This easy, step-by-step whole wheat sourdough bread recipe (and video) is light and flavorful, not heavy and dense. Made with 20% whole wheat flour. Naturally leavened with active sourdough starter. Ideal for sandwiches, toast and soup.
Whole grain flours are prized for their toasty, earthy flavors. Packed with plenty of fiber and nutrients, their natural complexity is a perfect match for any slow-fermented sourdough bread recipe. However, in bread baking there are rules…
You can’t just swap white flour for whole wheat flour and expect the same results (unless you like dry and dense bread). Adjustments need to be made.
In this post, you’ll learn how to make exceptional whole wheat sourdough bread that’s not only light, crisp and airy, but is good for you too. {Browse my full collection of sourdough bread recipes here}
How To Make Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread {Step-By-Step Recipe}
Step 1: Mix The Dough
To Start: Weigh your ingredients using a scale. Mix the sourdough starter and water together in a large bowl. Add the flour and salt. Stir to combine, and then squish by hand to form a rough dough. This dough is very sticky, around 75% hydration. It’s like playing with wet mud. Very satisfying! Cover the bowl and rest for 1 hour- this is your first rest.
Tip: Whole wheat flour is thirsty. Because it absorbs more water than regular all purpose flour, extending the “autolyse” or first resting period gives the dough ample time to hydrate. The texture of the dough will be noticeably different after the full hour: it will be softer, and more extensible to stretch and fold later on.
Step 2: Bulk Rise With Stretch & Folds
Now the dough needs to rise. During this stage, you’ll stretch and fold the dough to strengthen the gluten and boost the height of the bread. I like to do 4 sets spaced 30 minutes apart. The dough will become soft, pillowy, and a bit stiffer by the 4th set which is what you want.
When finished with the folds…
Cover the bowl with lightly oiled plastic wrap, and continue to bulk rise, untouched at 75-78 F for about 2-3 hours. The dough is ready when it’s puffy, airy, and almost doubled in size. Chill overnight.
Step 3: Shape The Dough
In the morning, you’re going to shape the dough twice to build extra strength. The first shaping is called “pre-shape” and the second one is the “final shape.”
Pre-shape
Remove the cold dough onto a floured surface. Rest for 10-15 minutes to take the chill off. Shape the dough into a loose ball. Cover and rest for 20-30 minutes.
Final Shape
Using a bench knife for guidance, flip the dough over and shape it again (a little bit tighter this time). Place into a lined bowl of proofing basket seam side up. Cover the dough with the vloth overhang.
Tip: Pre-shaping Bread Dough: not every sourdough recipe needs it. High hydration doughs (like this one) benefit from the extra support to hold its shape. Otherwise, it might spread when baking.
Step 4: Second Rise
The dough needs to rise again, but only briefly. Rest the dough in the warm spot you used earlier for about 30 minutes to 1 hour. The dough is ready when it’s puffy and looks plump. It should not be super cold or dense-looking prior to baking. Preheat your oven.
Step 5: Score The Dough
Invert the dough onto a sheet of parchment paper. Flour the surface. Using a bread lame or small serrated knife, score the dough at 12, 3, 6 and 9 o’clock, turning the parchment paper as you go. Alternatively, make one long slash down the center- do whatever you feel comfortable with. Scoring takes practice.
Step 6: Bake The Dough
Place the dough in a Dutch oven or another oven safe pot with lid. You don’t have to preheat it first. Pop the lid on top, and bake @ 450 F for 20 minutes. Remove the lid and bake for an additional 40 minutes or until golden brown. Remove the bread from the pot. Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour before slicing, otherwise the interior crumb might taste gummy. How good does this look?!
Let’s Talk About Taste.
Because this dough is made with only 20% whole wheat flour, the taste is mild and nutty, with a light texture.
For a heartier loaf, you can increase the whole wheat flour up to 30% with additional water (see recipe card below). However, the biggest mistake I see with bakers is attempting these higher %’s without understanding that it can cause extremely dense and heavy bread. Start small, practice, and work your way up.
