Vegan Baking

A recipe from my book Triumph of the Lentil, this is my staple bread recipe. Even with a newborn and a toddler to look after I manage to bake this twice a week, so that we never have to buy bread. Because of the slow rising time it requires very minimal kneading (only enough to mix in the flour), doesn’t require any oil or sugar to taste good and stays fresh for longer. The slow rise develops the gluten in the same way that kneading would, but results in a superior taste.

Each rise can take between eight and twenty hours and put in the fridge at any stage, to be baked within two weeks. I like to make each rise around twelve hours. It can also be sped up a little, to make the total time as little as 16 hours by doubling the amount of yeast and combining the first and second rise together.

This Blueberry Beetnik Muffin recipe takes advantage of baked beets which harbor wonderful butter caramel flavors when their sugars caramelize. The vegan muffins are then complimented by the tartness of blueberries and just the right ratio of whole wheat flour and all-purpose flour. Lemon juice enhances flavor while allowing the beet purée to retain its vibrant reddish color during baking. This is because acids reduce the oxidation of plant-based compounds called anthocyanins, which are responsible for the red color in foods like beets and raspberries.

These vegan Blueberry Muffins feature a buttery flavor and smooth texture thanks to the combined efforts of non-dairy milk, lemon juice and lemon extract. This compliments the tartness of the blueberries, making a delectable snack for breakfast or any other occasion. The combination of lemon juice and lemon extract in this recipe is so the lemon flavor can be brought up to tasty levels without excessive acidity, which in large amounts can negatively affect gluten's ability to bind.

These Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies are no nonsense soft, chewy chocolate chip cookies like your vegan grandma used to make. Over the years I've learned a lot about the art of cookie making and these are simple to make but still pack lots of flavor into a chewy, chocolatey chippity package. The secret to this cookie recipe is having just the right ratio of fat, water and golden flax meal. The molasses also adds chewiness and the cinnamon adds a touch of flavor complexity. Finally, the way the cookies are formed results in just the right shape. These cookies are also great for ice cream sandwiches.

This vegan French Toast recipe is just one more reason to get up in the morning. It's great for brunch with friends too because you don't have to waste the whole morning being on griddle duty as much as you do with pancakes. It features chickpea flour, nutritional yeast flakes, cinnamon, nutmeg and cardamom to bring out the best combination of savory and sweet flavors.

I haven't yet met anyone who isn't a raging pizza fan. It was one of the hardest foods for me to give up when I lit the vegan torch. Luckily, I've developed a vegan pizza crust recipe that's easy to make and features a rich flavor with a crispy exterior and chewy interior. This has come at a price. The uneven road leading to this crust has made past girlfriends almost dump me over failed pizza prospects. I've lost many highly anticipated meals and wasted lots of time. Yes, the lowly pizza crust depends on some fundamental ingredients and methods that are to be mastered in order to bake itself to crispy perfection.

This vegan English Muffin recipe features just a touch of lemon juice and sugar to enhance its yeast-induced flavors. They're awesome fresh out of the toaster with a little margarine, jam or whatever your preferred muffin topping is. I've been known to use these as burger buns too. They're not loaded with preservatives and dough conditioners like their store-bought cousins but they'll still keep in the freezer stored in a plastic freezer bag for several months.

This bread is adapted from the book "Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day". While the rising and baking of the bread takes more than five minutes, the active work is about that. The great thing about this method is that it eliminates the timing aspect of bread - having to be home in x number of hours to punch down the dough and shape it, etc. One recipe of dough lasts up to 2 weeks. I will usually make 3 loaves out of one batch, but you can size the loaves to whatever is appropriate for your household - just adjust the rise time and baking time depending on how small or large your loaf is. I've added additional wheat flour in this recipe but still use some white flour because I find whole wheat flour to be too heavy. And I've deviated from the original recipe in the baking method, instead using an enameled cast iron pot to cook the bread.

Having a wild yeast starter (also known as a sourdough starter) in your possession can lead to a whole new wold of fascinating flavors and food experiences. Everything from breads, pancakes, sweetbreads to pizza doughs can be made with wild yeasted dough, which has no need for commercial bread yeasts. Think of it as your magic little dough friend that's actually alive, waiting to morph into and enhance whatever you introduce it to. Read on as I talk about the history of wild yeast starters and how to put them to good use in your kitchen.

Butter is one of those ingredients that can be so central to baking that as soon as some people hear the term vegan baking they wonder aloud almost in a panic, “what about the butter?!” Many vegan baked items get along great with fats like canola, coconut oil or even olive oil. These types of fats work wonders for cakes, cookies, bars and breads. When designing recipes where we need something to act like butter, things start to get complicated. Solid fats like butter and margarine are integral to things like puff pastry, pie crust, shortbread, croissants, danish dough and certain cakes. This is because in these cases the fat is used to coat the flour so gluten doesn't develop too much and also trap air bubbles to enhance leavening and texture. The only option in these instances is to turn to a margarine or similar vegan butter that is solid at room temperature and gets soft as it melts so it blends to one cohesive mass of dough. I make Vegan Butter in large batches and store it in my freezer.

This bread is unique in that it sports nine grains and contains 100% whole wheat flour for the rest of the ingredients which adds a  superb flavor and texture not found in many other breads. Baking a bread with both of these features involves a little more effort but I think you'll agree that it's time well spent. This bread differs from a regular bread recipe in two ways: First, the grains are soaked so they soften and integrate into the loaf. Second, since we're using 100% whole wheat flour for the rest of the flour we need to soak it overnight so the bran softens. This softened bran will enable a more efficient rise because the bran won't cut gluten strands. It will also allow for a more supple crumb. These soaked flour and grains are technically referred to as a soaker. I suspect the bread baker who coined this term was having a creativity block the day he used this method.

This No Knead Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread is now my go-to vegan bread recipe because it's simple to make and is a great example of how wet doughs can create wonderfully light and spongy breads. The higher water content allows the gliadin and glutenin in the flour to align into tight gluten bonds over time so you can forget about all the kneading drama. The result is a fluffy, chewy loaf that's perfect for sandwiches. Feel free to use this bread as a starting point and substitute a ½ cup of the flour for things like wheat germ, wheat bran or oat bran. It's important to note that due to the wetness of this dough it's only suitable for baking in a loaf pan.

I have a new found love for this peanut butter muffin recipe which happened by mistake. I was scouring the internet looking for a recipe for peanut butter bread…there aren’t that many. Don’t ask me why I was so fixated on finding a recipe for such a thing, I just get it in my head sometimes and I can’t let it go. I found this recipe and decided to veganize it. And then I realized that I had misplaced my bread pan… So it became a muffin recipe!

I decided to recreate a granola cookie I once had in Sonoma from a cute little coffee shop. It was this fantastic oat-based cookie with honey and nuts and seeds. It was filling and tasty, but not vegan. So I thought I would try it at home with my modifications. I'm very, very pleased with how they came out. Please try this recipe at home.