• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Gimme That Flavor

  • Home
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Free Ebook
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Home
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Free Ebook
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Home
    • About
    • Recipes
    • Free Ebook
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Home » Breads and Muffins

    No Knead Whole Wheat Bread (The Easiest!)

    Published: Mar 3, 2022 Updated: Mar 3, 2022 by Alison Hope · This post may contain affiliate links · 17 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe
    No Knead Whole Wheat Bread

    This no knead whole wheat bread is the easiest homemade bread recipe ever! There is no kneading required whatsoever and it is the fastest, easiest bread you’ve ever made!

    Slices of homemade bread on a wooden board.

    This homemade bread is the best ever. Seriously! And I say that as a person who really loves bread!

    Part of what makes it so good is that you don’t have to work hard for it at all. It is the easiest bread recipe ever.

    And it’s also extremely versatile, you can make it as a healthy whole wheat or brown bread or make a pristine loaf of white bread or something in-between. It all works great.

    And if you love making breads then our cornbread recipe and no knead focaccia recipe are both totally divine too.

    Homemade bread slices on a wooden board.

    How To Make No Knead Whole Wheat Bread

    Full instructions and measurements can always be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. This is a summary of the process to go along with the process photos.

    • Add whole wheat flour and all purpose flour to a mixing bowl along with instant yeast and salt. Mix together.
    Dry ingredients for bread added to mixing bowl.

    Add maple syrup or honey to warm water and mix it in. Pour this over the dry ingredients, and add an egg and olive oil. Mix it into a batter.

    Bread dough in a mixing bowl.

    Transfer to a 9×5 loaf pan and smooth down with the back of a spoon. Cover and leave to rise for around 25 minutes or until the bread has risen almost to the top of the loaf pan (but not higher).

    Collage of two photos showing bread dough in a loaf pan and then covered to rise.

    Bake at 390°F for 40 minutes.

    Collage of two photos showing bread in a loaf pan before and after baking.

    Ingredient Notes

    • Flour: We used a mix of whole wheat flour and all purpose flour for a delicious bread texture. However, this recipe is extremely versatile for different flours. You can make it with only whole wheat flour or a mix of different kinds of flour. You can even make this with only all purpose flour for a white bread loaf – more on that below!
    • Instant Yeast: This is also called rapid rise yeast and it is responsible for the quick rise of this bread.
    • Salt: If you’re on a low sodium diet, feel free to leave out the salt altogether.
    • Warm Water: The water should be warm to the touch, not hot.
    • Honey or maple syrup: Just a couple of teaspoons are needed. You can use either honey or maple syrup, or switch it for another sweetener of your choice.
    • Olive oil: We use a tablespoon of olive oil in this recipe. However, you can leave it out if you prefer.
    • Large Egg: We use one large egg and it creates a really soft loaf. However, for an eggless bread you can omit the egg completely and the recipe still works just great. The bread is very slightly more dense without the egg, but the difference is small.
    A loaf of freshly baked bread on a wooden board.

    Tips For The Best No Knead Whole Wheat Bread

    It’s important to use the right amount of flour. Measure the flour correctly using the spoon and level method. Spoon the flour into your measuring cup and then level off the top with a knife. Alternatively, invest in a food scale and weigh your flour for the most accurate results.

    No Kneading: This recipe doesn’t require any kneading. The dough is quite wet and sticky so even if you wanted to knead it, you couldn’t.

    Rising: Cover the bread and leave it to rise for around 25 minutes. However, keep a watch on it, depending on how warm the temperatures are it might rise in 20 minutes, or it might take 30 minutes or even a few minutes more. You want it to rise up to the top of the loaf pan or close to the top, but not much higher, or you can end up with an oddly shaped, muffin top loaf.

    Slices of freshly baked bread on a wooden board.

