Classic Dairy-Free Whole Wheat Bread

Updated! When I took on a strict dairy-free diet, I was amazed by the number of breads that contained milk ingredients.  From whey to caseinates to nonfat milk – I was hard-pressed to find a loaf without dairy. Undeterred, I decided to take up bread baking. After all, milk isn’t needed for a good loaf of bread. And my first success was a dairy-free whole wheat bread recipe. Over the years, I’ve tweaked it just a little to get that perfect tender texture.

The Dairy-Free Whole Wheat Bread Recipe that Started it All

I’ve since made several variations, which can be found in my flagship book, Go Dairy Free: The Ultimate Guide and Cookbook. But this mild, hearty loaf is where it all started. Really, there is nothing better than making a loaf of bread from scratch. It’s rewarding, the results taste so much better than store bought, and kneading the dough is very therapeutic!

Most recipes call for a 9×5-inch loaf pan, but I often use an 8×4-inch pan for a taller loaf. The slices are a little more narrow, but still great for toast and sandwiches. I do still call for the larger pan in the recipe, since the smaller one can overflow if the bread rises too much. Baking it in a larger pan the first time is a safe test to see which pan size will work in  your climate best. See the notes in this recipe for more details.

And don’t be afraid to customize this recipe to taste. In my prior recipe, I used less sweetener, salt, and oil, which works just fine. I just prefer the balanced taste with a little more of each. If you do opt to reduce the sweetener, you might want to reduce the salt to the lesser amount (in the notes) to ensure it isn’t overly salty. You can also add in other flavorful ingredients, like raisins, dried blueberries or cranberries, sunflower seeds, ground cinnamon, the list goes on!

Prior Version of this Recipe

If you liked the version of this classic dairy-free whole wheat bread that was posted previously, don’t worry, it’s similar! Use ½ cup warm water and ¾ cup warm dairy-free milk alternative for the liquid. Increase the wheat flour to 2 cups. Reduce the oil and sweetener to 2 tablespoons each, and the salt to 1 teaspoon.

Why the Changes? Over the years, I’ve found that a little more sweetener and salt rounds out the flavor of this bread. I start with less flour to accommodate for different climates. Using a little more oil helps to tenderize the bread more. And finally, all water is fine. You can use part (or even all) milk alternative, but it isn’t necessary.

Special Diet Notes: Whole Wheat Bread

By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, nut-free, peanut-free, soy-free, coconut-free, vegan, plant-based, and vegetarian.

Alisa Fleming

Classic Dairy-Free Whole Wheat Bread

5 from 1 vote

This sandwich-ready bread has a tender texture and delicious taste on its own. And it used ingredients you can find in almost any grocery store. Please note that the Prep time is hands-on time only. Allow at least 2 hours for rising time.

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

Servings: 1 (9x5-inch) loaf (16 slices)

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Calories: 127

Ingredients Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x?

• 1 ¼ cups warm water about 105ºF
• 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1 ½ cups whole wheat flour
• 1 ½ to 2 cups bread flour plus additional as needed (see Flour Note below)
• ¼ cup flax seeds ground or whole (optional)
• ¼ cup oil
• ¼ cup maple syrup, honey, or agave nectar
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt see Salt Note below

Method

 

1. Put the warm water in a large bowl and sprinkle in the yeast. Let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes to proof. It should become quite foamy with little bubbles. If your yeast was refrigerated or frozen, it might take a little longer. If it doesn’t become foamy, your yeast may be old and inactive. Consider starting over with fresh yeast.
2. Add the whole wheat flour, flaxseed (if using), oil, sweetener, and salt to the yeast mixture. Stir until well combined. Add 1 1/2 cups bread flour and stir to combine. Bring the dough together with your hands when it becomes too thick to stir.
3. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead it for 5 to 10 minutes, or until smooth and elastic. If the dough is too sticky to handle, add more flour, a little at a time, until it is still a touch tacky, but doesn’t stick to your hands. You don’t want the dough to be too dry or tough. That said, in very humid climates, you might need to add a notable amount of flour to prevent sticking.
4. Return the dough to the bowl, lightly cover the bowl, and let the dough rise in a warm, draft-free place for 45 to 60 minutes, or until doubled in size.
5. Grease and flour a 9 × 5-inch loaf pan.
6. Punch down the dough and let it rest for 5 minutes.
7. Briefly knead the dough as you shape it into a loaf that will fit in your pan. Fold the dough under as you shape it so that the seam is on the bottom. Put the shaped dough in your prepared pan, lightly cover it with greased plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm, draft-free place for 45 to 60 minutes, or until the crown of the dough is peaking about an inch above the pan.
8. Preheat your oven to 350ºF.
9. Gently uncover the dough and bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until the crust is golden and relatively firm to the touch.
10. Remove the loaf to a wire rack to cool completely.
11. Store in plastic wrap or an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Leftover bread slices can be individually wrapped and frozen to enjoy later. They toast well from frozen.

Nutrition

Serving: 1sliceCalories: 127kcalCarbohydrates: 20.1gProtein: 2.7gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 0.6gSodium: 219mgFiber: 1.9gSugar: 3.1g

Notes

Flour Note: Bread flour is a high-gluten version of white all-purpose flour that is readily available at most grocery stores. If you substitute all-purpose flour, the dough won’t be quite as elastic and the bread will be a little denser. If you use all whole wheat flour, the bread will come out quite dense. See my Dairy-Free 100% Whole Wheat Bread Recipe if you want to use all whole wheat flour.

Salt Note: I err on the higher salt side for bread to avoid a flat taste. But if you often find baked goods too salty, I would reduce the amount to 1 ¼ teaspoons.

Rising Help: If your loaf is hesitating to rise when in the loaf pan on the second rising, place the slightly risen loaf in a cold oven. Turn the oven on to 350ºF and bake for 45 minutes. The loaf will rise more as the oven preheats.

Loaf Pan Option: I have baked this bread in an 8x4-inch loaf pan and it comes out nice and tall. However, if you are at higher altitude, it might rise too quickly and overflow in the pan.

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