How to Make the Best Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread

Share the Simple Love!

Your Sourdough Bread baking is about to get a whole lot healthier and more delicious with this whole wheat sourdough bread. Never has healthy been so scrumptious! This whole meal sourdough loaf is soft, spongy, and delightfully nutty.

Is Whole Wheat Sourdough better than White Sourdough?

Since I have started making whole wheat sourdough bread, I feel as though I have entered a new level of carb heaven!

My whole wheat sourdough bread is softer, spongier, and more flavoursome than any white sourdough recipe I have tried.

I’m so pleased that the taste is so excellent, because with the whole meal comes added fibre, protein and micro-nutrients. So, in this case, healthier brings more deliciousness! How satisfying is that?

Is Sourdough Bread Better for Your Gut than Wheat Bread?

While whole wheat sourdough bread is more nutrient-dense than white sourdough, white sourdough is still better than whole wheat bread that has not been long fermented.

Why is this?

The reason why sourdough bread is so good for your gut is because of the long fermentation process. When the dough proves for an extended time, the phytates in the flour are broken down, and the nutrients become more readily available.

While whole wheat bread has added fibre and nutrients from the whole grains, it still contains the anti-nutrient phytates, making it inferior for your gut than even white sourdough bread.

Is Supermarket Sourdough Healthy?

Supermarket “Sourdough” bread is appallingly deceptive. Sourdough bread is traditionally long fermented and made from an active, bubbly starter. Because of these two things, Sourdough bread has a characteristically sour taste and waxier texture.

Generally, Supermarket sourdough bread is neither long fermented, nor is it made from an active, bubbly starter. They simply use a dried, inactive “sourdough” powder to meet the commercial standards.

However, this is not the case for all supermarkets. A lot of health-food or specialty stores will have genuine, long-fermented sourdough. If you are in doubt as to the authenticity of the sourdough bread, simply inquire at the counter.

How to Make the Best Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread

And now, for the best whole wheat sourdough bread recipe.

This recipe is adapted from my favourite 4-3-1 white sourdough bread recipe. That is, 400g flour, 300g water and 100g starter.

To make it whole meal, I have simply subbed half the quantity of white flour with whole meal flour.

The result? Sublime!

How much time is needed to make this whole wheat sourdough bread?

I recommend working back two full days from when you want to have your bread baked. This is to allow your starter to get nice and bubbly for the dough making, and allows for an overnight cold ferment.

There’s really only one day of proper sourdough work. This is the day on which you mix the dough, stretch and fold it, bulk ferment and shape.

All you need to do the next day is bake. Since it will be cold fermenting in the fridge, you can do it at any time the next day. No need to get up early, or hover in the kitchen.

The only thing you need to allow for on bake day is sufficient heating time for the Dutch oven.

Suggested Timeline for Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread:

The night before:

1. Feed your starter just before you go to bed. Use the discard to make my favourite coffee, chocolate or apple cake, or this overnight bread.

In the morning:

This day will be the most hands-on you will get with the bread. But never fear – there is no kneading required for any of my sourdough breads! The stretch and fold process does the same job of activating the gluten.

1. Mix the starter, salt and water until smooth.  Add the two flours. Mix (get your hands in there!) until the dough appears to have consistent moisture throughout (i.e no major floury bits).
2. Leave to rest for half an hour.
3. For the next 2 hours, do 4 stretch and folds, 30 minutes apart.
4. If your bowl is big enough, cover with a tea towel and leave to rise for a minimum of 6 hours (be careful not to over-prove at this stage.  If it’s warm, leave for a maximum of 8 hours, just to be safe).

Shape

To stop the dough sticking to your hands, wet them first. This stops you from needing to use additional flour.

1. Tip the dough out onto the bench.  With wet hands, stretch the dough out as far as it will go without tearing.  Then, bring each corner to the centre of the dough. 
2. Flip it over. Cup your hands at the top of the dough and pull it across the bench towards you.  This should make the surface of the dough nice and taut.
3. Turn it back over so the taut surface is on the bottom, seam side facing up.
4. Leave for 40 mins on the bench.
5. Repeat steps 1 and 2, taut side remaining up this time.
6. Line your proving bowl with a tea towel, and dust with flour. 
7. Transfer the dough, with the taut surface facing down into the bowl.
8. Leave overnight in the fridge.

Bake

1. Preheat a casserole dish/Dutch oven in the oven at 250 degrees Celsius. 
2. After 60 minutes, carefully transfer dough to a sheet of baking paper. 
3. Score the tight surface of the dough to any extent your artistry desires.
4. Transfer to the (hot) casserole dish, putting the lid firmly on top.
5. Bake for 45-50 minutes, taking the lid off in the last ten minutes so the dough can brown on top.

Baking tips for Whole meal Sourdough Bread

1. When I bake my sourdough bread, I have the best results if the dutch oven is thoroughly heated. This takes a full hour at the hottest oven temperature.
2. While baking, I leave the lid on the whole time. That way, I don’t have to hover around the oven, and I find that it makes no difference to the final colour.
3. Let the bread rest for a few hours before slicing it up. It’s easier to cut, and I find that I can usually get more slices out of a loaf that has stood for a few hours. The holes are more pronounced, too!