I’ve been experimenting a lot with my sourdough starter “Sophie” lately. So far, all my breads have turned out really well, including this Whole Grain Sourdough Bread. That makes me very happy. Before I started working with homemade sourdough, I had a lot of respect for it and didn’t think it would work so well.
At the moment, I’m trying out different techniques. However, the basic principle is always the same: levain – autolyse – bulk fermentation – shaping the dough – proofing stage – baking. The timing for adding the levain to the main dough, the way of folding the dough and also the proofing method – room temperature or fridge can be modified. For my Basic Sourdough Bread and my Country Rye Sourdough Bread I adjusted a few steps.
This whole grain sourdough bread is packed with flavors and it is really worth the effort. Although by now after baking a bunch of loaves I can say that the actual amount of work is not that high, you rather spend a lot of time waiting. So start in the morning if you want to enjoy a fresh bread in the evening. Or better said, already the night before to feed your sourdough starter so that it is active and ready to use the next day.
Alternatively, if you do not want to bake the bread right away and it fits your schedule better, place the dough in the fridge overnight to let it proof and bake it the next morning.
Tools & Equipment
- 2 large bowls
- Banneton
- Bench scraper
- Digital thermometer
- Dutch oven
- Kitchen towel
- Medium jar with lid
- Parchment paper
- Plastic wrap
- Scoring knife or razor blade
- Silicone spatula
- Wire rack
Recipe Tips
Sourdough Starter: You will need an active starter for this recipe. I took my sourdough starter out of the fridge the night before and fed it. Then let it sit at room temperature overnight so it has plenty of time to double in size.
Room Temperature: The best temperature for the dough is about 25-27°C/77-80°F. If your room temperature is lower, plan more time for bulk fermentation, mix the dough with warmer water or increase the temperature to speed up fermentation. To do this, you can place the container in a turned-off oven with the control light on.
Bulk Fermentation: A well-developed dough will pull away from the sides of the bowl when you turn it and the volume increases by 20-30%. More air bubbles develop along the sides of the bowl. These are all signs that the dough is ready for the next step. If the dough seems to develop slowly, extend the fermentation time. Keep in mind that time is only an indicator, pay more attention to the dough itself to decide whether the bulk fermentation is done.
Ingredients for Whole Grain Sourdough Bread
Step by Step Guide – How to Make Whole Grain Sourdough Bread
Make the Levain
Add the active sourdough starter, water and both flours to a jar and stir to combine. Let the levain sit in a warm place, preferably at 25-27°C/77-80°F, until doubled/tripled in size, for about 4 hours.
Make the Main Dough/Autolyse
Place the whole wheat flour, spelt flour, bread flour and warm water in a large bowl and stir until combined. Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for about 60 minutes.
Add the levain to the bowl with the dough and knead with your hands for about 3-4 minutes. Cover the bowl and let it rest for 30 minutes. Add the salt and knead for another 3-4 minutes until the dough has a smooth surface. The dough will be sticky.
Bulk Fermentation
Place the dough in a deep ceramic dish to make it easier to handle later. Cover and let the dough sit at 25-27°C/77-80°F for about 60 minutes. Then do the first coil fold.
With wet hands, slide both hands under the dough in the center. Slowly lift the dough up and toward you until it releases from the bowl. Fold the dough. Turn the bowl 180° and do the other side. Turn the bowl 90° and repeat the process (fold all 4 sides).
Repeat folding every hour for the first 3-4 hours of fermentation. Leave the dough untouched for the rest of the time. Total proofing time 4-6 hours at 25-27°C/77-80°F.
Shaping the Dough
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface. Stretch and fold the right side of the dough onto itself, then the left. Then roll it down towards you. Work the dough into a round shape. At the end of shaping, the dough should have a firm, smooth outer surface.
Proofing Stage
Dust a 23cm/9-inch banneton with rice flour. Carefully turn the dough over and lift it into the prepared banneton. There are 2 options at this point:
- Let the dough rise at room temperature (25-27°C/77-80°F) for about 3-4 hours before baking. This is called the final rise; after 2 hours the loaf will have a mild flavor.
- If you do not want to bake immediately, delay the process by placing the dough in the fridge for up to 12 hours. After 8-12 hours, the dough will develop a more complex and sour taste.
Baking
Preheat the oven to 260°C/500°F and place the dutch oven with lid inside. Dust the top of the loaf with rice flour and carefully invert it from the banneton onto a sheet of parchment. Score the loaf to ensure it can fully develop in the oven.
When the oven reaches 260°C/500°F, carefully remove the heated dutch oven from the oven. Be very careful because it is very hot and can cause severe burns. Place the loaf with the parchment in the dutch oven and cover with the lid. Return to the oven and reduce the temperature to 230°C/450°F. Bake for 20 minutes.
After 20 minutes, remove the lid. The color of the crust should be pale and shiny. Continue baking until the crust has a deep caramel color, for about 20-25 minutes. It is done when the core temperature reaches about 99°C/210°F.
Remove from the oven and carefully lift the bread out of the dutch oven by holding the ends of the parchment. Let it cool on a wire rack. The bread should feel light to the touch and make a hollow sound when tapped on the bottom.
Storing and Freezing Instructions
Storage: Paper bags or kitchen towels are great to protect bread from drying out too much. Keep your bread at room temperature for 3-5 days. Do not store bread in the fridge. If you do, it will get stale faster compared to keeping it at room temperature.
Freezing Instructions: This is a good option for longer storage. Let the bread cool completely and either freeze the whole loaf or slices of bread in a ziplock bag for up to 3 months.
My Summary for Whole Grain Sourdough Bread
Difficulty: Intermediate.
Taste: This whole grain sourdough bread has a bit of a sour taste, but not too overpowering. I love the flavor.
Texture: This bread has a crispy crust with a chewy crumb and nice holes which are more or less evenly distributed.
Time: Feed your sourdough starter the night before. For levain and autolyse you need about 4 hours, the bulk fermentation took me 5 hours (it depends on the temperature in your environment, in my kitchen it was about 25°C/77°F). Shaping the dough is done in 10 minutes and for the final proofing I placed the loaf in the fridge overnight (2-4 hours at room temperature is works as well). Baking the loaf takes 40 minutes or so.
More “SOURDOUGH” Recipes
- Basic Sourdough Bread
- Country Rye Sourdough Bread
- Sandwich Bread
- Sunflower Seed Bread
- Turmeric Bread
