This quick barley bread is a delicious homemade bread with no yeast required! Made entirely with barley flour, it has a unique, complex flavor and a dense, rustic texture, similar to cornbread. Easy to mix and bake, it’s perfect for spreading with butter or serving alongside soups.

Several slices of barley bread on a counter.

Barley bread is the perfect recipe for all your homemade bread needs, and a wonderful go-to if you don’t have any yeast on hand. It makes great toast for breakfast and tastes delicious served with a bowl of pork chili or beef chili beans and a drizzle of garlic butter sauce.

Here is Why This Barley Bread Recipe Works

No Yeast, No Problem: Skip the rising time. This bread is ready to bake as soon as you mix it up. Perfect for those who don’t want to babysit dough.

All-Barley Flour Goodness: This isn’t your run-of-the-mill bread; using 100% barley flour gives it a nutty, slightly sweet flavor that stands out from the usual wheat-based breads.

Cornbread Vibes: With its dense, rustic texture, it’s like cornbread’s sophisticated cousin. Just the thing for those hearty soups or stews.

One-Bowl Wonder: Minimal mess, minimal fuss. Mix, pour, bake, and you’re done. This recipe is easy enough to whip up even on busy days.

The Ingredients

Pantry: Barley flour, baking powder, baking soda, honey, salt, oil
Refrigerated: Eggs, buttermilk

Note: you can swap the honey for maple syrup.

This is easy bread baking. Unlike yeast breads like our sprouted wheat sandwich bread or our oatmeal bread, which take quite a bit more time to make, you can have this bread in less than an hour.

Freshly baked barley bread cooling in a loaf pan.

Variations

Honey Nut Bread with Barley Flour: Stir in ½ cup chopped walnuts and an extra tablespoon of honey for added sweetness

Barley Flour Herbed Garlic Bread: Mix in ½ teaspoon garlic powder and 1 tablespoon of dried mixed herbs (like rosemary and thyme).

Barley Cranberry Orange Bread: Fold in ½ cup dried cranberries and the zest of one orange.

This barley flour bread recipe makes fabulous toast, which is our favorite way to enjoy it! Slather some fresh strawberry jam on top and start your morning off right!

Slices of quick bread made with 100% barley flour with a smear of butter.

Tips for Success

Barley flour can be a bit dense, so it’s best to spoon it into your measuring cup and level it off to avoid using too much.
Once the wet and dry ingredients are combined, stir just until no dry spots remain. Overmixing can make the bread overly crumbly.
If you prefer a less sweet bread, feel free to reduce the honey slightly. For a touch more, add an extra tablespoon or swap in maple syrup.
Add an Extra Egg for Softness. If you’d like a softer, more cake-like texture, mix in an extra egg. This helps reduce the bread’s natural crumbly texture.

Storage

Room temp: Keep leftover barley flour bread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Freezing: Wrap the bread tightly in plastic wrap and place it in a freezer-safe bag or container. It will stay fresh for up to 3 months in the freezer.

Reheating: Thaw the bread overnight in the refrigerator. To reheat, place slices in a preheated oven at 350°F or warm them in a toaster oven until heated through.

Quick Bread Made with Barley Flour

This quick barley bread brings all the cozy vibes without the yeast drama. Dense, nutty, and ready fast, it’s the kind of homemade quick bread you can make the same day. Smother it in butter, dunk it in soup, or devour it solo.

Connect With Savor the Best:

Please follow us on our social media accounts

Facebook * Instagram * Pinterest * Youtube * Twitter

Did you make this recipe? We would love to hear from you. Drop us a comment below.

Three slices of barley quick bread topped with butter.

Quick Barley Bread (No Yeast)

This rustic barley bread is made with one hundred percent barley flour that gives it a complex and delicious flavor. The texture is similar to cornbread. It slices easily and makes fabulous toast.

4.63 from 147 votes

Print Pin Save

Prep Time: 8

Cook Time: 40

Total Time: 48

Servings: slices

Calories: 169kcal

Author: Dahn Boquist

Ingredients

3 cups barley flour 340 grams
1-¼ teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs
1-½ cup buttermilk
⅓ cup olive oil
3 tablespoons honey

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray an 8-1/2 by 4-1/2 loaf pan with nonstick spray.
Whisk the barley flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder together.
In a separate bowl, combine the eggs, buttermilk, oil, and honey.
Pour the liquid ingredients into the flour mixture and stir gently until just combined.
Pour the batter into the bread loaf pan and bake 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Notes

This is not gluten-free. Barley does contain gluten.
As one reader noted, adding an extra egg will give the bread a softer, more cake-like consistency. If you want a less rustic texture that isn’t as crumbly, use 3 eggs.
You can store the bread on the counter in a plastic bag for 2 to 3 days or freeze it for three months.

To extend the shelf life of baked barley bread, you can wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and then store it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
When you are ready to eat the bread, thaw it overnight in the refrigerator and then reheat it in the oven or toaster oven until warmed through.