Fortunately for Vegans, many types of bread are vegan-friendly and there is a wide variety to choose from.
Vegan Bread meets the definition of vegan when it is usually made from the four basic ingredients: flour, water, salt, yeast. Of course, bread can be made with other ingredients and may still be considered to be vegan.
Ingredients such as:
- Date Honey, Date syrup, Date Molasses
- Herbs and spices
- Fruits. Raisins are a very common additive and sweetener.
- Vegetables
- Nuts
Not all bread is created equal, so not all bread meets the definition of vegan bread.
When talking about the ingredients bread is made of, the yeast stands out as the first questionable component…
Is Yeast and/or Sourdough Starter Vegan?
Yes, Yeast is vegan and it has PETA stamp of approval on it!
Yeasts are unicellular fungi that turn sugar and starch into carbon dioxide and alcohol gasses, making them useful allies in making bread.
The yeast belongs to the fungus family so if you eat mushrooms as part of your diet, it is safe to say you can eat yeast as well.
PETA, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is satisfied when living creatures do not suffer any cruelty or exploitation of any kind in order to get to our plate.
As PETA mention in their website “yeast is everywhere—in your body and in the air, and it’s not derived from animals“.
I say if it’s good enough for PETA, it’s good enough for us.
Now that we got that out of the way we can continue.
Vegan Deal breaker Ingredients
Some types of bread are non-vegan by definition because they use non-vegan ingredients. Ingredients such as eggs, milk, butter or honey, do not meet this definition of course. Basically no animal products or by-products can be in the recipe.
Some ingredients are harder to spot such as gelatin, or casein ( these are proteins that derive from milk ). These ingredients are also out of bounds and do not meet the vegan bread definition.
What To Look For When Shopping For Vegan Bread. 2 Easy Tips
- Check the label. If you see ingredients that you can’t pronounce just stay away from it is as you shouldn’t be eating that bread in the first place, whether you are a vegan or not. 🙂
- Check the allergy warnings. They have to list dairy and eggs on there.
FAQ: Are These Types Of Bread Vegan?
Before you delve into the fine print on the bread label, take a look at this bread. These types of bread are usually (but not always) vegan-friendly, so you might want to start on this list since the chances are bigger to be vegan safe.
Is Rye Bread Bread Vegan?
Yes, it is! This bread made of the rye grain considered vegan.
As you can imagine there are many types and recipes for rye bread, but in the vast majority of recipes, there is no use of ingredients from the animal kingdom and the bread holds with the strict vegan standards.
For tips on making 100% German Rye bread from a master baker, click on this article.
Verdict:
For Rye bread, I would always suggest checking the label or speak to the baker at your local bakery just to make sure as some do add honey to this dough but it is very rare.
Is Sourdough Bread Vegan?
Sourdough bread covers a very wide range of recipes. Doughs that are made with a sourdough starter are considered to be sourdough bread. For example, french bread, baguettes, many types of rye bread (especially german rye bread) are all sourdough bread.
The basic ingredients of sourdough bread are flour, water, salt and wild yeast (your sourdough starter), vegan heaven, but (there’s always a but 🙂 ) from that to determine that all sourdough bread are vegan is a difficult statement to make.
It is not common but you can find sourdough bread with dairy products in them or honey as a sweetener. For the most part, you should be safe with sourdough bread.
Verdict:
For Sourdough bread I would have to say that about 99% of sourdough bread are vegan-friendly. You can do a quick check online for sourdough bread recipes and it will be very difficult to find one with any animal byproducts in them.
Is Ezekial Bread Vegan?
This bread is a natural choice for vegans.
It is a flourless bread made from whole sprouted wheat and it’s often backed with no added milk, honey or eggs.
This bread is a great protein source, It typically has a dense texture and is very rich in vitamins.
Verdict:
For Ezekial bread, I say go for it!
Is French Baguette Vegan?
This French bread is truly a gift that the Franch bestowed on us, and the rest of the world:)
If done well it has a crispy crust on the outside and soft crumbs on the inside, just amazing really. To be sure you get a vegan Baguette just asks for a traditional baguette. These ones are made in the old methods and use only 4 ingredients: water, flour, yeast, and salt. If you really want to see how the professionals do it check out The best baguettes in France article.
Verdict:
If you happen to be in France and so not speak the language, and I can assure you the French will not speak English to you, you can rest assure that their baguettes are Vegan-friendly and you should not have anything to worry about.
Is Foccacia or Ciabatta Bread Vegan?
This Italian flatbread is a great appetizer for the whole family or for hosting friends. Its a particularly sociable dish that will go hand in hand with just about anything you combine it with.
Most (but not all) focaccias are vegan-friendly, using olive oil as its fat source the rest of the ingredients are water, salt, flour, yeast and sometimes sourdough starter.
If you want to make your own Foccacia check out these incredible tips from an Italian bread expert right here.
Verdict:
For Foccacia or Ciabatta, I say most chances are it’s vegan-friendly, go for it!
