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.
6,388 Comments on “My Mother’s Peasant Bread: The Best Easiest Bread You Will Ever Make”
I want to try this but I only have regular yeast, not instant. Will it still work as long as I let it rise longer?
Hi Molly! Activate the yeast first. (These instructions are above in the notes, too, for future reference 😍)
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.
I have your wonderful book, but I wanted to come here and thank you and your mother for this easy and delicious recipe. This bread has been sustaining my family during this stay-at-home coronavirus order and because of that we have had to go grocery shopping less (at least not for bread). It literally is a life-saver. We’re going to try the chocolate bread and cinnamon rolls next. Thanks again!
Oh Benita, I’m so, so happy to hear this 🙂 🙂 🙂 Thanks so much for taking the time to write. 💕💕💕💕
First off I really want to appreciate how you are answering all the questions from the lockdown folks and so promptly!
I have an OTG 40 litre oven and live in a hot and humid climate (its 84 degrees at 8am and 77% humidity). Do you have any specific advice for either of these situations? For example, there are settings which either heat the bottom of the oven, the top, or both coils. Which one should I use? I’ve made the recipe before, I love it though it turns out a little gummy in the middle. I use instant yeast which I tested for efficacy, the dough rises fine for both rises. I use a Pyrex bowl that’s .75 quarts for half the recipe. Thanks in advance! ❤️
Sure thing! I’m always happy to answer bread questions 🙂
OK: first, the bread. Are you using a scale to measure the flour and water? No worries if not, I just think you might consider reducing the amount of water given that you are in such a humid environment. But, if the dough is looking similar to how the dough looks in the video or photos after you mix it up, you can keep doing what you’re doing.
I worry a little bit that the bowl you are using is too small for the amount of dough, which might be attributing to the gumminess. If you have another small vessel, such as a ramekin or other small oven-safe bowl, I would recommend baking off most of your dough in the 0.75 quart bowl and the remainder in another small vessel.
Regarding the oven, I don’t exactly know how to advise, though my gut is to say to try heating both coils. And I would just keep an eye on it. If it looks as though it is browning too quickly, lower the temperature. It might take a bit of trial and error to get right, and you may find through your experiments that you prefer using a different heating element. Keep me posted!
Thank you! I am measuring ingredients but yes compared to your video my dough is always a little wetter. The oven manual always said to keep the bottom coil only for baking so I’ll try with them both on next time. I’m happy to keep trying and will keep you posted! ❤️ Thanks again I really hope you and yours are safe with lots of warm bread, always!
Makes sense! I was actually going to say that I thought either just the bottom or both sounded about right. Good luck! And wishing you the safe 💕💕💕💕💕💕
So this is embarassing but I realize what was wrong was I was halving the recipe and for some reason my brain decided half of 512 was 206grams. :/ I am so, so sorry! The inside was always a little gummy for me even when I would do the full recipe so this didn’t come to mind immediately as trouble shooting.
I tried again today, didn’t reduce the water, used a bigger bowl, it wasn’t perfect, still a *little* gummy, but it’s definitely getting there. I tried preheating on the toaster (up and down) mode and then switching to bottom coil for the bake to prevent the top from getting too brown. I’m going to keep trying with different permutations and combinations and will update when I hit the sweet spot.
I hear you … I cannot do the most basic of math without pulling out my calculator 🙂 Keep me posted on your experiments. How long is each rise (roughly)?
Great! I’ve made this twice now. First time in the Pyrex bowls, then in a loaf pan with a few mini loaves for the remaining dough. My family loves it. I’m a big fan of your recipes and love how much helpful information you provide too.
So nice to hear this, Jorie! And thank you for the kind words. Means a lot 🙂 🙂 🙂
I’ve made this recipe a few times now, and I can never seem to get my dough to be as wet as yours. The bread still turns out and we enjoy it, but I really want to elevate the completed product. Is there something that I’m missing?
Hi Deebee! Are you using a scale to measure the flour? What type of flour are you using?
Hi! I’m grading up to try this recipe for the first time. So excited! We LOVE fresh bread.
I do not have round baking bowls. Might I use an 8x5in loaf pan instead? If that’s ok is this dough enough for 2 loaves or should I put it all in one pan?
Thank you for you advice and for sharing this family recipe for us all to enjoy 🙂
Yay! There’s nothing like fresh bread 🍞🍞🍞
Please see the FAQ’s below the recipe regarding loaf pans. Let me know if there is anything else. Happy Baking!
