bread....

andywiggum · #1 02-06-2003, 02:50 AM

ok, so what brand of bread does everyone use? I can't find normal bread at stores that appears to be vegan by reading the ingredients, and i tried some "ezikial" or something or other frozen bread, and it was god awful! please let me know what everyone does for bread...if you guys say make your own i'm S.O.L. i'm a young vegan in a meat eating family and have never made bread before...although i could try

KayKay · #2 02-06-2003, 05:27 AM

Do you have a Trader Joe's nearby?I just bought some of their store brand Maple Wheat bread and really like it!

Lucy S · #3 02-06-2003, 05:39 AM

sorry - we make our own because, although we can find vegan bread at health food stores in Toronto, it is ridiculously expensive. We have a bread machine - a very very worthwhile investment for vegans in my opinion. If your family has one, I would suggest trying to use it. Or, if possible, try to convince your family of the benefits of getting one. In the end, it saves money.

alexis · #4 02-06-2003, 05:46 AM

i've got a pretty good bread recipe somewhere around....i tried it once, is pretty much idiot-proof and turns out good but seemed quite dense to me...would you like it?

reb_granger · #5 02-06-2003, 07:15 AM

Alexis, I'd like the recipe if you can find it! I'm actually on the lookout for tasty bread recipes.

andywiggum · #6 02-06-2003, 01:49 PM

i would like any recipes available, i'll try cooking anything at least once. I do want a bread machine, i have convinced my parents so far to get me a rice cooker, and blender to make cooking easier for me.

molly · #7 02-06-2003, 03:13 PM

I have come across only one brand of bread besides the Ezekial's (which I agree is a bit strange) that is definitely vegan. It's called Mathew's or Matthew's Naturals maybe? I know Mathew (with either 1 or 2 T's) is the first word. Don't know how widely available it is though. It's nothing special, but it's pretty normal bread. And it is sadly the cheapest bread at my local natural food store ($2.99/loaf, I believe?). I would love an idiot-proof bread recipe too.

Teejay · #8 02-06-2003, 05:43 PM

I do make our own bread for all the reasons people have given above. I also occasionally buy the Ezekiel's bread but can't rely on it because (a) only two of us can eat it -- and I agree it can be pretty hard to stomach, and (b) it's so expensive -- though of course you are paying for quality and purity of food...

Plain white bread I make from a recipe that I altered slightly from one for White Amish bread. (They used a lot of sugar, which I don't use.)

Take 1 sachet yeast & dissolve in two-thirds cup of warm water, till it foams. Mix three cups flour with about 3 dessertspoons of gluten flour (otherwise bread is too crumbly), a pinch of salt, and a small slurp of olive oil. Make a well in this and pour the yeast mix in -- combine well. If you need to add more warm water at this stage to get a nice elastic dough (depends on temperature of room and day), do so! Flour a bowl and let the ball of dough rise in it, covered with a damp cloth, for about half an hour. Then punch the dough down flat again, knead well, and place in an oiled & floured loaf tin. Let it rise, covered, in the loaf tin, while you preheat the oven to 350 deg F. When risen well above tin level, bake for half an hour or till lightly golden brown on top and it sounds hollow when knocked.

This is really easy, all you have to do is remember to leave enough time for the rising ("proving") -- other than that it is not time-consuming.

The white flour I use is Bob's Redmill who have confirmed for me via email that the ingredients used to enrich the flour are not from animal sources. It's not the cheapest flour but you can get it in Kroger's and you get many loaves from one bag.

If you want to make two loaves at a time, just use a larger bowl and double the quantities, bake together at the same time.

The only problem with this bread is that it tastes so good, it doesn't last long!

alexis · #9 02-07-2003, 03:53 AM

here's the web address to the recipe...it's pretty long so i won't put it on here...
http://www.geocities.com/NapaValley/4496/kitchen.html

Go to the basic wholegrain bread recipe link somewhere in the paragraph on the screen

duckie1978 · #10 02-07-2003, 08:33 AM

Wait, most breads aren't vegan at the grocery stores? I have found some breads at the mass market stores that don't have sugars, honey or dairy in them. Is there something else I should be looking for?

The Ezekial bread is weird at first but I love it toasted. After a while you just get adjusted to it. Or you make your own :0)

But seriously, is there something else I should be looking for?

Erin Pavlina · #11 02-07-2003, 08:59 AM

Most of the bread at my regular grocery store is not vegan. It usually contains whey, casein, or lactic acid (probably dairy derived). You also have to look at some of the chemical ingredients like stearic acid or sodium steroyl lactylate. Could be animal derived.

To me, bread should have water, flour, yeast, and salt, and very little else, ya know? When I pick up bread in the grocery store and see 20 ingredients, most of which I can't pronounce, I'm thinking, "What the hell is this?"

Food For Life also makes vegan bread. My husband and toddler love the "healthy" breads, but I don't like them as much.

I ususlly eat sourdough or rye.