Almost No-Work Whole Grain Bread

Since I first wrote about Jim Lahey’s no-knead bread a couple of years ago, it’s become something of a craze with many professionals, and home bakers have been experimenting with their own versions and sharing them on blogs and in books and magazines. In case you missed it: the original recipe creates a free-form white loaf, baked in a pot to create an artisan-style crumb. Lovely, but obviously not whole grain.

Enter this dense, full-flavored loaf, which is even easier. Bakers call this kind of loaf “travel bread.” It is not as high as typical sandwich bread, but is used the exact same way. Slice it thinly (and try some toasted); it keeps for days simply wrapped in a tea towel on the counter.

To add whole grains, like cracked wheat, quinoa, or millet, soak ½ cup grain in a small bowl, covered with water, for an hour or so. Drain and add to the dough as described in Step 2.

3 cups whole wheat flour, or use 2 cups plus a combination of other whole grain flours like buckwheat, rye, or cornmeal

½ teaspoon instant yeast

2 teaspoons salt

2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil

Cornmeal or wheat bran for dusting (optional)

Up to 1 cup chopped nuts, seeds, dried fruit, or proofed whole grains (optional: see headnote)

1 Combine the flour, yeast, and salt in a large bowl. Add 1½ cups water and stir until blended; the dough should be quite wet and sticky but not liquid; add some more water if it seems dry. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rest in a warm place for at least 12 and up to 24 hours. The dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Rising time will be shorter at warmer temperatures, or a bit longer if your kitchen is chilly.

2 Use some of the oil to grease the loaf pan. If you are adding nuts or anything else, fold them into the dough now with your hands or a rubber spatula. Transfer the dough to the loaf pan, and use a rubber spatula gently to settle it in evenly. Brush the top with the remaining oil and sprinkle with cornmeal if you like. Cover with a towel and let rise until doubled, an hour or two depending on the warmth of your kitchen. When it’s almost ready, heat the oven to 350°F.

3 Bake the bread until deep golden and hollow-sounding when tapped, about 45 minutes. (An instant-read thermometer should register 200°F when inserted into the center of the loaf.) Immediately turn out of the pan onto a rack and let it cool before slicing.

Fast Whole Grain Bread: Increase the yeast to 1½ teaspoons. Reduce the initial rise to 2 hours and the final rise in the pan to 60 minutes or so. Proceed immediately to Step 3.