Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread: A Step-by-Step Guide

From Flour to Flavor

whole wheat sourdough loaves with perfect crust

Welcome back to my sourdough journey! In my previous post, I covered the basics of creating a sourdough starter. In this post I’m excited to tell you about baking a delicious whole wheat sourdough loaf with your starter.

If you don’t have a starter check out my previous post and make your own.

A Note on Baker's Percentages

I use a simple system called "baker's percentages" to weigh the ingredients. Think of flour as always being 100% and the percentage for each other ingredient is calculated by dividing its weight by the weight of the flour. This makes it easy to make more or less bread.

Activating Your Starter (If Necessary)

If your starter has been chilling in the fridge, it needs a little wake-up call! This step can be skipped if you are working with a freshly fed and active starter. Combine the following in a clean jar:

• Rye Flour: 20g - 100%

• Water: 20g - 100%

• Sourdough Starter (from the fridge): 2g - 10%

Mix well and let it sit at 70-75°F (21-24°C) for 24 hours. If your kitchen temperature is not between 70-75°F (21-24°C), use your oven, turned off, with the light on and off intermittently.

The starter should be bubbly and nearly doubled in volume after 24 hours of feeding and is ready to make the preferment.

active sourdough starter ready to make preferment

Creating the Preferment

The preferment, also known as a levain, is where the magic happens. It builds the flavor and rise of your bread. Combine the following:

• Rye Flour: 45g - 100%

• Water: 45g - 100%

• Active Sourdough Starter (from the previous step or your active starter): 10g - 22%

Mix the starter with the water first, then add the flour. Mix until you have a smooth paste and let it rest, covered, at 70-75°F (21-24°C) for 12 hours.It should have doubled in volume and be bubbly.

preferment ready to make sourdough bread

Mixing and Autolysing the Dough

Now for the main event! Here’s what you’ll need: