Soft Whey Bread (No-Knead)
This quick and easy whole wheat whey bread recipe uses leftover liquid whey from yogurt making to create a soft, pillowy texture and fine crumb. The protein-packed sandwich loaf requires no kneading and is ready in 2 1/2 hours. Bread maker instructions included.
Since I started making Instant Pot Greek yogurt at home as part of my weekly meal prep routine, I’ve been looking for recipes that use leftover whey. Baking with whey enhances the texture and flavor of many baked goods, including breads, rolls, whey pancakes, whey waffles, and whey scones.
Just like my spelt bread, this yogurt whey bread takes only 2 1/2 hours to make from start to finish and uses a few staple ingredients only. Wholemeal loaves can easily be firm in texture but this soft whole wheat bread is perfect for sandwiches.
Acid whey which is also known as sour whey is a byproduct of acid types of dairy products including cottage cheese and strained yogurt. Adding acid whey to your baked goods will increase their protein levels, and create a finer crumb and golden crust.
For more easy bread recipes, check out my seeded rye bread and cold-fermented bread as well.
If you loved this Whey Bread Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating below. Thank you!
Whey Bread (No-Knead)
Ingredients
- 2 cups whey liquid, lukewarm
- 1 1/2 tsp instant yeast
- 3 cups whole wheat flour
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds optional
- 1 tbsp light olive oil
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the lukewarm whey and yeast. Stir to combine. Make sure the whey is lukewarm between 100 and 110 F (36.5 to 40.5 C).2 cups whey, 1 1/2 tsp instant yeast
- Add the dry ingredients including both flours and the salt. Mix until fully combined – about 2-3 minutes. The dough will be wet and sticky. Don't add any additional flour or the bread will end up dry.3 cups whole wheat flour, 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 1/2 tsp sea salt
- Cover the bowl with a tea towel or plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm place for 1 hour. The dough will rise by about 1/3 during this time.
- Preheat the oven to 350F/180C.
- Grease a bread loaf tin with light olive oil or line it with parchment paper to prevent the loaf from sticking to the pan or line it which parchment paper. Transfer the dough to the tin. Let it rise for another 30 minutes.1 tbsp light olive oil
- Add the pumpkin seeds on top of the loaf and bake it in the preheated oven for 40 minutes. If the bread is getting too dark during baking, cover the loaf with baking paper.1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
- Remove the bread from the loaf tin after about 10 minutes and let it fully cool on a wire rack before slicing it with a sharp knife.Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Ingredients and substitutions
- Whey – I use leftover yogurt whey from making Greek-style yogurt in the Instant Pot but whey from homemade ricotta or other cheesemaking can be used as well.
- Yeast – Instant yeast works well but you can also substitute it with fresh yeast or active dry yeast. Just follow the package instructions.
- Flour – A combination of all-purpose and whole wheat flour gives the bread a wholesome flavor and increases its nutritional value. You can substitute the wholemeal with white flour if you prefer white sandwich bread.
- Salt – Salt is an important flavoring in bread. Do not reduce the amount.
- Olive oil – I use a light olive oil to grease the loaf pan but you can substitute it with other vegetable oils.
- Pumpkin seeds (optional) – I add some pumpkin seeds on top of the bread before baking. You can omit those or simply replace them with seeds you prefer.
Bread maker instructions
To make this whey bread in a bread maker, simply add all ingredients to the bowl and place the bowl in the bread maker.
Choose a quick program that does not include too much kneading. Program 5 and loaf size XL on my Panasonic Automatic Bread Maker SD-2501 work well for a rapid 3-hour loaf.
