Does bread flour really make a difference in your bread? (The answer is yes.)

Use this salt dough recipe to make lasting treasures like ornaments, paw print impressions, and so much more.

Where to start on your bread making journey

This is a very comprehensive post with tons of information I’ve gleaned over the years making bread. Where would you like to start first?

Easy 5 Star Homemade Bread recipe made with simple ingredients & detailed instructions showing how to make bread! Thousands of comments & reviewers agree this is the BEST homemade loaf for both beginners and expert bakers.

Yes, you can make this recipe in a bread machine! Scroll down to see full Homemade Bread recipe and ingredients, with printable instructions for your bread machine.

A decade ago when I was just beginning to bake confidently, I still struggled with making bread. I tried countless recipes and none of them were quite right. I found this one and never looked back. It uses basic ingredients, comes together fast and I love the bread it makes. It’s soft, chewy with fantastic flavor. Feel free to reduce the sugar if you prefer. Enjoy the process and enjoy that bread!

Learn how to make your own big batch of all purpose refrigerator dough from scratch and for the next 14 days use it to bake your own vegan bread and bakery items. Need freshly baked bread, dinner rolls or soft puffy pita bread for dinner? No problem! Got a craving for gooey eggless cinnamon rolls or soft garlic breadsticks? We’ve got you covered.

There’s just something magical about dough, the feel and smell of it; watching it rise and transform into delicious food is very rewarding (and pretty cool science too). Baking grounds me, and stirs up a sweet nostalgia from using recipes passed from one generation to the next.

I promise, this all purpose refrigerator dough master recipe is going to be a game changer in your kitchen like it is in mine. It’s the ultimate, simple, fuss-free method to make basically everything bread related from scratch in half the time.

Plus, it’s perfect for small batch cinnamon knots, hamburger buns, bagels, etc. just twist off the size you need, shape and bake.

This refrigerator dough recipe is made without eggs and without dairy. It’s made using only simple ingredients – flour, yeast, water, salt – with endless possibilities! Sometimes called universal dough, crazy bread dough or miracle dough, this multi-purpose dough recipe is totally vegan and totally versatile.

Also, kids love creating their own pizzas, cinnamon rolls, garlicky breadsticks or monkey bread with their own chunk of dough!

If you are you looking for a simple, uncomplicated refrigerator bread dough recipe that takes little effort and creates professional results, keep reading. You’ll find step-by-step instructions plus plenty of ideas for baking soft, pillowy sandwich bread, rustic Dutch oven bread and much much more.

Let’s get started mixing up your first bucket of dough!

This post may contain affiliate links at no additional cost to you.

The best Gluten Free All Purpose Dough that anyone can, and should make is here. Even if you’ve never made gluten free dough before, you must try this miracle dough!

Made with 3 simple ingredients, this Quick 10 Minute Gluten-free Dough is perfect for homemade pizza, bagels, pies, flatbreads, desserts, and more! It also doesn’t require any resting or leavening, making it a great recipe for your busy days!

Best Gluten Free All Purpose Dough

A yeast free, gluten free dough

The Miracle Dough

On a gluten free diet but craving pizza? Don’t worry I’ve got you covered!

Dough is used to make a wide range of delicacies, including cookies, cakes, and pies, as well as savory dishes like pizzas and empanadas. Most doughs, however, are made using all-purpose flour, which contains gluten.

Fortunately, with the correct ingredients and proper cooking techniques, you can prepare a gluten-free multi-purpose dough that will work for any recipe you choose to make.

You will have success in gluten free baking if you start with a good recipe (my part! ), use correct ingredients (our part! ), and measure ingredients properly (your part!).

Gluten Free Dough Ingredients

If you’ve gotten into baking bread at home, you’ve probably run into a somewhat vague step right before you pop the loaf in the oven: Score the bread. But what is scoring bread? How does one score bread? How does scoring work, and why would you do it?

Basak Gurbuz Derman / Getty Images

Why do you score bread

First, the basics. Scoring is just cutting into the lump of dough that you’re about to bake. It usually applies to things like crusty white bread or sourdough boules, the style of bread with a crisp, crackly crust and a tender interior. “In the heat of the oven the loaf wants to expand; that expansion is also known as oven spring. If you don’t cut the dough, the loaf will stay smaller but still have a blowout somewhere on its side,” Tartine baker Chad Robertson explained in an interview he did with Food & Wine in 2017. “If you cut it, it can expand to its full volume. So the slash is a decorative way to control how it expands.” Scoring can also be an aesthetic concern. The contrasting markings that various bakers use to score their loaves become a kind of artistic signature.

What to use to score bread

Scoring bread is easiest with a sharp implement. You can use a sharp paring knife or kitchen scissors to snip lines into the top of the unbaked bread boule. Or you can use a tool that professional bakers use to score, called a bread lame. It’s essentially a razor blade affixed to a handle for easy maneuvering. If you have a razor blade, you can even use that without a handle, as long as you work carefully. Martin Philip prefers a simple lame with a metal or wood handle, like King Arthur’s black walnut lame or double-sided lame.

How to score the bread

Now that you have your scoring tool and your ball of dough that will soon be a loaf of bread, you’re ready to go. Choose a simple pattern, like a cross or a hashtag symbol, and steadily slash marks into the bread. But make sure to really cut it. In my own sourdough baking at home, I’ve often tried to score bread only to have a little patch of crust erupt at random somewhere else on the boule. “People tend to score too lightly. While the ideal cut depth does vary by the type of loaf, as a general rule it’s essential to get through the skin, cutting at least a quarter-inch deep,” Philip told me.

Once you get the hang of scoring, then you can add smaller, less functional marks as decoration, and play around with designs. “Many aspects of breadmaking are like pottery or learning a musical instrument,” Philip wrote. “Focus on the process, be a good student, try to enjoy the music of bread as it cools — eat your mistakes and try again! In time your hands will remember what works.”

