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 crap 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!
How to make whole wheat bread
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 in some whole wheat flour, a packet of dry yeast and a little salt to a mixing bowl. Then mix in some maple syrup with some warm water and 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!
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 bread is your whole house smells delicious and you get to eat it warm from the oven.
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 for dinner, then this is going to be awesome for dipping.
You will LOVE how easy this bread is to make, and how perfectly it comes out. It is:
- Hearty
- Homemade
- Nourishing
- Easy
- Filling &
- So Delicious!
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!
Want some toppings for your bread?
- Homemade Vegan Butter
- Homemade Peanut Butter
- Homemade Cashew Butter
- Homemade Almond Butter
- Simple Guacamole
- Creamy Avocado Hummus
And for more breads, check out our vegan cornbread, vegan banana bread and our easy vegan dinner rolls!
So let us know what you think of this recipe by leaving a comment and rating the recipe! Thanks so much!
Sign up for our email list while you’re here, you’ll get an awesome (and free!) dinner recipes ebook and you’ll be the first to know when new recipes are posted to the blog.
Easy No-Fail Whole Wheat Bread
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 40 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 16
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeDescription
Easy 5-ingredient whole wheat bread. You just don’t get easier than this no-fail recipe. Hearty, wholesome, nourishing and delicious!
Ingredients
- 4 cups (520g) Whole Wheat Flour*
- 1 Packet (11g) Instant Yeast (~1 Tbsp)*
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 2 tsp Maple Syrup
- 2 cups (480ml) Warm Water
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 loaf pan.
- Cover and leave to rise for 20 minutes.
- While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 390 degrees fahrenheit (200 degrees celsius).
- 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.
Notes
*Weigh your flour for the most accurate results.
*Not all instant yeast packages are 11g, lately I have been getting packages that are 10g, and they work perfectly, so you don’t have to be that precise with the measurement of instant yeast. If you have a package of instant yeast that is a larger size, 11g is around 1 Tbsp of instant yeast.
*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.
- Category: Appetizer, Side
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: Vegan
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Slice (of 16)
- Calories: 116
- Sugar: 0.8g
- Sodium: 74mg
- Fat: 0.8g
- Saturated Fat: 0.1g
- Carbohydrates: 24.5g
- Fiber: 3.6g
- Protein: 4.5g
Keywords: whole wheat bread
Michele O says
May 9, 2018 at 8:59 pmSilly question: My yeast comes in 21 g packets. I’m assuming I should only use half…?
Alison Andrews says
May 10, 2018 at 8:12 amYes, half should be great, ideally weigh it for the exact right amount. 🙂
Maureen says
May 13, 2018 at 10:58 pmMade this simple recipe twice now and will continue to make this delicious subtle flavor heavy wonderful textured whole wheat bread perfect toasted with butter and jam will also try lox and cream cheese and I’m sure the avocado is wonderful… possibilities are endless. It is what it is not a fluffy sandwich bread. First time I’m so lazy I used my mixer with dough hook and think that is why the crust was tough, 2nd., time gently stirred the maple syrup & water with a wooden spoon into a large bowl that I placed the flour & salt in and had mixed up with a whisk… my way of sifting. Hope I try more of your recipes. Thank you for sharing.
★★★★★
Alison Andrews says
May 14, 2018 at 7:52 amAwesome! Thanks for posting Maureen! 🙂
Susan Berke says
May 20, 2018 at 4:44 pmI am a long-time bread baker and was dubious about this no-knead recipe but it worked perfectly as described. I get meal plans from a nutritionist and was looking for a healthier version of whole wheat bread and made this without the maple syrup – just added a little maple extract – and it was delicious. I used my food scale and measured the flour and yeast in grams and it made it so much easier.
Alison Andrews says
May 20, 2018 at 8:46 pmHi Susan, so happy to hear it was a success! Thanks so much for posting! 🙂
Shraddha says
June 1, 2018 at 12:48 amHi Alison, made it yesterday and loved it to the core. My husband could not believe baking bread is so simple, all thanks to you!!!! I baked specially for my 14 months old toddler as I don’t feed him store bought stuff. I used honey as I didn’t have maple syrup.
Thank you soo much!!
★★★★★
Alison Andrews says
June 1, 2018 at 7:40 amAwesome! So glad it went well! Yes, it sometimes still surprises me that it can be so simple! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Natalia says
June 8, 2018 at 1:17 amHi! i tried making this today and i came out undone! im trying to leave it a bit longer in the oven but im afraid the top will come out very hard. Any ideas why this is happening????
Alison Andrews says
June 8, 2018 at 7:21 amHi Natalia, I wonder if your oven is hot enough. Ovens do vary sometimes, so maybe yours just needed a little more time, it is supposed to have a nice hard crust on top. What was it like when you left it to bake for a bit longer?
Rachel says
June 19, 2018 at 6:43 amHi, I tried this bread today. I let it sit for the recommended 20 minutes however it didn’t seem to rise at all. After the 40 minutes in the oven it had risen however it was still looking under-cooked and doughy when I cut it open so I popped it in for a little longer, however it was still too raw. There were no air bubbles at all and it was very very dense. I have just bought new yeast which is nowhere near expiry and am using wholemeal wheat flour which is suitable for bread. What am I doing wrong?
Alison Andrews says
June 19, 2018 at 8:32 amHi Rachel, I am really sad to hear that it didn’t work out! There can be reasons for this, if your water was cold or if it was too hot, it can kill the yeast. It needs to be warm, and not hot, and of course not cold. Did you definitely use the right kind of yeast? It is also possible that you got a bad batch of yeast. If the room is quite cold it can take longer to rise, but you should have seen quite a bit of rise in 20 minutes and then could have left it for a bit longer. But if the dough doesn’t rise hardly at all, it’s not going to make a good bread, which is why you found it very dense and also why it took longer to cook.
