Basic White Bread Recipe | Elephantastic Vegan (2024)

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Recipe for a vegan Basic White Bread. Super soft, very versatile, delicious, quick and easy! You’ll only need 5 simple ingredients. You can use this recipe to make loaves, buns, even pizza crust, and flatbread. No need to buy bread anymore in the supermarket!

Basic White Bread Recipe | Elephantastic Vegan (1)

I have been makingthis Basic White Bread literally foryears now. It’s the perfect base recipe for all of your bread adventures!

It’s delicious, fluffy and you can easily add special ingredients to it like olives (I love that one for grilling), caraway seeds, sunflower seeds, dried tomatoes…

It is perfect for sandwiches, bruschetta or to make some rolls (like these Seeded Burger Buns or these Pretzel Buns).

Usually, whenImake this bread, I double the recipe, make oneloaf with part of the dough and some rolls to use as burger buns. You can also sprinkle some sesame seeds, flax seeds or poppy seeds on top!

How to make a Basic White Bread Loaf

The ingredients

You’ll only need 5 simple ingredients for this Basic White Bread:

  • all-purpose flour (you could also use a mix of spelt or whole wheat flour with all-purpose flour to make it more nutritious and healthier)
  • active dry yeast
  • salt
  • olive oil
  • water

Sounds easy, right?! Well, it is!

Even if you have never baked your own bread, this is the perfect time for it! This is the perfect bread baking beginner recipe!

Tip: Just keep in mind that the yeast will need time to make the dough rise for about 1-2 hours depending on the room’s temperature (it needs less time in a warmer room e.g. in the summer). A good bread just needs a bit of time. But as long as you keep in mind to start early enough, you will be rewarded with delicious crispy white bread!

The basic steps

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Serve the Basic White Bread with…

  • spreads (basic hummus, spinach hummus,potato cheese spread)
  • creamy soups (carrot ginger soup,broccoli soup)
  • stews (goulash,chili con carne)
  • tomato bruschetta

How to store bread…

Homemade bread is the best on the day it is baked. Store leftovers at room temperature – a breadbox would be best, or a paper bag or in a container with a not completely closed lid to allow airflow. I like to toast bread slices when I use bread that I have baked the day(s) before.

Basic White Bread Recipe | Elephantastic Vegan (9)

Versatile Multi-Purpose Bread Dough

Basic White Bread Recipe | Elephantastic Vegan (10)

What if I told you.. you could make all of this with the basic white bread recipe?! Well.. you can! This bread dough is the perfect base recipe for bread loaves, burger buns, breadsticks, even fluffy naan,and pizza crust! The possibilities are endless!

Bread FAQ

Vegan Bread? Isn’t all bread vegan?

Unfortunately not! Some breads contain milk or honey, sometimes the surface is brushed with egg whites. It’s always good to check the labels for non-vegan ingredients.

Is yeast vegan?

Yeast is classified as a fungus (just like mushrooms) and therefore vegan-friendly. So no worries, you can eat yeast as a vegan!

I hope you enjoy this simple recipe as much as I do! I’d love to hear what you’re making with the basic white bread recipe!

Cheers, Bianca

Basic White Bread Recipe | Elephantastic Vegan (11)

Basic White Bread Recipe | Elephantastic Vegan (12)

Basic White Bread

Elephantastic Vegan

You can use this basic white bread recipe for all kinds of breads: bread loaves, burger buns, flatbread, pizza crust, bagels, pretzels,… Anything is possible!

4.42 from 43 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Resting Time 2 hours hrs

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Course Basics, Bread

Cuisine Vegan

Servings 1 loaf

Calories 984 kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon instant yeast
  • 1/3 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 2/3 cup lukewarm water

Instructions

  • In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, instant yeast, and salt. Then add the olive oil and water and stir to combine, then knead with your hands (or use a kitchen machine with a dough hook) until it comes together in a smooth dough*.

  • Let it sit, covered with a clean kitchen towel, in a warm spot until it doubles in size (about 1 1/2-2 hours).

  • Preheat the oven to 200 °C or 400 °F.

  • Form a bread loaf andcarve the surface of the dough lightly with a knife (I’ve made one long cut across the bread).

  • Then bake the bread in the oven until the surface is golden**. You can knock on the bottom of the bread and when it sounds hollow it’s done!

Notes

*Adjusting the dough: If the dough is too crumbly, add a bit more water. If the dough is too sticky, add a bit more flour.

**Baking times: How long the bread needs to be in the oven depends on the form you’re making. Loaves need about 20-30 minutes, rolls 15-20 minutes.

Nutrition

Serving: 1loafCalories: 984kcalCarbohydrates: 195gProtein: 30gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 794mgPotassium: 382mgFiber: 9gCalcium: 38mgIron: 11.9mg

Tried this recipe?Mention @elephantasticvegan or tag #elephantasticvegan!

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Basic White Bread Recipe | Elephantastic Vegan (2024)

FAQs

Is normal white bread vegan? ›

Is white bread vegan? Generally speaking, yes—most white sandwich breads don't contain animal products. But highly processed white sandwich breads like Wonder Classic White Bread and Sara Lee Classic White often contain dough conditioners and emulsifiers as well as dairy and eggs.

What must you do to know if your bread is vegan? ›

You can easily distinguish vegan from non-vegan bread by looking at the ingredient list. Bread containing eggs, honey, royal jelly, gelatin, or dairy-based ingredients like milk, butter, buttermilk, whey, or casein isn't considered vegan.

What is the best bread for vegans? ›

Vegans can eat bread that does not contain animal products or byproducts. This includes breads that only use some variation on flour, water, yeast, and salt including ciabatta, baguette, focaccia, sourdough, pita, and ezekiel breads.

What does adding milk instead of water do bread? ›

Using milk instead of water in your yeasted bread is an easy way to add a touch of sweetness, making it ideal for challah, dinner rolls, cinnamon rolls, and hot dog buns.

Can vegans eat yeast in bread? ›

Since eating yeast does not cause it to suffer and involves no animal exploitation or cruelty, yeast is typically considered a vegan food. Although, a very small minority of vegans may still avoid it, as it is a living organism.

Can vegans eat white flour? ›

Yes. All flours are essentially plants crushed into a powder form that can be used to bake and cook a variety of foods. What types of flour are vegan? The vast majority of flours are vegan, from white to oat and everything in between.

Can vegans eat any type of bread? ›

The simple answer is yes; vegans can eat bread. However, not all bread is created equal, and it's essential to check the ingredients list or labelling to ensure the bread is vegan-friendly. Some bread contains animal-derived ingredients such as eggs, milk, or honey, which are unsuitable for vegans.

Does regular white bread have dairy? ›

White Bread is dairy free. White Bread does not contain milk and should be safe for those with a milk allergy. Fig's dietitian team reviewed this note on white bread. Check if other ingredients have dairy instantly with the Fig app.

Is Pepperidge Farm white bread vegan? ›

Nearly all of these are made with no milk products whatsoever; It's against Jewish dietary law to mix milk with meat, and those manufacturer's don't want you to buy bread that you can't put pastrami on! If you like rye bread, you're in luck. Pepperidge Farms bread is not vegan, including their burger and hot dog buns.

Is Subway white bread vegan? ›

Is any bread at Subway vegan? Yes. The vegan bread options at Subway include 9 Grain Wheat, Hearty Italian, Italian white bread, Roasted Garlic, Sourdough, Spinach Wrap, Tomato Basil Wrap, Habanero Wrap, and Wheat Wrap. Check with your location to see which vegan options are available.

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