Do you have your heart set on whipping up a loaf of homemade bread but have just discovered that you’re out of yeast? Well, what if we told you that it’s possible to bake bread without yeast? Yes, it can be done! We’re going to take you through a simple, no yeast bread recipe that you can bake in your oven. We’ll also touch on why we normally bake with yeast and which yeast substitutes actually work. After all, sometimes life calls for an emergency loaf of bread and it’s our duty to deliver.
What Is Yeast and Why Do We Use It for Baking?
There are several types of yeast out there but the term “baker’s yeast” refers to a group of small, single-celled organisms used when baking bread. In this case, these single-celled organisms feed off of simple sugars and break them down, creating carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide’s role in bread baking is a big one. As it expands and makes its way through the dough, the dough increases in volume, causing the loaf to rise and set.
Is There A Substitute for Yeast?
Now that we’ve established that yeast is an integral part of leavened bread, you might be wondering, is there really a substitution for it? After all, yeast is the reason why bread is light and fluffy and, without it, won’t the bread stay completely flat? If you don’t have yeast on hand, there are certain substitutions you can use and, although they’re not a perfect match, they can get the job done. Let’s take a look at some yeast substitutions.
Substituting Yeast for Yeast
When substituting yeast, you must be aware that no substitution is going to give you the exact result you’re looking for – unfortunately, there is no perfect substitution for yeast. But there are some alternatives that come close
Some recipes may call for a certain type of yeast that you do not have. In this case, you can substitute certain kinds of yeast for others.
Using Baking Soda or Baking Powder
Baking soda and baking powder are common yeast substitutes because they react and rise.
Baking Soda
Baking soda should not be used by itself to make bread rise in the same way that yeast would. If you’ve done any at-home science experiments with baking soda, you know that it needs to interact with an acid to expand, creating carbon dioxide bubbles which make the bread rise. If the recipe already has an acidic batter, then you won’t have an issue using baking soda as your leavening agent. If it does not already have an acidic batter and you still wish to use baking soda, no worries! In this case, you can add equal parts soda and lemon juice, buttermilk, or milk and vinegar to equal the amount of yeast required in the recipe.
Baking Powder
Baking powder is a little more straightforward than baking soda when it comes to substituting for yeast because baking powder is already a combination of baking soda and an acid. When using baking powder as a yeast substitute, opt for a double-acting baking powder which allows the two acids in the baking soda to react at two different times – when the dough is initially wet and again when it’s heated.
Delicious, No Yeast Bread Recipe
Looking for a simple, bread no yeast recipe for baking your emergency loaf? There are plenty of simple recipes you can make that yield delicious results. This recipe does not require a bread machine and is generally much simpler to make with a shorter baking time; however, keep in mind that you’ll be doing the kneading yourself!
4-Ingredient Soda Bread
This simple, egg-free recipe requires only five minutes of prep time and 35 minutes of baking time. Keep in mind that this is a recipe for soda bread so it will be denser than the average loaf of bread. But, if you enjoy soda bread as much as we do, read on for this simple, four-ingredient Irish soda bread recipe.
You don't have to knead this dough very long as the recipe uses strong bread flour and can be made with simple ingredients that you are almost guaranteed to have in your cupboard or fridge.
Ingredients
Baking temperature: 190°C Fan / 375°F
Instructions
Make absolutely sure your dough is no more than an inch and a half thick or it will not cook in the middle. You do not want to have to bake a second emergency loaf of bread! (Unless, of course, you just want seconds).
Recipe Notes
Important! We cannot stress enough that the dough needs to be a flat pancake when it goes into the oven, or it will not cook properly in the middle.
Conclusion
Yeast is not absolutely necessary when baking a delicious loaf of bread. Using baking soda or baking powder is an excellent way to substitute for yeast that you’ve run out of or maybe you didn’t want to use yeast in the first place and were looking for an alternative that you’re more likely to have on hand. Either way, we hope we have taught you something you didn’t know about yeast substitution and have inspired you to make your own quick and simple yeast-free delicious loaf next time you want to bake bread.
