My Mother’s Peasant Bread: The Best Easiest Bread You Will Ever Make
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
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”
Easiest. Bread. Ever! My family loved it. Recipe has made it to the “Mom’s Favorites” book!!
Wonderful to hear this, Debra!
Hi! This is my first time baking bread with yeast which I recently purchased from Amazon with a 2/22 expiration date. I followed your Peasant recipe to a “T” using the exact same ingredients and weighing the flour. The first rise seemed perfect. I divided the dough using a 1L and 1.5L bowls, which is what I had available, the same as in your pictures. The second rise did not come up to the rim like your pictures. And the tops seemed to be getting crusty. I baked the bread anyway following your temperature instructions. They finished baking in the allotted time and thermometer said 200 degrees when done. They looked golden brown and of course the one in the smaller bowl is higher than the other. Wish I could send pictures. Two questions? I am wondering why the second rise did not come up to the rims. Secondly, should I have baked in one big bowl which is a 4L #326. Your bread was delicious though, even if I did not get it to rise like yours!
Hi! Wonderful to hear this, Kathleen.
Questions for you: did the dough rise to the rim of the 1L? The dough definitely will not look as though it is rising as high when it is in the 1.5L bowl, but it is in fact rising. How long was the second rise? Typically, even when it is cold, the second rise should take no more than 30-45 minutes.
Other questions for you: How long was the first rise? And did it seem to double in volume?
Regarding your question: Secondly, should I have baked in one big bowl which is a 4L #326? You definitely can! Keep in mind this is quite a large bowl — you can bake the entire batch of dough in a 2L bowl — so with your second rise, you might not notice much of a change visually. I would give the second rise 30-45 minutes; then stick it in the oven regardless of the dough looks.
I’m planning on making this tomorrow in loaf pans but I only have bleached ap flour. Knowing that bleach ap is not recommended for bread, do you think I should still give this recipe a go? If I need to change elements of the recipe, what would you recommend? Thanks a bunch!
Hi Natalie,
You can use bleached flour without alterations to the recipe. Keep in mind, the bread won’t brown very well because of the bleach. You may also find it tastes a little artificial.
Could you use a poolish for this dough?
Hi Ali
Not sure if I asked this or not but do you think I could make like baguette rolls with this dough. I want them soft like a subway bread. Or do you have a recipe for baguettes or rolls whatever they are called. No knead, easy.
Thx
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 😍
PS: I did respond earlier to your question (if you scroll back to the older comments, you’ll see it) and someone commented saying she actually has used the recipe to make baguettes. She said the shape was a little off, but otherwise good. So I think you can definitely use it as a starting off point.
I thought I asked it but I wasn’t sure. Thanks for responding.
I saw someone make the bread but she punched it down like 4 or 5 times then shaped it. It was a very we dough too at first. I might try it and let yo know.
Sure thing! Keep me posted if you give it a go 😍
Made a single loaf using all whole wheat flour (white), increased water by 2 TBSP, and used the Everything seasoning. We ate half the loaf as soon as it was cool enough to cut! Hooked!
Wonderful to hear this, Meg! Love the everything bagel seasoning variation 😍🍞
Lovely, tasty, and easy to make! A delightful bread.
They turned out PERFECT. 👌🏻
Wonderful to hear this, Jeanette!
Hello.
This receipt is wonderful. It’s so simple and easy to make and tests goooood! My first baking bread was perfectly successful. It got be a recipe in me.
Thank you!
Wonderful to hear this, Yuka!
Wow, this recipe is a standout and definitely a staple in my household! Thank you so much for sharing the recipe and including the detailed instructions, videos, tips. I found all of it so useful and have shared it with friends and family. I have only tried using AP flour so far and have some wonderful stone milled rye flour from Capay Mills that I would love to incorporate. Do you have any suggestions for the amount of AP (or bread flour) to rye flour in grams? Also, do you think I should increase the amount of liquid if adding the rye flour? I’d love to hear your thoughts if you get a chance. Thank you! Annie
Hi Annie! So nice to hear all of this! I would do 384 g ap or bread flour and 128 g rye flour to start. See how the dough looks. You might not need to add any additional water. Let me know how it turns out!
Amazing! I will try the standard:rye flour proportions you recommended – really excited to experiment with your fantastic recipe. Thank you Alexandra!
Sure thing!
