No Knead Whole Wheat Bread
Hearty and wholesome no knead whole wheat bread is perfect for sandwiches and soup-dipping. An overnight rise creates a beautifully domed loaf with a crisp crust and fluffy interior.
No knead whole wheat bread relies on my easy dutch oven bread recipe, which in turn was based on Jim Lahey's quintessential no knead bread recipe. Like the original (and my easy dutch oven bread and gluten free no knead bread recipes), this loaf needs just a handful of ingredients and a long rise to result in a crackly-crusted, sourdough-like loaf. (PS: Try my gluten free cinnamon raisin bread and no knead cranberry walnut bread recipes too!)
In this version, I swap whole grain flour for all-purpose flour for extra fiber and heft. I like to use white whole wheat flour so the loaf looks and tastes similar to a traditional bread loaf, but you can use whole wheat flour for a nuttier undertone of flavor. It's so good with vegetarian white chili, vegetarian cream of tomato soup, carrot cauliflower soup, or use slices to make sandwiches.
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Why Make No KNead Whole Wheat Bread?
Adding a dose of whole grains is always a good idea, and this loaf, baked in a dutch oven, is one of the best you'll make. Plus, it's super low maintenance; stir the ingredients together, leave them to rise overnight, then take a few minutes to form the loaf, and you're good to go. Here's why you should make this bread ASAP:
- Almost like sourdough. If you want to make a loaf of bread that's sourdough-ish without the effort, have I got a recipe for you! This easy no knead bread has a deep flavor that's reminiscent of a sourdough bread, but you won't have to deal with a starter.
- Beginner-friendly. If you're new to baking bread, you will love how easy it is to make this recipe. I promise that even the most novice baker can handily whip it up.
- Foolproof. It's so hard to mess up this bread recipe-another reason it's so perfect for beginners! Just mix, rise, form, and bake.
Recipe Ingredients
Four basic ingredients (and that includes water!) make up this simple loaf. Make sure to scroll down to my recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full ingredient amounts and instructions!
- Whole wheat flour - I use white whole wheat flour to bake this bread to more mimic the texture and appearance of bread made with all-purpose flour. However, you may use whole wheat flour or finer ground whole wheat pastry flour if you prefer.
- Yeast - You can use instant dry yeast or fast-acting instant dry yeast, with no need to activate it first.
- Salt - I always use fine sea salt or table salt.
- Water - Warm water helps to energize the yeast.
No Knead Whole Wheat Bread Variations
- Finish with salt - Sprinkle the top of the loaf with flaky salt for a little extra hint of saltiness (yum!).
- Cheesy - Tuck 1 cup of shredded cheese of your choice into the dough as you perform the final knead.
- Add herbs - Add fresh or dried herbs to the dough, such as chopped fresh rosemary, oregano, or thyme.
- Seeds - I love adding sesame or poppy seeds! You can work them into the dough or roll the formed dough in 1-2 tablespoons of seeds before baking it.
How to Make No Knead Whole Wheat Bread
I've added a lot of photos below so that you can get an idea of how each stage of the loaf should look during mixing and rising. Know that this is a pretty forgiving recipe, so if you don't have time for much working of the dough, it will still turn out nicely.
- Make dough: Stir together all of the ingredients.
- Let rise: Cover the bowl and let the dough rise for at least 16 hours.
- Form the dough: When ready to bake, deflate the dough in the bowl.
- Rest: Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, knead for a minute or two, then cover and let rise for 1 hour.
- Heat the oven: Heat the oven to 500℉ with the dutch oven inside. Place the dough pan in the hot dutch oven, add the lid, then bake at 475℉ for 30 minutes covered.
- Uncover the pan: Remove the lid of the dutch oven and and bake the bread for 15-25 minutes more.
- Cool: Remove the bread from the dutch oven and let it cool completely on a rack.
What Kind of Flour for No Knead Whole Wheat Bread?
For a more sourdough-esque loaf, use white whole wheat flour, which is still a whole grain flour but milled from white wheat, so it has a lighter color. Or, you can use whole wheat pastry flour, which is finer milled than whole wheat flour (also a nice choice). I love whole grain spelt flour as well. And, if you're not ready to go all-in on whole grain flour, use 2 cups of all-purpose flour and 2 cups of whole wheat flour.
More No Knead Whole Wheat Bread-Baking Tips
- Let it rise. Lahey advises letting no-knead dough rise for 12-18 hours, preferably 18 hours. I let my loaf rise for a minimum of 16 hours, but you can go longer if you want. A long rise will deepen the bread's flavor and make for a better-baked loaf.
- Keep in a warm place. Try to let the bread rise in a warm place. I keep the bowl of dough on the counter near my oven, which is a warmer spot. If your house is on the cooler side, you can place the bowl in the sun to encourage the rise.
- Refrigerate the dough. After the initial long rise at room temperature, cover the bowl of dough with plastic and place it in the fridge for up to 3 days. The day you plan to bake, remove it from the fridge, follow the recipe instructions for the brief kneading process, and then let the bread sit and warm up at room temperature for at least 2 hours.
