Are you thinking of going vegan but are worrying about missing out on all your favorite loaves of bread? Don't worry! Eating a vegan diet doesn't mean that delicious, fresh-baked bread isn’t in the cards anymore. In fact, it can be surprisingly easy to make some delicious and healthy vegan bread right in your own kitchen without any eggs, dairy products, or other animal ingredients. This post will give you step-by-step instructions for baking some yummy bread that everyone will enjoy! Say goodbye to wandering around the bread aisle overwhelmed by all the store-bought vegan bread brands that your local grocery store has, and treat yourself to delicious, homemade plant-based goodness!
Table of Contents
Why You'll Love This Simple Vegan Bread Recipe
Delicious- This recipe is incredibly easy to make and tastes delicious. It has a slightly crunchy crust and an airy, light interior perfect for sandwich bread or snacking.
Made From Scratch- This recipe is made from scratch using flour, water, salt, and oil.
Easy-To-Follow Instructions- This is a simple recipe everyone can make. The best part? You don't need any special equipment- just some basic kitchen items.
What Is Vegan Bread?
Vegan bread is a type of homemade bread made without using any animal products, such as milk, eggs, butter, or honey. It is 100% plant-based and an excellent option for those following a vegan lifestyle. You can enjoy it plain, in its most basic form, sliced into sandwich bread, and topped with vegan butter, jam, or other toppings of your choice.
Ingredients
- Flour- The main ingredient in bread, all-purpose flour provides structure, texture, and flavor.
- Dry Yeast- Active dry yeast is a type of microscopic fungus that helps the dough rise.
- Sea Salt- Helps to enhance the flavor and prevent the bread from becoming too dense.
- Warm Water- Assists in activating the yeast, enabling it to work its magic on the dough.
- Olive Oil- Gives the bread a rich, nutty flavor and keeps it from becoming too dry.
How To Make Vegan Bread
Making bread from scratch is surprisingly easy! In a large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients. Then, add water and olive oil. Stir until dough forms. Once you have a wet dough, knead it with your hands until smooth. Place the dough back in the mixing bowl and cover it with a clean kitchen cloth. Set aside 2-3 hours to allow it to rise; it should double in size within that time frame.
After the dough has risen, fold the edges towards the center to create a ball. No more kneading is necessary.
Add the dough to the baking dish and let it rise for another 30 minutes. Then, use a serrated knife to make cuts on top of the dough.
Bake the bread in a preheated 450F oven for approximately 30 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.
After the bread is cooked, allow it to cool completely. Once cooled, slice and serve as desired.
Enjoy!
Popular Substitutions & Additions
If you're looking to switch up the flavor of homemade vegan bread, there are lots of easy options. Here are some popular substitutions and additions:
- Oats– Swap ¼ cup of flour for ¼ cup of whole-grain oats to make whole-grain bread.
- Seeds– Add in your favorite seeds, such as sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, etc., for a hearty texture.
- Flour- Use different flours to customize each loaf of bread. Use whole wheat flour to make whole wheat bread, almond flour to make a nuttier-tasting bread, or gluten-free flour to make gluten-free loaves.
- Herbs– Add fresh herbs such as rosemary or thyme.
- Nuts– If you don't have any nut allergies, you can add in some chopped nuts, such as almonds or walnuts.
- Spices– Give your homemade bread an extra boost with spices like cinnamon, cardamom, and nutmeg.
- Sweetener– Add some vegan-friendly sweetener such as maple syrup or coconut sugar.
- Spreads– Serve homemade bread with spreads like homemade nut butter and jam.
With so many possible variations, this vegan loaf of bread will become a staple in many vegan recipes!
How To Store Homemade Bread
Once cooled completely, you can store bread at room temperature in a sealed bag or container for up to 3 days. To keep bread longer, freeze it in an airtight container or resealable freezer-safe bag.
To reheat bread, wrap the slice in a damp paper towel and microwave for 30-45 seconds. Wrapping the bread will help keep the crusty texture of the homemade bread intact.
FAQs
Can this vegan bread recipe be made in a bread machine?
Yes, you can make this recipe in a bread machine. Just follow the bread recipe to make your dough, then follow the instructions on your particular machine.
Why do you have to let the dough ride for so long?
Letting the dough rise for a few hours helps it to become light and airy. This process is necessary to make bread that's fluffy and flavorful.
Can vegan bread be made without yeast?
Yes, you can make homemade vegan bread without yeast. Just replace the yeast with baking powder and baking soda.
Can homemade vegan bread be frozen?
Yes, this bread can be stored in an airtight container or resealable freezer-safe bag for up to three months. To reheat, wrap the slice in a damp paper towel and microwave for 30-45 seconds.
📋 Recipe
The Easiest Vegan Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 ¼ cup flour
- 2 tsp dry yeast
- 1 ½ tsp sea salt
- 1 ½ cups warm water
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Combine flour, yeast, and sea salt in a bowl.
- Add water and olive oil.
- Stir with a spoon until the dough comes together.
- Knead the dough until smooth and cover it with a clean cloth. Let the dough rise for2-3 hours.
- Preheat oven to 450F. Grease a baking dish or dust it with some flour.
- Once the dough is doubled in size. Take the edges and fold them toward the center until you shape the ball of the dough. Do not knead at this point.
- Place the dough into a baking dish and let the dough rise for 30 minutes. Make a few cuts on the dough’s surface, with a serrated knife.
- Bake the bread for 30 minutes.
- Cool the bread completely before slicing and serving.
Donna
So easy to make & it is delicious, will definitely be making this again.
Laura
I chose to make this version after careful deliberation of the plethora of Google offerings. I'm new to bread baking and I wanted something vegan and easy. I made this today, and honestly the bread came out wonderfully. I had some qualms at first - because the first rise was still pretty sticky - but I put some flour around the mass of dough and shaped it for the second rise. The finished product was not super "golden" but it was crisp and so I pulled it out of the oven. Holy mackerel, I took a slice and nearly died. It was so good. This recipe is a keeper. Thanks so much.
Liz
Just made this bread today and could not wait to taste it when it came out of the oven. So delicious! It was so simple to make and turned out perfectly. This will be my go-to bread recipe forever!!