Hi Christine, yes, you can certainly make a sourdough starter using only whole wheat flour instead of unbleached all-purpose flour, and once your starter is up and running, you can make sourdough bread entirely with whole wheat flour. However, whole wheat flour is going to perform a bit differently in both the starter and the bread. In the starter whole wheat flour will make for a slightly thicker starter that will ferment a bit faster than a white flour starter and will also develop more acidity. You may get a little more sour flavor with a whole wheat starter, but not quite as strong of a rise. When substituting whole wheat flour for white flour in a bread recipe, keep in mind that you'll likely need to add a little extra liquid to adjust for the higher absorption of whole wheat flour, and expect a denser, more sour final result. You're bread dough is also likely to ferment a little faster with whole wheat flour, so keep an eye on it. Most of our sourdough bread recipes include a combination of white flour and wholegrain flour, but we do have a few sourdough bread recipes that are made entirely with whole wheat flour. Check out our Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread recipe and our High-Hydration Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread recipe. 

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