Rustic Whey Bread (No-Knead)

Step 1

The flavor of this bread entirely depends on the flavor of your whey. Read the section above about how to adjust the amount of whey and water depending on the acidity of your whey.

Step 2

Mix 1 cup of whey with 1 cup of flour and a pinch of yeast in a large bowl. This is the poolish. It helps to develop the flavor of the bread. Leave the poolish to rest at room temperature for up to 3 hours. Alternatively, stick the poolish in the fridge for up to 2 days.

Step 3

When you’re ready to bake bread, mix the water, sugar, and yeast in a large bowl. Leave the yeast to bloom for 5 minutes. Stir in the poolish, 1/2 cup of AP flour, 1/2 cup of whole-grain flour, and salt. Stir in the remaining 1/2 cup of flour to form a dough.

Step 4

Leave the dough in the bowl covered with a damp cloth. Allow the dough to rise for 2 to 3 hours.

Step 5

Though this is a no-knead bread, I recommend folding the dough a few times throughout the rise. Folding brings air into the loaf making beautiful bubbles. To fold the dough, wet your hand then grab a handful of dough. Pull it to the side to stretch out the dough, then fold it over top of the ball. Rotate the bowl 90 degrees, and fold it again. You can see pictures of this process in my sourdough techniques post or watch the recipe video.

Step 6

Preheat the oven to 450 F (230 C). I recommend baking in a Dutch oven if you have one. Otherwise a baking sheet or stone is fine. Place the Dutch oven in the oven before preheating. When the oven is hot, sprinkle a large pinch of flour over the dough, and carefully scrape the dough into the hot Dutch oven. The sprinkle of flour helps to prevent the dough from sticking to everything as you move it. It is a very soft dough, which helps with bubbles. Bake with the lid on for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and bake for another 10 minutes. The loaf is done when it is nicely browned and sounds hollow on the bottom when tapped.