Easy Wholemeal Bread Recipe (No Knead) (2024)

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This Easy Wholemeal Bread Recipe is my go to when I want homemade sandwich bread and I want it fast! My no knead, whole wheat & vegan loaf ticks all the boxes which makes it my perfect everyday bread.

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There is no better smell than that of homemade bread baking in the oven. Would you agree?

If you love the idea of baking homemade bread but are put off by all the hands on time it takes then you've come to the right place.

My Easy Wholemeal Bread recipe takes literally minutes to prepare, there is no kneading involved at all and proving and baking happens as you get on with other stuff. Make sure you set a timer though, as it's so easy to lose track of time.

Why is this Easy Wholemeal (Whole Wheat) Bread recipe so good?

There is no kneading involved in this easy wholemeal bread recipe at all. Gentle mix with a spoon and you're done.

No fancy equipment is required beside few basics like mixing bowl, spoon, kitchen scales and a loaf tin.

This wholemeal bread makes for perfect sandwich loaf when fresh and fantastic toast the following day!

I've always loved crusty breads the most and this one has got a lovely golden crust with a bit of crunch. If you prefer softer crust you can simply cover your freshly baked bread gently with a clean tea towel as it cools which will makes it softer.

Is wholemeal flour the same as whole wheat?

Yes, pretty much the same. Wholemeal is more frequently used in the UK and whole wheat in the US.

Is this bread vegan?

It is indeed 100% vegan hence also dairy-free.

Do you need strong (bread flour) to bake this bread?

No you don't. I've baked this bread numerous times using just plain white and plain wholemeal (whole wheat) flours and the results are the same as when I've used strong (bread flours).

You can be pretty brave and mix and match your flours here but I would advise you to keep to 50/50 ratio of white to wholemeal/whole wheat flour for the best results and nice, light crumb.

I often use 50% white spelt & 50% wholemeal spelt flour.

How long does this bread last and can you freeze it?

As with any homemade bread and because of the lack of preservatives it is the best on the day you bake it.

My recommendation would be to eat it fresh on the day you bake it and perhaps the following day and toast it after that. I must say I like to eat my sandwiches toasted anyway so I usually only eat it it fresh when still warm on the day I bake it.

If you don't eat a lot of bread you can easily freeze it. Simply let it cool completely, slice it and pop into freezer safe bag until you need it. To defrost simply take it out onto the kitchen counter where it should thaw in an hour or so, usually less than that. Alternatively, you can simply toast it from frozen until thawed and nicely crisped up.

Easy Wholemeal Bread Recipe (No Knead) (3)

Easy Wholemeal Bread Recipe (No Knead) (4)

Helpful tips to make your bread baking a success!

Remember that salt kills the yeast hence the order in which I mix in dry ingredients. Flour, salt and sugar are mixed together first with dry yeast following after.
Make sure you use lukewarm/tepid water when making your bread dough as it will help to activate yeast. Hot water will kill the yeast!
The best place to prove your dough is somewhere warm and draught free. In the summer or if you have a really warm kitchen you can leave the dough to prove on top of your kitchen counter. I sometimes put it in our sunny conservatory or my favourite place of all - airing cupboard!
When proving your dough you can cover the bowl with clean kitchen towel or I would highly recommend getting yourself an elasticated plastic shower cap*! I got mine from the hotel I was staying in few years ago and it's still going strong. I wouldn't normally recommend a single use, disposable plastic items but this one turned out to be a winner and definitely not a disposable one.
Once you've baked this bread few times and are comfortable with it feel free to adapt it by throwing some interesting flavours to the mix. You can try adding some seeds to the dough, sunflower and caraway seeds* are my two favourites.
To bake my bread I use this silicone loaf tin 2lb /24 x 10cm* which doesn't need lining with baking paper at all as anything I bake in it simply pops out. I still tend to spray it lightly with some rapeseed oil just to be on a safe side. You can use any 2lb loaf tin you've got but you might want to grease it and line it with some baking paper for the ease of removal of your bread once baked.

What to serve this Easy Wholemeal Bread with?

The world is your oyster here!

We love it fresh or toasted for breakfast with the variety of spreads like lemon curd, homemade orange marmalade or this plum and chocolate spread.

For lunch it will make a delicious sandwich with whatever filling you fancy. How about somewild garlic hummus or vegan egg salad? It will also make delicious addition to any soup. Some of my favourites are:

Easy Leek and Potato Soup with Celeriac

How to make this Easy Wholemeal Bread?

