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.
Amazingly soft Whole Wheat Quinoa Bread or today's recipe for No-Knead Whole Wheat Bread.
This five ingredient Instant Pot Bread recipe goes perfectly with your main dishes of Soups, Pasta, and Salads.
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
- This Instant Pot trick will save you a ton of time! No-Knead bread usually requires an overnight rise. This recipe, however, can be started at lunch time and be ready by dinner.
- 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
- Combine all of the ingredients except the water
- 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)
- 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
- At the 4 hour mark, the dough will have small air bubbles all over the top
- Use the parchment paper to lift the dough out, shape it quickly into a pretty ball
- 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
- After 30 minutes the dough will have risen slightly
- 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
- 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.
HOW TO STORE, REHEAT, AND FREEZE CRUSTY BREAD
Store: Store leftover bread in a bread bag with as much air as possible squeezed out for up to 4 days.
Reheat: To restore the crusty exterior, place bread in a 350°F oven for about 10 minutes.
Freeze: Wrap leftovers tightly in plastic wrap, place inside a freezer safe zip top bag, and freeze. When ready to eat, let it thaw at room temperature for about 2 hours, then reheat as directed above.
CRUSTY BREAD VARIATIONS
Herb Bread: Add dried herbs like rosemary, basil, thyme, etc. This Asiago Herb Bread is a perfect example.
Cheesy Bread: Add CHEESE! Jalapeno Cheddar, Tomato and Feta, etc.
Bread with Dried Fruit: Fresh fruit can result in soggy spots, but dried fruit works perfectly! This Cranberry Pecan Bread is amazing!
USES FOR LEFTOVER BREAD
This bread is very versatile and leftovers are a gift. Slice up leftover bread for sandwiches or paninis, cube it for croutons, or throw a slice in the toaster and serve it with eggs for breakfast. It does it all!
GLUTEN FREE ARTISAN BREAD
I have never tried swapping the flour for a gluten free blend, but recipes like this Gluten Free Artisan Bread make me think it could work with a few tweaks. Let me know if you try it!
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:
- 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
- Colors: There are 13 colors to pick from! Indigo, Carribean Blue, White (my choice!), Emerald, etc. I love options!
- 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
- 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
- Rosemary Asiago(my latest favorite)
- Jalapeno Cheddar (the best!)
- Cranberry Pecan (leftovers make incredible french toast)
- Spinach and Artichoke
- Sun-Dried Tomato and Feta
MORE WHOLE WHEAT BREAD RECIPES I RISE IN THE INSTANT POT
Are you new to the Instant Pot? These are our favorite beginner recipes to get started.
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
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
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 hours
- Total Time: 5 hours
- Yield: 1 loaf 1x
- Category: Bread
- Method: Pressure cooker
- Cuisine: American
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
- In a medium bowl, mix together wheat flour, white flour, wheat gluten, oats, millet (or quinoa), flax seeds, sunflower seeds, salt, and yeast.
- 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.
- 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.
- Place on top of a piece of parchment paper and put inside the Instant Pot liner.
- 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.
- 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.
- Quickly form a ball and place back on the parchment paper.
- Return the dough to the Instant Pot for the remaining 30 minutes. Secure the lid.
- Place an empty 6 quart cast iron pot inside the oven with the lid on. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
- When the Instant Pot beeps, the oven should be preheated and the dough will have slightly risen.
- Remove the pot from the oven and place the lid to the side.
- 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).
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
Welcome! I’m Marci, wife to my motorcycle dream man and mother of 3. I have a passion for creating and cooking delicious masterpieces in my kitchen and am ecstatic to share my discoveries on TIDBITS! I like my food tasty, wholesome, memorable, and always, ALWAYS followed by dark, salty chocolate.
Ok this may be a stupid question but when you say “add the water” do you mean after the yeast has been mixed in as per yeast package instructions? You don’t mention the yeast in the directions so just asking.
Ann, Look at the bottom of the post at the actual recipe card. The details will be much clearer and thorough there! The yeast is mentioned in the first step. Let me know if you have more questions though!
If you want a beautiful EASY No-Knead Bread recipe with ONLY 90 minute proofing time drop me an email and I will share with, you still have to use the Dutch oven container though…
Lovingly,
Honey
My instapot gave the message burn food 🙁
Laurie, The Instant Pot is only used to proof the bread in this recipe. Did you try to pressure cook it?
What do you push after you push yogurt?
Laurie, It depends on the model, but you want to adjust it to the lowest temperature. If you can tell me what model you have, I can look it up.
Hi Marci
Thanks for your reply on using strong flour. I’ve been mulling it over myself since posting the question and have decided to buy the gluten additive because i think it’s maybe the kneading process which releases the gluten from the flour and as that’s not part of this process it may (as you found) not be as successful.
By the way the yogurt turned out fantastic (it was still straining when I posted). I have an off brand IP with pitiful instructions and which doesnt have “boil” function for yogurt button so I just warmed the milk on “saute” instead stirring constantly. Am going to try using UHT milk next as this wont require the first boil stage.
I tried the recipe-I don’t think the instant pot did anything for it. After second rise which I set in a quiet place-I put the dough in an open loaf pan and cooked without a lid. The body may be a little denser than normal but the flavor is good and tasty. When I get a Lodge wear pot-I’ll try again.
★★★★★
Toby, thanks for letting me know your experience. I’m glad it was tasty for you!
Sorry if I missed this part in the instructions… do you use the regular lid on the instant pot portion of the recipe or do you need a glass lid? Not sure where the glass lid (that broke ) comes into the recipe. Mmmm can’t wait.
Jenn, I use the instant pot lid, I’m sure a glass lid would be fine as well. It makes me look forward to soup season!
