Imagine the aroma of freshly baked bread wafting through your home, the golden crust crackling as it cools on the counter. Now, what if I told you that such a delightful experience requires just two simple ingredients? Flour and water. Yes, you heard that right! You can make bread with just flour and water. Easy as that.
Whether you are looking for a simple way to make bread, want to cut down on grocery bills or have simply run out of a few key ingredients I am here to teach you how to make bread with just flour and water! I have tried and tested some recipes that worked, and some that didn’t.
Keep on reading to find out!
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Can You Make Bread With Just Flour And Water?
The short answer is yes, you can make bread with flour and water. Will it be the most delicious loaf of bread you will ever make? Probably not. Unless you have a thing for bland food, making bread with just flour and water will be a pretty tasteless experience!
I have tried a common few recipes (which I share below) although most use olive oil, salt, sugar, or herbs to add extra flavor. That said, for all you curious bakers out there, I made some dough only using flour and water and gave them an old-fashioned taste test.
What I did discover is that you can’t make bread from just flour and water alone. And when I mean bread, I mean a whole loaf of bread. If you want a proper loaf of bread without yeast, you need some sort of raising agent.
This could be in the form of self-rising flour, baking powder or baking soda. And definitely use salt and any herbs or spices that you have in your cupboard, it’ll take your water and flour bread to a whole new level.
Here are four flour and water recipes you should try!
How To Make Bread With Just Flour And Water
Quick Flatbread Recipe
Ingredients
200g All Purpose Flour
100ml Water
Instructions
Step 1: In a bowl, mix 200g of all-purpose flour with up to 100ml lukewarm water gradually until a flour and water dough forms.
Step 2: On a floured surface, knead the dough for 5 minutes. Adjust with flour or water as needed to prevent sticking or dryness.
Step 3: Shape the dough into a ball, cover with cling film or a towel, and let it rest for 30 minutes.
Step 4: Heat a frying pan on medium with a bit of olive oil.
Step 5: Divide the rested dough into 4 or 6 equal balls, depending on desired flatbread size.
Step 6: Flatten each ball on a floured surface. Roll them out into round flatbreads, turning 90 degrees after each roll.
Step 7: Cook each flatbread in the pan for 4-5 minutes per side until brown spots appear.
Step 8: Serve and enjoy as wraps or with fajitas.
This is probably the easiest no-yeast flatbreads you could ever make! If you want to make a big batch of them, they freeze really well. To elevate the flavor a little bit, add some salt.
Naan Bread Recipe With Self Raising Flour
This method is very similar to that of flatbreads. The only difference is that for naan bread you will need to use self-rising flour. Naan bread tends to be thicker and puffier than normal flatbread, so self-rising flour gives it that lift it needs. If you don’t have self-rising flour, mix some plain flour with half a teaspoon of baking powder.
Traditional Naan bread has a lot of flavor, so just with flour and water it will be bland. I added a bit of olive oil, garlic granules, salt and mixed herbs to mine, but you can leave it plain.
Let’s take a look at the recipe!
Ingredients
200g Self-Rising flour
100ml Water
Instructions
Step 1: In a bowl, combine 200g of self-rising flour with up to 100ml water. Adjust with flour or water as needed.
Step 2: Knead the dough for 5 minutes until smooth.
Step 3: Let the dough rest for 30 minutes.
Step 4: Divide the dough into 4 balls on a floured surface.
Step 5: Flatten each ball using a rolling pin or glass. Imperfect shapes are fine for naan.
Step 6: Heat a frying pan on medium with olive oil.
Step 7: Cook each naan for 5-6 minutes per side until puffed and spotted brown.
Enjoy your naan recipe with self rising flour with a delicious curry.
The plain naan was well, plain to say the least! It turned out very bland, tasteless with no flavor and very dense. The naan on the right I flavored with salt, sugar, olive oil, garlic granules and herbs and took the naan bread to a whole new level!
It puffed up nicely and had huge pockets like you would expect with naan bread.
Individual Mini Loaves
These mini loaves are great if you are after some bread but don’t want to make a whole loaf. They are quick, easy and require no oven, just a frying pan. Just make sure you cook them through completely. Alternatively, you can pop them in the oven at 375F for about 10 minutes.
Ingredients
170g Plain Flour (1 cup)
80ml Warm Water
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Tsp Baking Powder
1/2 Tsp Salt
Instructions
Step 1: Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl.
Step 2: Knead the dough for 5 minutes, then divide into 4 or 6 balls on a floured surface.
Step 3: Flatten each ball into small patties using your palm.
Step 4: Heat a frying pan and add a drizzle of olive oil.
Step 5: Cook the mini loaves for 6-7 minutes on each side.
Step 6: Serve warm.
I added some herbs to mine to make them even more delicious.
Soda Bread
If you want to make a more substantial loaf of flour and water bread, but have run out of yeast, then soda bread is another quick and easy creation you could try your hand at. This isn’t a recipe you can make with purely just flour and water, like you can with flatbread or naan bread. You will need a few extra pantry ingredients.
Seeing as it’s called soda bread, the most important ingredient that you will need is bicarbonate of soda. You will also need buttermilk for this recipe. The buttermilk reacts with the bicarbonate of soda, making the soda bread rise in the oven.
If you don’t have buttermilk, it is really easy to make at home. All you need to do is add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice or white vinegar to your milk and voila you have buttermilk!
Ingredients
500g Flour (plain or wholemeal)
1 Tsp Bicarbonate of Soda
2 Tsp Salt
400ml Whole Milk
Juice From One Lemon
2 Tsp Honey
Instructions
Step 1: Create buttermilk by adding 2 tablespoons of lemon juice or vinegar to 400ml of milk. Let sit for 15 minutes.
Step 2: Preheat oven to 356F/180C/gas 6.
Step 3: Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl.
Step 4: Once buttermilk curdles, mix it into the dry ingredients.
Step 5: Shape dough into a ball and score the top.
Step 6: Bake on a tray for 40 minutes.
Step 7: Allow to cool for 10 minutes before slicing.
Soda bread isn’t my favorite type of bread and I don’t make it very often. I find it quite dense. But, if you are craving some carbs and don’t have any yeast, soda is a great alternative and can be made in just under one hour!
Making Bread With Just Flour And Water Is Easy!
The versatility of flour and water is truly remarkable. These humble ingredients, found in nearly every kitchen, lay the foundation for a myriad of culinary creations. While the simplicity of bread made from just these two ingredients has its own rustic charm, introducing additional flavors can elevate your bread to new gastronomic heights. Whether it’s a sprinkle of herbs, a dash of spices, or a touch of natural sweeteners, the possibilities are endless. Embrace the basics, but don’t be afraid to experiment and add your own twist to make each loaf uniquely yours.
If you want to find out if you can make bread with self-rising flour, take a look at our most recent bread article!