    Recipe Variations

    This recipe is really versatile! You can play around with the ratios of flour to create a more hearty whole wheat bread or something in-between. We used 3 cups of whole wheat flour and 1 cup of all purpose flour, but these variations also work:

    • 2 cups whole wheat flour, 2 cups all purpose flour
    • 1 cup whole wheat flour, 3 cups all purpose flour
    • 4 cups whole wheat flour
    • 4 cups all purpose flour
    Slices of homemade bread on a wooden board.

    Flour Variations:

    This recipe can be made with:

    • whole wheat flour
    • whole wheat bread flour
    • white whole wheat flour
    • brown bread flour
    • other bread flour
    • whole wheat pastry flour
    • all purpose flour
    • gluten free all purpose flour

    There might be even more varieties of flour you can try, but that will be an experiment!

    Make Homemade White Bread:

    A sliced loaf of freshly baked white bread on a wooden board.

    We tested a white bread version of this recipe, which is to use all purpose flour only.

    So instead of 3 cups whole wheat flour and 1 cup of all purpose flour as in the original recipe, we made a white bread version with 4 cups of all purpose flour.

    Everything else in the recipe remains exactly the same and the resulting bread is absolutely delicious.

    If you would like to make the white bread version eggless then simply omit the egg altogether. As mentioned above, this can create a slightly more dense bread but the difference is very minor.

    Slices of white bread on a wooden board.

    Storing and Freezing

    This bread is absolutely BEST when fresh, on the day you bake it. In fact, if you have a few slices warm from the oven, spread with some butter, it’s pretty much the best thing ever.

    The next day the bread is still very edible but it’s not as good as the first day you made it and you may prefer to use it to make toast.

    On day 3 it’s toast only and that’s the final day for this bread.

    This bread is also freezer friendly though. So if you think you may eat it more slowly then slice and freeze some of it and then use it to make toast right out of the freezer.

    Slices of buttered white bread in a stack.

    More Delicious Bread Recipes

    1. The Best Zucchini Bread
    2. Best Ever Banana Bread
    3. Double Chocolate Banana Bread
    4. The Best Cornbread Recipe
    5. Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
    6. Pumpkin Bread
    Slices of buttered homemade brown bread in a stack.

    Did you make this recipe? Be sure to leave a comment and rating below.

    No knead whole wheat bread slices on a wooden cutting board.

    No Knead Whole Wheat Bread

    This no knead whole wheat bread is the easiest homemade bread recipe ever! There is no kneading required whatsoever and it is the fastest, easiest bread you've ever made!
    5 from 7 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Bread, Side Dish
    Cuisine: American
    Diet: Vegetarian
    Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 40 minutes minutes
    Rising Time: 25 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes
    Servings: 16
    Calories: 120kcal
    Author: Alison

    Ingredients

    • 3 cups Whole Wheat Flour (375g)
    • 1 cup All Purpose Flour (125g)
    • 1 Packet Instant Yeast 2 ¼ teaspoons
    • 1 teaspoon Salt
    • 2 teaspoons Maple Syrup or Honey
    • 2 cups Warm Water (480ml) Not Hot
    • 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil Extra Virgin
    • 1 Large Egg
    US Customary – Metric

    Instructions

    • Spray a 9×5 loaf pan with non-stick spray and line the bottom with parchment paper. Set aside.
    • Add the whole wheat flour and all purpose flour to a mixing bowl along with the instant yeast and salt and mix together.
    • Add the maple syrup or honey to the warm water and mix in. Pour over the dry ingredients and add the egg and olive oil and mix into a dough.
    • Transfer to your prepared loaf pan and smooth down with the back of a spoon. Cover and leave to rise for 20-30 minutes or until the bread has risen almost to the top of the loaf pan (but not higher).
    • Preheat the oven to 390°F (200°C).
    • Bake for 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a couple of minutes before removing the bread from the loaf pan and allowing to cool on a bread board or cooling rack.
    • Slice and serve!

