Ditch the yeast and the eggs for a 5-ingredient recipe for Easy Homemade Bread, including four flavor variations: plain, Everything seasoning, cinnamon-raisin and parmesan-black pepper.
Homemade bread can be a daunting endeavor, but it doesn’t have to be! I’ve skipped the yeast and the eggs for this quick-fix recipe that takes just 10 minutes to mix up and 35 minutes to bake.
Translation: Easy Homemade Bread will be on your table in 45 minutes or less!
Can You Make Bread Without Yeast?
Yes! But it’s not your traditional light and fluffy bread (that’s over here), it’s a baking soda-based bread.
Before we get any further, I want to preface this recipe with a few notes:
- No Rise Here: This is an updated spin on my Irish Soda Bread so it will not rise. I repeat: It will not rise! So what you see when you put it in the oven is basically what you’ll see when you pull it out of the oven.
- Density At Its Finest: Soda bread is a fantastic alternative to regular yeasted breads, but the texture will not resemble the light and fluffy breads you may be accustomed to. This is a very moist, yet dense loaf.
- Toast It Up: Soda bread is great warm out of the oven, but I’m a firm believer in taking it a step further and always toasting it before digging in.
How Do You Make Soda Bread?
So let’s talk ingredients… we know there’s no yeast and no eggs, so what exactly is this Easy Homemade Bread made with? Just five simple pantry and fridge staples:
- Flour
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Buttermilk (No buttermilk? No problem! Read on for alternatives.)
- Butter
This basic recipe will yield a regular ol’ loaf of soda bread (meaning no flavorings or seasonings).
What Can I Substitute for Buttermilk?
If you don’t have buttermilk readily available, you can easily make your own! Add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar to a liquid measuring cup, then pour in milk (any variety) up to the “1 cup” mark. Stir the mixture then let it sit for 5 minutes until it curdles and thickens slightly. Proceed with the recipe as directed.
What Other Easy Homemade Bread Varieties Can I Make?
I’m so glad you asked! I’ve included four flavor variations below:
- Plain
- Everything Seasoning
- Parmesan-Black Pepper
- Cinnamon-Raisin
Once you whip up a loaf (or four), don’t just stop there! Soda bread makes for fantastic grilled cheese, as well as homemade croutons and even bread pudding.
Toast toppings are also endless! I like the below combos:
- Plain Bread toasted with butter, jam, cream cheese, peanut butter, Nutella, etc.
- Everything Seasoning Bread made into grilled cheese with cheddar, Swiss or gruyere cheese
- Parmesan-Black Pepper Bread toasted then slathered with butter and drizzled with honey
- Cinnamon-Raisin Bread toasted then slathered with unsalted butter
How Long Will Soda Bread Last In the Freezer?
The safe answer is “up to two weeks.” Because this is homemade bread, there are no preservatives. If you do want to freeze the bread, let it cool completely then wrap it very securely in plastic wrap. Pop the loaf into a sealable plastic bag then squeeze out as much air as possible before sealing the bag shut and stashing it in the freezer.
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Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup buttermilk or buttermilk substitute (See Kelly's Notes)
- 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and divided
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt.
- Add the buttermilk and 2 tablespoons melted butter and mix just until combined.
- Generously flour your work surface. Scrape the dough onto your work surface then sprinkle the top of it with additional flour. With very light pressure, turn the dough so that it is coated on all sides with flour then knead it a maximum of eight times. Shape it into a 6-inch domed round.
- Transfer the dough to a nonstick baking sheet or a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Using a sharp knife, cut a large "X" across the top then brush the top with the remaining 1 tablespoon melted butter.
- Bake the bread for about 35 minutes or until it is no longer doughy in the center. Remove it from the oven and set it aside to cool before slicing and serving.
Kelly's Notes:
- No buttermilk? No problem! Add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar to a liquid measuring cup, then pour in milk (any variety) up to the "1 cup" mark. Stir the mixture then let it sit for 5 minutes until it curdles and thickens slightly. Proceed with the recipe as directed.
