Why Make “Easiest & Cheapest” Bread?
Making your own bread can save money, give you control over ingredients, reduce additives, and yield far better flavor than store loaves. Many “artisan” or enriched breads are expensive because of added fats, sugars, special flours, or long proofing. But you can get quite good bread from very basic ingredients — flour, water, yeast (or chemical leaveners), and salt.
Some recipes go as minimal as flour + water + yeast + salt and skip kneading altogether. For instance, the blog Receipster offers a “Easy Homemade Bread – Cheapest Recipe Ever” using just those four ingredients and minimal steps.
Receipster
Another simple, no‑knead rustic loaf approach uses just four ingredients: flour, water, yeast, salt — no oil or extras.
MegUnprocessed
If you want something even simpler and faster (no yeast), soda bread (using baking soda + acid) is a good fallback; a community‑shared recipe uses milk + vinegar + flour + baking soda + salt.
Reddit
In this guide, I’ll present two parallel paths:
A cheap yeast bread method (no-knead)
A no-yeast soda bread method
You can choose based on what ingredients you have, how much time you have, and whether you have yeast.
Part A: Cheap Yeast Bread (No‑Knead)
This is the “artisan style” bread that’s very low effort but requires some resting time.
Ingredient Theory (Keeping Cost Low)
Flour: Use all-purpose (plain) flour rather than specialty bread flour; buy in bulk for better price per kg.
Yeast: Use instant or active dry yeast. If you buy in bulk (large jars), the cost per loaf is very low.
Water: Free, obvious.
Salt: Small amount needed for flavor.
Optional: A splash of oil (olive oil, vegetable oil) can improve softness, but is optional if you want it as cheap as possible.
Many minimalist no‑knead recipes use exactly those four ingredients: flour, water, yeast, salt.
Receipster
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Chief Mom Officer
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For example, “The Easiest & Cheapest Bread Recipe” uses 3 cups flour, warm water, 1 tsp yeast, and salt.
recipespro.familyfreshrecipes.com
Recipe (No‑Knead Yeast Version)
Yields: 1 medium loaf
Hands‑on time: ~10 minutes
Total time (including rising & baking): ~3 to 4 hours (mostly “hands-off” rising)
Ingredients
3 cups (≈ 360 g) all-purpose flour
1 ¼ cups (≈ 300 ml) warm water (about 38–43 °C)
1 tsp (or 1 packet / ~2¼ tsp) active dry or instant yeast
1½ tsp salt
(Optional but improves softness)
1 Tbsp oil
Equipment
Large mixing bowl
Spoon or spatula
Clean towel or plastic wrap
Dutch oven with lid (or heavy oven-safe pot) or baking sheet + heat-safe lid / cover
Oven
Method (Step by Step)
Mix Dry Ingredients
In your mixing bowl, combine flour and salt. If using instant yeast, you can put yeast here; if using active dry, you can mix with water first.
Add Water (and optionally oil) & Stir
Pour warm water into the flour mixture. Add oil if using. Stir until a rough, shaggy dough forms — it will be wet and sticky. Resist the urge to add extra flour.
First Rest / Bulk Rise
Cover the bowl with a clean towel or plastic wrap. Let it rest in a warm spot for 1½ to 2 hours (or until doubled in size).
Some versions allow even longer (e.g. 12‑18 hours) at room temp, for flavor development.
recipespro.familyfreshrecipes.com
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Shape & Second Rise
Turn dough onto a floured surface; gently form into a round or oblong. Don’t knead — just shape by folding a few times.
Place into a well-preheated Dutch oven (or pot) lined with parchment or into a baking sheet. Let it rest lightly (~30 minutes) while oven heats.
Preheat Oven
Preheat oven (with Dutch oven inside) to high heat (~230–240 °C). The pot helps trap steam and give a good crust.
Bake Covered, Then Uncovered
With Dutch oven: bake ~30 minutes covered, then 10–15 minutes uncovered until crust golden brown.
Without Dutch oven: you can bake on baking sheet, optionally adding a pan of water below for steam in first part.
Cool Before Slicing
Once done, remove loaf and cool on rack for at least 20–30 minutes before slicing.
Printable Version (Cheap Yeast Loaf)
Cheap No‑Knead Bread (Yeast Version)
Ingredients:
- 3 cups (360 g) all‑purpose flour
- 1¼ cups warm water (≈ 300 ml)
- 1 tsp yeast (active dry or instant)
- 1½ tsp salt
- 1 Tbsp oil (optional)
Method:
1. Mix flour + salt (and yeast if instant).
2. Add water (+ oil) and stir into a shaggy, sticky dough.
3. Cover and let rise until doubled (≈1½–2 hrs).
4. Shape gently (no heavy kneading).
5. Preheat oven + Dutch oven to ~230–240 °C.
6. Bake ~30 min covered + 10–15 min uncovered.
7. Cool before slicing.
Part B: No‑Yeast Soda Bread (Fast, Very Cheap Option)
This method uses chemical leavening (baking soda + acid) instead of yeast, so it’s faster and simpler, though texture is more “quick bread” style.