Put both flours you're using in a large mixing bowl.
Add salt and sugar and give it all a good mix until all the ingredients are well combined.
Add dry yeast and stir it in as well.
Make a well in the centre of your dry mix and pour in warm water and mix it in with a spoon until combined. You'll have pretty sticky dough and that's how it should be.

Cover your mixing bowl with a clean kitchen towel, reusable wax wraps or like I did here a plastic shower cap and leave in a warm place to prove for about an hour or until it doubled in size.

Prepare your loaf tin by spraying it with a little oil. In addition you can also line it with some baking paper overlapping on both sides for easier bread removal later.
Deflate your proved dough using a spoon. Give it a little mix and transfer it to prepared loaf tin.
Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas Mark 6.
Sprinkle your bread dough with topping of choice like oats, seeds etc. and cover gently for a second prove. It shouldn't be a long one only the time it takes for your oven to heat up or (10-15 minutes). The dough should rise in a tin ever so slightly.
Bake your wholemeal bread in preheated oven for approximately 55 minutes to 1 hour.You will know it's baked if it sounds hollow as you tap it gently underneath.
Take it out onto cooling rack and leave to cool slightly before you slice into it.
Enjoy!

If you like this recipe you might also like:

Easy White Sandwich Bread (Soft-Crust)

Irish Soda Bread with Yogurt

Vegan Soda Bread

Easy Bread Rolls

Easy Flatbread (No Yeast)

Easy Naan Bread Without Yeast

Easy Yogurt Bread Rolls

📋 Recipe

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4.93 from 83 votes

Easy Wholemeal Bread Recipe

This Easy Wholemeal Bread Recipe is my go to when I want homemade sandwich bread and I want it fast! My no knead, whole wheat & vegan loaf ticks all the boxes which makes it my perfect everyday bread.

Course Bread, Breakfast, Lunch

Cuisine British, International

Keyword no knead bread, whole wheat bread, wholemeal bread

Equipment

Ingredients

Metric - US Customary

250 g plain white flour (all-purpose) see notes
250 g wholemeal (whole wheat flour) see notes
2 teaspoon sugar caster or granulated
2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon dry yeast (7g sachet)
400 ml warm water see notes
some sunflower/pumpkin/poppy seeds or oats to use as topping optional

Instructions

Put both flours you’re using in a large mixing bowl.
Add salt and sugar and give it all a good mix until all the ingredients are well combined.
Add dry yeast and stir it in as well.
Make a well in the centre of your dry mix and pour in warm water and mix it in with a spoon until combined. You’ll have pretty sticky dough and that’s how it should be.
Cover your mixing bowl with a clean kitchen towel, reusable wax wraps or like I did here a plastic shower cap and leave in a warm place to prove for about an hour or until it doubled in size.
Prepare your loaf tin by spraying it with a little oil. In addition you can also line it with some baking paper overlapping on both sides for easier bread removal later.
Deflate your proved dough using a spoon. Give it a little mix and transfer it to prepared loaf tin.
Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas Mark 6.
Sprinkle your bread dough with topping of choice like oats, seeds etc. and cover gently for a second prove. It shouldn’t be a long one only the time it takes for your oven to heat up or (10-15 minutes). The dough should rise in a tin ever so slightly.
Bake your wholemeal bread in preheated oven for approximately 55 minutes to 1 hour.You will know it’s baked if it sounds hollow as you tap it gently underneath.
Take it out onto cooling rack and leave to cool slightly before you slice it.
Enjoy!

Notes

Nutritional information is approximate, per slice and should be treated as a guideline only.
Feel free to substitute flours, and use strong bread ones if you've got them or white and wholemeal spelt flours but make sure to keep 50/50 ratio of white to wholemeal /whole-wheat for the nice texture and light crumb.
Make sure your water is not too hot as it will kill the yeast. It should be lukewarm/tepid.
As any homemade bread this loaf is best when eaten on the day it's baked and perhaps the following day. It also makes a great toast the day after or can be frozen.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Easy Wholemeal Bread Recipe

Amount Per Serving

Calories 117Calories from Fat 9

% Daily Value*

Fat 1g2%

Saturated Fat 1g5%

Sodium 293mg12%

Potassium 88mg3%

Carbohydrates 24g8%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 1g1%

Protein 4g8%

Calcium 8mg1%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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Easy Wholemeal Bread Recipe (No Knead) (2024)

FAQs

Does wholemeal flour need more kneading? ›

Wholemeal dough benefits from the stretch and fold method, as kneading can be too harsh. When kneading the constant stretching will mean that the bran pieces shear the gluten network. This means that you have to knead a wholemeal dough for longer than you would a white dough to get the same results.

