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.
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 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. It is not artisan bread, and it’s not 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.”
A foolproof way to make sure your yeast is active is to sprinkle it over lukewarm water in a small bowl with a little sugar (detailed instructions below). After about 10 minutes, the yeast mixture will appear foamy as it does here:
Just-mixed dough, ready to rise:
Dough after first rise:
Dough, punched down:
Dividing the dough in half:
As I noted above, this is a very wet dough and 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.
Buttering and filling the bowls:
Dough after second rise, ready for the oven:
This is the yeast I buy exclusively: SAF Instant Yeast. Instant yeast can be whisked into the flour directly (as you would salt or sugar) without any blooming or proofing. Find it here: SAF Instant Yeast. If you want to stick to active-dry (but don’t! I promise, instant is so easy.) Red Star yeast is great.
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.
Bread Toast Crumbs: The Trailer
View More Video Tutorials Here.
My Mother’s Peasant Bread: The Best Easiest Bread You Will Ever Make
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Prep Time: 5 minutes -
Cook Time: 32 minutes
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Total Time: 2 hours 27 minutes
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Yield: 2 loaves
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Category: Bread
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Method: Baked
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Cuisine: American
Prep Time:
Yield:
Category:
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Print Recipe
Pin RecipeDescription
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. I’m working on finding a solution.)
The vintage Pyrex #441 bowl is my favorite bowl to bake the peasant bread in — the perfectly round shape of the bowl creates a beautiful round loaf. It belongs to a set of four nesting bowls (also called Cinderella bowls, specifically the Pyrex #441, #442, #443, #444), which I have purchased from Ebay. I absolutely love the set in general, but I love most of all that I can bake the whole batch of peasant bread in the second largest bowl (#443) and half of the batch in the smallest bowl (#441). The set runs anywhere from $35 to $50 or higher depending on the pattern of the Pyrex.
The bread:
This is a sticky, no-knead dough, so, some sort of baking vessel, such as pyrex bowls (about 1-L or 1-qt) or ramekins for mini loaves is required to bake this bread. 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.
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. If you are interested in buying yeast in bulk, here you go: SAF instant yeast and Red Star Baking Yeast (use this if you prefer to stick to active-dry, though I highly recommend using instant). The beauty of instant yeast is that there is no need to do the proofing step — you can add the yeast directly to the flour. I never use active-dry yeast anymore.
Troubleshooting:
For questions on high-altitude baking, see this post.
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. Also, measure scant cups of flour if you are not measuring by weight: 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 that’s less wordy: Peasant Bread Recipe, Simplified
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 ideas for using up the many loaves you will bake. Learn more about the book here or buy it here.
Ingredients
- 4 cups (512 g | 1 lb. 2 oz) unbleached all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 cups lukewarm water (made by mixing 1 1/2 cups cold water with 1/2 cup boiling water)
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons instant or active-dry yeast
- room temperature butter, about 2 tablespoons
Instructions
- Mixing the dough: If you are using instant yeast: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, sugar, and instant yeast. Add the water. Mix until the flour is absorbed. If you are using active-dry yeast: 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.
- 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 oven-safe bowls (such as the 1-qt pyrex bowls I mentioned above) 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 turn the dough up onto itself if that makes sense. 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.
- Let the dough rise 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 for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 375º and make 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
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.
#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.
Keywords: easy, bread, simple, no-knead, peasant
Taylor Johnson says
I LOVE this bread! I discovered it after watching “The Great British Baking Show” where they were making quick breads and came across this recipe. So glad i did! I’ve made it probably 5 or 6 times since discovering it 3 weeks ago, and it’s been perfect every time. Thank you!
★★★★★
alexandra says
Wonderful to hear this, Taylor!
Susan D Bramer says
I LOVE this recipe! I make it at least once a week now, and have found an easy way to deal with the sticky dough after punching it down with the forks. Put a nitrile or vinyl glove on one hand, spray it Pam or some other cooking oil spray, and use that hand to scoop the dough out of your rising bowl and plop it into your baking bowls!
