Louisiana Woman Blog

  • Home
  • Appetizers
  • Side Dishes
  • Main Dishes
  • Sweets-recipes
  • Contact Us
  • Classic Cajun Cooking And More
  • Modern Footer
  • About
  • DISCLAIMER
  • Privacy Policy
  • form
  • Recipe Index
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Home
  • Appetizers
  • Side Dishes
  • Main Dishes
  • Sweets-recipes
  • Contact Us
  • Classic Cajun Cooking And More
  • Modern Footer
  • About
  • DISCLAIMER
  • Privacy Policy
  • form
  • Recipe Index
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Appetizers
  • Side Dishes
  • Main Dishes
  • Sweets-recipes
  • Contact Us
  • Classic Cajun Cooking And More
  • Modern Footer
  • About
  • DISCLAIMER
  • Privacy Policy
  • form
  • Recipe Index
×
Home » Bread

Easy No-Knead Bread

Published: Mar 15, 2019 · Modified: Apr 19, 2024 by Louisiana Woman · This post may contain affiliate links · 6 Comments

Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe

Baking bread is a joy, and when making this easy no-knead bread, your house will smell like a bakery. Plus, you'll save time and have less mess!

An Easy No-Knead Bread roll on a white plate with a butter-slathered bread knife sitting on top of a white with red polka dotted napkin.

I’m an Amazon Associate. The Louisiana Woman Blog contains affiliate links with Amazon, and I will earn a commission if you purchase through those links. Thank you! 

Jump to:
  • The Missing Bread Recipe
  • Ingredients
  • Instructions
  • Helpful Hints
  • Related Recipes
  • Easy No-Knead Bread
  • Comments

The Missing Bread Recipe

Do you ever have food memories? You know, when something somehow triggers the taste of yummy food from way back when. I've been experiencing that lately with thoughts of my Maw-maw's homemade bread.

I have an envie, "pronounced ahnvee" (Cajun French words meaning longing), for her yeast rolls these days. Memories of walking through her kitchen and eyeing a specific large white Tupperware container on her counter only meant one thing. There's homemade bread in the house!

The bread was shaped in rectangles like puffy, dense clouds with a bit of sourdough taste.

A pastry brush brushing melted butter onto a pan of baked Easy No-Knead Bread rolls.

Paw-paw called it "Pain de Femme" or "Bread of the Wife." I can hear him saying it in his gruff Cajun French dialect. We believe it was his way of complimenting her.

Mama said Maw-maw would make 3 loaves at a time and bake them in a black Dutch oven. She'd slice the fresh bread and slather it with butter and Fig Preserves, stick a piece into her children's 4 pairs of hands, and tell them to "Go outside and play!"

What a fond memory! I can imagine the screen door slamming behind them as they ran out, caudling their warm bounty.

There's all that to say and without Maw-maw's "Pain de Femme" recipe. Sad, isn't it? After inquiring about it with many, I found that no one has it. Then, my Aunt Martha sent me an easy no-knead bread recipe she thought was close to how Maw-maw made hers. It's not as dense, but it'll do for now.

You may also like this Oatmeal Rolls, Brown Sugar And Oat Bread Recipe, a soft, fluffy yeast roll with a slightly sweet and nutty oat taste. This Cheesy Greek Bread is made with a French bread loaf that can made ahead for easy prep.

Ingredients

Ingredients of yeast, flour, milk, salt, sugar and butter for Easy No-Knead Bread .
  • Butter - to prepare the pan, in the recipe, and to paint on after baking.
  • Whole egg plus 1 egg yolk - the extra fat in the yolk helps.
  • Warm milk - around 100 degrees (microwave cold milk for about 1 minute on high).
  • Active dry yeast - regular instead of a rapid rise to get 2 risings before baking.
  • Granulated sugar - to help the yeast rise.
  • Pre-sifted all-purpose flour - if you can't get it already sifted, you can sift regular all-purpose flour.
  • Salt - for flavor and to assist the yeast in rising the dough.

The original recipe instructions call for milk or water and 1 egg, but after researching bread-making, I discovered another egg yolk, and milk instead of water adds more fat to help with the dough's denseness.

I also tried using rapid yeast to save a step but with no success. This bread is better with 2 rises. What was my grandmother's secret? I know she'd laugh before answering this question, and then she'd be surprised when I told her she didn't have to do all that kneading. Well, maybe.

Instructions

It's so easy. It takes less than 3 hours from start to finish and is worth the reward with its simple-to-remember steps and ingredients.