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Pillowy soft, with the perfect taste and texture, this quick and easy pizza dough is going to be your go-to recipe for everything! You are going to want to keep this in the archives and use it over and over again.

We all have made homemade versions of kids’ favorites; burgers, tacos, and macaroni and cheese. When it comes to homemade pizza though, it can be intimidating. Not anymore! Now you can make homemade pizza and so many other delicious things with this quick and easy dough!

Most doughs require lots of proving and rising time. That means you have to plan ahead. If you’re like me, as much as I try to plan ahead, things don’t always go according to plan. But with this super fast and effortless dough I can have an amazing dinner any time of the week. It’s a dinner lifesaver!

The rest time is only about 20 minutes for this dough. So within 30 minutes, I can have my pizza (or whatever else I am making) in the oven, ready to go. It’s a great recipe for beginners because it’s so easy! And the taste is fantastic. It really makes the best homemade pizza crust. Try it out with this tasty Hawaiian pizza or chicken alfredo pizza!

Just a handful of ingredients make this quick and easy dough! Check out the recipe card below for exact measurements.

Warm Water: Make sure it’s not too hot, or it’ll kill the yeast.
Sugar: This is food for the yeast, don’t leave it out.
Yeast: Gives the dough it’s rise and elasticity.
Flour: A good strong flour is necessary for good structure.
Salt: Keeps your dough from tasting bland.

Making Quick and Easy Dough

It’s so easy! This versatile dough comes together in just 5 simple steps. It’s such a game-changer for homemade pizzas.

Activate Yeast: Combine the water, sugar, and yeast, give it a little stir then let it sit for 5 minutes.
Combine: In a large mixing bowl combine the flour and salt to the yeast mixture. Stir till smooth. You can also use a stand-mixer and dough hook.
Rest: Let the dough rest for 10 minutes. It will rise some.
Prepare: Prepare the dough for whatever you are using it for and let it sit another 10 minutes.
Bake: Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 15-20 minutes.

Tips for Homemade Dough

Here are a few extra ways to perfect your quick pizza dough! Once you get the hang of it, you’ll want to make it all the time!

Use Warm Water: You want your water to be 105-115 degrees Fahrenheit when you add it to the yeast for optimum proofing.
Sugar: Yeast needs food to grow, sugar is its favorite. You can also use honey without changing the flavor or structure of the dough. Use the same amount of honey as you would sugar.
Rest: The first 5 minutes of rest you give the dough acts as its first rise. That’s what makes this so quick and easy. You don’t have to wait for a full rise in bread form, which would take longer.
Salt: Salt can kill yeast if added at the same time. Don’t add the salt until after it’s rested and you’ve added in the flour. Salt is needed for flavor and structure.
Flour: Do not add too much flour. Add the flour gradually until a soft dough forms and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. The exact flour amount will vary so go by the touch and feel of the dough versus the exact cup measurements. The dough should be soft and smooth. It should not leave a residue on your hands, but should not be super stiff either.
Double: This pizza dough recipe is simple to double. You can even make breadsticks with it!
Flavor: Feel free to add seasonings to the dough when you add the flour if you desire.

Making the Best Pizza Crust

These are a few more things to keep in mind so you end up with the best homemade pizza ever! Your family won’t be able to get enough.

Pre-Bake: There is nothing worse than toppings cooked to perfection and a doughy crust. I like to eliminate that from happening by precooking the crust for 5 minutes. Once I add the toppings I continue to cook it on the bottom rack in the oven. This ensures the crust cooks through.
Pizza Stone: If you use a preheated pizza stone, then you do not need to pre-bake the pizza dough.
Bubbles: If you notice bubbles forming in your dough while it’s cooking, simply pierce them with a fork. You can also fork it before baking to prevent it from bubbling.
Personal Pizzas: This dough is wonderful for making personal-sized pizzas, medium or large pizzas. You can even make mini pizzas in the air fryer! It’s a quick and easy snack for the kids.

Storing Leftovers

This quick and easy homemade pizza dough is great for making ahead! My kids love air fryer pizzas so I always keep some on hand.

Can I Freeze My Dough?

Yes! It’s a great way to make your pizza dough last longer.

Mix warm water, sugar and yeast together. Let that sit for 5 minutes.
Add flour and salt to the water, sugar, and yeast. Mix this until smooth and let it raise for 10 minutes. I used my kitchenaid mixer with the dough hook and it was so easy and worked great!
Prepare the dough for what you will be making and let rest for another 10 minutes before putting into the oven.
Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes.
*If making a pizza, you can cut the dough recipe in half and make a thinner crust pizza and breadtwists. That is what we like to do.

All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods and portion sizes per household.

dough, dough recipes, pizza dough

Alyssa Rivers

In today’s post: This basic bread dough recipe is easy to make and tastes amazing – and you can use it to make 6 different types of rolls too!

I know that most people don’t have time to make their own bread anymore. I’m cool with that. I don’t bake bread weekly, nor do I bake most of the bread we eat. But every once in a while it is SO WORTH IT to make your own bread! Seriously, there is nothing like hot fresh bread to really make a meal special.

If you’re a repeat reader of It’s Always Autumn, I really hope you’ve tried my basic bread dough recipe. I promise it’s not as hard as you think, and you will be delighted by the pillowy soft bread you can cook in your own kitchen. The best part of my favorite bread dough recipe is that it’s super adaptable, meaning you can use it to make all sorts of things: basic rolls, buttery crescent rolls, garlic breadsticks, full loaves, cinnamon rolls and raspberry rolls!

After I show you everything you can make with this basic bread dough, I hope you’ll be convinced to give it a try for yourself!

Basic Bread Dough Instructions

Watch this video if you’ll be making the dough using a KitchenAid:

And watch this video if you’ll be making the dough using a Bosch:

Basic Bread Dough Recipe

Here’s the recipe card for my basic bread dough recipe. This recipe card gives instructions for making the dough into a loaf of bread. If you want to make a loaf of bread, please visit this post for lots of extra details and step by step help: How To Make Bread

There’s not much that tastes better than this soft + delicious homemade white bread!

