Add to: Recipe Box | Grocery List | Meal PlannerRecipe submitted by Colleen
Outrageously Easy BIG BreadIngredients (use vegan versions): 2 packs of yeast
1/4 cup warm water
2 cups hot water
3 tablespoons turbinado
1 tablespoon salt
3 cups flour
1/3 cup vegetable or corn oil
3 cups flour
Directions:Note: This recipe works best if all ingredients are set out, ready to go, in advance. Also, make sure the turbinado, salt, flour, and oil are measured in the exact amounts called for.
Pour warm water into a small ceramic bowl and add the yeast, but DO NOT STIR. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, pour hot water over the turbinado and salt, then stir with a wooden spoon to completely dissolve. Combine 3 cups flour with the water mixture. Pour the oil on top of the dough mixture then add the yeast mixture on top of that, but DO NOT STIR. Top with the remaining 3 cups of flour and mix well. (I begin mixing with the wooden spoon but I very quickly have to move into squishing the dough with my hands.) At this point, the dough should be pliant and moist, but not gooey. Cover the bowl with a damp towel and set aside to rise for at least 45 minutes. (I've left it for almost two hours.)
On a lightly floured cutting board or countertop, divide the dough into half. (This is when I recruit someone to knead the dough, but the recipe actually calls for no kneading; I've done this recipe many times without kneading anything, and it always turns out really good.) Flatten each half into roughly an oval/rounded rectangular shape, about 1/2- to 3/4-inch thickness; then roll the dough lengthwise and place on an ungreased, but very BIG, cookie sheet. (If you don't have a very large cookie sheet, use two cookie sheets, one for each half of the dough.) Cover the dough with a moist towel and set aside to rise again for another 45 minutes (or longer).
After the dough has risen the second time, preheat the oven to 375 and bake for exactly 23 minutes. If you can keep everyone from digging in right away, allow to cool for about 15 minutes and then enjoy. (Also, before the bread bakes, you can slit the top of each lump of dough a couple of times and brush lightly with some kind of egg substitute. The glaze helps the bread come out with a slightly crunchier crust. I don't usually bother.)
Whenever I go to potlucks, I bake this bread and it disappears within minutes. I've even had special requests for it. At a family Christmas, after I found out that store-bought rolls (ick!) would be served with the Christmas Eve dinner, I announced that I would make homemade bread. Since dinner would be served in a little less than two hours and since my family knows how much I absolutely detest cooking, my mother thought I was lying. She couldn't believe that I could make "respectable" bread without any kneading and in time for dinner. I made this bread and, as usual, it vanished almost instantly. My mother got this bread recipe from me. I think the dogs got the store-bought rolls.
Nutritional Information? Good question.
Makes: 2 huge loaves, Preparation time: 2 hours, Cooking time: 23 minutes
Best and easiest bread I've ever made! Worked well even made with Canadian bread (hard) flour, which is slightly different to US flour. Would suggest that you cover the rising bread with greased waxed paper or just flour, as the damp cloth tends to stick to the dough.
Archived comment by: francine
This bread is very easy to make and it tastes great. I tried not flattening it out so much and I thought that it turned out even better that way. I also addedd a handful or two of mixed grains to the dough. Thank you for this recipe
Archived comment by: eli
I've made this bread three times and it is excellent! It has worked better when I stirred the yeast slightly and kept the water beneath 110 degrees. My husband loves this recipe and now requests it for special occasions. Thanks for sharing this great recipe!
Archived comment by: nydan
I just now tried this recipe and let me tell you... I'm in love. As a broke college student who is also a fan of cooking and a carbohydrate fiend, I fully anticipate making this recipe numerous times - to my housemates delight! If I ever decide to play with additions, I'll keep everyone posted. Thank you!!!!
Archived comment by: eeeks
This was really yummy the second time I made this - The first time it was really flat and dense (sp?) - I don't think that I let it rise enough... Anyhow- Left it out longer to rise the second time round and it was a success! Thanks!
Archived comment by: velouria
Thank you for this great easy recipe. My 2 little ones love this bread! I've baked the bread in loaf pans and it comes out great.
