This very easy bread recipe is great when you are in need of bread and don’t have a lot of time. The bread can be made with ingredients you likely already have on hand. It’s just 2 ingredients and doesn’t need yeast, eggs, butter or oil. This bread has a texture similar to traditional yeasted bread but doesn’t require any yeast, kneading or rising.
This bread is the easiest bread I’ve ever made. I call this emergency bread because it can be made with basic pantry ingredients and is ready in a very short amount of time. The bread comes out crusty and soft and is perfect for making sandwiches, dipping in soup, or eating with your favorite spread.
Ingredients
- Self-Rising Flour
- Soda (or sparkling juice)
Self-Rising Flour: Self-rising flour is all purpose flour that is already mixed with baking powder and salt. It saves a few extra steps so I like to have self-rising flour in my pantry. If you don’t have self-rising flour, you can make your own by mixing together all purpose flour, baking powder and salt.
Soda: You can use almost any carbonated beverage, so most soda flavors will work along with sparkling juices. I’ve made this with cola, ginger ale and sparkling apple juice. The bread flavor and color will vary depending on the soda you choose. I don’t recommend using carbonated water. While it will technically work, the bread crust is floury and the bread doesn’t have any flavor. My favorite versions were sparkling apple juice and ginger ale.
Bread Taste
Even though the bread is made with soda, it won’t really taste like the soda. The carbonated beverage does a few things: it helps the bread rise and it gives the bread color and flavor. Even plain bread usually contains a little sugar to give it a more complex flavor. Similarly, using the soda adds just a little sugar to make the bread taste better but the bread isn’t very sweet.
- Sparkling Apple Juice: This was my favorite version. It helps give the crust of the bread a nice light brown color. You don’t taste the apples but there is just enough sugar to give the bread a more well-rounded plain bread flavor.
- Ginger Ale: The ginger ale version was similar to the sparkling apple juice version. No ginger flavor, slightly paler crust, but an overall good plain bread flavor.
- Coke: Coke will make the overall color of the bread light brown, almost like wheat bread. There is also a slightly more sweet flavor to the bread. It doesn’t really taste like coke but it was just a little too much sweetness added to the bread that made the flavor unusual for me.
- Carbonated Water: While this works, I don’t recommend it. Without any sugar, the top of the bread stays very pale and has an almost floury crust. The bread also has almost no flavor to it.
How to Make 2 Ingredient Bread
Add the soda to the self-rising flour and mix in until no flour lumps remain. The batter will look like a very wet bread dough. The dough is then ready to be baked.
Bread Texture
When this bread is eaten soon after it is baked, it has a crusty exterior and soft interior. It’s great with butter or your favorite spread. This bread can also be used for sandwiches.
More Easy Bread Recipes
2 Ingredient Emergency Bread
Ingredients
- 3 cups (375 g) self-rising flour
- 1 ¼ cups (296 ml) soda or sparkling juice see note regarding amount needed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F (191°C). Line an 8 x 4 inch loaf pan with parchment paper.
- Add flour and soda to a large mixing bowl. Mix with a whisk or spatula until no flour lumps remain. Your mixture should resemble a very wet dough. See photo in post for reference.
- Pour dough into prepared loaf pan. Use a spatula to spread the dough across your pan.
- Bake for about 35 minutes or until top is lightly browned and when you apply pressure to the surface, it should bounce back. You will need 5-10 more minutes if you need to add more liquid to your bread dough (as discussed more in the notes). Let bread cool before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Depending on the self-rising flour brand you use, you may need to add more liquid. I used White Lily's self-rising flour which has 2 grams of protein per 1/4 cup. If your self-rising flour has 3 grams of protein per 1/4 cup (or the all purpose flour you are using to make self-rising flour has 3 grams), then you will need to add about 3 oz more of liquid.
- If you aren't sure how much protein is in your flour, this is a very forgiving recipe. Add the original amount of liquid stated. If your dough is crumbly instead of wet, then add enough liquid until you have a wet dough.