    Video

    Notes

    1. Flour: You can also use whole wheat bread flour or brown bread flour, white whole wheat flour, whole wheat pastry flour, stoneground whole wheat flour.
    2. Measure correctly. Make sure you measure the flour correctly, either weighing it on a food scale or using the spoon and level method: spoon it into the measuring cup and level off the top with the back of a knife. Don’t scoop it and don’t pack it into the cup. 
    3. Variations: You can also make variations of this recipe depending on what you have on hand, as follows: 3 cups whole wheat flour and 1 cup all purpose (as per recipe); or 2 cups whole wheat flour and 2 cups all purpose flour; or 1 cup whole wheat flour and 3 cups all purpose flour; or 4 cups whole wheat flour; or 4 cups all purpose flour. 
    4. For white bread: Simply use 4 cups (500g) of all purpose flour and no other flour at all. Follow all the other directions exactly as written. 
    5. Make it eggless: If you don’t eat eggs or have any on hand, you can simply omit the egg from this recipe without any substitutions. The result is an ever so slightly more dense bread but the difference is very slight and barely noticeable. 
    6. Make it gluten free: You can make this bread gluten free by replacing the flour with a gluten free all purpose blend. 
    7. Rising: Depending on how warm the room temperature is and the freshness of your yeast this bread might have risen within 20 minutes or it might take 30 minutes or even a little longer. So just keep an eye on it. 
    8. Storing: This bread is BEST on the day it’s made. It’s absolutely delicious served warm from the oven with a spread of butter. Keep it in a covered container and the next day it’s still good but not nearly as good as the first day and you might prefer it as toast (it makes really good toast). The third day is the last day and it will only be good for toast on this day.
    9. Freezing: If you think you might take longer to eat it, then slice and freeze a portion and make toast directly from the freezer with the frozen bread. 

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1Slice | Calories: 120kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 12mg | Sodium: 152mg | Potassium: 97mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 17IU | Calcium: 12mg | Iron: 1mg
    DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?Rate it & leave your feedback in the comments section below, or tag @gimmethatflavor on Instagram and hashtag it #gimmethatflavor
    NEVER MISS A RECIPE!
    Subscribe and get a FREE ebook!
    « Biscoff Waffles
    Cinnamon Cupcakes »
    1.1K shares

    About Alison Hope

    Hi I'm Alison, I'm the voice and cook behind Gimme That Flavor. I am a big time foodie and probably cooking up a storm in my kitchen right now! I'm also a cat mom. And a sweet tooth. Binge watcher of TV shows. Terrible sleeper always staying up too late....Find out more about me here.

    Gimme That Flavor is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. This site may contain some of these links to Amazon.com. If you make a purchase through one of those links, Gimme That Flavor will receive a small commission from the purchase at no additional cost to you.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Kathleen

      July 18, 2024 at 4:40 am

      As long as I am baking, I like to make 2 loaves at a time. Can this recipe be doubled?

      Reply
      • Nadine @ Gimmethatflavor

        August 01, 2024 at 9:15 am

        Yes it can!

        Reply
    2. Rohini

      July 09, 2024 at 5:38 am

      Hi
      Thank you so much for such an easy and wonderful recipe. I have tried so many recipes, but they are either too cumbersome or don’t turn out well. This one was a breeze and turned out awesome! I omitted the egg and added a tbsp of yogurt instead. Its now my go to recipe for homemade bread.
      Thanks again!!5 stars

      Reply
      • Nadine @ Gimmethatflavor

        August 01, 2024 at 9:17 am

        Happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe! Thanks so much for your lovely review!

        Reply
    3. Patricia Piercey

      June 02, 2024 at 8:35 pm

      Awesome recipe! Delicious and easy!!!
      Gonna try to add in dried fruit and nuts next time. Love it!5 stars

      Reply
      • Nadine @ Gimmethatflavor

        July 04, 2024 at 11:24 am

        Awesome Patricia! Thanks so much for your lovely review!

        Reply
    4. Katrina

      March 04, 2024 at 9:40 pm

      What would the measurements be if using active dry yeast? I do not have instant dry yeast and would like to try this recipe for whole wheat bread.

      Reply
      • Nadine @ Gimmethatflavor

        April 19, 2024 at 8:07 am

        You can still use active dry yeast Katrina. The same amount, but you will need to bloom the yeast first before adding it in.

