Simple 5-ingredient whole wheat bread. You just don’t get easier than this no-fail and no-knead recipe! Hearty, wholesome, nourishing and delicious!
You know, I always wanted to be the kind of person who makes their own hummus and bakes their own whole wheat bread. So I’m pretty chuffed that I have become this person!
So now I can feel all wholesome and earth-motherish. Well, at least I would if I had some kiddos other than my two cat babies.
Recently someone was saying to me that they’re ‘eating clean’ now.
And ‘eating clean’ is quite the popular phrase in diet culture. But depending on which diet camp you’ve found yourself, ‘clean’ can have vastly different meanings. Like for some it means eating plenty of meat but cutting out grains and processed foods. And of course that is not at all what it means in the vegan community.
But anyway, I am not a fan of labelling foods like this because it’s a value judgement, like ‘good’ or ‘bad’. Which some can take to extremes and it can lead to eating disorders (not good).
But that being said, lately it can be hard to find a loaf of bread in the store that doesn’t have a heap of junk in it. There is one particular loaf of wholewheat bread that I bought, and we just didn’t get around to eating it (or throwing it out).
However, it was just as perfectly fresh 3 weeks after purchase as it was on the day I brought it home from the store. Hmmm.
So I do like to make some whole wheat bread myself, and when it’s as easy as THIS, then there’s no reason not to! Also check out our other super easy bread recipes, our vegan white bread, vegan soda bread and vegan focaccia.
How To Make Whole Wheat Bread
You will find full instructions and measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. This is a summary of the process to go along with the process photos.
I have literally never come across a recipe as easy as this. It’s just 5-ingredients, and you don’t even have to knead it.
In fact, kneading is out with this recipe. You just throw some whole wheat flour, instant yeast and a little salt to a mixing bowl.
Then mix maple syrup with warm water and then add the wet ingredients to the dry.
Mix in to just combine (no kneading! I’m not going to tell you again you super-keen kneading fan), move it into a greased loaf pan (a little parchment paper on the bottom is also a good idea), cover it and leave it to rise for 20 minutes.
It does all its rising before it even hits the oven. So the height it is when it goes in is pretty much the height it is when it comes out.
Put it into the oven and bake for 40 minutes. And bingo you have freshly baked bread!
Who Needs A Bread Machine?
I mean really I don’t think it could be easier even if you used a bread machine. Well, I’ve never used a bread machine so I can’t really compare, but with a recipe as easy as this, who needs a bread machine?
Well, don’t quote me on that, maybe I’ll get one, one of these days. I do like nifty little appliances.
And the BEST thing about baking your own whole wheat bread is your whole house smells delicious and you get to eat it warm from the oven.
Serving Suggestions
I mean really if you don’t feel like cooking, just make a loaf of this (it barely counts as ‘cooking’ it’s too easy), and serve it with a huge salad, maybe some roasted garlic hummus and avocado and various other toppings and dinner is done and dusted!
Of course it goes immensely well with any homemade soups too! So if you’re having a delicious vegan potato leek soup or vegan tomato soup or vegan lentil soup for dinner, then this is going to be awesome for dipping.
Recipe Variations
This recipe is very versatile and has worked great when we’ve switched up the flours. We have tried this recipe as follows and all have worked out great:
- 4 cups whole wheat flour
- 3 cups whole wheat flour, 1 cup all purpose flour
- 2 cups whole wheat flour, 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup whole wheat flour, 3 cups all purpose flour
- 4 cups all purpose flour
Make It Gluten-Free
It even works with a gluten-free all purpose flour blend. I find that adding a tablespoon or two of olive oil (at the same time as the other wet ingredients) makes the gluten-free version come out softer.
Storing Tips
It’s best when very fresh (the day of making it) but it will keep for a couple of days in a closed container and it also makes very delicious toast!
You can freeze it, and that’s best done on the day of baking to lock in the freshness. If you freeze it on the second or third day then you can use it for toast straight from the freezer.
Want Some Toppings For Your Whole Wheat Bread?
- Homemade Vegan Butter
- Homemade Peanut Butter
- Homemade Cashew Butter
- Homemade Almond Butter
- Simple Vegan Guacamole
- Creamy Avocado Hummus
And for more breads, check out our vegan cornbread, vegan banana bread and our easy vegan dinner rolls!
