100% Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread Recipe

Let’s talk about a real, honest-to-goodness loaf of bread.

This is the kind that fills your kitchen with a smell that’s impossible to forget, a deep, nutty aroma that feels like a reward in itself.

Why This Recipe Feels Like Home

I’ll be honest, whole wheat sourdough used to be my baking nemesis. For years, every attempt felt like a gamble.

I’d end up with loaves so dense you could practically build a wall with them. It was frustrating, to say the least.

So I stuck to sourdough pancakes and pizza crusts, things that felt safer. But the dream of a perfect, whole grain loaf never really left me.

After plenty of practice (and a few more bricks), everything finally clicked. This recipe is the happy ending to that story.

It’s the one I use every week now, a reliable friend that always delivers a delicious, satisfying crumb. No more flops, just fantastic bread.

Ingredients Needed for the Recipe

Gathering just four simple things is all you need to start. Here’s what they do.

• Whole Wheat Flour: This is the soul of your loaf, giving it that hearty, wholesome character and rustic texture. Freshly milled is wonderful, but any good-quality flour works.
• Active Sourdough Starter: This is your natural rising agent, a bubbly, lively culture of wild yeast that ferments the dough and creates that iconic tangy flavor.
• Water: It binds everything together and activates the flour. Using filtered water is a nice touch, as it ensures no chlorine interferes with your gentle yeast.
• Salt: Never underestimate its power. Salt tightens the gluten structure for a better crumb and, most importantly, makes all the other flavors pop beautifully.

How to make 100% Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread?

Step 1: Wake Up Your Starter & Autolyse

First, ensure your sourdough starter is active and bubbly, fed about 4 to 12 hours before you begin. In a large bowl, combine the water, starter, salt, and flour.

Mix it with your hands for a solid five minutes until no dry bits remain. Then, cover the bowl with a damp towel and just walk away for an hour.

Step 2: The Stretch and Fold Ritual

Now, instead of traditional kneading, we use a gentle technique called stretch and folds. Wet your hands a bit, grab one side of the dough, and pull it up.

Fold it over the top of the dough mass. Give the bowl a quarter turn and repeat. Do this three or four times—that’s one round.

Step 3: Bulk Fermentation

Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap. Let the dough sit in a warm spot until it has roughly doubled in size.

This is where patience comes in. It might take 8 hours, maybe a bit more or less. Your kitchen’s temperature and your starter’s vigor are the bosses here.

Step 4: Shape and Cold Proof

Gently turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Shape it into a tight ball by spinning it toward you, creating surface tension on top.

Let it rest for 15 minutes, then transfer it seam-side up into a floured banneton or a bowl lined with a tea towel.

Step 5: The Long, Slow Chill

Cover the basket with a plastic bag and tuck it into the refrigerator. Leave it there for 12 to 14 hours, or even up to a week.

This cold proof is pure magic. It develops incredible flavor and makes the dough so much easier to handle when it’s baking time.

Step 6: Score and Bake

Place your Dutch oven (with its lid on) into your oven and preheat to 500°F. Once scorching hot, take your dough from the fridge.

Place it on parchment paper, score the top with a sharp blade, and carefully lower it into the Dutch oven. Bake covered for 20 minutes.

Step 7: The Final Color

After 20 minutes, carefully remove the lid. The bread will be pale but puffed.

Reduce the oven temperature to 450°F and bake for another 20 minutes, uncovered, until the crust is a deep, glorious golden brown.

Your Essential Bread-Making Toolkit

You don’t need a kitchen full of gadgets, but a few tools make the process smoother and more enjoyable.

• A Digital Kitchen Scale: Baking by weight is a game-changer for consistent results, especially with flour.
• A Dutch Oven: This traps steam perfectly, giving your loaf that professional-looking rise and crackly crust.
• Banneton (Proofing Basket): It supports the dough during its final rise and leaves those lovely spiral marks.
• A Bread Lame or Razor Blade: For making clean, controlled cuts on the dough’s surface, which allows it to expand beautifully in the oven.

Tips

• Cooling is part of baking. Resist the urge to slice the warm bread. Let it cool completely for the crumb to set properly.
• Whole wheat flour absorbs water differently. If your dough feels too sticky during the initial mix, add a small handful of extra flour.
• Embrace the unique texture. This bread is hearty and moist, a world away from fluffy supermarket loaves, and that’s its charm.
• For the best slices, use a sharp serrated bread knife and a gentle sawing motion. It prevents squishing the lovely interior.

