Vegan Baking

This Sprouted Wild Yeasted Whole Wheat Bread recipe is a nod to how the first breads probably got their start. Wheat berries were probably softened with water, ground and left out in the elements where they were then populated by airborne yeasts and bacteria, causing the dough to rise slightly. Placing this dough on hot rocks in or near a fire probably resulted in a fine vegan treat like nothing else available at the time.

This Sticky Cinnamon Roll recipe features brown sugar, maple syrup and just the right amount of cinnamon, making them moist and chewy. And if that's not enough, these vegan cinnamon rolls are topped with walnuts, raisins then drizzled with icing to make them an irresistible treat any time of day.

My healthy alternative to one of my favorites! Baked with no sugar, no sweeteners, whole wheat flour, and polenta, these muffins are hearty, healthy, delicious, incredibly easy and naturally sweet! I use Bob's Red Mill flour and polenta, but you can use the brand of your choice. I also use unsweetened applesauce as an egg replacer- it works perfectly and makes the muffins nice and moist, and personally I don't taste the applesauce. I also made my own vegan cream cheese from silken tofu, which I will include the recipe for, although it does contain one Tablespoon of sugar. If you choose you can omit the cream cheese (or sugar).

Modified from an oat bread recipe, this recipe is my own creation! This bread has no added sugar, is whole wheat, delicious, soft, and filling! Made with Bob's Red Mill Muesli (which does have 5 grams of sugar- if you choose to go completely sugar-free, or do not have access to Bob's Muesli, I have provided an alternate option below) this bread is plain enough to use for lunch sandwiches, but just sweet enough from the raisins to eat as a snack. It only takes about 40 minutes to prepare, uses no yeast, and only 6 ingredients. Enjoy!

This Wild Yeasted Wheat Bread recipe, also known as sourdough bread uses a wild yeast sponge to leaven the dough, creating a multitude of complex flavor compounds in the process. Be sure to read and cultivate your wild yeast starter and sponge before starting this vegan bread. Sandwich breads baked in loaf pans are usually baked at lower temperatures around 350F (177C) to 375F (191C) and 'enriched' with things like sweeteners, oil and extra salt. Artisan breads formed and baked without loaf pans are baked at higher temperatures around 400F (204C) to 475F (246C) where the heat allows extra flavors to be developed. Taking this into account, your bread recipe and baking process will be slightly different depending on which method you choose. This recipe gives you options for both styles.

The more I use yeast instead of baking powder for sweetbreads the more I notice that yeasted breads produce far better flavor results. How did we get into this bad habit of 'chemically' leavening our sweet breads with baking powder and baking soda? One word: convenience. Yeasted breads take about 3 times longer to make because we have to wait for the yeast to do it's thing. Yeast leavened breads are usually considerably more flavorful than chemically leavened breads because as the yeast ferments and spits out C02 that rises the bread, it also produces a multitude of complex flavor compounds. This is not the case with chemically leavened breads where few flavor byproducts are produced during the chemical reaction between acid and alkalne that produces the C02. This Yeasted Banana Bread is now my go-to vegan banana bread recipe.