A vegan whole wheat bread recipe that is easy, quick, and results in the FLUFFIEST wheat bread! This bread is hearty and fluffy, the BEST.
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This seems so…basic, right? It’s totally not though! Believe it or not, nailing this perfect vegan whole wheat bread recipe was much harder than I thought. The first time it was kinda flat, the second time it was raw in the middle (yikes), and the third time it was juuuuuust right!
Turns out, I needed a lot more yeast and flour than I thought and a lot less messing with the dough. The end result was a super fluffy, easy vegan whole wheat bread recipe that is going to almost convince me to make our bread homemade every week. Ok, maybe every other week!
The steps for this bread are super minimal, so even if you’re afraid of yeast (you totally shouldn’t be!), this is a great starting point. It’s a dump, stir, and knead just a little bit kind of bread. It doesn’t require a stand mixer, which I know everyone doesn’t have and doesn’t require a steam bath in the oven, which can sometimes overcomplicate things.
If you are looking for an easy, everyday bread that you can throw together on Sundays, this is IT!
Now, let’s talk FAQs!
How do you make eggless wheat bread at home?
Great news, right here! Most whole wheat bread recipes are made with eggs as a binder, but this recipe relies on ground flaxseed instead. The best part is that it also isn’t made with any weird ingredients, so it’s naturally vegan whole wheat bread without using binders and all that jazz.
Why didn’t my bread rise?
Your yeast might be expired or wasn’t activated! Make sure your yeast is in date and that your water was warm enough to activate the yeast when mixing up your dough.
Is wheat flour better than white flour?
Yes! I learned more about this on my Wheat2Bread trip back in June, but wheat flours are typically a bit healthier than straight white, processed flours. Especially if you are using a flour that is less processed, wheat bread is a bit healthier than white bread.
Can I make this gluten-free?
Hard no. Don’t make this gluten-free unless you are an experienced baker or are ok with this bread not working out. It’s super hard to convert regular bread recipes to gluten-free without finagling with a lot of the ratios, ingredients, etc.
Is it hard to make bread?
No! If you set aside a bit of time for rising and proofing, it’s really more hands-off time than hands on. If I were a politician my stance would be ‘Bread REALLY CAN BE EASY!’, because it’s true! It’s more of a mindset shift that bread is hard to bake, but really it’s easy and totally worth the wait.
What is the right water temperature for yeast?
This is usually where people get tripped up! The perfect temperature is going to be not too hot (will kill the yeast) and not too cold (won’t activate the yeast). It should feel like warm bathwater that is bearable to the touch and doesn’t feel like it’s too chilly for a bath. I know this is really vague, but if you don’t use a thermometer (TBH I never do) this is a great way to gauge the perfect water temp for activating the yeast.
Breadmaker vs. baking in a conventional oven?
This is really a personal preference! I used to have a bread maker growing up, but baking in the oven is just as good as a breadmaker. Breadmakers do have a dump and go kind of thing, where it mixes, kneads, and bakes the bread for you. That being said, I don’t think it’s worth having an extra appliance around when you can bake perfectly fluffy bread in a conventional oven.
Why do I usually need way more flour than the recipe calls for?
This is all going to depend on your weather, humidity, elevation, etc. If you are at a higher elevation, you would need more flour due to the elevation. If you are baking in the thick of summer with high humidity and no air conditioning, you will probably need more flour! The other thing that can affect flour is the type you are using. All purpose isn’t as absorbent as whole wheat flour, so you would generally need less in a recipe. This all varies but it usually has to do with weather and the type of flour you are using.
Why is wheat flour usually so bland?
This is all about yeast development! The pro about baking your own wheat bread at home is that you can control how long the bread ferments and develops flavor. This is where the magic happens! I would also recommend topping your bread with oats, everything seasoning, sesame seeds, etc. to up the flavor a bit.
Why is my whole wheat bread so dense?
This usually comes from using all whole wheat flour in a recipe or not allowing the bread to rise enough! Using a combination of all-purpose flour and whole wheat flour is a great way to make the loaf light enough to be fluffy, but dense enough to have the heft of whole wheat. I would also recommend making sure your bread is rising for long enough, generally an hour each time, before shaping and after shaping into the loaf pan.
What kind of yeast should I use?
This one from Red Star Yeast is my personal favorite! It’s quick, reliable, and always results in a perfect loaf. Really any good yeast will do, but double check to make sure it’s not expired, or the bread won’t rise and you will be left with a very sad, very flat loaf of bread.
PrintVegan Whole Wheat Bread
- Prep Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 45 minutes
- Yield: 9 1x
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
A vegan whole wheat bread recipe that is easy, quick, and results in the FLUFFIEST wheat bread! This bread is hearty and fluffy, the BEST.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup almond milk
- 3/4 cup warm water
- 1 package Red Star Platinum Baking Yeast
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon ground flax seed
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups whole wheat flour
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the warm water and almond milk. Sprinkle the package of yeast over the top and let the mixture sit for 5 minutes to activate the yeast.
- Mix in the maple syrup, ground flax seed, salt, flours, and olive oil. Mix until no flour streaks remain and the dough starts to come together.
- Transfer the dough to a large bowl sprayed with non-stick spray or lightly oiled with olive oil (this prevents your dough from sticking to the bowl and coming apart).
- Cover the bowl with a dish towel and allow to rise for an hour.
- Lightly grease a loaf pan and transfer dough to the loaf pan. Allow to rise for another hour.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until loaf is golden brown on top.
- Allow to cool for at least 20 minutes before cutting.
Notes
- This bread can be stored at room temperature if you are going to use it within 3-5 days or in the fridge/freezer for a few weeks. I’ve defrosted and refrozen my loaves several times and they have held up perfectly!
Keywords: whole wheat, bread, vegan bread, baking
More bread recipes from Heart of a Baker:
Orange Cinnamon Pull Apart Bread
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Jan Thompson says
Love this bread!
Diego Lopes says
It looks like a great bread recipe, tho I’ve been trying to cut down bread from my diet, I’ll give this a try.