Even though I have been baking sourdough for years…I still get a smile of satisfaction when I lift the lid of my baker and see another gorgeous loaf!
Sourdough bread is so fascinating to me. I love to experiment with different ways, methods, and with my large family, they eat it right up. This method is very easy and the gluten is developed by the stretch and folds. It is a simple recipe that only uses 5 ingredients and is just stirred together using a large spatula or spoon.
The key to a successful sourdough baking day is a mature starter. My starter, pictured below, is over 8 years old. From this jar, I have sent our thousands of jars/packs of starter to help others begin their journey into this intriguing world of baking. If you would like to purchase a mature starter to give you a jumpstart into baking you can purchase one on the “Buy it Now” page.
If you have been following my blog you will know that I love to bake with sourdough. Fermenting the dough makes it easier for your body to digest. Some people who are sensitive to gluten can eat sourdough bread since it has been fermented which breaks the phytic acids down. To me, there is something special about taking flour and water and turning it into a bubbling starter.
Sourdough bread is made by fermenting the dough naturally using occurring lactobacilli and wild yeast. This was the usual form of leavening bread down into the Middle Ages until it was replaced by other products. French Bakers brought sourdough techniques to California during the Gold Rush where it remains large part of the culture today.
You will find many more recipes in the spiral bound 600+ page Around the Family Table Cookbook. All recipes are sugar-free and label with the correct fuel. Books can be purchased using this link. You have the option of purchasing a cookbook with sourdough starter or without.. Buy It Now.
No-Knead Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread THM-E
- 1 1/4 cups active sourdough starter
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 3 cups White Whole Wheat Flour
- 2 tablespoons vital wheat gluten
- 1 teaspoon salt
In a large mixing bowl, whisk starter, water, flour and gluten together until combined. You will have a rough, sticky dough. Allow dough to rest 20 minutes. Add salt. Mix well. Cover and allow it to rise for 1 hour. Remove lid and gently pick up one side of the dough, fold it in half. Repeat with all four sides of dough. Cover and allow to rise for another hour. Repeat 2 more times for a total of 4 folding times. Refrigerating ferment: Allow the dough to ferment for a total of 5 1/2 hours at room temperature from the time you mix it until you put the dough in the fridge. Cover and place in the refrigerator for 12 hours or longer. Remove dough from the refrigerator. Shape following the directions below. Room temperature ferment: Allow the dough to ferment at room temperature for a total of 7 hours from the time you mix it until you shape it to be baked. Shaping. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. I place my clay baker in the oven. The lid and the base on the oven rack to preheat. Press the dough out in a large rectangle. Fold dough in 3rds, pinching the edges together to seal the edges. Turn dough and fold in 3rds, pinching to seal edges. Lay the loaf on parchment paper. Slash the loaf with a sharp knife. When the oven is preheated, place loaf and parchment paper in a clay baker. Cover baker with lid. Set the timer for 35 minutes. When the baking time is complete, reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Remove the lid. Bake for an additional 12 minutes. Remove clay baker from oven. Remove loaf to a wire rack to cool. 12-14 slices
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No-Knead Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread THM-E
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups active sourdough starter
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 3 cups White Whole Wheat Flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons vital wheat gluten
Instructions
-
In a large mixing bowl, stir starter, water, flour and gluten together until combined. You will have a rough, sticky dough. Allow dough to rest 20 minutes. Add salt. Mix well.. Cover and allow it to rise for 1 hour. Remove lid and gently pick up one side of the dough, fold it in half. Repeat with all four sides of dough. Cover and allow to rise for another hour. Repeat 2 more times for a total of 4 folding times. Refrigerating ferment: Allow the dough to ferment for a total of 5 1/2 hours at room temperature from the time you mix it until you put the dough in the fridge. Cover and place in the refrigerator for 12 hours or longer. Remove dough from the refrigerator. Shape following the directions below. Room temperature ferment: Allow the dough to ferment at room temperature for a total of 7 hours from the time you mix it until you shape it to be baked. Shaping. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. I place my clay baker in the oven. The lid and the base on the oven rack to preheat. Press the dough out in a large rectangle. Fold dough in 3rds, pinching the edges together to seal the edges. Turn dough and fold in 3rds, pinching to seal edges. Lay the loaf on parchment paper. Slash the loaf with a sharp knife. When the oven is preheated, place loaf and parchment paper in a clay baker. Cover baker with lid. Set the timer for 35 minutes. When the baking time is complete, reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Remove the lid. Bake for an additional 12 minutes. Remove clay baker from oven. Remove loaf to a wire rack to cool. 12-14 slices
You will find many more recipes in the spiral bound 600+ page Around the Family Table Cookbook. All recipes are sugar-free and label with the correct fuel. Books can be purchased using this link. You have the option of purchasing a cookbook with sourdough starter or without.. Buy It Now.
