This hearty vegan whole wheat bread is loaded with grains and seeds, it has a beautiful golden crust, and it's extremely easy to make! With minimal effort, you can make this no-knead dough the night before so you can enjoy freshly baked bread in the morning!
When my mom and I visited New York City, one of our favorite local spots to go to was Sullivan Street Bakery. They have the best pizza and the most incredible freshly baked bread! When we got home from vacation, I became obsessed with making Jim Lahey's famous no-knead bread recipe at home! Luckily, the recipe is accidentally vegan, it's extremely easy to make, and it's 100% delicious!
I love a hearty loaf of bread, so I put my own twist on it and added whole wheat flour, oats, and seeds! The additional seeds and grains add the perfect amount of texture and the most delicious flavor to this vegan whole wheat bread.
Ingredients
This vegan no-knead bread recipe is very easy to make with simple ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry!
How To Make It - Step by Step Instructions
First, combine the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, yeast, salt, vital wheat gluten, oats, and seeds in a large mixing bowl and stir to combine (Photo 1). Make a well in the center and add the water (Photo 2). Stir it all together until a sticky, shaggy dough forms (Photo 3). Cover it and let it rise for 12-18 hours. You'll know it's done once it has doubled in size and you can see tiny little air bubbles all over the top of the dough (Photo 4).
Put a 3-quart dutch oven or cast iron pot into the oven to preheat. Punch down the dough (Photo 5), fold it four times (Photos 6-8), and then let it rise again until the pot is done warming (Photo 9). Line the pot with parchment paper (for easy cleanup) and wheat bran and then pour the dough in (Photo 10). Bake for 30 minutes, remove the lid and let it continue to bake until the crust is golden and crispy. Let the bread cool completely before slicing with a sharp serrated knife.
How To Store It
On the first day, store the loaf in a paper bag so the crust stays crispy. After that, it's best to store the bread in a sealed bag or airtight container in the fridge to make it last longer. This bread doesn't contain any preservatives, so if you leave it on the counter for a few days it will probably develop mold.
Serving Suggestions
Toasted slices of this vegan whole wheat bread make the best high-protein avocado toast! It's also delicious to use for a vegan grilled cheese sandwich or when slathered with vegan cream cheese, hummus, or vegan butter. I also really enjoy dipping slices of this hearty bread in a cozy bowl of soup. Any of the following vegan soup recipes would be great options to serve with this bread.
- Roasted Red Pepper Tomato Soup
- Stuffed Pepper Soup
- Black-Eyed Peas and Collard Green Soup
- Mushroom Barley Soup
Can I Freeze It?
To freeze the dough, follow the instructions to make the dough and let it rise. Punch it down and then wrap it in plastic wrap and put it in a sealed bag in the freezer for 2-3 months. To defrost, move the dough to the fridge for 24 hours or you can let it thaw for a few hours on the counter.
To freeze a whole baked loaf, wrap the bread and put it in a sealed bag or airtight container in the freezer and it will stay fresh for several months. To defrost, put the bread in the fridge overnight and you can take slices out as you need them. Toast each slice and it will taste just as good as the first day you made it!
Substitutions & FAQ
- Chia Seed Substitution: Hemp seeds can be used instead of chia seeds.
- Pumpkin Seed Substitution: Sunflower seeds can be used instead of pumpkin seeds.
- Can I omit the vital wheat gluten? The vital wheat gluten is used to improve the texture and elasticity of dough made with whole wheat flour. Whole wheat dough can be a little dense without it. If you need to make it without the vital wheat gluten, I would skip the whole wheat flour and only use all-purpose flour so the loaf won't be dense.
- Gluten-Free: To make this vegan whole wheat bread gluten-free, you need to make it with gluten-free flour. I have not tested this recipe with any of the other flour combinations so I can't tell you for sure what will work. If you test it, please leave a comment and let me know how it works out for you!
Success Tips
- Use a smaller 3-quart dutch oven to make a rounder loaf with a higher dome. A bigger 5-quart pot can be used but the dough may spread a little bit more and result in a little bit flatter loaf. It will still taste delicious, but the slices will be longer and thinner.
- Make sure to let the dough rise in a warm place in your home. If it's too cold, the dough won't rise properly or it will take much longer to do so.
- Line the pot with a piece of parchment paper for easy cleanup.
- Sprinkle 1-2 tbsp of oats and seeds on top of the dough before you bake it to make a nice presentation.
- Let the vegan whole wheat bread cool completely for 1 hour before you slice it. If you cut into it too soon, the inside might get a little gummy.
- This bread has a pretty thick crust, so it's important to use a sharp serrated knife or thin bread knife to slice the loaf.
Want More Vegan Bread Recipes?
No-Knead Vegan Whole Wheat Bread
Equipment
- Large Mixing Bowl
- Plastic Wrap or Thin Towel
- 3-Quart Dutch Oven
- Parchment Paper
- Wire Rack
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup whole wheat flour
- 2 tbsp vital wheat gluten
- ¼ tsp active dry yeast
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp chia seeds
- ½ cup pumpkin seeds
- ½ cup old-fashioned oats
- 2 cups lukewarm water
- 1 tbsp wheat bran
Instructions
- Combine the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, vital wheat gluten, yeast, salt, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, and oats in a large bowl. Stir to combine.
- Make a well in the center of the mixture and pour in 2 cups of water. Mix the dough until you don't see any more white flour patches. The dough will be shaggy and sticky.
- Cover with plastic wrap or a thin dish towel and put the bowl somewhere warm to rise where it won't be disturbed for 12-18 hours. I like to do this step overnight. You'll know the dough is ready because it will have doubled in size and the top with be covered with tiny air bubbles.
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
- Put the pot with the lid into the oven to warm for 30 minutes. While the pot is warming, punch down the dough and fold it 4 times. Replace the cover and let it rise again for 30 minutes. (Try to do both of these steps at the same time.)
- Carefully, take the pot out of the oven and remove the lid. Line it with a piece of parchment paper and sprinkle wheat bran into the bottom of the pot. Scoop the dough into the pot, sprinkle a few oats and seeds on top of the dough for decoration, and replace the lid. Bake for 30 minutes.
- Remove the lid and continue baking for 15-20 additional minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Carefully remove the pot from the oven. Grab both sides of the parchment paper to take the bread out of the pot and transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely for 1 hour before slicing with a sharp serrated knife.
Notes
- Use a smaller 3-quart dutch oven to make a rounder loaf with a higher dome. A bigger 5-quart pot can be used but the dough may spread a little bit more and result in a little bit flatter loaf. It will still taste delicious, but the slices will be longer and thinner.
- Make sure to let the dough rise in a warm place in your home. If it's too cold, the dough won't rise properly or it will take much longer to do so.
- Line the pot with a piece of parchment paper for easy cleanup.
- Sprinkle 1-2 tbsp of oats and seeds on top of the dough before you bake it to make a nice presentation.
- Let the vegan whole wheat bread cool completely for 1 hour before you slice it. If you cut into it too soon, the inside might get a little gummy.
Nutrition
*This recipe was originally shared on 3/30/15, but I updated it on 9/10/20.
