One of the most well loved and well thumbed books on my kitchen bookshelf is The Complete Guide to Vegan Food Substitutions, co-authored by Celine Steen. It’s a book every vegan ought to have as a no-fail resource. So, of course I was thrilled at the chance to review Whole Grain Vegan Baking, written by both Celine Steen and Tamasin Noyes. It’s any bread fiend’s dream. These women are miracle workers. Even though I consider myself an ardent bread-maker, I’d yet to master bread that’s soft and fluffy AND completely whole grain. I’ll be sharing that recipe with you below, (with permission of course), but first feast your eyes on some of the recipes I’ve tested since receiving my copy of Whole Grain Vegan Baking.
Two ingredients I haven’t worked with before in my kitchen have become near and dear to my heart after making some of these creations. Whole Grain Spelt Flour and Sucanat.
The spelt flour adds lightness and eliminates the need to cut whole wheat or other whole grain blends with all purpose white flour to make them less hefty. It’s an ancient form of wheat that is high in protein. It lends a subtle nutty flavor to foods.
Sucanat is a contraction of “Sugar Cane Natural”, It is a whole cane sugar. It’s made by crushing freshly cut sugar cane, extracting the juice and heating it in a large vat. It’s less refined than raw sugar and tastes much like brown sugar because of it’s high molasses content. It adds a lovely caramel flavor to the foods you bake it with. It is an excellent source of iron, calcium, vitamin B6, potassium and chromium, which helps balance blood sugar.
Savory Spinach Loaf made with Roasted Spanish Onions. I hadn’t made a savory quick bread before this one and now I wonder why! It made my socks go up and down. I swear it was much prettier than I could capture with the photos.
Did you used to be a “Cheese” Cracker fan too? These should help with the withdrawals…
This focaccia was every bit as tasty as one made from white flour. I’ll be making it again and again.
A less sweet treat than you might expect. This would go perfectly paired with a green smoothie for your breakfast (perhaps minus the icing in that case) 😉
Now the moment you’ve been waiting for… Super soft and tasty, I didn’t believe this kind of tenderness was possible with all whole grains.
Whole Grain Burger Buns (and Sandwich Bread!)
Hats off to our friend Kelly Cavalier for thinking of using whole spelt flour instead of all-purpose flour in Celine’s recipe making this bread 100% whole grain, super soft, and even better than the original version.
- 1 cup (235 ml) lukewarm water
- 21⁄4 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 22 to 44 g (1 to 2 tablespoons) molasses or barley malt syrup, to taste
- 210 g (11⁄2 cups) whole spelt flour
- 180 g (11⁄2 cups) whole wheat flour, more if needed
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) neutral-flavored oil
Combine the water, yeast, and molasses in a medium-size bowl. Let sit for 5 minutes for the yeast to activate. Place the flours and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add the oil and yeast mixture on top.
Mix until a smooth and pliable dough forms, about 6 minutes. Add extra whole wheat flour, 1 tablespoon (8 g) at a time, if needed.
Alternatively, transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead for 8 minutes, adding extra whole wheat flour, 1 tablespoon (8 g) at a time if needed, until the dough is smooth and pliable. Shape the dough into a ball, place back in the bowl, cover tightly with plastic, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 1 to 11⁄2 hours. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
Gently deflate the dough. Divide it into 6 equal portions; shape into round burger buns. Place on the prepared baking sheet. Loosely cover with plastic wrap. Let rest for 30 minutes, until puffed.
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C, or gas mark 6). Carefully remove the plastic wrap from the buns.
Bake for 14 minutes, or until the buns are golden brown on top and sound hollow when the bottoms are lightly tapped. Let cool on a wire rack.
Yield: 6 burger buns
Serving Suggestions & Variations
Make a sandwich bread out of the dough by dividing it into 3 equal portions after the first rise, placing them in an 8 x 4-inch (20 x 10 cm) loaf pan coated with nonstick cooking spray. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 40 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C, or gas mark 5). Bake for 25 minutes, until golden brown and the bottom sounds hollow when tapped. Remove from the pan and let cool on a wire rack.
Buy ”Whole Grain Vegan Baking” in paperback book on Amazon here or the Kindle version here
Visit Celine Steen at her site Have Cake Will Travel here
Visit Tamasin Noyes at her site Vegan Appetite here
For a chance to win a copy of this amazing cookbook, Click on the link below to enter the Giveaway! This contest is open to entrants in the USA and Canada only. You must also follow this blog by email or RSS feed to qualify. You have until Thursday the 18th of July to enter! I will notify the winner by email on Monday the 22nd. GO!!