I notice that you recommend a Honeybee program for Amazon price shopping comparisons. When following the provided link it takes you to a financial management program. Is this correct? Perhaps you meant the Honey pricing app?
Norma, Oh my goodness, I’m so glad you told me that! They must have changed things around since I posted this. Thank you so much, I fixed it!
This is by far the most delicious bread I have ever made and also the easiest! I was unsure of how it would turn out because I didn’t have vital wheat gluten (I swapped 0.5 cups whole wheat for white flour), didn’t have instant yeast, only had a cast iron Dutch oven, and then dropped and broke the glass lid right before baking (aluminum foil worked fine instead of a lid FYI). It was still amazing! I am in awe of how the crust crisped up so perfectly and the inside stayed so moist and spongey. This is definitely a new family favorite!
★★★★★
Kelly, You’re making me crave this with your description! The glass lid thing is a total bummer though, those can be so expensive to replace! I’m glad you had warm, crusty, chewy bread to soothe your soul 😉 This bread is a dream for soup season!
The recipe is not specific as to whether or not to seal the lid vent. Since it isn’t called out, I would assume not. Hope I’m right 😥
Angela, you are correct, it’s fine in any position!
Hi,
This recipe sounds fantastic, and I am going to make it as soon as a late-winter storm (grrrrrrr) subsides and it’s safe to drive to a health-food store where I can buy vital wheat gluten.
I have a 6-qt Dutch oven that’s decently heavy (it’s enamelled “light” cast iron); not as heavy as the 15-lb Lodge but certainly not lightweight. Its dimensions are different from the Lodge: it’s only 8″ diameter at the bottom, and it slopes outward from the bottom to the top; 10.5″ diameter at the top; and it’s 5 ¼” deep. Amazon shows the dimensions for the Lodge to be 14 x 7 x 12 in; not quite sure why there are 3 dimensions, since the pot is round and seems to be perfectly straight-sided!! That said, the bottom dimension has to be either 14″ or 12″, each of which is quite different from my pot, whose bottom dimension is 8″.
Have you ever made this bread in a dutch oven or pot where the dimensions were different from your Lodge? Any thoughts as to whether or not a different-sized 6-qt pot might require a different cook time? Because the diameter of my pot is smaller, the dough will take up more depth than it would in the Lodge – and logically, it seems that would require a longer cook.
Thanks in advance for your thoughts!
Shelley, I hate those surprise storms! A couple years a late winter killed my whole garden and every single blossom on my peach tree!
Your dutch oven should work great, I would use that for sure. Let me know what you think!
Darn! I replied to your reply yesterday, and it sure seemed that my note was posted – but it’s not here today.
As you thought, my dutch oven worked very well.
My dough looked just like your photos all the way up to #4, showing all the bubbles on top. But for the step where you’re supposed to quickly form the dough into a ball, after 4 hours in the IP, the dough was way too sticky to form. I tried using my bench scraper to collect the stringy bits that wouldn’t stop sticking, to no avail. After about 10 minutes of trying to force the dough to cooperate, I gave up and put it back in the IP for the final 30 minutes. It didn’t rise much; and it didn’t rise in the oven. The end result was a very tasty but quite dense loaf. Not a loss, as I actually like dense bread – but I know it’s not how it should have turned out.
Do you have any advice on how to handle the “quickly form into a ball” step if the dough is too sticky to do so?
Shelley, It sounds like it could use more flour, add an extra 2-3 tablespoons of flour next time and I think it will be great! Keep me posted!
I really want to make this in my new IP….Is white flour….all purpose flour?
Then what’s white whole wheat flour?
Meena, yes, all-purpose and white flour are the same. White whole wheat flour is a type of whole wheat flour. It is still 100% whole wheat but is milder in flavor than red wheat flour. It’s usually right next to all the other flours or you can order it on amazon of course.
Hi Marci
I’ve just put my first batch of homemade yogurt made from your recipe in my IP in the fridge and now looking to use the drained liquid in some homemade bread. Am intrigued by the simplicity of this recipe for crusty bread having always kneaded bread in the past. As you are using all-purpose flour and adding gluten, would using strong white and strong wholewheat flours which have a higher gluten content work the same or do I still need to add gluten?
Cant wait to try this!
Hey Sandra! Using flour with higher gluten may work just fine. Although, I will mention, I’ve tried it with bread flour a few times instead of all-purpose flour and it doesn’t seem to rise quite as well. I can’t say I know why! If you used more all-purpose flour and less whole wheat, you could likely get away with not using the wheat gluten as well.
I don’t hv a cast iron pot. Do you think it would still work in my large Farberware pot w lid?
Carol, If it can handle the high oven heat, that will work perfectly
I really want to make this bread! I even ordered the dutch oven through Amazon!!! But my Instant Pot does not have a yogurt setting. Is there a work-around for this?
Also, can I make yogurt in my Instant Pot without the yogurt setting? If so, is there a work-around this this, too?
Thank you,
Kathy
Kathy, Sounds like someone needs to gift you a second Instant Pot ;). I’m not sure how you would do it without the yogurt setting. From my experience, the slow cook setting was a bit hot. The first Instant Pot I ever bought had the yogurt function so I’ve never played around with bread or yogurt in an Instant Pot that doesn’t have that function. I know there are recipes for yogurt without the yogurt setting, it seems like a lot of them are using mason jars instead of doing it directly in the pot. I’m sorry I couldn’t be more help on this one!
I’m sorry if someone already asked this. There’s a lot of comments to “weed” through. Does the Dutch Oven need to be enameled or will a regular cast iron be ok?
Cindy, Yes, that should also work!