This healthy bread loaf is made with just 4 ingredients. No yeast is required. Even though the bread is made without yeast, you won’t be able to tell. The texture is just like regular bread made with yeast. The bread is soft and chewy.
This whole wheat bread loaf is hearty, nutty, soft and chewy. If you like eating whole wheat bread, I think you will enjoy this.
Ingredients
- Whole Wheat Flour
- Baking Powder
- Salt
- Seltzer water
Whole wheat flour: This bread works best if you choose a whole wheat flour that has the same or less protein than regular white flour. There are several kinds of whole wheat flours available. Regular whole wheat flour made of hard red wheat usually has more protein than regular white flour (about 4 grams per 1/4 cup) and this will make the bread very dense. I recommend using white whole wheat flour (whole wheat flour made from hard white wheat) or whole wheat pastry flour (whole wheat flour made from soft white wheat). These flours usually contain 2 to 3 grams of protein per 1/4 cup serving.
Baking powder: I recommend that you use aluminum-free baking powder to make these rolls. The recipe does require a large amount of baking powder and using aluminum-free will prevent any kind of potential metallic aftertaste.
Salt: Salt is added for flavor to the bread. Most people find bread to be too bland without some salt added. However, if you are on a very low sodium diet, you can leave out the salt.
Seltzer water: You can use seltzer or sparkling water but make sure to use a sparkling water that has carbonation added to it. The bread does rely on the carbonation and baking powder to rise and if you use a naturally carbonated water, the carbonation may not be strong enough.
How to Make Whole Wheat Bread
- Add the flour, baking powder and salt to a large mixing bowl and mix to combine. Then add in the sparkling water. Mix in the water until a dough forms.
- Cover your bowl with plastic wrap and then let the dough sit for about 3-6 hours at room temperature. This allows the dough to ferment and develop air pockets which will help the dough have a texture more like a yeast bread.
- About 30 minutes before you plan on baking, preheat your oven and place a Dutch oven in the oven while it preheats.
- Transfer your dough onto a lightly floured surface and make a taut ball.
- When your oven is ready, add the dough into the preheated Dutch oven and close the lid. Bake for the first 40 minutes with the Dutch oven lid on and then bake for the remainder of the time with the lid off. If you don’t own a Dutch oven, it is still possible to make this bread. I provide details on how to make it without a Dutch oven in the notes section.
Bread Texture
The bread is crusty on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside. Because the bread is made with whole wheat flour, the interior is a little more hearty than bread made with regular all purpose flour. It has a nutty and slightly sweet flavor as well.
Recipe Highlights
- The bread doesn’t require any yeast or kneading. Just combine all the ingredients and let it rest.
- Because the bread dough is given time to ferment, it develops air pockets and flavor which makes it turn out like yeast bread.
- The bread is baked in a Dutch oven to give it a wonderful crusty exterior and soft interior. It can be baked without a Dutch oven as well but you will need to use something else to cover the bread.
More Healthy Bread Recipes
4 Ingredient Healthy Bread
Ingredients
- 4 cups (500 g) white whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour see note
- 3 tbsp (34 g) aluminum free baking powder
- 1.5 tsp (8 g) salt
- 14 fl oz (414 ml) seltzer water see note
Instructions
- In a large glass mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk until evenly combined. Add in the seltzer water and incorporate until a sticky dough forms. If your dough seems to dry, you can add another ounce of seltzer water. I used a spatula initially to mix and then switched to my hand to incorporate the last bit of flour.
- Tightly cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let the dough rest for 4-6 hours at room temperature.
- About 30 minutes before baking, preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C). Move your bottom oven rack to the lowest rung in your oven and place a large Dutch oven (4.3 quarts or bigger) with its lid on in the oven while it preheats. (The Dutch oven needs to be on the lowest bottom rack).
- After the dough has rested, wet your hands with some water. Grab one side of the dough, stretch it upward, and then fold it over the center of the dough. Repeat this process from all eight sides of the dough.
- Lightly flour a work surface with whole wheat flour. Carefully turn the dough out onto the floured surface, seam side down. Use a bench scraper or lightly floured hands to rotate and drag the dough towards yourself on the floured surface, until you form a round ball.
- Place the shaped dough, seam side down, onto a piece of parchment paper. Cut one small snip with scissors at the top of the dough.
- When your oven is ready, remove the preheated Dutch oven from the oven. Remove the lid and carefully transfer the parchment paper with the dough into the hot Dutch oven.
- Put the lid back on and place it back into the oven to bake covered for 40 minutes.
- After 40 minutes, remove the lid and continue baking the bread for another 15 to 20 minutes or until the bread is browned on the surface and sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom. If the surface of your bread is getting too dark, you can loosely tent it with foil.
- Let bread cool fully before cutting and serving.
Notes
- If you've baked some of my other no yeast Dutch oven breads, please note that this one doesn't expand as much so it is a smaller loaf.
- Whole wheat flour: We recommend making this bread with whole wheat pastry flour or white whole wheat flour. See post for more details as to why these are recommended and why regular whole wheat flour is not recommended. Whichever flour you choose, make sure it has 3 grams (or less) of protein per 1/4 cup serving. Most whole wheat pastry flours and white whole wheat flours should have this lower amount of protein but I did come across a few brands like Bob's Red Mill which has a higher amount of protein which you don't want because the bread will be too dense.
- We used Whole Foods 365 brand whole wheat pastry flour* and King Arthur Golden Wheat flour/White Wheat Flour (Amazon | Target | Walmart).*
- *These product links are affiliate links. This means I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
- Seltzer water: You can use seltzer water or sparkling water. Whichever one you choose, make sure it is one that has carbonation added to it and is very bubbly. The bread relies partially on the carbonation to rise. Don't use a natural sparkling water because some natural ones don't have enough carbonation.
- No Dutch Oven method: A Dutch oven is ideal for baking this bread because it creates a warm, steamy environment that helps the bread expand and develop its crusty exterior. If you don't have a Dutch oven you can still make this bread but you need to create a similar closed environment for the bread. You will need a very large pot/bowl/baking pan that is oven safe at 450F and can fit and cover the bread, with at least 2 extra inches of room on the side and above to allow the bread to expand. When your bread dough is ready, it should be placed on parchment paper lined baking sheet and then covered with your large pot/bowl/baking pan during the first part of baking. The cover is removed for the last few minutes of baking (just like the lid is removed off the Dutch oven).
Nutrition
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a professional nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
