April 18, 2017
(last updated January 27, 2020) 
I’ve mentioned recently that I’m dipping my toes (gradually) into the world of homemade bread making. Like a lot of home cooks, I’ve harbored a fear of any recipe involving yeast for as long as I can remember, which doesn’t really make sense: yeast is just another ingredient, and it’s probably less temperamental than some others. But as soon as I start to read about proofing and resting and autolysing, my eyes start to glaze over.
The thing is, I really, really love bread. And while I’m always happy to support awesome bread brands (like Silver Hills, which I wrote about recently), it seems like a shame not to have the tools to prepare a food I love so much at home. This is why I’m thrilled to have found Alexandra Stafford’s book, Bread Toast Crumbs, and her game-changing peasant bread recipe.
Ali is the voice behind Alexandra Cooks, a chronicle of many types of home cookery but especially anything involving bread (and all of the things you can make with bread). Ali went to culinary school and has spent time in the kitchens of some masterful chefs, but her style is rustic and homey. She features simple, timeless, family-friendly recipes that you’ll make on repeat. Her blog isn’t vegan, but many of her weeknight recipes—including curries, grain salads, and a plethora of chickpea-based dishes—are, or easily can be.
Most of all, Ali is a champion of homemade bread, which her mom baked and served at the family table every night during her childhood. When Ali moved away she missed the bread more than any other fixture of home, so her mother gave her the recipe, which she quickly started baking for friends and roommates. Years later, she begged her mother to allow her to share the recipe—which was until then a closely guarded family secret—on her blog, and it became an internet sensation.
It’s not hard to see why. The bread is no-knead, but it doesn’t require any long rise times or fermentation or overnight stints in the fridge. It doesn’t even demand folding or gentle kneading: after the first rise, you simply deflate it with two forks, use the same forks to divide it in half, then plop the dough into two buttered pyrex bowls (this video sums it up in about a minute). You bake the bread in those same bowls, which means that the entire process is essentially mess-free.
One of the major deterrents of bread making (at least in my experience) is creating a sink full of floured and greased bowls to clean, not to mention flour-dusted countertops, a dirty stand mixer…you get the idea. The beauty of this recipe is that it’s not messy, cumbersome, or time consuming: it’s bread you can make if you plan to be home for two hours doing other things.
In spite of being almost entirely hands-off, the bread has a perfect texture, a nice, golden crust, and an adorable round shape. It’s delicious enough to tear apart and eat as it is, but it also makes stellar toast.
Bread Toast Crumbs is dedicated to showing off the bread’s versatility: the first third of the book features the master peasant bread recipe, along with a ton of variations, from whole grain versions to cinnamon swirl loaf to olive and other savory breads. The second third features toast or bread-based fare (sandwiches, bruschetta), while the final third features recipes that you can make with all of your bread ends and crumbs (soups, pastas with buttery crumbs, that kind of thing).
It’s basically a bread lover’s dream come true.
Best of all, the peasant bread and most of its variations are all vegan-friendly. The only thing you’ll need to do is swap vegan buttery sticks or coconut oil for the butter you’ll use to grease the pyrex bowls (or another baking vessel). After that, you simply need water, salt, yeast and flour.
Some of the vegan-as-written recipes include the three-seed, rosemary semolina, quinoa flax, einkorn, walnut, rye, bulgur, kalamata olive, anadama, and oatmeal maple breads; ones that can be veganized with a simple swap (honey for maple syrup; buttermilk for a non-dairy milk + vinegar combo) include the honey whole wheat, cinnamon swirl, pumpkin harvest, and dark chocolate breads. Ali even has a tried-and-true, gluten-free option.
I haven’t yet explored all of these variations, but I’ve got them bookmarked. For the time being, I’ve been marveling over how easy it is to prepare the peasant bread every couple of days. The recipe yields two loaves, and I usually keep one and share the other with a neighbor or friend or with my mom (who now claims she doesn’t want to eat any other bread). I never imagined that it could be so easy to integrate bread-making into the bustle of everyday life, but I think that’s exactly what Ali is going for with this book: an approach to bread-making that feels fear-free and realistic. And I can’t imagine a warmer or more personable voice than hers to demystify the process.
In a second, I’ll share some of the toast ideas that have recently emerged from my bread-making efforts. But first, here’s Ali’s famous peasant bread recipe.
