It was hard for me to believe that a grainy whole wheat bread could be made without kneading. Even when my breadmaker was alive and well, it would struggle when I put it on the whole wheat cycle. What is even more miraculous is to discover a whole wheat bread I do not mind eating! Thank you Michael Smith for this recipe.
I made the normal loaf size country bread where I mixed together together flour, salt, yeast and get this, Red River Cereal! A Canadian icon of healthy multi-grain cereal that I adore but one box of it will last you a lifetime. I was thrilled I could use it in this bread. Talk about healthy!
I added warm water and stirred. As usual, it being winter and super dry, I had to add more water than the recipe calls for to bring the dough together.
That is it! No kneading! No nothing… I just stirred it together until it is a moist piece of dough.
You need to cover the dough and let rise for twelve hours. Yes, twelve hours! I actually put it in my covered salad bowl on top of some cookbooks in my kitchen until the next day. So if you want to make this bread, think ahead!
It got huge! Rose almost all the way to the top of the bowl and man, was this dough sticky!
I got out my bowl scraper to move the dough to a floured surface, worked like a charm. You were supposed to cover the dough in oil via a seasoned mixing bowl but I missed that step. I just covered my hands in flour and shaped into the shape of a loaf pan.
I transferred it to an oiled loaf pan and let it rise again for an hour or so. It was getting huge so I put it in the oven early.
I made this bread to do some recipe testing for his book The Best of Chef at Home and in the book it says to let the bread rise just like this, not covered. In the online version of the recipe it does say to cover. Also, only online, he tells you to use the hot pot method that I used when I made the artisan bread. According to the cookbook you just cook the bread in a preheated 425F oven for 45 minutes, which is what I did.
This bread shocked me. I could not get over the quality and the flavour. I really do not like whole wheat bread very much but the crust was so tough and tasty and the bread inside soft and delicious. It is very chewy though but that kind of goes with the territory of whole wheat. My husband gnawed on it while we were eating my butternut squash soup and said, “You can tell it’s healthy!” So much texture but also, flavour. Flavour that I personally liked. My husband found it a bit dry and he is right, you do need to slather it with some butter or jam but when you do? It is delicious!
I give this recipe made the way Michael Smith makes it in his cookbook four and a half out of five wooden spoons. Yes, it takes a ton of time to make but not a lot of effort. Absolutely an impressive loaf of bread I will be making all the time. Considering my breadmaker is dead, this recipe will be a lifesaver!
I’ve loved Michael Smith since he reinvented himself as “Chef at Home”. Will definitely try out this recipe. Thanks for sharing!
Susie, isn’t bread-making addictive, especially when it’s this easy? Your bread turned out beautifully. Thanks for the tip on the Red River cereal. I’ve only ever used whole wheat flour with the no-knead bread recipe.I guess it’s my turn to search out an ingredient. I hope it can be found in Montreal grocery stores. By the way, any luck with the sour cherries? Now, that’s one item that is readily available in most grocery stores in our area, and relatively inexpensive.
Have a great day!
I laughed at your comment that one box of Red River Cereal will last you a lifetime. It’s true! The only person I knew who would eat it was my Mom. Interesting that it’s an ingredient in this bread!
P.S. My heart-shaped blueberry pancakes were to die for! They were thick though — almost like pancake biscuits! The pam worked great and the cookie cutters slid off easily when it was time to flip. If it didn’t work, I was going to try your suggestion of just making regular pancakes and cutting them afterwards with the cutters. But it worked! Hee hee! My Rare One was very impressed.
You’re welcome Flora, enjoy!
Anna, yes, totally addictive! You should be able to find the cereal in the hot cereal section. This box looks like this. The weather has been too nasty for me to get food which is making life a bit desperate! Hopefully I will see about getting some sour cherries soon.
Debra, it is true isn’t it? That cereal goes on and on and on… As much as I love it in the winter, I am so happy to have found another application for it. So happy to hear your heart-shaped blueberry pancakes worked out exactly like you wanted them too Debra, woo! I am impressed too.
I made this two weekends ago and I was very pleased with it. Then last weekend I made the artisan bread that you posted on your blog not log ago. I found the recipes very similar, but the artisan bread recipe makes a smaller loaf, which is better for us (we don’t eat a huge amount of bread). Also, this second time around I added some olive oil to the dough when I mixed it up and I think it gives it a slightly softer texture.
And I think I’m done with my bread machine – much prefer the texture of these breads!
I’ve been reading about no-knead bread and I am eager to try one of the two methods that I’ve seen so far! I think Michael Smith’s recipe is so far the only one I’ve seen that doesn’t use a covered pot. I’ll have to find a weekend to give this a shot! 🙂
JC, it’s true, they are similar although they use different flours but the technique and waiting time are the same. Anna added olive oil to her bread when she made focaccia which did make it softer and more moist, I have to try that.
