I love bread and wanted a whole wheat version of the crusty artisan loaves I enjoy. I adapted this recipe from a reliable source to create a flexible, no-knead method that works well when you need to refrigerate the dough before baking. Using a kitchen scale makes this recipe much easier to follow than measuring many cups of flour by volume.
100% Whole Wheat Crusty No-Knead Artisan Bread
- 7 1/2 cups (910 g) whole wheat flour
- 1/4 cup (35 g) vital wheat gluten
- 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
- 3/4 tablespoon kosher salt
- 4 cups water
- cornmeal for dusting
In a large mixing bowl combine the whole wheat flour, vital wheat gluten, yeast, and salt. Add the water last and stir with a fork or spatula until all the flour is hydrated and you have a shaggy, sticky dough. If the dough seems too dry and some flour remains unincorporated, add 2 to 4 tablespoons of water—usually no more is needed.
Cover the bowl with a couple of damp paper towels and wrap it with plastic wrap or a reusable cover. Let the dough rise at room temperature until it has roughly doubled in volume, about 16–18 hours. If you aren’t ready to bake at that point, you can refrigerate the covered bowl and bake later; the slow cool rise will continue developing flavor.
After the dough has doubled, turn it out onto a lightly floured countertop and divide it into four portions. Shape each portion into the form you prefer—boule, bâtard, or an oblong loaf—and let them rest for 30 minutes. If the dough was chilled in the fridge, allow up to 2 hours for the loaves to come back to room temperature and relax.
Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C) with a pizza stone on the middle rack. Place a broiler pan or shallow baking pan on the bottom rack so it heats as well. When the oven and pans are fully preheated, dust the pizza stone lightly with cornmeal. Transfer two loaves to the stone, score each loaf with an X or slashes across the top, and quickly pour about 1 cup of hot water into the preheated broiler pan to create steam. Close the oven door and bake the loaves for about 30 minutes, until they are deep golden brown and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.
Remove the baked loaves and place them on wire racks to cool. Repeat the process with the remaining two loaves. Allow the bread to cool completely before slicing to preserve crumb structure.
To store, wrap each cooled loaf individually in foil and freeze. When you want a fresh loaf, remove one from the freezer and reheat in a preheated 350°F (175°C) oven for about 20 minutes; this refreshes the crust and interior so the bread tastes nearly as fresh as when it was first baked.
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