Then once you’ve mastered this recipe, have a look at my classic sourdough bread recipe, this easy sourdough sandwich bread and my light and airy sourdough focaccia!
Sample Baking Schedule
Whole wheat doughs tend to rise faster than all-white doughs, especially in warm weather. To avoid over proofed dough, I like to make this recipe in the afternoon (usually between 2-3 PM), when i know I’ll be home to do the stretch and folds. The dough is shaped and baked the following morning.
Late Afternoon
- 2:00 PM: Mix the dough/rest for 1 hour
- 3:00 PM: 1st Stretch & Fold
- 3:30 PM: 2nd Stretch & Fold
- 4:00 PM: 3rd Stretch & Fold
- 4:30 PM: 4th Stretch & Fold
- 5:00 PM: Bulk Rise for 2-3 hrs @ 75-78 F
- 7:00 or 8:00 PM: Chill overnight
- 6:00-8:00 AM (the next day): Shape and bake the dough.
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Light Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread
- Yield: 1 loaf 1x
- Category: Sourdough Bread Recipes
- Method: Oven-Baked
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
An easy recipe for whole wheat sourdough bread that’s light and flavorful (not heavy and dense). Made with 20% whole wheat flour. The dough can be made in advance and baked the following day. Ideal for sandwiches, crostini, and morning toast with jam.
Ingredients
- 50g bubbly, active sourdough starter (100% hydration)
- 350g – 375g warm water (80–85 F)* See note below
- 400g bread flour
- 100g whole wheat flour
- 9g fine sea salt
Notes & Substitutions
* Flour is like a sponge. Depending on the brand you’re using, it might not absorb all of the water. Start with 350g of water if you’re using a low protein bread flour, less than 12.7%.
For best results, use a scale to weigh your ingredients. If using measuring cups, please aerate the flour first, lightly spoon it into the cup, and then level off the excess with the back of a knife.
Instructions
Baking Schedule
Whole whether doughs tend to rise faster than white doughs, especially in warm weather. To avoid over proofed dough, I like to start mixing in the afternoon (usually between 2-3 PM) when I know I’ll be home to stretch and fold the dough. Please adjust your rise times based on temperature.
Make the Dough
Combine the sourdough starter and water in a large bowl. Add the flour and salt. Mix with a fork and then finish by hand to fully incorporate the flour. It will feel very wet and sticky. Cover with a damp towel or wrap and let rest for 1 hour on your countertop, returning to the bowl after the first 30 minutes to work the dough into a rough ball.
Bulk Rise with Stretch and Folds
After the dough has rested for 1 hour, do your first fold.
Gather a portion of the dough, stretch it upward, and fold it over toward the center of the bowl. Give the bowl a 1/4 turn and repeat 3 more times, stretch and folding the dough to come full circle around the bowl (4 folds = 1 set). If the dough still feels slack after the 1st set, do an additional 4 folds around the bowl to tighten the dough.
For best results, do 4 sets total spaced 30 minutes apart resting the covered dough in a warm spot in between each set (see tip below). Notice how the dough will tighten after the 4th set. See video for technique.
When finished with the folds, cover the bowl and continue the bulk rise (untouched) at 75-78 F for about for 2-3 hours. The dough is ready when it has almost doubled in size. Wrap and chill the whole bowl overnight; the dough will continue to rise only slightly in the fridge when the dough is warm.
How to Create Warm Spot for Bread Dough: Preheat your home oven to the lowest setting for 30- 45 seconds and then shut it off. Place the covered bowl of dough inside to bulk up. The temperature should be 75-78 F and no higher than 80 F. Use an oven thermometer (and common sense) to keep track of the temperature. Dough that is too warm will become wet, sticky, and a tricky to work with. Alternatively, I highly recommend using a proofing box.
Shape the Dough
The following morning, make sure the dough has doubled in size. If not, give it more time to bulk up, if needed. This is important to build strength.
