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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!

I have been making this Basic White Bread literally for years 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), cumin, 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, when I make this bread, I double the recipe, make one loaf 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

Step 1: Combine flour, instant yeast, and salt.

Step 2: Add olive oil and water.

Step 3: Use a kitchen machine with a dough hook (or knead with your hands) to make the bread dough.

Step 4: Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel. Let the dough rise in warm spot for 1-2 hours.

Step 5: After 1-2 hours, the dough should have approximately doubled in size.

Step 6: Form a bread loaf and carve the surface with a knife.

Step 7: Bake the bread in the oven until golden brown.

Serve the Basic White Bread with…

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.

Versatile Multi-Purpose Bread Dough

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 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! 4.34 from 39 votes Print Recipe Pin Recipe Prep Time 20 mins Cook Time 25 mins Resting Time 2 hrs Total Time 45 mins Course Basics, Bread Cuisine Vegan Servings 1 loaf Calories 984 kcal Ingredients US Customary Metric 1x 2x 3x 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 and carve 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: 1 loaf Calories: 984 kcal Carbohydrates: 195 g Protein: 30 g Fat: 7 g Saturated Fat: 1 g Sodium: 794 mg Potassium: 382 mg Fiber: 9 g Calcium: 38 mg Iron: 11.9 mg Tried this recipe? Mention @elephantasticvegan or tag #elephantasticvegan

More delicious Vegan Bread Recipes

This post was first published in July 2014. Updated in February 2019.