Yes, bread can be made without using baking soda, baking powder, or instant dry active yeast. In fact, bread was traditionally made without these modern leavening agents for thousands of years. Here are a few methods of making bread without them:
Sourdough: Sourdough bread is made using a natural leavening agent called a sourdough starter or "levain." As mentioned earlier, the starter consists of wild yeast and lactobacilli bacteria. By using only flour, water, and salt in combination with the sourdough starter, you can create a naturally leavened bread without the need for commercial yeast, baking soda, or baking powder. Sourdough bread requires a longer fermentation time but results in a distinctive flavor and texture.
Natural fermentation: Some traditional bread recipes rely on natural fermentation without a specific sourdough starter. These breads are made by mixing flour and water and allowing the natural yeasts present in the environment to ferment the dough. This method requires more time and experimentation to achieve consistent results, as the wild yeast composition can vary. The process involves creating a starter by mixing flour and water and letting it sit at room temperature to capture wild yeast from the surroundings. This starter is then added to the bread dough to initiate fermentation.
Beer bread: Beer bread is a quick and easy bread recipe that uses beer as a leavening agent. The carbonation in beer provides bubbles that help the bread rise. Beer bread typically requires only a few ingredients, such as self-rising flour (which contains baking powder), sugar, salt, and, of course, beer. While it does rely on a leavening agent, it doesn't require baking soda, baking powder, or yeast specifically.
Soda bread: Soda bread is a type of bread that uses baking soda (also known as bicarbonate of soda) as the leavening agent instead of yeast. Traditional soda bread recipes typically consist of flour, baking soda, salt, and buttermilk. When the baking soda comes into contact with the acidic buttermilk, it reacts and produces carbon dioxide gas, resulting in the bread's rise. Soda bread can be made relatively quickly and doesn't require the use of yeast or baking powder.
These are just a few examples of bread-making methods that don't rely on baking soda, baking powder, or instant dry active yeast. Exploring traditional bread recipes or experimenting with alternative leavening agents can open up a world of possibilities for making delicious bread without these modern additives.