 No-Knead Rosemary Whole Wheat Bread
Jim Lahey’s “no-knead” bread baking technique has earned him renown amongst professional and amateur bakers alike. Here, we’ve adapted his whole wheat bread recipe by adding fresh garlic, fresh rosemary, and a bit more salt. This crusty bread is the perfect, hearty accompaniment to all kinds of winter-weather soups and stews, and of course, it makes great toast!
Ingredients
- 21/4 cups bread flour
- 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon instant, dry yeast
- 1 1/3 cups cool water (55-65 degrees Fahrenheit)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, minced + an extra sprig, for garnish
- cornmeal, for dusting
Instructions
- Stir together, flours, salt, yeast, garlic, and rosemary in a medium-sized bowl. Add water and mix with a wooden spoon for thirty seconds. Cover the bowl and let sit at room temperature until the dough has doubled in size. This takes 12-18 hours, but the long fermentation process is what makes this bread so crusty and delicious without any kneading at all!
- When the first rise is complete, empty the dough out onto a floured work surface. Tuck the edges under to form a ball.
- Place the ball on a tea towel dusted with cornmeal, seam-side down. Dust the top lightly with more cornmeal. Then, wrap the sides of the tea towel over the dough and let sit in a draft-free spot to rise for 1-2 hours.
- Half an hour before the end of the second rise, preheat the oven to 475 degrees Fahrenheit, with a rack positioned in the lower third. Place a 4.5-5.5 quart pot with a heat-proof lid in the oven to heat.
- Once the dough has risen to twice its original size, it is ready to bake. Using potholders, remove pot from oven and place dough inside, seam-side up. For extra rosemary flavor, press a rosemary sprig into the seam. Cover with lid and bake for 30 minutes.
- Remove lid and continue to bake bread for another 15-30 minutes or until bread is a warm brown color. Use a heatproof spatula, potholders, or a thick tea towel to remove bread from pot and place on a wire rack to cool.
