No-knead whole-wheat bread made in the Instant Pot! I’ve been hinting at this recipe for a while, and I finally got it up. I know I’ve been a broken record about the whole Instant Pot thing, and here’s another reason for you to grab one. I kinda hate that I keep trying to convince you to buy another appliance, but it’s just so versatile. I use mine at least a few times a week and now that I’ve figured out how to make bread in it, I know that number will only increase.
However, in the spirit of being a kinda-sorta-minimalist, I will continue to provide stove-top alternatives for those who don’t want yet another thing in their kitchen. You are essentially just using the Instant Pot to proof the bread, a continuous warm spot that allows the bread to proof in a fraction of the time. The Instant Pot just saves you time, but it’s not a necessary thing.
Have you had no-knead bread before? This is based on the famous NYT bread recipe, using whole-wheat flour, fresh rosemary and flaky sea salt. If you’ve ever eaten at Macaroni grill and know their rosemary bread, that was my inspiration. BL and I used to eat there all the time in graduate school and would easily down a loaf of bread while we waited for our pasta meals. Yes, I’ve been in love with carbs pretty much my entire life.
How to Make No Knead Whole Wheat Bread using the Instant Pot
Combine all of the ingredients for the dough together in an oven-safe bowl (I use a clear glass stacking bowl.) The dough should look fairly shaggy, like the photo above. I also use instant yeast for this recipe over regular yeast. Since you are only proofing for a few hours, you’ll want to make sure the yeast is fast acting. You should be able to find the yeast next to regular yeast in the grocery store.
For added flavor, sprinkle in a generous handful of chopped fresh rosemary. I haven’t tried dried rosemary in this bread yet, but opt for the fresh kind instead. I know it’s another ingredient you have to purchase, but the difference in taste between fresh and dried rosemary is night and day to me. You can also skip the rosemary all together!
Cover the dough with plastic wrap and place on a trivet in the Instant Pot. You are essentially creating a barrier between the heat plate and the bowl, so use whatever you have on hand. I turned a large mason jar top upside down and placed the bowl on top. A small metal trivet would also work, or a rack designed for the Instant Pot.
Hit the yogurt button and let proof for 3 1/2-4 hours. Non Instant-Pot friends, this is where you will proof the dough on a warm spot on a counter until doubled in size, roughly 12-18 hours. When I make this without the Instant Pot, I make the dough at night and place on my warm radiator to proof while I’m sleeping. (Um sleeping= short naps all night long because my sweet three month old doesn’t understand the concept of sleep longer than 2-3 hours.)
Once the dough is proofed, sprinkle flour all over your counter and gently knead/shape the dough into whatever shape you’d like. I then place this back in the bowl in the Instant Pot to proof a little bit more while the oven preheats.
To preheat the oven, place whatever container you are going to cook your bread in while the oven is cool. You want the bread baker to be piping hot when you put the dough in, for ultimate crust. I use either my dutch oven or this la cloche bread baker. My brother-in-law bought me that baker a few years ago for Christmas, and it makes the best homemade bread.
Right before you place the dough in the oven, sprinkle with olive oil, more fresh rosemary and textured sea salt (I love Maldon here.)
Bake for 30 minutes covered, then 15 minutes uncovered. See that gorgeous golden crust? It’s so yummy on its own, dipped into soups or made into grilled cheeses. We love this bread most paired with my Tuscan Kale Soup or my Slow-Cooker Tomato Basil Soup.
However you like your bread, you’ve gotta try it like this. When I’m feeling particularly ambitions, I make a batch early on Saturday morning for a yummy weekend lunch. Since I usually make a batch of soup on the weekends this time of year anyways, it seems only natural to now pair fresh crusty bread with it.
If you try this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, and tag your Instagram photos with #delishknowledge . I absolutely love seeing your creations. Happy cooking!
no knead whole wheat bread made in the instant pot
No Knead Whole Wheat Bread made in the Instant Pot! Want crusty, bakery bread in just 4 hours? Then you’ve gotta save this recipe!
- PREP TIME:15 MINUTES
- COOK TIME:4 HOURS
- TOTAL TIME:4 HOURS 15 MINUTES
- YIELD:1 LOAF BREAD
- CATEGORY: INSTANT POT, WHOLE WHEAT BREAD, BREAD
- METHOD: INSTANT POT
- CUISINE: AMERICAN, VEGAN, HEALTHY
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup white whole-wheat flour (or regular whole wheat flour)
- 1 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast (not regular yeast)
- 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon fresh chopped rosemary
- 1 1/2 cups room temperature water
Instructions
- In a glass bowl large enough to fit in the Instant Pot, mix together the flour, salt, yeast and 2 tablespoons of the fresh rosemary. Add in the water and mix with a spatula or wooden spoon until just incorporated, taking care not to over mix. The mixture will be very sticky and shaggy, like the photo above.
- Place a trivet on the bottom of the Instant Pot, I used the top of a large mason jar turned upside down. Place the trivet directly onto the heating unit, as shown in the photos and the video– you will remove the inner cooking pot for this recipe.
- Cover the glass bowl with plastic and place on the trivet in the pot. Cover, and turn on the yogurt setting and turn the vent to “venting”. Set for 4 hours to proof.
- When the dough is done proofing, it should be double in size. If not, proof another 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F and place a dutch oven with cover in the cool oven to warm up.
- Turn the dough out on a floured counter and gently shape into a ball. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and the remaining rosemary.
- Let stand on the counter or place back in the bowl and the Instant Pot to proof again while the oven is preheating.
- Carefully remove the hot dutch oven from the oven and uncover. Gently place the dough ball into the dutch oven (I added a piece of parchment paper to prevent sticking) and cover. Place back in the oven and cook for 30 minutes covered. Remove lid and bake an additional 15 minutes until golden brown.
- Remove bread from oven and let cool completely before slicing and serving. Cover any leftovers, which should last for 1-2 days.
Notes
No Instant Pot? No problem. Make the dough as directed, then let proof in a warm spot for 12-18 hours until doubled in size. Then, bake as directed.