Hi Alexandra, I used the proportions you recommended with the bread:rye flour and halved the recipe to make one boule… and it turned out perfectly! I am beyond excited!! 🥰 It is reminiscent of Tartine bread but with a fraction of the effort, which is extra appreciated during these COVID-19 times. Bread Toast Crumbs on the way — can’t wait to learn more from you!! Thank you, Annie
Oh Annie, awesome to hear this! So glad it worked out. And thank you for ordering my book … means the world 😍😍😍
Hi Alexandra, I LOVE your book! I’ve already made the Kalamata olive version (delicious) and can’t wait to try other variations with grains and, of course, the pizza! I was wondering if you’ve ever adapted the peasant bread recipe to work with kefir? I have tried a kefir + chia seed no knead bread for which I like the flavors, but the bread feels a bit heavy and dense (and requires a long lead time). I would be grateful if you have any advice on how kefir might work with your peasant bread recipe. Thank you! Annie
So nice to hear all of this, Annie! Thank you 😍😍😍😍
I have not used kefir, but I have used whey, leftover from making ricotta. My advice would be to use half kefir and half water. To achieve the perfect lukewarm texture, I might bowl the cup of water, and mix it into the cold kefir … the resulting mixture should be perfectly lukewarm, but test with your finger to be sure. Also, I have been weighing the water recently for this recipe, and it should be about 456 g. So, you could also put a liquid measure on a scale; tear the scale; pour in 1 cup of kefir, then add boiling water until you have 456 g. Does that make sense?
I find when I use whey, too, the rise takes longer, so maybe let the first rise go for at least 2 hours. Let me know if you give it a go. Oh also: you may find with kefir that the bread browns more quickly, so maybe bake it for 10 minutes at 425F; then lower to 375ºF for the remainder. Good luck!
Hi Alexandra,
Thank you so much for the advice on adapting the peasant bread recipe to work with kefir. I tried the amount of kefir: water you recommended (appreciate the info. in grams and the method of creating the lukewarm liquid), plus the tips regarding the rise / cooking times.
I’m happy to report it was a huge success! I added chia seeds and also borrowed your trick of including a little bit of neutral oil (per the quinoa & flax recipe in your book) and it turned out great! I had to let the first rise go about 1 hour, 40 minutes but didn’t need to adjust any of the cooking times (15 mins at 425 was fine, didn’t burn). Your version using the peasant bread technique turned out so much better than the other no knead recipe I had tried before—yours was tastier, fluffier and easier! This is going to become a regular here.
Thank you for taking the time to respond to my questions—I really appreciate your helpful advice and the great inspiration from the recipes in your book and blog.
Thanks again,
Annie
I’m so happy to hear this, Annie! Thanks so much for reporting back with your results. Also: you’ve inspired me. I have a batch of kefir peasant bread currently rising 😍 I had bought kefir to use as a marinade in a chicken recipe, but I haven’t gotten around to making it, and I really wanted to put the kefir to use. So yay! Thank you for the inspiration.
Thank you for your lovely comment, Alexandra—you made my day! 🥰 I hope you enjoy the kefir peasant bread, and now I’m eager to try the kefir as a marinade for chicken. I had never thought to use it that way, but it makes perfect sense. Thanks again! Annie
I made this for the first time this morning and it turned out PERFECTLY. The whole family loved it and wants more immediately! I used a Pyrex loaf pan – thank you for providing the special instructions for different pans! The effort-to-deliciousness ratio is ridiculously low! Thank you for a new favorite 🙂
Hey Jenny 👋🏽👋🏽👋🏽👋🏽 So nice to hear this. Glad you and the family approve 😍😍😍😍😍😍
What are the instructions for a loaf pan?
Hi Debi! See below the recipe … there are notes 🙂
I love it! So easy! My dough isn’t as dry after mixing. Next time I’ll add a bit more flour. Tastes great!
Wonderful to hear this Meryl!
Best. Bread. Ever. Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe. I’ve made it in the old school Pyrex 441’s. Question: If I make just one loaf in the Pyrex 443 does the baking time change? My apologies if you’ve answered this before. I’ve scrolled through and can’t seem to find the answer.
Wonderful to hear this, Carol, and no worries at all! It’s not easy sifting through the comments 🙂
I would extend the baking time by at least 15 minutes.
Love that set of Pyrex 💕💕💕💕
can I substitute fresh yeast and how much? this is all I could find.
Hi! And yes: I would use 21 g fresh yeast here.
Fantastic recipe. I will make again
Hi Ali
All went well (your video helped enormously).
The only thing is, there were many holes in the bread. Did I not fork it down enough?
Bread is delicious!
This was so easy to make and it came out perfectly. Will definitely be making this again 🙂
Made this bread with the last packet of instant yeast I had. It turned out perfectly!! Delicious! Now the yeast is hard to come by in stores due to COVID19. I have sourdough starter in my fridge, can I use this? And how much would you recommend?
Sorry, I meant to say active dry yeast, not instant yeast.