Archived comment by: collsy
Hi I read a lot of recipes showing one or 2 packets of yeast. Its just that I want to ask you , howmuch quantity of dryinstant yeast does onepacket of yeast hold ?I stay in Malaysia,where one such packet holds 11gms of dry instant yeast . Please le tme know, so that i can proceed with all these wonderful recipes with the right amount of yeast. Waiting to hear from u. Aarti
Archived comment by: akhandhar
this is absolutely the best bread ever! i loved it!!!! thank you so much for sharing the recipe! this was actually my first time attempting to make homemade bread in my life, and it was so easy, with such great results! as a variation, i tried replacing the vegetable oil with olive oil and adding thyme, basil, oregano and marjoram to the dough, and it came out really yummy - denser, with a foccacia-like taste and consistency. thanks again!
Archived comment by: brookelynne82
This bread is wonderful!!!! I made it with whole white wheat and minced garlic with basil..........and it was devoured Thanks for this recipe
Archived comment by: texasTornado
This is the most easy and awsome bread recipe I have used. I have made it with 100% wheat flour and it came out good, but more dense. then I used 1/2 wheat and 1/2 allpurpose, and 1/2cup sunflower seeds(these I added after the yeast) and I added with a different loaf, 2Tblsp cinnamon and approx. 1/2c raisins maybe more. Yummy. I bake mine in loaf pans and I knead enought to smooth out. all came out great!
Archived comment by: earthmom06
simple and tastes great! im eating it right now with some melted vegan margerine and italian sesoning so yummy!
Archived comment by: chalupa
Ahkandar --One packet of yeast is usually 1 1/4 tsp. I don't know how many grams that is. Hope this helps.
Archived comment by: biasiollia
My husband loves this bread! It is much easier to make than any other recipe I have ever done with equal results. I bake it in a bread pan because we use homemade bread for sandwiches, etc., and it comes out wonderfully!
Archived comment by: sebarnes
I have heard that sugar water will make a shiny crust on bread. I have not tried it. Cant wait to try this bread.
Archived comment by: sherhout
Whooaaaa, this bread was fantastic. I haven't had much luck with breads that one supposedly doesn't have to knead, so I admit I was a skeptic, but it turned out perfect. Few ingredients, easy recipe, great taste! Thanks a million!
Archived comment by: leeyah
Try a sugar syrup mix to glaze. This is used for most sweet buns produced by bakers.
Archived comment by: ambience
Just plain wate will give you a crust on your bread. Just brush it on. If you wabt it even crustier (word?) add another brushing of water in the last 5 or 10 minutes of baking. Great recipe. Thank you
Archived comment by: suziq
I LOVED it. I made it many times already.
Archived comment by: eliseS2
This recipe was so easy! I thought I messed it up a hundred times. I let it sit out for like 3 hours to rise on accident. I cut the recipe in half and baked it in a rectangular baking dish. I also glazed the top with oil before baking. It was delicious. I took it to a huge party and it disapeared!
Archived comment by: beachbnny
If you want a real crisp crust put vinegar in a spray bottle and spray your bread every 8-10 minutes. The more you spray it the crispier the bread will get.
Archived comment by: wildcat8119
If you want a real crisp crust put vinegar in a spray bottle and spray your bread every 8-10 minutes. The more you spray it the crispier the bread will get.
Archived comment by: wildcat8119
Thank God for this recipe!!! SOFT, DELICIOUS, THANK YOU THANK YOU!!! Baked twice, the second time halved the salt amount--for the better--and baked in loaf pans for sandwich use. Yay!!!
Archived comment by: asamrb
made this FABULOUS recipe a few more times and need to mention the steps I found to perfect it: 1) I use 4 cups whole wheat flour and 2 cups all-purpose flour (2:1 each time) 2) 1 teaSPOON salt 3) I found that really kneading the dough after the first rising REALLY makes a MAJOR difference in how big the bread gets; it actually about won't rise at all in the second rising if I don't knead it. Also importantly, I think using a damp towel to cover the dough is really important. Using plastic wrap, which I did the first time, didn't work nearly as well either. LOVE THIS RECIPE. YUMYUMYUMYUMYUMYUMYUMYUMYUMYUMYUMYUMYUMYUMMY!
Archived comment by: asamrb
Dusting with flour will give a soft top, brushing with salty water will give a crusty top.
Archived comment by: narayani
wow! this bread is amazing! it was my very first bread making experience, let alone vegan-bread
I can't wait to try it again using some of the variations suggested! thank you so much for the recipe! ill be using it a ton!!!
Archived comment by: elise729
I'm making this this afternoon, with a bit of a twist - I'm gonna try filling it with a spinach pesto and sundried tomatoes. I'll let you know how it turns out!
