Are you interested in making vegan bread but feel intimidated by the process? The good thing is that most bread recipes naturally are vegan, making bread very vegan-friendly. And the recipes that aren’t vegan can be very easily veganized.

These ten tips will help you to feel more confident baking loaves of soft and fluffy vegan bread- bread that is so good that even your non-vegan friends will want the recipe!

1. Use Aquafaba Instead of Eggs 

Source: Jewlish/YouTube

If you found an amazing bread recipe that you want to try but find that it has eggs, you can still make it! Aquafaba makes the perfect egg substitute in most, if not all, bread recipes.

This unique ingredient makes it extra easy to make delicious vegan bread out of any recipe. All you need to do is use three tablespoons of aquafaba for each egg in a recipe. Add it into the recipe as the instructions tell you to, and mix thoroughly. This will create light and fluffy bread that is just as good (and probably better!) Check out these bread recipes that use aquafaba:

• Challah Made With Aquafaba
• Monkey Bread

2. Limit the Flour

One of the biggest culprits behind dry or heavy bread is using too much flour. This can be very easy to do if you are kneading by hand.

As your dough gets sticky, it can be tempting to add just a bit more flour here and there, but you do not want to add too much flour to your dough, or it won’t turn out light and bready. Try to use flour sparingly, many bread recipes could be made with up to ½ cup less flour! It is much better to knead sticky dough than to end up with a hard or dry loaf of bread.

3. Add Extra Fat 

If your bread seems to be lacking flavor or is feeling a little dry, try adding some extra fat to the recipe. The fat and sugar in bread help to give it a mouth-watering flavor. If your bread seems to be coming out bland, it might need some fat.

This might be a common issue if you are frequently using recipes that call for eggs. Since eggs have fat and you need to replace that fat.

4. Add Extra Sugar

This is very similar to the tip mentioned above. If your bread just seems to be lacking some much-needed flavor, try adding some sugar. The sugar in bread not only helps it to rise and activates the yeast, but it adds flavor as well.

One great way to add flavor to your bread recipe is to add in as little as a teaspoon of sugar or more if you prefer.

5. Replace the Butter 

When a bread recipe calls for butter, you must replace it with another fat. This could be coconut oil or olive oil. But the best replacement is vegan butter!

Vegan butter is going to add the same flavor as regular butter and add richness to your bread. You can, of course, use oil, and it will be almost as good. Just make sure that you don’t forget to add fat for richness and flavor.

6. Add Vinegar

Just a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar can do wonders for a loaf of bread. It is often used as a kind of dough conditioner to help break down the gluten to create a more easily digested bread. It can also help the dough to rise faster and bigger!

It does not leave any vinegar taste behind since so little is added.

7. Keep Kneading

Source: Allrecipes/YouTube

Some people are scared of over-kneading their bread when they first start making homemade vegan bread. There is no such thing as over-kneading bread. It would take hours to knead it too much, which is highly unlikely.

What is more common is under-kneading dough. This can create a lifeless batch of bread that is heavy and lacks that light and airy texture. Make sure to always knead your dough until it is smooth and elastic. It should be smooth and even on the outside and should be able to stretch some distance. 

8. Use Double Rises 

One amazingly overlooked way to achieve some of the lightest and fluffiest bread is to use double rises. This is when you let the dough rise for some time, then punch it down and let it rise again. Then, shape your bread and let it rise a third time.

These multiple rises allow the bread to continue to create more and more structure, which gives the bread its texture. Double rises take longer, but they are definitely with it.

9. Have a Moist Oven

The best way to get a deliciously crusty loaf of bread is to keep your oven moist when baking. This creates a crusty exterior and a fluffy interior.

You can do this by adding a pan with water to the bottom of your oven. Or you can spray some water into the oven when you add the bread. This is a great tip for vegan bread if you don’t have a dutch oven to cook in.

10. Use an Aquafaba Egg Wash on Vegan Bread

Source: Curious Cat Bakery/YouTube

Aquafaba isn’t only good in your bread; it is amazing on top of it as well. This is because it imitates an egg wash and gives your bread color.

Most vegan bread turns out looking a bit pale since they don’t use egg wash. The egg wash gives the exterior of a loaf of bread a glossy and brown appearance.

With aquafaba, you can have the same effect. Just brush some on the top before baking your vegan bread.

Related Content:

• 15 Vegan Bread Recipes From Around the World
• 15 Homemade Creative Vegan Bread Recipes That Butter Us Up!
• 10 Amazing Gluten-Free Vegan Bread Recipes
• 10 Amazing Vegan Bread Recipes

Learn How to Cook Plant-Based Meals at Home!

Reducing your meat intake and eating more plant-based foods is known to help with chronic inflammation, heart health, mental well-being, fitness goals, nutritional needs, allergies, gut health, and more! Dairy consumption also has been linked to many health problems, including acne, hormonal imbalance, cancer, and prostate cancer, and has many side effects.

For those interested in eating more plant-based, we highly recommend downloading the Food Monster App — with over 15,000 delicious recipes it is the largest plant-based recipe resource to help reduce your environmental footprint, save animals and get healthy! And, while you are at it, we encourage you to also learn about the ecological and health benefits of a plant-based diet.

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• Weekly Vegan Meal Plans
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• The Ultimate Guide to Plant-Based Nutrition
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