2 egg yolks being poured into flour mixture of Easy No-Knead Bread.
I am now a fan of bread-making! I like using my stand mixer, but mixing by hand is easy
with a silicone-coated spoon that repels the sticky dough.
  • Butter the sides of a large mixing bowl and a 9x13 baking pan.
  • Melt the 5 tablespoons of butter in a small bowl and set aside.
  • Place the whole egg and egg yolk in a small bowl and set aside.
  • Stir the active yeast and 1 teaspoon of sugar into the warm milk and let sit 5-7 minutes to allow the yeast to bloom.
  • Meanwhile, mix together flour, salt, and the rest of the sugar into a large bowl. 
  • Add eggs to the flour mixture and begin stirring with a mixer, then mix in the 5 tablespoons of melted butter and the yeast mixture until all ingredients are thoroughly combined; the dough will be sticky.
  • Put bread dough into the buttered bowl, turning the dough once to butter all sides of the dough and cover the bowl with a damp cloth; let the dough rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size in a place where the temperature is around 70 degrees.
  • Punch dough down with the back of your fist, then make 12 equal-sized rolls and place them in the buttered baking pan.
  • Cover with the same damp towel and let rise again for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
  • Brush the tops of the rolls with the rest of the melted butter.
  • Bake for 25 minutes.
  • Brown under the broiler for no more than 1 minute if desired.
  • Serve immediately or store in an airtight container; rolls also freeze well in an airtight container.

Helpful Hints

A helpful tip in making rolls is using a 2-ounce ice cream scoop. It makes evenly shaped rolls, and the sticky dough comes out clean.

Another tip is to stock your kitchen with USA PANS like the one shown above, and you will be doing yourself a favor. They are non-stick, have a quick-release coating, are made in the USA with aluminized steel, are sturdy, and heat evenly, producing excellent baked goods.

A ball of bread dough from Easy No-Knead Bread with an ice cream scoop onto a pan of unbaked rolls.

I hope this whets your appetite enough to give this Easy No-Knead Bread recipe a try. Happy breadmaking! . . . And eating!

Related Recipes

  • Iron Skillet Cornbread in black iron skillet with slices of bread being cut out of it.
    Iron Skillet Cornbread
  • A bundt style loaf of Savory Monkey Bread, Two Ways on a gray plate and a knife to slice.
    Savory Monkey Bread: 2-Ways
  • French toast with powdered sugar and blue berries on a white plate.
    French Toast Or Pain Perdu (Lost Bread)
  • A pan of biscuits with a buttered biscuit with jam on a plate next to it.
    Easy Buttermilk Biscuit Recipe
Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
An Easy No-Knead Bread roll on a white plate with a butter-slathered bread knife sitting on top of a white with red polka dotted napkin.

Easy No-Knead Bread

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

No reviews

Print Recipe
Pin Recipe

This tasty bread recipe is simple to make, with less mess to clean up. Great for first-time bread baking.

  • Total Time: 2 hours and 45 minutes
  • Yield: 12 rolls 1x

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 5 tablespoons butter
  • 1 whole egg plus 1 egg yolk
  • 1-⅓ cups warm milk, around 100 degrees (microwave cold milk for about 1 minute on high)
  • 2 (.04 ounce) packages of active dry yeast (or 4 ½ teaspoons)
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 4 cups pre-sifted all-purpose flour
  • ⅓ cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3 tablespoons butter, melted

Instructions

  1. Butter the sides of a large mixing bowl and a 9x13 baking pan.
  2. Melt the 5 tablespoons of butter in a small bowl, and set aside.
  3. Place the whole egg and egg yolk in a small bowl, and set aside.
  4. Stir the active yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar into the warm milk and let sit 5-7 minutes to allow the yeast to bloom.
  5. Meanwhile, mix together flour, salt, and the rest of the sugar into a large bowl. 
  6. Add eggs to the flour mixture and begin stirring with a mixer, then mix in the 5 tablespoons of melted butter and the yeast mixture until all ingredients are thoroughly combined; the dough will be sticky.
  7. Put bread dough into the buttered bowl turning the dough once to butter all sides of the dough and cover the bowl with a damp cloth; let the dough rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size in a place where the temperature is around 70 degrees.
  8. Punch dough down with the back of your fist, then make 12 equal-sized rolls and place them in the buttered baking pan.
  9. Cover with the same damp towel and let rise again for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
  10. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
  11. Brush the tops of the rolls with the rest of the melted butter.
  12. Bake for 25 minutes.
  13. Brown under the broiler for no more than 1 minute if desired.
  14. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container; rolls also freeze well in an airtight container.

