When you find yourself having to follow a dairy-free diet, it can be very daunting knowing where to begin with dietary changes. I’m going to start sharing some of our favourite milk-free substitutes, starting with a basic but very important item: dairy free bread.
Note: don’t forget that some children with a milk allergy will be fine with bread containing dairy if they’ve worked their way up the milk ladder and shown they’re able to tolerate baked goods.
I can’t quite believe I’m saying this, but after several years of Elfin having been eating dairy, we’re trialling an elimination diet again. I’ll explain more in another post, but suffice to say we now have reason to suspect food allergies may still / again be causing her digestive problems.
So, while I thought this section of the blog was long forgotten on a personal level, I’m right back there with you!
At the bottom of the post you’ll find some price comparisons, plus my recommendation for the best place to buy your dairy and soy free bread from.
This post serves as a guide to the various dairy-free bread options available in most supermarkets, and I’m including a long list of dairy and soy free options too. Because let’s face it, we don’t all have the time to be making fresh bread every day! (Although I’ll add a section at the end for anyone keen to try!)
Further down this post you’ll find some price comparisons, plus my recommendation for the best place to buy your dairy and soy free sandwich bread from.
Grocery Store Dairy Free Bread, Brands and Prices
Note: the breads and bagels listed under dairy and soya free were free of these allergens at the time of putting together this post; the sweet breads and rolls were a mixture of dairy free and dairy and soya free, so please check these individually.
As always, ingredients can change so please use this as a guide only, and be sure to check packaging every time you shop.
Dairy Free Savoury Bread
Note these breads contain soya flour.
- Allinson’s The Champion Medium Sliced Wholemeal Bread 650g
- Allinson’s Batch Baked Scandalous Seeds Wholemeal 650g
- Allinson’s The Champion Wholemeal 650g
- Hovis Soft White Medium 800g
- Hovis Soft White Thick 800g
- Hovis Seed Sensations 800g
- Hovis Best of Both Medium White 750g
- Hovis Best of Both Thick White 750g
- Hovis Wholemeal Medium 800g
- Hovis Granary Thick Bread 800g
- Hovis Granary Wholemeal 800g
- Hovis Wholemeal Thick Bread 800g
- Kingsmill 50/50 800g
- Kingsmill 50/50 Thick Bread 800g
- Kingsmill Soft White Medium 800g
- Kingsmill Tasty Wholemeal 800g
- Kingsmill 50/50 Vitamin Boost Loaf 750g
- Kingsmill 50/50 No Crusts 400g
- Morrisons White Toastie Bread 800g
- Morrisons Medium White Bread 800g
- Morrisons Medium Wholemeal Bread 400g
- Morrisons White Bloomer 400g
- Morrisons Super Toastie White Loaf 800g
- Morrisons Counted White Danish Bread 300g
- Morrisons Medium White Bread 400g
- New York Bakery Gluten Free Plain Bagels
- Roberts Thick White Bread 800g
- Sainsbury’s Soft Multiseed Farmhouse Thick Sliced Wholemeal Bread, Taste the Difference 800g
- Sainsbury’s Medium Sliced Wholemeal Bread 800g
- Sainsbury’s Soft Medium Sliced White Bread 800g
- Sainsbury’s Giraffe Bread (Tiger) 800g
- Schär Wholesome Seeded Loaf 300g
- Warburtons Medium Sliced White Bread 800g
- Warburtons Toastie Thick White Bread 800g
- Warburtons Seeded Batch 800g
- Warburtons Farmhouse White Bread 800g
- Warburtons Wholemeal Medium Bread 400g
- Warburtons Wholemeal Medium 800g
- Warburtons Thin Bagels Plain
- Warburtons Bagels Plain
- Warburtons Protein Thin Bagels
- Warburtons Cinnamon & Raisin Bagels
- Warburtons Thin Bagels Cinnamon & Raisin
- Warburtons Soft & Sliced Sesame Bagels
Dairy Free Sweet Bread
- M&S 2 Iced & Spiced Fruited Buns (DF SF)
These are to die for. ‘Accidentally’ dairy free, they were a regular treat for me when I was breastfeeding and writing this post has reminded me that I must buy some more!
- Genius Cinnamon & Raisin Bagels
- Genius Spicy Fruit Loaf
- Morrisons Sliced Fruited Teacakes
- New York Bakery Cinnamon & Raisin Bagels
- Tesco Cinnamon & Raisin Bagels
Dairy and Soy Free Bread
- Asda Free From White Sliced Bread 535g
- BFree Brown Seeded Loaf 400g
- BFree Wholegrain Pitta Breads
- Genius Gluten Free Triple Seeded Farmhouse 535g
- H W Nevill’s Wholemeal Bread 800g
- Jackson’s Yorkshire’s Champion Bread Half Brown Bloomer 400g
- Jackson’s Yorkshire’s Champion Bread Half Seeded Bloomer 400g
- Schär Gluten Free Deli Style Sourdough 240g
- Schär Gluten Free Vitality Loaf 350g
- Tesco Trio of Olive Bloomer – my girls absolutely love this bread!