Active Dry Yeast
All Purpose Flour

Add warm water and yeast to the bowl of a stand mixer.
Add the butter, egg, sugar, salt and 2 cups of flour.
Using the dough hook attachment, turn the mixer on low and allow ingredients to begin mixing. (Butter does not need to be fully incorporated at this point.)
Gradually add the 3rd cup of flour as dough continues to mix.
Dough should begin to pull away from sides of bowl as it mixes. Gradually add approximately 1/4 cup more flour. You want the dough to pull away from the sides of the bowl and come together in a single mass. It will be slightly sticky to the touch.
Turn mixer up (as directed in mixer instructions for kneading dough) and allow to knead for 5 minutes. Dough should feel smooth and elastic.
Punch dough down and turn out again onto lightly floured surface. Shape dough into a rectangle that’s approx 8×12 inches.
From one short side, roll dough into log shape and pinch seam. Place in a greased 9×5 loaf pan. Cover loosely with greased plastic wrap.
Bake approximately 30 minutes until top of bread is well browned and loaf sounds hollow when tapped on.
Turn loaf out onto a cooling rack to cool. Brush top with melted butter if desired. Cool completely before slicing for best results.

Please be sure to use a 9×5 loaf pan, not an 8.5×4.5 loaf pan for this recipe.

But don’t stop here! I actually prefer baking bread as rolls or breadsticks (instead of in a loaf) because you get less crust and more pillowy soft goodness in a smaller package. Plus it’s very hard to slice a warm loaf of bread without squishing it, which means you usually need to let the bread cool completely before eating. With rolls, you can dig right in and eat them straight out of the oven!

Keep reading for ALL THE BREAD DOUGH VARIATIONS:

Basic Bread Variation #1

I’ll choose dinner rolls over a loaf of bread any day! Rolls rise faster and bake faster than a full loaf of bread, meaning you don’t have to start them as early in the day to enjoy them with dinner. Plus they’re perfect straight out of the oven.

Basic Bread Variation #2

For special occasions (like Thanksgiving) I always make these Buttery Crescent rolls. It’s the same basic bread dough recipe with extra butter rolled in for extra deliciousness. I also increased the quantity in this recipe so you can make a full half sheet pan of rolls for larger gatherings. Warning: if you bring these to Thanksgiving you’ll be assigned to bring them every year for the rest of your life.

Basic Bread Variation #3

These garlic breadsticks are definitely my kids’ favorite version of the basic bread dough. That’s because they’re perfectly soft and perfectly flavored with butter and garlic brushed on top. Ever had breadsticks from The Olive Garden? Those don’t even begin to compare to this recipe.

Basic Bread Variation #4

If you like bread with extra flavor, you’ll want to try these Herbed Garlic Rolls. With a savory blend of herbs and garlic mixed right in, they’re absolutely delicious! They go perfect with soups and are great baked as mini loaves too!

Basic Bread Variation #5

Some homemade cinnamon roll recipes use super enriched doughs (lots of butter) that taste great, but are extremely hard to work with. My basic bread dough recipe is already enriched with an egg and a small amount of butter, so it tastes amazing as a cinnamon roll, but it has the added bonus of being really easy to work with! These are HEAVENLY.

Basic Bread Variation #6

It’s time to try cinnamon roll’s grown up cousin: Raspberry Rolls. Same basic concept – amazingly soft bread wrapped around an amazingly delicious filling – but with an amped up flavor everyone loves. And don’t get me started on that raspberry cream cheese frosting!

Only to realize your bag has just a sad scoop at the bottom. But there’s a full bag of all-purpose flour right there — will it make a difference if you use all-purpose in a recipe that calls for bread flour?

The answer is yes. Here’s why.

What’s the difference between bread flour and all-purpose flour?

The primary difference between bread flour and all-purpose flour is the protein content. Bread flour has more protein (King Arthur’s is 12.7%) than all-purpose (11.7%). For context, pastry and cake flours have less, about 8% to 10%, respectively.

Those may seem like small differences, but they have a big effect on how the flour behaves. The protein in flour is what forms gluten in your dough, so higher protein means more gluten. (Though not always! Read about why whole wheat flour is one exception in this guide to gluten.) More gluten means stronger, stretchier dough, which is critical for a tall, airy loaf of bread.

Bread flour’s protein content (12.7%) is printed directly on the front of every King Arthur bag.

Why bread flour can make a difference in your bread

Let’s back up to what happens when you make bread. Wheat flour contains two proteins called glutenin and gliadin. When you add water to wheat flour, a strong, stretchy substance called gluten begins to form. Once the dough is formed, you have a solid ball of gluten and starch with no bubbles in it. To get the airy, open texture of a loaf of bread, you’ll need to leaven the dough to get those bubbles — either with commercial yeast or sourdough culture.

Fermentation is the breakdown of organic substances into smaller parts by microbial processes. In bread, this means the starches in the grain are consumed by the yeast and bacteria and broken down into sugars, acids, and, crucially, gases. The gas bubbles become trapped in the gluten and starch web, leavening the dough and making it big and fluffy.

The more gluten there is in the dough, the more it can stretch to accommodate the gas bubbles. Gluten is both stretchy and strong — what bakers call “extensible” and “elastic.” This combination allows bread dough to capture and contain the carbon dioxide bubbles produced by yeast; as their numbers grow, the dough gets bigger. If you make a bread dough with all-purpose flour, the gluten network won’t be as strong because of the lower protein content; this means the dough won’t be able to stretch as much to accommodate those bubbles, resulting in smaller bubbles and bread with a tighter crumb.

