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.
christine says
this is simply the best 100% whole wheat bread – nearly foolproof! i love the texture. each time I make it, I add something like nuts or oats or chia, and it is perfect every single time.
Alison Andrews says
Thanks so much Christine!
Kristin says
I can’t wait to try this! Is there any way I can leave out the maple syrup or replace it with something that doesn’t have sugar? Thank you.
Alison Andrews says
You can leave it out if you like.
christine says
kristin, if you’re not against all forms of sugar, just use some mashed fruit like applesauce or banana. really, you’re trying to feed the yeast. if you don’t want any sugar, this bread would probably rise eventually, but it would take a long time. when I make breads without sugar, I sometimes have to let them rise overnight.
Kristin says
Thanks everyone! I actually ended up using agave five, which is really low in sugar. It worked great. Love this recipe. Making it again right now!!
Mary Ann says
I made this recipe today and it worked nicely and was really easy. I’ve never made a bread like this before (I kept thinking I was making banana bread during the process. I altered the recipe a bit – 3.5 cups of whole wheat flour and 1/2 cup Red Mill 7 grain cereal mix that upped the fiber a bit. The taste was great! Very hardy. I used a slightly smaller pan because that is what I had on hand. I let it rise for 30 minutes. The bread did not have the beautiful “round like” top of yours as mine was pushed down a bit in the center. Tomorrow I’m making another loaf with just the wheat flour! Excellent recipe! Thanks.
Alison Andrews says
Thanks for sharing Mary Ann!
Marissa says
Best bread ever!! So easy! Even my picky daughter loved it and she doesn’t even like bread!
Alison Andrews says
Thanks Marissa!
Aj says
Should I leave the baking dish uncovered? Im using a Dutch oven. Thank you
Alison Andrews says
I haven’t used a dutch oven but I would imagine so.
Sharon johnson says
This bread is amazing…..easy and straightforward to make. My family loves this bread.
Thanks Allison
Sharon
Alison Andrews says
Awesome! Thanks Sharon!
Patricia says
Easy to make and delicious!
Alison Andrews says
Thanks Patricia!
Sue says
Hi Allison,
I am making my bread right now. When I added the 2 cups of water to the 4 cups of wheat flour,, the dough was not loose like yours above. Not sure why………. I have added some more warm water to the dough to make it a bit looser, but not sure if it will work…… Please do let me know if you have any suggestions. Thanks!
Alison Andrews says
Hi Sue, hope it worked out with the addition of extra water. My guess would be a little too much flour if you didn’t weigh it out.
Olga says
Brilliant recipe! So easy and delicious. I’m never buying bread again.
Alison Andrews says
Yay! So happy to hear that Olga!
Parveen Ahmed says
Can I make it without salt?
Alison Andrews says
Yes you can.
Salem Girl says
I just made it this afternoon.. we’re on Weight Watchers Purple so whole wheat flour is “free” for us. Your recipe looked easy enough. I literally threw it in the kitchenaid with the dough hook, set it on low, and followed your instructions. No kneading required! It was DELICIOUS… just amazing. Thank you!
note: I used sugar free maple syrup and a tsp of sugar for the yeast.
Alison Andrews says
Wonderful! Thanks for sharing!
Oola Mar says
Hi, I would love to try this bread recipe. What kind/brand of whole wheat flour did you use. My wheat flour is finely ground whereas yours looks like it has wheat bran added?
Alison Andrews says
We’ve tested this with various brands, it should work great no matter what brand you use.
Ingrid King says
I can’t wait to try this! Do you think I could add some seeds without impacting the success of the recipe? I’m thinking sunflower or pumpkin seeds?
Alison Andrews says
Yes you definitely can!
Jennifer says
I have made this recipe twice, and the first time I found the bread to be very dry. So, with that being stated, I added a 1/4 cup of Sunflower oil and melted 2 Tablespoons of regular butter ! Yes …butter to the mix just before I added the water and maple syrup. This time the bread was crusty on the outside and soft on the inside ! Good luck !
Deborah L. Meyer says
This was THE EASIEST AND SWIFTEST bread baking experience I have ever had! Thank you so much for this recipe. I love the texture of this loaf. Crunchy crust and soft inside. I used 100% organically grown whole wheat flour. My tummy was grumbly when the aroma of the bread baking hit my nose. It did take a full 30 minutes to rise in the pan and I did use the parchment. I took the butter out to soften and couldn’t wait to slice the loaf when it came out. I think next time I will increase the salt and the maple syrup for more full flavor. Thanks for a great loaf!
Alison Andrews says
Glad you enjoyed it, thanks for sharing!
Ulrike Hof says
Hi There
Thank you for sharing. If I double the recipe, must I extend baking time of 40 minutes?
Can I replace maple syrup with honey also?
Kind regards
Alison Andrews says
If you double the recipe then I would use two separate loaf pans and in that case the baking time should be the same. And yes you can replace the syrup with honey.