Instant Pot No-Knead Whole Wheat Bread

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Instant Pot No-Knead Whole Wheat Bread is full of whole grain, seedy goodness and is ready for dinner in a fraction of the time compared to typical no-knead Artisan bread

Nothing against carbs, but for whatever reason, the older I get, the less I crave a big lump of bread dough for dinner, so if I'm gonna go through the effort of making bread it has to be one of two recipes.

This amazingly soft Whole Wheat Quinoa Bread or today's recipe for No-Knead Whole Wheat Bread.

Crusty bread is most definitely my bread of choice for any soup and salad night.  It absolutely must be eaten warm, straight from the oven and slathered with the only butter worth using, Kerrygold.  Three hunks of crusty bread and Tomato soup; I need nothing else.

WHY YOU WILL LOVE NO-KNEAD CRUSTY BREAD IN THE INSTANT POT

• Perfectly crisp exterior, warm chewy interior which in this case is speckled with seeds and oats for that yummy textured feel
• Compared to most other bread recipes, no-knead breads are incredibly simple and 90% hands off
• No-knead bread is pretty darn close to fail-proof.  Just when you think your dough looks all wrong, you bake it up anyways and stare in awe at your marvelous creation
• The smell, that heavenly smell while it's baking!  Why has no one invented a “Baking Bread” candle?  Because it would just be too disappointing, that's why

JIM LAHEY NO-KNEAD BREAD

Perhaps the person most famous for this style of bread making is Jim Lahey, the owner of a bakery in New York.  A quick google search for “no knead bread” will result in thousands of sites praising his name like he's the modern day Hercules.  Which you'll understand if you've ever eaten this bread, am I right?

His recipe requires the dough to sit at room temperature for 12 – 24 hours.  My problem is that by the time I get kids in bed at night, the thoughts of starting my dough just seems like too much (even as simple as it is).

So I thought, hmm….the Instant Pot has shocked me before at what it could do (Yogurt, Vanilla Extract, Steel Cut Oats), maybe, just maybe, it can help me out with this predicament.

Well I'll be dipped, the Instant Pot did it again.  Soft, chewy, crusty bread in less than 6 hours instead of 24.  Oh yes, it did!

HOW TO MAKE QUICK NO-KNEAD BREAD IN THE INSTANT POT

1. Combine all of the ingredients except the water
2. Add the water and use your hands to mix it into a tacky, not sticky ball (add more flour if it's sticking all over your hands)
3. Place the dough on a piece of parchment paper and use the parchment to transfer it to the Instant Pot.  Press Yogurt, adjust to low and set the time for 4:30
4. At the 4 hour mark, the dough will have small air bubbles all over the top
5. Use the parchment paper to lift the dough out, shape it quickly into a pretty ball
6. Place it back into the Instant Pot for the remaining 30 minutes.  During this 30 minutes you will place your oven-safe pot into the oven and set the oven to 450° F
7. After 30 minutes the dough will have risen slightly
8. Use the parchment paper to place the bread into the cast iron pot, place the lid on top and cook for 30 minutes.  Remove the lid and let it cook for another 10 – 15 minutes until browned and crispy
9. Serve warm.  Yum Yum YUMMY!

TIPS FOR PERFECT NO-KNEAD CRUSTY BREAD

• After mixing in the water, expect the bread to be slightly tacky, but it should not be so sticky that you have dough all over your fingers.  If it's too sticky, mix in an extra tablespoon or two of flour
• Set the Instant Pot to Yogurt then LOW, emphasis on the LOW.  A hotter setting will kill your yeast and this bread will not turn out.  I know, I did it 4 times.
• To cook the bread, make sure you use a heat-safe pot that also has a heat-safe lid.  If you do not have an enameled cast iron pot you can try using a heavy ceramic pot, dutch oven, or other pots and pans that are safe to use at 450° F.  I've even read of people using heavy tinfoil in place of a lid.  

Warm, light, whole grain bread that's full of seeds and oats for texture, chewy and soft on the inside, perfectly crispy on the outside, soaks up soup like a dream, makes a 6-star panini, and the best part – was ready in under 6 hours!

I'm no Jim Lahey, but dang am I ever the best mom in the world when this hits the table!

Enjoy!

EXTRA TIDBITS

WHAT IS VITAL WHEAT GLUTEN?

The question I get most often with this recipe is “what is wheat gluten?” and “can I leave it out?”

Vital Wheat Gluten is a natural protein found in wheat that consists of mostly gluten and very little starch.  When it's added to yeast bread, it does wonders for improving the texture, chew, and lightness of the bread.  Whole wheat bread contains a lower amount of gluten than white flour so the addition of wheat gluten allows us to eat more whole grains without having to suffer through a dense, heavy brick.

So yes, you can leave it out, but the texture of the bread is much better with it, so my real answer, is NO!  Don't leave it out.  Order some Vital Wheat Gluten now and be making stellar bread in 48 hours.  You'll be so happy you did.

I suggest that if you are omitting the wheat gluten that you use more white flour and less whole wheat flour to prevent the bread from being too tough.

