This quick and easy no-knead bread can be made on any busy weeknight. Delicious and hearty!
I bake bread very often. Especially since I’ve discovered that you can make delicious and hearty homemade bread without kneading it. One of my favorite bread baking books is: “The New Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day: The Discovery That Revolutionizes Home Baking” by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois. Buy it on Amazon ) (They are not my sponsors, I just love sharing great news!)
Here is my no-fail easy recipe for a light whole wheat bread that tastes just like it came from a fancy bakery! It’s crusty on the outside and warm and comforting on the inside. My recipe contains half unbleached white flour and half stone-ground whole wheat flour. You can use all whole wheat flour if you prefer. Just keep in mind that your bread will be denser.
This is the basic recipe that you can use to make so many different loaves of bread, such as:
whole-wheat pizza,
Tiropsomo (feta bread)
Olive bread
Italian Bread
Cinnamon Raisin Bread
Here are some more bread recipes to try.
Important Tips for making homemade Bread:
1) Use the best quality flour you can buy. I love organic unbleached white flour and organic stone ground whole wheat.
2) Keep a pizza stone or tiles in your oven while baking the bread. I keep these in my oven all the time. Even during the clean cycle! Taking these out will cause them to crack.
3) Keep a cast iron pan on the bottom rack of the oven when preheating and during baking. This will create a crusty exterior that cannot be duplicated any other way. I bought mine for under 20 dollars over 10 years ago. Such a great investment!
Make Ahead Tips:
The dough can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator. Allow it to come to room temperature before baking the bread. It will take an hour or two. Form the loaves let them rise and bake as per the instructions.
Bread can be made and stored in the freezer for a few weeks. Wrap it well in plastic wrap and toast it in a preheated (350 °F) oven before serving. Make sure to thaw it out overnight first…
Instructions:
Mix the yeast in the warm water.
Place the flour and the salt in a pot, large bowl or bucket. It should be able to hold 6 quarts. Mix well with a whisk so that the salt gets incorporated.
Add water and yeast mixture and mix with a wooden spoon or with your hands. You do not have to knead this dough. Just mix until everything is incorporated making sure that the dough stays wet and sticky. Add 1/4 cup of water if needed. If you are using half whole wheat flour, you will need to add water.
Once it is all mixed, cover loosely leaving some room for gases to release. Leave it alone to rise, undisturbed for about 2 hours.
Put the container in the refrigerator and let it rest overnight.
The dough will stay fresh up to 8 days. It’s a good idea to make a double batch if you plan on making fresh bread often during the week. The longer it stays in the refrigerator the more sourdough flavor will develop.
Check out my other bread recipes that I have listed above! You can create your own versions by adding your favorite herbs to this recipe. Get creative and make this hearty bread for yourself and your loved ones!
Enjoy!!
WHOLE WHEAT BREAD DOUGH (NO KNEAD)
Quick and hearty no-knead bread can be made any day of the week!
Ingredients
- 3 and 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
- 3 cups unbleached white bread flour
- 4 cups warm water, or more if needed (100 degrees)
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 2 heaping teaspoons yeast
Instructions
- Mix the yeast in the warm water.
- Place the flour and the salt in a pot, large bowl or bucket. It should be able to hold 6 quarts. Mix well with a whisk so that the salt gets incorporated.
- Add water and yeast mixture and mix with a wooden spoon or with your hands. You do not have to knead this dough. Just mix until everything is incorporated making sure that the dough stays wet and sticky. Add 1/4 cup of water if needed. If you are using half whole wheat flour, you will need to add water.
- Once it is all mixed, cover loosely leaving some room for gases to release. Leave it alone to rise, undisturbed for about 2 hours.
- Put the container in the refrigerator and let it rest overnight.
- The dough will stay fresh up to 8 days. It's a good idea to make a double batch if you plan on making fresh bread often during the week. The longer it stays in the refrigerator the more sourdough flavor will develop.
Notes
To make beautiful homemade bread here are some tips that are very important:
1) Use the best quality flour you can buy. I love organic unbleached white flour and organic stone ground whole wheat.
2) Keep a pizza stone or tiles in your oven while baking the bread. I keep these in my oven all the time. Even during the clean cycle! Taking these out will cause them to crack.
3) Keep a cast iron pan on the bottom rack of the oven when preheating and during baking. This will create a crusty exterior that cannot be duplicated any other way.
I bought mine for under 20 dollars over 10 years ago. Such a great investment!
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