Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread

Recipe by Charlotte Rutledge
185 Reviews 4.3 out of 5 stars

We love the combination of sourdough and whole wheat. The tanginess of a fed and active starter complements the inherent nuttiness of the flour. Together the two create a perfectly soft and moist loaf ideal for sandwiches, toast, and just about any other bread-based snack.

Prep
20 mins
Bake
40 to 45 mins
Total
4 hrs 10 mins
Yield
1 loaf
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Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread

Instructions

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  1. Weigh your flour; or measure it by gently spooning it into a cup, then sweeping off any excess. Combine flour with the rest of the ingredients, mixing until a shaggy dough forms.

  2. Let the dough rest, covered, for 20 minutes, then knead until fairly smooth and slightly sticky.

  3. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover it, and let it rise until almost doubled, about 60 to 90 minutes.

  4. Gently fold the dough over a few times on a lightly floured work surface.

  5. Shape it into an 8" log, and place it in a lightly greased 9" x 5" loaf pan.

  6. Cover the loaf and let it rise until it's crowned 1" over the rim of the pan, about 60 to 90 minutes.

  7. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 350°F

  8. Bake the bread for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the loaf is golden brown and a digital thermometer inserted into the center registers 205°F to 210°F.

  9. Remove the bread from the oven, let it sit in the pan for 5 minutes, then turn it out onto a rack to cool.

Tips from our Bakers

  • Don’t have any starter? Here’s a recipe for homemade sourdough starter. If you're making it from scratch, you'll need to feed it for 5 to 7 days before it’s ready for baking. Want a head start? Purchase our classic fresh sourdough starter — it’ll be ready for baking soon after it arrives at your door. Looking for tips, techniques, and all kinds of great information about sourdough baking? Find what you need in our sourdough baking guide.

  • This bread gets a wonderfully hearty crust when made in our Emile covered bread loaf baker. Bake the loaf in a preheated 350°F oven with the lid on for 35 minutes then remove the lid and bake for 5 to 10 minutes longer.

  • Want to make this bread with the help of your bread machine? Place the dough ingredients into your machine in the order listed and choose the dough or manual cycle. When the cycle is done, remove the risen dough and shape and bake as directed in the recipe above. Note: Due to the many brands of bread machines on the market and their different features, we can’t guarantee you can bake this bread start to finish in your own machine; please use the dough or manual cycle instead.

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