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No Knead Whole Wheat Bread

Contributed by: Melinda

I love the idea of not kneading dough and wanted to see if I could make a whole wheat/grain bread that was more like the artisan breads with crusty exterior and silky interior. This one is ultra easy and came out great.

You can skip the rye flour and use 1 whole cup of semolina. Or this makes a delicious whole wheat sesame loaf - Use ground flax meal instead of rye, add a touch more water and yogurt. At the fold step, sprinkle each side with sesame seeds and when shaping on parchment, sprinkle top with seeds.

What you need

  1. 2 cups whole wheat flour
  2. 1/2 cup rye flour
  3. 1/2 cup semolina flour
  4. 1 tsp yeast
  5. 1 1/2 tsp salt
  6. 1/4 cup plain greek yogurt
  7. 1 1/2 cups warm water - just slightly warmer than body temperature
  8. Optional: 1 1/2 oz. blue cheese, crumbled (buy a chunk, not pre-crumbled)
  9. 1 scallion, finely minced

How to make it

  1. Combine flours, salt and yeast in a mixing bowl
  2. Add yogurt and water and stir until well mixed - you should see bubbling as you mix
  3. Cover loosely with plastic and set aside for 10 to 12 hours or overnight - the dough will rise, double then flatten across the top. Important: The long rest allows the yeast to work slowly building those wonderful air pockets in the dough. Don't skimp on time here.
  4. If using cheese and scallion, scrape dough onto a floured board and gently press into a 1 inch high round
  5. Sprinkle surface with 3/4 of the cheese and onion
  6. Fold one side over 2/3 of the way to the opposite side and sprinkle the top of the folded side with a bit of the cheese onion
  7. Repeat for the remaining three sides
  8. Oil the bowl and return the ball of dough - cover loosely
  9. Transfer loosely covered bowl to the refrigerator for 2 or more hours
  10. Remove dough from refrigerator and transfer it, gently shaping into a ball, to a parchment covered peel
  11. Let dough come to room temperature before baking Be sure to let it come completely to room temperature. This rise must happen fully and slowly for proper texture.
  12. Place a baking stone and a cast iron skillet in the oven and preheat to 400º
  13. Using a serrated knife, slash a cross into the top of the dough about 1/2 - 1 inch deep
  14. Add 2 cups hot water to the cast iron skillet and gently slide parchment and dough onto baking stone
  15. Bake 45 minutes to 1 hour until browned and crusty and hollow sounding when tapped
  16. Let cool completely on a rack before slicing

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