Here is a recipe that really made me both struggle and rejoice at the same time: the whole wheat bread in the air fryer. It was a struggle because I had to make several attempts, not so much for the baking which I got right on the first try, but for the correct amounts of flour-water-yeast. But in the end, I prevailed, and with very little effort, joy arrived: a delicious, fragrant, and aromatic loaf.
I used my beloved Philips airfryer, but I’m sure it can also be done with other smaller and less powerful models, as it is baked at a low temperature and it’s not a bread that rises very high, so there is no risk of it touching the fryer resistance. Also, I used a stand mixer, but the work is very minimal, so it will surely turn out excellent even if kneaded by hand.
The result is truly satisfying: a vegan whole wheat bread that is soft and light, well-baked, with very little yeast, thus smelling good. It’s also a bit lighter than the sandwich bread I find here in the Netherlands. At the same final weight, I get fewer Weight Watchers points, nice right? And it’s also genuine and economical. Here’s how I did it…
Do you like making bread? Here are some other ideas:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Very economical
- Rest time: 3 Minutes
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 1 loaf of 450 g
- Cooking methods: Air Frying, Oven
- Cuisine: Healthy
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
- 1 tsp dry brewer's yeast
- 3/4 cup water (slightly warm)
- 1 tsp agave syrup
- 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
- The whole loaf = 32 WW points
- 10 g = 1 WW point
Tools
- Mixer
- Teaspoon
- Small Bowl
- Plastic Wrap
- Air Fryer Parchment Paper
- Cutting Board
- Air Fryer
- Spatula
Preparation
Weigh all the ingredients carefully, the flour directly in the mixing bowl. Mix the yeast, agave syrup, and a bit of water in a glass to dissolve the yeast well. Then pour the dissolved yeast, the rest of the water, and the oil over the flour.
Using the dough hook of the stand mixer, start at low speed and then increase the speed for a few minutes. Stop the mixer, add the salt, and continue mixing at high speed for a couple of minutes. When the dough detaches well from the sides of the bowl, turn off. Take the dough, round it into a ball, put it back in the bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and place it in the turned-off oven to rise for an hour.
While the dough is rising, if you don’t have air fryer parchment paper (see Tools above), prepare a piece of parchment paper sized to the air fryer’s basket. It’s important that it doesn’t have edges, otherwise, the air will make the paper’s edges fall onto the dough during baking.
After an hour of rising, take the dough and place it on a work surface or a wooden cutting board. No need to use more flour, just use a rigid spatula to help detach the dough from the wood. Do the classic book folds: flatten the dough and fold it in three, first in one direction and then in the other, as shown in the photo. Form a smooth ball again.
Place the dough ball directly in the air fryer basket covered with parchment paper, cover with plastic wrap, and leave directly in the turned-off air fryer for about 2 hours. It should double in volume.
Here’s how the dough looks after 2 hours… it almost overproofed! Preheat the air fryer to 320°F (160°C) for 2 minutes, place the basket inside, and use the manual program: 320°F (160°C) for 35 minutes.
Here’s our beautiful baked loaf: in the photo, you can also see how the base is well-baked.
Our whole wheat bread in the air fryer is ready! It’s best to let it cool on a rack to avoid the base getting too moist. What an aroma! I weighed the loaf once cooled, and it was about 450 grams. Then I cut it, and here’s the result:
Of course, with whole wheat flour not mixed with Manitoba, you can’t expect a big crumb, but it’s a light and soft bread that, unfortunately, invites you to eat it! But don’t overdo it, ok?
I hope you enjoyed the recipe and that you’ll soon show me your whole wheat bread in the air fryer in my Facebook group.
Enjoy!
By Giovanna Buono
Storage
This loaf keeps in a bread bag in a dry place for 4 days. You can also, once well cooled, slice and freeze up to 4 months, separating the slices with a piece of parchment paper. This way, you can take from the freezer only the number of slices you need.