Since the proteins in bread flour absorb more water, bread flour is also a great choice for recipes that call for a lot of liquid. For instance, the beautiful open crumb of Pan de Cristal requires high hydration, which in turn needs bread flour to create strength in such a wet dough. If you use a lower protein flour like all-purpose with the same amount of water, the dough will be too wet, sticky, and loose, and it will be more difficult to handle and shape; it may also be gummy when baked.

While developing Pan de Cristal, Martin Philip determined that bread flour had “enough strength to hold tons of water and support a long final proof without collapsing.”

When to bake bread with bread flour, and when to use all-purpose

You may be wondering, “If bread flour is so great, should I be swapping it in for all bread recipes that call for all-purpose?” The answer is: Keep it simple and use the exact flour called for in a recipe. A baker will have developed their recipes based on the characteristics of the desired bread, and they will have chosen the correct flour for this application.

All-purpose flour can also make great bread — many professional bakers use and love it in their loaves. It can be particularly good for Irish soda bread or other quick bread recipes that use baking soda instead of fermentation to leaven the dough and are meant to have a denser crumb. You can also use all-purpose in many bun or roll recipes, which tend to have lower hydration and rely less on strong gluten and more on butter and sugar for texture. (Though bread flour can still give you a fluffier, almost cotton-candy-like texture in most buns and rolls.)

You could even technically substitute all-purpose flour for bread flour if you add less water, mix the dough more gently and for a shorter period of time, and don’t expect the same results. But if a recipe calls specifically for bread flour, you can count on it making a difference in your final loaf.

Bottom line: If you’re looking to make a high-rising, well-textured loaf of bread, it’s worth it to start off with the flour selected for that purpose.

Putting bread flour to the test

I baked four recipes with both flours to compare the performance of bread flour and all-purpose side by side. I was careful to use the same mixing times, temperatures, and recipes for the most accurate comparison: Here are my baking notes from each.

Bread flour on the left, all-purpose flour on the right.

Milk bread: This recipe yielded the most similar results between the two flours, which makes sense because milk bread usually has a denser crumb than other breads. In fact, the loaf with all-purpose flour stood a tiny bit taller than the bread flour loaf. The texture, however, was different. The all-purpose flour milk bread crumbled when I cut into it, instead of slicing cleanly. Still, if I only have all-purpose flour on hand, an enriched pan loaf like this one would be the recipe I’d choose.

All-purpose flour on the left, bread flour on the right.

Focaccia: The two focaccias were very different. The one made with bread flour was taller, airier, had much more open bubbles in the crumb, and browned nicely. In the mixer, the all-purpose dough never seemed to come together as a cohesive whole in the same way as the bread flour dough.

All-purpose flour on the top, bread flour on the bottom.

Baguettes: There was also a significant difference in the baguettes. Like the focaccia, the baguettes made with bread flour had a much more open crumb and springier, chewier texture, and the scores (the marks on the top of the loaf) opened up more. The dough made with bread flour was much easier to shape; meanwhile, the dough made with all-purpose flour was stickier and slacker.

Sourdough Boule: One of the big differences between the sourdough and the other breads was that I mixed the dough more slowly and by hand. The country dough made with all-purpose flour seemed to form gluten better with this slower, more intermittent mixing style than it did with the focaccia and baguettes, which were mixed in the mixer. Still, the bread flour dough was sturdier and stronger, making it much easier to shape and resulting in a taller, more airy, more golden bread than its all-purpose counterpart.

It’s easy to think of flour as being more or less the same, but there are big differences between various types. It’s always a good idea to make sure that the flour you’re using is the flour that the recipe calls for — just like you would with any other ingredient. Your best bet is to grab a bag of both bread and all-purpose flour so you’ll always have exactly what you need on hand.

How can you tell if bread is fully baked?

I like to use a food thermometer. Mine is digital, so it’s very easy to use. Fully cooked bread will be 190-200 degrees F. Bread recipes that include milk will need to cook until 200 degrees, but since this one doesn’t, I take it out once it reaches 190 degrees. The top will be golden brown.

AVOID SUNKEN BREAD

The easiest and best way to avoid sunken bread is to use a cooking thermometer to check the inside of the loaf. Fully cooked bread will register 200°F on a thermometer. My all-time favorite thermometer is the Thermapen. It’s super fast and incredibly durable. Another great cooking thermometer is the ThermoPop which is a more basic version that works just as well!

110° F/45° C
active dry yeast
all-purpose flour OR bread flour

Punch dough down. Knead for 1 minute and divide dough in half. Shape into loaves and place into two greased 9×5 inch loaf pans. Allow to rise for 30 minutes, or until dough has risen 1 inch above pans.
Bake at 350° F (175° C) for 30-40 minutes. Cool, brush with butter and enjoy!

Recipe yields 2 standard loaves of bread

How to Make Salt Dough

You’ll find the full, step-by-step recipe below — but here’s a brief overview of what you can expect when you make salt dough at home:

1. Mix the dry ingredients, then gradually add the water.2. Knead and let rest.3. Roll and cut the dough into shapes.4. Bake, decorate, and preserve the salt dough.

Making your Loaf of Bread in a Bread Machine

Place bread pan in machine. Close lid and set bread machine to bake a loaf of basic white bread.

Let bread cool when bread machine has completed the full cycle. (Mine takes 3.5 hours.) Remove from machine & pan. Brush with butter and enjoy!

110 degrees F/45 degrees C
active dry yeast
all purpose OR bread flour!

Place bread pan in machine. Close lid and set bread machine to bake a loaf of basic white bread.
Let bread cool when bread machine has completed the full cycle. (Mine takes 3.5 hours.) Remove from machine & pan. Brush with butter and enjoy!

Storing unbaked refrigerator dough

Fridge Time – this bread dough can be stored in a bucket in the fridge for up to 14 days. After 2 days, cover the vent (hole) in the lid with a piece of tape. The dough will collapse in the bucket after you pull a piece off, do not be concerned, this is normal. Continue to use it as per recipe instructions.

