You know, I always wanted to be the kind of person who makes their own hummus and bakes their own wholewheat 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 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 wholewheat bread myself, and when it’s as easy as THIS, then there’s no reason not to!
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 wholewheat flour, a packet of dry yeast and a little salt, then mix in some maple syrup with some warm water, 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 deliciously thick pinto bean 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!
So let me know what you think of this recipe by leaving a comment and rating the recipe!
For more homemade deliciousness, that would make really great toppings for your homemade bread, check out these great recipes:
- Homemade Vegan Butter
- Homemade Peanut Butter
- How To Make Cashew Butter
- How To Make 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!
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 Wholewheat Bread
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Prep Time: 30 mins - Cook Time: 40 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour
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Yield: 16 -
Category: Bread -
Cuisine: Vegan
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeDescription
Easy 5-ingredient wholewheat bread. You just don’t get easier than this no-fail recipe. Hearty, wholesome, nourishing and delicious!
Ingredients
- 4 cups (520g) Wholewheat Flour
- 1 Packet (11g) Instant Yeast*
- 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
*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.
*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 a Tbsp of instant yeast. However, weighing your flour and your yeast is going to give you the most accurate results.
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: wholewheat bread
Thank 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!
★★★★★
Hi 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! 🙂
I half the portions (not the yeast) and replaced with coconut sugar and yet it still taste great!
Thanks!
★★★★★
This 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!
★★★★
Hi, glad you liked the recipe, you could try using more salt in the recipe as other commenters have done. 🙂
Awesome recipe! I made it last night with spelt flour… delicious for breakfast. Thanks for sharing the recipe 🙂
Wonderful to hear it worked well with spelt flour! Thanks for posting! 🙂
Was 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.
Fantastic! Thanks for posting Maya! 🙂
Hello 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.
Hi Tiffany, you can use 1 Tbsp of instant yeast.
I 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 😋
Hi 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. 🙂
This 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
★★★★★
Hi 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! 🙂
I 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?
You 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.
Thank 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
Hi Alison
Just made your easy 5 ingredients wholewheat bread. I made some alterations eg honey rather than maple syrup. It tastes delicious. Thanks for your recipe. All the family loved it. I have taken pictures.
Thanks again
Hi Ogu, thanks so much for sharing, so glad it worked out great! 🙂
Hi, I only have wheat flour, can I use this to make the bread?
I’ve only ever made this with whole wheat flour so I don’t know.
Hi, i am just double-checking. This recipe requires no kneading. Am I correct?
what is the substitute of maple syrup?
Any syrup. 🙂
Hi. I tried your recipe as it was so cool to make a bread with just 5 ingredients but mine did not raise as it should. I used 2 cups of whole wheat flour and 2 cups of oats flour. I didnt have maple syrup so i used honey but like a teaspoon. Could u advise me what u think went wrong besides not following ur recipe to a T?
I would imagine it was the use of the oat flour. This is a recipe designed with whole wheat flour in mind, changing flours would have a big impact.
I made this bread for the first time today, and think it is going to be my forever bread, it is delicious. I used self raising wholemeal flour and it turned out perfectly. I can’t thank you enough for such an easy, quick and wonderful recipe.
★★★★★
That is wonderful to hear! Thanks so much Angela! 🙂
Hi Alison,
Can this same recipe be made with sprouted what flour without any changes? I am a complete novice to baking and so this question 🙂
Thanks,
Subha
Hi Subha, I’m not sure! It might be fine, but it’s hard to know for sure since I have never used that flour.
Very fast and easy to make indeed! I used regular bread flour and it came out perfectly. So delicious and very satisfying. Thank you so much! :]
★★★★★
Wonderful! Thanks for posting and the great review! 🙂
Such an amazing recipe! I made it to buns instead of a bread and added chia seeds on top, and absolutely delicious!
Thank you for sharing! Yum!
★★★★★
Hi there. Loved your recipe. Just a quick question. Can we use honey instead of maple syrup. If yes, then what is the quantity to be used. If no, then what is substitute of maple syrup.
Hi, yes you can, it would be the same quantity.
Thank you for sharing this recipe. I’ve baked it numerous times. Due to family preferences, I reduce the yeast and use the traditional (double rise) yeast, but it still turns out great and slices nicely.
★★★★★
Absolutely the best bread recipe I’ve ever used. I’ve made this recipe using part flax meal, oat flour, bread flour and white whole wheat flour with all other ingredients as listed. Turns out wonderful. Made it today and added sliced kalamata olives … absolutely delicious! Thanks for such a wonderful recipe.
★★★★★
That’s amazing Carole, so great that it has worked out with different flour blends, and I can imagine it would be delicious with olives! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
I’ve tried to read through all the comments to see if anyone has added seeds (not as a topping but into the mix, such as flax, sunflower or even extra bran) , couldn’t see anything mentioned. Do you think it’s possible?
I definitely think it is possible! As they are whole seeds they shouldn’t have an effect on the outcome of the recipe but would just bake into the bread. Let us know how it turns out if you try it! 🙂
Really like this bread. One thing I would like to know if there is anything i could add to make the consistency more robust (without reducing the nutritional value). It seems closer to cake than bread. Great for toast but tough to slice thin to make sandwiches. Any ideas appreciated.
★★★★★
Hi Steve, so glad you like the recipe. I don’t think it’s like cake at all, just like a very wholesome, hearty whole wheat. But you could definitely experiment with the flour, like using half whole wheat and half a different kind of flour to get different textures to it. All the best! 🙂
Hello, thank you for the recipe. I was wondering if anyone has added some seeds or bran to the mix. Please let me know Xx
Hi Megan, Yes l did but for some reason my comments have not been published? It was lovely.
★★★★★
Hi Alison,
I just made bread using your recipe and it came out so well. It is the best and easiest vegan bread recipe I came across. I used corn syrup and added some raisins to it and my whole family loved it. Next time will try to add flax seeds and oats also. Thank you so much for sharing.
Wonderful! Thanks for sharing. 🙂