Home > Sourdough Breads > Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread
This whole wheat sourdough bread recipe is the ideal answer for those who are looking for whole wheat nutrition and low sugar. The dough can be used either to make loaves or to shape into sandwich or dinner rolls.
Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread
Makes: 1 Loaf
Ingredients:
Medium Loaf:
3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup whole wheat starter, room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon sugar
3 cups whole wheat flour
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
Large Loaf:
1 cup + 3 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 1/4 cup whole wheat starter, room temperature
2 teaspoons salt
4 teaspoons sugar
4 cups whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
Directions:
Bread Machine Method
Have water and oil at 80 degrees F and all other ingredients at room temperature. Place ingredients in pan in the order listed. Select whole wheat or a basic cycle and medium/normal crust. Do not use the delay timer.
Mixer Methods
Using ingredient amounts listed for medium loaf, combine yeast, 1 cup flour, and other dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Combine water and oil; heat to 120 to 130 degrees F.
Hand-Held Mixer Method – Add sourdough starter and liquid ingredients to dry mixture; blend on low speed. Beat 2 to 3 minutes on medium speed. By hand, stir in enough remaining flour to make a firm dough. Knead on floured surface 5 to 7 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Use additional flour if necessary.
Stand Mixer Method – Add sourdough starter and liquid ingredients to dry mixture; mix with paddle or beaters for 4 minutes on medium speed. Gradually add remaining flour and knead with dough hook(s) 5 to 7 minutes until smooth and elastic.
Food Processor Method
Have all ingredients at room temperature. Place dry ingredients in processing bowl with steel blade. Process briefly to blend. While motor is running, add sourdough starter and liquid ingredients. Process until mixed. Continue processing, until dough cleans the sides of bowl. Use additional flour if necessary.
Rising, Shaping, and Baking
Place dough in lightly oiled bowl and turn to grease top. Cover; let rise until dough tests ripe. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface; punch down to remove air bubbles. Roll or pat into a 14- x 7-inch rectangle. Starting with shorter side, roll up tightly, pressing dough into roll. Pinch edges and ends to seal. Place in greased 9- x 5-inch loaf pan. Cover; let rise until indentation remains after touching. Bake in preheated 375 degrees F oven 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from pan; cool on rack.
Used with permission: © Copyright 2009 Red Star Yeast. All Rights Reserved.
I would like to make homemade sourdough bread using bread maker one day. It may be my first try making whole wheat starter. I have a few questions to ask. I have Breadman automatic bread maker. It has a delay timer, I think. It will mix/knead for 7 minutes, then it pauses/rests 5 minutes. Kneading starts again and lasts for 18 minutes only for dough, not baking. I like to bake them in the oven than in the bread maker. Anyway, I guess that is what delay timer is. Does that mean I can’t use bread maker? If you think I can, explain me other way?
Under your Rising; Shaping and Baking direction, ….dough.. “let rise until dough tests ripe.” Also “..cover…let rise until indentation remains after touching. , I am afraid it will fall down, if I press or touch lightly
Hi Lois, congratulations on wanting to try something new. If you want to use your bread machine, just don’t use the delay cycle which allows you to set the dough to start at a certain time. Use the whole wheat or basic cycle to make this bread if you are mixing and baking it in the bread machine. If you want to bake it in a conventional oven, then use the dough cycle and take it out after it finishes mixing the dough. Then follow the directions under the rising, shaping and baking directions. If the dough is ready (or ripe), it won’t fall when you touch it. Just touch it lightly with the tip of your finger to see if it springs back completely (not ripe) or if a light indention remains.
This recipe has been very helpful as a first step getting into sourdough! I’ve made it 5 ish times and now feelings confident to try other more complex sourdough recipes as well.Thank you!
That’s wonderful that you’re starting to feel confident using sourdough! Good luck in your continued sourdough journey!
Excellent recipe for a light, moist whole wheat bread. I am very experienced since the start of COVID with making sour dough. I consider myself very successful in that my results are similar to local professional bakers. However, whether the sour dough loaf was produced by a professional or by me, I have been frustrated at the heaviness and density of any loaf containing more than twenty percent whole wheat bread. Giving up on the idea that using yeast instead of relying exclusively on sour dough starter constitutes cheating was hard, but enjoying this lovely bread is not!