BBK, many of them do use a covered pot, that is true. For this I didn’t have to and Chuck also has a no-knead recipe and it is faster and doesn’t require a covered pot too. Just don’t forget the salt like I did!
Suzie this bread looks perfect. I am always looking for new recipes, and this one seems a good choice. Definitely I will try it. Happy that it doesn’t involve the heated covered pot (that burned me last time when I baked a no knead bread)
Have a nice day.
I have to try this! I have a box of Red River Cereal in my cupboard!
I haven’t been successful with bread making and I don’t have a bread machine..but I will try it.
This bread recipe looks amazing – and Red River cereal – it was my grandma’s favourite. It looks so fresh and fluffy in the picture, the perfect canvas for my homemade blueberry jam.
I always knead my bread ten minutes and am intrigued by the no kneading enough that I have to try this!
Brindusa, oh no! I had never thought of it burning in the pot before but of course that can happen! Yes, try this one and hopefully it’ll work out OK.
Alex, this sounds like the perfect recipe for you, you already have the Red River Cereal! I hope it works out as well for you as it did for me.
Lyndsay, I adore Red River Cereal just like your grandmother. I took a photo of the bread with blueberry jam actually, I’ll be posting it next week when I finish the cookbook review. I agree, when I do knead bread, I knead it for ten minutes. This was a great way to avoid hurting my shoulder again, so easy!
Just checked out my Michael Smith cookbook for the recipe, I know it’s not as healthy, but I think I might try out the “city” version of his bread since I only have Bran Buds in my pantry, no Red River. Your bread looks so awesome, making me so hungry.
Do you have a dough hook for your KA stand mixer? Since your breadmaker has gone kaput, the dough hook just may be the ticket to help you with your kneading woes. I’ve used mine several times now for pizza dough, works like a charm!
Absolutely Ava, go for the city version, would love to know if it is good too. Yes, I do have a dough hook on my mixer, thanks for the reminder and pizza dough is a great place to start testing it. The last time I used it to make bread dough the bowl got jammed on which freaked me out. I had to use a rolling pin to smack it off and the bottom part of the handle came off! I hope that doesn’t happen again! Hence why I have used the breadmaker until its recent demise.
I used whole wheat flour for both breads, so aside from adding the extra cereal, they were quite similar. But it’s the method I was referring to – I find it a very easy way to make bread and I love the texture it produces. 🙂
JavaChick, yes, they would be similar! And yes, the texture is quite amazing, isn’t it? Very chewy which my hubby didn’t like as much as I did but it really has character and flavour.
I use Red River Cereal in my Multigrain bread. I always use my KA mixer with the dough hook for the kneading as I have broken both wrists over the years. Absolutely love the bread and my husband does not want me to make any other kind of bread now.
Carol-Ann, that is so smart! I might use RRC is just about everything multigrain now, worked like a charm. On no, am so sorry to hear about your wrist! I’m using my mixer more and more now too because of my hand and shoulder pain. I can understand why your hubby wants this and only this bread, it is awesome!
Hi Suzie!!!
I have to try this bread today for tomorrow.I don’t have Red River Cereal think it will still work well?
THanks!!
Hey Michelle! Well you are supposed to use a grain cereal of some kind. You could use his City Bread version instead. Good luck!
I don’t have any grain mix on hand. Do you think I could replace by something else ? If yes, what ?
Thanks a lot <3
Nolwenn, how about trailmix? Or granola? I have no idea how it would turn out but you can give it a shot?!
I have made the country version of this bread with Red Fife flour, and loved the rustic feel of using the pre-heated dutch oven. I just wonder if I could get a similar result using the dutch oven on the stove top. My oven is on the fritz, and the replacement won’t be here for at least a week – bread making withdrawal here!!!
Not sure you can make a tall bread on the stovetop. You could try making it round and thinner with a cast iron pan. A Dutch oven would insulate it a bit but not sure it would cook through. Or divide the dough into balls and make a thin monkey bread version.
I made the country bread and it was way too wet. My loaf did not come together as well as the one in your picture. Maybe I will try it again with less water.
This bread was absolutely delicious! I have been making bread a long time and have always kneaded my bread. Still, this recipe was intriguing and I had to try it. We loved it! So easy and tasty. I can’t imagine making bread any other way now. Thank you for this recipe!
I am so glad you had success with the bread Diane! It is a classic for me too, I make it all the time. You are most welcome. Enjoy!!!
Wow. Easy and so tasty. Didn’t come very sticky. I aded nuts and seeds. I let it rise 12 hours. Wow wow wow . Thanks for a perfect recipe