Fresh Milled Artisan Bread (No Knead Country Loaf)
Are you looking for a rustic, country loaf made with 100% fresh milled flour? I’ve got you covered with this easy fresh milled artisan bread!
The benefits of using fresh milled flour are many from flavor to nutrition. This fresh milled artisan bread is rustic, flavorful, and packed with nutrients for one of the best loaves you can make!
If you want a crusty loaf with a chewy interior, this one is definitely for you. Plus, it’s NO KNEAD!
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What is an Artisan Loaf?
An artisan loaf is a country style rustic loaf of bread that is free form shaped and baked at a higher temperature for a crusty loaf with a chewy crumb.
Artisan loaves are perfect for sandwiches, dipping in soups, or for making french toast.
This is a great recipe for beginners!
This recipe is for a yeast loaf making it a much quicker version than my BASIC SOURDOUGH ARTISAN BREAD RECIPE
Why use Fresh Milled Flour?
- Nutritious – Fresh milled flour has 40/44 nutrients your body needs which is amazing! The health benefits are well documented.
- Flavorful – Whole grains are so much more flavorful than store bought white flour or bread flour. It is earthy, nutty, and aromatic. Bread recipes made with fresh flour are always bursting with flavor.
- Traditional – Surprisingly, no one use all purpose flour until the late 1800’s. People would grow wheat and have it milled in town for their baking needs. This makes baking with fresh milled flour more traditional than those made with store bought flour.
New to milling your own flour? START HERE! for everything you need to know before grinding your own grains.
Ingredients you will need to make Fresh Milled Artisan Bread
- Fresh Milled Flour – For best results, I recommend using fresh milled hard white wheat flour. It is lighter and milder making the loaf perfect for the whole family!
- Warm Water – Use filtered water if possible.
- Active Dry Yeast – You can substitute with instant yeast. See in instructions below.
- Salt
Printable recipe card down below in both grams and cup measurements
Want a sourdough bread made with fresh milled flour? CLICK HERE!
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I love simple recipes that require very little equipment. You will find this recipe so easy to make with only a few tools.
To mill my wheat berries, I use the NUTRIMILL GRAIN MILL
My favorite mixing bowl is this OHIO STONEWARE BOWL
For mixing bread dough, I find a DANISH DOUGH WHISK is so helpful.
Step by Step Instructions for making this recipe
Mill your wheat berries on the fine setting of your grain mill.
Heat the water to about 95-100 degrees F.
Add the yeast and stir it into the water. Cover and let bloom for 5-10 minutes.
You will know the yeast has bloomed when it becomes frothy.
In a large bowl, combine the yeast water, salt, and the fresh flour and mix until combined.
If using INSTANT YEAST, simply add after the flour and water have soaked
Cover and let the dough rest for 5 minutes.
After 5 minutes, uncover and lift up on a corner of the dough and fold it over itself in the center of the dough.
Turn the bowl 1/4 turn and continue this all the way around the bowl.
Turn the dough ball over in the bowl, cover with a piece of plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel and let the dough rise until doubled, about 1-1 1/2 hours at room temperature.
NOTE: If it is really warm in your kitchen, it may only take 30-45 minutes to rise so keep an eye on your dough
Towards the end of the first rise, preheat a Dutch oven in the oven to 450 degrees F.
Turn the risen dough onto a lightly flour surface taking care to not deflate the dough too much.
Shape the loaf gently by do another set of the folds performed earlier. After you lift and fold the dough all the way around, turn the dough over.
Roll the dough around on the table cupped in the hands to seal the seam.
Use a bench scraper or large spatula to lift the dough onto a piece of parchment paper.
Slash the top of the dough with a sharp knife or razor blade.
Carefully lower the dough on the parchment paper down into the PREHEATED Dutch oven.
Replace the lid and place back in the preheated oven.
Bake for 20 minutes with the lid on.
