Full disclosure, this recipe is not gluten free. It’s more of a gluten experiment that I’ve been wanting to try ever since I heard that some gluten sensitive people can eat bread while in Europe without any negative side effects. (Just to be clear, I’m not referring to anyone with a severe wheat or gluten intolerance. And I’m not a medical professional, I’m a vegan mom looking for a way to bake a vegan bread that my wheat-sensitive husband can enjoy.) For those of us who suffer from mild side effects due to gluten and wheat, then this easy vegan bread using European flour might be something you’d like to try.

After perusing some research and reading reviews about different flours from Europe, I found a package of Molino Grassi Organic Italian “00” Soft Wheat Flour on Amazon.
Several of the gluten-sensitive reviewers raved about how baking with this soft wheat flour made it possible for them to eat bread and pastries again. Their stories all shared a theme—these folks indulged in all the incredible breads and pastries while vacationing in Europe without any of the gluten-related flare-ups that they would normally experience back home in the United States. They figured out that there was something different about the wheat in Europe. According to How Stuff Works, American wheat tends to be “hard wheat” and wheat grown in Europe is “soft.” There’s less gluten in soft wheat and it breaks down easier, which may be why gluten-sensitive people can enjoy European bread and pastries. The Molino Grassi soft wheat flour is organic and made from wheat grown in Italy, so I decided that this was the one to try in my gluten bread-baking experiment. Add to cart, check-out, and click—my soft wheat flour from Italy was on its way.

The bread recipe I tried was created by Loving It Vegan and it’s only five ingredients. That’s right, only five ingredients and no kneading! All you need is water, flour, quick-rise yeast, maple syrup, and salt. I swapped in the Molino Grassi soft wheat flour instead of whole wheat flour, and my loaf of bread turned out incredible. It baked up light in color with a firm, chewy crust. For the baking temperature, Loving It Vegan specifies 390 degrees, but I rounded up to 400 degrees for 40 minutes. And I used the convection baking mode that’s built into my oven that’s designed for baking bread evenly.

Visit Loving It Vegan’s website for her No-Fail Whole Wheat bread recipe, or continue reading below for my recipe variation.

Note: This recipe was inspired by Loving It Vegan.

I like to store my homemade bread in a linen bread bag on the counter. I tried using a large ziplock bag, but the crust got too soft for my liking. Since there are no preservatives in homemade bread, it only lasts a few days, but these natural linen bread bags are just the right storage method for keeping the crunch in the crust with a soft, chewy middle. If you decide to use these bags, cut your bread slices from the inside out, so that by the end of the loaf all you are left with are the two end pieces. (Cut the loaf in half, then work your way out.)

After I made my first loaf of homemade bread, I realized that I didn’t own a bread knife. (I know, how is that possible?!) I ordered this Tojiro Bread Slicer and it has made slicing bread so easy. It’s very sharp, has an easy to grip wooden handle, and I can slice a pretty thin slice of bread if I want to. Oh, and this Oneida Bamboo Slotted Bread Board helps keep the crumbs away.

Honestly, I had no idea that homemade bread would be this good! And now I think I’ve hooked my entire family on it. My kids devoured it plain and also with a bit of Earth Balance butter spread on top. As for my wheat-sensitive husband, he hasn’t reported any side effects yet, but I’ll update this post if he does have a reaction to it over the next two weeks.

NOTE: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.