This variation of the no-knead bread baked in cast iron is one of our favorites. It is denser than the traditional no-knead. It uses one cup of whole wheat flour in addition to the unbleached flour. You also add 1 cup of 10 grain cereal (uncooked). The cereal can be found in health food stores or in the natural foods section of many supermarkets or online. Since you are adding cereal, you also increase the water in the recipe. Before baking, for extra crunch, sprinkle poppy seeds on top of the loaf.

Whole Wheat Multi-Grain No-Knead Bread

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup 10 grain cereal (uncooked)

2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon yeast

2 tablespoons fax and/or sunflower seeds (optional)

2 cups water

Poppy seeds (optional)

Whisk the flour, salt and yeast together. Add the uncooked cereal (and flax/sunflower seeds if using). Add water and mix into a moist dough.

Cover bowl with plastic wrap and set aside for 12-18 hours

Heat oven to 450 degrees. When oven has reached 450, place cast iron pot and lid in oven for 30 minutes. While the pot and lid are heating, remove the dough from the bowl onto a well-floured surface and form into a ball and cover with plastic wrap.

(Tip: use a sheet of floured parchment paper and turn dough out on the parchment paper, form into a ball and cover with plastic wrap. When you are ready to cook, you can pick up with parchment with the dough on it and place in the hot pot. Use scissors to cut away excess paper or fold down to make sure you still have a tight fit with the pot lid.)

After heating for 30 minutes, remove the hot pot from oven. Sprinkle dough with poppy seeds, if desired, and place dough in pot (Be careful!).

Cover and place the pot in oven at 450 degrees. After baking for 30 minutes, remove the lid and bake an additional 15 minutes. Remove the pot from the oven. The bread should slip out of the pot and then cool on a rack.

Mixing the dough

Setting for 12-18 hours

Form into ball while pan and lid heat

Bake and, wow, this bread is really great!