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 homemade 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 4:00 pm and turned out onto the dinner table at 7:00 pm. 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 simple pita bread recipe and these no-knead dinner rolls.
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 and sandwiches of all kinds.
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 below). This recipe for no-knead buttermilk pull-apart rolls is also based on the peasant bread recipe.
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 (no longer available unfortunately), these seed-coated sandwich loaves (pictured below) have a soft and light crumb.
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 below) isn’t as simple as swapping in gluten-free flour for wheat flour. But the process is still relatively simple — in fact, because there’s only one rise, many people find the gluten-free peasant bread recipe 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 below, 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’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 the Trailblazer flour, for example, 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 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 onecosts 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.
- #6: Whole Wheat Peasant Bread. Use as much as 50% whole wheat flour.
- 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.
6,585 Comments on “My Mother’s Peasant Bread: The Best Easiest Bread You Will Ever Make”
Best f*cling bread I’ve ever had, my family now thinks I can bake and makes me make this every holiday with dinner. Thank you!
So nice to hear this, Lauren 🙂 🙂 🙂 Thanks for writing. Happy holidays!
I forgot to rate your recipe when I posted my question about using a “5” qt Dutch Oven, in place of the Pyrex bowls.
Alexis from NJ
Hi Alexis! Yes, you can find this note in the recipe box below the recipe:
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.
Best bread ever. I always had a hard time making bread. But this recipe was so simple and delicious. I actually made it without a breakdown. It made me feel like I knew what I was doing and more confident to try again. I just wanted to know if I could double this and make two long loafs. I want to give them as a gift. But wasn’t sure on time and temp.
Hi Jennah! Great to hear 🙂 Yes, you can absolutely make two long loaves. Do you mean long loaves as in loaf pan loaves? If so, check out this post, which makes 1 loaf in 1 loaf pan. You could double that to make 2 “long” loaves.
Hi I love this bread recipe! My only problem is it does not rise has high as yours does on the semiconductor rise. What do you think I am doing wrong? It’s still tastes great it just is not as high. I am looking for a little bit of a wider piece of bread when I slice it.
Hi! What size bowls are you using?
I used the 1.5 qt and 2 qt I think. I bought the 3 pack from Amazon.
I think it’s the bowl size that the issue. In the 1-qt bowl, it looks as though the bread rises more because it rises above the rim but that’s just because the bowl is smaller. As an experiment, you could make 1.5x the recipe and bake it in those same two bowls.
This is the ONLY bread my family wants (time to toss the breadmaker). ..And, friends are asking for me to make it all the time- I would love to accommodate them, but even as simple as this is, I do work full time!
Great to hear, Bobbi! Thanks for writing 🙂 🙂 🙂
i have tried to make this bread two days in a row…both days the loaves were slightly raw on the bottom, even after baking for the maximum amount of time suggested. they were golden coming out, i used a scale, and followed the recipe exactly. the top 5/6 of the bread was great…any advice on how to get the bottom 1/6 to follow suit? thanks!
What type of flour are you using? What type of yeast? Did the first rise go OK? What size bowls are you using? How long was the second rise?
Alex, you’re amazing. I’ve made your challah and foccaccia innumerable times (including for a wedding where it–focaccia–was a big hit), but this was the first time I tried this bread. My husband, fussy daughter, and I all loved it! I can’t believe you can get such results in 2 hrs. I used about 1/3 whole wheat flour. Thank you for these excellent recipes and videos!
ps. I think it’s the super-hydration that makes it possible. You (and your mom) are so clever.
So nice to read all of this, Jasmine! Thanks so much for writing and sharing. You are absolutely right about the high hydration — it lets the dough rise in a very timely manner 🙂 🙂 🙂
Hi Alexandra,
A question: CAN I USE A 5 QT DUTCH OVEN TO MAKE ONE LARGE LOAF INSTEAD OF 2 SMALL ONES? I assume I leave out the butter, right, and just use the parchment paper?
I’ve made this recipe using the loaf pans and it’s delicious, but I would like to try your DUTCH OVEN SUGGESTION, before I buy the Pyrex bowls.