- To make your own self-rising flour, add 3 cups all purpose flour, 4.5 tsp baking powder and 3/4 tsp salt to a bowl. Whisk until evenly combined.
- I used Lily's self-rising flour*
- I used this loaf pan.*
- *This product link is an affiliate link. This means I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
- The flavor and color of your bread will vary depending on the soda you choose. See post for more details. My favorite versions were Martinelli's sparkling apple juice and Canada Dry ginger ale.
Nutrition
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a professional nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
I made this bread with ginger ale as was completely out of bread this morning. Had to go with 2cups ginger ale instead of 1-1/4 c. Had to leave in oven for 45 min to even get any Browning n wasn’t much that I got. Have to let bread cool or will be crumbly. Was a very filling bread. Emergency Bread definitely fits the bread. Don’t know I would make again…..may have to tweek it more.
Hi Rhonda! We’re glad you gave this recipe a try! The flavor and color of your bread will vary depending on the soda you choose. You may also have had too much liquid as it only calls for 1 ¼ cups (296 ml).
I truly like this bread! When I’m in a hurry, quick breads like this are perfect for me. It’s also very versatile. Over the weeks since I first tried it, I’ve added olives, onion and garlic powder to make it savory, cheese to make it cheesy, raisins to make it sweet, etc. Now I’d like to know what I should add to make this into a gingerbread. RSVP ASAP. Many thanks.
So glad you enjoyed this recipe and those additions sound great! You could add the classic gingerbread spices to try to make a gingerbread emergency bread.
Hi-can you please let me know if this can be made with plain seltzer water?
Plain selzer will work, but your bread won’t have any flavor and the crust will be more floury. You can read more about what we recommend in the post.
Hey! I just made this as my store bread went mouldy in the Australian summer heat and it’s a public holiday today ? I did actually use carbonated water (it’s called Mineral Water here in Australia), added about a quarter cup more for consistency. Also added a little salt, dried rosemary and sage, and a drizzle of olive oil in the mix. Then added a drizzle of olive oil on top. It turned out perfect!
P.S. your ads on this page cover at least half the screen, and the video add at the top can’t be closed, so it’s rather annoying to try and read. Just a tip.
We’re glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Great in a pinch! I used the ginger ale version and made my own self rising flour. Really a nice loaf of bread!
We’re happy you enjoyed it!
I used Big Red with a handful of raisins and 2 1/2 tbsp of cinnamon sugar and coked for 37 minutes and the bread was great and still soft. Making this this again with two bananas and white chocolate chips.
Love those variations!
I had made this:
#1 dry measure cup and liquid measure cup with Dr Pepper – super dry dough. Didn’t spread in the pan at all.
#2 weight of flour to liquid measure of sparkle apple juice. Was still dry dough but more wet than the first try.
Neither looks like the picture. What did I do wrong?
If you’re measuring with a dry measuring cup, you need to use the spoon and level measuring method as discussed in the notes section of the recipe card, so you don’t end up with too much flour. That can make the dough too thick and dry. If you used the scale and your dough was too dry, it has to be the amount of liquid you added. We use American measuring cups – not sure if that matters for you? Lots of readers have made this bread with success. Did you make sure to let the carbonation/bubbles settle after measuring your liquid so that you truly have 1 1/4 cups of liquid? When you measure your soda/sparkling juice you need to let the bubbles settle to see how much liquid you truly have. If you poured 1 1/4 cups, you may only have 1 cup after the initial fizzy bubbles on top have settled and then you would need to add more liquid to get to 1 1/4 cups.
I will have to make it again. The second day with weight. I did wait for the foam to go down. Not 100% sure what happened? I will absolutely try again. Thanks! Will let you know!
Made it with ginger ale, it’s delicious ! Your instructions are so easy to follow!!!! I’m going to try it with Sprite Zero later today ! THANK YOU !
We’re so glad you love the recipe!
Had an ” emergency”. This bread was so fast and easy. I used ginger ale. After reading other comments will try it with beer next time. Thank you so much for sharing.
We’re glad you enjoyed it!