Line a small bowl (or proofing basket) with a cotton or linen cloth. Sprinkle with flour. You’re going to shape the dough twice to build extra strength.
Preshape
Remove the cold dough onto a floured surface. Let rest for 10-15 minutes to take some of the chill off. Shape the dough into a loose ball using the envelope technique. Starting at the top of the dough, stretch and fold it over toward the center. Then stretch and fold the bottom of the dough toward the center. Repeat on the left side…and then the right side. Using a bench scraper, scoop up the dough and flip it over so the smooth side is facing up. Cover and rest for 20-30 minutes.
Final Shape
After the dough has rested, flip it over again (the smooth side should be facing down now). Shape it again following the steps above. Flip it back over. With floured hands, gently cup the dough and pull it toward you in a circular motion to tighten its shape. Place the dough into the lined bowl or proofing basket seam side up. Cover with the cloth overhang.
Second Rise
Rest in the warm spot you used earlier for 30 minutes to 1 hour. The dough is ready when it looks puffy and has risen slightly, but has not yet doubled in size. The dough should not be very cold prior to baking.
Preheat your oven to 450 F towards the tail end of the second rise.
Cut a sheet of non-stick parchment paper to fit the size of your baking pot, leaving enough excess around the sides to remove the bread.
Score the Dough
Place the parchment over the dough and invert the bowl to release. Sprinkle the dough with flour and gently rub the surface with your hands. Using the tip of a bread lame, small, serrated knife or a razor blade, make four shallow 4-inch long cuts at 3, 6, 9, and 12 o’clock around the dough. Use the parchment paper to transfer the dough to a Dutch oven (or another oven safe pot with lid).
Bake the Dough
Bake the dough on the center rack for 20 minutes, covered. Remove the lid, and continue to bake for 40 minutes and golden brown.
When finished, transfer to a wire rack. Cool for 1 hour before slicing, for best texture.
Comments
Rhian says
Great recipe easy to follow with great success. Can’t wait to try the Bagels and pizza dough recipe. Thank you x
💖 Emilie loved this comment!
Helga says
Thank you for your in depth tutorial which helped me to make a wow sourdough wholemeal loaf in which I incorporated some seeds. Very much appreciate your help. I baked this in the oven in a heavy cast iron camp pot.
delia hyland says
Love this recipe, made it many times and never disappoints. I would like to try overnight bulk rise, at around 18 degrees C. Do you think it would work? Do you have any advice?
Judi says
I have made this bread many times because it’s so good but the bottom always burns. I bake it for 5 minutes less than what the recipe says in my cast iron dutch oven. I’ve checked the temperature of my oven and it’s accurate. I’m not sure what else to do.
Stephanie says
I put a baking sheet on the lowest rack beneath my Dutch oven and don’t have a problem.
💖 Emilie loved this comment!
Judi says
Thanks, I will try that!
Barks says
Try putting a layer of rice on the bottom of your Dutch oven…then place parchment paper on top of that. This creates a barrier between pot and base of your bread. Hope this helps x
Britt says
This turned out great! What adjustments would you make if cooking it in a cast iron loaf pan?
Olivia says
Do you need to use bread flour with the whole wheat? Or would king arthur unbleached all purpose work in place of the bread?
Btw I have used your focaccia recipe and it’s amazing and so easy! Thank you!
💖 Emilie loved this comment!
Emilie Raffa says
Hi Olivia! I think KA all purpose flour would work, since it has more protein compared to other brands on all purpose flour. Let me know how it goes. I’m so glad you like the focaccia! 🥰
Jed says
This turned out to be one of the best sourdough loaves I’ve ever made, the crust and crumb were just perfect, love the addition of the whole wheat. It seemed more structured and easier to work with. Amazing flavor
Connie says
I adjusted the whole wheat to bread flour just a bit.
I’ve been using 375 bread to 125 whole wheat.
It seems to work very well.
ZK says
Recipe looks amazing! Currently have the dough proofing. Just wanted to ask is there a reason you shape after cold retard in this recipe? My understanding is that the standard is to shape before cold proofing.