Notes

  • Using a silicone-coated spoon to stir the sticky dough makes less mess.
  • A stand mixer can be used with the dough attachment to mix the dough thoroughly with no kneading. 
  • Use an ice cream scoop to make 12 equal-sized rolls.
  • Or, divide the dough in half until you have 4 equal part pieces, then divide each piece into 3 equal parts to make 12 rolls.
  • Bread can be baked into 2 small loaf pans.
  • Author: Louisiana Woman
  • Prep Time: 2 hours and 25 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Category: breads
  • Method: baking
  • Cuisine: American

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @louisiana_woman on Instagram and hashtag it #louisianawomanblog

Recipe Card powered byTasty Recipes

You know I love hearing from you. Please leave a question or comment below, and don't forget to follow me on Facebook and Instagram and pin my recipes to Pinterest.

Have a nice day!

Let us never forget that what we are is more important than what we do.

J. Hudson Taylor

More Bread

  • A square piece of cornbread on a bowl full of black eye peas and a slice of jalapeno pepper on top of the bread..
    Boudin Cornbread Recipe With Fig Pepper Jelly Topping
  • Classic Homemade Pie Crust
  • A King Cake with colored sugars of purple, green, and gold.
    King Cake Recipe: A Traditional Version
  • Stacked muffins on a plate.
    Savory Mini-Muffins, 3-Ways

Comments

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe rating 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

  1. Lisa Atkins says

    March 15, 2019 at 7:43 am

    Got to Try this!

    Reply
    • Louisiana Woman says

      March 15, 2019 at 8:41 am

      Thanks!

      Reply
  2. Carissa Scott says

    March 16, 2019 at 4:38 pm

    Hi thank you for sharing your recipes. Would I be able to use Gluten free flour in this recipe and would I have to add something more to bind it together? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Louisiana Woman says

      March 16, 2019 at 5:08 pm

      My pleasure Carissa! I have cooked gluten free for a while in the past in order to help with some dietary issues I was having. I missed eating bread, but it was worth the good results I was seeing at the time. I’m not sure which gluten free flour to substitute for bread after researching online. Maybe this link will help https://www.sheknows.com/food-and-recipes/articles/810576/how-to-convert-a-recipe-to-gluten-free/
      Wish I could have been more helpful. I hope you have great success and let us know how it turns out. Thanks for visiting my blog!

      Reply
  3. Patti says

    August 29, 2024 at 6:34 pm

    OMG! Reading your memories of bread are like remembering mine. My Aunt Ellen would make light (lite?) bread rolls. Being at her house in Mallet, LA. was heaven. We would eat them warm and dip them in Steen’s cane syrup. Her daughters never got the recipe. My momma tried searching for it. We asked around…no one else had the recipe. I’m hoping yours comes close 🍞🤞

    Reply
    • Louisiana Woman says

      August 30, 2024 at 11:21 am

      Me too, Patti! Thanks for letting me know how this post spoke to you. Warms my heart! My Mawmaw's home was the same for me. I'd like to hear if the bread triggers any more happy memories. I hope so!

      Reply

At Louisiana Woman Blog, I share recipes and stories about life in South Louisiana. The food here is authentic and easy to prepare. I hope you enjoy a taste of my rich Cajun heritage with recipes that preserve the precious culture of South Louisiana.

More about me →

Popular

  • Collage of 40 photos of Louisiana recipes.
    40 Best Louisiana Recipes From Louisiana Woman Blog
  • A bowl of mashed potatoes with a pat of butter in the center sprinkled with chopped parsley.
    Best Homemade Mashed Potatoes, Prize-Winning Recipe
  • A pot of chicken thighs cooked in a rusty roux gravy for chicken sauce piquant.
    Chicken Sauce Piquant Recipe, A Smothered Cajun Stew
  • A Dutch oven filled with vanilla custard, la bouille recipe with a wooden spoon in the middle.
    La Bouille Recipe, Old Fashioned Cajun Custard

Here are more of the homepage's trending recipes.

  • A Crawfish Fettuccine served in a glass casserole dish.
    Crawfish Fettuccine
  • A bowl of dip with saltines sitting on a platter of crawfish.
    How To Boil Crawfish: With Helpful Tips
  • A plate of hush puppies and dip.
    Best-Ever Hush Puppies
  • A pot of boiled shrimp.
    Easy Boiled Shrimp Recipe

Footer

↑ back to top

About

  • About Me
  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclaimer

Newsletter

  • Sign Up! for emails and updates.

Contact

  • Contact

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Copyright © Louisiana Woman Blog 2024

A table setting of plates of bread with butter and jelly.
A pastry brush brushing melted butter onto a pan of baked Easy No-Knead Bread rolls.