This Peasant Bread is a crowd pleaser! It’s a simple to make, no-knead recipe for the BEST bread ever! (No, seriously!)

You will not believe how AMAZING this Peasant Bread recipe is! I got rave reviews every time I make it!
You know those recipes you have that you’ve been making for years and everyone in the family loves? This bread is one of those.
I remember several years ago, I was invited to a friend’s home for lunch. It was a very casual lunch. I brought my kids, who played out back, while we sat down at my friend’s gorgeous dining room table to eat. It smelled beyond amazing in her house.
She disappeared into her kitchen and came back out holding a tray with the most amazing loaves of peasant bread you’ve ever seen. Round circles of yeasty goodness.
I’m honestly, practically salivating all over her nice table cloth at this point. She sets the tray down and I completely dive in. There’s this olive oil with garlic and seasonings that she’s warmed up for us to dip the bread in and my tastebuds go nuts.
Ripping into the bread and dipping into the olive oil, I eat so much bread that I don’t have room for the main course!
I ask her where she bought this glorious bread from. She says, “Bought it? Oh, no! I made it!”
I practically fell off my chair. “No WAY. You MADE this?”
Oh yeah. She totally made that amazing, mouth-watering, delicious peasant bread. From scratch. You better believe I begged for the recipe!
This peasant bread recipe is now one of our very, very favorite bread recipes in the history of all bread recipes. It’s so easy, you won’t even believe me when I show you the recipe. Only a few ingredients and no-kneading required. Boom. Perfect loaves of bread every. single. time.
I made this the other day right before my boys came home from school. My oldest walked in and immediately recognized the amazing smell and said, “Mom! You made Peasant Bread!” Yep. It’s THAT good! I can’t wait for you to try it!
I hope you like it as much as we do! 🙂
Ingredients
- 1 package dry yeast 2 1/4 tsp. if measuring
- 2 cups warm water 110 degrees
- 1 Tbsp. sugar
- 2 tsp. salt
- 4 cups flour
- 1 egg white OR melted butter for topping
- garlic salt I use California garlic salt
Instructions
- Mix yeast and warm water and let sit for 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes, pour the yeast and water mixture in a mixing bowl with the sugar, salt and flour. Do not mix too long. Do not knead. Let rise until doubled.
- After rising, split into 2 rounds and place on greased cookie sheet. Let rise again until doubled. Preheat oven to 425º F.
- Brush tops of bread rounds with egg white or melted butter and then sprinkle with garlic salt.
- Bake at 425º F for 10 minutes then reduce heat to 375º F and cook additional 15 minutes or until golden brown.
- We like tearing chunks off the rounds and dipping in olive oil and seasonings. So delicious! Enjoy!
Need even more carbs? Check out these yummy recipes:
Easy Breadsticks with Warm Bacon Cheese Dip
Homemade Whole Wheat Pita Bread
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There’s nothing like homemade bread, and it’s one of my major weaknesses. This looks so delicious, and I can almost smell it! 🙂
This is GREAT !
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I love BREAD !
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SPECIALLY Fresh and Homemade !
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I ‘ ll try to prepare to Myself ,
if i get my Oven Clean ( … when I moved in it was already very old_dirty … ) .
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THANK YOU , jen !
lace ***
I followed your directions to a T ! This is a super easy bread to make,and wow outstanding flavor . I love making bread all types . A real keeper thanks for sharing ox
I’m SO HAPPY to hear this!! Thank you for taking the time to leave such a sweet comment! Glad you loved it as much as we do!
Seriously dying over this right now- I soooo love bread. Especially like this. I would sit & eat this whole thing – in one sitting & not sharing. YUM-O!!!
My yeast packet says it contains 2.5 teaspoons of yeast – just want to check that the total needed is really 2.5 tablespoons. I have just one packet of yeast and would love to try this immediately; it sounds so good, but I don’t want to ruin it by using the wrong amount. Thanks.
Oh boy, thanks for catching that Mary! I’ll change that, should be 2 1/4 teaspoons! I can’t WAIT for you to try it! Let me know how it turns out!
Thanks, Jen. Can’t wait to make it.
Easy breads are the best! I don’t have the patience to wait forever for a bread that won’t turn out. When I want homemade bread I mean business! This looks amazing, Jen! Can’t wait to try it!
Yay! Thanks Alyssa!!
This seemed to turn out fine. Just took it out of the oven and smells great. However, after just ten minutes at 375 it was golden brown and sounded hollow when thumped. I was afraid to leave it in any longer for fear of it burning or drying out.
How was the inside? Was it hollow or uncooked through?
Have you ever tried to make this with gluten-free flour? I’m wondering if it would work just as well. Thanks!
I haven’t, Christine but I just bought a brand new bag of gluten-free flour so I might just have to give it a try! Let me know if you try it gluten free and how it turns out for you.
So did you make this receipt gluten free?
Nope I haven’t yet. Sorry! I need to put it on my to-do list. I think it will turn out just fine if you use a gluten free all-purpose flour.
