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Slice of whole grain sourdough bread.

Whole Grain Sourdough Bread

Naturally leavened with a sourdough starter, this whole grain sourdough bread recipe calls for whole wheat or ancient grains such as einkorn or spelt. I've included tips for using each of the flours so you can create the perfect fluffy, sky-high loaf... no yeast required!

Course Breads
Servings 2 loaves
Author Wardee Harmon

Ingredients

  • 3 cups sourdough starter
  • 1 cup pure water + 2-1/4 to 3 cups additional to build up starter
  • 1 tablespoon sea salt generous tablespoon or to taste
  • 5 to 6 cups whole wheat, spelt, or einkorn flour + up to 3 cups additional to build up starter
  • coconut oil for oiling

Instructions

Stage 1: Building up the Starter

  1. Put 1 cup of ready-to-be-fed starter in a fairly large bowl.

  2. If using whole wheat flour, add 3 cups of flour and 3 cups of warm water (comfortable to the touch). If using whole spelt or einkorn flour, add 3 cups of flour and 2-1/4 cups of warm water.

  3. Mix fairly well.

  4. Cover with a towel and let sit at room temperature or in a warm place until starter is domed, bubbly, and smells sour. It will be globby and gel-like.

Stage 2: Making the Dough

  1. Put 3 cups of the built-up starter in a big mixing bowl — glass, ceramic or stainless steel.
  2. Add 1 cup of water and 1 rounded tablespoon of sea salt. Mix.
  3. Transfer the remaining starter to the refrigerator or build up for other recipes.
  4. Add 3 cups of flour and mix with a wooden spoon.

  5. Add flour, 1/4 to 1/2 cup at a time, to make a shaggy dough.

  6. Use your hands to turn the dough when it gets too stiff to stir. It will be sticky, but make sure it is not too wet by pressing your finger into it — do you hear water? Then it is too wet. You want a sticky dough that is not sopping wet.
  7. This whole-grain flour in the dough will continue to absorb flour for 15 to 30 minutes. So cover it with a towel and let it do so, undisturbed, for about 15 minutes.

Stage 3: Kneading the Dough

  1. Sprinkle flour on a clean counter or work surface, and put the dough on it.
  2. Knead for 5 minutes. The kneading motion is: Fold the dough toward you with both hands. Press the dough away from you with the heel of both hands. Rotate the dough one-quarter turn on the counter. Repeat for the duration of the kneading time.
  3. Add more flour to the countertop as needed. Avoid adding flour to the dough unless it is sticking to the counter even though the countertop is dusted or if your hands are a sticky mess. It is OK if some dough sticks to your hands, though.
  4. Cover with a towel and allow to rest for 5 minutes. This prevents overworking of the dough, and allows more time for the dough to absorb water.
  5. Repeat the kneading process for another 5 minutes.

Stage 4: Shaping the Loaves

  1. Choose whether you'd like to make regular bread loaves or a free-form loaf.

To make regular bread loaves...

  1. Grease the loaf pans(s) well with coconut oil, butter or olive oil.
  2. Divide the dough into two equal parts.
  3. Shape the loaf, and place it into the loaf pan(s).
  4. Smear the top all over with butter or coconut oil. Make three or four diagonal cuts into the top of each loaf with a serrated knife. Slashing a loaf helps it rise evenly.

To make a free-form loaf...

  1. Put a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet and sprinkle it with flour, or grease the baking sheet (omitting the parchment paper and flour).
  2. Tuck the dough under itself, joining the ends underneath the loaf.
  3. Shape into a smooth, round loaf.
  4. Smear the top all over with butter or coconut oil.
  5. Using a serrated knife, cut an X into the top.

Stage 5: Letting the Dough Rise

  1. Put the loaves in a warm place to rise until doubled in size, about 5 to 8 hours, depending on room temperature. You may let them go longer, though the yeast will be done feasting and the loaves will collapse from their peak, leaving less aesthetically pleasing bread. However, it will still be tasty and healthy.

Stage 6: Baking

  1. Place the loaves in a cold oven.*
  2. Turn on the heat to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
  3. As the oven preheats, the slowly increasing heat will give the wild yeast a final boost and create burst of height in the shape of the loaves.
  4. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until the loaves are golden brown and yield a hollow sound when tapped.
  5. Transfer to a cooling rack.
  6. Smear the top with butter or coconut oil.
  7. Allow to cool for 30 minutes before cutting into the loaves.
  8. Store in an airtight container at room temperature, or freeze for future use.

Recipe Notes

*This baking method works best if the yeasts are not spent and still have sugars to consume. If they’ve eaten everything, have reached their peak and are beginning to collapse, it is best to bake in a pre-heated oven (375 or 400 degrees Fahrenheit).

Double Rise Method

The Single Rise Method (as written above) is wonderful if you’re creating your bread dough in the morning. You’ll make the dough, shape the loaves, let the loaves double in size and then bake.

The Double Rise Method (as written below) is wonderful if you’re creating the bread dough in the late morning or afternoon. You’ll create and knead your dough, let it rise in a big bowl, shape the loaves before bed, and bake the loaves in the morning. This yields a more sour loaf, which may be desirable depending on your preference.

However, you might be sleeping when the bread reaches its peak rise, yielding a collapsed and therefore flatter loaf of bread. This is likely to happen in warmer temperatures; less likely in cooler weather.

If you would like a more flavorful, sour loaf, proceed with the following instructions...

  1. Follow the directions above through Stage 3. Then, proceed with the first rise.
  2. Place the dough in a very large, greased bowl (more than double the size of the dough).
  3. Cover with a damp, clean towel.
  4. Put the bowl in a warm place and allow the dough to rise until doubled in size, or spilling out of the bowl. This will take 3 to 8 hours, depending on room temperature.
  5. Proceed with Stage 4 and beyond, above.

Low Vitamin A diet: Einkorn and khorasan (Kamut) are the ancient grains with the highest Vitamin A content. Therefore, if you're following the low Vitamin A diet, you would want to use spelt or whole wheat for this recipe.