I’ve made this bread using different liquids, and it’s fantastic. Thanks for sharing.
We’re so glad you love the recipe!
I made this with Capri juice and it was awesome
Thanks for sharing that!
Your quantity of flour and liquid is wrong ….you need more liquid than 1 1/4 cup of soda for it to look that wet.
Our measurements are correct, but thanks for your comment!
I agree with Laura. I had to add a lot more liquid (I used Sprite). Most recipes I have tried used 2 cups of flour to 1 1/4 cup of liquid.
How did you measure the flour?
I tried this recipe. It didn’t turn out well. The bread was like a soft pudding in texture. I made my all purpose flour according to the instructions in the recipe.
Sounds like it didn’t bake long enough.
Will beer work as the carbonated liquid in this recipe?
Yes, other readers have tried it!
Love this! I’m not usually a bread eater but this is pretty palatable. Thank you for sharing!!
We’re glad you enjoyed it!
How long will the bread stay fresh? Can it be frozen?
It will keep at room temperature for a few days. You can freeze it, too.
Hi
Jacki
You stated no carbonated water, but coke and ginger ale contain carbonated water.
I want to bake this emergency bread, but your information is very confusing.
We discuss this in the post – we don’t recommend using carbonated water, but carbonated flavored drinks are fine. You can learn more under the Ingredients section.
Thank you for the recipe. My husband I gluten free and my foster granddaughter is soy and milk free so I can’t wait to try it out!
We hope you love it!
Can you make this bread in a bread machine? And would you put it on quick bread or rising?
Sorry, we haven’t tried it but our best guess would be to use the quick bread setting.
Oops I forgot to say the alcohol cooks off so no worries about getting tipsy
I have used this recipe for years with Beer !!! It always turns out great and is a perfect fall football favorite.
That’s so great!
I’m confused I followed the recipe 3 cups self rising flour and 1 and 1/4cup ginger ale..the dough was very dry…did I get the amounts wrong..I added more liquid…did I get the amounts wrong..its baking now…will see what happens
What kind of measuring cups did you use to measure?
I am excited to try this recipe using Gluten-Free flour (since I am both Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free). Thank you for your recipes.
Let us know how it works!
How did bread turn out using gluten free flour? Tks
I actually used black cherry sparkling water, 1 can, and it’s very good. It made a 1 1/2 pound loaf and it’s very filling.
Thanks for letting us know!
Thanks. Love to read recipes and try baking.
We hope you try it soon!
Making this in a few minutes with the ginger ale.
We hope you love it!
I can’t believe that bread can be made in less than an hour! I tried this recipe with apple cider and I do like the taste. I had a challenge with getting the bread shaped, so mine looked like a rock instead of bread. =/ I’m not a great chef or baker so I am certain that was my issue! I feel that if you eat this bread in a single slice with just butter or jam or both, this bread recipe is five out of five! However, I give it four out of five when served as a sandwich. The crust was too crumbly while the inside rather moist, so the sandwiches fell apart slightly. I think the next time I try this recipe, I will wait longer for it to cool more, before preparing as a sandwich, maybe that will help. So on average, 4.5 out of 5! Thank you again, Kirbie, for a fun and simple recipe!
Did you bake the bread in a loaf pan? You shouldn’t need to shape it. I’m glad you liked the bread. Some of the texture issues you had for making it into sandwiches may be because you didn’t bake it as a loaf.
Yes, I used a loaf pan but it was too large, which is why I needed to shape it first =/
Can I make with baking soda add butter milk.
It sounds like you are trying to make Irish soda bread.
Can one use chick pea flour
Sorry, but we haven’t tried that.
With the price of bread it’s worth making it yourself. Awesome thanks ?
You’re welcome!
This would be great to store the flour in a mason jar and seal it. Print the recipe on a sticker label and apply to the jar or tie it onto the jar with twine and a recipe card!!!! Thanks for sharing this!!!!!
That’s a great idea!