- Do a little kneading. While this recipe is based on the no-knead bread recipe, I've found that a minute or two of rolling and kneading the dough before its final rise will result in a loaf with those enviable air pockets inside each slice. You don't have to overdo it, though-a simple folding and kneading technique is enough. Add a little flour to the ball of dough after the 15-minute rise, then knead, then rest again for 1 hour.
- To score or not to score. Scoring is the process of making shallow cuts to the surface of a loaf before baking. You can make small decorative cuts or use a sharp knife to quickly slash down the center of the top, or skip scoring altogether and simply bake the bread seam-side down in the dutch oven!
- Heat the dutch oven along with the oven. Adding bread dough to a hot dutch oven helps create that lovely crackly crust. Make sure to place the dutch oven in the oven while you are preheating it.
- How do I know my bread is done? After a lot of baking bread, you'll know when your bread is done by how dark the outside crust has become. I find my sweet spot for dutch oven bread to be 30 minutes covered, then 20 minutes uncovered, but times may vary depending on your oven. Or, use an instant-read thermometer. The loaf is fully cooked when it reaches 209-210°F (98-99°C).
- Cool the loaf completely. Wait at least 1 hour, preferably 2, to cut into the bread. This allows the starches to set and solidify, so you'll have a beautifully chewy but not gummy interior.
How to Store No Knead Whole Wheat Bread
- Counter - Wrapped in a clean towel or in a plastic bag for 2 days on the counter.
- Freezer - Place the whole loaf in a plastic freezer-safe bag, or slice it up and place slices in a freezer-safe bag or container with a piece of parchment in between each one, and store for 2 months. Thaw or toast before serving.
Happy baking! If you make this no knead whole wheat bread recipe, I'd love to know. Please leave a comment below, reach out with any questions, and tag me on Instagram @Cucina Nicolina ❤️
No Knead Whole Wheat Bread
Ingredients
- 3 cups white whole wheat flour or whole wheat flour, spelt flour, or whole wheat pastry flour
- ½ teaspoon instant yeast
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 ¾ cups warm water , plus a few more tablespoons if needed
Instructions
- In a large bowl, stir together the 3 cups white whole wheat flour, ½ teaspoon instant yeast, and 1 teaspoon fine sea salt. Add the 1 ¾ cups warm water and mix well to incorporate all of the flour. I often find I need a little more water to create the dough, so add more water 1 tablespoon at a time if needed. Stir everything together to form a loose dough.
- Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap and place it in a warm place. Let the dough rise for 16-18 hours, or longer.
- When ready to bake, uncover the dough. Pull up 1 side of the dough, then turn the bowl and repeat this step 3 more times so that the dough collapses. Cover again and let rest for 15 minutes.
- Place a dutch oven in the oven and preheat the oven to 500℉.
- Lightly flour a large cutting board, and keep the flour handy. Dump and scrape the dough onto the cutting board and adding a little more flour if necessary so that it's not too sticky to handle, knead and roll the dough for 1-2 minutes. Roll the dough into a ball and place it seam-side down on the cutting board, lightly flour it, and cover with a towel. Let rise for 1 hour.
- Very carefully add the dough to the hot dutch oven. (You may score the top before or after placing it into the dutch oven if you like.) Add the lid and lower the temperature to 475℉. Bake for 30 minutes covered, then remove the lid and bake the bread for 15-25 minutes until golden brown.
- Remove the bread from the dutch oven and let it cool on a rack for at least 1 hour before slicing it.
Notes
- Let it rise. Lahey advises letting no-knead dough rise for 12-18 hours, preferably 18 hours. I let my loaf rise for a minimum of 16 hours, but you can go longer if you want. A long rise will deepen the bread's flavor and make for a better-baked loaf.
- Keep in a warm place. Try to let the bread rise in a warm place. I keep the bowl of dough on the counter near my oven, which is a warmer spot. If your house is on the cooler side, you can place the bowl in the sun to encourage the rise.
- Refrigerate the dough. After the initial long rise at room temperature, cover the bowl of dough with plastic and place it in the fridge for up to 3 days. The day you plan to bake, remove it from the fridge, follow the recipe instructions for the brief kneading process, and then let the bread sit and warm up at room temperature for at least 2 hours.
- To score or not to score. Scoring is the process of making shallow cuts to the surface of a loaf before baking. You can make small decorative cuts or use a sharp knife to quickly slash down the center of the top, or skip scoring altogether and simply bake the bread seam-side down in the dutch oven!
- Heat the dutch oven along with the oven. Adding bread dough to a hot dutch oven helps create that lovely crackly crust. Make sure to place the dutch oven in the oven while you are preheating it.
- How do I know my bread is done? After a lot of baking bread, you'll know when your bread is done by how dark the outside crust has become. I find my sweet spot for dutch oven bread to be 30 minutes covered, then 20 minutes uncovered, but times may vary depending on your oven. Or, use an instant-read thermometer. The loaf is fully cooked when it reaches 209-210°F (98-99°C).
- Cool the loaf completely. Wait at least 1 hour, preferably 2, to cut into the bread. This allows the starches to set and solidify so you'll have a beautifully chewy but not gummy interior.