- To freeze the bread, wrap it securely in plastic wrap then place it in a sealable plastic bag. Remove as much air as possible and seal the bag shut. Freeze the bread for up to 2 weeks.
For Everything Seasoning Bread:
- Omit the salt; stir 1 tablespoon Everything seasoning in with the flour; brush the top of the loaf with 1 tablespoon melted butter then sprinkle generously with Everything seasoning; bake as directed.
For Parmesan-Black Pepper Bread:
- Omit the salt; stir ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese and ½ teaspoon black pepper in with the flour; brush the top of the loaf with 1 tablespoon melted butter then sprinkle with additional grated Parmesan cheese and black pepper; bake as directed.
For Cinnamon-Raisin Bread:
- Stir 3 tablespoons white sugar, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon and 1 cup raisins in with the flour; brush the top of the loaf with 1 tablespoon melted butter; bake as directed.
- ★ Did you make this recipe? Don't forget to give it a star rating below!
Nutrition
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Recipe by Kelly Senyei of Just a Taste. Please do not reprint this recipe without my permission. If you'd like to feature this recipe on your site, please rewrite the method of preparation and link to this post as the original source.
I made Irish soda bread before, but in this version I substituted butter for olive oil and I used regular 2% milk instead. Delicious!
So glad you enjoyed the recipe, Kamil!
Best ever! Everybody loves it. My tweak is baking in Microwave on parchment paper on a dinner plate for 3 minutes. Stand in Microwave 1 min. Tested with toothpick and clean is done. Rest 1 hrs before sliced. Can be toasted. Delight with butter and jam!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Lydia!
Hello Kelly,
I just made the “no yeast” bread. THANK YOU for such a simple, easy to make and tasty bread recipe. I used Einkorn flour and your substituted buttermilk with half and half and lemon (maybe that helped the texture of the bread to be soft). Because I used Einkorn flour I added an extra tbsp of lemon juice, just to help it rise a bit more since Einkorn is low in gluten and it doesn’t act like regular flour. I tweaked for my taste the 3 tsp of melted unsalted butter with 2tsp unsalted with 1tsp of salted butter and flavored the dough with everything bagel seasoning and hoped for the best (because I am not a bread maker or baker in general). At 35 mins. I tested the bread with a knife and it came out clean(!), but I left the bread in the oven for 1 more minute in the oven to see if the top browned a bit more even though the bottom was nice and golden. Left it on a cutting board to cool, but after 7 minutes I cut into it. DELICIOUS, SOFT in spite of its density and TASTY with a very slight tang like a faint sourdough which was a relief since I did not want the bread to taste like a sour lemon.
I measured the height of the bread at its highest point which was close to 1.75 inches. My bread came out more square than round, but it was due to my kneading it very gently and no more than eight times as you suggested.
We didn’t have bread in the house, and it is our breakfast bread. I am eating my plain because it is that good, and it is not salty in the lease! My husband just asked for a second piece(!).He is eating his slice with butter and jelly. Thank you for a recipe that I will make from now on, and thank you for the variations, too!
I’m so thrilled to hear that you and your husband enjoyed the recipe and that it turned out great for you, Cecilia!
It’s easy enough to make . I like the crunchy top but is very dense bread , tasted like a grands biscuit , which well we like. Rather than with dinner I enjoyed it more with butter and jelly on it! Yummy
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Theresa!
I make this bread A LOT and never have buttermilk on hand. I’ve used just about every buttermilk sub you mention on your buttermilk substitutions page and the bread comes out PERFECT every. single. time. Thank you!!
So, so happy to read this, LC!
I am. here at home and it is raining. Out and I need bread. I have even thing. but no baking soda. Can I substitute for the baking soda?
Hi Tana! You can substitute 2 1/4 teaspoons of baking powder, however, I haven’t tried that substitution in this recipe so I can’t say with certainty what the results would be. Sometimes baking powder can give a bitter, off-putting taste. Let me know if you give it a shot!
Is the nutrition information for 1 slice? I did the everything bagel and it was so great, everyone loves it!
Hi Annie! The estimated nutritional info is for 1/4 of a loaf. :) I’m so glad everyone loved the recipe!