Outstanding! Excellent crumb and texture. I just added about 2 tablespoonsful of olive oil to the dough and drizzled about one tablespoonful of olive oil on top before putting in oven and baked as directed, but about 5 to 6 minutes less. Came out great and also makes great toast. (Note: I used room temperature ginger ale).
thank you for sharing!
Can this be made in an air fryer?
Sorry, we haven’t tried baking it in an air fryer.
Wow amazing it’s really works.
Glad you liked it!
Diet soda or seltzer water???
Diet soda should work, but we haven’t tried seltzer.
It looks nice and delicious .
Thank you!
These recipes sound awesome and I love easy recipes.
Thanks so much!
Can sugar free drinks be used?
We haven’t tried them, but a sugar free soda should work.
Hi first of all, was surprised by the result. For what it is and how little time it took, I had a decent loaf of bread with even rise and a good crust.
Note that I adjusted the ingredients for 355ml of flavoured ginger ale, added 2tsp of sugar and used a 9×5.
Tastes good warm, we’ll see if it holds up cold or toasted. Next I’ll try this shaped into little dinner rolls. Yummy!
Thanks for letting us know!
3 cups of flour to 1 1/4 cup liquid does not work out to be a wet dough. No way.
We hope you try it so you can see that it does!
Ok. You’ve got my curiosity up. How necessary is the carbonation for this to work? I’m intrigued by the thought of using juice to add sugar and liquid all in one. I suspect the added acid is needed? As someone who has juices on hand but not necessarily sparkling juices, I’m curious what I would need to do to adapt the recipe. Bear in mind that I keep regular unbleached and whole wheat flour, but not self rising. So, I’m already adding the baking power and/ or baking soda (which could be used with lower acid juice, if needed). I’m wondering most about using either lemonade or cranberry juice. Or, lemon or lime juice, if a stronger acid is needed. Or even vinegar?
The soda helps the bread rise along with the baking powder in the flour. Without it, the bread won’t rise as much and will be dense.
I am low salt. I have no salt baking soda and baking powder. Will these work in place of self rising flour? Or can I use yeast?
You can make self-rising flour following the instructions listed in the notes section of the recipe card.
You post is terrific!
Thank you!
Hi! I love this simple recipe!
I tried it using sparkling white grape juice and it is delicious! Pretty dense, with crust and texture along the lines of a French baguette, and with a slight sweet flavor. Not too sweet.
I also baked a mini loaf in a solar cooker. Hey, in case of emergency. It worked pretty well there too. The flavor was just as good, but not as pretty. Kinda pale but I think that’s just the solar cooker. It was able to get about 250 F for 90 minutes. Internal temp got to 195 F so I called it done.
Anyway, just wanted to say thanks for sharing this great little recipe. Thank you!
thank you for sharing!
Hi Kirbie, can this bread recipe be converted to keto bread using almond flour?
Sorry, we’ve only tried it with self-rising AP flour.
Can you use beer instead of sparkling juice or soda?
Other readers have and say it works!
I made it once with beer. It tasted like it was made with beer. Not a beer fan….but toasted with cheddar spread would make a good snack to have with an ice cold beer to drink while you’re watching TV …football…Wheel of Fortune, Dora the Explorer…you get my drift right?
Yes, if you don’t enjoy the flavor of beer we don’t recommend using it to make the bread. You might want to try another carbonated drink the next time.
I love the bread. Thanks
We’re glad you enjoyed it!
I have made this recipe using 1 can of any brand beer. Tastes great!
Thanks so much for sharing that!
Can’t wait to try this , it’s seems so easy . Love those sodas
We hope you try it soon!
Thank you
You’re welcome!
Great recipe
Thanks so much!
Love how simple, easy and quick you can enjoy fresh made bread.
How do you think it would come out using beer, be they light or dark types? Thanks!
Other readers have tried beer with success – let us know how it works for you!
Will this work with gluten free flour?
You could try a cup4cup GF flour – we haven’t tried it so can’t say for sure how it will work.
Perfect and I am going to try it
We hope you love it!
Wow. This recipe looks super easy. Thank you so much for sharing.