Archived comment by: missAntithesis
NOTE: Per the notation on my jar of Fleischmanns BreadMachine Yeast, 1 Pkg Active Dry Yeast = 2 1/4tsp BreadMachine Yeast
Archived comment by: vegemom1
Just to add to the raving reviews! The entire family loved this and it was so easy, i didn't do the neading but it did rise for about 3 hours+ becuase I forgot about it! It didn't really rise much in the second rise, i think partially due to this, but it was so good and NOT dense...a big plus when using w/w pastry flour!! Next time I am going to try and just roll them into balls lighlty greasing them and putting them all together in a cassarole and make yummy rolls! As it was it was the perfect thickness for a sandwich just by slicing the whole shabang in half! My husband said don't change a thing, although i did, i used maple syrup instead of sugar and whole wheat pastry flour. Also I only had the bulk yeast as well, i used the last comment of 2 1/2 tsp per packet and added the 1/4 cup water... well it thickened up and made goo....and part of it didn't desolve. It didn't really effect the bread besides a strong yeast smell in the house, but next time i think i will go with the lesser suggestion on 1 1/2 tsp per packet! Thanks, I am taking this recipe to thanksgiving where there will only be my family who is all on the high protein thing :*( :*( :*( At least we will be able to grub on some good bread!!
Archived comment by: ebaypowerseller
the title outrageously easy BIG bread totally suites this recipe!! I followed the directions exactly like it said. The only thing I did differently was place the lumps of dough in 2 loaf pans instead of on a baking sheet. I also followed wildcat8119 suggestion to put vinigar in a bottle and spray the loaves every 8 minutes while baking. This has to be one of the easiest and best bread recipes out there and even my meat eating brother loved it! It is soooo good spreaded with roasted garlic and soy margarine and served with spaghetti!! my family of 4 ate 1 1/2 loaves just for supper, and that's telling you its delicious
Archived comment by: animalluva
I made this bread yesterday and it was really great! I made it into one loaf (in a loaf pan) and six big rolls. Everyone loved it!!! (had vegan sloppy joes on the rolls, mmmm). While I made the dough, I turned my oven to warm (170 degrees F) then I turned it off when I was through making the dough and put the dough in the oven to rise, which worked very well for me. I will be making another batch tomorrow with whole wheat pastry flour, can't wait!!! Angela
Archived comment by: angie77
Dont know if I did something wrong or not, but my bread was not big at all. It was easy and tasty, but kind of flat. I followed the instuctions and decided to put it in 2 bread loaf pans. Should I have put it all into one loaf pan instead? It rose both time I let it sit out, but barely made it to the rim of the pans. It came out kinda dense and too short to really use for sandwiches. Any advice on what I could have done wrong?
Archived comment by: earthmother
I would love to try this bread but need to know if anyone has ever tried other flours other than wheat? My daughter is allergic to wheat and gluten. I've been trying a lot of different yeast breads with no success.
Archived comment by: beccazmom
Wow, this took a long time, but it came out quite nice.. I didn't follow exact instructions, but still... wonderful result.. The best part is while its rising and cooking, I got a lot of other work done! I can't wait to make more!
Archived comment by: faery1
This bread is AWESOME! I used all whole-wheat flour, but I replaced 1/2 c. of whole wheat flour with vital wheat gluten. I mixed and kneaded the dough with my KitchenAid dough hook, which made everything super-fast (and yes I think kneading is essential). The second time I made it, I decided to shape the bread properly (let me know if you need instructions for that), and I placed them in greased bread pans for the second rising. I let them rise much longer, maybe about an hour and a half, until they were very tall and puffy. Then I baked the loaves at 375 degrees for about 26-28 minutes. Let cool out of their pans for about 15 minutes before slicing. I bet you will finish half a loaf within the first hour -- its that good!!!
Archived comment by: uhblondie
this bread is really good. i put a few slices in the toaster and made a BLT sandwich with one of the bacon recipes on this site.. mmm mmm. this one is a keeper.
Archived comment by: shinjiko
I tried this last night, one loaf with one whole head of garlic in it, and it was wonderful! Only a few slices left this morning! I've found that if you add a little bit of organic white flour it really helps with the rising. I like about 4 cups organic whole wheat and 2 cups organic white.
Archived comment by: earthmother
SO yummy! I made it once with garlic cloves placed throughout, and another time using whole wheat, corn, and white flours. You cannot ruin this recipe, it is delicious and easy!
