Sourdough Whole Wheat Bread w / sourdough starter

Guys. I’ve been wanting to make a sourdough starter since, well F O R E V E R. And since I have so much time at home, with LOTS of people to feed, I guess there’s no time like the present. Right?

Making whole wheat bread is easy. And this recipe turned out perfect. Nice bread, rich in flavor and not dry at all. Winning.

Let’s start at the beginning with the starter. First things first of course.

Whole Wheat Sourdough Starter

1 c whole wheat

1 c all purpose flour

2 c warm water

2 1/2 tsp dry yeast

In a small bowl, or larger mason jar, whisk together the ingredients for the starter. Keep a loose cover, over the sourdough starter. It will love the movement of the air… so don’t seal completely shut.

Taking care of your starter: Keep your starter on the counter, and let it work it’s magic. Stir once a day, using a plastic or wooden spoon.

If the liquid on top turns brown, you need to feed your starter. Gently drain off the brown water and feed the starter. (See below)

Feeding your starter: Add 1 cup water and 1/2 cup whole wheat flour, 1/2 cup all purpose flour. Stir together and gently cover. Let it work it’s magic.

Let your starter “ferment” for at least 5-7 days before using in a recipe. After you use your starter, be sure to feed it again, using the information above. I plan on letting my starter live forever…. but seriously.

Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread

1 cup sourdough starter (above)

1-2 tsp. yeast (1 tsp yeast if your starter is really active and bubbly. 2 tsp. if your starter is mellow)

1 1/4 cup warm water

1 1/3 cup all purpose flour

1 1/3 cup whole wheat flour

1 tsp. Kosher salt

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.

Mix together the ingredients above, including the yeast, in a large mixer. Once the ingredients are combined, I like to let my mixer knead the dough for 3-4 minutes on low. Remove the dough hook, and cover the dough in the bowl with a lightly damp towel. Let rise for 1-2 hours, until doubled in size. Make sure you let this doubling happen.

Once the dough has doubled, remove the dough and cut the dough into 2 equal parts. Shape the dough into rounds, or long, loaves. Place the dough onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Cover again for 1 hours with your damp towel. Once the loaves have risen another hour, mist your loaves with some warm water, and dust lightly with more flour. using a sharp knife, cut, 2-3 cuts on the top of the loaves, this will relief pressure to the loaf while it cooks in the hot oven.

Bake your bread for 25-28 minutes, or until internal bread temperature is 200 degrees. And the bread is nice and dark golden. (The bread will be alittle lighter with the whole wheat flour). Remove from the oven and cool before cutting. You can store this bread in a bag for up to 2-3 days on the counter, it also freezes well.

Happy Bread Baking! XO