I also wanted to ask if I wanted to add any inclusions such as olives in this case would you recommend adding at the final stage of shaping after cold proof?
Maria C says
I love this recipe and have made it many times! thank you, Emilie!
Emilie Raffa says
Thanks so much Maria! 🥰
Jed says
This turned out to be one of the best sourdough loaves I’ve ever made, the crust and crumb were just perfect, love the addition of the whole wheat. Gave it a fantastic hardiness and chewiness
Emilie Raffa says
Hi Jed! So glad you like the recipe. Thanks for sharing your feedback! Agreed, the wholewheat adds a nice depth of flavor.
Ruby Payette says
So delicious. Perfect amount of whole wheat flour and perfect crumb.
I did a slightly higher temperature and shorter bake time, and it turned out lovely. I only wish this recipe had fewer steps
Jo says
Made this 3 times now! Keeps getting better every time lol. I use mostly whole wheat flour and whole wheat bread flour with a bit of white unbleached flour. Omg so freggin epic. Never going back lol
Elizabeth Strong says
This is the most helpful recipe I have found for sourdough – one question: is there a version of this same recipe that uses MORE starter? OR if I use 150 g of starter, how do I adjust the water and flour accordingly, please?
I still had slightly dense crumb and very large air holes at the top of my loaf. Also, I like to be able to use up my starter at a higher frequency so that I can replenish it more often – I have heard this is good for the starter
Yancy says
Excellent! First time trying this recipe. My starter deflated by the time I was ready to start but I went ahead and used it and boy am I happy that I proceeded! Thank you for being detailed with your instructions! Am now gonna try your raisin and cinnamon swirl bread! Excited!
tamina says
i used this recipe for my 4th attempt at sourdough bread (and 1st attempt at working with wheat flour) and i’m so impressed!! fantastic texture, great crust and the taste is phenomenal as well, i’m very proud and happy about my loaf. thank you for this wonderful recipe :-)
Bea says
Hi, love your recipes! Everything just comes out amazing. Thank you. Wondered if you can help though? I’m not at home during the day due to work. So I wondered if I could leave the prove overnight until the next evening. Do you think it’s possible with this recipe to adapt it to making it in the evening and then cooking it the next evening?
Thank you
Michelle J says
This is my first time to use this recipe, but I almost always do second rise in refrigerator for 23-36 hours. I think it has a great texture and taste this way. Another recipe encourages 24 hours not just overnight.
Nicole says
Hello! Hoping for your input. These loaves come out a little small, so I tried 1.5x the ingredients to yield a bigger loaf. They still come out delicious but a teeny bit more dense, versus the light airy vibes of your rustic loaf. Do you have any recommendations if one is wanting to make a bigger loaf? At the moment I’m using 75g starter, 550g water, 600g bread flour, 150g whole wheat flour, 13g salt. Should I be using more starter than that? Thanks for taking a look!!
Sofie says
Hi Nicole, I am still fairly new to sourdough bread, but had the same experience as you. For me, it came down to two things! My sourdough starter was not at it’s actual peak when I started making my bread. It doubles, but my starter peaks at triple its original height. But the main difference, way more than I expected, was visible when I switched out my flour. I was using a general bread flour, but now I am using the Italian 00 flour with 12 grams of protein per 100 grams of flour. I just read all the labels on the flour at my local supermarket and took the one with the higher percentage of protein. I hope this helps you!! Happy baking
Per Kristian Goksøyr says
I’ve been into artisan bread baking with souerdough for nearly ten years. I bake using a challenger pan. From april – october I may also use a woodfired brick oven in the garden to bake my loaves. This recipy make a delicious bread. Following the description, it is easy to secceed.
I have long searched for a recipy for Campaillou, without success. Anyone?
Christopher Lemay says
Finally a whole wheat sourdough recipe that works. A must try.
