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. I found my clay baker at a thrift store for just a few dollars and I love it.
The key to a successful sourdough baking day is a mature starter. You can purchase sourdough starter on my blog…on the Buy It Now Page. You will find many more sourdough 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. 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.
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