Many people would agree that, with its chewy crust and soft centre, tiger bread is one of the tastiest types of bread around.
Obviously, tiger bread is not made from tigers. The name comes from the stripy crust that’s made with rice paste. But is tiger bread suitable for vegans? Or does it contain hidden animal products?
In this article, I’ll show you what to look for in the ingredients list of store-bought tiger bread that could make it unsuitable for a vegan diet.Â
What is tiger bread made of?
Like other types of bread, tiger bread is typically made from flour, salt, sugar, yeast and water. The tiger pattern comes from a ‘tiger paste’ that’s applied to the top. This paste is made from rice flour, sesame oil, salt, sugar, yeast and water.
Is tiger bread vegan?
Most tiger bread is vegan, but not all. Gluten-free tiger bread usually contains eggs and sometimes tiger bread may contain milk. Even if the ingredients are vegan-friendly, strict vegans may be concerned about cross-contamination if the bread is baked in the same bakery as dairy products.
The traditional tiger bread recipe is a Dutch recipe made by using rice paste on the outer crust for a crackled appearance. This traditional recipe is vegan-friendly, as are most loaves of tiger bread. However, you should check the ingredients of each loaf to be sure.
Tiger bread purchased from the bakery section at Asda and Sainsbury’s grocery stores as well as Warburton’s pre-sliced loaves are considered vegan.
Are tiger rolls vegan?
Tiger rolls are small loaves of tiger bread. They are usually suitable for vegans as the traditional recipe does not include animal products. However, some tiger rolls recipes do contain eggs or milk so vegans should always check the ingredients.
Does tiger bread have dairy in it?
Tiger bread generally does not contain dairy. However, some recipes may have milk. Those with severe dairy allergies should be aware that there may be some cross-contamination between tiger bread and milk products in most bakeries.
Vegan Tiger Bread Recipes
Tiger bread is fairly simple to make at home and the ingredients needed are not unusual so you should have no problems finding them in your local supermarket.
According to this recipe by BBC Good Food, for the bread itself you need white bread flour, yeast, salt, sugar, vegetable oil and warm water. For the rice paste topping, you need rice flour, yeast, sugar, salt, warm water and toasted sesame oil.
The first step in preparing the bread is to mix the bread ingredients together, knead the dough, and let it rise until it has doubled in size. After rising, which takes about an hour, the dough should be kneaded again three times and left on a baking sheet to rise until doubled again in size. This should take another 45 minutes to an hour.
The next step is to make the topping which is as simple as combining all of the topping ingredients in a bowl. Then, spread the topping on the unbaked loaf of bread with a palette knife.
Last but not least, the bread will bake in the oven for 35 minutes at 200 degrees celsius (180 degrees celsius in a fan oven or gas mark 6).Â
You can then enjoy this simple tasty homemade tiger bread without worrying about any hidden non-vegan ingredients.
What ingredients would make bread not Vegan?
Not all bread is considered vegan. While most tiger bread is safe for those following a vegan diet, some may have ingredients made from animal products or byproducts. The ingredients to look out for include milk, cream, casein, sodium caseinate, caseinate, honey, whey, butter, eggs and gelatine.
Milk, cream, whey, casein, caseinate, sodium caseinate, and butter are all dairy products. Eggs are byproducts of chickens, honey is a byproduct of bees and gelatine comes from cows or pigs.
If you follow a gluten-free vegan or vegetarian diet, you should certainly be on the lookout for gelatine in bread as it’s usually only gluten-free breads that contain gelatine. This is derived from animal body parts like bones, tendons and ligaments so is not vegan or vegetarian.
If you’re looking for a gluten-free bread that’s vegan-friendly, search for bread made with agar instead. Agar is derived from algae and is safe for a vegan diet.Â
Conclusion
Tiger bread is a popular light and fluffy Dutch bread with a crunchy crust made from a rice paste overlay. In general, most tiger bread recipes are vegan friendly, but some may contain milk or eggs so it’s always best to check the ingredients label.
It’s easy to make your own tiger bread and freshly baked bread is less likely to contain ingredients that are not vegan diet approved.
While tiger bread is, for the most part, safe for a vegan diet, other breads may not be. Ingredients including dairy products, gelatin, honey, and eggs can be used to make certain types of bread, so always check before you purchase.