Dutch Oven Wheat Bread (Super Fluffy and No-Knead!)
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This bread is SOOOOO yummy with some butter slathered on top! You'll hardly know it is made with whole wheat flour because it is so fluffy. I tend to think that Dutch oven wheat bread would be dry or crumbly, but this recipe defies those expectations.
One of the things I love about using a Dutch oven to make whole wheat bread is that it makes those crispy-crunchy crusts. As a high-schooler, I used to try often to figure out how to make the crust of artisan bread crunchy. I'd use a stone pan, create steam in the oven, etc. It was complicated and the crust still was only crispy for minutes after taking it out of the oven.
The Dutch oven, on the other hand, works wonders when it comes to creating a crust. I think it's because it surround the dough with a hot surface and traps the steam. This creates fantastically-crunch crusts with a warm, fluffy interior. So good you'd expect to find it at a bakery. But my favorite part? It doesn't require kneading!!
Why You'll Love This Dutch Oven Wheat Bread
No-Knead I'm sorry but I am so lazy that I hate kneading bread! I know, first world problems, right? The pioneers used to do their laundry by hand and now I'm complaining if my bread needs to be kneaded. But as a mom, I'm always looking for shortcuts to feeding my kids food I feel good about. This bread gives me a short-cut on feeding my kids homemade whole grain products without slaving away in the kitchen all day.
Fix It And Forget It- I can seriously whip up this bread dough in five minutes! Then I simply leave it for a few hours and slip it in the oven while I'm doing other tasks. No complicated instructions, no stretch-and-folds, and no babysitting required!
Incredibly Fluffy- There was a time in my life that I thought whole wheat bread would always be inferior to bread made with white flour. Then, I discovered the secret of using whole wheat white flour made from white winter wheat! The typical red wheat flour makes recipes a bit denser, but the white winter wheat is perfect for creating fluffy bread that is chock-full of whole grains.
Contains Whole Grains- Most moms are trying to sneak in whole grains whenever possible, but sometimes kids reject them! I can assure you that my children gobble down this bread no questions asked. I think yours will do the same!
Other Wholesome Bread Recipes You'll Love
Other Whole Grain Recipes You'll Love
Cranberry White Chocolate Granola
How To Make Dutch Oven Wheat Bread
- Combine Dry Ingredients- whisk together the flour, salt, and yeast until thoroughly combined. This ensures the yeast and salt are distributed evenly before adding water which can cause clumps to form.
- Add The Water- this hydrates the dough! You really only need to mix until the flour is moistened. No kneading necessary. You don't really even need a kitchen-aid for this...it is that easy to whip up! The dough will be sticky and tacky to the touch.
- Let Sit Until Doubled In Size- the dough will look bubbly and airy.
- Preheat Dutch Oven- place Dutch oven in the oven and then preheat the oven to 450 degrees. This is essential as it allows the Dutch oven to be hot which creates crunchy crusts- yum!
- Shape Dough- Pour onto parchment paper and fold corners of dough in until you have a circle. The seam side will be up when you put this in the Dutch oven!
- Bake Dough- bake until golden brown and edges are crackly. My other test is to tap the bottom of the bread to see if it sounds crackly
Ingredients In Dutch Oven Wheat Bread
Wheat Flour- If possible, get your hands on some whole wheat white flour! This flour, made from white winter wheat, will elevate your whole grain products to make them fluffier. The red winter wheat tends to make projects denser and less palatable.
All-Purpose Flour- I've found that using all-purpose flour really aids in the texture of this bread as well.
Salt-such an overlooked ingredients but soooo helpful when it comes to flavor! You'll definitely miss it if it's gone.
Yeast- creates a light, airy bread that is the perfect addition to any meal.
What Can I Serve With This Dutch Oven Wheat Bread?
I love a cozy soup with a crusty bread, and this cheesy chicken orzo soup pairs perfectly with this Dutch oven wheat bread!
On A Sandwich
You could easily substitute this bread for the bread in this egg sandwich recipe. My family loves egg sandwiches for dinner, and they make an economical homemade option that feels fancy and fun!
Fluffy whole wheat bread that you don't even have to knead? Yes, please!
- Dry Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups whole wheat white flour
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 ounce of yeast (1 packet or 2 1/4 teaspoons)
- 1/2 tablespoon salt
- Wet Ingredients:
- 1 3/4 cups water
- In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients (flour, wheat flour, salt, and yeast) until thoroughly combined.
- Next, add the water and stir until flour mixture is moistened. Dough should be difficult to handle and sticky-you aren't going to knead this after all!
- Let sit until dough is doubled in size. Depending on weather, this will take 1-3 hours.
- Once dough has doubled, put a Dutch oven in the middle rack of your oven with the lid on. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees with the Dutch oven inside the oven (this will make the crust nice and crispy on your bread!)
- Meanwhile, pour the dough onto a square of parchment paper and shape into a circle using floured fingers.
- Allow to rest on the counter until the oven is fully preheated.
- Take the Dutch oven out of the oven using hot pads, take off the lid, and gently put the dough seam side up in the Dutch oven. Be careful as it is easy to forget how hot the Dutch oven is.
- Using hot pads, put the lid back on the Dutch oven.
- Bake in the middle rack of the oven at 450 degrees for 35 minutes, then remove the lid for a remaining 5-10 minutes to ensure a crispy top.
- Bread should be crispy and light golden brown on the outside and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.