Discover More Details ›

What happens when you don't knead bread enough? ›

A failure to knead dough (unless you're working with a no-knead recipe) can lead to: Poor gluten development: When you don't knead bread, the gluten won't form properly. This can result in a lack of elasticity and strength, meaning your final product is likely to come out of the oven dense and heavy.

See Details ›

How to make wholemeal bread less dense? ›

let your bread rise longer the next time. In most cases, this alone will fix your dense bread.
knead dough intensively. The result is well-aerated, lighter bread that's made quickly.
shorten the bulk fermentation time or try another flour brand.

Aug 27, 2023

Learn More Now ›

Why is my homemade wholemeal bread so dense? ›

The bran in whole wheat flour weakens the gluten strands by cutting into them and disrupting the gluten matrix. This decreases the overall extensibility and elasticity of the dough so that it cannot hold onto as much carbon dioxide – resulting in a denser bread.

Read The Full Story ›

How to tell when whole wheat dough is kneaded enough? ›

The first way to check is to simply poke the dough with your finger. If the dough bounces back without sticking to your finger, it's been kneaded enough. If it doesn't, you need to keep kneading.

Show Me More ›

Why is my homemade no-knead bread so dense? ›

Why is my bread dense: Usually bread will be too dense when there is too much flour. Keep in mind this dough will be pretty sticky, do not add more flour than specified. Other factors that come into play are humidity and age of flour. Little yeast, long rise, sticky dough are keys to a good, light loaf.

Show Me More ›

What is the point of no-knead bread? ›

It's easy to see the appeal of the “no-knead” approach in bread baking: minimal effort produces maximum flavor. By simply mixing up your dough and giving it an extended rising period, you can enjoy gorgeous, golden loaves without having kneaded a thing.

Learn More ›

How do you make wholemeal bread rise better? ›

Consider vitamin C. Vitamin C strengthens the gluten in flour, which can give a better rise, and help dough to rise more quickly. You probably won't need it if you're making white bread, but if you make wholemeal bread and it doesn't rise as well as you hoped, you could try a little vitamin C next time.

How to make self-raising wholemeal flour? ›

To make self-raising flour, mix 100g plain flour with 1 tsp baking powder. When making cakes or bread, it is essential you use plain or self-raising flour as stated in the recipe for successful results. You can also buy self-raising flour, which has the raising agent already added.

Tell Me More ›

Does wholemeal flour need more water? ›

This is because wholemeal flour has a tendency to absorb more liquid than other types of flour. Although there is no hard and fast rule, our suggestion is to add an extra teaspoon of liquid for every cup of wholemeal flour that you use.

Keep Reading ›

What is the difference between wholemeal and wholegrain flour? ›

The terms wholemeal, whole grain, and whole wheat are used interchangeably in different countries. In the UK, people refer to full grain related products as wholemeal, while people in the United States refer to these products as whole grain or whole wheat.

Read On ›

How does wholemeal flour affect baking? ›

It is a lot more difficult to get light, fluffy and airy bread using a whole wheat flour. Whole wheat flour includes the bran and germ, which act like little “shards” cutting the gluten strands while the dough is mixing and resting. This leads to a bread that is more dense and less elastic.

Explore More ›

What bread requires the most kneading? ›

Sandwich breads are kneaded more. Really wet doughs, like a rustic French miche, are hardly kneaded at all.

See Details ›

Does wholemeal dough take longer to rise? ›

Substituting whole wheat flour 100% for white flour will lower the rise of your yeasted baked goods significantly. Why? Mainly because whole wheat flour absorbs more liquid than white flour and produces a stiffer dough. The stiffer/drier the dough, the harder it is for it to rise.

Get More Info ›

How do you knead wholemeal dough? ›

Knead the Dough: Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Use the heel of your hand to push the dough away from you, then fold it back over itself. Continue this motion, adding more flour as needed to prevent sticking, until the dough becomes smooth and elastic. This process may take about 10-15 minutes.

See Details ›