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3 Ingredient Honey Bread

This bakery-style honey bread is so easy to make; it's almost fool-proof. The bread doesn't need any yeast, doesn't require any kneading and doesn't need a Dutch oven. It is also just 3 ingredients.
Servings: 12 slices
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 55 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
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Ingredients

  • 4 1/2 cups (580 g) self-rising flour , please see note before starting
  • 12 fl oz (355 ml) sparkling water, see note before starting
  • 1/3 cup (79 ml) honey

Instructions
 

  • In a large glass mixing bowl, combine the flour, sparkling water and honey. Mix well with a spatula until a shaggy dough forms. The dough will be sticky.
  • Tightly cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place it into the fridge. Let the dough rest and ferment for 3-6 hours.
  • About 30 minutes before baking, preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C). Move your bottom oven rack to the lowest rung in your oven and place a large Dutch oven (4.3 quarts or bigger) with its lid on in the oven while it preheats. If you are not using a Dutch oven, put a large baking sheet on the lowest oven rack. You want to bake the bread on the lowest rack possible because the surface of the bread will get a bit dark from the honey and baking it on a lower rack will prevent the bread surface edges from turning too dark.
  • After the dough has rested, wet your hands with some water. Grab one side of the dough, stretch it upward, and then fold it over the center of the dough. Repeat this process from all eight sides of the dough so that the dough forms a taut ball.
  • Lightly flour a work surface with self-rising flour. Carefully turn the dough out onto the floured surface, seam side down. Use a bench scraper or lightly floured hands to rotate and drag the dough towards yourself on the floured surface, until you form a round ball.
  • Place the shaped dough, seam side down, onto a piece of parchment paper. Cut one small snip with scissors at the top of the dough (about 1/2 inch long).
  • Remove the preheated Dutch oven from the oven. Remove the lid and carefully transfer the parchment paper with the dough into the hot Dutch oven. Put the lid back on and place it back into the oven to bake covered for 40 minutes.
  • If not using Dutch oven, carefully transfer the parchment paper with dough onto your baking sheet. Cover the dough with a very large oven-safe pot or cake pan that is oven safe in high temperatures of at least 425°F. You want the pot/cake pan to be at least 10 inches wide and at least 5 inches deep.
  • After 40 minutes, remove the lid and continue baking the bread for another 15 to 20 minutes or until the bread is browned on the surface and cooked through. When bread is done, it should sound hollow when you tap the bottom. If the surface of your bread is getting too dark, you can loosely tent it with foil. (For the non Dutch oven version, bake covered for 45 minutes, before baking uncovered for about 15 minutes. The non Dutch oven version will also not brown as evenly. The edges where the bread splits tend to be very dark and there will also still be some paler spots on the bread.)
  • Let bread cool fully before cutting and serving.

Notes

  • Sparkling water: Make sure to use a sparkling water where the carbonation has been added to it. Natural sparkling water does not work well for this bread.
  • Self-rising flour amount. There are 2 main kinds of self-rising flour sold in the US. One that is a lower protein (2 grams per 1/4 cup (30g)) flour and one that has a regular amount of protein (3 grams per 1/4 cup (30 g)). Brands like King Arthur Flour and White Lily make the low protein flour. Brands like Gold Medal* and most store/generic brands contain a regular protein amount. The amount of protein affects how much liquid is absorbed. For this recipe, you want a flour with a regular amount of protein. Please use a self-rising flour with 3 grams of protein per 1/4 cup (30 g). Or make your own self-rising flour with the recipe below.
  • *This product link is an affiliate link. This means I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
  • Homemade self-rising flour: Combine 4.5 cups of all purpose flour, 2 tbsp + 3/4 tsp baking powder and 1 and 1/4 tsp salt. Whisk to evenly combine. Make sure your all purpose flour has a regular amount of protein (3 grams per 1/4 cup). Most brands in the US contain this amount but there are some brands with higher protein (4 grams per 1/4 cup) such as King Arthur Flour and Bob's Red Mill. You do not want a high protein flour for this bread. It will be dense and dry.
  • Because of the honey in this recipe, the edges where the bread splits on the surface can get a bit dark during baking. This is why the bread is baked on the lowest oven rack and baked covered for a longer period of time. If the edges get a little too dark, you can scrape/trim the edges before serving.
  • The non-Dutch oven version of this bread rises just as well as the Dutch oven version and has a very nice crusty exterior. However, it won't look as pretty as the Dutch oven version. The crust doesn't brown as evenly as has some paler spots as well as some darker edges.
Serving: 1slice, Calories: 177kcal, Carbohydrates: 41g, Protein: 5g, Sodium: 531mg, Sugar: 7g, NET CARBS: 41
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. This is not a comprehensive list of all the nutrients in the recipe (i.e., does not include vitamins, cholesterol, etc). I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
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