Sourdough bread is the holy grail of bread, and a whole wheat sourdough recipe is worthy of angelic choirs singing from heaven. Sourdough bread is both the most difficult to make and the most satisfying to eat. The one thing it takes is patience. Once you’ve settled in to the process of making the bread, you can get into a rhythm where you have fresh whole wheat sourdough bread on a regular basis. Your first few attempts might not work out, but if you keep at it, you’ll soon attain sourdough perfection.
I have an affinity for whole wheat sourdough bread. I grew up in California where San Francisco sourdough reigned supreme. Back in the gold rush days of the 1800s, the miners took their sourdough starter with them. The beauty of sourdough is that the starter is the leavening, which means you don’t need additional yeast.
This blog is dedicated to a Whole Wheat Sourdough bread recipe. I have a separate blog on regular sourdough. I think the Whole Wheat Sourdough recipe is easier recipe for beginners, so if you haven’t made sourdough bread before, start here. Before you get started, know that sourdough bread takes time and patience. It’s a series of a little bit of work…followed by a period of rest. There are four different rest periods needed:
- Autolyse (hydrating the flour)
- Rise #1
- After shaping
- After baking
The key to sourdough is patience!
First make the starter. I have a separate blog about this so if you don’t have a starter yet, click here to read the full recipe.
Tips and Tricks to Make Your Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread Amazing
- Use filtered water. Since this bread has such few ingredients, the quality of the water is important. If you live in an area that has highly chlorinated water, the impurities in the water will change the taste of the bread.
- Line the bottom of your baking pan with parchment paper. This will keep it from sticking. I buy pre-cut circles and use them for cake pans and bread baking.
- Sourdough bread requires humidity during baking to get that deliciously chewy crust just right. Professional bakers use ovens that add steam. Since these ultra-special ovens are out of reach for the home baker, the second-best option is to use an enamel-coated Dutch oven. Here is one I like that won’t break the bank. If you don’t want to invest in one, the third option is to bake the bread in a cast iron skillet or on a pizza stone. I have a hack that will give you a perfect crust every time. The moment the sourdough bread loaf comes out of the oven, remove it from the pan and put it on a wire rack. Then cover it with a damp tea towel. Keep the loaf covered with the damp towel for 30-45 minutes, or until your crust is the desired tenderness. The first time you do this, you won’t believe it will work because the sourdough loaf has a hard shell when you first pull it out of the oven. But trust me… it works! This takes away crispness, so if you like the crispy outer shell, try filling a pan with boiling water and putting it in the oven with your bread. In my opinion, this works better for regular sourdough, so I like the tea towel hack for this whole wheat sourdough bread recipe.
- Do not cut into the loaf until it has cooled. I know, I know… the whole point of homemade bread is to eat it when it’s hot. But the bread loaf keeps cooking after you take it out of the oven. If you cut it too soon, the crumb won’t be right. It’s better to let it cool and then toast it.
- I give you both the European measurement in grams and the American measurement in cups/teaspoons for this recipe. As a rule, when I cook I rarely measure anything, but bread is the one exception. Bread needs precise measurements, and weight is the most accurate way to measure. When I first started making bread, I struggled with the dough being too wet one time and too dry another. Your bread making experience will be much more pleasant if you invest in a food scale and weigh everything. The amount of flour varies by how packed it is, which can throw off your proportions. By using a food scale, you’ll get a perfect loaf every time.
- Sourdough is sensitive to metal, and even the smallest contact with your starter or dough can throw off the taste. Do not touch the starter or dough with any sort of metal during the entire process–no utensils, aluminum foil or metal pans. Use glass, plastic or silicone at all times.
- Have patience. (Have you heard this before?)
Bread can be made in one full day—starting early in the morning and finishing at dinner time—but I prefer the 3-day method for two reasons. First, I like to eat bread in the morning to burn off the carbs throughout the day. Second, if you do the last rise overnight, your final loaf of bread is both more flavorful and has a better texture. So for the purposes of this recipe, you will start on Day 1 at night, do most of the work on Day 2, and finish on Day 3 in the morning. Patience, grasshopper…it will be worth it!
Whole Wheat Sourdough Recipe – Timeline
Day 1 (Night): Feed the Starter
Day 2 (Morning to Late Afternoon): Make the Dough
Make the dough on a day you will be home all day. It doesn’t take a lot of time, but you need to pay attention to it throughout the day.
- Mix together flour, filtered water, and the sourdough starter.
- Wait 30 minutes for the autolyse period (hydrating the flour) before you knead the dough.
- Add final ingredients and knead the dough.
- Cover and let rise for 4-5 hours.
- Perform 4 “stretch and folds” on dough with approximately 30 minutes in between each stretch. (See video below)
- Shape the dough and place in the final baking container (a cast iron skillet or Dutch oven). Place in a cool spot (50-60 degrees Fahrenheit) overnight, or if you live in a warm climate, place in the refrigerator overnight.
Day 3 (Morning): Bake the Bread
- Let dough come to almost room temperature (about 60-65 degrees Fahrenheit).
- Score with a serrated knife to allow expansion during baking.
- Bake for 30 minutes at 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Place on a wire rack and cover with a damp tea towel; let rest for 1 hour.
How to do a “Stretch & Fold”
Wine Pairing with Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread Recipe
Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread
Ingredients
- 195 grams sourdough starter (3/4 cup)
- 225 grams whole wheat flour (1 1/2 cups)
- 230 grams bread flour (1 1/2 cups)
- 260 grams filtered water (1 1/4 cups)
- 20 grams salt (1 tablespoon)
- 20 grams honey (1 tablespoon)
Instructions
- Combine the sourdough starter, both flours and water to a stand mixer. Mix for about 60 seconds with a dough hook until just combined.
- Cover and let rest for at least 30 minutes for the autolyse period.
- Add salt and honey and mix on low speed (Speed 1) for 1 minute, and then on medium low speed (Speed 2) for about 7 more minutes. Dough should be slightly sticky but it should be able to pass the windowpane test.
- Transfer to a generously oiled glass or plastic bowl and let rise for 4-5 hours at room temperature (in your warmest room if you live in a cool climate).
- Once the dough ball has doubled in sized, perform 4 “stretch and folds.” This is the miracle that will make your dough light and fluffy. Wait at least 30 minutes between each stretch & fold.
- Thirty minutes after the fourth stretch & fold, shape the dough and place it in the final baking dish. If you don’t have an oven-safe Dutch oven, use a cast iron skillet. Line the bottom of the skillet with parchment paper so it doesn’t stick.
- Put the finished whole wheat sourdough dough ball into a cool area (50-60 degrees Fahrenheit is best) and let rest overnight. If you live in a warm climate, place it in the refrigerator.
- In the morning, let the dough come to just under room temperature (about 65 degrees Fahrenheit). Slash with a serrated knife to allow the steam to escape during baking.Bake at 450 degrees for 30 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack. Cover with a damp tea towel for 30 minutes. Remove tea towel and continue letting it rest until it's completely cool (about 1 hour total).
- Use a serrated knife to cut as crust may me hard to cut. Toast or serve at room temperature. Store uneaten bread in an airtight container.
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