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No-Knead 100% Whole Wheat Bread (Puffy with a Crisp Crust) – Recipe Website
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No-Knead 100% Whole Wheat Bread (Puffy with a Crisp Crust)

by admin
written by admin


An overhead shot shows a baked round loaf of no-knead whole wheat bread in a Dutch oven, surrounded by parchment paper.

There is nothing like a crusty, fresh loaf of bread with a hot bowl of soup. This no-knead whole wheat bread is perfect for dunking into my Smoky Lentils and Potatoes Soup or Brothy Beans. I use 100% whole grain wheat flour in this recipe. With a few tricks, the loaf is tender with a slightly open crumb and satisfying crispy crust. You simply stir up the ingredients the night before, shape and do a quick rise the next day, and then bake it in a Dutch oven. No kneading or mixers needed!

An overhead shot shows a loaf of no-knead whole wheat bread split in half, revealing a puffy open crumb.
An overhead shot shows ingredients needed to make whole wheat no-knead bread.
An overhead shot shows an autolyse mixture of whole wheat flour and water in a clear glass mixing bowl.An overhead shot shows an autolyse mixture of whole wheat flour and water in a clear glass mixing bowl.
Autolyse (a portion of the flour and water) is mixed and rested for 1 hour.
An overhead shot shows a molasses and water mixture being poured into a bowl with flour and water.An overhead shot shows a molasses and water mixture being poured into a bowl with flour and water.
Then, add remaining flour and water plus: instant yeast, salt, oil, molasses, and lemon juice.
An overhead shot shows a clear glass mixing dough containing wheat bread dough and a spatula.An overhead shot shows a clear glass mixing dough containing wheat bread dough and a spatula.
The final dough that will rest overnight.
A head-on shot shows bread dough that has been left overnight in a clear bowl. There are lots of bubbles in the dough, seen through the clear glass.A head-on shot shows bread dough that has been left overnight in a clear bowl. There are lots of bubbles in the dough, seen through the clear glass.
The next morning: bubbly and doubled in size.

I have been making Jim Lahey’s famous no-knead bread for years, generally with a 50/50 mix of all purpose flour and something whole grain. There were a few attempts with all whole wheat flour, but the results were always a little too dense for my liking.

It was my goal to lock down a whole grain no-knead wheat bread. I recommend serving so many of my recipes with crusty bread, so I wanted something to point folks to. 

I began researching ways to make whole wheat bread more open-crumbed. This led me to a technique called autolyse, which involves mixing a portion of the flour and water and letting it sit for up to 1 hour. This rest improves the dough’s ability to stretch, which leads to a puffier, more springy inner texture. No whole grain bricks here!

The other additions to this no-knead whole wheat bread recipe that make it more tender are slightly higher hydration, molasses, lemon juice, and oil. Whole wheat flour absorbs more water than all-purpose, so upping the water made sense. Molasses is good at absorbing and retaining moisture in bread–it also just tastes good with whole wheat flour. Lemon juice increases the elasticity, which allows for a better rise. Oil really helps to soften the inner texture.

I have never made a homemade whole wheat bread with a dough texture like this one! It’s quite wet and you may doubt yourself as you bring it together. I recommend reading the recipe instructions thoroughly and watching the loaf-shaping video that I linked to in the recipe notes. No-knead doesn’t mean no work 😉

An overhead shot shows a long piece of bread dough that has been folded in half on a floured surface.An overhead shot shows a long piece of bread dough that has been folded in half on a floured surface.
Shaping the dough: first fold in half along the long side.
An overhead shot shows a piece of bread dough that has been folded in half with dustings of flour.An overhead shot shows a piece of bread dough that has been folded in half with dustings of flour.
Then fold one short side into the middle.
An overhead shot shows a hand folding a piece of dough over with lots of flour dusted everywhere.An overhead shot shows a hand folding a piece of dough over with lots of flour dusted everywhere.
Fold the remaining short side into the middle.
An overhead shot shows a hand using a bench scraper to shape bread dough into a round loaf.An overhead shot shows a hand using a bench scraper to shape bread dough into a round loaf.
Flip it over and shape with a bench scraper.
An overhead shot shows a hand adding ice cubes underneath a parchment encased portion of bread dough in a hot Dutch oven.An overhead shot shows a hand adding ice cubes underneath a parchment encased portion of bread dough in a hot Dutch oven.
The shaped and rested dough is dropped via parchment “sling” into a hot Dutch oven. Ice cubes tucked under the parchment create steam and help the rise.
A 3/4 angle shot shows a baked round loaf of no-knead whole wheat bread in a Dutch oven, surrounded by parchment paper.A 3/4 angle shot shows a baked round loaf of no-knead whole wheat bread in a Dutch oven, surrounded by parchment paper.
A head-on shot shows a loaf of homemade whole wheat bread on a cooling rack next to a stove. Bottles of oil, salt, pepper mill, and a carafe of utensils is seen in the background. A serrated knife is next to the bread on a cooling rack.A head-on shot shows a loaf of homemade whole wheat bread on a cooling rack next to a stove. Bottles of oil, salt, pepper mill, and a carafe of utensils is seen in the background. A serrated knife is next to the bread on a cooling rack.

No-Knead 100% Whole Wheat Bread (Puffy with a Crisp Crust)

With a shockingly tender open crumb and gratifying crisp crust, this homemade whole wheat bread is so fun to make! No kneading or mixer required.