Alexandra Stafford's Peasant Bread
Author -Yields: 2 14-ounce loaves
Ingredients
- 4 cups 512 grams unbleached, all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
- 2 cups lukewarm water made by mixing 1/2 cup boiling water with 1 1/2 cups cold water
- Softened vegan buttery sticks or solid coconut oil for greasing*
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, sugar, and instant yeast. Add the water. Using a rubber spatula, mix until the water is absorbed and the ingredients form a sticky dough ball.
- Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel or plastic wrap and set aside in a warm spot to rise for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until the dough has doubled in bulk. Note: Here's a trick for making the perfect warm spot for the dough to rise. Set the oven to 400° F and let it preheat for 1 minute, then shut it off. The temperature will be between 80° F and 100° F. You should be able to place your hands (carefully) on the oven grates without burning them.
- Set a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat it to 425° F. Grease two 1-quart oven-safe bowls, like Pyrex, with softened vegan buttery sticks or coconut oil—be generous. Using two forks, deflate the dough by releasing it from the sides of the bowl and pulling it toward the center. Rotate the bowl quarter turns as you deflate, turning the mass into a rough ball.
- Using your two forks and working from the center out, separate the dough into two equal pieces. Use the forks to lift each half of the dough into a prepared bowl. If the dough is too wet to transfer with forks, lightly grease your hands with butter or oil, then transfer half to a bowl. (If your dough drops and breaks apart on the transfer, don't worry, just divvy the dough between the bowls and it will come back together as it rises.) Do not cover the bowls. Let the dough rise on the countertop near the oven (or another warm, draft-free spot) for 10 to 20 minutes, until the top of the dough just crowns the rims of the bowls.
- Transfer the bowls to the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 375° F and bake for 17 to 20 minutes more, until evenly golden all around. Remove the bowls from the oven and turn the loaves out onto cooling racks. If the loaves look pale, return them to their bowls and bake for 5 minutes longer. Let the loaves cool for 15 minutes before cutting.**
Notes
*I think the buttery spread gives much more flavorful results, but both options will work.
**If you don't have 2 one-quart bowls, you may use other vessels, though differences in pan sizes will affect the shape of the final loaves. This recipe can be adapted for 2 loaf pans (preferably 8.5 x 4.5-inch pans) by multiplying the quantities of ingredients by 1.5 (i.e. 6 cups/768g flour, 3 cups water, etc.).
Once you’ve got bread, it’s time for toast. Of course any of the usual suspects—avocado toast, hummus toast, PB & J—are great. But I thought it would be fun to share some of the less-usual toast combinations I’ve been enjoying lately, both savory and sweet.
Breakfast Toasts
PB, Banana, and Hemp Toast: Spread your favorite peanut butter over toast. Top with freshly sliced banana, shelled hemp seeds, and a drizzle of agave or maple syrup.
Black Bean Toast with Quick Corn Salsa: Top toast with some vegan refried beans (I like the refried black beans from Whole Foods’ 365 brand and the refried black beans with chiles from the Pacific brand). Toss some corn kernels (fresh and blanched or frozen and heated) with halved cherry tomatoes, lime juice, a drizzle of olive oil, and fresh, chopped cilantro. This one’s also great with some finely chopped red onion or diced avocado!
Yogurt Toast with Berries and Chia: Top toast with your favorite vegan yogurt (my favorite is Nancy’s soy yogurt or Kite Hill yogurt), sliced strawberries (or any other berry) and a sprinkle of chia seed.
Lunch (or Dinner) Toasts
Cashew Cheese with Edamame, Radish, and Mint: Spread some of my go-to cashew cheese recipe (or your favorite spreadable/soft vegan cheese) over toast. Toss some steamed, shelled edamame, thinly sliced radish, and finely chopped mint with a squeeze of lemon and a little drizzle of olive oil (if desired). Pile the edamame mixture over the toast.
Tahini, Beet and Parsley: Spread tahini on your toast. Toss some steamed or roasted beets with red onion (or pickled red onion), parsley, olive oil, and lemon. Pile the beets over the tahini toast.
Cream Cheese, Cucumber, and Dill: Spread your toast with vegan cream cheese (I still love the Tofutti non-hydrogenated better-than-cream-cheese, but Go Veggie, Kite Hill, Follow Your Heart, and Daiya make great varieties), thinly sliced cucumber, and fresh dill.