Can you make this with white whole wheat flour?
I think so, Connie! I haven’t tried it with white whole wheat flour, but I think it would work fine to sub.
I always love/hate it when people tell me they made it. That means I can totally do this at home AND I can totally eat the whole thing at home too 😉 I live for the smell of homemade bread baking in the oven. There are so many possibilities with this bread, but I think dipped in olive oil sounds the best! Pinned!
I love homemade bread and soup …match made in heaven 🙂
That is one gorgeous loaf of bread! Can’t wait to try the recipe, Jen!
Seriously, you will love it, Andi! It would go perfectly with dinner on the nights when you and they hubs eat cheese, fruit & hummus!
I love homemade bread – and I especially love easy fail-proof recipes! 🙂 pinning!
Thanks for stopping by and for the pin, Jamie!! I hope you have a great weekend!
This looks amazing ! Would it be possible to use whole wheat flour for this ?
Hi Allison! I’ve never tried this recipe using whole wheat flour but I imagine it should work just fine! If you do try it, let me know how you like it! I might give it a try soon myself!
Tried this today and my dough was really sticky… is it supposed to be that way? The flavor was good but it was hard to work with. I live in the mountains so it may just be that I need to adjust the recipe some. Thanks!
Hi Linda! It is a little sticky when you’re dealing with splitting the loaves, etc. How was the texture after it was cooked? It could have been the elevation a little bit too.
I have been dying to make my own bread but all the kneading and rising scared me off, but this looks simple so I’m definitely trying it, this may be a dumb question but what kind of flour do you use? Is it just all purpose flour? Also, can I mix it with the dough attachment in my food processor or do you just recommend by hand? Can’t wait to hear from you so I can make this!
Hi Patricia! I use all-purpose flour, and that’s totally not a dumb question! I probably need to correct the recipe so it says that. I just mix it by hand and haven’t used the dough attachment – I would say just doing it by hand would be best since you really don’t need to knead it. I hope you love it and it comes out delicious for you! Please let me know if you have any other questions!! 🙂
Thanks so much for asking these questions! I was wondering the exact same thing.
Let me know if you have any other questions! I’m happy to help! 🙂
Hello! How long does this bread to take to make, from the mixing of the yeast to the final product?
Hi! Rise time totally depends on the temperature in your kitchen. I would say a total of 1 to 2 hours from start to finish. It’s not too bad! I’ve definitely made it in a time crunch before and just turned my oven on low and set the sheet with the rising bread next to the oven so it’s a little warmer. I hope you give it a try!
Thank you! I’ve tried no less than 20 times to make bread from scratch-no machine, no proofing oven etc… And have failed every time.
Until today.
This recipe is straightforward and simple. And the results are fantastic. Thank you thank you for sharing this. I’m so happy with the way it turned out.
-Alison
Yay! I’m so happy you loved it Alison! It really is the best easy bread recipe!
My husband and I have a running joke about my cooking…when I have a particularly spectacular result he calls it ‘hit-the-knee worthy’ (worth proposing again over). He was hitting a knee just from looking at it when I pulled the rounds out of the oven (and again after his first bite)! Amazing recipe, awesome texture and dangerously tasty even without the olive oil/balsamic vinegar!
Woohoo!!! So happy it was ‘hit-the-knee worthy’!! Isn’t it so easy?! Just about the best bread recipe ever! Thanks for the comment!
Just made this recipe and it is DELISH!! I did substitute the flour with whole wheat and it is perfect. Simple, fast, and delicious. What more could you want!
YAY!! I’m so happy you liked it! It’s the best and easiest bread ever!
Thank you for postensibly that you used whole wheat flour and it turned out good, wanted to try this and was searching if anyone tried with w/w flour. Am off to the kitchen, thanks. 🙂
Made this last night and it was AMAZING! Everyone loved it and gobbled it right up. There was very little left over lol. I will definitely be making this again soon. I loved how easy it was to make.
Yay!! I’m so happy you liked it! It’s so easy and so good!
Hi Jen,
I just came across your peasant bread recipe…have you tried it with gluten-free flour yet? If not, could you let me know when you do? Thanks so much…have a great day…
Denise Trottier
I haven’t tried it gluten-free yet! I’m a little intimidated by GF flour, lol! I’ll let you know if I try it, though. Thanks!
I have been making this for a couple of months now. Even tried it with whole wheat flour. More dense, but still yummy. I think tonight I will make it as a base for Pizza. Thanks for this. We love it !
I’m so happy you like it! I have yet to try it with whole wheat flour, will try that next! Thanks for the comment!
Made this last night! LOVE LOVE LOVED it. My friends and I ate both loaves that night
SO happy to hear that, Bailey! Thanks for commenting!
This has become my go to bread recipe. I can’t seem to keep it in the house between my husband and my kids. I have some doing its second rise as we speak:)
It is seriously amazing, isn’t it?! And it is so so easy! I’m glad you like it!
