Easy Crusty Vegan Bread Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret of crusty bread? ›

Simply put, it has to do with the starch in flour. As bread bakes, its outer layer (crust) eventually reaches 180°F. At that point, the starches on the surface burst, become gel-like, and then harden in the oven's heat to a crackly consistency. Steam hitting the bread's surface facilitates this process.

Multigrain breads, whole grain breads, and breads that use sprouted grains, such as ezekiel bread are packed with health benefits and are great for a plant-based diet. Breads made from refined flours do not contain the fiber and protein that whole grain, multigrain, or sprouted grain breads offer.

For a few short minutes before the crust forms, steam inside the oven also helps contribute to a nicely textured crust. To create steam, fill a spray bottle with water and spray the loaves 2 to 3 times during the first 10 minutes of baking or until a crust has formed.

To get a nice crust on this homemade bread, we use a steam bath. It is an age-old method of creating a crunchy and crusty outside. Placing hot water in a hot pan creates a steam bath that encases the dough and ensures you get a crisp finish.

Storing your bread on the countertop in a plastic bag (or well-sealed plastic wrap) will help keep it from going stale, but be warned: the crust will suffer and grow mold due to trapped moisture. Toasting the bread (if it's too soft but not yet moldy, of course) will bring some of the crust's crunchy texture back.

What are good vegan butter substitutes? In baking, you can use vegan butter, applesauce, dairy-free yogurt, coconut oil, coconut butter, olive oil, nut butter, mashed banana and mashed avocado. In cooking, you can use olive oil, coconut oil, vegetable stock, or avocado oil to replace butter.

A: All DKB bread products are considered vegan and do not contain any animal products, however, our limited edition DKB Snack Bars (Trail Mix Crumble and Oat-Rageous Honey Almond™) are NOT considered vegan as they contain organic honey.

Commercial bread is softer due to the steam process used by bakeries, which is made to keep bread hydrated and fresh. Use cold water in a pan and put it on a rack beneath your bread to create steam.

The more moisture there is on the surface of the dough, the more abundant the starch gel, and the crisper and more crackly the eventual crust. Steam plays a hand in crust color, too, and prevents it from burning.

There may be several reasons for a dense, cake like texture in bread. It may indicate the kneading wasn't enough for the gluten to develop properly, or the dough was proved for too short a time or the dough may have been too dry. It is also worth checking the flour you used.

What is the best flour for chewy bread? ›

King Arthur Unbleached Bread Flour is the key here: it provides the added structure this loaf needs to attain its open crumb and nicely chewy texture.

Baguette. The longer, thinner cousin of a French bread loaf, the baguette is a chewy bread with a thick crust that's traditionally made solely from water, yeast, white flour, and salt.

To achieve that crispy golden crust you want all that steam that comes out of the bread when it hits the hot oven to shoot up at the top of the dutch oven, hit the surface, and come right back down. It also helps your bread cook more evenly since you are essentially baking it in an oven, within an oven.

As the loaf cools, any moisture which is left in the loaf escapes through the crust as steam and this is what causes the softening.

The short answer is: yes, bread crusts do contain more nutrients. The reason for this is that the baking process causes the exterior of the bread to become firmer and more browned. This chemical baking process also results in changes to the nutrients in the crust of bread.

The higher the starch level in your bread dough, the more tender your resulting bread will be. And a great way to add starch to your bread is in the form of potatoes: cooked and mashed; dried (in the form of potato flour or flakes); or even simply by using the water in which you've boiled potatoes.

While there are many types of French bread, some of the most popular kinds—like baguettes and boules—have an extremely crusty exterior and a chewy crumb, making them perfect for tearing, dipping or slathering with butter. It's not uncommon for these breads to require a lengthy preparation process.