The first recipe I posted on the blog is also one of my favourites, and certainly one of my most popular ones. I wanted to make sure I had covered everything in that post, and I might have been a tad over enthusiastic with my ‘love letter to bread’ and explanation of every step in the process. For a bit of food porn, you can read all about it here. After making bread using this method for over 5 years, I have simplified the recipe further and today I am sharing the easiest homemade bread recipe ever. There will be no kneading, no long list of ingredients and no bread maker!
Easiest Homemade Bread Recipe, you say. Why not buy it?
This recipe is very similar to my crusty bread recipe, but with simpler and shorter explanations. Here comes the easiest homemade bread recipe ever! You see, I love bread. The only problem is I have not yet managed to find bread that would rival a French baguette. The bread I buy here is too hard, too bland or too chewy. It is also insanely overpriced.
3 Ingredients!
Ingredients for this bread will cost you less than 25 pence per loaf if you use the cheapest (value) flour, salt and yeast. That is exactly what we do, and it costs us exactly 21 pence per loaf.
You will need 3 ingredients only (plus tap water). Nothing else.
What to do
This easiest homemade bread recipe requires no kneading, bread machine, obscure ingredient or fancy piece of equipment.
After 12 hours in a warm (not hot) place, it should look like this.
Just before you bake it, it needs to be rolled in flour and left for 30 minutes. It looks like a pile of goo and that is absolutely fine!
All you need to make a loaf like the one pictured below is a large ovenproof bowl for the whole process as well as a large spoon. I simply use my 2L Pyrex prep bowl.
Cling film, foil and baking paper are also useful to keep your kitchen mess-free, which is essential for me as I am so time-starved at the moment.
Easiest Homemade Bread Recipe Ever
Ingredients
- 3 cups plain flour 450g
- ½ tsp ‘fast action’ or ‘easy bake’ yeast 1g
- 1 ½ tsp salt 10g
- 1 ½ cups water 350 ml
Instructions
- Place all the dry ingredients in a 2L ovenproof bowl and give them a quick stir.
- Add the water and mix vigorously with a tablespoon for a couple of minutes.
- Cover the bowl with cling film and leave to rise in a warm place (ideally 18 to 21 degrees) for approximately 12 hours.
- When you are ready to bake the bread, preheat your oven to gas mark 8 (230 degrees Celsius / 450 degrees Fahrenheit).
- You might have to adjust the temperature depending on your oven.
- Place a large sheet of baking paper on your work surface; with flour on top (you will need two or three heaped tablespoons).
- Using the tablespoon, drop the sticky dough on top of the flour and use the tablespoon to shape the dough in a sort of ball and make sure it gets covered all around. It will still look gooey and that is fine.
- Wash the bowl and dry it. Place it in the oven to warm for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, make sure the dough is still covered in flour all around. Use oven gloves to take the ovenproof bowl out and sprinkle a bit of flour in the bottom. Plop the dough in the bowl, cover with foil and put in the oven for 45 minutes. Throw away the baking paper.
- Take your homemade bread out of the oven and place on a cooling rack. Try to keep some for dinner!
Recipe Notes
You can add nuts, raisins, cheese or seeds (poppy, sesame, sunflower, pumpkin) to your dry mix before adding the water.
The bread will keep well for 3 or 4 days (will need toasting after 24 hours) in foil.
Keep it longer and you can use it for bread and butter pudding, French toast or dumplings.
If crusty white bread is not your thing, why not try my favourite seeded bread or healthy loaf?
I hope you’ve enjoyed my easiest homemade bread recipe. If you’ve tried it share your results in the comments.
Absolutely DELICIOUS!! I’m a huge fan of a nice crusty loaf of bread <3
#TastyTuesday
I love how easy this bread is! I used to make bread for my family everyday and we never bought it…but then my bread machine broke, haha.
He he, no excuse now! No bread machine required!
Lovely, will make it but I make mine with an assortment of flours in chef and throw in seeds an all. No fat. No yeast. And cook straight away in similar fashion. Thank-you.joy
I love it with seeds and wholemeal flour too 🙂
This looks really yummy, you talented lady xx
It is the definitely the easiest bread recipe you can make. I love it! xx
Oh wow this sounds amazing & so easy! I’m making this ready for Easter Weekend #TastyTuesdays
Brilliant! Let me know what you think!
