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.
6,391 Comments on “My Mother’s Peasant Bread: The Best Easiest Bread You Will Ever Make”
How do you store this bread if not eaten that day? love this recipe by the way! 2nd time making it!
A ziplock bag or other airtight container works best. The curst will become soft on day 2, but it revives beautifully in the oven/toaster. If you plan on storing bread longer than 3 days, I’d suggest slicing it and freezing it.
I’ve made this like 6 times now and absolutely love it!! Smells and tastes amazing. Question: would this recipe work if I made it into a baguette shape?
Yay! So happy to hear this, Claire! Regarding baguettes, I think you will find handling this dough a little frustrating. It is so, so wet, so you will need a lot of excess flour to get it into the right shape. What vessel were you planning on baking the baguettes in?
I have never made bread without a breadmaker (and even that was years ago) but now this is my go-to. I’m making it all the time! (I’ve even done the Holly’s Challah and the quinoa/flax bread!) So, Thank you!
Question…to do the “lukewarm water” trick, do you use “cold” water from the refrigerator? Or just, tap-cold? We have a (Berkey) counter water filter so, I wonder if that’s just luke-warm enough. I’ve tried with 1.5 cups of fridge water + 0.5 boiling and have tried 1.5 room-temp with 0.5 boiling and I don’t see a difference. What do you recommend?
Also, just thought I’d share…my French husband walked by after I had turned the bread out to cool (so it was upside down). He said, “What is this nonsense?” I asked what he meant and he said, “Upside down bread is bad luck in France! Put it right side up!” Ha!
Awww, I love this … where to begin where to begin?? With your French husband, of course 🙂 🙂 🙂 Love this. Not sure I will ever be able to leave my loaves upside down to cool without thinking of this or maybe I’ll never be able to allow them to cool upside down period?? In any case, thanks for sharing.
Regarding your question: I just use cold tap water, but it sounds as though the Berkey works just fine — if it works, use it! I’m a fan of doing whatever works for you 🙂
Made this bread last night for dinner. I followed the recipe exactly, except I took the dough and put it in one casserole dish instead of two and sprinkled rosemary on top of dough before putting it in the oven. Next time I would add a little more salt. Other than that, I will definitely make it again. Great texture to this bread without kneading.
Wonderful to hear this, Mary!
My bowls were to big but the bread came out great! I also made cinnamon butter to go along with it all I can say is yum!!
Yay!!
I bought my pyrex bowls and just made your bread — wow! SO so good! My 11 year old daughter and I made it together and we are enjoying it so much! Thank you for sharing your special family recipe.
Yay!! So happy to hear this, Julie 🙂 🙂 🙂
Can u guide me I followed the recipe to the T but it landed out to be dense
But the taste was there
Hi Priya! Questions: did you use a scale? how did the first rise go? the second?
I’ve heard you can proof bread in an instant pot using either the yogurt or warm settings. Has anyone tried this? I’ve thought about it because the house is cool even in the summer and it makes it more difficult to proof bread.
Interesting! Never tried, but I wouldn’t be surprised. The oven trick (notes in recipe) works beautifully, too.
I am so glad to have stumbled across your recipe. My Family absolutely loves when I make your Peasant bread. It comes out perfect every time. Although it it time consuming, the bread it delicious, fluffy on the inside with a slight crunch on the outside. No need to ever add anything on top of it. Thank You!
So happy to hear this, Evette!
Love your peasant bread recipe. I also bought your book! I tried your bread recipe at my daughter ‘s home and the loaves came out just like your pictures.
Today I went to visit my sister in Las Vegas and tried it out on her new oven. I knew there was a problem instantly when after 15 minutes at preheated 450 temperature
the top of the bread was not dark color but pale color looking. I was horrified but then lower the temperature to 375 for the remaining 15 minutes.
I took the bread out of the oven and turned the bread out of the bowel to cool on the cooling rack. The bottom of the bread was beautiful just like my previous baked peasant breads! I first thought I might have forgotten the 2 teaspoons of sugar so I made another batch but used 1.5 quart for the whole recipe. It was the same problem, the top was not browning at 425 temperature according to the preheated oven. I even baked it a 3 minutes longer at 425 and extra minutes beyond the normal 15 at 375! They all tasted wonderful and the bottom were golden color like your pictures. I came to my conclusion that my sister’s new oven was probably not
giving us the current temperature. Tonight I have ordered an oven thermometer for my sister even though she does not think there is something wrong with the temperature of her oven. When the thermometer arrives Saturday via Amazon, we will finally know the problem😢😢 What do you think? Please advise! P.S love your pizza recipe and everybody in my family loves it too.
Hi Nancy! Thanks so much for buying my book 🙂
So interesting to read all of this. One thing I have learned these past few years, baking the peasant bread in various ovens, is that every oven is different, and you cannot rely on the temperature settings. SO happy to hear you bought an oven thermometer: that is the best thing you can do to test the accuracy of your oven. I recently renovated my kitchen and have a fancy Wolf double wall oven, and it is totally inaccurate: often 25ºF – 50ºF off in temperature.
