Easy Whole Wheat Bread (No Kneading)
This homemade Whole Wheat Bread is super simple to make with only 5 ingredients, and it doesn’t require any kneading. It’s perfect for making sandwiches and toast!
I’ll be the first to admit that I’m definitely not a baker. Though I do have a number of baked good recipes on this site for vegan muffins, bagels, and cinnamon rolls, baking has never been my expertise.
But, that’s what is so great about this particular recipe for no-knead bread! It’s so easy that anyone can make it. I’d dare to say that it’s a nearly fool-proof bread recipe that even kids can help with.
Is 100% whole wheat bread healthy?
In one word–YES! This whole wheat bread recipe is created from 100% whole wheat flour and includes only wholesome ingredients that are very low in fat. It’s also full of health-promoting fiber that helps keep you full and aids in digestion.
In addition to fiber, whole wheat bread also contains protein. Sure, there are carbs, but they are the much healthier complex carbohydrates that are packed with nutrients and fiber and promote long-term health.
How to make vegan whole wheat bread
The recipe card at the bottom of the page has the full list of ingredients with measurements and instructions.
I love that this vegan bread is so easy to make and doesn’t take a lot of time, unlike so many other recipes. Most other bread recipes have to be kneaded and allowed to rise twice, but this one takes less than half the time.
To begin, add the maple syrup and warm water to a medium-sized mixing bowl and whisk together. See my notes for sweetener variations below.
Sprinkle in the yeast and give a quick stir. Set the bowl to the side for approximately 5-10 minutes to allow the yeast to activate.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the whole wheat flour and salt. I like to sift the flour to make sure it is light and fluffy, but it isn’t required.
Once the yeast has had time to activate, pour the liquid mixture into the bowl with the flour and salt and stir. It will be clumpy at first but continue to stir and give the wet ingredients time to coat the dry ingredients well.
Line a 9×5 loaf pan with parchment paper to prevent sticking and pour the batter into the pan. The dough will be pretty sticky, so just use a spoon to plop it from the mixing bowl into the pan. If you like, sprinkle a little seasoning like Everything But the Bagel on top.
Cover and leave the bread to rise for about 25-30 minutes until it has nearly doubled in size. Because the dough will come up over the top a little, I don’t recommend covering it with anything like clingwrap that is level on the top. I think inverting another baking pan on top is a perfect solution. See my photo to illustrate what I mean. It really helps to lock in the moisture too.
It’s worth mentioning that room temperatures will play a role in how quickly the dough rises. If it’s cool, it will take longer. The warmer it is, the faster it will rise.
While the dough is rising, go ahead and preheat your oven to 350°F (200°C).
After the bread has doubled its size, place it in the oven and bake for approximately 40 minutes. When it’s finished cooking, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool before slicing.
How to serve
Besides serving it warm right out of the oven with salad or lasagna, other great options include slicing it to make sandwiches or toast.
Slathering a little fruit preserves or homemade vegan butter are great options too. I even make croutons for salad by cutting a slice into chunks and seasoning them with a little garlic and onion powder.
Storing whole wheat bread
To store homemade whole wheat bread, you’ll want to keep it in an airtight container for storage bag in the refrigerator. Make sure to allow it to cool completely before wrapping it up and storing it. It freezes well too!
Tips and suggestions
- Sweetener- Other sweeteners can be used in place of maple syrup. The amount of sweetener can be reduced to as low as 1 tablespoon, but I prefer it sweeter.
- Yeast- Instant yeast, bread machine yeast, and rapid-rise instant yeast can all be used interchangeably according to Fleischmann’s Yeast FAQ.
- Rising time- If your house is cool, it will likely take a little longer for the bread to rise. On cool sunny days, I’ve been known to set well-covered dough in a sunny window seal or even out on my porch in the sunshine for just a little bit to speed up the process. Just don’t forget about it!
- Gluten- This recipe is not gluten-free, but ElaVegan has a GF Vegan Bread option that you might try.
More vegan bread recipes
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100% Whole Wheat Bread
Ingredients
- 4 cups 100% whole wheat flour
- 1 packet Instant Yeast or 2 1/4 teaspoons
- 1-3 tablespoons maple syrup or other sweetener
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups warm water
Instructions
- To begin, add the maple syrup and warm water to a medium-sized mixing bowl and whisk together. See my notes for sweetener variations below.