Nancy says
June 26, 2018 at 8:13 pmI found and made this recipe today. I love it! It was so easy to make and tastes delicious. My bread did not rise as high as shown here but it was still great!
Alison Andrews says
June 27, 2018 at 8:43 amHi Nancy, so glad you liked it! Next time you make it try leaving it to rise for a few minutes longer so that it’s really risen well before you bake it, if your room is cold it can take a little longer sometimes to rise all the way. Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Nicola says
July 4, 2018 at 7:36 pmMy bread was cooking for about an hour and a half and still came out raw in the middle 🙁 any ideas why??)
Alison Andrews says
July 5, 2018 at 8:47 amIf your bread rose properly before going in then I can only think it was your oven temperature, have you ever tested it with an oven thermometer? Otherwise I have no idea, I make this all the time and it’s always perfect. Sorry to hear it didn’t work out for you.
Becky Pluister says
July 9, 2018 at 5:00 pmmy Daughter is transitioning to vegan after being a vegetarian for 2 years. Her Ultimate weakness is bread and one of the main reasons she hasn’t gone vegan yet is that all the vegan breads she has purchased are awful, I truly hope she likes this one.
Melissa says
August 8, 2018 at 5:50 amCan this recipe be made in a bread machine?
Alison Andrews says
August 8, 2018 at 10:26 amHi Melissa, I have no idea, I don’t have a bread machine so have never tried it like that.
Katie says
August 17, 2018 at 10:38 pmThank you for the great recipe!I’ve been making this bread every 2-3 days for my family of 5 and they love it! We’re not vegan but my kids have a lot of food allergies to different animal proteins so I often search for vegan recipes and I’m so glad to have stumbled upon this one and will be back for more recipes. I do have to let it rise quite a bit longer but my yeast is probably nearing it’s end so I think that is why. Otherwise no adjustments and perfect every time! Thanks again!
★★★★★
Alison Andrews says
August 18, 2018 at 10:21 amHi Katie, I’m so glad to hear that it’s been perfect every time. Thanks for sharing about the increased rise time too, I think different climates, and different yeasts can cause a slower rise time, but that is helpful info. Thanks for posting! 🙂
Esther says
August 25, 2018 at 12:26 pmI half the portions (not the yeast) and replaced with coconut sugar and yet it still taste great!
Thanks!
★★★★★
L. A. says
August 29, 2018 at 6:26 pmThis was so easy to make! I love the crust on the outside of the bread and the texture of it, too. However, it seemed to really lack flavor. I put some salt on along with vegan “butter’ which helped a little, but it definitely could use a flavor “boost.” Maybe if I toast it, that will help… Still though, it is just a terrific recipe and a good way to get over the fear of baking bread!
★★★★
Alison Andrews says
August 30, 2018 at 8:34 amHi, glad you liked the recipe, you could try using more salt in the recipe as other commenters have done. 🙂
Kelly says
September 13, 2018 at 8:56 pmAwesome recipe! I made it last night with spelt flour… delicious for breakfast. Thanks for sharing the recipe 🙂
Alison Andrews says
September 14, 2018 at 8:57 amWonderful to hear it worked well with spelt flour! Thanks for posting! 🙂
Maya says
September 19, 2018 at 8:28 pmWas looking for a simple bread recipe, the kind that goes with curry and some spicy spreads. Nothing better than this one. It’s just perfect.
Alison Andrews says
September 20, 2018 at 6:35 amFantastic! Thanks for posting Maya! 🙂
Tiffany Barrow-Torres says
September 28, 2018 at 9:55 pmHello im going to make this today i was wonder i have a jar of yeast how much do i put in i dont have packets of yeast.
Alison Andrews says
September 29, 2018 at 12:52 pmHi Tiffany, you can use 1 Tbsp of instant yeast.
Stephanie Sebjornsen says
October 2, 2018 at 2:23 pmI followed the recipe but my dough seemed dry so I added a little more water. Hope that won’t spoil the result? I’ll let you know how it goes ?
Alison Andrews says
October 2, 2018 at 3:39 pmHi Stephanie, I’m sure it will be fine! A little flexibility is usually a good thing, maybe there was a little more flour and that’s why it needed more liquid. Hoping it works out great! Let us know. 🙂
Allison says
October 2, 2018 at 11:20 pmThis was the easiest bread recipe I have ever made! Thank you! Next time, I’ll add a little more salt coz my loaf tasted like it needed a bit more for flavor, but I loved it. So many 100% whole wheat loaves can be so dry, this is light and fabulous. I shared your recipe on my blog, Never Say Die Beauty, and linked to your recipe. Hope that was OK
★★★★★
Alison Andrews says
October 3, 2018 at 9:59 amHi Allison, that’s awesome to hear that you found it so easy. I saw the post on your blog and the pictures look great! Thanks for posting! 🙂
KTL says
October 4, 2018 at 1:00 amI made this recipe without the maple syrup for my 9 month old daughter it was great. Do you think I can add apple sauce to sweeten it up?
Alison Andrews says
October 4, 2018 at 8:14 amYou would need to be careful with your quantity or add more flour to compensate because adding more wet ingredients without balancing with more dry ingredients could make the bread too mushy.
Skye says
October 5, 2018 at 7:15 amThank you so much for sharing this. Although my bread didn’t rise as much as pictured, it looked moist on the inside (yet to try it)! Been trying to get that right. ^-^
I’ve added unsweetened apple sauce instead of maple syrup.
Cheers,
Skye