Did you make this recipe? Be sure to leave a comment and rating below!
Easy No-Fail Whole Wheat Bread
Ingredients
- 4 cups Whole Wheat Flour (520g)
- 1 Packet Instant Yeast 2 ¼ teaspoons
- ½ tsp Salt
- 2 tsp Maple Syrup
- 2 cups Warm Water (480ml)
Instructions
- Add the flour to a mixing bowl with the yeast and salt and mix together.
- Dissolve the maple syrup in the warm water and then add to the dry ingredients.
- Mix – don’t knead – until you have a sticky well combined dough.
- Transfer to a greased 9×5 loaf pan. You can also line the bottom with parchment paper if you think there will be any chance of it sticking.
- Cover and leave to rise for 20 minutes.
- While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 390°F (200°C).
- After 20 minutes* when the dough has risen, bake in the oven for 40 minutes.
- Absolutely BEST when fresh, but will keep for a day or two in a closed container. After which you can make the most delicious toast.
Video
Notes
- Weigh your flour for the most accurate results.
- Maple syrup can be replaced by another sweetener such as agave nectar or other syrup.
- If your dough hasn’t quite risen as high as mine in the picture at the 20 minute mark then leave it a couple more minutes, sometimes it takes a couple of minutes longer to get to the perfect height, but don’t leave it too long or it will rise too high and then you’ll get a muffin top loaf!
- Prep time includes the 20 minutes spent rising.
Can you use this recipe in a bread maker?
We haven’t tried this recipe in a bread maker before, so we can’t say Alice.
This looks great. has it been tried with honey as a substitute for the maple syrup? I’m looking forward to trying it. also wondering how it would come out if the dough was separated into a bun mold? thanks!
Hi Brad. You can substitute honey for the maple syrup.
Would honey work as a substitute for the maple syrup? I’m eager to try this recipe!
Yes, honey will work as a substitute Brad.
I made this after attempting to mill my own intact wheat in a food processor. I used to much water and so just added some extra whole meal flour, and my yeast was a year out of date – and, still, it worked and tastes amazing!
Happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe Cara! Thanks so much for sharing and for your great review!
I’m making a second loaf. 👍. Gave half of the first loaf to my partner. I’ll be making bread more either this simplified approach. Work usually takes up most of my time. Love the smell of bread in the home. ❤️
Happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe Nora! Thanks so much for sharing and for your great review!
I just pulled this out of the oven to cool and it is hard as a rock! I sifted flour, etc, I did use my Gotham steel bread pan though. Do I need to adjust the temperature?
Hi! How can I adjust using non instant yeast?
Hi Lex. If you’d like to use active dry yeast you will need to bloom the yeast by letting it sit in the warm water for 5 minutes before adding it to the dry ingredients. Your rinsing time will also be longer.
Hi, this recipe looks great! I will be using a glass container for baking, do you suggest a lower longer bake time?
Hi Elizabeth, We don’t recommend baking bread in a glass dish because glass is a poor heat conductor compared to metal. This can lead to uneven baking, particularly in the center of the bread. However, there are some tips that you can follow that might help it bake evenly.
Place dough in a cold dish: If baking sourdough or other no-knead breads, it’s best to place the dough into an unheated glass dish and then bake in a cold oven.
Consider lowering the oven temperature: Because glass is a poor heat conductor, you might consider lowering the oven temperature by 25 degrees Fahrenheit when using glass baking dishes.
Be cautious with thermal shock: If you’re using a glass dish that’s not specifically designed for baking, be extra careful to avoid sudden temperature changes.
Butter and line with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
All the best!
I’ve been making it in a glass loaf pan with no issues at all. I didn’t even lower the temp.
Awesome! Thanks for sharing Jennifer!
I am from the Caribbean and when I first saw this recipe I was concerned about the lack of oil and how it would affect the outcome of the bread. However I tried it and the bread came out great. I used 2 cups of white flour, 1 cup of spelt flour, 1 cup of oat flour with the molasses instead of the syrup since I did not have. This is my new recipe for bread. Thank you for sharing.
Awesome! Happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe Natoya. Thanks so much for your great review!