Sometimes a cookbook seems to fall into your hands at just the right time. In these past few weeks, as I adjust to new circumstances, I’ve been craving simple, comforting food—bread, toast, and soup especially. It feels wonderful to have the tools to make my own bread, week in and week out, easily and without fuss. Once I have a good feel for the process, I look forward to branching into other loaves and different blends of flours. And I’ll be sharing what I learn here on the blog!
If you’d like to join me in exploring the world of homemade bread, I’m happy to say that Ali and her publisher are offering one of my readers a free copy of Bread, Toast, Crumbs. The giveaway is open to US and Canadian readers, and I’ll pick and email a winner two weeks from today.
Of course, these toast combos will work nicely with any bread you like. You can use your own cherished recipe, or you can try them with your favorite bread brand. I hope you’ll enjoy some of them in the months ahead. Later this week, I’ll check in with yet another toast topping idea, but one that’s also great for serving with noodles, whole grains, or veggies. Stay tuned!
xo
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Categories: Recipes,
Side Dishes,
Snacks
Method: Oven
Dietary Preferences: Soy Free, Tree Nut Free, Vegan
Method: Oven
Dietary Preferences: Soy Free, Tree Nut Free, Vegan
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My daughter bakes bread each week at her kindergarten and so I’ve become really interested in bread making as of late. I made this recipe with sprouted spelt flour instead of all purpose flour and omg, it’s so great! The next day it was absolutely perfect. Even my daughter loves it. Thanks so much for sharing, Gena. I’m going to have to pick up this book!
Great to know it works with spelt flour, Marlena!
I have been contemplating making bread for ages and this looks like an approachable start! Do you know if a whole grain version of this is possible? (not to worry if not, I just have a general preference in that direction…). Thanks!
Rebecca, the book includes lots of part-whole grain variations, including rye and wheat loaves. Ali usually recommends using part all-purpose flours to keep the tenderness (which I think is a good tip), but there are definitely lots of opportunities to pack whole grains in there 🙂
I tried the cucumber toast and the the one with beets. Good! I made them with aquafaba mayonnaise.
the post was dated April 18th and you said you would pick a winner in 2 weeks. but it has only been 8 days and the contest is over, why did it end before the 2 weeks?
I am so sorry, Tracy, I meant to say 1 week—I misspoke. However, since there are probably folks who waited to enter officially, I’m going to extend it for another week and pick two winners, so you can still enter. I’m sorry for the confusion but am glad you pointed this out!
My favorite way to enjoy bread is with a meal that has a lot of gravy. Nothing better than to sop of the gravy with bread.
I love bread hot from the oven. I make homemade bread often, but it’s usually a half day affair and I bake six loaves at a time. One gets eaten right away, one gets sliced for the counter top, one is given away, and the rest get sliced and put in the freezer. As much as I love baking it, it’s kind of a pain in the …. So this recipe looks amazing!
What’s the best way to store this bread? … like in a plastic bag I guess?
Great question, Jessica, and I’m sorry I didn’t mention this! Ali recommends storing in a paper bag, a bread bag, or a plastic bag that’s only partially sealed. It will last for about 3-4 days, in my experience. If you keep it in a sealed bag, it can last up to 5, but it loses its nice crust (still great for toasting). You can also freeze it, which I’ve been doing since it makes two loaves, and I don’t always have someone to share it with. I hope you enjoy!
Yum! I have been looking for a simple, easy bread recipe: can’t wait to dip some in olive oil and balsamic vinegar as a side to a big salad!
I love baking bread and have been wanting to do it more. I look forward to trying this recipe. Thanks!
So I saw your picture of this bread and tried to make a sourdough version without reading the recipe and it didn’t turn out like this. I’ll try again and actually follow the recipe this time! They look so golden and beautiful, and the ease of this just recipe can’t be beat.
This bread sounds amazing! I too am scared of dipping into the world of kneaded bread… so this no-knead recipe sounds perfect!
Toast is my favourite way to eat bread and also my favourite go-to snack of ALL TIME. My favourite ways to eat it are 1. with smashed avocado, poached egg and chili flakes
2. fresh out the oven with a smear of salty butter
3. smashed peas, lemon and mint
4. NUTELLA
I love a great sandwich.
I absolutely adore breads like this that are so simple to make! Lately, I’ve been spreading a schmear of cashew cream cheese on toast, and drizzling with balmasic glaze. Once figs are in season again, I’m gonna jazz that combo up even more. YUM!
Avocado toast, always my favorite.
