Simple Rustic Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread Recipe
This simple rustic whole wheat sourdough bread recipe requires simple ingredients that yield an abundance of flavor! Different from the common white flour, whole wheat berries are packed full of nutrition, that will nourish our bodies and keep us fuller longer.
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Servings: 0
Equipment
- Bench scraper
- Tea Towel, plastic bag, or a homemade bowl cover
- Banneton or bread proofing basket
- Dutch oven
- Danish dough whisk
- Piece of parchment paper
- Large bowl
Ingredients
- ½ cup 100g of Active sourdough starter
- 4 ¼ cups 500 grams Organic Hard White Wheat Berries
- 1 ½ cups 350 grams filtered warm water
- 2 teaspoons 11 grams salt
- 1 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon 30 grams honey
Instructions
Mix Dough:
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground Organic Hard White Wheat Berries, water, salt, and honey. Mix until there are no dry bits left. Let this mixture rest for about 45 minutes.
Stretch and Fold and Develop Gluten:
- Once the 45 minutes is up, begin the stretch and fold technique by grabbing one end of the dough, stretching it out and folding it over itself. Then grab the opposite end, stretch and fold it onto itself. Finally, grab the sides and stretch and fold them. Do this a few more times. Allow the dough to rest for 30 minutes. Repeat the stretch and fold method for a total of 3 times with 30 minute intervals.
Bulk Fermentation:
- Place dough in a medium size bowl, cover it with a damp towel, plastic wrap, or a homemade bowl cover, and let it rise for the first rise in a warm place (ideally around 75°F or 24°C) for about 8 hours or until it has roughly doubled in size. The time it takes for your dough to double in size depends on the temperature of your environment and the activity level of your starter. Generally, a warmer room will result in a shorter fermentation time.
Shape the Dough:
- After bulk fermentation, you can choose to shape the dough into a round loaf in the bowl, or you can turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, and gently shape it into a round loaf. Place it into a well-floured banneton basket or a DIY proofing basket.
Final Proof:
- Cover the shaped dough with a cloth or plastic wrap and let it proof for the final rise in the refrigerator overnight for a 12 hour fermentation time. This will give your bread a more developed flavor.
Score and Bake:
- Lightly score the top of the whole wheat dough with a sharp knife or razor blade. This helps the bread expand properly during baking.
- Preheat your oven to 425°F. Place the cold dough on a piece of parchment paper and into a Dutch oven with the lid on. Then, place it in the oven while it preheats.
- Bake for 55 minutes.
- After 55 minutes, remove the top of the dutch oven and allow the loaf to cook for an additional 5 minutes until the crust is a deep golden brown color.
Cool:
- Remove the bread from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack before slicing. Cooling is important to allow the crumb to set properly.
- Enjoy your homemade whole wheat sourdough bread! It should have a hearty, nutty flavor with a chewy, satisfying texture.
Notes
If the dough feels too wet and sticky, sprinkle in some extra flour. Since the ingredients are weighed, the consistency should be pretty consistent.
You will need to experiment with the dough to understand its texture, as stated above. Factors like your starter's hydration, the weather, and the type of flour you choose will affect how much flour you need. Aim for a dough that strikes a balance: it shouldn’t be overly sticky, but it also shouldn’t be too dense when you do the stretch and folds later.
It is important to note that a whole wheat loaf will not burst open or get as fluffy as an all purpose sourdough bread. If that is the type of loaf you are craving then check out my Easy Same Day Sourdough Bread (Beginner’s Recipe).