No Knead Dutch Oven Whole Wheat Bread
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No Knead Dutch Oven Whole Wheat Bread – no kneading required and 4 ingredients gives you a healthy delicious whole wheat crusty bread.
I told you December was going to be about baking! Did you think I was kidding?
Maybe I’ll throw in a crockpot recipe or two, but the rest is all about baking, my friends. Because that’s what I do in December. I bake! Cookies, breads, muffins, scones, more cookies, bars, cakes, etc. The problem is what to do with all the baked goods. Luckily I have lots of test subjects at work who are more than willing to try my goods. 🙂
I made this bread before but with white flour but since I’m on this health kick lately I thought I’d try it with whole wheat flour and what a surprise I had. It was delicious! The recipe is quite similar but different quantities and I used only whole wheat flour and it turned out beautiful and super yummy. You cannot make an easier bread than this. There’s no kneading required, you simply mix the ingredients with a wooden spoon in a big bowl, cover it with plastic wrap and leave it on your counter over night. And magic happens!
The next day your bowl will be filled with this beautiful dough ready to be baked to golden perfection. You need a cast iron pot, or basically an oven proof pot with a lid which should work just as well. This bread is healthy and delicious and there’s nothing better than freshly made warm bread. My favorite thing in the world!
Watch the video for the original No Knead Crusty bread:
If you guys love this recipe, and most importantly make it yourselves, please let us know. Take a picture and tag it #jocooks on Instagram so we can see it. I always love to see what you guys come up with!
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No Knead Dutch Oven Whole Wheat Bread
Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 45 mins
Resting Time: 15 hrs
Total: 50 mins
Serves: 10
No Knead Dutch Oven Whole Wheat Bread – no kneading required and 4 ingredients gives you a healthy delicious whole wheat crusty bread.
Ingredients
- 4 cups whole wheat flour
- 2 tsp salt
- 3/4 tsp active dry yeast
- 2 cups water room temperature
Instructions
- In a big bowl mix flour, salt and yeast together. Pour water into the bowl and using a spatula mix it until it's all incorporated. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit on your counter for 12 to 18 hours.
- Preheat oven to 475 F degrees. Add your cast iron pot to the oven and heat it as well until it's at 475 F degrees.
- Remove pot from oven and remove the lid from it.
- Flour your work surface really well and make sure you flour your hands really well. With your floured hands gently remove the dough from the bowl and roughly shape it into a ball. Take the ball of dough and drop it into the pot. Cover the pot with the lid and place it back in the oven.
- Bake for 30 minutes with the lid on, after which remove the lid and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and let cool.
Recipe Notes
- Prep time does not include time to let the dough rise.
- Always check the expiration date on your yeast and make sure it hasn't expired. All your yeast products whether it’s in a jar or a package should be stamped with a “Best if Used by” date. Always make sure you check this date, even when you purchase the yeast, who knows it could have been on the shelf past its expiry date.
- To keep your yeast fresh and longer lasting, unopened yeast packages or jars should be stored in a cool or dry place such as your cupboard. However, you can also store your yeast in the fridge or freezer. If you do store it in the freezer and need to use yeast for your baking, make sure you take out the amount you need and let it sit at room temperature for at least half hour before using.
- Once your yeast package or jar has been opened, you must refrigerate the yeast or freeze it in an airtight container.
- One thing to remember about your yeast, is that it is a living organism and over time it will lose activity, even if you’ve never opened the jar or package. So if you don’t bake often, buy the smaller yeast packages rather than a big jar of yeast.
- Why is my bread chewy: Usually your bread will be chewy when there isn't enough gluten formation or you're using a low-protein flour. Make sure you let your bread dough rest for at least 12 hours to give it enough time for gluten formation.
- Why is my bread dense: Usually bread will be too dense when there is too much flour. Keep in mind this dough will be pretty sticky, do not add more flour than specified. Other factors that come into play are humidity and age of flour. Little yeast, long rise, sticky dough are keys to a good, light loaf.