Can the bread dough be frozen? – if you don’t use up all your bread dough, you can freeze it in one pound balls or smaller. Wrap tight in freezer friendly plastic or airtight container for up to a month.

Ingredients for master dough recipe

Since this is considered a ‘lean’ dough aka vegan/vegetarian (eggless, no dairy), it can remain in the refrigerator for up to 14 days. Enriched doughs have a shorter fridge life.

Flour – all purpose (10-11.5% protein) or bread flour (~12% protein). The flour creates the structure for the bread (gluten strands).

Yeast – I use active dry (traditional) type yeast but you can use instant or fast acting yeast in this recipe. The yeast adds flavour and it’s the leavening agent.

Water – room temperature (will feel slightly warm to touch). Water that is too hot will kill off the yeast. When the water is too cool, it takes longer to proof.

Sweetener – feeds the yeast so it grows. Use any vegan source, I like maple syrup or agave.

Oil – adds richness and makes the bread tender. Use a light, neutral tasting oil such as canola or vegetable. Can sub in melted butter for extra flavor.

Things to make with one bucket of dough!

This recipe makes ~4, 1 pound loaves of bread or a loaf of bread, some pitas, and a tray of cinnamon rolls. The variations and combinations are endless.

In the coming weeks, I will adding more recipes you can make with your all purpose refrigerator dough recipe including crusty rustic loaf, soft tear-apart rolls, pita bread, pizza crust, cinnamon raisin bread, sweet and savory breads, Swedish knots, homemade pretzels, plus so much more. But in the meantime, cut off a chunk and make an easy pan loaf or some garlic breadsticks.

Good luck and happy baking. I hope you find the same joy baking from scratch (the easy way) as I do!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Which gluten-free flour works well with the gluten-free dough?

It’s essential to use the correct gluten free flour. It is the most important component for a gluten-free dough. I used King Arthur’s Gluten Free Flour 1:1 ratio.

Is it possible to make the gluten free-dough with plain yogurt?

Regular yogurt, often known as plain yogurt, is not recommended for the dough. Plain yogurt is far too thin to make a sturdy, fluffy dough. The best yogurt for this recipe is one that is naturally thick and tangy, and can stand up to the flour (Greek yogurt).

How does the gluten free pie crust taste?

This gluten free pie crust is very similar to the regular crust made with white flour! You can barely tell the difference!

How long does it take to cook this 3-ingredient dough?

Cooking time varies depending on the recipe, but 2 ingredient dough typically takes 17-20 minutes to prepare.The cooking time will be less for recipes that use smaller portions of the dough, such as bagels. It will take closer to 20 minutes for pizza dough, which uses the full batch as one.

Can I replace self-rising flour with cassava flour, almond flour, tapioca flour, or coconut flour?

No, almond flour and coconut flour cannot be used in place of gluten free flour.If you use different flour, the dough will become extremely sticky and will not cook properly. It will also take much longer to prepare and will lack the desired flavor.

Do you need xanthan gum or guar gum for this dough?

Not at all. The recipe works perfectly without them

Gluten Free All Purpose Dough (Quick 10 Minute Dough)

This Gluten Free All Purpose Dough (Quick 10 Minute Dough) is quite tasty, & you won’t tell the difference between it and wheat flour dough.

gluten free flour or self rising gluten free flour
+ 1 tablespoon or vegan Greek yogurt for vegans

In a large bowl mix together the gluten free flour, baking powder and Greek yogurt.
Using your hands squeeze the ingredients together. Although the ingredients will seem crumbly, squeezing will help combine them to form the dough.
The dough should feel damp but soft, smooth and not stretchy. It will not feel like the gluten dough, this will feel slightly different.

Can you Make this bread in a Bread Machine? YES! Here’s how

Bread fresh out of my bread machine!

I’ve found this recipe works really well in a bread machine! I just had the halve the ingredients so it would fit. You can see and print out the recipe below.

How to Store Finished Salt Dough Ornaments

When it comes to storing your salt dough ornaments, it’s important to avoid heat and humidity. Choose a cool, dry place and opt for a sturdy container for the best protection. For the best protection, wrap each ornament in wax paper before you store them away.

Dough making terminology

Hydration – The water/liquid – flour ratio is called the hydration level (expressed in a percentage). This dough is ~70% hydration.

Proofing – proofing yeast is a test to be sure the yeast is active. Proofing the bread dough is the stage when the yeast is growing and producing gas that causes the dough to rise, and get puffy (you may hear the term ‘double in size’).

Rising Time – aka the second proof. The time after the dough has been shaped and is covered and rising before baking. Typically (and more quickly) done at room temperature, but also a slower proof can be done in the fridge overnight.

Kitchen (Ambient) Temperature – if your kitchen is cool (climate or air conditioning), the proofing/rising times likely will take longer (remember the yeast thrives in a warm, draught-free environment). As well, if your kitchen is on the warm side, the proofing time will likely be shorter. Around 75-80º F (24-26º C) is recommended kitchen temperature for yeast dough. Pro Tip: my kitchen is not this warm, but I cover my bread dough (or sourdough) and place it near the warm stove.

Equipment Essentials

Because this is a big batch of dough, I find a bucket useful; however, I’ve been making bread for a long time with zero specialized equipment so don’t feel like you have to run out and buy anything to get started.

Here are a few basics that are helpful, but not necessary to start baking bread:

Food Scale – baking is a more precise science than cooking. A digital food scale makes baking so much easier. I’ve been using the same one several times a week for many years – Escali, Arti Digital Scale.Pro Tip: the TARE button will be your new best friend, it resets the scale to zero each time without having to use a new dish or do math for each ingredient addition.
Dough Bucket with a lid – you definitely don’t need a dough bucket, but once I got my bucket, it changed big batch bread dough making for me! A bucket helps with organization, storage, and clean up. I bought these in a 2 pack, 6 quart – Cambro, 6 quart. They are the perfect size for proofing and storing this refrigerator dough, fit easily in the fridge, and make clean up a breeze. Pro Tip: round is better than square (no corners for the dry ingredients to hide).
Bench/Dough Scraper – optional but wonderful for mixing, folding and cutting the dough as well as clean up. I have a metal scraper and a plastic scraper.