Remove the lid and bake an additional 15 minutes until golden brown.
Cool the loaf completely on a wire rack before slicing.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this crusty homemade bread along with soup or stew for a hearty and delicious side.
Slice and toast for the best club sandwiches!
Storage
Store the cooled, sliced loaf in a plastic bag or bread box for 3-4 days on the counter.
Freeze the sliced loaf in a freezer safe bag for up to 3 months.
Absolutely. After folding the dough, cover and place in the fridge for a few hours until doubled in size.
Sure, keep in mind that store-bought flour absorbs water differently, so you may need a bit less flour for the recipe. Start by adding 3 cups of flour and go from there.
A couple of reasons. #1 Keep in mind that bread made with fresh milled flour is by nature denser than those made with white flour. #2 Ensure you don’t deflate the dough too much while turning it over onto the parchment paper so you can keep all of the bubbles that formed during the first rise.
Fresh Milled Artisan Bread (No Knead Country Loaf)
Equipment
- Grain Mill
- Dutch Oven
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cup Warm Water (279 grams)
- 2 1/4 tsp Active Dry Yeast (8 grams)
- 3 cups Fresh Milled Flour (351 grams)
- 1 tsp Salt (6 grams)
Instructions
- Mill your wheat berries on the fine setting of your grain mill.
- Heat the water to 95-100 degrees F.
- Pour the warm water in a large bowl and add the yeast. Stir the mixture.
- Cover and let the yeast bloom for 5-10 minutes.
- TIP: You will know the yeast has bloomed when the mixture appears frothy.
- Once the yeast is bloomed, add the flour and salt.
- Mix until there are no dry bits of flour remaining.
- Cover and let sit for 5 minutes.
- Come back to the dough after 5 minutes. Lift up on a corner of the dough and fold it over the center of the dough. Repeat this all the way around the dough turning the bowl 1/4 turn each time.
- Turn the dough over in the bowl, cover and let rise for 1-1 1/2 hours.
- TIP: If your kitchen is really warm, the rise time will take only 30-45 minutes. Keep an eye on your dough.
- Toward the end of the rise time, preheat a Dutch oven in the oven to 450 degrees F.
- Carefully turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface taking care to not deflate the dough too much.
- Shape the loaf gently by do another set of the folds performed earlier. After you lift and fold the dough all the way around, turn the dough over.
- Roll the dough around on the table cupped in the hands to seal the seam.
- Transfer the dough onto a piece of parchment paper.
- Make a slash in the top of the loaf with sharp knife or razor blade.
- Carefully lower the parchment paper down into the HOT Dutch oven.
- Put the lid back on and return the pot to the preheated oven.
- Bake for 20 minutes with the lid on.
- Remove the lid and bake for 15 additional minutes.
- Let the loaf cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.
What type wheat do you prefer to use?
This loaf turns out great with either hard white wheat, hard white wheat, Spelt, or any combination of these. I tried so many different combinations and I really like to use 1/2 hard white and 1/2 hard red.
Have you tried doubling this recipe? And if so, would the cooking time be the same?
I haven’t doubled it, but the cooking time would be the same for 2 loaves. I have made double artisan sourdough loaves and the baking time was the same.
This is a yeast bread you don’t add any sugar or honey for yeast?
No, I find the yeast activates just fine without it. It will activate faster with it, but the yeast doesn’t depend on it.
I made the bread according to the recipe, I did add a little bit of water because when I first mixed the ingredients it was really dry. I added about a quarter cup more water after the initial mix. I let it stand 5 minutes I could not pull it over on itself it was still tough. I let it raise for 1 hour and a 1/2 Baked it afterward at 450 for 20 minutes and then took the lid off for another 15. The bread is very very dense like it did not raise. Hubby says it had a good taste. He said it is dry. If I try this recipe again I will probably use pineapple juice to Proof the yeast and add a little more moisture. The fresh ground flour was like a sponge, And very thirsty.