Vegan Wholemeal Sandwich Bread (Tangzhong Method) (2024)

Vegan wholemeal sandwich bread - this easy wholemeal bread loaf is made using the tangzhong method which helps to keep it wonderfully soft and moist.

It is an every day, versatile loaf of bread that is perfect for sandwiches, toast, snacking and dunking in soup.

This vegan wholemeal sandwich bread is my go-to recipe when I want a slightly more virtuous version of my vegan white sandwich bread.

It is essentially a wholemeal Hokkaido milk bread as it is made using the tangzhong method (which isn't anywhere near as complicated as it sounds!).

Wholemeal bread is often a bit more dense and dry than white bread, but the tangzhong helps to add more moisture to the dough, which makes the bread softer and keeps it fresh for longer.

It isn't quite as soft and fluffy as my white vegan Hokkaido milk bread, but it's as close as you are going to get with wholemeal flour!

What Is Tangzhong?:

Tangzhong is basically where you take a portion of the flour and liquid of the recipe and mix them together like a roux, then cook it until it forms a thick, pudding-like texture. This mixture is then cooled and added to the bread dough.

This technique pre-gelatinises the starches in the flour which means that they can absorb more water. In fact, flour will absorb twice as much hot water or milk as it does the lukewarm water or milk you would usually use in yeasted doughs.

Not only does the starch in the flour absorb more liquid; since heating the starch with water creates structure, it is able to hold onto that extra liquid throughout the kneading, baking, and cooling processes. This means that the bread will rise higher due to more water creating more internal steam (which makes bread rise in the oven — along with the carbon dioxide given off by the yeast).

Because the bread retains more water during baking, it will be softer and more moist and stay fresh for longer.

What Do I Need To Make Vegan Wholemeal Sandwich Bread?:

Wholemeal bread flour: I use Asda own brand wholemeal bread flour which contains 16g of protein per 100g. Any brand of wholemeal bread flour should work ok however. (In the US I believe it would be called wholewheat rather than wholemeal).

White bread flour: 100% wholemeal bread is very dense, so for a lighter, softer loaf it is important to use part white flour. This helps the loaf rise higher and provides a softer crumb. Don't swap it for more wholemeal. Plain (all-purpose) flour will work in a pinch but bread flour really is best.

Instant yeast: I always prefer to use instant yeast when making bread as it can just be added straight to the flour and doesn’t need to be activated first. See below for instructions if you only have active dry yeast.

Salt: You simply cannot make good bread without salt. Don’t omit it.

Sugar: I use dark brown soft sugar as I think that the flavour works well with the wholemeal. You can use light brown, caster, granulated or coconut sugar instead. You can reduce the sugar a bit if you want, but keep at least a teaspoon for the yeast to feed on.

Vegan block butter: I always prefer to use a block butter/margarine when baking, rather than the spreadable kind in a tub which has a higher water content so may not give the best results. Naturli Vegan Block is my favourite. (Spreadable will work if that is all you have).

Non-dairy milk: Soy milk is always my favourite for baking as it has the highest protein content so most closely resembles dairy milk. Any variety of non-dairy milk will work however, but go for an unsweetened one if you can, and definitely soy milk if you have it.

How To Make Vegan Wholemeal Sandwich Bread:

(Full measurements and instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the page)

I like to split making this vegan wholemeal sandwich bread over two days – I make the dough and refrigerate it overnight for it’s first rise. The cold dough is easier to roll out and the slow rise results in a better flavour. You can do it all on the same day if you prefer though.

To make the tangzhong, place the flour in a saucepan and gradually whisk in the water to avoid lumps.

Place the pan over a medium/low heat and whisk constantly until the mixture has thickened to a paste/pudding-like consistency (think wallpaper paste…).

Scrape the tangzhong into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook and pour the cold milk on top. This will cool the tangzhong down so that it doesn't kill the yeast.

Add the sugar, salt, wholemeal and and white flours and finally the yeast. Stir until it forms a rough dough then set the stand mixer to a medium speed and mix until the dough is smooth and stretchy, this can take about 10 minutes.

Add the softened vegan butter and knead for about another 5 minutes until it is fully incorporated and the dough is smooth, elastic and no longer feels greasy.

See Also

Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Muffins - Emily Bites30 Discontinued Snacks You Haven't Thought About In Years But Probably Miss{Recipe} Sour Patch Grapes (a.k.a. “Glitter Grapes”) – Pure SugarEasy Pistachio Fudge - Nutty Fudge Recipe - Recipes Just 4U

The dough should still be soft and sticky, but it should pull away from the sides of the bowl cleanly. If it seems too wet then you can knead in a little extra flour, a tablespoon at a time. Be careful though, this is meant to be a soft dough and adding too much extra flour will make the bread dry.

Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover and place in the fridge to rise overnight, or in a warm spot for 1-2 hours.

How To Shape The Loaf:

Once the dough has risen, punch it down and give it a brief 30 second knead to knock out the air, let it rest for 10 minutes then roll it out on a lightly floured surface into a rectangle about 20 x 38 cm / 8 x 15 in.

It doesn't matter if it isn't perfectly rectangular, it just needs to be roughly the right size.

Starting at one of the short edges, roll the dough up tightly into a log. It should be about 20 cm / 8 in long.