Allrecipes Community Tips and Praise

“Worked great,” according to Dana Burke. “A little tip: Put dough in the fridge for 5 minutes to make it easier to make imprints.”

“Want your decorations to smell amazing? Add in some cinnamon to the dry ingredients and mix as directed,” advises Patches Jackson. “Really smells great! Just make sure no one tries to eat them.”

“Super easy directions,” says Lee Anne Barbara. “It’s important to know that it turns out best if you SLOWLY add in the water!”

Editorial contributions by Corey Williams

Basic Steps for Making Yeast Bread Recipes

You’ll need warm water, granulated sugar, instant OR active dry yeast, salt, vegetable or canola oil and flour. That’s it!

Dissolve the yeast and activate it by Proofing

This is a simple process that takes about 5 minutes. You can see a picture below what yeast looks like when it’s proofed. It’s possible to kill yeast if you use too hot of water, so aim for slightly warmer than luke-warm, or about 105°F. Combine warm water, yeast and 1 TBSP of the granulated sugar in your mixing bowl. Give it a quick stir and then let it sit for 5 minutes. You’ll begin to see the yeast puff up until it covers the entire surface of the water.

Add remaining ingredients and mix

Add the rest of the sugar, the oil, salt and flour (You can use all-purpose flour OR bread flour!), then mix using an electric mixer until it’s well combined, about 2 minutes. You can mix by hand but it will take longer.

Knead the Bread

You might be thinking, “Wait! It’s already mixed!” Ha! Not so fast! Going through the process of kneading bread dough is crucial for bread with great texture. Kneading dough allows gluten to form which enables dough to rise better, be lighter and fluffier. you can knead by hand or with a mixer. I use the dough hook on my mixer and knead for 7 minutes. If you knead by hand, you’ll want to knead for 10-11 minutes, depending on how consistent you are.

First Rise

Place your lovely smooth, elastic bread dough in an oiled bowl and cover it with plastic wrap or a clean towel. I think plastic wrap works better because it traps hot air inside and thus, my dough requires a shorter first rise. Be sure to spray the side of the plastic wrap that will touch the dough with oil!

If your house is cool, your bread will take longer to rise. In the wintertime when my house is cooler than normal, I like to turn the oven on for 2-3 minutes, then turn it off and let the bowl of dough rise in there. The oven traps the heat for a longtime and it’s the perfect atmosphere for rising dough.

Punch Dough and Shape it

Punching the dough down quickly releases any air pockets that have developed and helps your bread have a more consistent rise and texture. Shape your dough by rolling it gently into a ball and rolling it 2 or 3 times on the countertop so that the ball is more oblong. I usually punch down and shape the dough quickly, then place in a greased bread pan.

Second Rise

I like to do my second rise in a warm oven that’s not turned on. I turn the oven on just before I punch my dough down, then turn it off once I place the dough in the oven for the 2nd rise. It’s really only on for a minute or two, which is fine! The second rise will help shape your loaf of bread and takes about 30 minutes.

Bake the Bread

You’re nearly there! Bread bakes for about 30-40 minutes. You know what I do to make sure my bread is perfectly cooked? I use a digital cooking thermometer! Fully cooked bread will be 190-200 degrees F. Bread recipes that include milk will need to cook until 200 degrees, but since this one doesn’t, I take it out once it reaches 190 degrees. The top will be golden brown.

My all-time favorite cooking thermometer is the Thermapen. It’s super fast and incredibly durable. Another great thermometer is the ThermoPop which is a more basic version that works just as well!

Cool the Bread

Cool baked bread in the pan for 10-15 minutes, then overturn pan and turn loaf out onto a cooling rack or folded towel to finish cooling. If you leave the bread in the pan for much longer than that, you’ll steam it, which may cause some parts of your loaf to go soggy. No one likes soggy bread!

Bread Making Resources

For a really deep dive into bread making, more pro tips, techniques, troubleshooting, science, and hundreds of year’s experience, here are a few of my top resources and inspirations:

Holiday and Celebration Bread in Five Minutes a Day, Zoe Francois and Jeff Hertzberg
Brilliant Bread cookbook, James Morton
Little Spoon Farm blog (Queen of all things Sourdough, Amy Duska)
Tartine Bread cookbook, Chad Robertson
Grandma Smith, Aunty Kaye, Mom – lifelong inspiration, cheerleaders, and mentors

Helpful Tips when Making Your First Loaf of Homemade Bread

If you’ve never baked homemade bread before, here are a few tips:

Remember to fully knead

The recipe below kneads for 7 minutes and it’s worth it! Kneading dough helps to develop the flavor and texture of the bread, so don’t skimp on kneading time.

Weather can affect your ingredients

If you live in a moist climate, chances are you’ll need at least the recommended amount of flour, maybe even 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup more. Bread dough should be sticky, but still manageable, especially after the first rise. While you’re kneading, the dough should come together and pull away from the sides of the bowl, leaving the bowl mostly clean. I usually aim to have the very bottom of the dough still attached to the bowl. Try not to add too much flour because your bread will be more dense. When you pick the dough up, some will stick to your fingers. After the first rise, it will be easier to handle!

Temperature affects how long your bread takes to rise

Try not to go crazy kneading your bread after the first rise. I usually knead and shape my dough in about 1 minute, then it’s back in the pan to rest, for the 2nd rise. I like to have the pan rise in the oven for this second rise so that I don’t have to worry about moving risen dough. When it’s fully risen, I just turn the oven on and set the timer to bake!

