Whole grain sourdough bread can still be soft and tasty, there's no reason to think of it as dry and tasteless! Make these loaves today.
Whole grains don't have to sound scary or feel "too healthy" for you to start using them. They might need a little more finesse when using, but they are so nutrient-dense it makes a lot of sense to start incorporating them. You can easily mix with other flours to keep the final product soft.
Looking for more whole grains? You can also try out Spelt Sourdough Bread. If you're new to serving whole grains to your family, Whole Wheat Chocolate Cake is a great way to hide the earthy taste a bit. No one can resist Whole Wheat Shortbread Cutouts when they have frosting and sprinkles!
Key Ingredients
Flour - Grind your own to have true whole wheat and mix it with all-purpose.
Honey - We love using local honey to sweeten our dough.
Fats - Butter and whole milk will also add fat and sugar to keep the texture soft.
Sourdough Starter - You can use it just before it's ready to be fed and it will work great in a bulk ferment.
How to Make Whole Wheat Sourdough
***See recipe card below for precise measurements and instructions.***
Step 1: Add room temp wet ingredients to a bowl.
Step 2: Add in the flour and salt.
Step 3: Stir to make a shaggy dough; don't overdo it!
Step 4: Allow to ferment, with stretch and folds a few times.
Step 5: Divide dough into two equal parts.
Step 6: Roll up into loaf shape and allow to proof.
Step 7: Score as desired before baking.
Step 8: Try this "cover" hack to get extra height!
FAQs
I go both ways here. Some recipes can really just be thrown together and eyeballed, including some of my sourdough recipes. But this one I highly recommend a scale and an instant-read thermometer. You dirty far fewer dishes and really get into the science and chemical reactions of the dough this way! Put them on your Christmas list if you don't have them yet.
Grind your own, for sure! Yes, it can be a pricey piece of equipment, but I'll teach you how to use it well so you make it worth it. Always use hard wheat berries for yeast or sourdough bread; either red or white and spring or winter will do. Whole wheat flour at the store really isn't a whole grain. I mix it with half organic all-purpose flour for a softer loaf.
Photos by Megan Hampton
More Whole Grain Recipes
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Whole Grain Sourdough Bread
Ingredients
- 150 grams sourdough starter peaked or slightly hungry
- 40 grams honey
- 40 grams butter softened to room temp
- 300 grams room temperature water
- 300 grams whole milk at room temp
- 460 grams fresh ground wheat hard red or wheat berries
- 460 grams organic all-purpose flour
- 20 grams salt
Instructions
- Mix starter, honey, butter, milk, and water in a large mixing bowl. Add in flours and salt.
- Mix well and knead until fully combined, 5-10 minutes
- Take the dough’s temperature to gauge how long the dough is going to bulk ferment. 70 degree dough will need 10-12 hours, 75 degree dough will need 5-7 hours, 80 degree dough will need 3-5 hours.
- Allow to rest 30-60 minutes after fully combining, then stretch and fold the dough (Think of this as folding an envelope, you bring up one quarter of the dough and fold it over the whole ball. Then turn, and repeat 3 more times until four sides are pulled up and folded over).
- Repeat the stretching and folding 3 more times, about every 30 minutes.
- Allow the dough to rest until it is finished fermenting (from the total time you determined by temp), it shouldn’t be too sticky to the touch.
- Dump the dough on your counter and split into two equal balls. Shape and place in loaf pans.
- Cover and let rise until doubled.
- Before baking, preheat the oven to 450°F.
- Score the bread as desired. Bake for 40 minutes or until 200°F internal temperature is reached.
Notes
- Optional trick, use an upside down loaf pan over the pan once you place it in the oven, and bake "covered" like this for 30 minutes, then remove the top pan to brown in the final 10 minutes. This may allow for a taller loaf, better proofing.
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