- I don't have a Dutch oven, what can I use instead: If you don't have a Dutch Oven, a covered metal pot would work as well, just make sure it can stand up to 450 F heat. A 4 quart Calphalon soup pot with lid would work as well. If your pot doesn't have a lid, you can cover the pot with heavy-duty aluminum foil, just make sure you seal the pot well.
- How do I know when my bread is done baking: Tap the bottom! Take the bread out of the Dutch oven, turn it upside down and give the bottom a firm thump with your thumb, or a knock and if it sounds hollow it's done.
- Nutrition: Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.
Nutrition Information:
Calories: 164kcal (8%)Carbohydrates: 35g (12%)Protein: 6g (12%)Fat: 1g (2%)Saturated Fat: 1g (6%)Sodium: 469mg (20%)Potassium: 174mg (5%)Fiber: 5g (21%)Sugar: 1g (1%)Calcium: 18mg (2%)Iron: 2mg (11%)
Nutrition Facts
No Knead Dutch Oven Whole Wheat Bread
Amount Per Serving
Calories 164 Calories from Fat 9
% Daily Value*
Fat 1g2%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Sodium 469mg20%
Potassium 174mg5%
Carbohydrates 35g12%
Fiber 5g21%
Sugar 1g1%
Protein 6g12%
Calcium 18mg2%
Iron 2mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
More delicious recipes from my kitchen
No Knead Dutch Oven Crusty Bread
Sunflower Flax Seeds Whole Wheat Cast Iron Bread
Munira says
Thank you for the easy recipe! Quick question: for how many days will it stay good in fridge? Thanks again!
Jo Cooks Team says
It should be good for a week in the fridge!
Shirley says
Hi Jo, I’m excited to try your No knead whole-wheat bread recipe.
I just have a few questions. 1. What size Dutch Oven does this recipe use, as I have a 7 qrt. Logastina tuscan. 2. The manufacturers says not to heat it without some kind of liquid in it.
Jo Cooks Team says
We used a 3.5qt dutch oven for this recipe. I would follow the manufacturers instructions, see if you can hunt down a dutch oven that is okay to heat without liquids. We Le Creuset’s pots.
Silvia says
I probably made this bread 47 times now, so I was thinking I should leave some feedback. 😀 My best version is with sunflower and pumpkin seeds roasted with a little bit of honey and salt. Anyway, thank you so much.
Jo Cooks Team says
Yum that sounds amazing! We’ll give it a try 🙂
Susan Vanderzille says
Silvia, Did you make the whole wheat bread. I followed the recipe exactly but the dough mixture was so dry that it would not absorb all of the flower, so I added more water. I let it rest for 24 hours. It barely rose at all. The taste is fine, but it is so dense. I used warm water. I did proof it in a plastic bowl. Could that be the problem?
Jo Cooks Team says
It sounds like your yeast is dead. The best way to test it is to mix the yeast with warm water, not hot or the yeast may die, and a tsp of sugar. The yeast should foam up quite a bit after 5-10 minutes. Store jars of yeast in the freezer so they’ll last longer.
SJ says
Can I use white whole wheat flour? Also, any thoughts about adding some seeds (sunflower, flax, chia)?
jo says
Absolutely. Here’s my recipe for the no knead bread with sunflower and seeds: https://www.jocooks.com/recipes/sunflower-and-flax-seeds-whole-wheat-cast-iron-bread/
Sophie says
I’ve made this recipe several times, made tweaks and tried mixing flour and every time it comes out well! I don’t think you can mess it up it’s so simple.
Nicole Beaulieu says
That’s so wonderful to hear 🙂 Homemade bread is the best.
Megan says
Cannot wait to try this week! Question- Can i make the dough 2 days before and leave it out for longer than 18 hours?
jo says
The longest I’ve left it out is about 28 hours with the same results, never left it for longer. However, I still think it should be fine.
Vicki says
This bread is amazing! Turned out perfectly. My cast iron dutch oven is only supposed to go up to 230 so I cooked it at that temp. and it still turned out gorgeous. It tastes and looks like a bought artisan bread.