        Reply
        • Rhiannon

          November 13, 2024 at 3:13 am

          So glad this question has already been answered! Thanks!

          Reply
        • Jeannie

          January 07, 2025 at 4:20 pm

          How does one bloom yeast for this recipe I don’t have instant yeast ?

          Reply
          • Nadine @ Gimmethatflavor

            January 30, 2025 at 9:36 am

            Hi Jeannie. You mix the amount called for in the recipe of active dry yeast with warm water (around 105-110°F) and a pinch of sugar, then let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes until a foamy layer appears on top. Then mix it in with the rest of the ingredients.

    5. Bobbie

      April 29, 2023 at 5:20 pm

      Such a delicious and speedy recipe for wheat bread. I did add two tbsp on Bob’s Red Mill Vital Wheat Gluten Flour to guarantee a good rise and tender crumb. I can’t believe how tender this bread was with only one rise. I didn’t have instant yeast so I used plain active dry yeast and this bread still rose in 30 minutes (maybe because to the Vital wheat gluten?)This bread is hearty, but not to hearty that it can’t be used as sandwich bread.5 stars

      Reply
      • Nadine @ Gimmethatflavor

        July 28, 2023 at 9:27 am

        So happy to hear it worked out for you Bobbie! Thanks for sharing and for your great review!

        Reply
    6. Sudha

      July 10, 2021 at 2:12 pm

      Hi there
      This bread is by far the best I have made!!!! 🙂 This is the only one I make now and it is also my daughter’s favorite one for school lunch…The only ingredient I omitted was the egg and I used only whole wheat flour…well it is still the BESTI have ever made….Thank you Alison…you are a star!!
      🙂5 stars

      Reply
      • Alison Hope

        July 11, 2021 at 12:39 pm

        Awesome! Thanks so much Sudha!

        Reply
    7. Susanna

      May 14, 2020 at 2:58 pm

      I have tried SO many bread recipes in the past and they always fail! Not this one! I finally had a perfect and completely successful loaf of bread. I made it as the all white loaf with all purpose flour and it was amazing. This is literally a no-fail recipe. I can’t thank you enough!5 stars

      Reply
      • Alison Hope

        May 14, 2020 at 2:59 pm

        I’m thrilled to read your comment! Thank you so much for the wonderful review. I am honestly shocked myself at how easy this bread is, I’m so glad it was a great success for you too.

        Reply
    5 from 7 votes (2 ratings without comment)

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Alison Hope Author

    Hi! I'm Alison! Big time foodie. I'm probably cooking up a storm in my kitchen right now. I'm also a cat mom. And a sweet tooth. Binge watcher of TV shows. Terrible sleeper always staying up too late.... 

    More about me →

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

    Popular Posts

    • Peanut butter cookies
      Best Ever Peanut Butter Cookies
    • Greek yogurt cheesecake
      Greek Yogurt Cheesecake
    • Pancakes
      Perfect Homemade Pancakes
    • Apple crisp
      The Best Apple Crisp
    • Tartar sauce
      Homemade Tartar Sauce
    • Chocolate chip cookies
      Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies

    Eggless Desserts

    • Eggless cheesecake on a white cake stand with one slice ready to serve.
      The Best Eggless Cheesecake
    • Cookies stacked up on a plate.
      Eggless Chocolate Cookies
    • Biscoff cheesecake on a white cake stand with one slice cut and ready to serve.
      Biscoff Cheesecake
    • Eggless red velvet cake on a white cake stand with one slice cut and ready to serve.
      Eggless Red Velvet Cake
    • Slice of cake on a cake lifter.
      Eggless Carrot Cake
    • Eggless chocolate chip cookies stacked up on a black plate.
      Eggless Chocolate Chip Cookies

    See more Eggless Desserts →

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions

    Follow Us

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

    Contact

    • About
    • Contact

    Copyright © 2022 Gimme That Flavor

    NEVER MISS A RECIPE!
    Subscribe and get a FREE ebook!

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.