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No-Knead Four-Grain Batter Bread
The secret to this rustic loaf is a simple batter method that skips the kneading entirely. Packed with whole wheat flour, wheat germ, and quick-cooking oats, it delivers a beautifully textured crumb and a slightly crisp crust dusted with cornmeal. You'll just mix the wet and dry ingredients into a soft dough, transfer it straight to the pan, and let it rise. Serve thick slices toasted with butter for a comforting breakfast, or use them to build robust sandwiches for lunch.
Equipment
- Loaf Pan
- Oven
- Hand Mixer
Ingredients
- 4 ½ to 4 ¾ cups all-purpose or bread flour
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 packages regular active or fast-acting dry yeast (4 ½ teaspoons)
- 2 cups milk
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup whole wheat flour
- ½ cup wheat germ
- ½ cup quick-cooking oats
- 1 Grease bottoms and sides of 2 (8x4-inch) loaf pans with shortening or cooking spray; sprinkle with cornmeal.
Instructions
- 1Grease the bottoms and sides of two 8x4-inch loaf pans with shortening or cooking spray, then dust them with cornmeal. Combine 3 1/2 cups of the all-purpose flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and yeast in a large mixing bowl.
- 2Warm the milk and water in a small saucepan over medium heat until the liquid reaches 120°F to 130°F. Pour the warm liquid into the dry flour mixture. Yeast needs this specific temperature range to activate properly without dying.
- 3Blend the mixture on low speed with an electric mixer until the dry ingredients are moistened. Increase the speed to medium and beat for 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- 4Fold in the whole wheat flour, wheat germ, oats, and just enough of the remaining all-purpose flour to form a stiff batter. Distribute the batter evenly between the two prepared loaf pans.
- 5Dust your hands with a little flour and gently pat the tops of the batter to round them out. Sprinkle a light layer of cornmeal over the top of each loaf.
- 6Drape plastic wrap loosely over the pans and set them in a warm spot to rise. Let the batter rest for about 30 minutes, or until it reaches about 1 inch below the rim of the pans.
- 7Preheat the oven to 400°F while the dough finishes rising. Bake the loaves for about 25 minutes until the tops turn a light golden brown.
- 8Remove the baked bread from the pans and transfer the loaves to a wire rack. Let them cool completely before slicing so the crumb sets properly.
Notes
- Variation: For a whole wheat and raisin loaf, increase the whole wheat flour to 2 cups and omit the wheat germ and oats. Stir in 1 cup of raisins along with the second addition of all-purpose flour.
- Storage: Keep the cooled loaves in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or freeze for longer storage.
- Tip: Make sure your milk and water mixture isn't too hot. Anything over 130°F can kill the yeast and prevent the bread from rising.