!
Thank you so much for this recipe! I’m beyond amazed at how simple & delicious the loaves turn out. I can’t wait to dive into your book. Thanks again!
So happy to hear this, J!
Thanks for a fabulous bread recipe, I love making bread and this is (relatively) quick and really easy. It was delicious and I agree toasted up beautifully the next day. Definitely a keeper, I will be making this often. I baked mine in my cast iron pot which was a bit big for the recipe, so had a big flat bread. I went and bought a smaller pot at Krogers 50% off sale just to accommodate my next loaf. Will double the recipe for when the family comes on Sunday.
So happy to hear this, Judy! Nice find at Krogers, too 🙂 🙂 🙂
This page and video states 2 tsp of the instant yeast, yet the video that accompanies the Cook Book states 2 1/4 tsp instant yeast. Which works best?
First time bread baker here, hoping that my first try is perfect!
Thanks,
Terri
No difference. The generally accepted amount in a “package” of yeast is 2 1/4 t. Go with either, it’ll be OK.
Should have added that yeast in packages is sooooo much more expensive than in 1 lb bags. People will say ” 1 pkg of yeast” in their recipes but people who buy yeast in bulk need exact quantities. Like in a recipe that uses “a package of cole slaw” or “a can of beans” or “a large can of beans”. What is large?
To get real ambitious, get an electronic scale to weigh your ingredients. Way better than cups as those can vary tremendously. A packed cup of flour weighs more than a sifted cup for example. One way you’ll use way too much flour in your recipe. With a scale and weights, 400 grams is 400 grams. No need to sift.
A scale that weighs to grams is ideal (and I also use a jewellers scale that weighs in 1/10 of a gram. I weight yeast and salt with the smaller scale.
Thanks for chiming in here, Len! Sorry for the delay Terri. Len, is right — no difference. I use 2 teaspoons because I buy yeast in bulk (1 lb. packages) and measure out what I need. The book calls for 2.25 tsp. mostly because most people buy the packets of yeast, which are filled with 2.25 tsps, and I didn’t want them to think they had to measure out 2 teaspoons of yeast. Does that make sense? Happy Baking!! Let me know if there is anything else.
I make this as written all the time. Today however, I put the entire batch in a pyrex 1.5qt bread dish as a trial run for a crowd of 50 people this coming Sunday. It’s still in the oven, and I should have asked this before but would you leave this in longer if baked all at once? MY KIDS LOVE THIS BREAD!!!!
Yes! like 15 minutes or so. It’s forgiving. If you have an instant read thermometer, you can stick it in and it should register 210º or so.
Yay!!
I LOVE this bread, It is so easy to make! I can’t wait to get your book. Thank you and thank your mom for this wonderful recipe!
Thank you, Gail!! So happy to hear this.
Hi! I made this bread for the second or third time tonight and decided to ask a question about it. Both (or all three–I honestly can’t remember) times I’ve made it, my dough is much, much drier than yours. You write about it being very sticky and having a hard time getting it from mixing bowl to buttered bowl. My dough, on the other hand, was mostly dry enough to manipulate by hand without much mess, and, apart from my own clumsy nature, there was no danger of it slipping away while being transferred. The results were all delicious, so I’m not complaining loudly, mostly just confused. Any thoughts as to why this might be?
Hi Anna Kate!
I think the issue is in the measuring. Question: Are you using a scale? If you are, then I’ll have to follow up, but if you are not, I am guessing you are packing your measuring cups with too much flour. Next time, measure scant cups: scoop the flour into the cup with a spoon, don’t shake it or pack it, and fill it till just below the rim. Measuring by volume is so tricky. I highly recommend you invest in a scale if you want to make bread baking a regular and easier endeavor. It takes all the guesswork out: simply dump 512 g of flour into a bowl and you’re done. Does that make sense?
I tried making this bread last night after having it at someone else’s home last night. I made it in two small pyrex bowls but one was smaller than the other so I didn’t split them evenly. I let them rise longer than you recommended, (90 minutes first rise) and cooked them longer than you said but they were golden on top but raw in the middle. What am I doing wrong? I have a Woolf oven and live in San Francisco. I used instant yeast, but not the brand you recommended.
Hi Rachel!
Thanks for writing in and sorry for the trouble. Question: are you using a scale to measure the flour? The longer rises shouldn’t be the issue — longer rises are great in fact — and the different brand of yeast also should not matter.
My thinking is that your dough is too wet especially given you are in SF. The food stylist for my cookbook lives in SF, and before the photoshoot, he practiced making the bread in his apt. He used a scale to measure the flour, and he had better success reducing the liquid by a couple of tablespoons to account for the humidity of SF. What’s funny, however, is that during the shoot, which was in Oakland, we didn’t make any adjustments to the liquid.
So, my first thought is to invest in a scale. They cost $13 on Amazon. One you have the scale try it once as written or with a few tablespoons less water and see if that helps.
It sounds as though you are baking it long enough. Another way to ensure doneness is to take the temperature of the dough. I use a Thermapen, which is just a nice reassurance that the bread is done (210ºF). Also, wait as long as possible to cut into the dough.
Hope that helps! Let me know if there is anything else. Happy New Year!
