100% Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread

Learn how to make Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread with my favorite recipe. Sourdough starter, raw honey, coconut oil, sea salt, and freshly ground wheat make up this simple and wholesome loaf.

*Update: This has been my go-to recipe for a long time. For many years, I made it into a sourdough whole wheat sandwich bread of sorts, and now I’m updating it to include how to make a beautiful boule, as well. Same recipe, two different processes, and baked two different ways. 

Both delicious.

A No-Flop Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread Recipe

I have been on the hunt for a good whole wheat sourdough bread recipe for a long time. When I first made my sourdough starter over seven years ago, I tried my hand at a few recipes I found online and they always seemed to flop.

Maybe I just didn’t have enough experience with bread baking, or maybe I expected it to be as fluffy as white, store-bought bread. 

Either way, I gave up on sourdough bread for several years.

I still made my beloved English muffins, pancakes, pizza crusts, sourdough skillets, and tortillas.

But sourdough whole wheat bread just seemed like too much of a hassle and overly complicated.

After getting a few years of sourdough experience under my belt, it seemed a good time to try again.

I had a favorite whole wheat bread recipe from my pre-sourdough days, and it included honey. None of the other whole wheat sourdough bread recipes that I could find online called for honey.

After playing around with it for awhile, I feel like I finally have something that makes a consistently delicious loaf of whole grain sourdough bread every single time. 

In fact, since I started making my bread from this recipe, I haven’t had any flops.

If you have been trying to make sourdough bread for a while, you may be all too familiar with the “flops” I’m talking about. 

Traditional sourdough bread baking can be a lot trickier than modern day baking with yeast packets.

Sourdough Bread Baking

Instead of using a trusty little packet of active yeast that you can just grab at the local grocery store, wild-fermented sourdough bread baking relies solely on the wild, native yeasts to make your bread rise.

This is why results can be inconsistent. You have to have a mature starter  that is full of beneficial bacteria and yeasts. If the balance is off, the bread may not rise, resulting in a loaf that more closely resembles a brick than bread.

This recipe for whole wheat sourdough bread produces the least brick-like loaf I have ever had.

Actually, it is ridiculously delicious.

We had a loaf, fresh out of the oven, with dinner tonight, and my husband and I were talking about the wonders of fermented foods. 

They just have a depth of flavor that you can’t find in something made quickly. The taste that develops over days, and sometimes weeks, has so much dimension.

I don’t even know how to describe it. My words elude me. You just have to trust me and try it!

This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. See my full disclosure here.

Tips For Making Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread

• Use a sharp serrated knife to cut the bread, or use an electric knife.
• I like to use freshly milled whole wheat using my Mockmill, but you could also use a different kind of whole-wheat flour.
• Don’t expect this to produce super fluffy bread like you would get at the store. This is due to the whole grains. If you want a fluffier loaf, try my no-knead sourdough bread.
• Make sure you feed your sourdough starter eight hours before making this bread.

Watch The Tutorial:

Tools you may need:

• Stainless steel bread pans
• Mockmill
• Berkey water filter
• Stand mixer (optional)
• Banneton baskets (optional)
• Dough whisk
• Thrive Market You can get 25% off your first order through my link. I love to buy einkorn, gelatin, and coconut milk from here. They have quite a few things that are actually cheaper than Amazon!
• I get my wheat berries from this co-op- Country Life Natural Foods

100% Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread Ingredients

Whole wheat flour – I like to use freshly milled, white wheat berries.

Sourdough starter – Fed about 4-12 hours beforehand. It should be active and bubbly.

Coconut oil – Could also substitute with avocado oil or olive oil.

Salt

Honey

Water – Preferably filtered water. We use a Berkey water filter.

How To Make Whole Wheat Sourdough Sandwich Bread

The night before you want to make your bread, combine the flour, starter, oil, salt, honey, and water in a large bowl. 

Knead the dough until it is stretchy (about 15 minutes) and until it passes the windowpane test.  I use a stand mixer with a dough hook for this. You can knead it by hand, but if you plan to make bread regularly, a stand mixer is a great investment for the time it saves. 

Add just enough flour so that it pulls away from the sides of the mixer, or is not sticking to your hands. It will vary between 6 and 7 cups, depending on the hydration of the starter and the type of wheat you use.

Add a little more water if it is too dry, or more flour if it is too wet. 

Place the dough in a glass bowl that is greased with coconut oil. Roll the dough around a bit so that the entire ball is lightly coated with coconut oil. 

