Sourdough Without Eggs or Dairy: A Vegan Baker's Guide

Most basic sourdough is already vegan — flour, water, starter, salt. The challenges come with enriched doughs, breads with butter or eggs, and certain regional specialties. Here's how to make great vegan sourdough across the spectrum.

Naturally vegan sourdough

These recipes need no modification:

• Country loaves (basic 4-ingredient sourdough)
• Pizza dough (no eggs or dairy needed)
• Focaccia (olive oil only)
• Ciabatta
• Baguettes
• Pita
• Tortillas (use oil instead of lard)
• Bagels (skip the egg wash)
• Pretzels

Where eggs and dairy are common (and the substitutes)

Brioche

The traditional version uses eggs and butter. Vegan brioche substitute:

• Replace eggs with 50g aquafaba (chickpea liquid) per egg
• Replace butter with vegan butter (Miyoko's, Earth Balance) — some are great, some are not
• Replace milk with oat milk or soy milk

The vegan brioche is rich and soft but slightly different texture.

Sandwich loaves

Most enriched sandwich loaves call for milk. Substitute:

• Oat milk (best for richness)
• Soy milk (highest protein, browns well)
• Almond milk (workable but slightly thin)

For butter: use vegan butter, refined coconut oil, or olive oil.

Hamburger and hot dog buns

Replace milk with oat milk. Replace butter with vegan butter or oil. Skip egg wash, or use a maple syrup glaze instead.

Bagel recipes that call for egg

Eggs aren't necessary in bagels. Skip them entirely or replace each egg with 60g of warm water.

Cinnamon rolls

Substitute oat milk for milk. Use vegan butter for the dough and filling. Replace egg in the dough with 50g aquafaba.

Egg wash substitutes

Egg wash gives sourdough a glossy crust. Vegan alternatives:

• Maple syrup glaze — brush thinned maple syrup before baking. Sweet finish.
• Plant milk wash — brush with oat or soy milk. Less shiny but works.
• Aquafaba wash — brush aquafaba diluted 1:1 with water. Closest to egg wash.
• Olive oil — brush thin layer of oil. Glossy, no sweetness.

For seeded breads, use plant milk to help seeds adhere.

Dairy-free butter notes

Not all vegan butters are equal. Best for baking:

• Miyoko's European-style — closest to real butter behavior
• Country Crock Plant Butter — affordable, works well
• Earth Balance — long-time staple, slightly thinner

Avoid spreadable margarines and "light" versions — they have too much water and won't bake right.

Aquafaba substitution

Aquafaba is the liquid from canned chickpeas. It works as an egg substitute because of its protein content.

Conversion:

• 1 large egg = 50g aquafaba
• 1 large egg yolk = 30g aquafaba
• 1 large egg white = 30g aquafaba

Aquafaba can also be whipped (like egg whites) for meringue and macaroons.

Adjusting recipes systematically

For any enriched dough recipe:

1. Replace each egg with 50g aquafaba or 30g additional water + 15g flax meal soaked in water
2. Replace milk with oat or soy milk (1:1)
3. Replace butter with vegan butter (1:1)
4. Skip egg washes; use plant milk or aquafaba
5. Reduce hydration slightly (vegan substitutes often add more moisture)

The recipe will work with most adjustments. You may need to fine-tune over a few bakes.

Vegan-friendly recipe ideas

Olive oil focaccia

Already vegan. Top with herbs, vegetables, and olives.

Sourdough pizza with vegan toppings

Cashew mozzarella, vegan pesto, roasted vegetables.

Sourdough pita with hummus

Naturally vegan, dairy-free, satisfying meal.

Sourdough cinnamon raisin (no enrichment)

Plain sourdough dough with cinnamon and raisins folded in. Naturally vegan.

Sourdough crackers

Discard + flour + olive oil + salt. Naturally vegan.

Sourdough pretzels

Dough, alkaline dip, salt. Naturally vegan.

Reading recipes critically

Many sourdough recipes don't actually need their eggs and butter. Often these are habit, not necessity.

Before substituting, ask:

• What is this ingredient doing? (Browning? Tenderizing? Flavor?)
• Is there a vegan ingredient that does the same?
• Can I just leave it out?

Sometimes the answer is "leave it out and the bread is fine."

Common vegan substitutions cheat sheet

• 1 egg = 50g aquafaba OR 1 tbsp ground flax + 3 tbsp water (rest 5 min) OR 60g extra water
• 1 cup milk = 1 cup oat or soy milk
• 1 cup butter = 1 cup vegan butter OR 3/4 cup neutral oil
• 1 cup yogurt = 1 cup plain plant yogurt (soy works best)
• 1 cup buttermilk = 1 cup plant milk + 1 tbsp lemon juice (rest 5 min)

What doesn't work

• Vegan eggs (Just Egg) in baking — formulated for cooking, not baking
• Margarine in laminated doughs — too soft, won't laminate
• Coconut milk in bread — too high in fat, off-flavor
• Skipping fat entirely in enriched recipes — bread becomes dry

For most replacements, find the closest 1:1 substitute rather than skipping entirely.

Vegan sourdough discard recipes

Discard recipes that are vegan or easily veganized:

• Crackers — naturally vegan
• Flatbread — naturally vegan
• Pancakes — replace milk with oat milk, egg with flax egg
• Waffles — same substitutions as pancakes
• Pizza dough — naturally vegan
• Tortillas — use oil instead of lard

Vegan brioche worth eating

A vegan brioche recipe that actually works:

• 500g bread flour
• 250g warm oat milk
• 100g sourdough starter
• 60g sugar
• 100g aquafaba
• 10g salt
• 200g vegan butter (Miyoko's), softened

Same method as regular brioche. The result is soft, rich, and very close to traditional brioche. Slight differences in texture but excellent for French toast.

Honest assessment

Vegan baking has come far. Most vegan substitutions are good enough that the difference is subtle, not dramatic.

A vegan country loaf is identical to a non-vegan country loaf (because most country loaves are vegan).

A vegan brioche is 90% as good as traditional brioche.

A vegan croissant is 80% as good as traditional croissants.

For most uses, vegan sourdough is excellent. For top-tier French pastry, the gap is more noticeable.

A welcoming kitchen

Knowing how to make vegan sourdough lets you bake for everyone — vegans, lactose-intolerant friends, allergy-sensitive guests. The flexibility expands what your kitchen can do.

You can default to vegan recipes for the basics and only call on eggs/dairy when truly needed. Many bakers find this simplifies their kitchen and saves money on specialty ingredients.