Huge fan of everything you do!
My store is running short on AP flour, can I make with self-rising? Or a mixture of bread flour and white wheat?
Hi Leslie! And thank you 🙂 🙂 🙂 I would use a mixture of bread flour and white wheat. If possible, mostly bread flour. You probably can use self rising along with yeast, but I don’t know how to advise there because self-rising already contains baking soda/powder/salt, etc.
Good luck!
This is an easy and delicious bread recipe. So good!!
Ali, how would I convert this recipe to incorporate sourdough starter? I have a ripe, fed starter that is ready to roll. Should I just add another cup of flour? Do I let it rise? Please advise. The King Arthur Sourdough site won’t let me convert grams.
So happy to hear this Diane! I would follow the recipe on this page. It’s essentially the peasant bread proportions in sourdough form: Easy Sourdough Sandwich bread.
I’m heading over to the sourdough page. Can I make the sourdough bread in a buttered pyrex? I don’t have loaf pans.
Yes you can! After the bulk fermentation, when the dough nearly doubles, split it into two pieces and transfer to your buttered bowls.
Can I throw other things into the dough as “mix-ins”? Chocolate chips, bacon, shredded cheese, garlic, Nutella? (Not all in the same batch, obviously!) If so, when would be the right time to add?
Heidi, yes! Add them with the flour. Also, if you really love the peasant bread, there are 40 variations of it in my cookbook, Bread Toast Crumbs 🎉🎉🎉🍞🍞🍞
I unfortunately do not have any glass bowls or cookware. I own stoneware. I have 1-qt stone? I looked through your F&Q and did not find anything about using another type of bowl. Would I have to adjust my cook time? I really want to try this recipe!! I have two growing boys who love bread and this would be helpful in feeding them!!
Hi Sabrina! The 1-qt stone bowl will be great. Butter it well, as always. You may have to adjust the time, but I doubt by much. Give it a go, and adjust as needed with a few more minutes of cooking if it doesn’t look golden enough.
Thank you for the quick response!! I will post a picture when I am done!! Can’t wait to make it!
I just took it out of the oven and they turned out beautifully!! Easiest bread I have ever made!! I am suggesting this to all my friends and family. Thank you for the recipe, I will be using this over and over!!
Wonderful to hear this, Sabrina!
My family is so happy I found this recipe several years ago. It is now my go to bread recipe. It is just as fabulous for sandwiches and toast the next day as it is warm from the oven. Of course it has to survive dinner to make it to the next day. When we have company I have to hide one loaf for my husband to have later.
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. The videos and pictures seriously aid in the success of this bread for me.
So nice to hear all of this, Melaney! Two loaves never last long here either 🍞🍞🍞🍞🍞
Oh, my goodness, what can I say? This was the first bread I ever baked and I’ve been making it ever since. I just love it – so easy and so versatile. After the first couple of tries and comments from friends, I always leave the dough in the fridge over night and often add whatever is to hand – seeds, chopped olives, or fresh herbs. My friends are great fans and it’s such a treat just now – I leave loaves on their car bonnets! Tonight I’m going to try adding cheese and make rolls rather than loaves. Yum! Thank you so much.
Oh Katie, so nice to hear all of this 😍😍😍😍 Thanks for writing. 💕💕💕
Your bread is one of my family’s favorite treats. Like others have commented, making my own bread helps keep us out of the grocery store for those everyday essentials. We’ve been making your bread for several years. Thank you so much for sharing!
Kim
So nice to hear this, Kim 😍😍😍😍Thanks for writing.
My son made this bread and raved about it. I have bleached all-purpose flour, not unbleached. Will the bleached flour work in the recipe? It is difficult to find flour in stores in my area.
Hi Susan! You can try bleached flour but keep in mind two things: It won’t brown. It may taste artificial. I wish I had better news! I just want to manage your expectations. I might wait till you can find some unbleached all purpose or bread flour before making this.
Thank you. I look forward to finding the flour and baking the bread.
If I am baking this in a 13 x 5 x 5 Pullman pan, how should I double the recipe?
Hi Phoebe, I think 1.5 times the recipe should be about right for that size pan.
