Whole Grain Artisan Bread

Craft the perfect crusty artisan loaf with 100% whole wheat flour! This whole grain artisan bread is easy to make with only 4 ingredients. It has a deliciously crispy crust with a soft and tender interior that tastes incredible every time.

Homemade artisan bread is an absolute staple in our house!

It makes an easy side with homemade Mississippi pot roast or a bowl of sausage tortellini soup. It also tastes great in sandwiches for a quick and easy lunch.

I’m in the process of transforming all of my baked good staples into whole grain recipes, and this artisan bread was a huge success!

There are a lot of recipes out there that use a combination of whole wheat flour with all-purpose or bread flour. I wanted a loaf that was 100% whole wheat.

I grabbed my no-knead artisan bread loaf recipe and plenty of whole wheat flour and got to work.

It took a lot of experimenting and tweaking, but it was well worth it! This bread is absolutely delicious and has the perfect crunchy and chewy texture.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• It’s made with just 3 simple pantry staples! You’ll never need to buy a loaf of bread again if you keep flour, salt, and yeast on hand.
• Making your own bread is incredibly affordable! You’ll save a lot of money by making a loaf rather than purchasing an artisan loaf.
• This is a wonderful beginner’s bread recipe. With a simple process, no mixer needed, and step-by-step photos, you’ll be able to make a beautiful loaf of bread with any level of experience.
• This bread goes with anything! Serve it warm with butter, make it into sandwiches, or turn it into a beautiful French toast casserole. This whole grain artisan bread will quickly become a staple in your meal planning!

Ingredients

• Whole grain flour: I used King Arthur 100% whole wheat flour. I typically mill my own wheat berries, but for this recipe, store-bought flour gave the loaf a better rise.
• Water: You will want the water warmed to about 110°F so it properly blooms the yeast. This will feel lukewarm to the touch.
• Yeast: Active dry yeast gives this bread a beautiful rise.
• Salt: An essential to a flavorful, delicious loaf of bread.

How to Make Whole Grain Artisan Bread

Step 1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, yeast, and salt. Pour in the warm water and stir it all together with a wooden spoon. Once it comes together, loosely shape the dough into a ball right there in the bowl. 

Step 2. Cover it and let it rest for an hour so the water has time to hydrate the dough.

Step 3. Now for the stretch and fold. Grab one side of the dough, gently pull it up, and then fold it over the top. Give the bowl a quarter turn and repeat the stretch and fold. Do this about four times around the dough. Come back and do the same stretch and fold every 30 minutes for a total of three rounds. Then, cover the dough again and let it rise until it’s doubled in size, about 3 hours.

Step 4. While the dough is finishing its rise, preheat your oven to 500°F and put your Dutch oven inside to heat up.

Step 5. When you’re ready to bake, shape the dough into a loaf and place it on a piece of parchment paper. Carefully lower the dough (with the parchment paper) into the hot Dutch oven. Cover with the lid and bake for 20 minutes.

Step 6. After 20 minutes, drop the oven temp to 475°F, take the lid off, and bake for another 15 minutes to finish.

Step 7. Once it’s done, carefully lift the bread out using the edges of the parchment paper and transfer it to a cooling rack. Let it cool completely before slicing.

Tips for Success

• Keep in mind that this is a 100% whole wheat loaf of bread, so it won’t have the same fluffiness you might be used to.
• It’s a good idea to check the internal temperature of your bread to know when to take it out of the oven. Aim for 205-210°F.
• If your house is cold, your bread may not rise very well. I recommend putting the dough in the oven with the oven light turned on to create a warm environment for it to rise.
• I experimented with many different flours for this recipe, and I had the best luck with King Arthur whole wheat flour. I’m a huge fan of milling my own wheat berries, but for this recipe, store-bought gave the bread a better rise. You can use freshly milled flour if you want; just note that the final product may be different (though still very tasty).
• You can use this bread to make homemade Korean cream cheese garlic bread. It’s a deliciously decadent recipe that would taste fantastic with whole wheat bread!

Storage

Bread is best stored at room temperature wrapped in a towel, beeswax wrap, or in a bread box. It can last around 5 days on the counter this way. Don’t cut it until right before serving to avoid the loaf drying out.

For longer-term storage, bread freezes very well. You can freeze the whole loaf and thaw it all at once or slice the bread before freezing to thaw just a slice or two at a time.

In either case, be sure your bread is in an airtight container, such as a freezer bag, to prevent freezer burn. Frozen bread is best eaten within 6 months of freezing.

When you are ready to eat a loaf of frozen bread, let it thaw on the counter at room temperature before reheating it in the oven. Individual slices can be popped right in the toaster or allowed to thaw first.

Recipe FAQs

More Delicious Whole Grain Recipes

• Whole Grain Pizza Dough
• Whole Grain Buns
• Simple Whole Grain Bread Recipe
• Whole Grain Biscuits

If you tried this Whole Grain Artisan Bread Recipe or any other recipe on my site, I’d love for you to leave a 🌟 star rating and share how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!