This simple vegan bread recipe has a pillowy soft center and a beautiful golden crust, baked to perfection.
I love a good homemade vegan bread recipe. Nothing beats warm crusty bread as a side or to use as sandwich bread. Made with pantry staples like flour, plant-based milk, baking soda, and lemon juice, you can enjoy a warm loaf of bread in under an hour!
While you can enjoy this bread alone, in all its glory, it tastes incredible with some tahini or as a side to lentil soup or split pea soup.
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What is vegan bread?
Vegan bread is made without animal products like dairy, eggs, or even honey. Although most bread recipes are vegan, some enriched bread, like brioche, has eggs, butter, milk, and yogurt.
So, buying vegan bread in a store means carefully screening the labels every time.
Why you’ll love this recipe?
This bread is so light and airy that it sounds hollow when you knock on its base.
- Easy. The recipe is super-easy to follow, and you need only pantry staples, which means no fancy vegan substitutes.
- Healthy. I use a mix of wholemeal and plain flour in this bread. And there is no additional fat like oil or butter. Together, it is a healthier alternative to store-bought vegan bread.
- Quick. Looking for a bread recipe minus the proofing time? This is as quick as it gets. Because this recipe uses baking soda instead of yeast as a leavening agent, you don’t have to wait for the dough to rise.
- Tasty. It is such a comforting recipe—the crackling crust, the baking smell, and the soft, tender bread.
Ingredients Needed
- Flour. I have used a mix of whole grain flour and plain white flour in this recipe. It enhances the bread’s fiber content, nutrition, flavor, and texture. You could swap it with all-purpose or gluten-free flour too.
- Milk. I prefer unsweetened soy milk for this recipe. Soy milk comes close to dairy milk in terms of its protein content and composition. But essentially, any plant-based milk will work.
- Lemon juice. For making buttermilk. You can use another acid, like apple cider vinegar, for this recipe.
- Baking soda. This recipe doesn’t use yeast to create beautiful air pockets in the bread. Instead, our favorite kitchen ingredient, baking soda, helps the bread rise into the signature dome shape.
- Salt and sugar. Just a smidge to enhance the flavors.
How to make the best vegan bread?
Baking bread from scratch is easily one of the most satisfying experiences. Follow these simple steps for a no-fuss and delicious homemade bread.
Step 1- Prep the oven. Because this recipe has NO proofing time, you must preheat your oven before making the dough. Set the temperature to 220°C.
Step 2- Prep the tray. No dutch oven required, but if you have a loaf pan, you can grease and line it. I just used a simple tray for a rounder loaf though. All you need to do is line your baking tray with parchment paper.
Step 3- Make the vegan buttermilk. Add lemon juice to the soy milk and mix it to combine. Let it sit for a minute to curdle. Your vegan buttermilk is ready to go.
Step 4- Prep the dough. Sift flour, baking soda, salt, and sugar into a large bowl. Then add the vegan buttermilk to the dry ingredients, and using your hands, combine the dough. Knead it into a smooth 14cm round loaf.
Step 5- Bake the vegan bread. Place the loaf on the prepped tray and bake for 25 minutes in the oven. Check the doneness by tapping the underneath of the loaf. It should sound hollow. Depending on your oven, it could take longer to cook.
Step 6- Let it cool and serve. Transfer your bread to a wire rack to cool it completely. Only then cut into it and serve.
Tips to make the best recipe
- Weigh the ingredients. I highly recommend weighing ingredients for consistent results if you have kitchen scales.
- Get the beautiful crust. For a crusty top, keep a tray with water on the lower rack of the oven 10 minutes into baking. The steam helps create soft interiors and a golden brown exterior.
- Check for readiness. To check if the bread is ready, insert a wooden skewer into the bread. If it comes out clean, you can take the loaf out.
Flavor variations
- Make it gluten-free. Swap out the regular flour with gluten-free flour with added xanthan gum to make this bread.
- Add texture. Add a mix of healthy seeds like pumpkin or sunflower seeds for a bite. You can also sprinkle the top with oats for a rustic appearance.
- Add herbs. Feel free to fold in some olives, sundried tomatoes, and Italian herbs like rosemary and oregano for some additional flavor in each slice.
Storage instructions
To store: When wrapped in plastic, you can keep the leftover bread at room temperature for 3-4 days. Or, refrigerate it wrapped for up to a week. Toast the bread if it starts to go stale towards the end of its shelf life.
To freeze: To freeze the bread, you can wrap the sliced bread and store it in the freezer for a few months.
More vegan side dishes to try
Frequently asked questions
Sure, you can. Follow our recipe for the dough and the instructions specific to your bread machine for further baking.
Generally, no. Vegan bread is free of any animal products. But you can easily replace all-purpose or wheat flour with a gluten-free alternative to make gluten-free, vegan bread.
Bread is a high-carb meal. So, if you’re watching your carb intake, it might not be your best dietary choice. That said, this recipe is better than store-bought bread because it is more nutritious, flavorful, and fresh.
With this recipe, you won’t be able to distinguish vegan bread from regular bread. It tastes just like the OG, if not tastier.
Vegan Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup soy milk
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp sugar
Instructions
- Line a baking tray with baking paper and preheat the oven to 220C/450F.
- Combine the lemon juice and soy milk to create the vegan butter milk and allow it to curdle for a minute.
- In a large bowl, sift the flours, salt, baking soda and sugar.
- Add the vegan butter milk. Using your hands combine and knead the mixture until smooth. Form a 14cm loaf shape.
- Place the dough on the prepared tray and cook for 25 minutes. The loaf should sound hollow when tapped underneath. Place the baked loaf on a wire cooling rack until completely cool.
Louise says
Crazy Vegan says