Sofia says
Hello, can I add everything bagel spice of herbs? If yes, at which stage should I do it? Thank you! 😊
James Holt says
I wrote v a long comment but must have touched wrong key while trying to edit Bk in name field. Maybe it v survived, I’ll try again another day.
Karen Amstutz says
Hi, How big (in quarts) should the enameled pan be for this loaf? Thank you!
Emilie Raffa says
Hi there! a 5 qt Dutch oven is best. Slightly smaller will work too.
Marleen says
Can this dough be put in the fridge after the 4th stretch and fold to bake the next day ?
Emilie Raffa says
Yes, you can do that. Just give it more time to rise at room temperature the next day (if needed).
Gisele says
Great recipe thanks, wanted to post a photo, but it did not work
Emilie Raffa says
Hi Gisele! Thank you! Unfortunately, readers are unable to upload photos at this time. You can always tag me on social @theclevercarrot so I can see.
John says
Is the overnight refrigerator step necessary?
Could the double in size rise be done at room temp and all steps completed in same day (start in morning)?
Emilie Raffa says
Hi John! Yes, absolutely. This recipe can be a same-day bake, if you prefer.
Brooks says
I noticed this recipe calls for 50g starter whereas your basic sourdough recipe calls for 150g, with the same 500g flour.
What is the reason for that?
Thanks!
Emilie Raffa says
Hi Brooks! They’re just two different recipes, that follow two different formulas for variety.
Kristy says
I’ve been making 1-3 loafs a week for about 6 months now. I decided to stray from my normal recipe just to see what happens. Color me shocked yall. This loaf was AWESOME. I live at 8000ft and only adjustment I made was a shorter bulk fermentation time because my dough look ready for the slow ferment.
She came out nice and tall, with a perfect ear and great crumb. Will definitely make this again.
Sam says
Can you add seeds or grains to this recipe?
Catriona says
Hi,
I am wondering if I should increase the starter to 70 grams as I live in a colder climate and for the white sour dough you suggest using 100 grams of starter and that works great for the white one I make.
Cheers
Lena Damon says
Hello, Do you think I can cold prof for 24 hours? I need to leave the house to watch my grandsons and will not be back in time as your suggested schedule. Do you have any recommendations? Thanks so much. I love this recipe as written, and have had great results with it. Do you think it will taste much different if I let cold prof for a longer time? Lena
Claudine says
Hello Emily,
You are not heating up your dutch oven? Does it make a difference? I thought i had to do it in order to have a good result….
Claudine
Emilie Raffa says
Hi Claudine! I do not preheat my Dutch oven for this recipe. I used to in the past, but I kept burning myself. Then I realized, that while doing so has the potential to increase oven spring, it’s not always guaranteed. Properly developing the gluten + adequate shaping is needed for best results.
Dominique says
If I want to double the recipe to make two loaves, should I double the amount of starter I use or keep it at 50 g? I usually make the Tartine recipe that makes two loaves (200 g starter + 750 g water + 900 g bread flour + 100 g WW flour + salt/water slurry), but wanted to try a new recipe. I love your cinnamon rolls and sourdough waffles and have made them countless times. Thank you!
Emilie Raffa says
Hi there! Thank you so much 🙌🏻. When I scale this recipe, I double all of the ingredients as written. Comes out great!
Tammy L says
A fave and my go to sourdough recipe.
Emilie Raffa says
Thank you Tammy! 🥰
Albert Dell says
I’ll give it a good try very helpful advice thanks
Emilie Raffa says
Glad you’ve found it helpful, Albert. Thank you!
andrea Hofer says
Would i be able to use a stiff starter ratio for this recipe? What ratio would suggest?
SJ Clayton says
Hi! What size dutch oven do you use? Thanks!
Deborah Hunt says
Can this whole wheat sourdough be made with less salt? I have chronic kidney disease and so must watch the salt.
Emilie Raffa says
Of course. What’s listed here is typically the standard amount based on 500 g of flour. However, you can reduce the salt to your desired amount.
