100% Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread Recipe
This post may contain affiliate links.
Want to bake sourdough bread for your family using 100% whole wheat flour? Then this is the sourdough bread recipe you need to save!
After being asked so many times via email and by people in my Facebook group of over 250,000 people, I've finally put together my 100% Whole Wheat Sourdough Sandwich Bread recipe. There's no white flour at all, but you can use a white flour starter to make this if you want to.
If you are looking for a sandwich friendly loaf, check out this whole wheat sourdough sandwich loaf.
Can You Really Use 100% Whole Wheat for Sourdough?
You absolutely can use whole wheat flour to bake beautiful sourdough bread, no bread flour needed. Sourdough bread made with whole wheat has a nutty, wholegrain flavor and can be a little heavier and more dense than sourdough made with white flour. It definitely won't be as light and airy as sourdough made with white flour and definitely isn't like store bought bread.
This is because the more nutrient dense flour absorbs more water and has a weaker gluten structure than white sourdough. The weaker gluten structure occurs because the wheat bran left in the flour during grinding is actually sharp and cuts the gluten strands, weakening the overall gluten network. A weaker gluten network means that the dough doesn't have as much of a structure to support the gases produced by the yeast, hence the baked bread is often flatter and denser. If you want to know more about the process of how sourdough bread rises, this post about the science behind sourdough is a good read.
But I think the part we need to focus on here is "nutrient dense" because whole wheat flour contains more of the wheat than white bread flour because it is less processed. And if this is important to you, then keep reading!
Preparing Your Sourdough Starter
If you don't already have a sourdough starter, then you can find my instructions for making a sourdough starter here. You can use a sourdough starter fed with white bread flour or all purpose flour for this loaf.
If you prefer, you can feed your sourdough starter whole wheat flour in preparation for this recipe.
The main thing you want to do is ensure your sourdough starter is mature, active and bubbly. You should feed your sourdough starter in preparation for this recipe, so that it's at its peak when you're ready to mix the dough.
Ingredients
The great thing about this whole wheat sourdough bread recipe is that it has just 4 simple ingredients, well 3 if you think that sourdough starter is actually just flour and water.
- Whole Wheat Flour - I've used 100% whole wheat flour. I've used store bought flour but you can use freshly milled whole wheat flour if you prefer. You may need to increase the water if this is the case.
- Sourdough Starter - you'll need an active sourdough starter that has been fed and is at least doubled.
- Water - just plain old water here (remember water quality is important to good sourdough bread).
- Salt
How To Make 100% Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread
Making sourdough with only whole wheat flour follows much the same process as you would with white flour (check out my beginner's guide to baking sourdough bread).
Autolyse
Weigh out your sourdough starter and water into a large ceramic or glass bowl. Mix the water and starter together briefly. Then add your whole wheat flour and salt and mix together with a spatula or butter knife. The dough will be fairly shaggy and only just brought together. Cover your bowl with cling film or a damp tea towel and let it sit for around 1 - 2 hours.
This process is called the "autolyse" and allows your flour to soak in all the water and become hydrated. This is especially important when using whole wheat flour.
Forming Up Your Dough
After the dough has been through autolyse you need to bring it together into a ball. You'll notice that the dough is fully hydrated after soaking all the water up. It will be fairly sticky and might not feel like the dough is really doing much, but try to bring it together into a rough ball. Work your way around the bowl bringing the edges of the dough into the centre. Then cover and leave again for 30 minutes.
Stretch & Folds
Over the next few hours you need to create some structure for your dough by "stretching and folding". Aim to do around 4-6 sets of stretches and folds. For each set, stretch the dough up and over itself 4 times. Leave around 15 minutes in between each set. Again you do not have to be exact with time, but you need to do at least 4 sets over 2 hours. You will need to really work the dough to develop the gluten - because as we discussed above, it's more difficult to develop the gluten network with whole wheat flour.