Cover the dough with a tea towel and let it rise overnight, or up to 24 hours. 

The next day, divide the dough into two even balls and place each one into a greased loaf pan.

Allow them to double in size in a warm place, covered with a tea towel. This should take anywhere from 4-12 hours, depending on how warm their location is.

Bake the bread for 30-35 minutes in a preheated oven at 400 degrees.

How To Make A Whole Wheat Sourdough Boule

Feed a sourdough starter 4-12 hours before starting the bread, ensuring it is active and bubbly.

To a large bowl, add water, coconut oil, honey, fed sourdough starter, and half of the flour. I like to start with 3 cups of flour.

Mix it up and add salt, then add another 3 cups of flour.

Combine the dough with your hands for about 5 minutes to bring the dough together. Add more flour if the dough is too wet and sticky. This is where you will have to play around with the dough and get a feel for it. The hydration of your starter, the weather outside, and the type of flour you use… all will come into play to determine how much flour you will need.

You are looking for a dough that is not too sticky, but also not too dense when you are doing the stretch and folds later.

Cover with a damp towel or plastic wrap and set aside for 20 minutes. This is a process called autolyse, where the flour becomes fully hydrated.

Stretch And Fold

Instead of kneading, I like to do the stretch and fold method. This is where you take dough on one side and pull it up about 6 inches, then fold it over the rest of the dough. Turn the bowl about 1/4 around and repeat the process. Do this a total of 3-4 times. Cover.

First 3 stretch and folds – every 15 minutes.

Last 3 stretch and folds – every 30 minutes.

Cover with plastic wrap and allow the dough to bulk ferment until doubled in a warm place. This usually takes my dough about 8 hours.

Shape And Refrigerate Overnight

Split the dough in half down the middle with a dough scraper. Be really careful not to break any of those precious bubbles.

Shape into a ball by gently spinning it toward you against the countertop, giving it tension.

Set out 15-20 minutes uncovered. This helps it develop a little bit of a skin, which helps prevent it from sticking to the lined basket.

Turn over and shape.

Transfer to a lightly floured banneton basket or bowl with tea towel. 

Cover with plastic and proof 12-14 hours in the refrigerator. I will put the basket in a grocery bag and tie it.

Bake

Place a Dutch oven into the oven and preheat to 400 degrees.

Whenever the oven is done preheating, remove dough from the fridge, place on parchment paper, and score with a lame or razor. Find my favorite scoring patterns here.

Dust with flour on top to make the scoring pattern stand out more (optional).

Gently place the parchment paper and dough into the Dutch oven.

Bake for 20 minutes with the lid on and another 20 minutes with the lid off.

FAQ

How long will whole wheat sourdough bread keep?

Wrap the bread with beeswax wraps, or in a plastic ziplock bag, and store up to two weeks at room temperature.

Fermented whole grain bread keeps longer than unfermented whole grain bread at room temperature. This is because the fermentation process makes the bread less susceptible to mold and fungus. 

The same scientific principles that make sauerkraut and lacto fermented salsa keep for several months are at work in the sourdough bread.

For longer storage, you can also keep it in the fridge or freezer.

Is whole wheat good for sourdough?

Yes, it will give you a heartier, more dense loaf, with a whole grain flavor. It isn’t going to be as light and fluffy as other sourdough breads made with bread flour or all-purpose, but it is very delicious.

Does whole wheat sourdough take longer to rise?

It takes longer than the usual yeast packet, as you are waiting for the natural yeasts and bacteria in the air to create the rise.

Can I use whole wheat in sourdough starter?

Yes. For this recipe, and most recipes, you can easily use a whole wheat sourdough starter. 

I tend to feed my sourdough starter a variety of flours and don’t stick to a particular one. Sometimes I use einkorn, sometimes all purpose, and sometimes freshly milled whole wheat.

Is sourdough a whole grain bread?

Not all sourdough is going to be whole grain. This will be determined by the type of flour used in a recipe. Some people like to make their bread with 100% whole grains, while others like to mix the flours for a lighter crumb.

Find More Sourdough Recipes:

• No-Knead Sourdough Bread
• Einkorn Sourdough Bread
• Easy Sourdough Flatbread
• How to Make Sourdough Tortillas
• Sourdough English Muffins
• Sourdough Pizza Crust
• Our Favorite Sourdough Pancake Recipe

If you make this recipe and love it, I would love if you gave it 5 stars! Tag me on Instagram @farmhouseonboone with your delicious creation.