Vegan Artisan Bread

A loaf of whole wheat bread has slices sitting in front of it.

A crispy crusty, lightly-sweet harvest loaf of whole wheat no-knead bread. You'll make this easy loaf again and again because it adds a special touch to a weeknight dinner.

Course Bread

Cuisine American

Diet Vegan, Vegetarian

Prep Time 8

Cook Time 55

Resting Time 10

Total Time 9 5

Servings slices

Calories 151kcal

Author Marly McMillen

Ingredients

3 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon instant yeast
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 ½ cups water plus 1 or 2 tablespoons

Cups - Metric

Instructions

For the Dough:

Mix together in a large bowl the whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, salt, and yeast. Stir to combine.
Measure out the water and heat in the microwave until it's between 105 and 110°F/45°C. Stir in the maple syrup and vinegar. Add this mixture to the flour mixture and stir to incorporate. Use your hands if necessary to incorporate all the flour. The dough will be slightly sticky.

For Rising the Dough:

Rise #1: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Set aside for 12 to 24 hours (overnight works, but so does setting it aside for the day to bake at night). See notes for rising options.
Rise #2: After the step above is done, place the dough on a lightly floured surface, and mold it into a round loaf. Place on a large piece of parchment paper in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside for an hour or so to let the dough rise.

For Baking the Bread:

About 15 minutes before you're ready to bake, place a dutch oven in a cold oven and turn the heat to 425°F/220°C.
Once the oven is heated, lightly score the top of the loaf and then grab the parchment paper and carefully place the loaf in the hot dutch oven (be careful because it's very hot). Cover and bake for 50 minutes, then remove the lid and bake for another 15 minutes or so until the top is golden brown. You know the loaf is done when you tap the bottom and it has a hollow sound. See notes for baking on a pizza stone.
Serve warm with your favorite bread toppings such as vegan honey butter, olive oil, etc.
Store bread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, in the fridge for up to 7 days, or in the freezer (in a freezer-safe container or bag) for up to 2 months.

Notes

Flour Options

You can use any of the following for the whole wheat flours:

Regular whole wheat flour
White whole wheat flour
Whole wheat pastry flour

Whole Wheat Percentage

You can alter the ratio of whole wheat to all-purpose flour ratio. For a lighter loaf, you can go half and half with whole wheat and all-purpose flour.

Yeast Options

Slow Rise (12 - 24 hours) use either 1/4 teaspoon of instant yeast or 1/2 teaspoon of active dry yeast.
Faster rise (2 - 8 hours): use either 1 1/4 teaspoon instant yeast or 1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast.

Serve with olive oil or vegan honey butter.

Baking Options

Bake the loaf in a dutch oven by preheating the oven to 425°F. Let the dough rise on a piece of parchment paper. When it's ready to bake, grab the edges of the parchment paper and gently place it in the pan, Gently score the top of the loaf. Bake for roughly 50 minutes with the lid on. Then remove the lid and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes until golden on top.
To bake the loaf on a pizza stone, transfer the scored dough onto a pizza stone. Place the loaf in the oven. Add a pan to the oven with water to add steam to the oven. This is what helps create the crust we're after with this bread.

Rising Bread Dough

Let dough rise in a draft-free slightly warm location. Here are some great ways to do this in your own kitchen:

Microwave — Fill a coffee mug with water and heat in the microwave for 2 minutes, until hot and steamy. Scoot it aside and place the covered bowl of dough in the center. Close the door and let it rise.
Oven — Turn the oven on it's lowest setting (probably around 200°F/93°C). Then turn off the heat after several minutes. Place the bowl in the slightly warmed oven for the dough to rise.
Counter — If your kitchen is warm, you can sit it on the counter.

Nutrition