No-Knead Vegan Whole Wheat Bread

This hearty vegan whole wheat bread is loaded with grains and seeds, it has a beautiful golden crust, and it's extremely easy to make! With minimal effort, you can make this no-knead dough the night before so you can enjoy freshly baked bread in the morning!

Course Bread

Cuisine American

Prep Time 35

Cook Time 50

Rising Time 13

Total Time 25

Servings slices

Calories 190kcal

Author Stacey Eckert

Equipment

Large Mixing Bowl
Plastic Wrap or Thin Towel
3-Quart Dutch Oven
Parchment Paper
Wire Rack

Ingredients

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup whole wheat flour
2 tbsp vital wheat gluten
¼ tsp active dry yeast
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp chia seeds
½ cup pumpkin seeds
½ cup old-fashioned oats
2 cups lukewarm water
1 tbsp wheat bran

Instructions

Combine the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, vital wheat gluten, yeast, salt, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, and oats in a large bowl. Stir to combine.
Make a well in the center of the mixture and pour in 2 cups of water. Mix the dough until you don't see any more white flour patches. The dough will be shaggy and sticky.
Cover with plastic wrap or a thin dish towel and put the bowl somewhere warm to rise where it won't be disturbed for 12-18 hours. I like to do this step overnight. You'll know the dough is ready because it will have doubled in size and the top with be covered with tiny air bubbles.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
Put the pot with the lid into the oven to warm for 30 minutes. While the pot is warming, punch down the dough and fold it 4 times. Replace the cover and let it rise again for 30 minutes. (Try to do both of these steps at the same time.)
Carefully, take the pot out of the oven and remove the lid. Line it with a piece of parchment paper and sprinkle wheat bran into the bottom of the pot. Scoop the dough into the pot, sprinkle a few oats and seeds on top of the dough for decoration, and replace the lid. Bake for 30 minutes.
Remove the lid and continue baking for 15-20 additional minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Carefully remove the pot from the oven. Grab both sides of the parchment paper to take the bread out of the pot and transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely for 1 hour before slicing with a sharp serrated knife.

Notes

Use a smaller 3-quart dutch oven to make a rounder loaf with a higher dome. A bigger 5-quart pot can be used but the dough may spread a little bit more and result in a little bit flatter loaf. It will still taste delicious, but the slices will be longer and thinner.
Make sure to let the dough rise in a warm place in your home. If it's too cold, the dough won't rise properly or it will take much longer to do so.
Line the pot with a piece of parchment paper for easy cleanup.
Sprinkle 1-2 tbsp of oats and seeds on top of the dough before you bake it to make a nice presentation.
Let the vegan whole wheat bread cool completely for 1 hour before you slice it. If you cut into it too soon, the inside might get a little gummy.

Nutrition