Archived comment by: desertgirl
Well, this was my first time making a loaf of bread, and sadly though it rose wonderfully and looks good, the taste is off...really blah..... It rose...but could it be my yeast? I followed the directions and even kneaded it..
Archived comment by: cheerjess
Earthmother it could have been your yeast if you are using a yeast that is too old or you didn't bloom it right it could have been what made it kinda flat.
Archived comment by: wildcat8119
this bread was indeed very easy to make. but it wasn't as big as i expected it to get. i think i will let it sit longer, and knead it more after the first hour. anyhow, i made some adjustments to the recipe, and it really turned out delicious. I MADE CINNAMON-RAISIN BREAD. 1) substituted oil for shortening 2) after letting it rise the first time, i knead it a little and added about 3/4 cup of raisins in the dough. when i flattened it out, i sprinkled cinnamon over the whole surface, and then rolled it up. when i cut it, there is a cinnamon swirl inside, SOOO GOOD !!!
Archived comment by: xharmonyx
Mmm! I love this bread and everyone else does too! I've made it several times with no fail, sometimes kneading and sometimes not. I've tried it with part all-purpose part whole wheat and part spelt. I've also used 2:1 ratio of whole wheat flour and all-purpose flour and added rosemary, thyme and oregano and it was unbeleivably tasty! Great recipe! Oh and I use olive oil everytime and it seems to work just fine!
Archived comment by: lovetoburn
Good and easy. I used 5 cups WW flour and 1 cup vital wheat glutin. Used the mixer with dough hook as well. Yummy!
Archived comment by: in2insight
this bread is great! i make it every few days... i haven't bought bread in awhile. my favorite variation is to add three finely chopped jalapenos. right before i do all the mixing.
Archived comment by: i like bikes
This was my first time making bread and the results were fantastic. I made it with 2/3 whole wheat flour. Also, for one of the loaves I folded in raw garlic, roasted garlic, and dried basil, then brushe'd the top with olive oil, garlic, and balsamic vinegar about half way through cooking. Totally delicious!!!! My non-veg roommates ate most of it last night.
Archived comment by: buffaloVeggie
This bread didn't work for me. I used brown rice flour because that's all I had. I tried to halve the recipe because I only wanted one loaf. Maybe I should use both packs of yeast? The bread was actually hard (think I glazed it too much) but the crumbs were delicious. I added rosemary, thyme and whole cloves of garlic throughout. I plan to make some stuffing with them. I'm going to try again.
Archived comment by: tmedwards
tmedwards: brown rice flour is not a flour you can use alone when baking bread. rice flour does not contain gluten and, on its own, is simply too heavy. i am not at all surprised that you described the final product as hard. an inevitable consequence i would say. i suggest that you try again using wholewheat flour. you could always add 1/2 cup of brown rice flour too if you like. i did like the sound of the herbs and garlic though. id certainly try that again. hope this helps. cheers.
Archived comment by: adagio
Wonderful recipe -- but you definitely need to let it rise as long as is humanly (breadly?) possible. I added a line of dried basil in the middle and made a basil-swirl bread. It was fantastic with pasta and marinara sauce.
Archived comment by: knitwit
This was WONDERFUL! I used 4 C of whole wheat flour and 2 C of white flour. I couldnt seem to get it to rise as much as a regular loaf of sandwich bread, but I did bake it in loaf pans. It was DELICIOUS. I used vegan brown sugar b/c that's all I had. My husband ate almost a whole loaf by himself, and he's NOT veggie at all. Maybe hell convert if I keep making recipes like this. I may never buy store bread again
Archived comment by: dressingWhatever
After reading xharmonyxs comment, I had a powerful craving for cinnamon rolls, so here's what I did: I made the recipe like normal (with 5 cups ww pastry flour and 1 cup bread flour) and kneaded it a whole lot after the first rise. Then I cut the dough in half, kneaded each half just to get it in a respectable shape, and rolled one part out to make an oval. I dusted the whole thing with cinnamon and topped it with a layer of chopped pecans that I had combined with cinnamon and maple syrup (just enough to coat them, not to make them goopy). Then I rolled it up from a long side to make a long log o cinnamon roll. I cut it into 2 lengths and put the pieces in a springform pan standing on their cut ends (so the swirl is visible) with about an inch or a bit less between them. After doing this to both sections of dough, I had two large pans full of cinnamon rolls, and I covered them and put them in a warm oven to rise until their sides began to touch. I baked them according to instructions, and then I brushe'd them with a light agave syrup, sprinkled them with cinnamon, and then topped them with a simple powdered sugar and soymilk glaze. I had NO CLUE what I was doing, but they came out like real cinnamon rolls made by someone who
actually knows how to make such things. Yum!
