Whole wheat bread

5 min

13 h 20 min

13 h 15 min

1 loaf of bread

This recipe might seem a little overwhelming at first but it's actually pretty easy. The only tricky part is the waiting time for the dough to rise. But once you bake this bread and serve it to your kids, they will be thankful forever!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups of water
1/2 tsp rapid rise yeast
1 3/4 tsp salt
2 cups of whole wheat flour

Directions:

Combine water, yeast and salt in a bowl. Mix with a fork until salt is fully resolved.
Add flour (1 cup at a time) and stir with a spatula just until you have a lightly sticky ball. If it's too sticky add one tbsp of flour. Repeat until dough just stopped sticking to your hands.
Shape into a loose ball. Cover with a plastic foil and a towel. Let it rise for about 12 hours - 18 hours.
Once it has rise, put your dutch oven (with lid) in your oven and turn it on 450*F.
Flour a surface and transfer your risen dough on it. Form it back into a loose ball. Add a little flour at a time if it seems too sticky. Cover loosely with a plastic foil and towel for 30 min.
After 30 min have passed, transfer the dough into your preheated dutch oven. Put the lid on top and slide it back into the oven. Bake for 30 min.
Then take the lid off and bake for another 15 min. The last step is crucial. It creates that crispy crust.
Take the dutch oven out of the oven and let the bread completely cool off before cutting.

Notes:

For this recipe you HAVE to have a dutch oven! It doesn't have to be a Le Cruset, other brands will work, too. Once you bake your own bread and you master your skill you will never go back to buying bread again. Also depending on what area you live in, a good quality whole grain loaf of bread might be pricey. In the long run a dutch oven pays off if you eat lots of bread.