I first read this recipe in 2012 when my mother emailed it to me. I never made it. Then, when everything started I remembered that no-knead bread recipes exist and rediscovered your recipe. With infrequent grocery trips and mixed success getting bread I have now made your bread four times and it was delicious every time. And so easy! I am too lazy to knead bread right now. I would say the only downside is that it goes quicker than store bread because everyone eats it. I love the recipe and the bread. Thank you!
So wonderful to hear all of this, Keiko!
Could I add some olives to this bread or would it not work? thanks
Yes, absolutely! Add them directly in with the flour.
Hi, I have made this bread and LOVE, question: have you posted a version of this using sourdough starter? I searched the sight but didn’t see one and I know you mentioned that it was coming soon:) just checking in. Thank you for all the wonderful recipes, and am loving your book. I especially love that we share the same name and when I receive your emails it says Alexandra’s Kitchen:)
So nice to hear all of this, Alexandra 😍😍😍😍 I don’t have a dedicated post to making the peasant bread with sourdough starter, but this is the post I direct people to when they are interested: Simple Sourdough Sandwich or Toasting Bread. Creating a post dedicated to sourdough peasant bread is high on my to-do’s … stay tuned! Thank you for the kind words 💕💕💕💕
I would love a sourdough peasant bread recipe! I tried your sourdough sandwich bread recipe baked in bowls but I found the flavor a little disappointing. It was just sour, without any of the complexity found in a regular sourdough loaf. But I love the soft crust of the peasant bread and find it so much easier for sandwiches! Is there a way to capture the flavor complexity of crusty sourdough in a peasant bread style loaf?
Hi Phoebe! In regard to adding more flavor to a sourdough peasant bread style loaf, I think the first step might be to use some stone-milled flours. A little bit of freshly ground rye or other flour adds so much flavor. I love the Anson Mills flours, but if you have a local source of freshly milled flour, that would be ideal. If not, Anson Mills (and others!) ships. I would use 128 g stone-milled flour and 384 g ap or bread flour. The next step would be to add a refrigerator proofing step. After the bulk fermentation, split the dough and place in the well buttered bowls; then transfer to the fridge. The following day, let rise at room temperature for 4-6 hours.
I am really really trying to do a blog entry on this … stay tuned. Thanks for the feedback. Super helpful.
Ali,
My hubby has been bugging me to make cinnamon raisin bread for a couple of weeks now. So I wrote you and asked you about it and you directed me to the recipe. Well I made it today. Good god it is the best cinnamon raisin bread I have ever had. Hubby agrees. I don’t know but it came out perfect. And it really is so damn easy. I told him this is a special treat cause I’df I made it all the time you would have to roll us out the door. Lol
Thanks so much for these recipes. Oh btw I do use a scale and weigh my ingredients. I have been doing it for a couple of years now and all my baked goods come out perfect. Weighing is the way to go.l
I don’t know why it won’t let me rate the recipe. But I am giving it 10 stars. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Pam , Yay 🎉🎉🎉 I am so happy to hear all of this. Thanks so much for writing back. So great to hear you use a scale, too … it’s the only way to bake if you ask me. I’ll rate the recipe for you … I don’t know why sometimes the system doesn’t allow ratings 💕
I have the most newbie bread making question ever (embarrassing) What is the best way to store bread? Google has steered me in a few different directions!
Hi Alyssa! I keep meaning to add a note to the post. Here you go:
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.
Brand new to baking bread, it always seemed daunting. Your recipe was simple and tastes great. I’ve made it four times. The first three, fabulous! This one today, first time I used the scales, it was like soup. Thick soup, but soup. Any ideas? I took the weights from the video in this pin.
So wonderful to hear this! So strange that the scale caused the issue … can you tell me what weights you did? I can’t see which pin you are referring to.
512g flour, 10g salt, 8g sugar, 6g yeast, 456g water
Thank you so much for responding.
Ok! Well those are right, but it’s so strange that the dough was soupy. How did it turn out in the end? Did you use the same flour this time as with the previous? If you like using the scale, I would just reduce the amount of water next time. Or pour it in slowly, using only what you need to get the consistency right.
Sounds good. Tried it again with the scale, to see if I messed up. Same result. I’ll go back to just scoop and bake, works for me and the bread comes out great.
I love how you interact with us, thank you.
Sounds good 😍😍😍 And, of course … my pleasure!
Did you make sure to tare the scale before adding your ingredients? That ends up tripping me up once in awhile!