Nicole Beaulieu says
We’re so glad you love this recipe! Homemade bread is so easy and wonderful to have 🙂
Martin says
I tried your recipe and I have to admit I was a bit skeptical. I couldn’t figure out how a sugar free, 50% hydration, 100% wholewheat no knead bread was going to turn out. Well, it turned out beautifully! Thankyou so much for sharing this gem. I followed your instructions to the letter, leaving it a good 18 hours, and the result was amazing. The shape was perfect, the crust was perfect and I was most amazed by the crumb. I was expecting a relatively dense inside, the typical wholewheat no knead loaf; but it was very open and light and very, very tasty!
Thanks again Jo; this my new go-to wholewheat loaf!
Joanna Cismaru says
Thanks so much Martin! Love hearing this! 🙂
diana says
This was delicious! My first time using a no knead bread recipe. My roommate sampled the bread to and enjoyed it as well. Thanks for a new go to recipe.
Robert Rowe says
This Whole Wheat Bread is to DIE FOR!
Try an Adirondack Special:
Toasted Bread
Peanutbutter
Sliced Banana
Fluffernutter
You’re welcome!
Jeanne says
This bread is delicious but I did run into a few problems of my own design. The only Dutch oven I have is a 6-quart one so the dough did spread out and didn’t get as high. The texture is great and I love the crust.
A couple questions you might be able to answer. How much flour to you put on the work surface when shaping the dough into a ball – 1/2 cup? 1/4 cup?
Also, I have a 4-quart stainless steel Cuisinart Multi-Clad Pro pot that can be used in the oven up to 500 degrees. If I use this do you think I would need to adjust the temperature for preheating and/or baking time?
Thank you so much for this great recipe. I am definitely going to make it on a regular basis.
Joanna Cismaru says
You’d need less than 1/4 cup of flour to shape it, just make sure your hands are also covered in flour. Regarding the pot, I don’t think so, if it’s fine up to 500 degrees it should be fine.
Jeanne says
Your recipe is very interesting and I plan to give it a try. I noticed that no sugar is listed in the ingredients. Doesn’t the yeast need some to help it rise?
Nicole Beaulieu says
We had no trouble without sugar for this recipe! You can always add a tsp of sugar if you’d like 🙂
Sunil says
The whole wheat artisan bread looks and taste great! However, it came out a bit too dense for our taste even though I followed your recipe exactly and let the dough sit for about 18 hours. Would substituting one cup of whole wheat flower with all purpose flower help? Would I need to change anything else?
Nicole Beaulieu says
If you replace one cup of WW flour for AP flour, add an extra quarter cup of the AP flour 🙂
Felicia says
Hi Joanna! Looking for a recipe I found yours…and so happy that the bread just came out from the oven…looking good…lol..The smell in the house…..amazing..
Cut few slices ..put some butter….amazing again.
Thank you for sharing.Looking forward …All the best!
Joanna Cismaru says
Hi Felicia!! So glad you liked it, it’s a favorite here!
Chris says
Thanks for sharing this recipe, it is easy to follow and yields good results. I made this with King Arthur Whole Wheat Flour and it came out very dark brown. Which whole wheat flour to you use?
Joanna Cismaru says
The brand I use is Robinhood.
Rebecca says
Hi Jo! Thanks for the wonderful recipe! I’m wondering if this could be made in a sandwich loaf pan and if that requires any changes to the recipe? Thanks for any info!!
Joanna Cismaru says
You can do it in a loaf pan but keep in mind because it won’t be covered, it won’t get the nice crust on top. Check out my skillet no knead bread recipe, which is similar so you can see how it can be easily baked in a skillet or loaf pan. https://www.jocooks.com/recipes/no-knead-skillet-bread/
sharra says
Mine turned out extremely salty. I also followed the recipe time and temperatures exactly as stated, yet it turned out burnt on the bottom and undercooked on the inside. May need to try again with a lower oven temp.
Nicole Beaulieu says
Every oven is different, which can be frustrating for baking! These temperatures worked perfect for us, but depending what type of oven you have, the age, etc, you can have a different outcome. You can always adjust the salt to suit your preference, as well.