Easy crusty whole wheat bread
I am totally blown away at how easy and how good this easy crusty whole wheat bread turned out. By no means I am a bread expert but because I have been wanting to start making bread from scratch for the longest I can remember this wS just the perfect recipe to start with. Even my kids could make this it is so easy!
Literally, all you need to do is mix the ingredients in a bowl and let it rest. The next day you just knead it for like 1-2 minutes, just to basically shape it into a round loaf and you are done. Just bake it away and let the oven do its magic.
This was my first time making bread on my dutch-oven. This method is pretty much all over the internet so I thought, why not? Let me give it a try and see if it really works, and sure enough, it did.
This bread making method is just genius. I don’t know who came up with it but I just love it. I don’t know if the bread would actually turn good on any other type of baking pan, I guess I would have to experiment further!
Now as far as the flour ratio for this bread is concern, because this was my first time making it, I wanted to make sure it would come out OK. Next time I am just going to do 100% whole wheat and half the recipe just in case but for the purpose of this recipe, the ratio was perfect.
You can try and do 100% whole wheat when you make this, if you do, please let me know.
I really hope you get to make this easy crusty whole wheat bread. I will be making different flavors shortly. I love garlic so a garlic version I think it will be next.
Enjoy!
PrintEasy crusty whole wheat bread
Yield: 12 servings
Total Time: 1 hour
Ingredients:
- 3 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose unbleached flour
- 1/3 cup sunflower seeds
- 1/3 cup walnuts, chopped
- 1/3 cup rolled oats
- 2 1/2 tsp celtic salt
- 1 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
- 3 1/2 cup water
Directions:
In a mixing bowl add the flour, salt, yeast, nuts, and sunflower seeds, (save about 1 tbsp of sunflower seeds and rolled oats for later). Stir to combine. Add the water and mix though until it is well mixed. I do this step with a spatula.
Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit on your counter for 12 to 18 hours. I do this at night so the next morning when I wake up is when I bake the bread.
When you are ready to bake the bread, place your 6 qt dutch-oven (lid included) in the oven and preheat it to 450 F degrees. (You must preheat your dutch-oven to 450F)
Flour your work surface. Remove the dough from the bowl and shape it into a ball. Place the remaining sunflower seeds and rolled oats over the bread and press slightly. Carefully place the dough into the preheated dutch-oven. Cover the pot with the lid and place it back in the oven.
Bake for 35 minutes with the lid on. Remove the lid and bake for another 20-25 minutes until golden brown. The bread will keep for up to 2 days.
NOTES:
- You can half this recipe.
- This was my first time making this recipe, the flour ratio is not exactly what I would like it to be but I will keep experimenting with the ratios and make it 100% whole wheat!
Recipe slightly adapted from here
Hello there. My name is Miryam and I am the clinical dietitian and Physician Assistant behind Eat Good 4 Life. My wish is to inspire you to start cooking healthier so that you can live a longer and happier life. Thanks for stopping by (
if I don’t have a Dutch oven, is there another way I could make this? Looks so yummy!!
Any round dish with a lid would work, as far as a loaf pan or anything else I have no idea! Sorry I couldn’t be of more help. I am new making this bread :-)
Can you believe I don’t have a dutch oven! I need to change that so I can make bread like this!
What a gorgeous loaf of bread – definitely trying this, my husband would LOVE it!
Oh! This bread is positively amazing as it is… but that garlic suggestion?? I’m in!
Wow! I can’t believe how easy this bread is to make! :) And I have never baked bread in a dutch oven before. Going to have to give this a try soon.
Ok, I have been meaning to make bread in a dutch oven like this for a while. These pictures just solidified it for me… I need to make this .. asap!
Anyone make this 100% whole wheat yet? How’d it turn out?
It is heavy and dense but good. I cooked it in a loaf pan. I don’t have a Dutch oven
I actually just made this without white flower. I was adjusting the recipe I had 1. Because I didn’t want white flour and because I didn’t want to make 7 loaves lol. So I had a small issue, maybe I just didn’t leave it long enough to rise I am not sure. Maybe you or one of your readers can give me some pointers I am making more today just so I can try a little something different.
