Today’s tried and true recipe is known as “My Mother’s Peasant Bread: The Best Easiest Bread You Will Ever Make,” from Alexandra’s Kitchen. Alexandra is so right! This wonderful bread is moist and spongy on the inside, with a delicious, crispy, buttery crust. I have been making this bread for a few years now and decided to add it to my recipe collection here, so my girls will always be able to find it in the future.
Alexandra’s Kitchen has a Gluten-Free Version for this Peasant Bread, head here: Gluten-Free Peasant Bread.
With only a few ingredients and little work (no kneading required), in about 3 hours, from start to finish, you have two loaves of warm delicious bread, fresh out of the oven…and the buttery crust…oh my! I love this bread.
This recipe makes two small loaves of bread. You bake them in two small, 1 quart oven-proof bowls. I purchased a set of bowls on Amazon. Alexandra shares the vintage bowls she uses (lucky) and other places you can purchase bowls to make the bread – that is, if you don’t already have them in your home.
When Alexandra stated in her post, she would be proud to serve this bread to Peter Reinhart (my sister I made Reinhart’s bagel recipe…the BEST bagels ever), I had to try this bread. She also said, of all the recipes, if she had to pick one to share, this would be it.
Did I mention the crust is crunchy and buttery? Pure heaven.
Ready to make some bread?
‘My Mother’s Peasant Bread: The Best Easiest Bread You Will Ever Make’
From Alexandra’s Kitchen
- 4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 cups lukewarm water
- 2-3 teaspoons sugar (she uses 2 teaspoons, her mom uses 3)
- 2 teaspoons active dry yeast (Alexandra has great tips on yeast)
- 2 tablespoons butter (to grease your bowls)
Directions
Please head to, Alexandra’s Kitchen, for the full recipe which includes great step-by-step photos and videos.
Be sure to read her tips on foolproof lukewarm water, a foolproof way to make sure your yeast is active. Alexandra also includes different variations for the bread, like Faux Focaccia and Thyme Dinner Rolls. She even has a recipe for Gluten-Free Peasant Bread.