Recipe from Amy Scherber and Tom Kim Dupree
Adapted by Harold McGee
- Total Time
- 1½ hours, plus 5 hours’ rising
- Rating
- 4(164)
- Notes
- Read community notes
Whole grains tend to absorb more water and produce weaker gluten networks, and I found that kneading, as the recipe directs, gave a lighter, loftier loaf. —Harold McGee
Featured in: Better Bread With Less Kneading
or to save this recipe.
Print Options
Include recipe photo
Advertisem*nt
Ingredients
Yield:Two 15-ounce round loaves
- 1teaspoon active dry yeast
- 11ounces (about 2½ cups) whole wheat flour
- 7¾ounce (about 1½ cups) unbleached bread flour, more as needed
- ¾ounce (about ½ cup) wheat bran
- 1tablespoon kosher salt
- Vegetable oil or cooking spray
- Cornmeal, for sprinkling
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (2 servings)
991 calories; 10 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 4 grams monounsaturated fat; 4 grams polyunsaturated fat; 200 grams carbohydrates; 24 grams dietary fiber; 1 gram sugars; 36 grams protein; 656 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered by
Preparation
Step
1
In small bowl combine yeast with ¼ cup warm water (105 to 115 degrees) and stir to dissolve. In a medium bowl combine whole wheat flour, bread flour, bran and salt. Add yeast mixture and 2 cups cool water (75 to 78 degrees) to dry ingredients; mix by hand to make a granular mass. Knead about 2 minutes; dough should be very loose and sticky. If necessary add 1 to 2 tablespoons cool water.
Step
2
Oil a large mixing bowl and a sheet of plastic wrap; set aside. Transfer dough to a very lightly floured work surface and knead until somewhat cohesive, 3 to 4 minutes, using as little flour as possible and using a scraper to lift and turn dough. Return dough to bowl and place oiled plastic wrap over surface. Allow to rest for 20 minutes.
Step
3
Return dough to work surface and knead again 6 to 7 minutes; dough should be soft and loose. Return to oiled bowl and cover again with oiled plastic wrap. Allow to rise at room temperature for one hour.
Step
4
Knead dough while still in bowl, gently deflating it with your fingertips. Fold in thirds like a letter, then bring ends in and turn over so seam is underneath. Let rise again for one hour.
Step
5
Repeat folding and turning process, and let rise again until doubled in volume, about 1 to 1½ hours. When dough is fully risen, an indentation made by poking your finger deep into the dough will not spring back.
Step
6
Sprinkle a large baking peel generously with cornmeal, or line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Divide dough into two equal pieces, shaping each into a tight boule (slightly flattened ball). Place loaves on peel or pan, leaving about 4 inches between them to allow for rising. Cover with oiled plastic wrap and allow to rise again until nearly doubled in size, about 1½ hours. If loaves begin to grow together, put in oven before they touch.
Step
7
Thirty minutes before baking, heat oven to 450 degrees. Place small cast-iron skillet on floor of a gas oven or lowest rack of an electric oven. Place oven rack two rungs above pan. If using a baking stone, place it on the rack. Fill a plastic spray bottle with water.
Step
8
Score a tic-tac-toe pattern with a sharp knife or razor blade on top of each loaf. Slide loaves into oven. Mist loaves 6 to 8 times, pour 1 cup hot water into skillet and quickly close oven door. After 1 minute, mist with water again, and close oven door.
Step
9
Bake 15 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees. Continue to bake until loaves are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped on bottom, another 13 to 18 minutes. Place on a rack to cool.
Ratings
4
out of 5
164
user ratings
Your rating
or to rate this recipe.
Have you cooked this?
or to mark this recipe as cooked.
Private Notes
Leave a Private Note on this recipe and see it here.
Cooking Notes
Anne Thompson
It would be helpful to have the overall time. I'm not mathematically challenged but it's a nuisance to have to go through the recipe and add up the many different rising times. Most recipes give this.
MRG
What's the purpose of putting the small cast-iron skillet on the bottom of the oven? To make more intense heat there, producing a crunchier bottom crust? Witha 450 deg oven and a baking stone this hardly seems necessary.
Monique
This is done in order to create steam which will make the bread crustier.
SB
It says pour a cup of hot water into the skillet in step 8
SH in SF
The beauty of this recipe is the 3-ingredient dough - flour, yeast and salt. (plus a bit of bran, but that counts as flour)It's very wet dough though: about 1:1 flour:water by weight. The accompanying article suggests a ratio more like 10:7.
renee
I haven't made this yet, bu Harold McGee is known for his extremely precise analysis of all things cooked. So, I will try this and expect the results to be really good.
citizenj
I've tried many of the bread recipes on NYT Cooking including Tartine's sourdough country bread. I like this one best because it has high whole-grain content (70%) with a great crust and texture and no sourdough required. It turns out pretty much like in the picture - a little flat, not puffy. Save some time by kneading in a stand mixer then leave the dough in the mixer bowl for all the steps up to the final rise (step 6). Sub a few oz of rye flour for some of the whole wheat for extra flavor
TOM G
Just an huge waste of time. The word knead should not be used in this recipe. The initial working of the dough in no way resembles kneading. I found this tedious to make and the final product was very disappointing
William M
I weighed the flours and the ‘dough’ was more like loose cake batter
kim mclaughlin
Fabulous! I didn't have the wheat bran so used 1/2 cup spelt (could have used more whole wheat), otherwise no changes to recipe. Delicious tasting, soft bread with a crust that we could cut through. I will definitely make this bread again and again.
SH in SF
The beauty of this recipe is the 3-ingredient dough - flour, yeast and salt. (plus a bit of bran, but that counts as flour)It's very wet dough though: about 1:1 flour:water by weight. The accompanying article suggests a ratio more like 10:7.
maryp
Came out great for me. Despite only having whole wheat pastry flour available.
citizenj
I've tried many of the bread recipes on NYT Cooking including Tartine's sourdough country bread. I like this one best because it has high whole-grain content (70%) with a great crust and texture and no sourdough required. It turns out pretty much like in the picture - a little flat, not puffy. Save some time by kneading in a stand mixer then leave the dough in the mixer bowl for all the steps up to the final rise (step 6). Sub a few oz of rye flour for some of the whole wheat for extra flavor
renee
I haven't made this yet, bu Harold McGee is known for his extremely precise analysis of all things cooked. So, I will try this and expect the results to be really good.
How to get at the bottom?
"...sound hollow when tapped on bottom." Seems easier theoretically than in practice, I think.
Anne Thompson
It would be helpful to have the overall time. I'm not mathematically challenged but it's a nuisance to have to go through the recipe and add up the many different rising times. Most recipes give this.
maeve
TIME1 1/2 hours, plus 5 hours’ rising
MRG
What's the purpose of putting the small cast-iron skillet on the bottom of the oven? To make more intense heat there, producing a crunchier bottom crust? Witha 450 deg oven and a baking stone this hardly seems necessary.
Monique
This is done in order to create steam which will make the bread crustier.
Raindrop
Good question, as there is no instruction to add water to the pan.
SB
It says pour a cup of hot water into the skillet in step 8
Private notes are only visible to you.
