Here is a recipe that made me both struggle and rejoice: the whole wheat bread in the air fryer. Struggle because I had to do various tests, not so much for the cooking which I got right on the first try, but for the right quantities of flour-water-yeast. But in the end, I succeeded with very little effort, and the joy arrived: a delicious, fragrant, and aromatic loaf.
I used my beloved Philips air fryer, but I’m sure it can also be made with other smaller and less powerful models, also because it’s cooked at a low temperature and it’s not a bread that rises much in height, so there’s no risk of it touching the air fryer element. Also, I used the stand mixer but the work is truly minimal so it will definitely turn out great even kneaded by hand.
The result is truly satisfying: a vegan whole wheat bread that is soft and light, well cooked, with very little yeast so it’s nice and fragrant. And also a bit lighter than the sliced bread I find here in the Netherlands. Having the same final weight gives me fewer Weight Watchers points, isn’t that great? And 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
- 2.5 cups whole wheat flour
- 1 tsp active dry yeast
- 7/8 cup water (lukewarm)
- 1 tsp agave syrup
- 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
- Whole loaf = 32 WW points
- 10 g = 1 WW point
Tools
- Stand 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 stand mixer’s bowl. Mix the yeast, agave syrup, and a bit of water in a glass to dissolve the yeast completely. Then pour the dissolved yeast, remaining water, and oil over the flour.
Using the stand mixer’s dough hook, start on a low speed and then increase the speed for a few minutes. Stop the mixer, add the salt, and continue to mix on high speed for a couple of minutes. When the dough pulls away cleanly from the sides of the bowl, turn it off. Take the dough, round it into a ball, put it back in the bowl, cover it with plastic wrap, and place it in the turned-off oven to rise for an hour.
While the dough rises, if you don’t have air fryer parchment paper (see the Tools section above), prepare a piece of parchment paper sized for the air fryer basket. It’s important that it has no edges, otherwise the air will cause the paper edges to fall on the dough during cooking.
After an hour of rising, take the dough and place it on a floured surface or a wooden cutting board. No need for additional flour, just use a rigid spatula to help release the dough from the wood. Make the classic book folds: flatten the dough and fold it in thirds, first one way then the other, as in the photo. Form a smooth ball again.
Place the dough ball directly into the air fryer basket lined with parchment paper, cover with plastic wrap, and leave it 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 over-proofed! 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 is our beautiful loaf at the end of baking: in the photo, you can also see how the base is well cooked.
Our whole wheat bread in the air fryer is ready! It’s best to let it cool on a rack to prevent the base from getting too soggy. What a scent! I weighed the loaf once cooled, and it was about 450 grams. Then I sliced it, and here’s the result:
Of course, with whole wheat flour not mixed with Manitoba, you can’t expect a great crumb, but it’s a light and soft bread that, unfortunately, invites you to eat it! But don’t overdo it, okay?
I hope you enjoyed the recipe and that soon you’ll 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 it and freeze for up to 4 months, separating the slices with a piece of parchment paper. This way, you can take only the slices you need from the freezer.
