If you’re attempting to make home-baked bread but don’t have any yeast (and don’t want to run to the store), don’t worry, you have options! The way yeast works is this: it’s a fungus that reacts with water and then eats the sugar in the flour of your dough to create carbon dioxide bubbles. Those bubbles create air pockets in the dough, which makes it rise. There are other easy kitchen ingredients that will have much the same effect as yeast if you don’t have any actual yeast on hand, though. So don’t worry, bread-lovers, we’ve spelled it all out for you in the gallery ahead.
Related: This Bakery in Japan Makes Corgi Butt Buns Filled With Jam or Custard, and Oh My GOD
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Baking Soda + Lemon Juice
You can substitute baking soda for yeast, but you also need to include an acidic substance with it. A common pairing is lemon juice, but you can also use buttermilk. The baking soda and acid combination is a 1:1 substitute for the yeast. This means if the recipe calls for two teaspoons of yeast, you’ll substitute with one teaspoon of baking soda and one teaspoon of acid. You also don’t need to let the dough rise or rest like you would with a typical yeast dough.
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Milk + Vinegar + Baking Soda
If adding lemon juice to your bread dough doesn’t sound appealing, you can use a mixture of milk and vinegar instead. Just combine equal parts milk, vinegar, and baking soda to equal the amount of yeast the recipe calls for. For this one, you won’t have to wait for the dough to rise before baking.
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Baking Powder
Baking powder is already baking soda and an acid, so it functions much the same way. Baking powder is the combination of baking soda and cream of tarter, so you’ll substitute it in the same 1:1 ratio as the baking soda and acid. This means if your recipe calls for two teaspoons of yeast, you’d substitute two teaspoons of baking powder. This method also doesn’t require resting and rising like a yeast dough.
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Sourdough Starter
If you don’t have yeast, making your own sourdough starter is a great option if you have the time. A sourdough starter contains naturally occurring yeast, and forms bubbles in the dough to make it rise. It’s made by combining flour and water, and while that sounds simple, this method actually requires a bit more patience as it takes at least five days to form. You can use one cup of sourdough starter to replace a two-teaspoon yeast requirement.
Here’s a breakdown of all the steps to making your own sourdough starter.
