This easy-to-make, no-knead, no yeast whole wheat honey bread recipe is ready in less than one hour! This quick bread requires a few wholesome ingredients like whole wheat flour, honey, buttermilk, and baking soda.
This healthy homemade bread is great as a base for whipped ricotta toast or for spreading with hazelnut butter. It’s also a great accompaniment to this escarole and bean soup or the best Italian lentil soup recipe!
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Introduction
Let me repeat: no yeast, no knead, quick whole wheat bread!
A bread recipe without yeast is the simplest definition of quick bread. Baking soda or baking powder (or a combination of both) is used as the leavening agent to get a quick rise.
If you are looking for more yeast-free recipes, this non-traditional Irish soda bread also requires no kneading and is leavened with baking powder and baking soda. This Piadina recipe uses only baking powder, and this quick flatbread requires only flour, water, salt and oil.
So many wonderful possibilities!
In a way, it’s the fast-food version of bread!
You won’t believe how easy it is to make this homemade wheat bread.
More reasons to love this easy recipe
- Besides being easy and quick to make, this bread can be enjoyed in various ways, from sliced toast to sandwiches. It’s also a great accompaniment to soups and salads.
- Combining honey and whole wheat flour creates a slightly sweet and nutty flavor that anyone who tries it loves.
As a dietitian, I love that this recipe uses wholesome ingredients that are both healthier and more affordable than most store-bought bread.
Ingredients
- Whole wheat flour. A great way to get that fiber we all need!
- Baking soda. This will provide the bread to rise.
- Salt. Not much, just a few pinches.
- Buttermilk. A wonderful addition to a quick bread.
- Honey. A natural ingredient.
- Olive oil. Adds a fruity element.
As far as accessories are concerned, you don’t need much. You need two bowls, a whisk, a wooden spoon and a 9 x 5 rectangle baking pan. That’s it!
Instructions
The first thing we will do is either grease and flour or spray non-stick spray in a 9 x 5 (2L) loaf pan.
Set the pan aside while we measure and combine the ingredients.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the whole wheat flour (3 cups), baking soda (2 teaspoons), and salt (¼ teaspoon). Take a few minutes to properly whisk these ingredients together to ensure an even distribution of the baking soda. Set it aside.
In another large mixing bowl, whisk together the buttermilk (2 cups), olive oil (2 tablespoons), and honey (¼ cup).
Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and, with a wooden spoon, stir to combine. You will notice that the mixture comes together very quickly.
Do not over-mix.
Immediately transfer the batter to the 9 x 5 loaf pan. If desired, sprinkle the top of the loaf with about one tablespoon of sunflower seeds.
Place the pan in a preheated oven at 300℉ (150ºC) for about 55 minutes.
Remove from the oven and allow it to cool down on a wire rack for 10 minutes before removing it from the pan.
Cool completely before slicing.
Tips
- Preheat your oven to the right temperature.
- Prepare your pan before you begin this recipe, as the baking soda will start reacting as soon as it comes into contact with the liquid ingredients.
- Properly whisking together your dry ingredients ensures even distribution of the baking soda, ensuring a uniform rise in your bread.
- Do not over-stir; combine wet and dry and stir until moistened…resist the urge to keep stirring.
- The minute you combine your wet and dry ingredients, immediately place the mixture in your pan and bake. The “lifting” component of the soda (carbon dioxide) starts reacting as soon as it’s in contact with the wet ingredients.
Faq
To replace 1 cup of buttermilk, measure and pour 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar in a 1 cup measurer. Pour enough milk to reach the 1-cup mark. Stir and allow to sit for about 5 minutes.
Baking soda is a key ingredient in many baking recipes, and it’s essential to store it properly to stay fresh and effective. Store baking soda in an airtight container at room temperature for up to six months. This will help keep it fresh and prevent it from absorbing moisture.
