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.
6,401 Comments on “My Mother’s Peasant Bread: The Best Easiest Bread You Will Ever Make”
I don’t know if I’m more impressed with your prompt reply or this delicious, easy, satisfying bread. Thank you so much for an incredible recipe! I am making another batch today and have shared the recipe with my friends. This was my first attempt at making bread-it’s foolproof!
Oh yay! This makes me so 😍😍😍😍
Best Bread ever!! So simple! Thanks for reipe!!
Hooray!
One question: after reading the comments would love to try this recipe, my one hang up is that I do not have the bowls. I do have Pampered Chef oven safe glass mixing bowls, but they are 2qt size. Would those work for this and if so, how high should they rise?
You can bake the entire batch of dough in 1 2-qt bowl. Butter it well. Bake it for 15 minutes at 425F, lower the oven to 375F and bake it for 25-30 minutes more.
Tried the GF yesterday, and had some difficulty. (wouldn’t rise) Made the regular recipe today with great success. Only problem I had was getting the dough split and out of the bowl – so I just buttered up my hands and did it manually, instead of with the forks. easy-peasy!
Question: I feel like this would be a perfect consistency for a Sour Dough bread recipe. Have you tried that variation yet?
Wonderful! And yes, I have made this with sourdough. See this post: Simple Sourdough Focaccia … scroll to the bottom and you’ll see the photos of the sourdough in the bowls.
I wonder what went wrong with the gf bread? Which gf flour did you use?? Was the dough very liquidy?
Hello there.Thank you for sharing with us.If I would like to make only one bread how i will do the first and the second rise? and how many cm will be the bowl (diameter I mean)?Thank you so much.
Hi Felicia! Simply halve the recipe, but follow the timing/instructions as written. The 1-qt Pyrex bowl is about 16-cm in diameter.
Hi there! I looove this recipe! Actually all your recipes but this is the best. Quick question – can I bake the entire batch in a 2.5 quart Pyrex bowl? Do I need to adjust the baking time if so? Thanks!
So happy to hear this 🙂 🙂 🙂 YES: just extend the baking time by about 15 minutes … err on the side of over baking. If you have an instant read thermometer, you can check the temperature of the bread, and it should read 205F or above. Happy baking!
Can this be into loaf pans, glass or metal?
Yes! Going to add this note to the FAQs as I get asked this a lot:
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 do 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.
Can I bake this in a large cast iron skillet or Dutch oven? How to adjust times
Yes, you can! Question: do you want to preheat the Dutch oven and cook the bread Jim Lahey style? (as in, are you after a crackling crust?) or do you simply want to butter the Dutch oven and bake it as directed here?
To be clear … you can split the dough in half and bake in either two 1-qt or one 1-qt and one 1.5-qt bowl -OR- bake the entire amount of dough in one 2-qt bowl. Right? When baking the entire loaf in the 2-qt bowl do you need to increase the oven temperature or baking time?
Hi Gina! Yes: you can split the dough in half and bake one half in the 1-qt bowl and the other half in the 1.5-qt bowl. OR you can bake the entire batch of dough in the 2-qt bowl. No need to change the oven temps for the 2-qt bowl but extend the baking time by another 10 to 15 minutes … err on the side of over-baking. Hope that helps!
Hi Alexandra. I have used this recipe with a hundred percent success rate. I have now shared this recipe with my fellow countrymen who are in locked down mode due to corona virus.
So happy to hear this 🙂
Can I bake this in a Le Creuset Dutch oven instead of finding and buying a bowl?
Yes! Susan, are you planning on preheating the Dutch oven to make more of a crackling crusted boule? Or do you simply want to follow the method here, by buttering the inside and letting the dough make its second rise in the Dutch oven? Let me know!
Absolutely the best bread. I was pleasantly surprised that I was able to make it. My family loves it.
So happy to hear this, Lorraine!