Thank you.
Alexis from NJ.
Hi and yes! Yes, you can find this note in the recipe box below the recipe:
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.
I would like to try this recipe but wondered if I could half it and use one 1 Quart bowl ?
Yes, go for it!
Semi-professional baker here. Intrigued by your recipe because I thought maybe I could recommend it to beginners to get over their fear of bread. The taste is plain but nice, as expected, without a long fermentation. However, I feel the baking is the bigger problem. I find the loaves are much too dark before the inner temperature is over 200. Also, I think a recommended amount of butter in the bowls would be helpful (yours looks like about 2 T per bowl). Last, I think you should warn people about placing the Pyrex bowls out of the oven on a wet or cold surface as the thermal shock can cause Pyrex to shatter. Best of luck to you and you’ve obviously helped a lot of people bake. Cheers.
This was amazing- best easy bread recipe I have tried in a long time! LOVE!
Bread was tasty but I was unable to get it out of the bowls. I buttered as directed. Any suggestions?
Hi Sue! Just use more butter or be sure that the butter is really soft… sometimes in the winter it’s not as soft as it could be. You could softened it quickly in the microwave if you have one.
I made this bread today to have with a pot of Tuscan soup, it was delicious! So easy too, I see this being a staple in my house!
Great to hear, Marcia 🙂 🙂 🙂
I have a 10c/2.5l Pyrex bowl, if I do the whole batch in one bowl, how would that impact the baking time?
Hi! I would add 10 minutes to the baking time.
I have been making this bread since the beginning of the pandemic and it is THE BEST simple and go to bread recipe. My family cannot get enough of it! I’ve also purchased your Bread, Toast, and Crumbs book and have been enjoying the recipes and experimentation with the base bread recipe.
Was wondering if you’ve ever tried a tomato basil variation of the peasant bread? I have an exploding population of basil with my indoor Aerogarden and thought it might be a good use (I can only make so much pesto and tomato sauce). Or any recommendations on how to adapt it?
Thank you so much for all the fabulous and delicious inspiration! You’ve really helped me up my home chef game. 🙂
Heather! Where to begin? First: do I need an indoor Aerogarden? I am buying so much basil at the store because I am working on a pizza book presently, and I’m thinking this might save me some $$.
Second, I have not made a tomato-basil version. Are you open to a sun-dried tomato-basil version? I worry that fresh tomatoes will not bake well in the bread — I think they might just add too much moisture and likely disintegrate in the process. If so, I think you could add as much as a half cup of chopped sun-dried tomatoes, and 1/4 cup minced fresh basil (probably not nearly enough to help with your basil situation).
Alternatively, you could make a sun-dried tomato-basil pesto, and swirl in 1/4 cup of that into the dough.
I have made this recipe a few times, and love it….my go to toast each morning! But today I tried an experiment – I made cinnamon raisin bread! I used your recipe, but added 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 1 tablespoon cinnamon, and about 3/4 cup raisins (thats all I had). As for flour – I used 1 cup of whole wheat and 3 cups bread flour (just wanted to use it up.) I baked in two loaf pans. Haven’t tried it toasted yet, but can’t wait for tomorrow morning!
That all sounds amazing, Kris! And this makes me so happy: the beauty of the peasant bread is its ability to be adapted in countless ways. Thanks so much for writing and sharing your notes.
I’m not hopeful for my first try. Two cups of water to four cups of flour did not make this bread as wet as you’ve mentioned. I had to add more water but didn’t want to overdo it and now I still think it’s not wet enough. It is very sticky though. Currently on its first rise.
We’ll see but everyone else has managed with those quantities. I’m giving it five stars anyway!
Hello! Depending on where you live and what flour you are using, the dough will look differently — it will be wetter in humid environments and dryer in dryer environments. Measuring with a scale will also ensure you are using the exact quantities of flour and water required. Hope it turned out well for you!
Hello,
I want to try this recipe, but I don’t see what temp to bake it? 350 degrees?
