Emergency Bread: Bake A Risen Loaf Without Yeast or A Sourdough Starter

There’s something quietly powerful about baking bread with nothing but flour, water, salt, a few extra cupboard staples and trust. No commercial yeast, no carefully fed sourdough starter bubbling on the windowsill. Just you, your hands, and the gentle wisdom of natural leavening.

Maybe you’ve run out of yeast. Maybe your starter didn’t take. Maybe you’re curious to see what you can make in an emergency or wanting to deepen your connection to ancient ways, to the land, to the slow and sacred rhythms of traditional baking. Well whatever the reason, we’ve got you covered!

At Root & Ridge, we’ve been playing with simple methods and some from our heritages too, to make bread rise using what we have around us. Here’s how you can do it too!

Basic Baking Powder Bread

Ingredients

375g plain flour
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp olive oil or melted butter (optional, for a softer crumb)
230ml warm water (adjust if needed)

Method

Fizzy Bubbly No Yeast Bread

Ingredients

330g self-raising flour OR 330g plain flour and 1 tsp baking powder
4 tbsp caster sugar or sweetener
300ml beer (If you do not drink alcohol you can substitute for sparking water and even Kombucha!)
Optional: herbs, cheese, seeds

Method

Mix everything together in a bowl and once it comes together start to knead. Knead for 2 minutes and then bake in a preheated oven at 190°C (170°C fan) / 375°F for 35-40 minutes. Allow to cool on a rack before slicing! This bread may take a little longer to cook depending on what beer you use, but after 35 minutes, just keep an eye on it. It will be cooked when a skewer goes in and comes out clean!

Irish Soda Bread

Ingredients

400g plain flour (you can swap up to half with wholemeal for a more rustic loaf)
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp fine sea salt
360ml buttermilk (or 400ml milk + 1 tbsp lemon juice or vinegar, left to curdle for 10 minutes. You’ll see it thicken a little and look a bit curdled, that’s perfect! Give it another stir before using and then use as buttermilk.)

Method

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, salt, and bicarbonate of soda. Make a well in the centre and pour in the buttermilk, mixing gently with a wooden spoon or your hand until the dough just comes together—it should be soft and a little sticky, but not too wet. Tip the dough onto a floured surface and shape it into a round, being careful not to overwork it. Place the loaf on your prepared tray and score a deep cross into the top with a sharp knife, a traditional touch said to “let the fairies out.” Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the loaf is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped underneath. Allow it to cool on a wire rack.

And of course, don’t forget our cornbread recipe!

And now you have 4 (including the cornbread) recipes to bake a risen loaf even if you find yourself without yeast or you do not want to use a sourdough starter! Handy eh?

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