You can try other things, too: baking the bread in the upper-third of the oven, which might help the top to brown… ovens have hot spots, and if you can find it, stick the bread there. You can also turn the loaf out of its bowl (after it finishes cooking that is) and let it bake directly on the rack to help promote browning. You can try baking at that higher temperature for longer (more like 20 minutes as opposed to 15).
Let me know if you have any luck with these suggestions!
I came across this recipe last year and bought the book. My family and friends absolutely LOVE peasant bread. However, in Florida it always baked to perfection. I’ve since moved to Georgia and my first try was a dud! Hard, dense ball. I used the same vintage Pyrex bowl I’d used before. I didn’t change a thing (except for my location, obviously). Any thoughts?
So strange how location affects dough/bread! Questions: 1. Is Atlanta more humid? 2. Are you using a scale to measure the flour? It sounds as though you either need to increase the amount of water or decrease the amount of flour. You could also try extending the first rise to be more like 2-3 hours.
I tried this today and it came out beautifully! I made it in a square Pyrex dish and added olive oil, sea salt and rosemary on top. My very first homemade bread 🙂
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe, I will definetely make this more often. One question though: have you ever tried making it with a different kind of flour i.e. spelt or maybe even buckwheat? If so, does it work and can I usethe same amounts/proportions as in your original recipe?
Greets from Brussels, Belgium
Indra
So happy to hear this, Indra!
I would start by substituting 1 cup of all-purpose flour with 1 cup of whatever other flour you wish to use. From there, see how it goes, and adjust accordingly with more or less flour.
I haven’t tried this recipe yet, but I have a bread machine and am wondering if this would work or not. The recipe is truly simple, but I would prefer to use the bread machine if I can. Thanks!
I can’t comment because I’ve never used a bread machine. If you have one and know how it works, go for it!
For the first time ever making bread, I made your peasant bread today. It turned out perfectly with a golden crispy outside and a soft, luscious inside. The taste and texture is similar to a crumpet. Is that what it should taste like or did I make a mistake? Delicious but different from what I’m used to getting from the store.
Hi Heather! So happy to hear this. The crumb definitely has a spongy texture. Is that what you mean in regard to crumpet-like?
Yes, the texture was spongy, but bordering on rubbery, in the best of ways :). I have since discovered that I probably over proofed the dough. I went by the clock and it was bursting out of the bowl on the first round. I have since made the wonderful olive bread. I used a huge bowl and kept an eye on the rising until it just doubled in size. The bread was perfect! Today, I’m going to try the cheese bread. I’m also going to buy your book today. I’ve renewed it twice already at the library, and still so much to discover. Thanks so much for introducing me to this new hobby!
Oh good, so happy to hear this. Glad you’ve been able to find your rhythm! It’s easy in the summer to peek under a tea towel covering rising dough and to find it bursting with dough. The conditions are just too good for it. And thank you re book … makes me so happy!
At age 61 I considered myself a nationally renowned “Not A Bread Baker” kinda soul. I’d tried, gawd knows I tried. But every recipe that came across my kitchen failed in some spectacular fashion or another.
And then came your Mom’s Peasant Bread recipe … and now friends & relatives ask me (okay, there’s usually a little groveling involved, so mebbe it’s more like they BEG me!) to bring bread, or serve bread when they show up. Hubby & FIL a-d-o-r-e this bread and when I have leftovers (rare, but it does occasionally happen) I slice it up to use in an overnight French toast casserole that’s to die for… thank you, thank you, thank you!
I also love the fact that this bread is most excellent for variations on it… add 1-2 tablespoons of Mrs Dash’s Italian Seasoning for a wonderful bread to serve with almost any pasta (warm & buttered) or to make a tremendous garlic bread (slice, butter, add cheese to top before popping it under the broiler). Rosemary & Sea Salt on the top is good, but to ensure all slices have this goodness, I’ve taken to swirling it into my two loaves… scrumptious! And the sweet version contains 2 tablespoons of cinnamon, 1 tsp of nutmeg and 3 tablespoons of brown sugar per loaf.. sliced, toasted and buttered (or, for true decadence, slather with cream cheese), it’s to die for!
I’m proud to have given up my “Not A Bread Baker” title and you are the reason I’ve been able to join the ranks of folks who bake bread several times a week. Many thanks. 🙂
Awwwwww …. so happy to hear all of this! Thanks for taking the time to write/share. Love the sound of all of your variations, especially the rosemary and sea salt swirl. YUM!!
can i use stainless steel bowls or i have a thick white bowl that used to go ona stand mixer coudl i use that
What material is the thick white bowl? I think you can use stainless, though I’ve never tried: be sure to grease very well with butter no matter what vessel you use.
I ordered my Pyrex 3 piece set of bowls and they just came this evening. Get them now while they are just under $13 instead of paying $50! Amazon prime delivers in 2 days…..Tomorrow I will be trying this bread and I absolutely cannot wait : )
Yay!! Thanks for the heads up re price … it changes so often!