Your video says to lower the oven temperature to 350 but your directions they lower it to 400°. Which is correct?
I edited the blog post. I have reduced the temperature so they don’t get too dark but still bake through.
I’m getting ready to let my dough sit in the frig overnight and realized I don’t have a Dutch Oven. Any suggestions on what I can use? I don’t really have anything with a lid.
You can bake it in a regular bread pan or even on a cookie sheet with a metal bowl upside down over the bread.
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I don’t have a clay baker, would a cast iron baker be as good? Or would a stoneware bread pan be better than the cast iron?
Yes, I have used cast iron pots already.
I believe I over proofed my dough using room temperature method or maybe it was because I missed the part of proofing the dough for 30-45min after shaping and before slashing. Next time I will try the fridge ferment method. It taste like sourdough, just had lost some size by the 7th hour and came out with more of a dense texture when done baking. I was wanting to know if the bread loses any of it nutritious benefits/digestibility’s when this happens? I did enjoy this whole new process and taking everything as a learning experience.
It will have the same nutritional value.
What flour do you use to feed your starter to keep it in line with THM? Same white whole wheat, or something else? Thank you! – A Newbie
I feed it King Arthur Bread flour. TH does allow for a bit of white flour in bread items.
I made a sourdough starter following your instructions and made your no knead whole wheat sourdough bread. My first 2 loaves turned out pretty good. The third time my dough was very sticky and I ended up having to add more flour and maybe overworking to shape the dough. It stuck to everything, including the parchment paper. The loaf turned out much heavier than the first 2 and didn’t get a nice rise. I did have to substitute 1 cup of the white whole wheat flour with King Arthur bread flour as I ran low on my white whole wheat flour….would that cause the sticky problem?
that should not be the problem. How was your starter?
My starter had been forgotten in the back of the fridge for probably 6 weeks. I pulled it out and fed it 3 times the day before and it looked good and smelled good (yeasty and a little sweet)
My dough never actually comes together into a ball it’s more of just like a sticky dough should I add more flour in the beginning.
You don’t want it too stiff. Mine is often just a sticky mass until I do the stretch and folds to develop the gluten.
Does the total room temperature fermenting time have to be 7 hours, so from when you first mix the starter, flour, water, etc. or is it 7 hours after the last stretching? Thanks.
Seven hours from the time you mix it until you bake it.
Does it matter how thick or thin my starter is? I think mine is some thinner than yours…
If your starter is thinner..it could need slightly more flour.
Ok thanks, and do you slash your loaf of bread as soon as you shape it or do you let it rise first? And if you let it rise how long do you let it rise?
I slash the bread just before I put it in the oven.
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Glenda, your no knead whole wheat sourdough bread recipe does not ask for honey…someone told me you have to use honey to activate the starter…
You dont have to use honey if your starter is very active.
Do I need honey to activate the starter for the bread recipe for the no knead whole wheat sourdough bread recipe?
No!
i was wondering if you have a timeline from start to finish (first feed to baking) – how does it work with your schedule?
I feed the starter in the morning, lunchtime, and in the evening. The next morning Imix the bread and bake it after 7 hours. About 36 hours.
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Do you soak your clay baker every time you bake with it?
Hello Glenda,
I am coming back to sour dough after about 3 years off. My started is a 30 year-old starter, which was in my fridge the whole time. It revived wonderfully after about a week or so of loving care.
I am doing the No Knead Bread. I do not have white whole wheat flour at the moment, and used Montana Wheat whole Wheat flour. It seems drier than your video. I know the Regular whole wheat will have a heavier constiancy. Should I have added more water?
Thank you!
Yes, what you can do is dip your hands in water every time you do a set if stretch and folds. That will soften the bread dough.
Thank you for your reply. I will give this a go!
Hi I am in Canada and have never seen the white whole wheat flour, is it ok to use use straight whole wheat flour? That is what my sourdough starter is made up of and sometimes I have a hard time finding vital wheat gluten, if I can’t find it is there something else I can use? Thanks 😊
You can use regular whole wheat flour as for vital wheat gluten it can be bought off of Amazon, too.
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After the 7 hour rise on the counter and forming the loaf, do you then let the loaf rest the 30 minutes before cutting it and baking it? Or do you just put it straight into the oven? Also, do you soak your clay baker before using? Thank you!
I often put it right into the oven. I will at times soak the lid of the baker.
Thanks for your quick response! Love your recipes!
I received your starter and cookbook a few weeks ago and have loved your recipes! I just wanted to see how you recommend storing the bread once it’s cooled? I get a nice crust when it comes out, but I feel like when I wrap it in plastic it gets soft. Is there a way to store it and keep the nice crust? Thank you!
you can wrap it in a clean tea towel.