My favorite way to enjoy bread is toast or for dipping into soups and stews. I have fond memories of having ‘jelly bread’ (that’s what we called it, it’s basically just bread smothered with jelly) literally every night as a kid no matter what my mom prepared 🙂
I love bread simply toasted with butter!
Hooray for homemade bread, Gena! I love it! And Ali’s peasant bread is perfection. Buuuut… when it comes to sourdough, it’s hard. I’m watching my levain bubble up now.. in hopes of a decent loaf this time around. I’m not winning in the sourdough department yet, but some day I will! 😀 I’ve been paging through Ali’s book and have been engaged at every turn… the photography, stories and recipes are fabulous as are her detailed writing about making and storing bread. I’ve yet to decide what to make first, but I think a few loafs of peasant bread is in order or the monkey bread (oh I’m drooling)! And I failed miserably at my sourdough earlier this week. Delicious toast and review Gena! Thank you for sharing!
I’ve bookmarked that recipe since I am came across it on Ali’s blog, but have yet to attempt it. Your post is just the push i need 🙂 thanks!
Forgot to add my favourite way to enjoy bread: warmed through and simply spread with butter, and maybe topped with some marmite
It’s a tossup between avocado toast, and crusty bread toasted and rubbed with a garlic clove. Both are excellent accompaniments to a bowl of soup.
I’ve been baking the beautiful no-knead focaccia from A Virtual Vegan’s blog. It’s super easy and turns out perfect every time. I’m looking forward to trying this bread too!
I’d eat homemade bread absolutely any way! Would love to see the whole grain recipe.
I love almond butter, cinnamon, and banana on toast. My favorite way to fuel for my long runs and workouts.
First and foremost, thanks so much for this opportunity and the topping ideas 🙂
Personally, I’m pretty boring I guess, as my favorite way to enjoy bread is simply alongside salads or in sandwich form.
I enjoy making bread and look forward to trying Alexandra’s version!
I enjoy eating bread toasted with hazelnut pecan butter or with garlic.
I have never met a bread I didn’t like 🙂 but I am a big fan of an almond butter and jelly sandwich and avo toast!
These all look amazing! I love bread…so plain, with toppings, with spreads, with anything… 🙂 Thanks for the giveaway!
I have to admit that while I am a vegetarian, I’m not a full-on vegan, and my very favorite way to eat bread is toasted with butter 🙂 though avocado toast is a close second!
Gena, thank you for this beautiful post! I loved reading that your mother doesn’t want any other bread 🙂 🙂 🙂 Thank you for so many kind words. It means the world to hear you’ve found the peasant bread process easy and something that can be easily integrated into bustling lives. Love all of your creative toasts, love all that you do. xoxo
I’m not a huge sandwich person and never buy store-bought bread– I always make my own– but my favorite way to enjoy it is just plain, usually warmed, with butter and sometimes a little maple syrup if I’m feeling especially decadent. I’ve made the “traditional” no-knead bread before but this looks a lot easier.– thanks for sharing. Great giveaway!
Probably avocado or peanut butter toast. But I have been having some bread pudding cravings lately!
These are awesome! The peanut butter and banana is my favourite. Just a little drizzle of maple syrup finishes it off perfectly.
I like Sunbutter or PBJ best. If it’s really good bread, plain works too!
Oh, and my favourite way to eat bread is with chocolate nut butter. 🙂
I’d love to enter the contest. The bread looks so good! Thanks!
Israeli Pita with za’atar and labneh!
Fast and yummy homemade bread, awesome! I find bread rather comforting, so all of your ideas sound great. I love fresh out of the oven bread, nothing on it, but the aroma makes the moment magic.
Favorite way to enjoy bread: warm, with Earth Balance!
These all look so good and they are so lovely! Thanks for sharing the ideas.
Call me predictable, but nothing beats avocado toast!
My favourite way to enjoy bread is tartines. My favourite thing to do on Saturday mornings is to stop by the local traditional French bakery in my neighbourhood and pick up a nice loaf of sourdough on my way to the farmer’s market. Once I get home with my haul, I use the bread and whatever I got from the market and in the fridge – usually greens and smoked tofu with various add ins – to make my favourite meal of the week.
just with lots of different spreads, vegs and fruits.
or for dunking it in soup.
You go girl! Making your own bread and making it look so dang good too :). While I’m not a big bread eater, I cannot turn down a good homemade slice for a sandwich here and there, and the ease of this one sounds so wonderful! Hope you are doing so well Gena and just thriving this spring, love everything that you do friend <3.