Easy Homemade Bread. No kneading and No Mixer

This is the easiest homemade bread recipe you’ll ever make. There’s minimal prep work, and you don’t need any fancy equipment. The hardest part is simply waiting for the dough to proof twice. All you need to do is combine the ingredients in a bowl and stir. After that, just let the yeast work its magic. There’s little dough handling involved, making this a super simple recipe for beginners and experienced bakers alike.

Making homemade bread is incredibly rewarding. It tastes so much better than any store-bought loaf. You’re in control of the ingredients, so you know exactly what’s in it. There are no preservatives or additives to worry about. Plus, nothing beats the smell of freshly baked bread, warm from the oven. You can also get creative and add your favorite ingredients, like herbs or cheese, for a personal touch. Homemade bread just feels more special and satisfying!

What Does No Kneading Mean?

Traditional kneading typically involves pushing the dough away on a flat surface with the heel of your hand. You work on it with your hands for several minutes to develop the gluten. In my bread recipe, however, this step is skipped. Instead, the gluten develops naturally over a longer resting period, without any hand kneading.

Before you start Read this!

1. Choosing the Right Yeast

Fresh Yeast: Less common, but used in professional bakeries. Requires refrigeration and must be crumbled into the dough.
Active Dry Yeast: This is the most common type for homemade bread. It needs to be dissolved in warm water (bloomed) before using.
Instant Yeast (Rapid Rise): This yeast can be mixed directly with dry ingredients without blooming. It rises a little faster than active dry yeast.

2. Blooming the Yeast

For Active Dry Yeast: Always bloom it first to ensure it’s still alive and active.
- Dissolve 1 tablespoon of yeast in a cup of warm water or milk (100°F – 110°F / 38°C – 43°C) with a teaspoon of sugar.
- Let it sit for about 5-10 minutes until it becomes foamy.
Instant Yeast: No need to bloom; it can go straight into the dry ingredients.

3. Milk Temperature

Ideal Temperature: 100°F – 110°F (38°C – 43°C) for activating yeast.
Too Hot: Above 120°F (49°C) can kill the yeast, leading to no rise.
Too Cold: Below 95°F (35°C) will slow the yeast down, affecting the rise.

4. When to Add Salt

Don’t add salt directly to the yeast mixture: Salt can inhibit yeast growth if added too early.
Mix it with the flour: Add salt to the flour before combining it with the yeast mixture to avoid direct contact with yeast.

5. Choosing the Best Flour

All-Purpose Flour: Works well for most bread recipes. It has a moderate protein content (around 10-12%) which gives bread a nice texture.
Bread Flour: Has higher protein (12-14%) and helps create a chewy, structured loaf. Great for rustic breads, pizza dough, and artisan loaves.

6. How Much Flour to Add

General Rule: Start with about 2 cups of flour.
- Add flour gradually: Flour can absorb water differently depending on humidity, brand, and type. Use just enough to form a dough that’s smooth, slightly tacky but not sticky.

Helpful tips for measuring Ingredients

When making dough, one of the most crucial steps is proper measurement of the ingredients. Using a kitchen scale can ensure accuracy, especially with flour, which can vary in density depending on how it’s packed. Measuring accurately helps achieve the right texture and consistency, resulting in a perfect loaf every time. Taking the time to measure correctly will make a noticeable difference in your bread-baking success.

Wet versus dry ingredients – to make the dough for the buns you need to differentiate between wet and dry measuring cups. We measure liquids in pitchers like these. For the dry ingredients we use measuring cups and spoons like these.

When you measure flour always scoop more than you need in your cup and use a knife to level it off. If you have a scale, use it, because measuring ingredients by weight is always more accurate. One cup of flour contains exactly 4 oz or 120 grams of all-purpose flour.

Equipment

A deep mixing bowl. You can use a bowl of any material here. I used a glass bowl
Measuring cups and spoons – they are essential for any baking recipe.
A wooden spoon or a large mixing spoon.
A bread pan – the material of the pan is important for proper heat distribution. I recommend alloy steel or aluminum pan.
Oven mitts – to protect your hands from the high temperatures and the hot oven.

Please Note: Some of the links in this blog post are Amazon affiliate links. If you make a purchase through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting The Food Kooky!

Print Recipe

Easy Homemade Bread

Prep Time30

Cook Time30

Proof Time1 30

Total Time2 30

Course: Bread

Keyword: no knead bread, no kneading, no mixer

Ingredients

1 cup whole milk lukewarm (110 F)
½ cup water lukewarm (110 F)
1 tsp granulated sugar
1 Tbsp active dry yeast or instant yeast (7 grams packet)
3 – 3.5 cups bread flour or high-protein all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
2 Tbsp melted butter or oil to grease the pan and your hands

Instructions

Add the slightly warm milk and water in a deep bowl. Then add the sugar and yeast.
If you use active dry yeast stir and wait for 5 minutes before adding the flour. If you use instant yeast you can add the flour right away.
Read the blog notes about the different types of yeast.
Start by adding two cups of flour and the salt and stir well (with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula) until the flour is incorporated.
Continue adding flour gradually and stir until all the flour is well incorporated. Depending on the brand of flour you use you will need 3 to 3 ½ cups of flour. The dough should be sticky, but not too liquid.
Once the flour is incorporated cover the bowl with a towel or plastic wrap and proof for one hour.
Keep the dough in a warm place away from drafts.
Grease a loaf pan with melted butter or neutral tasting oil. Save some of the oil for your fingers.
When the dough is double in size grease your fingers with oil or melted butter and scoop out the dough from the bowl.
Try to shape it to a log and place it in the greased loaf pan.
Score the surface of the dough with a sharp knife or a razor. I usually do 3-4 vertical scores with a razor blade or a sharp knife.
Proof the dough again for 30 minutes.
I like to do my second proof in the oven. I preheat it to 110 F and place the loaf pan inside.
You can proof outside of the oven too. Just make sure that the dough is in a warm place and away from drafts.
Once the 30 minutes are done preheat the oven to 380 F. You can preheat the oven with the dough inside and start another timer for 30 minutes.
Or you can preheat with the oven with the dough outside of the oven and add it once it reaches 380 F. Bake for 30 minutes. Check at 20 for doneness.
The bread is ready when it is golden brown on top, bottom and sides. Sometimes I like to remove it from the pan and bake for extra five minutes to make it crispier, but that is optional.
Cool off the bread on a wire rack for at least 20 minutes before slicing.
Store leftover bread in a bread box or paper bag. Eat within 3-4 days.