Just had some amazingly chewy, crispy french baguette and really want to recreate it-will try this soon!
Go on, try it… you will love it!
Mmmm this looks lovely, the smell of freshly baked bread is the best! x #tastytuesdays
Looks delicious, I’m definitely going to give this one a try.
Such a nice change from your previous comments, he he!
I don’t often make bread as I never plan it enough in advance and don’t leave time for the rising. But with this recipe I could just make it before bed and leave it overnight and then have fresh bread in the morning! Yum!
#tastytuesdays
Rien de mieux que un bon pain qui sort du four ! Le tienne à l’air extra 😉
Il est vraiment super bon, tu devrais essayer… A bien y réfléchir, tu n’as pas besoin: tu habites en France!
This looks really good, but I am gluten free, I am going to pin it though others may love this recipe and my daughter wants to learn to bake bread. This is perfect.
Thanks Nikki, I really appreciate that! I have just started following you on Pinterest and I repined a couple of things already! My toddler is allergic to wheat so I have quite a few gluten-free recipes on the blog; you should check my ‘free from’ section. x
Oh, thanks will find you on Pinterest! You are the best!
Love, love, love Pinterest!
Yum, yum, yum. I never bake bread because my OH really enjoys doing it. To be honest, I’m also a bit intimidated by doing it! But, this looks easy enough for even me to try! Thanks for sharing lovely xx
This bread is incredibly easy. You should try to make it and impress Tony! Best bread I have ever tasted (apart from baguettes in an amazing bakery in Vincennes). x
Can’t wait to try this! I’ve been hesitant to try making bread, but this recipe makes it sound easy 😀 Love that I don’t need a bread machine for it!
It really is nice and simple, and I promise you it is delicious! I baked some in a loaf tin yesterday, and I am enjoying a piece of toast with honey as I type: yum!
Love how simple (and utterly perfect) your bread is. I’ve pinned it onto your very own community board. Thanks for linking up to #tastytuesdays
Thanks hun! I have a loaf waiting to be devoured in the kitchen!
I have to try this – and I will! I’m a sucker for bread, and if it is this easy, it has got to be a winner! It looks delicious as well, Mel xx
made last night and came ot great.really easy to do and tastes good too.think i might try it in bread tins next time.
Oh brilliant! Let me know how it turns out in bread tins!
Do you know of the bread tin worked ok, as I plan to use a bread tin to bake mine.
It works beautifully in a loaf tin too. I’ve put a picture of a loaf made that way towards the bottom of this blog post (works just as well with only plain flour): https://lecoindemel.com/easy-crusty-bread/
I just finished making this. I took the foil off and stuck it back in for a few minutes, as mine was rather pale. I saw your delicious sounding Seeded Bread recipe, and will try that method for 30 minutes with foil and 15 without next time. Thanks for a deliciously easy bread recipe! I’ve already sent the link to my mom and my daughters. 🙂
Heidi, thank you so much for your comment, it made my day (night?). The thing is my ancient gas oven is pretty unreliable so I just stick it on maximum! Yours is probably a lot better than mine. The 30 min / 15 min works well with an oven that you can trust (if there is such a thing!). The seeded loaf is scrumptious too!
Can you please link to the seeded loaf here? I’m very intriguiged and would love to try it.
Of course. Here it is: https://lecoindemel.com/our-favourite-seeded-loaf/
Hi! Quick question, how warm should the water be when added to the yeast? Also, at what temp should I heat the bowl? Can I use a Dutch oven vs Pyrex dish? Thanks!
Hi Andrea,
The water is best at room temperature, but most of the time, I simply use it straight from the cold tap.
Heat the bowl at the same temperature as the cooking temp. A Dutch oven will work perfectly for this. I either use a Pyrex bowl or loaf tin with foil over them or my huge Le Creuset Casserole dish with lid on. I’ve used all sorts of ovenproof containers when staying with friends and family. It works every time! Let me know how it goes!
Thank you!!
Thanks so much! Just made and leaving it for 12 hours… Will report back ????