I have never made bread before. Can the recipe be halved to make one loaf?
Yes!
What would happen if I kneaded it?:)
I think you will find the kneading process with this dough very frustrating, especially if you do it by hand … you will need so much additional flour to make it work.
I have been making this recipe for a few weeks now and love it! Especially knowing what goes in the mix. I use 2 cups plain bread flour and 2 cups whole meal bread flour. (Needs a bit extra water with whole meal) I don’t have the right size Pyrex bowls but use 2 aluminium loaf pans. I use a sheet of baking paper and rub butter on it , place another sheet on top and rub together. Peel them apart and put into the tins so butter side will be next to the dough. I have even baked one just on baking paper and it gives a flatter wider loaf. To keep its shape initially I pull the sides of the paper up and hold with 3 pegs (take off before baking).
I also have made cinnamon, walnut and raisin loaf. Same recipe but increase the sugar to 2 tablespoons. Roughly chop walnuts and a lots of raisins. Add 1 tablespoon cinnamon. I put these in at the beginning.
Experimenting with a coffee, date and walnut loaf. Put in 4 shots of coffee but needs more.
I have usually made through the day and used a warm sunny spot but last night made it before I went to bed and left on kitchen bench and first rise was good in the morning. We are at the end of winter in Sydney Australia. Only problem is we eat too much when it is first baked!
In the pans gives a nice small slice. It freezes well and toasts well.
So happy to hear this, Sharon! I love how creative you are with the pans and ingredients and flavorings. Thanks for sharing! And I know, we always eat too much fresh out of the oven 🙂 🙂 🙂
Is it possible to bake this bread in a Pyrex loaf pan? It looks amazing!
Yes! Just don’t fill the pan higher than 3/4 full. YOu may need to bake off some of the extra batter in ramekins or other small vessels.
This is a easy recipe that makes a really nice bread, I love it!
How would I turn this into raisin cinnamon bread? Or Cranberry walnut? Would I just at the extra ingredients while mixing or would I add them after the first rise?
Add them with the dry ingredients!
Can I use my enameled cast iron Dutch oven that’s 2 qts to make this bread or should I stick to the Pyrex French White set that I have. Of course I would butter the Dutch oven well as you suggest WELL.
Yes!
Just wanted to leave a comment that I appreciate this recipe so much! I recently moved out of my parents’ house and out of state, and have found buying a full loaf of bread at the store is usually pretty wasteful – can’t really manage to eat the whole thing myself. I tried this and it’s so easy and so great, I make it almost every week! I keep a loaf for myself and bring a loaf to some friends who have helped me make the transition – they love it too!
I’ve had a lot of fun creating variations with other spices. On a visit to my parents’ last month, I surprised them with a loaf I had made with some fresh rosemary and thyme I’d had, and tried a sweet loaf today – extra sugar, some cinnamon and nutmeg and even chocolate chips! It’s a fantastic recipe and has become a staple for me!
I love this recipe! My cousin makes it for all of our family events and you are right – instant crowd pleaser! I tried it today and my bread turned out fantastic. Do you have a variation that uses ONLY almond flour or coconut flour? And possibly sugar free alternative to the sugar? My sister is diabetic and watches her carbs and sugar very closely at and I sent her a photo (right after I took it out of the oven MMMMMM) and she asked me so I figured I would pass that along to see if you knew or had any variations that might work.
Hi Char! So happy to hear all of this. Unfortunately, I do not have a variation with the criteria you are looking for. The closest thing would be this gluten-free variation of the peasant bread.
Gluten free is not the same as low carb… The flours/grains used for gluten free baked goods have just as many, if not more, carbs as wheat. Gluten free is not what the poster was asking for.
I made this yesterday for the first time. It was excellent. I’m making more right now to give away. Thanks for the great recipe!
Wonderful to hear this, David 🙂
EXCELLENT! I have tried several different recipes and this one is our favorite. My 12 year old had a science project (yeast) and chose this recipe to make. Kids were offering to pay for a loaf of their own. HUGE hit!
Oh yay!! So happy to hear this, Kathy!!
Can I use a non-stick loaf pan?
Yes! You likely will only be able to fit 3/4 of the dough in the pan. Bake off the remaining dough in small ramekins or other small baking vessels.
Does doing that change the rise or baking times?
With a loaf pan, I bake the bread for 45 minutes at 375F. In terms of rising, I wait for the dough to rise just above the rim before sticking the pan in the oven.
I found this supplier for 1 qt pyrex bowls at a decent price. I hope this helps everyone who may need the bowls. $3.99 each plus shipping.
https://chefstoys.com/32043/pyrex-prepware-mixing-bowl-1-qt-round-ri-32043
Nancy, this is amazing! Thank you for sharing the link with everyone 🙂 🙂 🙂
Hi I found this vendor that sells Pyrex 1 quart bowls for $3.99 each plus shipping.
Hope this comes in handy for anyone looking for the bowls!
Happy baking!
Nancy
Nancy, this is amazing! Thanks so much for sending!