- Tesco Wholemeal Medium 800g
- Tesco Finest Wholemeal Loaf 800g
- Tesco Multiseed Batch Medium Sliced 800g
- Tesco Finest Super Seeded Farmhouse Loaf 800g
- Tesco Multigrain Batch 800g
- Tesco Finest Wholemeal Seeds and Grains 800g
- Tesco Medium Sliced White 800g
- Tesco Finest White Loaf 800g
- Tesco Tiger Loaf Sliced 800g
- Tesco Finest Oat & Barley Loaf 800g
- Tesco Toastie Wholemeal Thick Bread 800g
- Tesco Finest Dark Rye & Sunflower Farmhouse Loaf 600g
- Tesco Finest Sunflower & Pumpkin Loaf 600g
- Tesco 6 Wholemeal Pitta Bread
- Tesco 6 White Pitta Bread
- Waitrose Free From Sandwich Thins
- Warburtons Gluten Free White Loaf 300g
- Warburtons Gluten Free Artisan White Sourdough Cob
- Warburtons Tiger Bloomer
Soy and Dairy Free Bagels
- Genius Plain Bagels
- New York bakery Plain Bagels
- New York Bakery Sesame Bagels
- New York Bakery Wholemeal Bagels
- New York Bakery Red Onion & Chive Bagels
- Tesco Original Bagels
Dairy Free Rolls
- Asda Bake at Home 2 Baguettes
- Asda Bake at Home 6 Petit Pains
- Asda Bake at Home Sourdough Baguette
- Asda Bake at Home Ciabatta Rolls
- Genius Brioche Burger Buns
- Morrisons Bake at Home White Baguettes
- Morrisons Bake at Home Crusty White Rolls
- Morrisons Bake at Home Petit Pains
- Morrisons The Best Wholemeal Rolls
- Schär Gluten Free White Rolls
- Schär Gluten Free White Ciabatta Rolls
- Tesco Soft White Rolls 6 Pack
- Waitrose Free From Seeded Rolls
Dairy Free Bread Prices
You’ll notice I’ve not listed the prices for each individual bread because they’re subject to change and vary according to where you buy. Instead, below is a list of the brands included, with an approximate price of each of their products.
Approximate Branded Bread Prices
It was tricky to do a straight comparison as I’m comparing bagels and loaves of different weights. I’ve tried to give as comparable as possible a price as possible, so straight comparisons where possible, and product price where necessary for speciality breads.
- Allinson’s, £1.25
- BFree, £3.00
- Genius, £2.50
- Hovis, £1.09
- H W Nevill’s, 36p
- Jackson’s, £1.50
- Kingsmill, 90p
- New York Bakery, £1.60
- Roberts, £1.40
- Schär, £2.50
- Warburtons, £1.20
Supermarket Bread Prices
For these prices I’ve given the cost of an 800g loaf of medium wholemeal bread:
- Asda, 50p
- Morrisons, 59p
- Sainsburys, 50p
- Tesco, 59p
- Waitrose, 60p
What’s the Best Dairy Free Bread?
Having taken all of the above into account, I think it’s fair to say that:
- Most bread is already milk free, and it’s not necessary to pay specialist prices for that luxury;
- Most bread also contains soy flour;
- Overall, Asda is the cheapest place to buy your dairy free bread from;
- However, Tesco gives the best choice for ‘accidentally’ milk and soy free bread.
Dairy-Free Homemade Bread FAQ
If you want to try baking your own fresh crusty bread at home, here’s what you need to know about dairy-free alternative milks and other ingredients.
Q. What’s the best non-dairy milk to use as a substitute in baking?
A. If you’re wanting to bake a recipe that calls for cow’s milk, but you’re catering for allergies / lactose intolerance / or vegans, here’s the lowdown on the best options…
Using dairy-free milk in baking is never going to produce an identical result to traditional baking because of the the molecular structure of cow’s milk compared to vegan substitutes. But which milk alternative is the best option?
Well, that depends upon what properties are required for your baking project.
Things to consider include:
- Is your bake sweet or savoury?
- Does your bake need a lot of structure?
- What texture are you trying to achieve?
Keeping the above in mind, the following dairy-free milk alternatives may be the best options:
1st Place – Soy Milk
Soy milk contains the highest protein of all non-dairy substitutes and can replace cow’s milk in the same ratio. This property provides a lot of structure, making it ideal for cakes and breads.
Soy milk also browns like cow’s milk which may make your bake more visually appealing, and the flavour is mild too.
2nd Place – Almond Milk
Almond milk can be used 1:1 in place of 2% whole milk.
However be aware of several points:
- Your project may bake faster due to almond milk’s higher water content compared to cow’s milk.
- Almond milk is often unsweetened, while cow’s milk has naturally occurring sugars. If your project requires a sweeter flavour, look out for a sweetened variety.
- The low protein content of almond milk means your bake will not brown (Maillard reaction) like a recipe using cow’s milk would. You can use a glaze to remedy this.
3rd Place – Oat Milk
Oat milk is super popular, with a low environmental impact. However, there can sometimes be problems with separation and it can leave bakes with a slimy or gummy texture, especially with bread.
Look for whole oat milk with higher fat content to avoid doughs and batters that are too thin.
Q. What items do I need to make my own vegan bread recipe?
A. If you’re wanting to have a go at baking your own bread, the items you’ll require may include:
- Kitchen scale
- Stand mixer
- Dough hook
- Loaf pan
- Large bowl
- Bread maker
- Parchment paper
- Airtight container for storage at room temperature
Q. What dry ingredients do I need to make my own dairy free bread?
A. These are the dry ingredients you may require to make your own bread, dependent upon the specific recipe you choose to follow:
- All purpose flour (whole wheat flour)
- Active dry yeast
- Potato starch
- Salt
Q. What wet ingredients do I need to make my own dairy free bread?
A. These are the wet ingredients you may require to make your own bread, dependent upon the specific recipe you choose to follow:
- Vegetable oil, avocado oil, or olive oil
- Instant yeast
- Honey
- Warm water
Q. What additional ingredients do I need to make my own gluten-free bread recipe?
A. These are the dry ingredients you may require to make your own bread, dependent upon the specific recipe you choose to follow:
- Gluten-free flour blend, such as brown rice flour and sorghum flour
- Xantham gum
- Tapioca starch
- Psyllium husk powder
- Egg whites