This is a keeper!!! I did 1.5x the recipe and got 1 9″ x 5″ loaf and 3 ramekins (but could have been 4). I did brush mine with butter a few times during baking and again coming out. Perfect textured bread!
Wonderful to hear this, Vera!
Anyone who isn’t confident in their bread making needs to give this recipe a shot, and just follow what it says. As her prologue indicates: you WILL emerge from your kitchen as a Martha Stewart goddess. YOU NEED TO MAKE THIS BREAD.
The recipe is simple, requires only the simplest ingredients you’re likely to have in your house already (if you’re planning to bake bread, lol) and once you get the hang of it? You will EASILY be able to bust a loaf out without thinking twice.
ESPECIALLY during this pandemic, with our own Midwest grocery stores seemingly unable to keep breads on the shelves (🤷♀️), I have been baking a loaf a day. My whole family loves it and I was even able to teach my 9 year old how to make it. Add to that, I’m working from home, so I’m doing this while being a caregiver to my Mom, parenting/teaching 2 kiddos (in a state where schools are closed thru the end of the year) AND doing my job remotely.
You can DO this. Alexandra has hooked us all up.
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. What an homage to your Mom, too.
It’s my go to! I do not use the sugar and makes no difference as I have made it both ways. Perfect recipe for everyone – you do not need to be a cook to make this! Enjoy!
Wonderful to hear this, Annie!
Oh Kate, so nice to hear all of this!! Thanks so much for taking the time to write. It truly is easy, forgiving, and totally adaptable to many a crazy schedule. Hope you are staying sane!! 🍞🍞🍞💕💕💕
Hi Ali,
Hope you and your are faring well! I have been making this bread since I had the delight of you teaching me how in update NY a few years ago. Needless to say this pandemic has brought me and my neighbors even closer than we were and I am always sharing recipes with them. Well this one took first prize – even the teenage boys are making it now! So thank you, you have made many families happy in Upper Montclair NJ! I have one question. I know there is a gluten free version, however my darling niece is gluten free and vegan….and she swoons every time
I show up at their house with the everything but the bagel version. Any chance you have sorted this out for vegans? I have been trying with no luck so far…so thought I would reach out! Thanks again and stay safe!
Oh Annie, so nice to hear all of this 😍😍😍 Thanks so much for writing.
Regarding gluten-free, this is my preferred recipe: Gluten-Free Peasant Bread It’s a little tricky, however, because all gf flours absorb flour differently. I love Cup4Cup, which is hard to find, but KAF’s gf flour seems to work well for people.
My suggestion would be to mix the dry ingredients together; mix the wet ingredients together, and add the wet slowly to the dry until it reaches the right consistency … reference the video or the photos.
Now, regarding the eggs and the honey: For the eggs, I would try some sort of vegan egg replacer … I don’t have much experience but I think a flax egg or something of the like would work great. For the honey, use maple syrup.
Hope that helps!
I have made this recipe a few times and it is great! How long should the second rise take if i put the dough in the refrigerator after the first rise?
Wonderful!
It’s so hard to say. I would rely on the visual cues. When you see the dough crown the rim of the bowls, it will be ready. It may take an hour; it may take more or less … if your kitchen is warm, the second rise will be shorter; if it it’s cool, it will be longer. Just be patient and again rely on the visual cues. So happy this worked out!
Just baked my first loaf, I did the whole batch in a 2.5 qt bowl (my 1 qt bowls have not arrived yet). Brand new pack of yeast, & the first time using the proof feature on my smart oven, so it was FAST, it only took 1 hour for the first rise & 20 minutes for the second. I baked it in a conventional oven, but using the proof feature made me think, can this be done in a convection oven? If so any recommendations on time & temp. I was just thinking we are coming up to summer & I hate using the big oven, but the 1 qt size bowl would easily work in the smart oven. I’d likely just bake the 2 loaves on different days. Tagged you on insta pic. Thanks!!
Hi Lara! Great to hear all of this! Is your smart oven the same as your convection oven? I generally don’t advise baking bread on the “convection” setting of a standard oven, but I don’t think that is what you are asking. If your smart oven has a standard bake setting or if you can set the temperature to a specific temperature, I would use that setting. I’m sure it will work beautifully. And yes, you definitely can bake the loaves on different days. I would store the second round of dough in an airtight container if possible … be sure the container is large enough to allow for doubling in volume. If you don’t have an airtight container, you can use a tea towel, but coat the dough in oil otherwise it will dry out.
