I BETTER NOT CATCH YOU buying those expensive panini rolls from the store when you can make bakery-quality crusty bread at home with just 5 ingredients and absolutely no kneading!
This no-knead panini bread recipe has become my go-to for when I’m craving fresh sandwiches but don’t want to leave the house. The best part? I’ve gotten incredible feedback from bakers who have never made bread before, successfully creating these gorgeous crusty rolls on their first try.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Why This Panini Bread Recipe Works
This recipe delivers restaurant-quality results without the fuss. Here’s what makes it AMAZING:
The high-hydration dough creates those beautiful air pockets you see in artisan breads. No special equipment needed, just a bowl and your hands.
Ready in under 2 hours from start to finish. Most of that time is hands-off rising, so you can go about your day.
The texture rivals expensive ciabatta bread. Crusty exterior with a perfectly chewy, airy interior that holds up to any filling.
Minoo’s Pro Tip: This is what I call “dump and bake” bread because you literally dump all ingredients together, let rise, dump out, and bake. No complicated techniques required!
Essential Ingredients this Crusty Panini Bread Recipe
All-Purpose Flour (4 cups): Creates the perfect structure for the Panini without being too heavy. No need for bread flour here.
Instant Yeast (2 teaspoons): Works faster than active dry yeast and doesn’t need proofing. This is key for the quick rise time.
Sugar (½ teaspoon): Feeds the yeast for a better rise and adds just a hint of flavor in your panini rolls
Salt (1 teaspoon): Controls the yeast and enhances the bread’s flavor.
Warm Water (2 cups): Creates the high-hydration dough that gives you those gorgeous air pockets.
Olive Oil (1 tablespoon): Adds richness and helps create a tender crumb.
Minoo’s Pro Tip: Make sure your water is warm, not hot. If it’s too hot, it’ll kill the yeast. Lukewarm is perfect.
Step-by-Step Instructions For This Panini Bread Recipe
Mix the dough: In a large bowl, combine flour, instant yeast, salt, and sugar. Add warm water and olive oil.
Create structure: Mix with a spatula until no dry flour remains. Using wet hands, pull one corner of the dough up and fold it over itself. Turn the bowl 45 degrees and repeat 8 times total.
First rise: Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm spot for 1 hour until doubled in size.
Shape and prepare: Heavily flour a surface and dump the risen dough out (it should fall right out). Flour the top generously and cut into 6 equal pieces with a knife or bench scraper.
Final setup: Transfer pieces directly onto a floured, parchment-lined baking sheet. No shaping needed!
Bake to perfection: Bake at 440°F for 30 minutes until golden brown. Cool completely before slicing.
Minoo’s Pro Tip: Don’t be tempted to shape the dough pieces after cutting. The rustic, irregular shape is exactly what we want for authentic-looking panini bread.
Serving Suggestions
These crusty panini rolls are incredibly versatile. Fill them with classic Italian combinations like prosciutto, mozzarella, and fresh basil. They’re also perfect for hearty sandwiches with turkey, cheese, and roasted vegetables.
Try them alongside my Creamy 1-Ingredient Labneh: The Easiest Middle Eastern Cream Cheese for a Mediterranean-inspired meal, or use them to make incredible grilled cheese sandwiches. The crusty exterior gets beautifully golden when grilled, while the interior stays soft and chewy.
For breakfast, slice them open and toast with butter, or use them for egg sandwiches. They’re sturdy enough to hold up to any filling you throw at them.
Troubleshooting Tips
Dough too sticky to handle? This is normal for high-hydration dough. Use plenty of flour on your hands and work surface. The stickiness is what creates those beautiful air pockets.
Bread didn’t rise enough? Check your yeast expiration date and make sure your water wasn’t too hot. Also, ensure your rising spot is warm enough.
Want more flavor? Let the dough rise overnight in the fridge for extended fermentation.
Minoo’s Pro Tip: If your kitchen is cold, create a warm environment by turning your oven light on (oven off) and placing the covered bowl inside.
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
These panini rolls stay fresh for 2-3 days at room temperature in a paper bag. The crust will soften slightly, but you can restore crispiness by toasting or grilling.
For longer storage, freeze the completely cooled rolls in a sealed bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature and refresh in a 350°F oven for 5 minutes.
You can also prepare the dough the night before. After the first rise, cover and refrigerate overnight. Bring to room temperature before shaping and baking.
Why Homemade Beats Store-Bought
Making your own panini bread means no preservatives, no weird additives, and complete control over ingredients. Plus, the cost savings are incredible when you consider how much bakery panini rolls cost.
The satisfaction of pulling warm, crusty bread from your own oven is unmatched. Your kitchen will smell like an Italian bakery, and your family will think you’re a bread wizard.
If you love this recipe, you’ll also enjoy my 4-Ingredient Artisanal Bread Rolls with a Dreamy Crust and The Easiest Italian Bread Loaf for more simple bread options.
This panini bread recipe proves that homemade doesn’t have to be complicated. With just 5 ingredients and minimal hands-on time, you can create bakery-quality bread that’ll make you wonder why you ever bought it from the store.
Give this recipe a try this weekend, and I guarantee you’ll be making it on repeat. Your sandwich game will never be the same!
5-Ingredient Crusty Panini Bread (No Knead)
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Ingredients
- 4 Cups All Purpose Flour
- 2 Tsp Instant Yeast
- ½ Tsp Sugar
- 1 Tsp Salt
- 2 Cups Warm Water
- 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine all purpose flour, yeast, salt and sugar. Add in warm water and olive oil.