Ingredient Theory
Flour: All-purpose flour works.
Baking soda: Acts as leavening.
Acid (milk + vinegar OR buttermilk): Reacts with baking soda to produce CO₂.
Salt: For flavor.
One example shared in a cooking forum uses:
475 ml milk + 1 Tbsp vinegar (or buttermilk)
565 g flour
1½ tsp baking soda
1½ tsp salt
Bake ~40 minutes.
Reddit
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Recipe (Soda Bread Version)
Yields: 1 rustic loaf
Hands‑on time: ~5‑10 minutes
Total time: ~40 minutes
Ingredients
565 g (≈ 4½ cups) all-purpose flour
1½ tsp baking soda
1½ tsp salt
475 ml milk + 1 Tbsp vinegar (or use 500 ml buttermilk)
Method
Preheat Oven
Preheat to 220 °C (≈ 425 °F). Line a baking sheet with parchment.
Mix Dry Ingredients
In a bowl, mix flour, baking soda, and salt.
Prepare Milk Mixture
In another jug, mix milk + vinegar (or buttermilk) – this creates a slight acidity.
Combine
Pour milk mixture into the dry ingredients. Stir quickly to combine — the mixture will form a thick, shaggy dough.
Shape & Score
Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface; shape into a round / disc ~5 cm thick.
Place on the baking sheet and use a sharp knife to cut a cross (1 cm deep) on top to help expansion.
Bake
Bake about 20 minutes at 220 °C. Then reduce heat to ~200 °C and bake another 20 minutes (total ~40 min).
Reddit
Cool & Serve
Let loaf cool on rack before slicing — though this bread is best eaten the same day.
Printable Version (Soda Bread Loaf)
Quick & Cheap Soda Bread
Ingredients:
- 565 g all-purpose flour
- 1½ tsp baking soda
- 1½ tsp salt
- 475 ml milk + 1 Tbsp vinegar (or 500 ml buttermilk)
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 220 °C. Line baking sheet.
2. Mix flour, baking soda, salt.
3. Combine milk + vinegar.
4. Stir wet into dry to form a dough.
5. Shape into round, cut a cross on top.
6. Bake 20 min at 220 °C, then 20 min at ~200 °C.
7. Cool before slicing.
Cost Comparison & Practical Tips
Cost Saving Approaches
Buy flour in bulk / sacks — lowers cost per loaf.
Buy yeast in bulk jars rather than small sachets — better value.
Avoid added fats / sugars — keep ingredients minimal.
Use water based leavening when possible (soda / buttermilk) if yeast is expensive or unavailable.
Bake multiple loaves at once — share heat cost.
Use minimal equipment — no electric mixers, just a bowl and spoon suffice.
Pros & Cons of Each Method
Method Pros Cons / Tradeoffs
No‑knead yeast Good texture, crust, flavor, minimal work Takes time for rising; needs yeast
Soda bread Very fast, no yeast, simple Denser crumb, more “quick bread” texture, less airy
Part‑yeast & part‑soda mix Hybrid approach possible Can be tricky to balance leavening
Tips & Troubleshooting
Use fresh yeast—old yeast is weak and will give poor rise.
Warm environment helps yeast rise — in colder climates, use an oven with low heat or warmed area.
Do not overmix — in no‑knead method, you want gas retention.
Preheat oven well, especially if using Dutch oven — heat helps crust formation.
For soda bread, mix quickly and bake immediately — the chemical reaction is time-sensitive.
Cool breads fully before slicing — cutting too early ruins texture.
If crust gets too dark while inside is not baked, tent with foil.
Store bread in cloth bag; for longer storage, slice and freeze.
Full Combined Printable Master Recipe
You can keep and adapt this combined recipe.
Easiest & Cheapest Bread — Dual Options
Option 1: Cheap Yeast No‑Knead Bread
Ingredients
3 cups (360 g) all-purpose flour
1 ¼ cups warm water
1 tsp yeast
1½ tsp salt
(Optional) 1 Tbsp oil
Instructions
Mix flour + salt (+ yeast if instant).
Add water (+ oil) and stir until shaggy dough forms.
Cover, let rise ~1½–2 hours until doubled.
Shape gently, rest while oven heats.
Bake (in Dutch oven or with steam) ~30 min covered, then 10–15 min uncovered at ~230–240 °C.
Cool before slicing.
Option 2: Fast Soda Bread (No Yeast)
Ingredients
565 g flour
1½ tsp baking soda
1½ tsp salt
475 ml milk + 1 Tbsp vinegar (or 500 ml buttermilk)
Instructions
Preheat oven 220 °C and prepare baking sheet.
Whisk flour + soda + salt.
Mix milk + vinegar.
Stir wet into dry quickly to form dough.
Shape into round, cut cross in top.
Bake 20 min at 220 °C, then 20 min at ~200 °C (total ~40 min).
Cool before slicing.
If you like, I can adapt these to Morocco (local flour types, oven style, units) or send you a step‑by‑step photo guide so you can see what the dough should look like. Would you like me to do that?
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