★★★★★
Leona Moote says
And then put your glove into the freezer until you are making bread the next time and you can use the glove again and again. Store it in a plastic bag in the freezer and let it warm up a bit at room temperature before re-using it. Waste not, want not!
Judy says
This bread is truly one of the easiest and most delicious you are ever going to make. I now make it twice a week and if you follow the recipe, it never fails. Thank you Alexandra to your mom and you for sharing it with others. It is a winner!
★★★★★
alexandra says
Oh heyyyyy Judy!!! xo
Lindsay Hill says
Question: if you don’t have glass/Pyrex bowls, would it work in a deep stew pot? Thanks!
alexandra says
You can really bake it in any oven-safe dish. Be sure to well butter whatever dish you choose. The shape of the finished loaf will be determined by the vessel, so keep this in mind — your loaves might not look like the photos, but they will still be delicious.
Susan Snelling says
This is my family’s favorite! I’ve been teaching my niece how to cook and bake, and this was the first recipe she asked for! It is an easy recipe for a beginner, and it gave her the confidence a beginning baker needs. Thank you for a tried and true recipe.
★★★★★
alexandra says
So wonderful to hear this, Susan!
Priscilla Roopnarine says
Simple but delicious.
Penny says
Looking forward to making this bread. Can you use Bread Flour instead of all purpose? Thanks for your help.
alexandra says
Absolutely!
Sandra Ward says
If making a single loaf, how long do you recommend to bake it for?
Valerie says
For the Faux Focaccia variation, do you bake the bread for 15 minutes at the higher temperature, reduce the temp to 375, and continue baking for 17+ minutes OR are you giving two oven temp options? As in, bake at 425 for 15 minutes OR bake at 375 for 17+ minutes?
Valerie says
Hmm…perhaps I have answered my own question. So, just for confirmation, after re-reading the recipe, it appears there’s no difference in the baking time/temperature for the loaves versus the focaccia? It’s just how you shape the dough… {grin} Is that correct?
alexandra says
You got it! No difference in baking time, just shaping. Let me know if there is anything else. ALSO, just fyi, this is my favorite focaccia recipe: https://alexandracooks.com/2018/03/02/overnight-refrigerator-focaccia-best-focaccia/
It’s essentially the same proportions, but no sugar, and a long, overnight rise in the fridge. But if you want quick, try out the variation above!
Carla west says
Have you tried this with bread flour? Just wondering if it might have a more open rustic crumb…..
alexandra says
Yes. You can definitely use bread flour. You may get a slightly better rise with bread flour, but the crumb should be more or less the same. I suggest all-purpose because most people have it on hand, and I hate thinking about people having to run out to get one more ingredient or feeling deterred by a recipe because they don’t have an ingredient. In sum: go for it!
Kathie says
Hi…..do you think I could use my dutch oven to bake the bread? I don’t have any large glass baking bowls.
Thanks
Kathie
Mo says
How to do he recipe for half? Trying today. Wish me luck.
Anne says
I made this with wholemeal flour and found that I needed another 3 tablespoons of water to get the same consistency as before. Worked really well. This recipe is the easiest I have ever followed- thank you!
Jill says
I bought your book and am taking advantage of the long weekend and wintry weather to try out the peasant bread. I tried to make a more “artisanal” loaf following your directions in the back of the book (put dough on floured work surface, pinch into ball, put in preheated Dutch oven). When it came to shaping the loaf, my dough was wayyyyy to wet and would immediately ooze into a flat footballish shape no matter how hard I pinched. Any tips for my next try?
Bread tasted good anyway–just think it will look nicer and maybe have a more open crumb if I manage to shape it properly!
Fernando says
I just made this bread for the first time. Im not very good at baking but this recipe was so easy to follow and the bread is so tasty! I just made grilled cheese with it. You were right. Its perfect.
★★★★★
Sally says
I noticed you are using a metal bowl and utensils in the pictures. I am a novice to this, but the few yeast rolls I have made with relatives they always instructed me never to use metal in any part of the bread making process. Is metal ok? I really don’t have to have all glass and plastic to make yeast breads?