425 for 15 minutes
375 for 17-20 minutes more
Even a beginner baker can make this delicious, easy bread with success! The golden crispy crust and the delicate crumb make it superb. I have a new go-to bread for eating plain with butter or jam, toasting, or making french toast or grilled cheese. WOW. Thanks!
Great to hear, Paula! Thanks for writing 🙂
If you’re in a pickle, could someone use baking spray instead of butter on the vessels?
Yes!
I don’t understand the yeast I used red star dry, but your saying to dissolve?
Such an easy to follow recipe . I baked the bread in two loaf pans . Followed the instructions and it came out perfect . Thank you for sharing this gem with us .
So nice to read this, Maria! Thanks so much for writing and sharing your notes.
Ok it was great with dry yeast!
What will give it more of the yeast flavor that I love in a restaurant dinner roll? A different yeast more sugar?
Great to hear! I’m not sure about how to add a more yeasty flavor. My only suggestion might be to use more yeast, but keep an eye on the dough because it will grow very quickly.
I made this today and it is amazing. Do you think it would work to add roasted garlic cloves into the bread before baking? I’m kind of wanting to make garlic confit and thought it might be a fun add in
Yes, absolutely! I have a roasted garlic variation in my book. Go for it 🙂
My husband will never divorce me now!!!! This really came out great.
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Amazing news!!!
So easy. I put 2 tsp. of Joe Mama’ Italy seasons in it, the bread was so good I think it made it fancier! I goofed the first time[only used 1.5 cups of water] still turned out! If I can make it turn out anyone can! Thanks for sharing your moms recipe.
Yum! That sounds amazing. Thanks for writing and sharing 🙂
An amazingly easy, fast and super yummy recipe! Made mine with bread flour. Used 1.5 and a 2 quart bowls s and it didn’t matter a bit! The plan was to eat it with dinner BUT we ate most of it before!!!
Wonderful to hear, Sharon! Thanks so much for writing 🙂 🙂 🙂
Hey Alex!
Made this today! Bought your cookbook and thoroughly enjoy. Thank you. How would you suggest Storting the baked bread? So delicious.
So nice to read all of this, Resa 🙂 🙂 🙂 Thanks so much. Here are my suggestions for storing 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.
Thank you. The avocado toast I made this morning with my fresh bread was superior to any toast I’ve ever had! The ease of the recipe encourages me to delve into other variations. Your cookbook is so beautiful and informative. (Note: I found your storing suggestions in the pages after leaving my first comment 🙃) Until next time, thank you
Great to hear, Resa! Thank you for reporting back 🙂 🙂 🙂
So easy and delicious! I used the OG bread loaf pans and they turned out great. Thanks for sharing.
Great to hear, Heather 🙂 🙂 🙂 THanks for writing!
Got up at 6 am and two loaves were ready for my 9 am board meeting. Just set it in the middle of the table with a stick of butter and some jam and now I’m famous! Just the most fabulous recipe that even non bakers can master. The generous buttering of the loaf pan is not OPTIONAL. ;-}
So nice to read all of this, Gretel 🙂 🙂 🙂 Thanks so much for writing. Love it all, especially the encouragement for others to go big on the butter 🎉
I can’t remember if I’ve commented before, but this recipe is so beloved in my family that a second rave review would be fitting. This is my husband’s favorite bread. It is simple to make and so delicious! Our favorite it warm out of the oven, spread with butter & jam. I love making PBJ with the leftovers, or toasting it up to accompany fried eggs for breakfast. I’m so grateful to have found this recipe and that “bowl bread” has become part of our family’s food tradition.
So wonderful to read all of this, Sonja 🙂 Thank you for taking the time to write a second review, and thank you for sharing all of your notes. Happy Baking 💕💕💕💕
Hi Ali I found this recipe and made bread this afternoon. Oh my goodness! It turned out fabulous and so tasty. Well done as l don’t have the strength to knead dough, and this was a breeze. Best wishes from the UK. Libby H
Great to hear, Libby! Thanks so much for writing and sharing this 🙂