This is the EASIEST method for making Whole Wheat Bread! This recipe for No-Knead bread is made without special equipment, only a few minutes of prep and produces the most delicious hearty, rustic bread.
Not only is this Dutch Oven Bread incredibly easy to make, but it is also one of my favorite bread recipes. It toasts up perfectly but is divine when served with a smear of butter next to homemade Potato Corn Chowder or Lasagna Soup.
I am a bit of a bread snob. I want hearty, rich, and crusty bread that is full of flavor and texture and worthy of every calorie consumed.
And friends, this No-Knead Dutch Oven bread not only meets my high standards for bread, but it is also the EASIEST bread recipe to make.
- One Bowl
- 4 Ingredients
- No-Kneading!!
This no-knead dutch oven bread is just perfection!!
Crusty on the outside and tender on the inside. It reminds me of a fresh loaf of bread that I would pick up from an expensive bakery. Instead, it is something I made with a few simple staples and hardly any effort at all--FOR PENNIES!
How to Make No-Knead Dutch Oven Bread
- In a large mixing bowl, mix together the flour, yeast, salt, and water until just combined.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and set on the counter to rest overnight.
- After the dough has risen, place the dutch oven in the oven and turn the oven to 450 degrees. You must preheat your dutch oven for this bread to turn out perfectly.
- Dump onto a floured cutting board and shape into a circle.
- Carefully remove dutch oven from oven and then place the rounded dough into the pan. Cover and bake for 30 minutes.
- Remove cover and bake for an additional for 20 minutes.
- Let cool and enjoy!
Important Notes on this Recipe
- You will know your bread is done cooking when it reaches a temperature on an instant-read thermometer of 207-209 degrees.
- I use whole wheat flour for this recipe, but you can use half whole wheat and half all-purpose or whole white wheat flour as well.
- Be sure to use a spoon/scoop to add flour to your measuring cup--if you just scoop from canister using the measuring cup, you will end up with significantly more flour than this recipe calls for.
- Use regular active dry yeast, not rapid rise or instant yeast.
- Do NOT forget the step to preheat your dutch oven in the oven while the oven preheats, that is crucial to achieving the right texture.
More Bread Recipes
- Easy Whole Wheat Cranberry Walnut Bread
- Whole Wheat Cinnamon Raisin Bread
- Homemade Italian Bread
- Honey Whole Wheat Bread
This is a great starter recipe for homemade bread. It is simple, easy, and delicious! I hope you give a try and enjoy!
No-Knead Whole Wheat Dutch Oven Bread
Ingredients
- 2 cups warm water between 100-115 degrees Fahrenheit
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon dry active yeast
- 3 ¾ cups whole wheat flour or 480 grams
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, yeast, and salt. Slowly mix in the water using a wooden spoon or spatula.
- Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel, and let sit out overnight at room temperature--or for at least 8 hours.
- After the dough has risen, turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and with floured hand, shape it into a circle. Let the dough rest while the oven preheats.
- Place a dutch oven pan, fitted with a lid, into the oven. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F, with the pan in the oven.
- Once the oven is preheated, carefully remove the pan from the oven and drop the shaped bread into the heated pan.
- Bake the bread covered for 30 minutes. Carefully remove the lid and bake for an additional 20 minutes.
- Remove bread from dutch oven and let cool on wire rack for 10-15 minutes before serving.
Equipment Needed
Notes
Nutrition
This post was originally published in 2017 but has been updated in 2020 with new tips.
Susan
Can this recipient be used with whey?
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Susan! I have personally not tried that, but please keep us posted on results if you decide to experiment.
Susan
Yum! Used 1 cup whey left from straining instant pot yogurt and 1 cup water. Families new favorite.
Kristen Chidsey
Great idea to use the whey! And so glad you enjoyed!
joyjoy
Thank you for the recipe I'm not a baker, but I'd love to be. I've baked frozen bread dough, but I've never made anything from scratch.
When using the frozen dough they have you covering the dough with butter or oil to prevent it from sticking. I've also seen bread recipes that have you cover the dough with oil.
With this recipe flour is used to stop it from sticking to the pan?
Kristen Chidsey
Hi JoyJoy! Because you are baking in a dutch oven pan, the bread should not stick. If you are worried about sticking, you can use a tiny bit of oil, but I have not found it to be necessary as long as using a good quality thick-bottomed dutch oven. I hope that helps.
Alison
Oh my goodness this (my first loaf ever) turned out amazing. I had to reduce the salt to a pinch because of health reasons but added roasted garlic flake and rosemary for taste. Next I’ll add cinnamon, raisin and nut and see where it takes me. Thank you so much!
Kristen Chidsey
Thanks for sharing your success Alison! I love hearing your flavor additions--yum! You may want to try out my recipe for No-Knead Cranberry Walnut Bread as well.
Pauline W
My dough very wet and sticky. Aerated my flour first which you hinted at. All measurements were exact. Left it overnight and covered. This morning dough was relatively flat but you could see where at some point it had risen. My yeast was fresh in sachets so is this normal. Flour was also fresh.
These aside the taste was wonderful.