Here are the ingredients for the oven baked recipe, which yields 2 loaves of bread:

— WATER: You need 2 cups warm water. (110° F/45° C) I recommend you take the temperature using a cooking thermometer until you get the hang of how warm the water should be. If your water is too hot, it will kill the yeast and your bread will be dense and flat!

— SUGAR: We add 1/2 cup white sugar. You are welcome to reduce this even further and use just 1/4 cup.

— YEAST: We add 1 TBSP + 2 tsp active dry yeast to the dough to help it rise.

— SALT: You need 1 1/2 teaspoons salt to enhance the flavors in the bread. If you’ve never had bread with not enough salt, it does not taste good! I forgot to add it once. Don’t do that.

— OIL: We used 1/4 cup vegetable oil but you can also use coconut oil or canola oil. I’ve tried it with light olive oil and it just has a strange aftertaste that I don’t love.

— FLOUR: You’ll need 5-6 cups flour. You can use all-purpose flour OR bread flour!

Instant or Active Dry Yeast for Making Bread

If you use instant yeast, you can add it directly to your other dry ingredients when making bread. If you use active dry yeast, you’ll need to first dissolve it in warm water before using it in a recipe. For the sake of ease, I just always buy instant yeast. BUT, this recipe works for both!

What to Use this Dough for?

You can also make some flat bread and slather with your favorite toppings. Try some labneh and veggies for a perfect breakfast!

Top Tips

Make sure your ingredients are sitting at room temperature before making the dough.
Mix the flour and the baking soda thoroughly before adding the Greek yogurt.
Longer mixing times are preferred in gluten-free baking for best results since this allows the flour to absorb the water.
I don’t recommend freezing the quick 10 minute dough, but you can prepare it for up to 4 hours prior to cooking it. Try not to exceed the 4 hours because your dough will become sticky.
If you’re not using the dough immediately, put it in a small bowl and cover it with a plastic wrap, and put it in a warm place.
If you want to make a bigger batch, just double or triple the ingredients.
You can bake this easy gluten free dough in the air-fryer if you’d like.
You can add a pinch of sea salt or kosher salt to the dough if you like.
Making pizza? Just place the gf dough in the pizza pan, top it with some tomato sauce and your favorite toppings. You’ll get the best gluten-free pizza ever!

Enjoy this bread recipe? Here are even more recipes for homemade bread to try

Quick Bread Recipes

How to Store Homemade Bread

You’ll want to store leftover bread in an airtight container. I bought bread bags off Amazon and LOVE them!

All Purpose Refrigerator Dough Master Recipe (vegan)

This all-purpose refrigerator dough (aka crazy bread dough/miracle dough) is easy to make, super versatile and totally vegan. You can make anything with this universal bread dough from bread to pitas and fancy sweet rolls, pizza, pita, and cinnamon rolls. No kneading, no mess, and very little effort to create professional quality baked goods.

Rate this recipe!

bucket with lid
digital kitchen scale (recommended)

water* (room temperature)
oil or melted butter
maple syrup / agave
table salt (or 1 tablespoon coarse ground)

I recommend using a food scale for this recipe!
In a large plastic bucket or large bowl combine the water (~3 cups*) and yeast. Stir until dissolved. In the winter in my climate (cold and dry), I sometimes add a couple extra tablespoons of water to be sure there are no dry bits and the flour is hydrated.
Add the oil (scant ¼ cup) and maple syrup and stir to incorporate.
Add the flour (~6 ½ cups*) and salt (~3 teaspoons) to the bucket. I use all purpose flour or bread flour. *scoop and sweep method: I use a ¼ cup scoop to fill my 1 cup scoop and then level it with the flat side of a kitchen knife. Note: Weighing the ingredients is the most accurate.
Using a dough scraper, your hands or a large spoon, mix together until all the flour is completely incorporated. I wet my hands several times to help get all the dry bits from the bottom of the bucket.
The dough should be tacky/sticky but not sloppy or dry. Depending on what your climate is like and the flour you choose, you may need more or less water.
Place lid on the bucket* or cover the bowl with a plastic bowl cover (creating a nice warm, draught-free environment for flour to hydrate, the yeast to grow and the dough to rise).*As the yeast is activated, it will produce gas so the bucket/container should not be airtight. I poke a small hole in the top of my dough bucket which works well or just place lid on top of bucket without sealing it.
Leave the dough at room temperature for ~2 hours to rise.
Place the bucket of dough in the fridge for up to two weeks. Pinch off a piece when you are ready to bake a whole loaf or just a bun or two.
Pro Tip – remember to cover the hole in the lid with a little piece of tape after 2 days.

This refrigerator dough can be used right away after the initial proof, but it is much easier to handle (less sticky) if it spends some time in the fridge first. You may require addition flour on the work surfaces when shaping and rolling the dough when used prior to refrigeration.

Yeast can be stored in fridge for a couple of months or for longer in the freezer.

This recipe works really well at my elevation (1045m/3438f) and climate (sunny but cold and dry).

Flour – if you don’t have a digital scale (recommended), use the scoop and sweep method. When you dig a measuring cup into a compact bag of flour, it measures more flour than required. Use a smaller scoop to fill the 1 cup measure and then sweep the top with the flat side of a kitchen knife or spatula.

Pro Tip if using a digital scale: The Tare button zeros out the scale before/after adding each ingredient. eg. turn scale on, set unit (grams), place dough bucket on scale, press Tare – scale will read zero. Pour in water, add yeast. Press Tare – scale will read zero. Repeat with remaining ingredients, zeroing out the scale before each new addition.

The basic refrigerator dough recipe can be used for so many thing – try it with some of your family’s baked recipes – you’ll save so much time.

For a deep dive into all the pro tips, tricks and science behind bread making, check out my Resources section in the post.