Is Pitta Bread Vegan
Pita or Pita bread is made by many cultures especially in the middle east and also around the Mediterranean regions.
I myself LOVE pita. Especially hot out of the oven. The basic pita is made from flour, water, salt, and yeast and is a great option for sandwiches or a great way to consume one of the most favorite dishes by vegans Hummus.
I personally do not ever recall seeing or using any recipe to make pita bread with anything other than the basic ingredients mentioned above. I do know of a recipe for pita that has one extra ingredient in it but it a fruit and is still in the realm of vegan-friendly,
Verdict:
If you are traveling in the middle east you can rest assured that your pita bread will be vegan-friendly.
FAQ: Bread that is not always but can easily accommodate a vegan diet
Is Pumpernickel Bread Vegan?
Pumpernickel bread considered is for the most part vegan-friendly but I have seen recipes with honey in them. You can always replace the honey with malt which is a common ingredient used in many bread recipes when you want to add a bit of color or sweetness.
Verdict:
For Pumpernickel Bread the jury is undecisive. it can go either way. However, if you make it yourself you can make it vegan-friendly.
Is Whole Wheat Bread Vegan?
Whole wheat bread can be categorized by any bread that has whole wheat flour in it ( does not have to be 100% whole wheat flour ). So by this definition, you would find many versions of whole wheat bread that may or may not be vegan-friendly.
There are so many versions/recipes for whole wheat bread out there, I cannot tell for sure if there is a concrete yes or no to this one.
Whole wheat bread became more popular around the late 80’s and through the ’90s and up to today.
Whole wheat flour is used for so many different kinds of bread as a way to market a product that is ” healthier ” than its original or traditional recipe.
We have a great article here comparing whole wheat to white flour and the results might surprise you.
Verdict:
For Whole Wheat Bread check the label. If you make it yourself it is easily be made vegan-friendly.
Is Multigrain Bread Vegan?
Multigrain Bread is definitely vegan-friendly and making slight changes in the recipe can instantly make this bread to be vegan approved. להשלים
Verdict:
For Multigrain Bread I say that for the most part, the coast is clear. especially if you make it yourself.
Are Bagels Vegan-Friendly
Not all bagels are created equal. Whether Montreal, New York, bagels on most occasions are not made with any animal or animal by-products but you can find some bakeries that do use eggs to enrich the dough so you need to make sure to always ask or check the label.
Verdict:
This one is on the fence so make sure to check the lable or ask the baker.
FAQ: Which Bread Are Definitely Not Vegan
Is Naan Bread Vegan?
When I was traveling in India (an amazing country with amazing food) I came across Nan all the time. This Indian flatbread is served with almost every dish and is a staple in Indian cuisine. That being said there is yogurt in the recipe and it is fried up in clarified butter.
Verdict:
For Naan bread, Not Vegan.
Is Honey Wheat Bread Vegan?
The name of the bread should give you a clue. If one of the ingredients is honey it means the bread can not be vegan. There goes Honey Wheat Bread out the window…
Verdict:
For Honey Wheat Bread the answer is crystal clear. If you’re vegan, stay away!
Is Cornbread Vegan?
Unfortunately, this crumbly rich bread is not vegan-friendly. Its recipe calls for eggs and milk (or buttermilk) therefore it does not meed vegan standards.
Verdict:
For Cornbread its a no. Made with eggs and derry ingredients it’s out of the question.
Is Banana Bread Vegan?
While the name suggests it banana “bread” is not actually bread. It is a cake. A delicious cake if you are not vegan. Banana bread like most cakes is made with eggs and, but not always, with milk or butter.
Verdict:
For Banana Bread, I’m afraid it’s a hard pass.
Is Challah Bread Vegan?
I really like Challah but unfortunately, it is out of bounds for vegans. In baking challah, you’re bound to use eggs and milk, and if it is sweet challah then there is a chance that honey is also used. The bottom line: All the problematic products are in one bread.
Verdict:
Challa bread is definitely a No for the Vegan diet.
Is Brioche Bread Vegan?
Brioche and Challah are very similar in terms of structure and ingredients. Brioche is usually loaded with eggs and butter so the verdict, much like the challah, will be a hard no. Brioche is not a vegan bread. Sorry.
Verdict:
For Brioche Bread its a NO NO. Sorry…
12 Commercial Vegan Bread You Should Know
Not everyone has the desire or ability to bake vegan bread. If you are one of these people, here is a list of commercial vegan bread that you should know and are in most of the major supermarkets.
My recommendation, by the way, is always to buy your bread at a bakery where the bread is fresh but if there is no choice, here is the list:
- Aldi
- Arnold bread
- Ezekiel- Food For Life
- Thomas Bagel
- Bloomfield farm – gluten-free & vegan
- Dave’s Killer Bread
- Three Bakers
- Simply Nature
- La Tortilla Factory
- Nature’s Own
- Ener-G
- Engine 2