Brilliant! Please let me know how it goes 🙂
Oh la la… my favourite kind of recipes, quick, easy and delicious… well done Mel!
Thanks ma belle! I only tend to go for nice and simple 🙂
I love how this is cooked all in one bowl – brilliant recipe!
Thanks sweetie. I can only cope with the simplest of recipes I have to say!
what size was your dutch oven? I’d love to try this but have to get something oven safe to that temperature.
Thanks.
I just use a 2L Pyrex bowl, a loaf tin, an ovenproof dish or a casserole dish… Any shape or size works, really 🙂
This is a brilliant recipe, and my mini chefs loved helping!
I’m so glad you liked it lovely!
I’ve just inherited my 101 year old nan’s casserole dish – I now know what special purpose it’s going to have in my kitchen. Thank you
Oh, that’s so lovely! Let me know if you make the bread 🙂
Love this recipe but mine didn’t rise in the oven at all. It just stayed the size it was when I put it back in the bowl.
Hi Hannah, That’s really odd. In all the years I’ve made this bread, it’s never happened to me, apart from the one time I had used yeast that was just out of date (and that one time when I used 100% wholegrain flour). Did you do everything exactly as per instructions? I am thinking it might be something to do with the heat. The dough loves it best at 20-25 degrees but it tends to be a bit more floppy at 28 degrees+.
Is cooking the bread on 450 degrees going to burn it?
Hi Cheryl, it’s 230C / 450F. It’s a very high temperature, but it will be safe from burning because it is covered. You can lower the temperature slightly if you’re worried, but I’ve made it in 4 different ovens and I’ve never burnt it.
Been making this bread a lot during lockdown and it works out wonderfully! Even shared with family and friends who have made it even more than I have! Just one question though, do you have any recipes for making rolls / baps with a similar method?
Hi Sarah, thanks a lot for taking the time to leave a message. I make this bread at least twice a week every single week. It’s so simple! I do have a recipe for baps / burger buns but it needs kneading and it’s not on the blog. Let me know if you want the recipe as I could make them again next week and share the recipe in my Instagram stories if that helps. Here is the link to my profile: https://www.instagram.com/lecoindemel/. Just let me know. Mel
Our first attempt is in the oven. We accidentally overproved it so waiting to see how it comes out!
It’s very forgiving so i’m sure it was fine despite the few extra hours 🙂
Hi Mel, thank you! My first attempt at bread making and it turned out like your photo. Delicious, crusty outside and soft middle. I delivered half the loaf to my mum during lockdown, she was so impressed and wants the recipe. Ps I took the foil off for the last 10 mins of cooking time to brown the top, is this necessary?
Oooooh, I’m so glad you enjoyed it, June. It’s a brilliant little recipe, isn’t it? Watch this space, I’m working on a baguette recipe with a similar method 🙂 I used to always take the foil off for the last 10-15 minutes but I’ve stopped doing that as we like our bread golden but not too brown. It’s up to you, really.
I tried this method using loaf tin, it came out nice and the taste is great! But! I dont have the kind of crust like your picture showed, I leave it proof overnight (around 18 hours). Before bake, while i was ‘heating’ up my loaf tin, I let it proof again on my table counter and cover it with film. Did i miss anything?
Hi Kay, the only times my bread didn’t rise as much was when my yeast was out of date or it had risen and flopped back when during a heatwave (in that case, 18 hours would be too long).
Hi Mel,
I just want to double check….. is the plain flour normal baking plain or strong plain?
Many thanks,
Caroline
Just plain flour works perfectly every time. I don’t find a difference when using strong bread flour, so I just stick to cheap plain flour.
Hi Mel
Friend found this and sent to me – so i’m going to make it – looks yum!
Water – cold? lukewarm? Does it make a difference?
Hi Hilary, use cold water, straight from the tap 🙂
Have made this twice now, love the recipe. Made a couple of small changes, just because I could. I added a little oil 20g. The other is I made TANGZHONG from some of the flour and water in the recipe. Supposed to add to shelf life (although I have eaten it so fast that was not a problem). Also supposed to make it more moist.
Thanks for the tip! It’s always gone within an hour of coming out of the oven here, he he! When it isn’t, I cube the leftover pieces and make croutons with that.