Keeping Your Loaf Fresh

Once completely cool, storage is simple. I often just leave the bread in the Dutch oven on the counter, cut-side down.

For longer keeping, wrap it in a beeswax wrap or place it in a linen bag. It stays fresh for days thanks to the fermentation.

If you won’t finish it in a week, freezing is your best bet. Slice it first, bag it up, and you’ll have perfect toast ready for months.

Print Recipe

100% Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread Recipe

Author: Kelsey Perez Cooking Method: Baking Cuisine: American Courses: Bread

Difficulty: Intermediate Prep Time 30 mins Cook Time 40 mins Rest Time Total Time 15 hrs 10 mins

Cooking Temp: 260  C Servings: 10 Estimated Cost: $ 5 Calories: 120

Best Season: Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer

Description

Learn how to make Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread with my favorite recipe. Sourdough starter, sea salt, water, and freshly ground wheat make up this simple and wholesome loaf. This bread is naturally fermented, deeply flavorful, and packed with the goodness of whole grains—perfect for sandwiches, toast, or simply enjoyed with butter and jam.

ingredients

Servings

• 475 grams freshly milled whole wheat flour (or store-bought whole wheat flour)
• 325 grams filtered water (room temperature)
• 100 grams active sourdough starter (fed 4–12 hours beforehand and bubbly)
• 10 grams sea salt

Instructions

Dough Preparation & Autolyse

1. Feed your sourdough starter 4–12 hours before starting. It should be active, bubbly, and near its peak.
2. In a large bowl, combine water, active sourdough starter, salt, and whole wheat flour. Mix by hand for about 5 minutes until fully incorporated.
3. Cover with a damp towel and let rest for 1 hour (autolyse) to allow the flour to fully hydrate.

Stretch and Fold

1. Perform stretch and folds: grab one side of the dough, stretch it upward about 6 inches, and fold it over the center. Rotate the bowl ¼ turn and repeat. Do this 3–4 times per round.
2. Complete 3 rounds every 15 minutes, then 3 more rounds every 30 minutes. Cover between rounds.

Bulk Fermentation

1. Cover with plastic wrap and let ferment in a warm place until doubled in size—about 8 hours (time may vary with room temperature and starter activity).

Shaping & Cold Proof

1. Gently shape the dough into a boule by spinning it against the counter to create surface tension.
2. Let rest uncovered for 15–20 minutes to form a light skin.
3. Flip onto a floured surface, shape again, and place seam-side up into a floured banneton or bowl lined with a tea towel.
4. Cover and refrigerate for 12–14 hours (or up to 7 days) for cold proofing.

Baking

1. Place a Dutch oven in the oven and preheat to 260°C (500°F) for 1 hour.
2. Remove dough from fridge, place on parchment paper, and score the top with a lame or razor.
3. Optional: dust with flour to highlight scoring pattern.
4. Carefully transfer dough (with parchment) into the hot Dutch oven. Cover with lid.
5. Bake covered for 20 minutes, then uncovered for another 20 minutes until deep golden brown.
6. Let cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.

Nutrition Facts

Servings 10

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Amount Per Serving

Calories 120kcal

% Daily Value *

Total Fat 0.8gg2%

Saturated Fat 0.1gg1%

Trans Fat 0gg

Cholesterol 0mgmg0%

Sodium 240mgmg10%

Potassium 135mgmg4%

Total Carbohydrate 25gg9%

Dietary Fiber 4gg16%

Sugars 0.5gg

Protein 4gg8%

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Calcium 15 mg

Iron 1.2 mg

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Note

• Flour flexibility: You can use store-bought whole wheat flour if you don't mill your own, though freshly milled yields the best flavor.
• Not fluffy like store bread: This is a dense, hearty loaf—traditional and nutrient-rich, not airy like commercial bread.
• For a lighter crumb: Try blending with 50% bread flour or using the no-knead sourdough recipe.
• Storage: Keeps at room temperature for up to 2 weeks due to fermentation. Also freezes well for 3–6 months.

Keywords: whole wheat sourdough bread, 100% whole wheat bread, sourdough boule, no-knead sourdough, fermented bread, homemade sourdough