How To Make Bread Excellent White Bread Without Yeast

This recipe originates from a 19th-century manuscript by Colonel Charles Ellice, an officer of the 24th Regiment, whose personal cookbook reflected both Highland traditions and the practical needs of travel and posting, notably in colonial India. In the absence of reliable or fresh yeast, chemical leavening offered a quick and practical bread for officers and their households, suitable for remote postings or field kitchens. The inclusion of ink drawings of Highland scenes reveals the nostalgic connection to Scottish foodways, and this bread would have evoked the comfort and resilience of home, offering sustenance far from familiar landscapes.

Historically, mixing would be done in a large earthenware or wooden bowl with a sturdy wooden spoon. The dough might be shaped by hand on a wooden board. Baking would take place in a cast iron oven, brick bread oven, or even an open camp oven over hot coals, using thick iron or tin bread pans if available. No stand mixers, measuring jugs, or calibrated ovens—just the cook’s practiced hand, a sturdy hearth, and a keen eye for doneness.