Jennifer N. says
Your recipe, instructions and video have lead to the success for me! I am so elated that I can finally “get” the sourdough conception from beginning to end, based on your guidance. Thank You! I grew up on “brown bread”as we never had white bread in the house. So to this day, I don’t like “white bread”. I love sourdough though, as it has more structure and flavour. I have played with the ratios of different flours and have had many fails, and a few successes. Still learning! I have a question though…if I were to add flax, sesame, and maybe sunflower seeds, at what point do I add them? Do they come into play with the measurements in the recipe? Or do I add them during one of the folds? When??? Maybe I should just buy your book and I’d find out! Thanks again, you are amazing! Cheers, Jennifer N.
Suzanne says
My 10 yr old usually doesn’t like wheat breads but today I baked your recipe and she loved it! Hurray! It’s delicious!
Marc says
Hi there! I really appreciate your website, it’s beautifully designed and incredibly informative. Thank you for sharing your recipes and all the effort you put into them.
I’ve tried this sourdough recipe a few times and noticed that the interior of my loaf turns out a bit softer and denser than what I’m used to from my local bakery. Their sourdough tends to be lighter, airier, and more chewy. I’m wondering, is that the expected result for this recipe, or might I be doing something wrong?
Thanks again!
Steven Timbrook says
This is a great recipe. I use 360 g of water and have made many boules and batards. I wanted to see if I could use the same dough to make sandwich bread. I used a USA Pan Bakeware Seamless Nonstick Standard Bread Loaf Pan, 8 x 4.5 x 2.75 and placed it in an oval graniteware roasting pan with a lid. I baked covered at 450 F for 20 minutes, removed the lid and baked for another 40 minutes. It made a great loaf. I’d include a photo if I that were possible.
Michelle says
My starter is about a week old , I have had an amazing result today using this recipe. I used 20 percent whole grain spelt flour.
I left my dough out for nearly 5 hours yesterday evening for the bulk ferment as I have a cooler kitchen, I wasn’t confident about the fermentation actually working for me.
My loaf is perfect, lovely and brown with a wonderful crisp crust. I’m amazed I have produced this for my first ever sourdough attempt while caring for 2 boisterous children. I can’t wait to bake another but i definitely need a sharper bread knife!
Thankyou for such simple steps and a great video to refer to:)
Chella says
Thanks so much for this recipe, Emily, and for all of your helpful tips! This was my very first try at making sourdough bread, using a starter that I made myself a few weeks ago. Huge success, delicious! It came out perfect. One change – I lowered the oven temperature to 400 degrees after putting in the bread, as you had instructed in the basic Sourdough Bread recipe. I thought that baking this at 450 degrees throughout would be too hot.
Janice Kenny says
Love the whole wheat breads! Have used Spelt, Emmer, Einkorn, Dark Rye any my favourite Red Fife flour. This is my go to recipe, it just works all the time.
andrea Hofer says
Would you have more hits what this dough should look like when done fermenting?
Evgeni says
How about oil? The recipe with just bread flour uses 25gr olive oil and this doesn’t have oil at all.
I just started it and added olive oil anyway, let see what happens. If everything goes well tomorrow morning we’ll see the results 😁.
Beginning Baking Momma says
This is literally why I’m reading the comments. I’m so confused. Probably going to ad a tab of butter or oil myself. Though also want to trust the process. So torn!!
Darlene says
Excellent directions for beginning sourdough bakers. Thank you for holding my hand as I introduce sourdough baking for the first time.
Joe says
Do you reduce tempt to 400 after taking lid off?
Tabitha says
Decided to try my hand at making a sourdough starter and after looking around for recipes came across Emilie’s because all the instructions were well laid out with a video, especially essential for a first-time bread maker.
Thanks to you my bread came out perfect! I also tried out your recipe for apple cake with my sourdough discard as I always feel terrible chucking it in the bin. Will be trying out more of your recipes in the future.
Thanks again!
andrea Hofer says
So what would the hydration of this bread be?