Whole Wheat No-Knead Bread is a healthy version of the classic no-knead bread made with whole wheat flour. Add nuts and seeds for more texture!
My current favorite breakfast consists of two slices of this Whole Wheat No-Knead Bread topped with sliced avocados, sprinkled with salt and garlic powder. It’s so good and so easy and much tastier than oatmeal right now. I love making the No-Knead Bread because it’s pretty much hands-off yeast bread but this whole wheat version is currently on rotation here. I have been using whole wheat flour more lately, even in our pizza dough recipe, and we love it.
This Whole Wheat No-Knead Bread is easy and delicious! It’s a great way to limit white flour amount in your diet and skip buying a white sandwich bread. You can add nuts and seeds to give it more texture and enjoy with a generous amount of peanut or almond butter and this chia jam. So tasty!
Instructions:
To make a tasty whole wheat no-knead bread, I used two cups of whole wheat flour and one cup of all-purpose flour. Stir in yeast, water and salt until the dough is shaggy and sticky. Cover the bowl with saran wrap and leave to rise in room temperature for 8 to 24 hours. Next, lightly flour a sheet of parchment paper, form the dough into a ball and let rest when your oven is preheating. Bake the bread in a cast iron Dutch oven with lid for 30 minutes, then uncover and bake until the top is golden brown.
It is recommended to let a yeast bread (and any kind of bread for that matter, even sweet quick bread) to cool completely before slicing. Otherwise, the crumb will be sticky and not cut nicely.
I love using my Le Creuset Round Dutch Oven to make this bread. It’s perfect not only for cooking soups and chili!
Enjoy with a hearty chili, soup or pasta. This bread is also perfect for making grilled cheese and even homemade croutons.
More recipes with whole wheat flour:
- Whole Wheat Skillet Focaccia
- Whole Wheat Pancakes
- Whole Wheat Banana Bread
- Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies
If you like this recipe and make it, snap a photo and share it on INSTAGRAM! Tag me @crunchycreamysweet so I can check it out and leave a comment! 😀
- 2 cups whole wheat flour
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1.5 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon dry yeast
- 1.5 cups warm water
-
In a large mixing bowl, stir together both flours, sugar, salt and yeast. Add water and stir just until incorporated. Do not overmix. The dough will be shaggy.
-
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let sit on the counter, at room temperature for 8 to 24 hours. The dough will rise and have lots of air bubbles.
-
The next day, lightly flour a piece of parchment paper. Place dough onto paper. With floured hands, shape into a ball. Cover with plastic wrap.
-
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Adjust rack to lower position. Place Dutch oven inside. Preheat for 30 minutes.
-
When oven is ready, carefully place the parchment paper with dough inside the Dutch oven. Cover with Dutch oven lid and bake for 30 minutes. Remove lid and bake 7 to 10 minutes more or until the top is golden brown, has cracks.
-
Carefully remove Dutch oven from oven. Remove parchment paper with bread and place on a wooden cutting board. Let cool completely.
You can add nuts and seeds to the dough to give the bread more texture.
This bread is chewier than the all-purpose flour version. It is heartier too.
This bread is great for making homemade croutons and awesome grilled cheese sandwiches!
Beth says
I have tried many bread recipes and this one is a keeper! I reduced the white flour to 1/2 cup and used flax meal, flax seeds and 8 grain cereal, 2 tablespoons each and sprinkled toasted sesame seeds on the dough ball before the second rise, love the dark brown sugar flavor, Perfect, cant wait for toast in the morning.
Anna says
Hi Beth! I am so glad you love the bread! It’s one of my favorites. Thank you for trying my recipe!
hilary says
my dough didn’t rise much and i let it sit all night on the counter. so i thought it was too cold. i proofed it in my instant pot on yogurt for 3 hours and it still didn’t rise. i wonder what happened? the recipe says 1/2 teaspoon of yeast, is that correct?
Ian Rose says
My oven is a convection microwave oven but I decided to give this recipe a try. The highest temperature for my oven is 200 C, about 390 F. I have an iron pot but the cover is glass . I was afraid of putting that in the oven, so I used a frying pan with removable handle inverted.
I also used bakers active yeast which is what I had at home. I proved the yeast with a teaspoon of sugar and 1/4 cup of warm water for about 10 minutes before adding the other ingredients substituting 1/4 cup of orange juice for warm water, keeping liquid to the 1 1/2 cups. Soon as I finished the mixing, I realized I left out the salt. Oh well, I was not going to risk over mixing. I left it overnight in the oven. Looked perfect. Baked it this morning, for about 20 minutes longer.
Perfect except for the paper that stuck to the bottom and the only thing we could do was cut it out and throw that away.
Texture Is perfect. We had it for breakfast with olives which made up for the missing salt and some olive oil. Will try it again but in smaller rolls, say 4 rolls.
Ashley says
Can you spilt this into smaller loaves more like single sandwich buns/ mini loaves?
Not sure you’ve tried this, but I’m pregnant and trying to recreate my favourite sandwich shop, they have crunchy whole wheat mini loaves for their sandwiches and I’m really hoping this might work (we’ve moved 10hrs away so having one of their sandwiches isn’t plausible anymore but it’s all I’m craving 😔)
Any advice is beyond appreciated!!
I’ve made other whole loaf breads similar to this recipe, just in a glass bowl but I have a cast iron Dutch oven as well I have never used so I’m excited to try!
Sandy says
Hi can I use my sourdough starter, for the yeast and if so how would I adjust.thanks
Camille says
Is there a reason you don’t score the bread?
Cindy says
What size dutch oven did you use? I have a five quart.
Anna says
Hi Cindy! That should be plenty big. I hope you love the bread!
Diversity says
How did you measure the flour? Scoop, spoon, weigh?
Anna says
Hi! I always recommend fluffing the flour first in the container you store it in. Then scoop it into the measuring cup and level off the top with a knife. Use in the recipe as directed. I hope this helps!
Pepper says
This bread is fuss-free AND DELISH! It has a delicate sweetness, crust turns out beautifully and is super scrummy w/butter. I’m so grateful for such a perfect bread recipe that’s easy and doesn’t take an eternity to enjoy. ❤️
Anna says
Hi Pepper! That’s wonderful! I am so glad the bread was a success! Thanks so much for trying the recipe!
Hope says
Stupid question: In step 5, one does remove the plastic wrap before placing in dutch oven, correct? Also, would it change anything if a coat of olive oil was applied right before baking?
Anna says
Hi Hope! Yes, remove the plastic wrap before placing the dough in the Dutch oven. I did not test this recipe with brushing olive oil on the bread before baking, but you are welcome to do that. I hope you love the bread!
K. Smith says
Can the bread be baked on a sheet or pan. What temperature and how long
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
I did not test this recipe by baking the bread on a sheet pan. You can use cast iron pan and make a tent cover with aluminum foil. Time and temperature stay the same.
Sue says
How many slices on the average do you get from 1 loaf.
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
Hi Sue! I would say at least 10. Hope this helps!
Antoinette T Bourke says
I don’t have a cast iron dutch oven. What can I use?
Thanks.
Toni
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
Hi Toni! You can use any oven-proof pot with lid. You can also try a cake pan but I didn’t test this recipe with it so it’s hard to say if the crust will be the same.