Wonderful to hear this, Julie! Try these proportions:
50 g starter
430 g water
10 g kosher salt
512 g flour
After you mix the dough, I would do some stretch and folds. Are you familiar with the sourdough process? This is my favorite recipe for creating a boule … the videos might be helpful; but you can stick to the peasant bread process outlined here, just increasing the rise times. I hope this makes sense. Favorite Sourdough Bread
Thanks! Yes, I’ve made my first three loaves of sourdough this week and was hoping to be able to use the starter for this bread. I’ll
let you know how it goes!
Wonderful! Keep me posted!
I am not an experienced bread maker but this was pretty easy. Although my second rise did not reach either bowl. I expected that from the larger bowl but my smaller bowl was 1 liter so it should have extended over. I followed it all exactly. But it still tasted good so I’m not that worried although I would like it to look pretty like it’s supposed to look. The rise was for at least 30 minutes as I wanted to give it as much time as possible. I followed all the rise times advised, did not use instant yeast but followed your instructions on blooming. Any ideas what may have gone wrong?
Hi Maria! After the first rise, did the dough double in volume?
Had a few bread disasters of late but this most certainly wasn’t one them. Simple, fast and delicious. Focaccia and nan are also brilliant. Well done Ali for putting together this collection of recipes with all that great supporting info. Keep up the good work.
So nice to hear all of this, Stephen! Thanks so much for writing and for your kind words.
I am so grateful that my friend gave me your book as a gift. Such a wonderful and easy way to make bread that the family loves. I use 3 cups of AP white and 1 cup of dark rye. It rises well and it’s so FAST! I had been making the NYT slow-rise no-knead bread that you bake in the big enamel covered pot, and while it is marvelous bread, I just can’t get my act together 24 hours before I want fresh bread. Your wonderful Peasant Bread recipe is the perfect solution. I started off baking in one bigger bowl, but then found the 1 quart Anchor Hocking bowls at a great price. Thank you so much for simplifying my life so beautifully.
Oh Laurel, so nice to hear all of this 🙂 🙂 🙂 Thank you for writing. I love adding rye flour to the master peasant bread, too 💕💕💕💕
I absolutely love love love this receipt and have shared with several friends. My friends were amazed how easy and how delicious this bread is. Thank you for sharing this. Today I am adding some Asiago cheese and Romano cheese to the receipt, hopefully it comes out just as wonderful as the peasant bread. O
So nice to hear this, Theresa! Asiago + Romano sounds delicious 😍😍😍
I’ve tried this recipe twice now, both times measuring the flour with a scale. However both times my dough was not forming a sticky ball after adding the water and seemed to be spreading into the bowl. I added more flour but it didn’t help. After the first rise I had difficulty getting each section into their bowls as 1 piece, as the dough was kind of loose. I’m guessing I have to decrease my water, but by how much? Any help would be greatly appreciated! I’m eager to try it again.
Hi Tracey! Since you have a scale, try using 445 g water. When I measure the water with a scale here, I use 456 g, so I think reducing by 10 g should do it.
Keep in mind this is a very wet dough. If you have flexible, plastic bench scrapers, some people have better luck with those transferring the dough to the bowls … also, forks with shorter tines help, too. Keep me posted on your next attempt!
Thank you so much for for prompt reply and your help! I’m going to try it again today! I also noticed your recipe online calls for 2 teaspoons yeast and your book calls for 2 1/4 teaspoons yeast. Which should I be using?
Hi! It actually doesn’t matter. I use 2 teaspoons yeast, because I buy yeast by the pound and store it in a quart container. If you are using a packet of yeast, which is 2.25 teaspoons, just use the whole packet … no use storing a packet with a quarter teaspoon of yeast in it in the fridge, only for it to be lost forever 😍
Do you have to use only ‘unbleached’ flour or will this work well with bleached flour as well?
My preference is unbleached for its flavor. You can use bleached, but you may find the flavor to be a bit artificial, and because the flour is bleached, it won’t brown as well.
Hi, is there a sourdough version of your mom’s peasant bread? I swear I saw it but can’t find it now. I pulled out my starter yesterday prepping it for use. I’ll give the instant yeast version a try today.
Thanks!
Hi Jamie! I would basically follow the process outlined in this post, but split the dough and bake in the buttered Pyrex bowls. Let me know if you need more details 😍
This was my first attempt at making bread and it came out just like the photos. My family loved it, I’m definitely going to make this again.
Wonderful to hear this, Jeannine!
If using 1 large 3 Qt Pyrex does the cooking time and temp remain the same?
Hi Julie! Mostly. You will need to increase the baking time by 10-15 minutes to ensure it is cooked through.
Hi, I made this and it turned out fabulous!! Wondering if we can add some garlic and/or olives to this? If so, how and how much?