Archived comment by: artichaut
This is the best bread I have ever made! I will never buy bread at the store again. Thankyou for this recipe!
Archived comment by: galactic_Starfish
I think I did something wrong my bread didn't rise. I still baked it and it tastes ok but it was fo heavy I had to through it out. Any suggestions as to where I went wrong
Archived comment by: hitchhiker
This was only the 2nd time I made yeast bread, and I have to say it was unbelievably delicious and easy! I used 2 cups whole wheat and 3 white, with some crushed rosemary and thyme. My husband said it was the best thing I ever made:) I have already made this 2x, and I plan on making it many more.
Archived comment by: rain27253
This bread was absolutely AMAZING!!! I have gotten so many requests for it... And people usually are iffy about my food because I'm one of roughly five vegans in the county. I added some onion powder to the dough and have used a glaze of olive oil sprinkled with rosemary, thyme, and garlic salt with AMAZING results. I also use 1/2 whole wheat and 1/2 regular flour... This is a great recipe that makes such a great base for whatever I'm in the mood to throw in.
Archived comment by: stpdrckr420
I have made many different variations of homemade bread, but NONE were as EASY as this! I can't believe how incredibly simple it is to have homemade bread, without kneading my fingers to the bone and without taking five hours. My family is so happy!! I have made this as regular bread loaves, as well as adding minced garlic and Italian herbs to make. I've also turned it into dinner rolls and garlic breadsticks. Right now, rising in the oven, is what will become cinnamon rolls. I added raisins and cinnamon to the dough, used melted Earth Balance instead of oil. When it has risen I will knead it (I do always knead it for a few minutes), then roll it out, sprinkle on rum-soaked raisins, cinnamon, and brown sugar, the roll it up and slice it into sections. After it rises for the second I think I will sprinkle on top a mixture of Earth Balance and brown sugar (like a streusel topping), then bake it. Mmmmm, I can hardly wait for tomorrows breakfast!
Archived comment by: veggiechef
Absolutely, possatively LOVED IT!!! This was the first time I have ever attempted making bread and it was a total success! I served it with veggie shepards pie and WOW! No left overs at all. Thank you for a great recipe that I know I will use quite often!
Archived comment by: laisydaisy99
This recipe is everything it was hyped up to be and more! No kneading was necessary. I used 5 cups whole wheat and 1 cup white flour. I only used a quarter cup of oil, half the salt, and sucanat for the sweetener. I let the first rise go for 1 hour and the second for just over an hour. After the first rise I rolled out half the dough to the size of a loaf pan and put it in one that I had greased with canola spray and floured. The second half I made into a dozen cinnamon rolls according to artichauts post. I used 1 cup of powdered sugar, half a teaspoon of vanilla, and 2 tablespoons of vanilla soymilk for the glaze as I saw in another cookbook, Vegetarian Cooking for Dummies. They fit perfectly in one 13x9 baking dish. I took them out a bit before the stated cooking time and waited until they were cool to drizzle on the glaze. Thanks for such a perfect recipe!
Archived comment by: mbenedet
I forgot to mention, I let my dough rise in its bowl sitting on the edge of my stovetop with the oven door cracked open and the oven on the lowest temperature, 170 F. Turn the bowl or dish every once in a while, and it works very well. It warms the house quite well, but it probably is a bit wasteful. I've got no other warm area for my bread to rise.
Archived comment by: mbenedet
I have been making this bread for about a month now and I love it. I make 2 loaves, one for toast (cinnamon raisin swirl) and the other regular wheat for sandwiches and garlic bread or whatever. I use 4 cups whole wheat and 2 cups white and about a 1/4 cup of flax seed. So yummy and easy! When bread is this easy there is no excuse for store bought crap!
Archived comment by: waffles
This recipe is so forgiving. I added the flour to the sugar and salt before the hot water, stirred the yeast, and added the yeast before the oil and it still worked out perfectly. Next I'm going to make cinnamon rasin, and also try making it with sunflower seeds and rolled oats replacing some fo the flour. Thanks so much....I can stop buying bread at the store.
Archived comment by: ilikefood
