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4 Ingredient Healthy Bread

This healthy whole wheat bread comes out crusty on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside. No yeast or kneading is needed.
Servings: 10 slices
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
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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).
Serving: 1slice, Calories: 167kcal, Carbohydrates: 38g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 1g, Sodium: 575mg, Fiber: 7g, NET CARBS: 31
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. This is not a comprehensive list of all the nutrients in the recipe (i.e., does not include vitamins, cholesterol, etc). I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
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