Place the log seam side down in a loaf tin. Loosely cover the tin and set it aside to rise in a warm spot until the dough has risen above the top of the tin by about 2.5 cm/1 in.

If you gently press it with a finger it should spring back slowly and maybe leave a small indentation. If it springs back quickly it needs to rise for a bit longer. It should take around 45 minutes to 2 hours depending on whether the dough was refrigerated or not.

If you want you can brush the top of the loaf with a bit of milk before baking it for about 40 minutes until it is deep brown and a probe thermometer inserted into the centre reaches at least 90°C/194°F.

If you don't have a thermometer then the loaf should sound hollow if you tap it on the bottom.

Top Tips:

As with all of my baking recipes I really do recommend using the metric measurements with a digital scale rather than the cup conversions. Cups are a wildly inaccurate measuring system and you will get far better, more consistent results using a scale, not to mention that it is also easier and less messy than cups!

Make sure that your yeast isn't out of date! Old yeast can lead to bread that doesn’t rise.

The amount of flour needed may vary a bit as different brands absorb different amounts of liquid. Start with the quantity given in the recipe and add a little more as needed if the dough is too wet. This is meant to be a soft sticky dough however, so don’t add too much as that will make the bread dry.

Do not swap the white flour for more wholemeal. It is necessary for a soft, fluffy loaf.

You can use any kind of unsweetened non-dairy milk, but soy milk really is best for baking as it has the highest protein content. Oat milk would be my second choice.

The rising time of the dough will vary depending on how warm it is; on hot days it will rise much faster than on cold ones. If you refrigerate the dough for it's first rise, the second rise will take longer than if it's first rise was at room temperature.

If you want, you can give the dough it’s first rise overnight in the fridge rather than at room temperature. This breaks up the workload and gives the bread an even better flavour.

You can also use the shaping technique as detailed in my vegan Hokkaido milk bread recipe to form the loaf.

What Kind Of Yeast?:

I always use instant yeast when I am baking bread as it doesn’t need to be activated in liquid first, you can just add it straight to the flour. I highly recommend buying instant yeast if possible.

If you are only able to get active dry yeast then you can still use it but the method will be a little different.

Use 10g (3 tsp) of active dry yeast. Make the tanghong as directed, but then scrape it into a bowl, cover with clingfilm or greaseproof paper directly on the surface to prevent a skin from forming and leave to cool to room temperature.

Instead of using cold milk in the dough, it should be lukewarm, NOT hot. You should be able to comfortably hold your finger in it. If it is too hot it will kill the yeast.

Mix the active dry yeast with the lukewarm milk and a pinch of the sugar. Let it sit for 10-20 minutes until it has become bubbly then proceed with the rest of the recipe as written.

How To Speed Up The Rising Time:

If your room temperature is cold and you want to speed up the rising time a bit then you can heat the oven up on it’s lowest temperature for a couple of minutes then switch it off and open the door for 30 seconds to let some of the heat out.

Hold your hand in there for a few seconds to make sure it isn’t too hot. It should feel warm but not hot, like a warm summer day kind of temperature. If it is too hot it will kill the yeast so be careful!

Place the covered dough in the oven and shut the door. If it is a really cold day then you may need to warm the oven up again after a while but I usually find that once is enough.

Alternatively, place a bowl or loaf tin in the bottom of your (cold, switched off) oven and place the covered dough on the middle shelf. Fill the bowl with boiling water and close the oven door. The steam will create a warm environment for the dough to rise.

How To Tell When The Bread Is Baked:

The best way to tell if bread is baked properly is to check the internal temperature with a probe thermometer. It should reach at least 90°C/194°F.

Overbaked bread will be dry and if it is under-baked then you will be eating raw dough, yuck! It is impossible to give a one-size-fits-all baking time as all ovens vary.

I really do recommend investing in a probe thermometer, it is an incredibly handy kitchen tool!

If you don’t have a thermometer then the loaf should sound hollow when you tap it on the bottom or a toothpick inserted into the centre of the loaf should go in and out smoothly with little resistance and come out clean.

How Long Will It Keep?:

This vegan wholemeal sandwich bread is best on the day it is baked but it will stay soft for around four days in an airtight container at room temperature.

Once it has lost some of it's softness it still makes great toast!

Can I Freeze This Vegan Wholemeal Sandwich Bread?:

Yes, this vegan wholemeal sandwich bread freezes well, either as a whole loaf or in slices. Allow it to cool completely before freezing and freeze on the day it is baked to preserve freshness.

It should be frozen in an airtight container or well wrapped to protect from freezer burn. Allow it to defrost at room temperature.

If you have frozen the whole loaf you can refresh it in a low oven for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Can I Make It Gluten-Free?:

No, I’m afraid that you cannot use gluten free flour. Making gluten free bread is tricky and the entire recipe would need reworking. Gluten free baking is not my area of expertise so I cannot advise you.

It is best to use a recipe that is designed to be gluten free rather than trying to adapt a non gluten free recipe.

More Vegan Bread Recipes:

• Vegan Hokkaido milk bread
• Vegan white sandwich bread
• Vegan brioche
• Vegan challah
• Vegan pesto bread
• Easy flatbreads (vegan, no yeast)
• Vegan beer pretzels
• Vegan pulla bread (cardamom bread)

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