Bulk Ferment
Once you've finished your stretch and folds, place the cling film or damp tea towel back over your dough and let it rest and ferment at room temperature. Ideally you want your dough to double, but a little under is ok when using whole wheat.
Shaping Your Dough
Once your dough has finished it's first ferment, it's time to form it back into a ball and give it some shape and surface tension.
Use a silicone dough scraper to gently ease the dough out of the bowl. You want it to land upside down on your counter so that the smooth top of the dough is on the countertop and the sticky underside is facing up. This will make it easier to shape. You can shape into whatever you like. I prefer this one as a batard (check out my easy sourdough shaping tutorial here).
Once the dough is shaped and tight, place it into your banneton smooth side down, so your seam is on the top - this way the top of your dough will get the pretty lines from the banneton. If you're using a cloth or tea towel in a bowl it's ok to put your dough with the smooth side up. Just make sure the dough is tight. Lift your dough around the edges to pop a little more flour if you feel it needs it.
Cold Ferment
Now your dough is in it's shaping container cover it loosely with a plastic bag or damp tea towel and place into the fridge. I use a large plastic bag to cover it - I just reuse it each time. Try to leave it in the fridge for a minimum 5 hours up to a maximum of around 36 hours. The longer you leave it the better your bread will be! A longer cold ferment creates beautiful blisters on your crust and a deeper sourdough flavour. It will also ensure your dough forms a skin which makes it easier to score.
Preparing to Bake Your Sourdough
Once you're ready to bake your sourdough, you'll need to preheat your oven to 230C/450F.Place your Dutch Oven into the oven when you turn it on so it gets hot. Try to preheat for around 1 hour to ensure your oven is super hot - but you know your oven so just adjust this time if you need to.
Baking Your Sourdough
When your oven is at temperature. Take your sourdough out of the fridge. Gently place it onto a piece of baking paper. Make sure that you make the baking paper big enough to use the edges as a handle to lower to dough into your Dutch Oven.
Gently score your bread with a lame, clean razor blade or knife. I don't get fancy with scoring, especially with a whole wheat loaf, just a centre utility score if perfect.
Carefully take your dutch oven out of the oven. Place the sourdough into the pot using the baking paper as a handle.
Put the lid on and place into the hot oven. If you want to you can spritz your dough with extra water before you put the lid on.
BAKE TIME:
30 Minutes with the lid on at 230C/450F plus
10-15 Minutes with the lid off at 210C/410F
Finishing Your Bake
When you remove your dough from the oven, carefully remove it from the dutch oven as soon as possible and place on a wire rack to cool.
Tips For Baking Whole Wheat Sourdough
- Whole wheat flour absorbs more water than white, more processed flour, so a longer autolyse can be helpful, as well as adding more water for a more elastic dough.
- If you want better dough structure while using whole wheat flour, consider adding some vital wheat gluten to your dough.
- Watch your dough, not the clock - remember that bulk fermentation can be affected by temperature, starter strength and the amount of starter you add, so watch your dough, rather than the numbers on the clock.
Baking Timeline For 100% Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread
DAY 1
1.00pm – Feed sourdough starter
5.00 pm – Premix and Autolyse
6.30pm – Form into a smooth ball. Rest for 30 minutes.
7.00pm – Perform 4-6 sets of stretch & folds over next 2 hours.
9.00pm – Cover and leave on bench overnight for bulk ferment if temp right (adjust starter as necessary - this is a explanation of why the amount of starter you use matters).
DAY 2
6.00am – Shape & lift into banneton/bowl & into the fridge.
12.00pm - Bake sourdough in hot oven.
7.00pm – finally cut into delicious sourdough!
Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread Recipe
Equipment
- Mixing Bowl
- Digital Scales
- Banneton
- Dutch Oven
Ingredients
- 100 g Sourdough Starter (fed and bubbly)
- 500 g Whole Wheat Flour (see notes)
- 380 g Water (you may need a little extra but start at 380g)
- 10 g Salt
Instructions
- Autolyse:Weigh out your sourdough starter and water into a large ceramic or glass bowl. Mix the water and starter together briefly. Then add your whole wheat flour and salt and mix together with a spatula or butter knife.The dough will be fairly shaggy and only just brought together. Cover your bowl with cling film or a damp tea towel and let it sit for around 1 - 2 hours.This process is called the "autolyse" and allows your flour to soak in all the water and become hydrated. This is especially important when using whole wheat flour.
- Forming Up Your Dough:After the dough has been through autolyse you need to bring it together into a ball. You'll notice that the dough is fully hydrated after soaking all the water up. It will be fairly sticky and might not feel like the dough is really doing much, but try to bring it together into a rough ball. Work your way around the bowl bringing the edges of the dough into the centre. Then cover and leave again for 30 minutes.
- Stretch & Folds:Over the next few hours you need to create some structure for your dough by "stretching and folding". Aim to do around 4-6 sets of stretches and folds. For each set, stretch the dough up and over itself 4 times. Leave around 15 minutes in between each set. Again you do not have to be exact with time, but you need to do at least 4 sets over 2 hours.You will need to really work the dough to develop the gluten - because whole wheat flour has a lower gluten content.
- Bulk Ferment:Once you've finished your stretch and folds, place the cling film or damp tea towel back over your dough and let it rest and ferment at room temperature. Ideally you want your dough to double (see notes).
- Shaping Your Dough:Once your dough has finished it's first ferment, it's time to form it back into a ball and give it some shape and surface tension. Try not to use flour here, but a light dusting is ok (rice flour or semolina are best).Use a silicone dough scraper to gently ease the dough out of the bowl. You want it to land upside down on your counter so that the smooth top of the dough is on the countertop and the sticky underside is facing up. This will make it easier to shape.You can shape into whatever you like. I prefer this one as a batard.
- Once the dough is shaped and tight, place it into your banneton smooth side down, so your seam is on the top - this way the top of your dough will get the pretty lines from the banneton. If you're using a cloth or tea towel in a bowl it's ok to put your dough with the smooth side up. Just make sure the dough is tight.Lift your dough around the edges to pop a little more flour if you feel it needs it.
- Cold Ferment:Now your dough is in it's "shaping container" cover it loosely with a plastic bag or damp tea towel and place into the fridge. I use a large plastic bag to cover it - I just reuse it each time. Try to leave it in the fridge for a minimum 5 hours up to a maximum of around 36 hours. The longer you leave it the better your bread will be! A longer cold ferment creates beautiful blisters on your crust and a deeper sourdough flavour. It will also ensure your dough forms a skin which makes it easier to score.
- Preparing to Bake Your Sourdough:Once you're ready to bake your sourdough, you'll need to preheat your oven to 230C/450F. Place your Dutch Oven into the oven when you turn it on so it gets hot. Try to preheat for around 1 hour to ensure your oven is super hot - but you know your oven so just adjust this time if you need to.Leave your dough in the fridge until the very last minute - placing a cold dough into a hot oven will give you a great "spring".
- Baking Your Sourdough:When your oven is at temperature. Take your sourdough out of the fridge. Gently place it onto a piece of baking paper. Make sure that you make the baking paper big enough to use the edges as a handle to lower to dough into your Dutch Oven.Gently score your bread with a lame, clean razor blade or knife. Carefully take your dutch oven out of the oven. Place the sourdough into the pot using the baking paper as a handle. Put the lid on and place into the hot oven. If you want to you can spritz your dough with extra water before you put the lid on.BAKE TIME:30 Minutes with the lid on at 230C/450F plus10-15 Minutes with the lid off at 210C/410F
- Finishing Your Bake:When you remove your dough from the oven, carefully remove it from the dutch oven as soon as possible and place on a wire rack to cool.
Notes
Nutrition
