Easy Whole Wheat Sourdough Sandwich Bread Recipe

This 100% whole wheat sourdough sandwich bread is exactly that, 100% whole wheat! No all purpose flour or bread flour needed.

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I use freshly milled wheat which adds a tremendous amount of flavor and nutrition. Using whole grains in your sourdough baking makes for one of the most nutritious bread products you can feed your family.

Whole grain flour that has been freshly milled has the bran and germ intact which contain all of the nutrients and fiber.

If you are brand new to sourdough and want to make your own sourdough starter, click here: https://therosehomestead.com/how-to-make-a-sourdough-starter/

**This post may contain affiliate links. I may receive a small commission at no cost to you on purchases made**

It seems like for years I searched online for a completely whole wheat sourdough bread recipe and the few that I found just didn’t yield me the results I was looking for, so, I started recipe testing!

I looked at my easy sourdough sandwich bread recipe and started tweaking to accommodate for the freshly ground flour. A few changes later and a few so-so loaves led to this final recipe that is perfect!

This recipe can also be used for hot dog and hamburger buns, as well as, dinner roll! It’s a base recipe for most of your bread products.

If you do not mill your own wheat you can use store bought whole wheat flour, however, it will be hard red wheat which will give you a bit of a denser loaf.

I used mostly hard white wheat with just a bit of hard red wheat in this recipe. King Arthur has a whole wheat flour that is “white” whole wheat, meaning it uses hard white wheat. If you can find this one, your loaf will turn out very similar to mine.

This is the grain mill I use: Nutrimill Grain Mill

Why I wanted a 100% whole grain sourdough loaf recipe

Just a back story on why this recipe was so important for me to figure out. I am in the process of transitioning my baking to all freshly ground wheat.

Bread products made with freshly milled wheat are more filling and obviously they are much more nutritious. Adding whole grains to your diet is a great way to add more fiber as well.

I feel like I can eat a loaf of bread if it’s made with white flour, but, with whole wheat, I get full on just a slice or 2! Win, Win!

What is a Sourdough Starter?

A sourdough starter is essentially wild yeast. You capture this yeast from the air, the flour, and even from your hands. This wild yeast and good bacteria that forms from allow flour and water to ferment rises dough naturally without the need for conventional yeast.

What is Active Sourdough Starter?

Active starter is starter that has been fed within the last 24 hours and is bubbly and active.

I choose to keep my starter in the fridge. So, as long as my starter has been fed within 5 days, it will work just fine.

What is Sourdough Discard?

Sourdough starter discard is starter that has not been fed within the last 24 hours and may have a liquid on top and have an acetone smell.

What you will need for this whole wheat sourdough recipe

Flour

As stated above, I use freshly milled hard white wheat. You can use store bought whole wheat flour as well. I would recommend finding a white whole wheat which is hard white wheat if possible.

This is the grain mill I use: Nutrimill Grain Mill

Sourdough Starter

Use active sourdough starter for this recipe. Sourdough discard is hungry starter and although it will rise bread it will take a long time to achieve the rise of an active starter.

Water

For best results, use filtered water. Tap water generally has chlorine added which could inhibit the fermentation process. Well water will work fine.

Salt

Use a high quality sea salt. We use Redmond’s Real Salt in all of our baking.

Olive Oil

Try to find an organic extra virgin olive oil if possible. You can substitute with melted butter, melted coconut oil, avocado oil, or vegetable oil.

Honey

Although optional, the honey adds a bit of sweetness that gives this whole wheat bread such a wonderful flavor. You may also substitute with maple syrup or sugar.

Full ingredient amounts in recipe card below

For all of my sourdough recipes, click here: https://therosehomestead.com/category/sourdough/

Step By Step Instructions for making Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread

The night before in the bowl of a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment, add 1 cup of water and 1/2 cup of active, fed sourdough starter. Mix until it is combined.

This is the stand mixer I use: Nutrimill Stand Mixer

*You can mix this in a large mixing bowl and knead by hand as well with great results*

Add in 3 1/2 cups of freshly milled flour. Mix until a soft dough forms. If you feel you need a bit more, add 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough forms.

Your goal is to add just enough flour to make a bread dough that cleans the sides of the bowl.

Allow this mixture to soak for 20-30 minutes to soften the bran and germ.

Next add 3 tablespoons of olive oil and 2 tablespoons of honey. Mix until combined.

Add in 1 1/2 teaspoon of fine sea salt.

**If hand kneading, reserve the 2-3 tablespoons of flour for kneading. Don’t add too much flour, as it will cause a very dense loaf**

Knead for 8-10 minutes until the dough is smooth and stretchy. If you need to add any additional flour only add 1 tablespoon at a time. You want the dough to just pull from the sides of the mixer.

If you are interested in the stand mixer I use, here is a link: https://collabs.shop/rxide2

Move the dough to a large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap or any airtight cover. I use bowl covers from Amazon. You can use bees wax wrap, as well.

Allow to rise on the counter at room temperature overnight. This is the first rise or bulk fermentation. If your kitchen is particularly cool, move to a warm place to rise.

The next morning, remove the dough from the bowl. If you have to, you can add a small amount of flour to help with shaping the dough. I found I didn’t have to. But, if you do, just use enough to work the dough.

I prefer to wipe a little water on the counter and use wet hands to work with the dough.

Whole wheat dough can be a bit more sticky than white dough. Keep that in mind because if you add enough flour to make it easy to work with the bread may end up dense.

Instead of punching down the dough, simply remove the dough and place on your work station. Then pat it out to a rectangle. This will slightly degas the dough but won’t knock all the air out from the overnight fermentation.

Being whole wheat, you want to retain as much air as possible to yield a fluffier loaf.

Roll the rectangle into a log to shape the loaf. You can use a bench scraper if needed to help lift the dough off the counter while rolling.

After shaping into a loaf, add to a greased loaf pan. You may also line your loaf pan with a piece of parchment paper.

Cover with plastic wrap or a tea towel and let rise until it tops over the pan. Mine took 2 1/2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Brush with a beaten egg and you can top with everything seasoning. It really adds so much flavor to the bread but this is optional.

You may also make a slash in the top of the dough with a razor blade or lame for a beautiful loaf. The slash will open up with the oven spring so you can get creative with your designs!

Bake for 40-45 minutes until golden brown.

Place on wire rack to cool completely before slicing.

This bread tastes so nutty and a bit sweet from the honey. It’s soft, and, although it doesn’t rise quite as high as a loaf made with white flour, it still rises nicely and makes a beautiful loaf!

If you are interested in getting started with milling your own grains, read these blog posts: Using freshly milled flour in your kitchen: https://therosehomestead.com/using-freshly-milled-flour-in-your-kitchen/

Using freshly milled flour in Sourdough: https://therosehomestead.com/using-freshly-milled-flour-in-sourdough/

Why I mill my own flour: https://therosehomestead.com/why-i-mill-my-own-flour/

Storage Tips

Store on the counter in a plastic bag for 3-5 days.

Freeze sliced bread in a freezer bag for up to 3 months.