This is so wonderful. can I bake in a 1 1/2 qt pyrex loaf pan
Yes! But only 3/4 of the dough will fit … don’t try to bake the whole batch of dough in it. Bake off 3/4 of it, and bake off the rest of the dough in mini loaf pans or ramekins or other oven-safe vessel … the mini loaves are so cute.
I’ve made this bread many times & it just seemed like a good time to do it again. I’m topping it with the everything bagel that I bought a while back. This is so easy. I use a heating pad & set my bowl on that. It rises perfectly. My granddaughter is trying it this weekend.
Love the heating pad trick Patty! So smart 😍
I tried this recipe today and I tell you that I’m in love. It is very easy to make and it tastes delicious. Also the time to make it, is just as you described. Thank you for sharing this recipe with us. 🙏💕
So happy to hear this, Ivy 😍😍😍😍
I could never bake a decent loaf of bread until I found this recipe. Turned out just fabulous and I am going to bake it daily now that we’re all locked indoors.
So happy to hear this, Lorraine!
I made this for the first time today. It was easy and delicious! Thank you! Do you think it would work with olive oil or neutral vegetable oil on the bowl instead of butter?
Wonderful to hear this, Marcia! Unfortunately, olive oil does not work as a nonstick barrier … the bread will stick. You can use vegan butter sticks or other vegan butter-spreads, or you can use coconut oil at room temp. As with the butter, be generous 🙂
Made this for the first time today. 4 different pans didn’t adjust anything. Super easy.
Wonderful to hear this, Audrey!
Just made it for the first time. Excellent bread and so easy to make. Will definitely be making it again.
Wonderful!
I made this tonight after reading about the recipe in the Food52 baking group. So simple and so good. Will definitely be making this often. From the crew “This bread is really good!”
yay! So happy to hear this, Lynne 😍😍😍
I love this bread recipe, it is my absolute favorite. I thought at one point there were directions for using graham flour. I finally found some graham flour and now don’t see those directions. Am I thinking of a different recipe?
So happy to hear this, Jaclyn! The recipe/post has been edited a number of times over the years, and I am positive at one point there were instructions included for using graham flour. When I have graham flour on hand, I’ll use 128 g (1 cup) graham flour and 384 g (3 cups) ap flour.
I own the Pyrex Cinderella bowls and was wondering if you meant 442 instead of 441? The 441 is very very small!
Hi Phoebe! I did mean the 441 … it is small, but the dough rises way above the rim in the oven, and it makes the perfect little loaf. You could definitely use the 442 … remind me how many quarts it is??
The 442 is 1.5 quarts and the 441 is 1.5 pints!
Right! OK, so when I bake the peasant bread in 2 loaf pans or in 2 1.5-qt bowls, I’ll do 1.5x the recipe. That said, you can definitely make the recipe as is and bake it in two 1-qt bowls or in two 1.5-qt bowls. The shape of the loaf is a little different when it bakes in the 1.5-qt bowls, but the flavor is still delicious. I have a friend who prefers the shape of the bread when it’s baked in the 1.5-qt bowls actually … she prefers the shape for toast 🍞🍞🍞
How would I change the recipe for the 1.5 pint 441 bowl?
No change!
Can I use baking powder instead of yeast for it to rise?
Hi Jen, not in this recipe unfortunately. Are you unable to find yeast?
Do you not need to cover it when you separate it into the two bowls again and let sit? Thanks!
Nope! Uncovered for the second rise 😍😍😍
Thanks for the quick reply. I made this the other day and it was amazing! Making another round of dough now! I have always been so fearful of making bread (kneading/rising….) but this takes the pressure off. I have also been sharing the recipe with family and friends. A great quarantine activity for everyone…Thanks!
So happy to hear this, Carla!
I’ve made this bread before and it is divine!! Curious if I can cook it in my preheated Dutch oven? I want a crustier crust and was wondering what temp and time would I need to bake it at? Thanks for sharing your mother’s wonderful recipe!!!
Hi Jane!
