Dairy Free Bread

Learn how to make dairy-free bread that bakes perfectly every single time. It’s crusty on the outside, pillowy on the inside, and full of flavor!

I’ve come up with quite a few bread recipes in my day (like protein bread and low calorie bread), but this dairy free bread recipe has got to be a new family favorite. 

Made entirely without dairy (or eggs or yeast, for that matter), this easy bread recipe has the perfect texture, with a great crust on the outside and a fluffy, soft center. Plus, it toasts beautifully, so you can easily incorporate this quick bread into your everyday routine. 

Table of Contents

1. Recipe highlights
2. Ingredients needed
3. How to make bread without dairy
4. What to serve with dairy-free bread
5. Tips to make the best recipe
6. Flavor variations
7. Storage instructions
8. Frequently asked questions
9. More dairy-free recipes to try
10. Dairy Free Bread (Recipe Card)

Recipe highlights

• Quick and easy. Like our coconut flour bread, the step-by-step process is deceptively simple. Just combine the milk and vinegar, let it sit, then mix up the bread batter, shape the loaf, and let it bake.
• Simple ingredients. No oddball ingredients needed here! Just a handful of pantry staples you probably have on hand already. 
• Freezer-friendly. This bread freezes extremely well, so I like to make a double-batch and store the extra loaf for last-minute bread emergencies. 
• Vegan and easy to make gluten-free. This recipe makes naturally vegan bread, and it can easily be made gluten-free by using gluten-free flour. 

What we love about this recipe is how versatile it is! It makes perfect sandwich bread, toast, or even French toast. Plus, since it’s so easy to make, you can enjoy homemade bread on a weekly basis.

Ingredients needed

No fancy ingredients are needed here. Just a few simple pantry staples. Here’s what you’ll need:

• Milk. I prefer oat milk, but you could use any non-dairy milk you prefer. 
• White vinegar. When combined with milk, the vinegar will curdle and give us a great buttermilk substitute. Apple cider and malt vinegar could also work, but the flavor would be quite overpowering. I haven’t tried this recipe with lemon juice, though I don’t see why it wouldn’t work. 
• All-purpose flour. I used regular white AP flour, but whole wheat or gluten-free flour blend could also work. If you do go the gluten-free route, I highly recommend Bob’s Red Mill. 
• Baking soda. To give the rise in the bread without needing yeast.
• Salt. Just a pinch for a little extra flavor. 
• Sugar. For a touch extra flavor, especially when combined with the salt. I’ve also used honey and it works great, though it technically isn’t vegan.

Find the printable recipe with measurements below.

How to make bread without dairy

Step 1- Prep work. Preheat the oven to 400F/200C. Line a baking sheet or pan with parchment paper. 

Step 2- Curdle milk. In a small bowl, combine the milk and vinegar and let sit until it curdles, for around 10 minutes. 

Step 3- Combine the ingredients. In a large bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer, combine flour, salt, sugar, and baking soda. Add the curdled milk in two increments, mixing between each until just combined. 

Step 4- Shape the loaf. Lightly flour a kitchen surface. Sprinkle a tablespoon of flour on the dough and transfer it to the floured surface. Gently knead the dough 8-10 times and form a dome shape. The dough should still be quite sticky. Using a sharp knife, slice twice across the dough to form a cross shape around ½ inch thick. 

Step 5- Bake. Transfer the bread dough onto the prepared baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes, checking at the 20-minute mark. The bread is cooked when it’s golden brown, and a hollow sound is made when the bread is tapped. 

Step 6- Cool, slice, and serve. Remove from the oven and let it cool completely, then slice, toast, and serve. 

Tips to make the best recipe

• Avoid overmixing the dough. My #1 tip for making homemade bread is only to mix until the ingredients are fully combined. Otherwise, too much gluten will develop, and you’ll be left with a dense, chewy bread. 
• Don’t over-knead either. Like mixing, you can accidentally knead out all the air in the bread, so only knead 8-10 times, max. 
• Sift the dry ingredients. I’ll admit I don’t always adhere to this advice, but I know that sifting the flour makes for lighter, more airy bread. 
• Slice with a serrated knife. I strongly recommend using a serrated bread knife to slice the bread since that will help break through the crust without smashing the bread as you slice. 
• Use loaf pans. When I want a more traditional bread loaf shape, I’ll split the dough in half and bake it in two greased loaf pans. 

Flavor variations

The beauty of this quick bread is that its pretty much a blank canvas. I like to change up the ingredients to change it’s flavor and texture. Here’s what I’ve tried:

• Oatmeal bread. Swap 2 tablespoons of flour with rolled oats, and sprinkle some oats on top before baking the bread. 
• Raisin bread. Fold through ¼-½ cup of raisins into the dough. For a sweeter bread, add ¼ cup of sugar. 
• Walnut currant bread. Fold through ¼ cup of chopped walnuts and ¼ cup of dried currants (or cranberries).
• Whole grain bread. Use whole wheat flour and add ¼ cup of mixed seeds into the dough, and sprinkle some on top before baking. 
• Rosemary bread. Add 1 tablespoon of rosemary and ½ teaspoon of extra salt, and sprinkle coarse sea salt on top before baking. 

Storage instructions

To store: Leftover bread can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2-3 days. If you’d like it to stay fresher longer, store it in the fridge for up to 1 week. 

To freeze: Place any leftover bread in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 6 months. Let the frozen bread thaw overnight at room temperature before toasting and enjoying.

Frequently asked questions

More dairy-free recipes to try

• Dairy free cookies– 6 equally delicious cookie recipes, all totally dairy free!
• Lemon bars– Sweet yet tart dessert bars, all for less than 100 calories per serving. 
• Vegan strawberry cake– Super moist cake made with fresh strawberries and a bright strawberry frosting. 
• Applesauce cookies– AKA my current favorite holiday cookie recipe. 
• Turkish delight– Delicately flavored, this is one of my favorite recipes for sharing.

Recipe originally published April 2020 but updated to include new information for your benefit.