Baking with honey recipes
If you enjoy baking with honey, you will love this flavorful, moist and perfectly sweetened honey spice cake. Cookie recipes with honey are also quick, easy and delicious to make. Two of my favorite recipes are these honey cookies and, of course, honey almond biscotti.
Biscotti Cookies
These delicious honey-spiced biscotti cookies are perfect for the holidays or any special occasion!
If you’re looking for unique Italian cookies utilizing honey, try my family’s recipe for mostaccioli and caragnoli, Italian Christmas fritters.
Recipe origins
This non-yeast bread recipe is from my collection of recipe booklets from Robin Hood.
Does anyone remember those?
I’ve had this recipe for years but never got around to it until recently.
To be honest, I had some whole wheat flour that was expiring, and I finally remembered I had tagged this recipe. It was so good that I made it three times this week. I had to buy whole wheat flour!
As usual, I’ve made a couple of changes: I decreased the amount of salt and used olive oil in the recipe.
If you are expecting light, airy bread, this is not the recipe for you.
This quick whole wheat honey bread provides a crumb that is dense and soft, and, you know what, it works!
I am enjoying mine, toasted and smothered with almond butter – yum!
It only takes 5 minutes of prep time and less than one hour in the oven!
This recipe is for you if you have ever wondered how to make bread without yeast!
THANKS SO MUCH for following and being part of the She Loves Biscotti community, where you will find Simple & Tasty Family-Friendly Recipes with an Italian Twist.
Ciao for now,
Maria
★★★★★ If you have made this whole grain bread recipe, I would love to hear about it in the comments below and be sure to rate the recipe!
Recipe
Whole Wheat Honey Bread: Yeast Free!
Ingredients
- 3 cups whole wheat flour 468 grams
- 2 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups buttermilk or sour milk, room temperature
- ¼ cup honey
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon sunflower seeds Optional, to sprinkle over the top.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300℉ (150ºC).
- Spray 9″ x 5″ (2 L) loaf pan with non-stick spray.
- In a very large mixing bowl, whisk together the whole wheat flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk buttermilk, honey and oil together.
- Combine this mixture to the dry ingredients and mix only until combined with a wooden spoon.
- Place batter in a pan.
- If using, sprinkle top with sunflower seeds.
- Bake for approximately 55 minutes or until done.
- Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack for about 10 minutes before removing bread from pan. Cool completely before slicing.
Video
Notes
- Preheat your oven to the right temperature.
- Prepare your pan before you begin this recipe as the baking soda will start reacting as soon as it comes into contact with the liquid ingredients.
- Properly whisking together your dry ingredients ensures even distribution of the baking soda or baking powder, which will, in turn, ensure a uniform rising in your bread.
- Do not over stir; combine wet and dry and stir until moistened…resist the urge to keep stirring.
- The minute you combine your wet and dry ingredients, immediately place the mixture in your pan and in the oven. The “lifting” component of the soda (which is really the carbon dioxide) starts reacting as soon as it’s in contact with the wet ingredients.
Nutrition
This post was originally published on June 4, 2015, republished on February 22, 2019, March 25, 2020 and more recently on February 16, 2023 with updated content. Thanks for watching and sharing.
Joan Trimble
Apparently world’s supply of yeast was bought up along with TP! I found this recipe doing a search for no-yeast breads. It is easy, quick & tasty! I used evaporated milk + apple cider vinegar for the “buttermilk”. It’s been breakfast toast w/ marmalade the past couple of days. When I am fortunate enough to find more flour I will surely make it again. Thanks so much!
Maria
lol… these are definitely crazy times! Love that you used evaporated milk Joan! Thanks for sharing.
Karen
I made this last night but with no buttermilk as I am allergic to milk. I used water and added an additional 2 tablespoons of olive oil and it came out really good. Delicious! Thank you for your recipe!
Maria
How wonderful Karen! Great substitution!