- Sprinkle in the yeast and give a quick stir. Set the bowl to the side for approximately 5-10 minutes to allow the yeast to activate.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the whole wheat flour and salt. I like to sift the flour to ensure it is light and fluffy, but it isn’t required.
- Once the yeast has had time to activate, pour the liquid mixture into the bowl with the flour and salt and stir. It will be clumpy at first but continue to stir and give the wet ingredients time to coat the dry ingredients well.
- Line a 9×5 loaf pan with parchment paper to prevent sticking and pour the batter into the pan. The dough will be pretty sticky, so just use a spoon to plop it from the mixing bowl into the pan. If you like, sprinkle a little seasoning like Everything But the Bagel on the top.
- Cover and leave the bread to rise for about 25-30 minutes until it has nearly doubled in size. Because the dough will come up over the top a little, I don’t recommend covering with anything like clingwrap that is level on the top. I think inverting another baking pan on top is a perfect solution. See my photo above to illustrate what I mean. It really helps to lock in the moisture too.
- While the dough is rising, go ahead and preheat your oven to 350°F (200°C).
- After the bread has doubled its size, place it in the oven and bake for approximately 40 minutes. When it’s finished cooking, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool before slicing.
Video
Notes
- Sweetener- Other sweeteners can be used in place of maple syrup. The amount of sweetener can be reduced to as low as 1 tablespoon, but I prefer it sweeter.
- Yeast- Instant yeast, bread machine yeast, and rapid rise instant yeast can all be used interchangeably according to Fleischmann’s Yeast FAQ.
- Rising time- If your house is cool, it will likely take a little longer for the bread to rise. On cool sunny days, I’ve been known to set well-covered dough in a sunny window seal or even out on my porch in the sunshine for just a little bit to speed up the process. Just don’t forget about it!
- Storage- You’ll want to keep it in an airtight container for storage bag in the refrigerator. Make sure to allow it to cool completely before wrapping it up and storing it. It freezes well too!
Nutrition
Disclaimer
To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.
About Terri Edwards
Hi guys! I am the content creator behind EatPlant-Based and a licensed Food for Life instructor with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. I am passionate about sharing healthy recipes and tips to empower others to get healthy. I’m so glad you’re here! Read More…
Hi, is it possible to leave the mixed dough in the refrigerator over-night, covered and then bake in the morning after allowing for rising?
Hi TofuAnnie (great name!)- Since the dough has to rise to a certain point and then be baked, making the dough ahead of time wouldn’t work for this recipe. However, if you go ahead and bake it, the finished bread stores well in the refrigerator and can even be frozen.
Looks amazing! Could you use any other kind of flour?
Hi Nancy- I think oat flour or spelt would be great flour substitutes in this.
WOW! I can’t believe how easy this was!! And tasty!! Thanks for the recipe. I’m going to make garlic toast with it for dinner
Hi Leatha- I love how easy this recipe is too. So glad you like it, and making garlic toast with it sounds fabulous!
This is a tremendous recipe! I’m not one to bake bread but this is so easy to do and tastes delicious. I’ll never go back to store-bought bread! I use date powder (sugar) instead of maple syrup as the sweetener and not quite as much flour (4 scant cups). Once the baked bread has cooled, I slice it into 12 slices and freeze 6 for future use. I actually eat one slice per day because it’s so yummy. Thank you, Terri!
Hi Terri thank you for sharing this recipe! I didn’t have instant yeast so I used regular active (3t) and let it sit a few minutes longer and it appears to have worked just fine. I don’t know if this is how it’s supposed to turn out if one uses the proper ingredients but this was indeed easy and now I have good-tasting homemade whole wheat bread without using any oil! And my place smells AMAZING!
Hi Terri, do you think I could use your recipe with my bread machine? Have you tried doing that? I can use my DOUGH cycle to do the mixing, then remove it and use a loaf pan to bake it in the oven.
Hi Kathleen- To be honest, I’ve never used a bread machine before, so I can’t say for sure.