You’ll Only Need 3 Ingredients to Make this Miracle Dough

You only need a few ingredients to make this miracle dough and guess what? You don’t need instant yeast or active dry yeast. The result is golden brown thin crust, a fluffy with a great dense chew, and a crispy bottom. And here’s the best part: It comes together easy peasy, just like quick bread.

You will only need these few ingredients to make this gluten-free dough:

Gluten-free flour: I use gluten-free flour

Yogurt: Greek yogurt is the best choice for dough. It results in a sturdy, fluffy dough. For a vegan dough, you can use vegan Greek yogurt.

Baking Powder: Almost all gluten free baked or fried goods need baking powder to help them rise.

How Long Does Salt Dough Last?

If you preserve salt dough properly, it will last for decades. Without sealant, it will begin to crumble after a few weeks.

How to Make this All Purpose Gluten Free Dough

First, measure your dry ingredients properly.

Next, in a large bowl mix together the gluten free flour, baking powder and Greek yogurt.

Using your hands squeeze the ingredients together. Although the ingredients will seem crumbly, squeezing will help combine them to form the dough ball.

The dough should feel damp but soft, smooth, and not stretchy.

It will not feel like the gluten dough, this will feel slightly different.

Now Place the ball of dough on a floured piece of parchment paper, then roll it in the flour.

Top the dough with the second parchment paper.

Then, using a rolling pin, gently roll the dough flat but don’t press too hard. Then, turn the parchment paper, and roll the dough in width.

Make sure your ingredients are sitting at room temperature before making the dough.
Mix the flour and the baking soda thoroughly before adding the Greek yogurt.
Longer mixing times are preferred in gluten-free baking since this allows the flour to absorb the water.
I don’t recommend freezing the quick 10 minute dough, but you can prepare it for up to 4 hours prior to cooking it. Try not to exceed the 4 hours because your dough will become sticky.
If you want to make a bigger batch, just double or triple the ingredients.
You can bake your gluten free dough in the air-fryer if you’d like.

Let us know how it was!

More Gluten-Free Recipes You Must Try

What Is Salt Dough?

Salt dough is a malleable dough made with flour, water, and salt. Since it doesn’t crumble or crack and it’s easy to dry in the oven or microwave, salt dough is a popular DIY material for homemade crafts and ornaments.

Bread Machine Ingredients

You’ll use the same ingredients, only HALF of them, so you can fit them in a 1-lb bread machine.

— WATER: You need 1 cup warm water. (110° F/45° C)

— SUGAR: We add 1/4 cup white sugar. You are welcome to reduce this even further and use just 1-2 tablespoons.

— YEAST: We add 2 1/2 tsp active dry yeast to the dough to help it rise.

— OIL: We used 2 TBSP vegetable oil but you can also use coconut oil or canola oil. I’ve tried it with light olive oil and it just has a strange aftertaste that I don’t love.

— FLOUR: You’ll need 3 cups flour. You can use all-purpose flour OR bread flour!

Why refrigerator dough will change your life

Very easy to make from scratch (minimal effort) – works every time!
Economical – uses only simple, inexpensive ingredients.
Allergy Friendly – eggless, dairy-free, nut free and soy free.
Convenient / multi-purpose for making pizza, pita, rolls, cinnamon buns, breadsticks.
Time saving – quick and easy for essentials and meal prep.

How to make easy refrigerator dough

With a bucket of refrigerated bread dough on hand, you can have freshly baked bread every day of the week! It’s quick and easy to make – no kneading or punching down required! This dough is perfect for making everything from essentials like bread and buns to fancy desserts like a gorgeous chocolate hazelnut star for the holidays and so much more.

Start with the liquid ingredients. Measure the luke warm water into the bucket.
Add the yeast and stir together. Mix in the remaining liquid ingredients.
Add the flour and then the salt on top.
Using a dough scraper, clean hands or a large spoon, mix the wet and dry ingredients together until there are no dry bits. Pro Tip: You may need to wet your hands a couple times to get all the dry patches from the bottom incorporated.

5. Cover and let the dough sit at room temperature until it’s puffy and rising (~2 hours depending on the temperature of your kitchen). 6. Then place in the fridge. The dough can be used right away but is less sticky and easier to handle if you store the bread dough in fridge overnight (or at least for a couple hours).

Note: refrigerating bread dough will change/enhance the flavor over the 2 weeks.

Gluten Free All Purpose Dough (Quick 10 Minute Dough) Ingredients

gluten free flour, or self rising gluten free flour
baking powder
Greek yogurt, or vegan Greek yogurt for vegans.

How to Make 5 Star Homemade Bread

In a large bowl, or a stand mixer, dissolve the sugar in the warm water. I just combine the two and whisk it slightly to dissolve the sugar. Stir in yeast. Allow to proof until yeast resembles a creamy foam, about 5 minutes.

Add in the salt and oil. Begin to mix, using a rubber scraper or the dough hook on your stand mixer. Add the flour one cup at a time, reserving the last cup of flour to see if you need it. You might not use all of the flour. The dough should pull away and clean the bowl, sticking on the bottom in a small circle about the size of a quarter. If your dough does this with just 5 cups of flour, do not add more. However, if your dough still sticks to the bowl, add more a couple tablespoons at a time until it cleans the bowl, sticking in just a small circle on the bottom.

Now knead dough for 7 minutes. Set a timer as a full knead is important! Place in a well oiled bowl, and turn dough to coat. Cover with a damp cloth. Allow to rise in a warm area until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

Punch dough down. Knead for 1 minute and divide dough in half. Shape into loaves and place into two greased 9×5 inch loaf pans. Allow to rise for 30 minutes, or until dough has risen 1 inch above pans.

Bake at 350° F (175° C) for 30-40 minutes. Cool, brush with butter and enjoy!

How to Preserve Salt Dough

Decorate your baked and cooled salt dough shapes with paint, then preserve them with a craft sealer (such as Mod Podge) or spray sealant coating. Allow the sealant to dry completely before storage.