You’re welcome – we hope you give it a try!
I wonder if beer can be used for the sparkling water? I am going to try it!
yes it should work with beer
Do you leave to rise after mixing
no
Im really amazed for the said 2 ingredients so i made it, so fast to have breakfast of my students, thanks anyway.
Doesn’t soda bread already exist..? And isn’t it already fairly close, ingredient-wise to this…? Why does every idiot with a cooking blog never reference where their simplistic recipes actually originate?
Soda bread does exist but it’s not made with a carbonated drink. It’s called soda bread because it’s made with baking soda instead of yeast. Irish soda bread is the most common soda bread and it’s made with baking soda and buttermilk. Buttermilk is not a common ingredient to have on hand. So no, it’s not the same. Maybe next time you should look into it first before calling people idiots when you’re the one who doesn’t even know what soda bread is.
If you regularly drink kefir, then that’s a great sub for buttermilk – I make kefir soda bread every week and have since the pandemic began (I have my own flour blend too – Kamut, spelt, whole grain, buckwheat, quinoa and oat in more or less equal amounts plus baking soda and salt) Milk and a bit of vinegar works too.
I have tried this bread before & my family gobbled it up still warm from the oven! The whole loaf ! I lost my recipe of how much sparkling apple juice! Thank u for posting it! My family loves it! But gonna make two this time, so I may get some!
Thanks!
We’re so glad it’s working for you!
What about using flavored Tonic Water or Seltzer?
We haven’t tried those yet – let us know if you do and how it works!
Can this bread be made with sparkling water? Would like to know if the sugar from soda or sparkling juice is necessary to make the bread. Thank you.
We’ve tried it with carbonated water and didn’t like the result – sparkling water may have the same issues. You can read more about that in the post!
Have you tried with Sparkling grape juice?
No, but let us know if you do and how you like it!
Can you use beer?
Other readers have tried it and liked it!
I wonder if this would work with einkorn flour?
We haven’t tried it – let us know if you do and how it works!
Since I have to be both Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free, I am excited to try this recipe with Gluten-Free flour. Once I do, I’ll let you know how it turns out. Thank you so much for your recipes.
It looks delicious ?
Thank!
You can also make this bread with a 12 oz beer! I would recommend a real beer not low calorie!
Thanks so much for sharing that tip!
Have you done this with gluten free flour by any chance? ?
We haven’t – sorry!
Is it club soda?
We don’t recommend club soda which is carbonated water – by soda, we mean drinks like ginger ale, cola, etc.
Looks delish but seems to be a small loaf. Have you doubled the recipe?
Thanks!
We have not tried doubling the recipe.
What kind of soda for the bread?
f
You can use almost any carbonated beverage, like different kinds of flavored sodas or sparkling juices. We’ve made this with cola, ginger ale and sparkling apple juice. Please read the post as we discuss more details about what’s best to use.
This reminds me of beer bread. I haven’t made that in several years, but it was really good. I’ll try this next week. Thank you for sharing.
We hope you enjoy it!
Hi
Great easy recipe but can it be made with glutenfree four?
We haven’t tried it with GF flour.
I want to see the recipe for 2 ingredient s bread.
All of the information is in the recipe card at the end of the post before the comment section.
Excellent simple practical recipe
So glad you liked it!
Thank you! I am moving to Norway (Europe), but I’m sure that’s OK for emails. I am looking to use as many “American” recipes over there, to a new audience!!
Yes you can still receive my emails!
Looks a lot like my recipe for beer bread. I add a tad of sugar to offset the bitterness of the hops, but it’s the same general principle, self rising flour and something with bubbles.
Yes it is very similar to beer bread, though most of the beer bread recipes I’ve come across talk about the yeast in the beer as being the reason why the recipe works. This recipe shows you don’t need the yeast at all, just carbonated liquid.
Can this be made with Gluten Free All purpose Flour??
I haven’t tested it with gf flour
Thank You for sharing your post on making bread because with a limited income I can now fix bread. Thank You so much
You’re welcome!