Vedged Out 
I have a variety of flours that I’m learning to use. Spelt is one of my favorites.
I know this book is a winner already! I learned & read about it on many blogs already & love each recipe that every blogger has shown me. Too bad that the contest is not open for us, the Europeans! 😦
This book looks great. I love how you used wholemeal spelt flour in the bread roll recipe. I’m a big fan of spelt flour!
The other recipes look amazing too.
I’m going to check this book out on kindle.
🙂
I have had this book in my Amazon wish list since it was available for pre-order. Can’t wait to get it…well, hopefully win it!
I love whole wheat and spelt ofcourse
I love baking with whole wheat, but I have begun experimenting with millet and barley in more savory meals!
I haven’t tried many “alternate grains”, but I have a whole wheat honey bread recipe that I love!
Oh yeah. I’m either winning this or buying it.
what a great book!
Really impressive!! I want this book 🙂
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The recipes you made look delicious! I love baking with whole spelt flour – it is so light! I love to make spelt flour scones. Yesterday I made them with raspberries and chocolate chips.
I really want to learn to make great whole grain bread. Thanks for the tip about spelt flour.
Whole wheat and spelt flour are my favorite.
I would love to win the book! My favorite whole grain to bake with is ground oats. I had to look it up and make sure they are whole grain. They are. I love how the oats stabilize my blood sugar and make me feel full for a long time.
Noochy crackers? Are you kidding me! MUST HAVE.
I’m serious…..MUST. HAVE.
I immediately put in a request to our local library to get this cookbook. Of course, if I won a copy for myself, I wouldn’t complain! 😉 (I’m very excited, because it looks like I may be able to start eating wheat again, so I could actually use these recipes. Since I added Vit. D – lots of it – to my supplements, I haven’t ached all over when I eat wheat on occasion.)
Oops – I didn’t see that I was supposed to add what my favorite grain is. That would be wheat – although, I’ve learned to bake with spelt, brown rice, buckwheat, etc., since having to lay off of the wheat. I love to make cookies with whole wheat flour.
I want that book!! A giveaway for me finally 😉 Love all that yumminess – particularly intrigues by those crumble bare and the focaccia, yummy! Fantastic, I love these posts of yours – they really showcase how busy you are in the kitchen. Makes one happy just to think of it 🙂 xx
I use spelt flour very regularly and love it! Thanks for the recipe!
I LOVE spelt flour. I love how light it is and that awesome nutty flavor it gives stuff. Wish it wasn’t so pricey though!
whole wheat flour is my fav
I need those burger buns in my life! 🙂
I like spelt flour & white whole wheat flour. I would love to have this book, thanks for the chance to win a copy!
I love whole wheat!
lovely dishes. enter in to raffle too.
I have this book and love it! But would love to win a copy to give as a gift 🙂 We are eating the raisin bannocks now!
I got this book pretty recently and have been loving it! Everything I’ve made has been great!
We have this book and love it, but would love to win a copy to give as a goft 🙂 Whole wheat pastry flour is my fave!
I like to bake with oats!
Courtney
ooh those burger buns and that focaccia, i am sold! i use many flour in baking including spelt, but usually use spelt in whole grain cake or cocokie baking. Not much in bread.. now thats somthing i have to try!
That spinach loaf. Ummm. You have been holding out!
I love using whole wheat pastry flour to make yummy, healthier baked goods!
Wow Wow Wow! These look incredible, especially that spinach loaf…. I want them all :-). I use spelt alot, and recently found sprouted spelt flour, along with whole wheat. I also have experimented with almond and coconut for gluten-free baking.
My simply préfered whole grain is whole wheat ! Use in everything called for wheat ! 🙂
I like to use whole wheat pastry flour in baking.
White whole wheat flour is great in place of white flour.
I use White Whole Wheat Flour in my recipes.
I like to use spelt flour for my pie crust
Wow girl, I’m highly impressed by the array of recipes you’ve made! 🙂 Everything looks beautiful. And the bun sounds like a must try.
Spelt is my favorite whole grain. I haven’t done any baking with it yet.
Wow~! I’ve been missing out so I would LOVE to have this book! Thanks for the bun recipe . . . I’ve been wanting to make a whole wheat bun but know it would be heavy. I’ll try the spelt flour. How are you feeling these days???
I like soft white wheat (that I grind myself) for making cakes and pie crusts
Wow these recipes look stunning! What a wonderful recipe book (and beautifully photographed by yourself (o;)
Whole wheat flour is such a standard in my baking. This morning I made muffins with it. I hate to use white flour…so tasteless and dead.
I absolutely adore baking with spelt flour- it is pure magic!
The icing on your carrot cashew loaf is PERFECT- xo