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Pauline! This is a very wet and sticky dough, so that is normal. As for the flat dough, it can often be flat on top with bubbles. If it was completely deflated, you may have let it rise too long. I doubt that the case since you enjoyed the bread.
Mary W
My bread looked beautiful but it was absolutely cemented to the bottom of my cast iron Dutch oven. I finally was able to get it out but most of the bottom crust is still attached to the pot! Any idea what I did wrong?
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Mary! I am sorry you had this issue. It may have been that pan was not a nonstick bottom. I would suggest lightly greasing before your place the bread into the pan.
Joyce Blackwell
For those whose dough is sticking use parchment paper big enough to lower dough into Dutch oven bake your bread as usual the parchment paper makes it to easily lift out and your bread will not stick. Tadaaa
Elizabeth
Hi, will it work if i use instant yeast instead of active dry yeast?
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Elizabeth! It is a bit trickier but can be done. For every 1 teaspoon active dry yeast = 3/4 teaspoon instant yeast, so for this recipe use only 3/4 teaspoon instant yeast. Keep in mind if using instant yeast over active dry yeast, it will not need to proof as long as active dry yeast--maybe only 4-6 hours depending on the temp in your kitchen.
Cathie
I've never made bread before. With this recipe do I just mix the dry yeast into the flour or do I first mix the yeast with water and a little sugar to activate first, as yeast package instructs? Also, what temp should water be?
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Cathie! This recipe is very basic, no need to bloom the yeast in the water with sugar first, as you do in Honey Whole Wheat Bread. You simply dump and mix and no sugar is added. The water should be about 100-115 degrees. Just warm to the touch, but not hot. Enjoy!
Sharon
Hi, Kristen! Any thoughts on if there might be a way to bake this in an Instant Pot? (I don't have a Dutch Oven but am anxious to try it!) Thx 🙂
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Sharon! You can proof the dough in the instant pot, using the yogurt function, but you can't bake it. Sorry!
Kelly D
I doubled it. It’s currently in the oven..... I didn’t factor in a longer baking time. Oops. How long to bake?
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Kelly! I don't recommend doubling unless you bake in two batches, so I can't advise cook time. My concern would be that the crust would get too dark before the center had time to bake. Sorry about this!
Lauren
I’m a baking beginner, and I’m wondering why my dough didn’t rise when I woke up this morning? I used regular dr active yeast, and the rest of the ingredients as follows. What did I do wrong? Help!
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Lauren. I am sorry you had issues. It is really critical your water was warm enough to activate the yeast, but not too hot to kill the yeast. Can you let me know what temp your water was so I can further help? Also, be sure to check the expiration on your yeast. Let me know and I can help 🙂
Carina Vollmer
Loved the bread! Unfortunately mine stuck to the bottom of my Dutch oven....should I have added oil?
Kristen Chidsey
In the future you can grease or line with parchment paper that is oven-safe for up to 450 degrees (very important). Some pans are more apt to sticking.
Jules
Hi! I made this as written and it was awesome! So easy and produced a delicious taste and texture. I’d like to make it again but experiment with add-ins. How would I add nuts/seeds/dried fruit into this recipe? Thanks so much!
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Jules! I am so glad you enjoyed. I have made this recipe by adding in 1/2 cup each of dried fruits and nuts with no other changes.
Pam
Is this a heavy bread or texture since it's only whole wheat ? thanks
Kristen Chidsey
It is a heavier bread, but using whole white wheat helps to keep it lighter, as does adding in 1-2 tablespoons vital wheat gluten.
Jenny
Hi, thank you for sharing this recipe! I have never made bread before and I am excited to try this! I have seen other people post pictures of baking bread in a dutch oven and they lined it with parchment paper. Is this something that I need to do, or just put the dough directly in the dutch oven. Thank you!
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Jenny! As long as your parchment paper indicates it is safe up to 450 degrees, then yes, you can line the pan with parchment paper. However, most brands are not safe to that level of heat and the parchment paper can disintegrate while cooking.
EI
Made this tonight, Excellent! I did 380g of whole wheat, and 100g of bread flour. Mixed the dough at 6am and had it in the oven at 3pm just in time for dinner. Will make weekly. Thank you for a wonderful recipe
Sita Shankar
I have a 4 qt Staub. Would this recipe work in a dutch oven this size? Would the baking time be different?
Thank you!
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Sita! It will work perfectly with no time change.
Emily
Hi,
Can I add whole grains to this recipe?
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Emily! Without experimenting myself, I would not know how much to suggest adding/how much whole wheat flour to remove before it changes the structure of the bread.
Aaron
I'd specify that the yeast is active and not quick rise in the recipe itself, rather than the notes below. I made this bread and it came out very dense because it did not properly rise using quick rise. Unfortunately, I only spotted the direction below after mixing the yeast in. The bread is still good, but as you can imagine, a bit soft and salty.
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Aaron! I am sorry that was not clear to you and have updated the post to note the specific need to use dry active yeast in several more places.
Lucas
Would I be able to add honey to this recipe?
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Lucas, for this recipe, I don't recommend adding honey or sugar, as it may interfere with how the yeast works and through the ratios off. Bread is a bit of an exact process. I do have a recipe for Honey Whole Wheat Bread though that is delicious.