Yes you can. Going to add a note to the recipe, too, but here’s how:
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.
Have you ever or can this bread be baked in a Dutch Oven? If so, would there be any harm in leaving the bread covered while baking, similar to traditional sourdough which requires steam to give an optimal rise to the bread? Thank you in advance for your answer. Blessings to you and yours.
Hi John!
Yes you can. Going to add a note to the recipe, too, but here’s how:
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.
Thank you for the speedy reply.
I am so excited to try this recipe today! Two questions: 1) can I freeze the second loaf if I don’t think we will eat it right away? Best method? And 2) definitely interested in that cracking crust option with the Dutch oven- do tell! Thank you, Thank you!
This is the BEST ever bread.. I have been making it now for three years.. its so simple I have even got my grandson making it! I have also made it adding some raisins and cinnamon and it turned out great…JUST LOVE IT! Best toast bread!!
So happy to hear this, Sandra 💕💕💕
This is AMAZING. I followed almost exactly. I didn’t have the right sixed bowls so I made it in one 2 quart bowl instead, so I baked for 15 minutes longer. And since I wanted mine a little more browned I put it back in the oven after it was done, out of the bowl, and put it in the oven for an extra 5 minutes.
So so so good.
I used active dry yeast because that’s all I had on hand.
Super super good!!
Wonderful! So happy to hear this, Megan 😍😍😍
This is my all time favorite bread recipe! So simple and easy and very inexpensive to make 😊 This time round I sprinkled everything but the bagel seasoning all round the bowl and I can’t wait to try it! I’m actually watching it bake as we speak 😂
Love the everything bagel variation 😍😍😍 So happy to hear this.
I only have a 2 quart round bowl. What do I do if I am not splitting the dough into 2 parts? Do I deflate it with forks as described and just not separate it into 2 parts?
Exactly! And extend the baking time by 15-20 minutes.
Wow!! Flavorful, Doable, Delicious!!
Perfect thing to learn during a long stay at home…success on the first try!!
So happy to hear this, Ann!
Hi! I am super excited to try this, I will be using my two loaf pans til I can find my bowls in storage. I did have a question, do you have an alternative for making this Sourdough? We love fresh sourdough. Thanks!
One more question before I give this a go. I see the recipe makes enough for a 2qt bowl. What would happen if I doubled (or 2.5x) the recipe and put it in a 5qt Dutch Oven. I was hoping to fill the entire DO with one really big loaf. Possible? Just trying to play around a bit and make life a little more interesting during the lockdown. Thanks again.
Hi John, I think you definitely could try this, my one concern would be about how it would bake … I worry about it baking unevenly and being dense in the middle. I might try doubling the recipe first; then baking it in your Dutch Oven. Do you have an instant read thermometer? That is one way to ensure your big loaf will be done: if it registers 205ºF or above, you’re good to go. Also: be sure to let your large loaf cool completely before cutting … I would wait an hour if you have the time.
Thanks again. I do have an instant read thermometer and will certainly use it. Will also be sure to let you know how it goes. Blessings to you and yours.
I love this bread, I’ve made it many times and shared the recipe with friends. It’s amazing.My question is, how do you store it,(that is, if you don’t eat it all at one sitting!) Putting it in paper bag, it may get hard, but I don’t want to lose the crispy crust by using wrap or foil. TIA. xx
Hi Jani! Great to hear all of this.
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 reusable/environmentally friendly options, but nothing seems to keep bread freshest — the crumb the softest — better than a ziplock bag.
If you intend to keep the bread for longer, I would stick the ziplock bag in the freezer, and pull out slices or hunks as you wish. 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.
Thank you so much for your answer! It’s really the easiest bread recipe, that consistently comes out delicious. I’ve made the cinnamon swirl one too, yum, (instagram worthy!) and like the versatility of the basic recipe. Friends are like, “you made this bread? Wow!” lol! thanks so much again! xx
yay 😍😍😍😍