Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread Recipe
Make a hearty whole wheat sourdough loaf using our 150 Year Old Egyptian Whole Wheat Sourdough Starter Culture, prepared until ripe and active. This recipe uses both sourdough starter and instant yeast.
Yield: 1 loaf
Hands-on time: 20 minutes
Baking time: 40–45 minutes
Total time: Approximately 4 hours 10 minutes. Rising times vary with conditions.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (227 g) ripe, active Egyptian Whole Wheat Sourdough Starter
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (255 g) lukewarm water
- 3 cups (340 g) King Arthur Whole Wheat Flour
- 1 teaspoon (6 g) table salt
- 1 teaspoon instant yeast
- 2 tablespoons (25 g) vegetable oil
Instructions
1. Mix the dough
Weigh the flour, or gently spoon it into a measuring cup and sweep off the excess. Combine the flour with all remaining ingredients and mix until a shaggy dough forms.
2. Rest and knead
Cover and rest for 20 minutes, then knead until fairly smooth and slightly sticky.
3. First rise
Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let rise until almost doubled, about 60–90 minutes.
4. Shape
On a lightly floured work surface, gently fold the dough over a few times. Shape into an 8-inch log and place in a lightly greased 9 × 5-inch loaf pan.
5. Second rise
Cover and let rise until the loaf crowns about 1 inch above the pan rim, about 60–90 minutes. Toward the end of the rise, preheat the oven to 350°F.
6. Bake
Bake for 40–45 minutes, until golden brown and a digital thermometer inserted into the center reads 205–210°F.
7. Cool
Remove from the oven and leave in the pan for 5 minutes. Turn out onto a rack to cool.
Baking tips
Prepare your starter
Use ripe, active starter, not an unprepared culture straight from its package. Follow the instructions supplied with your Egyptian Whole Wheat Sourdough Starter before baking. For general feeding techniques, see our sourdough starter feeding guide.
Covered loaf baker option
If using a covered loaf baker suitable for this recipe, follow its manufacturer’s preparation instructions. Bake in a preheated 350°F oven with the lid on for 35 minutes, then remove the lid and bake for 5–10 minutes longer. Check for a golden crust and a center temperature of 205–210°F.
Bread machine dough option
Add ingredients in the order recommended by your machine’s manufacturer and select the dough or manual cycle. Once the cycle finishes, remove the risen dough, then shape, proof in the loaf pan, and bake as directed above. This recipe’s full bake cycle has not been verified for every bread machine; use the dough or manual cycle rather than assuming it can bake start to finish in your machine.