Yes, absolutely! You can add the olives/garlic into the flour. I would start with 3/4 cup sliced olives; add garlic to taste … I love garlic so there is no amount that would be too much, but use your judgement 😍
Hi, love this recipe, have made it many many times and it is always great! I usually do half the amount and in a bread pan, and dab olive oil over for a nice golden top. I was curious if anyone has tried adding egg, as I love a good egg bread. I didn’t see anything in the comments? Thanks for any info about this, and the great recipe!
Hi Shamus! So nice to hear all of this. Thanks for sharing your method. I would just experiment! Try beating one egg with the lukewarm water; then follow the recipe as written. Depending on how the bread turns out adjust the recipe the next time: add another egg or reduce the water, etc.
Every time I have attempted making bread, it has turned out super dense until I tried this recipe. I’ve used this recipe three times now and every single time, the bread has turned out perfect. I always assumed a no-kneed recipe would turn out dense for a novice bread maker but this recipe is so easy and makes wonderfully airy bread. It’s definitely going to be my go-to bread recipe! Today I made a loaf that was so beautiful, I almost cried. I’m ecstatic! Thank you!!
Oh yay! So nice to hear this, Yasmin 😍😍😍 Thanks so much for writing.💕
I absolutely love this bread recipe and normally bake it in a 2 1/2 quart bowl. I read in your instructions that you could use vintage 441 Pyrex bowls which I attempted to use. Unfortunately it completely baked over into the over during the 15 minutes of baking on 425. Could you clarify what the actual bowl size is for 2 small loaves because the 441 bowls i have obviously aren’t the correct size.
Thank you
Lisa W.
Hi Lisa! I do use two 441 Pyrex bowls. They are a little smaller than the 1 qt bowls, but I have never had an issue with the dough baking over … I’m so sorry to hear this!! I don’t know how to advise because I would hate for it to happen again, but my only bit of advice would be to stick the bowls in the oven as soon as the dough crowns the rim. If the dough is too high about the rim when it goes into the oven, there will be trouble. Do you have 1-qt bowls?
I have bowls that are either larger than 1 quart or the 441 Pyrex. Trust me if anything it gave my kids and I a laugh lol. I’m an avid lover of baking homemade bread and I’m so determined to get the size loaves that are in the picture which I’m guessing are made in the 441 bowls. 😊 My guess is that they must’ve been too high above the bowl rim which created the avalanche of bread dough 😂… also I do recall the dough being wet yet it usually is in comparison to other doughs I’ve worked with. I will attempt it again and be sure to bake as soon as it is just barely above the rims and no more. Any other suggestions that come to mind please share … this it such a wonderful bread…I can’t help but want to conquer getting the bowl size down lol. Thank you so much for sharing!
Well, I’m so glad you and your kids got a laugh out of it … some people might not find the humor in it, so I appreciate your graciousness 😍 OK, one other thought: fill each of your two 441’s with dough about 3/4 full. Then, if you have any ramekins or other small vessels (1 or 2), butter those and fill them the dough. The mini loaves are super cute and so fun to have with soup or as a roll with dinner. With the mini loaves, you may need to stick them in the oven before the 441s and remove them sooner, too … just use your judgement about timing and remove them when they look done.
This has been my go-to recipe for bread! Every week or so we make a batch and it makes the best toast!
One question is: though the versions with AP flour have turned out great, I’ve noticed that my whole-wheat versions don’t seem to rise as much during the second proof nor in the oven and they almost seem to deflate when baking – is there anything that might remedy this?
This has been my go-to recipe for bread! Every week or so we make a batch and it makes the best toast!
One question is: though the versions with AP flour have turned out great, I’ve noticed that my whole-wheat versions don’t seem to rise as much during the second proof nor in the oven and they almost seem to deflate when baking – is there anything that might remedy this?
Hi Sue! Whole wheat flour is a little trickier to work with. Are you using 100% whole wheat flour or are you using some AP flour mixed with whole wheat flour? I don’t typically recommend using more than 50% whole wheat flour in this recipe because the finished bread tends to be very dense. Something that can help is to increase both of the rises. You can do the first rise for 2 hours or more, and play the second rise by ear. It may take an hour to reach the top of the bowl. You can also mix the dough and let it rise in the fridge for 18-24 hours; then proceed with the recipe.
I’ve tried this about 4 times now and it’s always been a hit with my family. My question here is – can I cut the dough in four sections and make mini loaves? How long would I need to bake it using the smaller pans? Thanks!!
Wonderful to hear this, Noemi! And yes, absolutely. I would bake them for 15 minutes at 425ºF; then reduce the temp to 375ºF and bake for about 10 minutes more … just use your judgment regarding doneness. It’s a very forgiving bread, so I would err on the side of over-baking.