Happy (much belated) New Year! Your bread has made me an undeserved star among friends, who beg for me to make it. I’ve noticed when I measure the flour to a pound and 2 ounces, it tends to come out a bit dense and raw in the middle (which is still delicious) but when I use 4 cups of flour and don’t weigh, it comes out with more structure and is cooked evenly. Delicious both ways so I’m more comfortable now eyeballing it and deciding which kind I want. I think you’re right that the water ratios may differ in cold SF. Just bought two of your cookbooks (one as a gift) so I can experiment more. I’m a huge fan of yours! Thanks for teaching me so much!
You are too kind! I am so happy to hear all of this and especially happy to hear you have found a method of measuring that works — my sister, who has heard my mother and me extol the virtues of a scale for years, still measures with cups and has no plans to change. So, I’m all for finding a method that works for you. Thanks so much for reporting back. Happy happy baking!! xo
Hi again,
Well, this bread has simplified my life considerably. I love to bake bread and give it away. There are many seniors living near us who don’t,for one reason or another, get to enjoy home made bread. So I always bake more than we can consume give the overage away. (We garden the same way). Anyway, I used to get a variety of requests for different breads. Since I’ve been giving away your Peasant Bread, it’s the only one they want, Same with friends and family. It is also the recipe that I get the mosts requests for, once someone has tasted it. Although I’m sure I will, I have not made another bread since discovering this recipe. I keep feeding my sourdough starter though, just in case.
Thank you again for sharing this spectacular recipe. Happy New Year.
Phil, I’m so happy to hear all of this. How nice of you to share your bread (and vegetables!) with others, particularly the seniors. I love giving my extra bread to my 80-something-year-old neighbor across the street who truly acts as though I’m giving her gold when I show up with a loaf of peasant bread. She never bakes bread and runs all over town trying to find the best deal on her weekly bread. Wishing you a happy happy New Year!!
This was so simple and almost foolproof. I made 2 loaves and sent one home with our New Year’s guests. It’s a great bread recipe. Going to try the focaccia option as a host gift today since I’ve got rosemary in the house. So for that, you only sprinkle it on the outside, you don’t mix any rosemary into the dough? Thanks for the great go-to recipe!
Hi Stevi! So great to hear all of this. Yes, for the focaccia, I just sprinkle the rosemary (and nice, flaky sea salt if you have it — lots of grocery stores sell Maldon, which is great) on the outside of the bread.
Happy New Year!!
Can you believe I am making this bread again today? This is my 4th batch. My husband keeps asking for it. Thank you again for this recipe. I just know it’ll be one of those lifelong go-to recipes.
So happy to hear this, Stevi!
This is such a great recipe. I’ve been making it for years, and it never disappoints. However I have never mastered the dividing of the dough as artfully as Ali does, so I mix it up in 2 bowls. Less frustration and mess for me.
Thank you for the recipe.
So happy to hear this, Natalie! It sounds as though you have a good solution, but if you feel like giving the one bowl mix a go, King Arthur Flour sells these plastic, flexible dough scrapers that work well for transferring dough. Thanks for sharing your tip!
First time making bread and I tried this out. After the second rise, 45 mins, it did not rise near as much as yours. I went ahead and baked it and halfway through it had not risen any more and did not appear to be golden on the top. Any suggestions?
What size bowls are you using to bake?
WOW…this was so easy & yummy! It’s definitely my new “go to” favourite recipe. If I could give this a higher rating I would. I’ve been on the hunt for a perfect chewy crusty bread. This isn’t really crusty but the texture is amazing, dense, moist, chewy. This would be amazing as a bread bowl for chowder, if you have small enough cookware. I can’t wait to try it in a flat pan for focaccia. Thank you for sharing this!
PS I only had a 4ltr Pyrex bowl & it turned out awesome!
This is such a good comment because I was terrified I would ruin mine (I too only have a 4qt) but i’m more optimistic now! I can’t wait for mine to come out. I just put it in and I am SO EXCITED for fresh bread!
So happy to hear this, Tina!! The focaccia is so yummy. And yes, bread bowls are fun! I make them in empty steel cut oat tins to get the flat bottom.
I tried that other no-knead dutch oven bread a couple years ago and it was a disaster. I’m not a bad cook either.. but that bread.. so bad. So I kept on googling, found this recipe, made the bread, was a success, made it many more times thereafter. But I’m actually here to comment on Peasant Bread French Toast. YUMYUMYUM. So gooooood. It’ s not even fresh Peasant Bread either. I made it a couple months ago, sliced it thick, wrapped each slice in saran wrap and put the whole thing in a freezer safe ziploc. Took out a slice, nuked it for a minute (too long, had to let it cool), whisked an egg, some milk, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, pinch of salt. Soaked up all that yummyness, (I literally squeezed the bread, like a sponge, to speed up the soaking process. Don’t hate. =P) Buttered up a nonstick and let it cook on super low heat for about 15 minutes a side. Crispy outside, soft soft inside. Also, I’m writing this comment to give myself a minute after eating so I don’t run to the freezer and defrost another slice. THANKS ALEXANDRA AND MOM!
Oh, yum!! SO happy to hear all of this, Tina. You’re making me hungry!! It’s -12ºF here this morning.