BEST DUTCH OVEN

I was in desperate need (well . . . want) for a new 6-quart size dutch oven to make this bread in.  If I'm making bread for a party, one loaf just isn't enough.  I settled on this Lodge Brand 6 quart enameled cast iron dutch oven and I am beyond thrilled!  If you've been on the hunt, this is the one to get!  Here's why:

1. Price:  The price varies by color, but overall they are between $55-60.  The very popular Le Creuset brand is $340 with nearly identical product descriptions and reviews
2. Colors:  There are 13 colors to pick from!  Indigo, Carribean Blue, White (my choice!), Emerald, etc.  I love options!
3. Heat:  I found a cheaper option while I was searching only to realize it was only oven safe up to 400°F.  Don't do it!  This Lodge brand is safe up to 500°F which is a must
4. Name:  The Lodge brand is well known for making good quality products so when the description says “chip resistant porcelain enamel finish” I believe it

According to Honey Money, $58 is the cheapest it gets, so right now is a good time to grab one.  Prices have been as high as $130.

If you shop on Amazon, you need to get this Honey Money tool in your life ASAP.  It will show you the high and low prices of any product you search for on Amazon and will also alert you when the prices of the products you're watching go down.   This is every bargain shoppers dream!  Check it out now!

MORE NO-KNEAD BREAD RECIPES

WHAT TO SERVE WITH BREAD FOR DINNER

• Creamy Zucchini Spinach Soup pictured here (page 139 of Master the Electric Pressure Cooker)
• Instant Pot French Onion Soup
• Instant Pot Spring Minestrone
• Instant Pot Cheesy Meatball Sub Soup
• Instant Pot Tomato Basil Soup

TOOLS/INGREDIENTS USED TO MAKE INSTANT POT NO-KNEAD WHOLE WHEAT BREAD

• Instant Pot 
• 6 quart Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven Pot (I just ordered the white one!  This pot is a great price and has tons of colors, check them out ASAP!)
• Vital Wheat Gluten
• PRE-CUT Parchment Paper (pretty much the best invention ever)
• Jim Lahey My Bread Cookbook (The Bible of No-Knead Bread)

Instant Pot No-Knead Whole Wheat Bread

★★★★★

5 from 6 reviews

Instant Pot No-Knead Whole Wheat Bread is full of whole grain, seedy goodness and is ready for dinner in a fraction of the time of typical no-knead Artisan bread

• Author: Marci
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 5 hours
• Total Time: 5 hours
• Yield: 1 loaf 1x
• Category: Bread
• Method: Pressure cooker
• Cuisine: American

Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups (or 9 oz) white whole wheat flour
• 1 cup (or 4.25 ounces) white flour
• 2 tablespoons vital wheat gluten
• 2 tablespoons rolled oats
• 1 tablespoon uncooked millet (or sub uncooked quinoa)
• 1 tablespoon flax seeds
• 1 tablespoon sunflower seeds
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon instant yeast
• 1 1/2 cups room temperature water

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl, mix together wheat flour, white flour, wheat gluten, oats, millet (or quinoa), flax seeds, sunflower seeds, salt, and yeast.
2. Add the water and with your hands, mix until the majority of the flour is incorporated, but the dough is still a slightly shaggy looking ball.
3. Note: If the dough is still quite wet and sticky, sprinkle an extra tablespoon or two of flour on top and gently fold it in.  You want the dough to be tacky, but not so wet and sticky that it coats your hands when you're working the flour in.
4. Place on top of a piece of parchment paper and put inside the Instant Pot liner.
5. Secure the lid.  Press yogurt, then adjust until the screen reads LOW.  Adjust time to 4:30 and wait for the beep to indicate the cycle has started.
6. At the 4 hour mark, the dough will have puffed up a bit and have small bubbles on top.  Grab the sides of the parchment to lift the dough out of the pot and place it on the counter.
7. Quickly form a ball and place back on the parchment paper.
8. Return the dough to the Instant Pot for the remaining 30 minutes.  Secure the lid.
9. Place an empty 6 quart cast iron pot inside the oven with the lid on.  Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
10. When the Instant Pot beeps, the oven should be preheated and the dough will have slightly risen.
11. Remove the pot from the oven and place the lid to the side.
12. Holding on to the sides of the parchment, carefully lift dough from the Instant Pot and place inside the enameled pot (parchment paper and all).
13. Place lid on top (tear off any pieces of parchment paper that are sticking out) and return cast iron pot to the oven.  Bake for 30 minutes.
14. After 30 minutes, remove the lid of the ceramic pot and allow the bread to bake 10 -15 minutes longer until the bread is nicely browned.
15. Use the corners of the parchment paper to place bread on top of a cooling rack, removing the paper if you can handle the heat.
16. Technically it's best to let it cool slightly so it doesn't smash while its hot, but if you lack self-control like I do, grab a sharp knife and start cutting uneven chunks of bread.  Slather with butter and go to your happy place 🙂

Notes

• After mixing in the water, expect the bread to be slightly tacky, but it should not be so sticky that you have dough all over your fingers.  If it's too sticky, mix in an extra tablespoon or two of flour
• Set the Instant Pot to Yogurt then LOW, emphasis on the LOW.  A hotter setting will kill your yeast and this bread will not turn out.  I know, I did it 4 times.
• To cook the bread, make sure you use a heat-safe pot that also has a heat-safe lid.  If you do not have an enameled cast iron pot you can try using a heavy ceramic pot, dutch oven, or other pots and pans that are safe to use at 450° F.  I've even read of people using heavy tinfoil in place of a lid.  

Keywords: homemade bread, Instant Pot bread, no-knead bread

Parchment paper trick credit goes to Mel and her version of Crusty Artisan No Knead Bread

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