This honey buckwheat bread is one of easiest loaves to make at home. Simply soak raw buckwheat groats, blend them with a few basic ingredients, and bake it into hearty, wholesome loaf with soft crumb and slightly crisp crust.
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At a Glance: Buckwheat bread
- Hero ingredient: raw green buckwheat groats. These are unroasted, pale green hulled buckwheat seeds. When soaked and blended, their natural starches create a sturdy batter without flour, gluten, or eggs. (Note: Do not use dark brown roasted kasha!)
- Flavor profile: Earthy, nutty, subtly floral with a hint of honeyed warmth.
- Taste check: I'll be honest, it does not taste like a classic sandwich loaf made with wheat flour. This is a hearty, heavy and rustic loaf. But it has a great taste.
- Texture: It holds together well without crumbling after cooling down completely. It is perfect for slicing thin, slathering with sweet or savory spreads like homemade pate, or piling it with sandwich fixings. The bread might look dense, but the crumb is soft.
- Zero bread making hassle: no kneading, none yeast, no waiting for dough to rise. Just soak, blend, pour and bake!
- Dietary and prep notes: it is dairy-free, gluten free and 100% whole grain. It freezes really well.
Ingredients
You can find the quantities in the recipe card at the end of this post.
Below is the list ingredients you will need to make the most delicious buckwheat bread.
- Buckwheat groats - whole buckwheat groats. You can find them online or in the whole foods bulk section. Make sure they are NOT "toasted" or not "kasha" type. Those are great for making fluffy porridge.
- Water - filtered room temperature or cold water.
- Olive oil - I used extra virgin olive oil. You can also use avocado or sunflower seeds oil.
- Honey - adds sweetness and floral taste.
- Apple cider vinegar - adds a light acidity and balances the nutty flavor and slightly bitter taste of buckwheat.
- Salt - for the taste. You can also add dried herbs and spices, such as rosemary, thyme caraway, and allspice.
- Baking powder - it will help the bread rise.
- Sunflower seeds - I sprinkle them on top of the bread before baking, but you can also add some to the batter.
Realistic Recipe timeline
- Prep Time: 20 minutes (measuring ingredients, pouring, blending, prepping the pan)
- Baking Time: 45 minutes
- Soaking Time: 4 to 8 hours (or overnight)
- Total Time: 5 to 9 hours (mostly hands-off)
How to make gluten-free Honey buckwheat bread
Soak the buckwheat (4-8 hours, hands off): Pour 2 cups of groats into a large bowl. Pour enough water to cover the goats. Let them soak at room temperature for no less than 4 hours. You can also soak it overnight in the fridge.
Rinse it well after soaking (5 minutes): After the groats are soaked, the water will become cloudy and slimy, and the grains will become plump and soft. Rinse them very well 3-4 times after soaking. I usually do it in a fine mesh strainer. After rinsing, strain them well.
Blend the groats (5 minutes): In a high-speed blender ( I used Vitamix), add soaked and rinsed buckwheat groats, water, olive oil, honey, apple cider vinegar, baking powder, and salt. Blend it on high speed until one thick consistency. Use a temper if needed, as the mix is quite thick.
Prepare a loaf pan (5 minutes). I used 0.5x5 inch pan. Line it with some parchment paper.
Note: Do not skip the parchment paper part, as the loaf will stick to the pan without it, even if you grease it well.
Bake the bread (45 minutes): Bake in the preheated to 375°F oven for about 40-45 minutes or until the crust is settled on top and the toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Cool down: let the bread cool down for about 15 minutes before removing it from the lined loaf pan. When you slice it hot it may slightly crumble, so I recommend cooling it down first to a room temperature.
Recipe tips
- You need a minimum of 4 hours (or overnight in the fridge) to soften the whole groats and release the starches that bind the loaf.
- Always wash the soaked groats under cold running water in a fine-mesh strainer until the water runs completely clear to remove excess mucilage.
- Always line your pan with parchment paper. Without parchment, this sticky batter will fuse to the pan and will be impossible to remove.
- Because there is no gluten or traditional yeast, this loaf will not rise as high as a standard wheat bread, it yields a compact, rustic loaf.
- Once completely cooled, the crumb sets firmly, allowing you to slice it thinly without it crumbling or falling apart.
How to store Buckwheat bread
Let the bread cool down completely at room temperature. After that, place it in an airtight container or a large plastic bag and store it in the fridge for about 3-4 days.
You can also store it in the freezer for about 3 months. Before freezing, make sure to slice it. When ready to eat, take out a slice of frozen bread and bake, toast, or microwave.
More recipes with buckwheat
📖 Recipe
Honey Buckwheat Bread
Equipment
- 1 large bowl
- 1 Measuring Cup
- measuring spoons
- high-speed blender
- loaf pan (9.5x5 inch)
- parchment paper
Ingredients
- 2 cups green buckwheat groats *see notes
- 5-6 cups water for soaking
- ⅓ cup filtered water
- 2 Tablespoons honey
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 Tablespoon sunflower seeds
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add 2 cups green buckwheat groats *see notes and pour enough water to cover them. Let them soak at room temperature for minimum of 4 hours or overnight. If you soak them longer than 6 hours, recommend putting them in the fridge.
- Rinse the soaked groats thoroughly 3-4 times. Strain the groats well in a fine mesh strainer.
- In a high-speed blender (such as Vitamix), add soaked and rinsed buckwheat, ⅓ cup filtered water, 2 Tablespoons honey,1 Tablespoon olive oil, 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt. Process on high until thick consistency is achieved. Use a tamper if necessary, as the mixture will be thick.
- Preheat your oven to 375°F. Prepare a loaf pan by lining it with a sheet of parchment paper. Otherwise the bread will stick to the pan. Pour the bread batter into the lines loaf pan. Sprinkle with 1 Tablespoon sunflower seeds on top.
- Bake the bread for about 40-45 minutes or until the crust forms and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow the bread to cool for at least 10 minutes before removing it from the pan. Slice and enjoy!
Norah says
What temp should the oven be,?
Nataliia says
I always bake it at 375°F, somehow I missed it in the recipe card. I just added the temperature there as well.
Homeschool Mom says
If a person likes the taste of buckwheat (I do), and understands that a bread made with it without flour will not be light, airy, and crumbly (I understood that before starting), this recipe is the best! It was simple, straightforward, and cooked through in the timeframe suggested- no wet mess. Thank you for sharing this, we'll be making it again!
Nataliia says
Thank you for your comment. I am so happy you liked the bread :). It is for sure different than wheat bread, but still tastes great especially with eggs for breakfast. I love buckwheat too and grew up eating a lot of it in Ukraine.
Linda says
Delicious ! Our bread came out lovely and sweet. Added a tablespoon of caraway seed as well. Next time i will try raisins. Thank you !!
Nataliia says
I am so happy you liked how the bread turned out. Caraway seeds sounds like a perfect addition to me, I will also try it the next time. And thank you so much for your review.
Justyns says
Can i use buckwheat flour ?
Nataliia says
Unfortunately, I have not tested this recipe with buckwheat flour. Being honest, I do not think it will work because this bread is made with soaked groats.
Sandi says
This does work with buckwheat flour great recipe. Also just oiled a loaf tin and that also works. Thankyou!