Margaret Honeysette
Can this bread be used to make lunchmeat sandwiches or grilled cheese etc? I need a 100 % whole wheat bread that won’t crumble or fall apart when a sandwich with tomatoes, lettuce, and cheese is made with it. My daughter needs to be on a low or no salt, sugar free, low carb diet. She needs to lose at least 30 lbs so she can have double knee replacement surgery. She is getting physical therapy twice a week trying to help with the weight loss as well as trying to strengthen her legs during this “stay at home” time. Finding a bread that she can eat is difficult. This one sounds good if it can handle more than just butter. Yeast is not available now but I did find a whole wheat flour yesterday. I think I am going to make this to see for myself.
Maria
Yes, it holds up well. Thanks for stopping by.
K
So easy and I can’t believe it was a recipe I truly had all the ingredients in the house for already! Thank you!! My husband and I love it so much, he now wants to stop buying store bread, lol. Question: How long can we store it?
Maria
How wonderful! It really is best when it is freshly made. That being said, it can keep between 3-5 days in the fridge. I prefer to slice it and then freeze it. When I want a slice, I just pop it in the toaster. Thanks so much for stopping by!
Sandra
This turned out great, thank you for the recipe! I used 2 cups whole wheat flour and 1 cup oat flour and it turned out nicely, a very dense and filling loaf that slices well without crumbling. It’s already sliced and in the freezer (to prevent us from eating it all at once!). Looking forward to trying the flatbreads too! Btw, it was a colleague of mine, your your auntie Liliana who told me about your blog ☺️, glad she did!
Maria
Thanks so much for stopping by Sandra! Thrilled to hear you are enjoying it!
Kim
Haven’t tried it yet but it sounds good 😊
Maria
Thanks Kim!
Mayuri
Hi,
Can i use powdered sugar instead of honey? If yes then would it be the same proportion?
Thanks
Maria
Thanks for your interest Mayuri. Unfortunately, I don’t think it would work as this recipe is specific for honey. Thanks for stopping by.
Lindey
With all that going on lately it has been very hard to find yeast.i saw your bread recipe and had everything I needed at home to make it!it is super yummy!!thank you for sharing your recipe!
Maria
My pleasure Lindey. Thanks so much for sharing.
Sushma
Hi, wanted to check if we can talk half the recipe to make a smaller bread? And by saying half, it’s exact 1/2 measurements of each ingredients that are listed. Am I correct saying that ?
Please let me know to try this out. Would be great during this lockdown to make bread at home
Maria
Although I have never tried it, I think it should be okay.
Vicky Loke
Hi Maria, thank you for your No Yeast recipe, just can’t wait to make it today. I am just wondering why my bread come out with 2 tones colour, lighter on top and darker at the bottom but that is not burn.
And before I bake, the dough is not as firm as yours, it is like too much milk in it ( I used 2 cup full fat milk + 2 tbsp lemon juice) so I quickly add additional 1/2 cup of flour into it. But doesn’t make any different.
Luckily, the taste is good and texture is smooth and soft.
I like this No Yeast, Quick and Simple recipe.
Thanks again.
Maria
Hi Vicky, thanks so much for your interest. When making your own buttermilk, first add the 2 tablespoons of lemon juice in your measuring cup and then add enough milk to reach the 2 cup mark. From my understanding, you added the lemon juice to the milk so you did have an extra 2 tablespoons of liquid.
With respect to the two tones, perhaps it could be related to the type of whole wheat flour you used… thanks again for stopping by.
Vicky Loke
Ok noted. I will adjust it for the next time, thanks again.
Maria
My pleasure Vicky.
Nishu
How can I substitute baking soda? Sadly, I don’t have yeast and baking soda. Is there a way to make a bread without using them both?
I tried putting egg whites instead (I read somewhere that it can be used to substitute soda). The result wasn’t too bad but it wasn’t even close to the store brought bread!
Margaret Campbell
Just made this bread. Followed directions and it came out perfect. SO delicious. I may never buy commercial wheat bread again. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Maria
My pleasure Margaret! Thanks for sharing.