5-Ingredient Greek Yogurt Bread — Just 1 Hour from Start to Finish

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If you’re brand new to baking bread, then trust me this is the recipe for you.

I’m not joking — this is the new favorite in our house.

It’s got just enough vanilla flavor and subtle sweetness to be perfect for toast, sandwiches, to sop up spaghetti sauce, or just about anything you use bread for!

Just be warned — a loaf of this 5-ingredient Greek Yogurt bread won’t last long. 😉

Greek Yogurt Bread

I’ll do you a favor and just cut to the chase — the recipe is just below, click here to jump to the recipe.

This bread honestly came about out of a need to have bread in a pinch, because lunch was coming and kids were demanding sandwiches. I’ll give them this — their stubborn streaks will surely serve them well as adults…I hope.

There are a few tips I want you to keep in mind, especially if you’re brand new to making a yeast bread loaf.

1. Use Hot Water

The temperature is really the difference in how quickly the yeast cooperates, and in how much “poof” you get out of your bread dough.

Most recipes will tell you to use warm water and let the yeast sit for an amount of time. This is usually for when you use dried yeast that benefits from extra time for rehydration. I make a point to always use instant yeast, as it yields considerably faster rises in my experience.

To get the water hot, I simply run the tap until the water steams. I’ll grab a glass measuring cup when I need to add water and get the amount I need and pour it immediately into the mixing bowl.

Be warned that if your water is TOO hot, such as above about 130’`F or so, you’re going to “burn” the yeast and it just won’t work.

I’ve done this enough times that I know where the faucet handle needs to be to generate just the right temp of water. You’ll want to experiment and use a digital thermometer in your measuring cup to check where your faucet temp falls. Aim for between 120-130’F for instant yeast.

2. Get All Ingredients Together Before You Start

The reason this bread whips together so fast is partly having so few ingredients, and partly because you can quickly prep to make this bread.

Few other yeast bread recipes will combine all the ingredients right at the beginning — many will have you split the amounts into more than one recipe step, which means more time spent measuring in the midst of your baking.

Turn on the faucet to let the water warm, grab all your other ingredients up front and get the water in the measuring cup last, and you’ll have this dough mixed together in no time!

3. Use A Metal Or Glass Mixing Bowl

The reason for this is to retain the heat from the water.

Personally, I find that while yes, these materials take longer to heat than, say, plastic, they do a much better job at retaining the heat from the water.

What this means for your dough is that it stays in a warm environment longer, without an external heat source, which helps the yeast continue to do its work.

Keeping the yeast warm is important — once it starts to cool off it starts to decrease its activity, which means it won’t be able to hold up your dough into a nice fluffy loaf. You’ll end up with a very dense, very flat, very thick and poorly cooked loaf.

4. Don’t Skimp On The Kneading

While it’s a supremely quick recipe, you still need to knead the dough just as you would with any yeast bread.

Kneading is what really gets the yeast mixed through well, and helps produce a more even crumb (ie smoother finish texture with very small bubbles in the dough).

Be prepared for a decent arm workout while getting this dough mixed together — speed and pressure are the ultimate combination to a quickly made and quickly finished loaf!

5-Ingredient Greek Yogurt Bread Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1/2 Tbsp Instant Yeast
• 1/2 c sugar (optional)
• 3/4 c vanilla Greek Yogurt
• 2 c very warm/hot water about
• 5-6 c all-purpose flour (white or wheat, or mixed)
• cornmeal for baking, if desired

Notes:

• If baking in a loaf pan, a 9×5 pan is recommended for ONE loaf. This recipe would make 2 loaves of sandwich bread.
• Lining the cookie sheet or loaf pan with parchment paper and sprinkling with cornmeal is recommended.

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350’F.
2. In a large mixing bowl, add yeast and sugar and whisk together.
3. Add the water and whisk until thoroughly incorporated with the yeast mixture.
4. Whisk in the greek yogurt, and start adding flour one cup at a time. After the 2nd or 3rd cup, you’ll want to switch to mixing/folding with a fork.
5. Continue to mix in one cup at a time, switching to hand mixing around cup 5.
6. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and continue to knead the dough for about 5 more minutes, adding a sprinkle of flour as needed if it gets too sticky. When finished, the dough should be soft yet solid, and mostly retain its shape (think slightly underfilled water balloon).
7. Split the dough in half and shape into two long loaves by hand rolling into a tube shape. See notes, above, for pan prep.
8. For a freeform loaf, place the loaves about 4-6 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheet (on an angle works well). For a sandwich bread loaf, make sure the length of the dough matches the pan length and drop into the prepared pan. Cover with a flour sack towel (or lint-free towel) and let rest about 5 minutes.
9. Bake uncovered for about 30 minutes or until golden brown. Carefully remove the loaves and thump the bottom side to hear the hollow sound that indicates doneness.
10. Let cool thoroughly (a good few hours) before slicing.