Vegan Garlic Herb Bread - My Vegan Minimalist (2024)

My vegan garlic herb bread is a showstopper like no other. It's gorgeous, but so easy to make you practically can't go wrong. Bursting with flavour and beginner friendly.

Why this recipe works

1. The crunch of this bread is like no other.
2. A real showstopper!
3. A lot easier to make than it looks.
4. So much better than store-bought garlic bread!
5. Easily to customise (simply use any herbs you want)

You'll find full instructions including US and EU measurements below. But first, let's see what you'll need.

The Ingredients

To make your delicious vegan garlic herb bread you'll need:

A Few Ingredient Notes

Basil: I used fresh basil.

Coriander (cilantro in the US): I used fresh coriander.

Parsley and thyme: I used both of these dried.

Oil: I suggest using a light vegetable oil such as olive or sunflower oil.

Yeast: I used instant yeast(sometimes called quick-rise yeast orfast-acting yeast).

Step-by-step Instructions

This is a quick & foolproof visual guide through the recipe.

*A detailed (including measurements) recipe card that you can print is waiting for you at the bottom of this post.

1. Combine the warm water and yeast in a large bowl. Add oil, then the flour, and lastly salt (on top of the flour).

2. Stir the mixture until it comes together to form a dough. Turn the dough and knead for 5-10 minutes until it springs back when touched.

3. Shape into a ball, cover and leave to rise for an hour (or until doubled in size). In the meantime, make your filling by mixing all the filling ingredients.

4. Once risen use your fists to knock the air out of the dough.

5. Use your hands to shape the dough into a rough rectangle. Then roll it out into a thin rectangle.

6. Divide the filling equally over the dough.

7. You want a thick and short roll so start rolling the dough on one of the short sides.

8. To twist your dough, cut a slit down the middle of the roll, leaving the top part uncut.

9. Turn the filling to the outside, revealing the herb paste dressing.

10. Fold one part of the roll over the other, keeping the filling exposed.

11. Repeat until you've reached all the way to the bottom.

12. Finish by pinching the two halves together and tucking the pinched part under the loaf.

13. Cover with cling film (use glasses to hold up the cling film to prevent from touching the dough) for a final proof of 45 minutes.

14. Once the loaf has proofed (doubled in size) brush your loaf with almond milk and bake for 30-35 minutes at 190°C / 374°F (fan oven setting) until golden brown.

My Top Tips

1. Use bread flour

I can't stress the importance of this enough. This recipe simply won't work unless you use bread flour.

Wondering why? Bread flour is higher in protein and has better gluten development. This results in a fluffy, crunchy, well-shaped bread.

Plain flour, on the other hand, builds up less stretch in the dough and causes the dough to tear when baked.

2. Separate your yeast and salt

Salt will kill your yeast and inhibit the rise. This is why it's important to keep the yeast and salt separated until you form your dough.

3. Don’t use hot water

Another yeast destroyer is hot water! Make sure to use lukewarm (not hot) water. The water should be warm to the touch, but not burning hot or cold.

Find out why hot water can kill yeast here.

4. Knead until the dough springs back

Another friendly tip from someone that's baked this exact bread a dozen times.

Make sure that you knead your dough for long enough. If your dough is under-kneaded, it will lose its distinct shape when baked.

To get that gorgeous twist, make sure to knead until the dough springs back when you press your fingers into it.

5. Pinch the end

The key to creating a lovely twist shape? The pinch and fold! By pinching and folding your dough at the bottom you will prevent it from unravelling in the oven.

FAQs

Possible Ingredient Substitutions

Here are a few ways you could substitute the ingredients in this bread.

• Oil – Any light vegetable oil will work but use a good quality oil as you will get the flavour coming through.

• Almond milk – any plant milk will work for brushing so don’t worry if you haven’t got almond milk at hand. Tip: do make sure you're using unsweetened plant milk and avoid coconut milk due to it's strong taste.

• Basil and other herbs - not a fan of some of the herbs in this recipe? No problem. Don't feel obliged to use exactly the same herbs as the ones listed in the recipe. You can experiment with various other ones such as oregano and chives.

If you liked my vegan garlic herb bread, make sure to check out my other favourite bread recipes. Some of the most popular ones are the orange cardamom bun, blueberry knot buns and dinner rolls. Or you can check out my entire recipes section here.

Thanks for sticking with me until the end! Happy bread-making!

🍴Recipe