Lazy Man's bread is an easy no-knead sandwich bread that can save you on lazy days! Made with a combination of whole wheat and all-purpose flour, the dough is ready to rest in less than 5 minutes and there’s no need to knead.
If you’re craving something hearty and homemade but have no time to waste, this poor man's bread recipe is for you!
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Sometimes we just don’t have the time to do everything we want to, sometimes the 5-10 minutes we spend kneading the dough can make a difference. Trust me, I know what it’s like to have zero time.
This recipe has saved me more times than I can count! It’s super easy to make and to bake, and you can slice 10 minutes after it’s out of the oven.
🍞Why make it
I say my no-knead sandwich bread is how cooking should be like: enjoyable, carefree and simple. This recipe says all that with perfection.
- You can make the dough in less than 5 minutes - just like my tea cream biscuits;
- It’s a foolproof recipe that's easy to bake with your kids;
- It’s great for adding more fiber to your diet when baked with whole wheat flour - like my whole wheat dinner rolls!
📃Ingredients and substitutions
There’s nothing fancy about this recipe. There’s flour, yeast, salt, sugar, milk and eggs, and some butter: it’s a cake-like bread, but better! A plain and unpretentious bread, super rich in flavor.
Butter. Is one of the ingredients that gives this bread a rich taste. You can substitute for vegetable oil or olive oil for a dairy-free version.
Instant dry yeast. Possible to use active dry yeast, just don’t forget to proof it if making this substitution.
Sugar. You can choose between white sugar and brown sugar. It won’t make your bread sweet, but only feed your yeast, ok?
Milk. I use whole milk, but you can substitute for skimmed, or even a dairy-free option like oat milk and almond milk.
Eggs. I never tried switching this ingredient, but you can try flax egg if looking for an egg-free recipe.
Flour. I use a combination of whole wheat and all-purpose flour. If you use whole wheat only, the bread will be denser and feel a bit dry. It can be made with all-purpose white flour and no whole wheat.
I haven’t experimented with flours like spelt, but it is possible. If you’re thinking about trying, start with a smaller amount to see how it works.
🥣How to make it
I can’t stress this enough: this sandwich bread takes almost zero effort to make.
Step 01. Melt the butter and warm up the milk. Microwaving each for 30 seconds is enough. In a medium bowl, mix butter, milk and eggs.
Step 2. In a large bowl, combine all dry ingredients. Mix the wet mixture until dough is form and no dry spots remain. It’s a wet dough, so don’t try to mix it using your hands.
Step 03. Let it rise for about 1 hour and 30 minutes, covered with a damp kitchen towel or plastic wrap. The dough should almost double.
Step 04. Line a 9x5' loaf pan with parchment paper or grease it with butter or cooking pray. With the help of a spoon, or using your hands, place the dough into the pan.
Step 05. Let the dough rest for 30 minutes more, and preheat the oven to 375°F.
Step 06. Bake bread for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.
Remove from baking pan, and wait at least 10 minutes to serve.
It's best to wait for it to cool, but I almost never manage to do so! So I have it while it's still warm, with vegan honey when I want something sweet, or a delicious combination of brie and onion chutney.
✔️Expert tips
- If you keep whole wheat flour in the freezer/fridge: let it sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. Using it cold will slow down your yeast activity and compromise the rise.
- You can make it using only all-purpose flour. When I use AP flour only, I add 4 ¼ cups of it.
- You need to use a loaf pan to bake this bread. The dough won’t sustain itself without it.
- Preventing the bread from sinking: it's important to preheat the oven! Don’t skip this part, or you might get a bread sunken in the middle.
🥛Replacing milk with heavy cream
Wanna know a trick? Once I run out of milk and it was too cold (and I was too lazy) to go out to get it. I had heavy cream on the fridge, and it was just enough for me to make milk with it.
To make 100ml of milk, you’ll need 10 ml of heavy cream and 90 ml of water. This recipe asks for 1 ½ cup that is about 375ml, so 35 ml of heavy cream and 340 ml of water. So, measure 1 ½ of water, take out 2 ½ tablespoons of it and replace this amount with heavy cream. Works like magic.
🫙Storing and freezing
Store this bread in a bread keeper or any airtight container to prevent it from drying up. This sandwich bread is good for up to 4 days, if stored correctly. After that, it starts to get dry.
You can freeze this bread. To freeze, wait for it to cool completely. I prefer to freeze this bread sliced, but you can freeze it whole. Store in a freezer safe plastic bag and keep in your freezer for up to 3 months.
🥖What to eat with
This bread goes great with butter while still hot. Try making grilled cheese with it, add some gouda and ham. Put a slice on your toaster the next day and spread some cream cheese.
I also love to have it with some caponata - no tomatoes on mine!
I love to eat it with honey and nothing else: it’s so tasty and puts a big smile on my face! Sometimes I’m so happy and boring.
More easy bread recipes
If you tried this No Knead Bread Recipe, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the comments below!
📖 Recipe
Lazy Man's Bread (No-Knead Bread)
Equipment
- 1 Loaf Pan 9x5
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup milk lukewarm
- 4 tablespoon butter melted
- 2 eggs large
- 1 ½ teaspoon instant yeast
- 2 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, mix melted butter, lukewarm milk and eggs.
- In a large bowl, combine all dry ingredients: instant yeast, brown sugar, whole wheat and all-purpose flour and salt. Add the wet mixture and mix with a spoon or spatula until dough is form and no dry spots of flour remain. It’s a very wet dough, so use a spoon or spatula: don’t try to mix it using your hands.
- Let it rest for 1h30, covered with a damp kitchen towel or plastic wrap.
- Line a 9x5' loaf pan with parchment paper or grease it with butter or cooking pray.
- With the help of a spoon, or using your hands, place the dough into the pan.
- Let it rest for 30 minutes on the loaf pan while you preheat your oven to 375°F.
- Bake bread for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the top is golden.
- Remove from baking pan, and wait at least 10 minutes to serve.
Liza
Hi...i was surprised how good this bread was.We can not stop eating it.
Thank you for this easy recipe!!
Ccc
This bread was so tasty and soft. I made two loaves, one for the freezer.