- Mix with a spatula until no dry flour remains. Using wet hands, pull one corner of dough up and fold over itself. Turn bowl 45 degrees and repeat 8 times total.
- Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm spot to rise for 1 hour.
- Heavily flour a surface and dump risen dough out. Flour the top and cut into 6 equal pieces with a knife or bench scraper.
- Transfer pieces directly onto a floured, parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Bake at 440°F for 30 minutes until golden brown. Cool completely before serving.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, but you’ll need to proof it first in warm water with the sugar for 5-10 minutes until foamy, then proceed with the recipe.
This is normal for high-hydration dough and creates the beautiful air pockets. Use plenty of flour when handling.
Absolutely! After the first rise, refrigerate overnight. Bring to room temperature before shaping and baking.
Store in a paper bag at room temperature for 2-3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
Absolutely delicious and so crispy with a soft and chewy cantre. So easy to make. Thank you for this recipe.
Do I let it rise once more on the parchment
Wonderful Crusty Panini Rolls… so easy, soft and delicious!!
Thank you!!
Great recipe!
Even better if you let it proof overnight in the fridge, then let it sit out for about 3 hours before baking.
ouuuu I can imagine!! That must be a dream.
Can I use bread flour to make these?
You absolutely can!! That would be amazing.
Can I use wheat flour?
Hi Jeanette! You absolutely can but I would recommend replacing only half of the flour with whole wheat flour.
I did every step bur I noticed a problem when u have to pull a corner and fold. I did it but it was too tough wouldn’t pull easily but I went ahead and did it 8 times. It did rise doubled in size. The came out looking great but when I picked them up it felt heavy. I waited til fully cooled cut in half and they were doughy on inside hence heavy. The crust was great but I had to pull a lot of inside cause almost paste. What did I do wrong. Thx
Hi Silvia!! Did you double check the amount of flour and water you used? This should be a very wet dough and not heavy or tough at all. Also make sure you used all purpose flour and not a different flour that may absorb water differently.
The recipe was simple. My dough was still REALLY slack so I added about 1/4 cup more flour to the mixing part when folding. It still didn’t fall out on its own but had good gluten development (scraped the rest out with silicone spatula and it was its own roll). Baked at 440 for 20 min and they were still a bit overdone — 208 internal temp at 20 min. Next time I would lower temp or reduce to 15 min. to come out at 200ish. But easy recipe. Gave it a 4 because of all the adjustments I had to make, but they made a good ham and gruyere sandwich.
Hi Vicki!! Thank you for sharing your process. Maybe my flour was slightly different than yours, different ingredients always need a little bit of tweaking! But I’m glad it worked out in the end and you loved the bread (:
It was easy to make but it has no taste and I put to much flour on top.
I would like to try again some day. Needs more flavor
You can always add some flavourings into the flour directly like garlic powder or dried herbs!! But this bread is great for pairing with soups or sandwiches (:
Can I use active dry yeast? Would i proof the yeast first & then add the other ingredients?
Anita K
Yes you can definitely use active dry yeast. I’d just proof it first in a little warm water for about 5–10 minutes until it gets foamy, then add it in with the rest of the ingredients. It should work just fine!
That’s what I came here to ask…about flavorings. Glad I read through the comments. Thank you!
They came out looking just like your photos
Minoo
This recipe gets a 5 star rating,
I am really amazed by how it turned out
baked according to your instructions
this is really easy and delicious. I will be making this again and again thank you so much. Herb
Herb I this is the BEST compliment!!! Thank you so much! I’m glad you love this recipe as much as I do and enjoy the delicious breads you make (:
How mush water in ml. Is in a cup? (From England)
Hi Gordon! One cup of water is about 237 ml (:
so easy and fast too! made a lovely crusty bread.
I’m so glad you think so Lindsay! I love crusty bread myself so this recipe a favourite for me. Enjoy!!
Hi. Can I use whole wheat flour?
Hi Anastasia! You can but I wouldn’t recommend swapping more than 1/2 of the flour for whole wheat flour. More than that your bread will come out too dry and dense (:
Just made and they were wonderful! Next time I’ll use a little less flour on the parchment because the bottoms were already enough flour from the floured surface I dumped it onto. In watching your video the sugar you used is brown. What kind of sugar is that? I used just regular granulated sugar but I have others I could have used to match your video.’
Hi Hedy! I’m so glad you liked the bread (: I’ve used coconut sugar, brown sugar and granulated sugar before in this recipe and they all work amazing! Anything you have on hand will work. You can even substitute maple syrup or honey for a more natural alternative!
Hi, is there a way to use Gluten Free Cup for Cup flour in this recipe?
Hi Robin! I wouldn’t really recommend it for this recipe, you won’t get the same result unfortunately.
I love Panini bread
What flour we must use please
Hi Lorraine!! You can use all purpose flour or bread flour!
So far the best and quickest
So happy to hear that Joseph! This is one of those breads that looks so impressive but is so easy to bake.
It truly was the easiest and best panini bread!
Anna, thank you! “Easiest and best” is exactly the goal with this one. So happy it worked out for you!
Awesome! I needed a quick crusty bread to dunk in pot roast. These were perfect! Next time I’ll double the salt, but other than that these are perfect as is.
Jojo that sounds like the coziest meal ever So glad they were perfect for you!! And I love that you’re already tweaking it to your taste!
So easy, so yummy, sandwiches for lunch today. Thanks for this great recipe.
Thank you so much Ariel!! So happy it turned into a delicious lunch for you!!