This looks amazing!
If I make dough and let it stay overnight in the fridge, would be too long??
I mean is it possible to prepare it a night before and bake for next day’s dinner?
Or have to bake as soon as dough rise?
If you don’t mind, let me know….thanks : )
You need to bake it as soon the dough rises. I don’t think it will turn out right if refrigerated. I hope this helps! Thanks for the comment!
The dough can even be frozen and baked just before dinner time 😉 It will turn into a perfect bread!
Making this bread tonight to accompany a simple garlic, chicken/asparagus alfredo dish. 🙂
I hope you liked it!!!
made this today, it is wonderful. The instructions were a little vague, but it all came out all right.
So glad you liked it! I’m sorry you thought the instructions were vague. I tried my best to make it easy to understand. Maybe I should add step by step pictures or something.
Hey im trying this out today. I have never made any kind of bread before so I have my fingers crossed with high hopes. I have had the bread in the bowel waiting for it to rise…. im not sure how much its suppost to rise after an hour of waiting I just split it and will wait a little while more before I place it in the oven Im a bit worried its not rising as much as it should. I have done exactly as you have said.
Thanks from Kimberly here in Miami, Fl
How did it turn out, Kimberly?? Any questions? I hope you liked it!
Hello Jen,
I have just prepared the recipe as follows, and it is in the oven on the cookie sheet to rise, (the oven is not on yet). Just wondering if it’s necessary to cover the dough while waiting for it to rise. It’s very sticky, also how long does it normally take to rise? Thanks so much!
Joe Bellavia
Bellavia Organics
http://www.bellavia-organics.com
Hi Joe! I don’t cover it when it’s rising. The rising totally depends on how warm your kitchen is. 😉 You should be able to tell when it’s done rising, just about when each loaf is doubled in size. I hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions!
I just ran to the store to pick up yeast. I am so making this tonight. Can’t wait. Thanks for sharing!!!
I hope you love it as much as we do!! Let me know if you have any questions!
I’ve made this twice now and it is AMAZING! So eady and SO tasty. I also just tried to make it with a gluten free flour blend (Namaste brand, which I’ve used for other baking with succeds) and it was like a brick. Perhaps others have had successes, but I have not. I’m a novice gluten free baker, so take my failure with a grain of salt. Trafitionl recipe as followed was a huge success!
Thank you for sharing the recipe.
Thanks for the comment, Diane! I’m so thrilled you liked it! I’m also glad that you tried it with gluten free flour, I still want to give it a try and see if I can get it to turn out. Thanks again!
I made this for dinner tonight, and not only was it easy, it was a huge hit with my family of four! The kids dove in as if they were starving, and my husband commented on it at least twice. 🙂 I tried drizzling the top with olive oil and sprinkling with Nature’s Seasoning before baking, and it was fantastic. Thanks for sharing the recipe! I’ll be keeping this one.
Isn’t it the best?! It’s always a hit! So happy you guys liked it!!
I just made this bread and it was super sticky and expanded outwards instead of upwards on the baking sheet and ended up as flat as a pancake! Any idea what might have gone wrong? I am still a bread beginner, but I followed the recipe word for word!
i am making the peasant bread is it supposed to form a ball for first rise or is wetter than regular bread dough
Hi Brenda! For the first rise, it stays in the bowl and is a bit wetter. It won’t form a ball on its own. When it’s doubled in size, take the sticky dough out of the bowl and split into two balls and let rise until doubled again. I hope this helps!
ty it helped the dough balls are rising as we speak lol
Thanks a lot Jenn, will try this recipe for sure. It looks easy and yummy. But could you please give me the dip recipe. thanks!
Hi there! I think my friend made the dip by roasting some garlic in olive oil over low heat. I never got the recipe from her, actually!
Tkank you!I will make the bread.
Hi Jen
Question re Dry yeast?
Are you referring to active dry yeast / instant yeast / quick rising yeast??? Not sure
Thanks
Hi Nancy! I usually use Active Dry Yeast Original. I hope that helps!
I made this bread twice now and it has been AMAZING both times. Thank you so much for the recipe!
I do have a question, would it be okay to bake these in bread pans? Or would that negatively effect it? (I’m new to baking bread).
Please let me know!
I’m not sure how this recipe would do in a bread pan! I’ve never tried it before. If you do try it, please let me know how it turns out!
I made this tonight! Beautiful and yummy!
Just one question? Plain or Self Raising Flour? Dying to make this <3
All-purpose flour is what I use! I hope you love it as much as we do!
Oh my goodness, I used self raising flour (I forgot to say I am in Scotland), soooo delicious! made 2 loaves x
Our family loves this bread. So easy to make and always a crowd pleaser. I use kosher salt along with the garlic salt on top.
This bread is a family and neighborhood favorite! Love the recipe! I do have a question about storing the bread…if I leave it in a paper bag the crust seems to almost thicken (maybe getting stale?), and if I do plastic it gets all wet and kind of gooey on top. How do you store your bread?