So I added a cup an a half of each: pecans, sunflower seeds and oats, 1/2 cup flax seeds, 4 cups whole wheat flour, 4 1/2 TBSP yeast. Once mixed the dough was covered but it didn’t rise. I have up after about an hour and just put it in pans ….. tried to let it rise again…. no luck! I put it in the oven and baked it it is great with butter and honey very dense bread but good. I wanted it to be a little lighter, fluffy. Was it the nuts? What can I do to make it better?
No I don’t think is the nuts. Did you use whole wheat pastry flour? That is normally less dense than regular plain whole wheat flour. That would work a little bit better. I need to make it again all with WWPF, however, it would be more dense than when I made it originally!!
Hi!
Ive been baking these breads adding different flavours for a couple of years, but using always White flour. Yesterday I tried to do it using only wholewheat flour and it was delicious!!!
I made a loaf with rosemary and black olives and a second one with cheddar and chilliest ( my fav)
Keep going!!! It’s so reconforting the smell of your homemade bread…
Wow that is awesome. I need to make another one soon. Thanks for stopping by!
I have made several of these dutch oven type breads but this is by far the best. I made it exactly like the recipe said using the flour mentioned in the recipe. I buy unbleached white flour so it was perfect – you can see the grain in that flour so you know it is good. I am very excited about this recipe and love it that it is large. I will slice and freeze now and see how that works since there is no way we can down that large loaf in a couple short days and the refrigerator isn’t kind to bread. Thanks for the recipe – I am sorry that people are critical of a recipe when they don’t follow instructions or use different ingredients – at least the first time they make it.
I am glad you liked the recipe so much. I have yet to experiment on it but I will soon. Some people are really critical…I guess it comes with the territory :-) Thanks for stopping by.
I’m making it for the third time,totally delicious. I’ve halved the recipe so I can make fresh bread more often. Do you reduce the baking time? I’m making a white loaf simultaneously which has half the flour and less baking time. Do I follow that recipe? Thanks for a wonderful recipe.
Yes you should, I will keep an eye on it after 20 minutes. I wouldn’t want you to burn it!! Yes follow the recipe!
Do I need to make any adjustments for altitude?
I am not 100% sure. I have never had this issue before!
Hi Miriam,
Thank you for the recipe, do you think I could use fresh yeast instead?I have no experience making bread and just bought the wrong kind of yeast…un saludo
Yes you can. That is even better!
can i make it without the all-purpose unbleached flour ?
Just whole wheat pastry flour? If so you may need more yeast and more time for the bread to rise!!!! I am not sure about results but you can give it a try.
yeah the whole wheat flour, ok, thank you sooo much :) <3
yeah the whole wheat flour, ok, thank you sooo much :) <3
Although look great, the gf blueberry crisp was not that tasty. The topping I followed to your instructions and it didn’t stick together at all and was just oats with other stuff and after cooking, still just oats and the other ingredients. I am not sure but it seems like something else needs to be added initially to make the oats and rice flour , etc be more like a batter or something. I made it once more and this time added a little less coconut oil and added 1/4 cup vegan butter, melted and 2 tab. of brown sugar. Turned out great and I had raves from the group who wanted the recipe. I changed the things I mentioned and used slivered almonds instead. I gave them your original recipe and my changes.
Thank you.
Just made this. Easiest bread ever and looks amazing! I made half a recipe. Made if for my book club girls so we will see what they think!
Perfect loaf using all 6 cups Bob’s Red Mill 100% Stone Ground Whole Wheat Flour (perfect for pizza bread brownies muffins per package), added some seeds in dough only (nothing on top) for a beautiful clean crusty exterior. Also used 1.25 tsps of Instant Yeast and let the Kitchen Aid stand mixer knead the bread for about 5 mins with dough hook. Left to rise overnight, olive oiling the bowl and top of dough, and cooked in dutch oven for 35 mins lid on, but only 18 mins with lid off because it was already quite brown and crusty. It has an amazing thick crust which the boys and hubby love.