I’ll look for the insta pic. Thanks!!
My smart oven is a convection oven (so is my big oven, but I rarely use it on the big oven). I think the smart oven will bake without convection, never tried it, I just want sure about bread on convection. Thanks for answering all the questions.
Ok, great, and sure thing re questions!
Tried this for the first time today after dancing around it for months. It’s good, but a little wet. Still good, and will definitely keep trying! I’d like to try and bake the whole batch in my 2.5q bowl. How would I adjust the cooking time?
Hi Abby! You can definitely reduce the water quantity to suit your preferences. I would add 10 minutes to the baking time at least. Err on the side of overbaking. Because the dough has so much water, it’s very forgiving in that you likely will not overcook it. Do you have an instant read thermometer?
Not yet, but I have a birthday coming up and it’s on my list! Trying a batch baked in one bowl today, and the dough looks much more like your video than my first attempt. Today I weighed the water as I added (a pint’s a pound the world around) and there was at least an ounce left in the measuring cup when I hit 16oz on the scale.
Oh yay! It’s such a great tool. I use it more for bread than I ever imagined I would. It’s really interesting how even just a few extra grams of water can make a difference. Glad the recipe is working out better!
Alexandra,
I love this bread and I commented about it above but do you have a recipe for sandwich baguettes? Can I use this recipe and just shape them that way. I am looking for a bread to make for like sub sandwiches
Thanks
Hi Pam! I do not have a baguette recipe yet on the site … I would love to get one up here, but the truth is that I haven’t had great success. This peasant bread dough I think is a little too wet, and I worry if you try to shape it into a baguette, you will be very frustrated. Here are two options for sandwiches: Overnight Refrigerator Focaccia or Overnight Sandwich Rolls.
I’ll keep you posted if I get a baguette recipe to a point I think is worth sharing 😍
I have used this recipe to make a baguette before! The shape was a little off but not too bad! Still tasted amazing
Oh wow! Great to hear this, Claire!
Hi, I am making this right now. I followed the instructions for the first rise as 1 hour. When I was trying to get it in the two bowls, it was reeeeeally wet. I was moving it by forkfuls, not 1 big blob like you do. I’m in Florida, but the humidity is only 57% today, so I don’t think that’s it. Should I have let it rise more or folded it more? I’m waiting for my oven to fully preheat so I can pop them in, I forgot to start it preheating while I fought with the dough. *smacks forehead
Hi Jonelle! It is definitely really wet … lots of people find the forks tricky. Some people use flexible bowl scrapers to transfer the dough.
Question: did you use a scale to measure the flour? How did it turn out in the end?
Hi Alexandra.
I did use a scale to weigh the flour. It turned out okay in the end, but I will try the extended rise next time.
Your site has been so helpful in starting my bread making journey, and I am excited to try this recipe!
I have the Pyrex 1 and 1.5 qt bowls, as well as an old set of 4 Pyrex nesting bowls, that include a 2.5qt. I’m tempted to just make 1 larger loaf, but do you feel there is a big difference or benefit to making the two smaller loaves? Thank you!
Hi Alison! So nice to hear this. You can definitely start with one big loaf. There is no benefit to making two smaller loaves. With the larger loaf, be sure to extend the baking time by at least 15 minutes.
I think I did it wrong. It didn’t rise. I weighed ingredients on a scale, followed instructions. It never rose and it’s like a brick. I guess I did something wrong.
What kind of yeast did you use?
Fleischman’s instant yeast for bread machines. two teaspoons.
Hmm, interesting. It should work. Is it fresh? As in not expired? Did you use lukewarm water? Water that is too hot can kill yeast.
One thing you can do to check if your yeast is fresh is to sprinkle it over the lukewarm water. Try this: Combine 1.5 cups cold water with .5 cups boiling water. This will give you perfectly lukewarm water. Stir in the sugar. Sprinkle the yeast over top. Let it sit 15 minutes or until it gets foamy. If it never gets foamy, it might be dead.
I missed the 1.5 cups cold water and .5 cup boiling water. it isn’t clear in the directions as the “1” is on one line and the 1/2 is on the next line so I just missed it and did it half and half. Dang bread is hard. I checked date on yeast and it is current. I will proof it as you suggested and report back. I may have killed the yeast by the water being too hot or something.
OK, yes, it sounds as though you may have killed the yeast. Please report back!