No-knead whole wheat bread. An easy bread recipe made with whole wheat flour! There’s no kneading involved, simply let the bread rise overnight. You also have the option to make it a sandwich loaf or a seeded loaf.
What could be cozier than baking a fresh loaf of bread on a snowy or rainy day?
While everyone has been making sourdough bread, I’ve been busy perfecting my no-knead bread.
If you’re new to bread-making or if you’re looking for a quick and easy bread recipe, this one is for you. There’s no better way to start than with a no-knead bread.
This recipe is made with whole wheat flour and optional seeds. You also have the option to make it using white flour. The end result is very similar. The only difference? The whole wheat loaf will be just a bit more dense, which is to be expected with whole wheat bread. But trust me, it’s still a delicious hearty loaf!
How to Make No-Knead Bread:
Here’s a step-by-step guide to making homemade no-knead bread.
- Combine the Ingredients
Start by combining the flour, instant yeast and salt in a large mixing bowl. Stir in the water until a thick dough forms, making sure all the flour is incorporated.
- Overnight Rise
Cover the bowl with a reusable bowl cover or plastic wrap and let it rise for 12 hours or overnight at room temperature. The dough will look a bit weird, but this it normal!
- Form the Dough
The next morning, your dough should be significantly bigger and should have bubbles. It will be very humid, but that’s okay. With floured hands, scoop out the dough and form a ball.
- Bake
With this recipe, you have the option to bake the bread into a round loaf or a sandwich loaf, both using the same ingredients. The two methods will result in a delicious loaf with a crispy exterior and a soft interior.
Dutch oven round loaf: Here, you bake the bread in an enameled Dutch oven. The Dutch oven is placed in the oven while it preheats, the bread is then cooked for 30 minutes covered and 15 minutes uncovered.
Sandwich loaf: There’s no need to preheat the loaf pan. The bread is simply transferred to the pan and baked for 35 minutes, uncovered.
Tips to Make the Best No-Knead Bread:
- Make sure to spoon and level the flour. Don’t scoop the flour directly with the measuring cup or you’ll end up using too much flour. And make sure not to shake the cup to fit in more flour.
- You have the option of adding seeds. I like to use sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds. The seeds are added just before baking. If you add them the night before, while the dough rises, it will result in soggy seeds.
- For the best results, make sure to let the dough rise at room temperature. If your room temperature is on the colder side, consider placing the bowl in the oven with the light turned on.
No-Knead Bread FAQ:
Yes! This recipe works with all-purpose white flour, as well as all-purpose whole wheat flour. It also works with bread flour if that’s what you have on hand. You can make the recipe entirely with white flour, or you can use a combination of white and whole wheat flour. My go-to is a half and half loaf. Using white flour will make the loaf lighter, while whole wheat flour will result in a hearty (but still delicious) whole wheat loaf.
I haven’t tried making a gluten-free loaf, so I can’t guarantee the same results. However, if you want to try it, I would recommend using a 1:1 gluten-free flour mix.
That could be caused by a few things. First, make sure to use fresh instant yeast. If your yeast is old or expired, you won’t get the same results. Also, make sure to measure the flour correctly, using the spoon and level method, as instructed above (or weigh the flour).
I hope this recipe convinces you to try homemade bread. Trust me, it’s so much easier than it looks!
Serve this bread with a cozy bowl of soup, such as my quick vegan cream of mushroom soup, vegan cheesy broccoli soup or a simple lentil soup.
No-Knead Whole Wheat Seeded Bread Video:
Still not convinced? Watch how easy this bread recipe really is.
No-Knead Whole Wheat Bread
Ingredients
- 3 cups (400g) all-purpose whole wheat flour, spoon and leveled (see notes)
- 1/2 teaspoon instant yeast
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cup water (room temperature)
- 1/2 cup seeds of choice, I like sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds (optional)
Instructions
Prepare the Dough
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together your flour, instant yeast and salt. Stir in the water until a thick dough forms, making sure all the flour is incorporated. Cover with a reusable bowl cover or plastic wrap and let it rise for 12 hours or overnight at room temperature.
The Next Day
- Preheat the oven to 450°F. Place a large enameled dutch oven in the oven while it preheats.
- Uncover the dough. At this point, it should be a lot bigger in size with some bubbles. Lightly flour a clean surface. With floured hands, scoop out the dough and place it on the floured surface. Form the dough into a ball, making sure the flour is incorporated (if using the seeds, incorporate them into the dough at this time). Place the formed dough on a piece of parchment paper. You can score the bread just before baking, but this is not necessary with this recipe.
- Once the oven is preheated, remove the dish from the oven and transfer the bread to the dish with the parchment paper. Bake for 30 minutes covered, then 15 minutes uncovered.
Bread Pan Method
- If making a sandwich loaf, prepare the dough in the same way and let it rise overnight, covered. The next day, preheat the oven to 450°F. Place a strip of parchment paper at the bottom of a bread pan and up the longer sides. You should be able to pick up both sides of the parchment paper to remove the bread later.
- Lightly flour a clean surface. With floured hands, scoop out the dough and place it on the floured surface. Form the dough into roughly the shape of the bread pan (if using the seeds, incorporate them into the dough at this time) and place it in the parchment-lined pan. Cover (I use a towel here) and let it rise until the oven is preheated or let it rise a few more hours if you have the time. Once the oven the preheated, bake the bread uncovered for 35 minutes.
Video
Notes
If you make this no-knead bread, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! And if you try this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram!
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