100% Whole Wheat Sourdough
100% whole wheat sourdough requires higher hydration (~82%), a long autolyse, and gentle handling to develop an open crumb and tangy flavor.
Key Takeaways
- Autolyse for at least 1 hour
- Push hydration to 80%+
- Cold retard for deeper flavor
About this recipe
A deeply flavored sourdough loaf made entirely from fresh milled hard red wheat.
Prep: 40 min
Bake: 45 min
Hydration: 82%
Ingredients
- hard red wheat flour, freshly milled500g
- water410g
- active sourdough starter100g
- salt11g
Instructions
- 1
Mix flour and water; autolyse 1 hour.
- 2
Add starter and salt; mix well.
- 3
Bulk ferment 5–6 hours with 4 sets of stretch-and-folds.
- 4
Shape and cold retard overnight.
- 5
Bake in a Dutch oven at 500°F for 20 minutes covered, 25 minutes uncovered.
new to fresh-milled flour? start here — hydration, gluten development, and grain choice tips that make this recipe work.
Related Content
Recommended Grains
Related Techniques
How to Autolyse Fresh Milled Flour
Combine flour and water and let it rest before adding yeast and salt. Bran softens, gluten develops passively, and the final dough is dramatically easier to handle.
How to Stretch and Fold Dough
Every 30 minutes during bulk ferment, lift one side of the dough, stretch up, and fold over the top. Rotate 90° and repeat.
How to Increase Hydration Successfully
Raise water in 5% increments, autolyse longer, and lean on stretch and folds instead of kneading.
Related Troubleshooting
Why is the crumb of my bread gummy?
Cut crumb feels sticky or doughy in the center.
How do I know if my dough is under-proofed?
Dough goes into the oven before fermentation has built enough gas and gluten extensibility, producing a dense, tight loaf.
Why isn't my sourdough sour enough?
Sourdough bakes well but lacks the tangy sour flavor expected from naturally leavened bread.
Why is my fresh milled dough rising so slowly?
Fresh milled dough rises but takes far longer than expected to show visible volume change.
Why is my sourdough starter not doubling?
A sourdough starter feeds normally but fails to reliably double in volume between feedings.
Why is my crumb too open and holey?
Bread shows large, uneven holes instead of a balanced, even crumb structure.
Why is my loaf gummy inside?
The crust looks done but the inside of the loaf is sticky, paste-like, or wet to the touch.
Why won't my dough rise?
After hours of bulk fermentation the dough looks the same as when it was mixed.
Why am I getting poor or no oven spring?
A loaf that doesn't expand significantly when it hits the oven, staying flat or barely rising.
Why is my sourdough starter weak?
A starter that rises slowly, barely doubles, or fails to leaven bread reliably.
Why is my sourdough too sour?
The finished loaf has a sharp, vinegary, or unpleasantly tangy flavor that overwhelms the bread.
How much water do I add to fresh milled flour?
Bakers new to fresh milled flour struggle to translate commercial-flour hydration to whole-grain dough.
Related Comparisons
Related Conversions
Bread Flour to Fresh Milled Flour
Hard red wheat has similar protein to bread flour. The bran and germ slow fermentation slightly — extend bulk by 15–30 minutes.
All-Purpose Flour to Hard Red Wheat (Fresh-Milled)
Swap 1:1 by weight (not volume). Add 7–10% extra water and let the dough autolyse 30–60 minutes so bran can fully hydrate before strength building. Expect bulk fermentation to move 15–25% faster than AP. If a recipe calls for AP and asks for windowpane, accept a slightly weaker membrane — fresh red wheat will still build strength with stretch-and-folds.
Bread Flour to Hard Red Wheat (Fresh-Milled)
Swap 1:1 by weight and add 7–10% more water. Always autolyse 30–60 minutes — bran needs time to soften before gluten can fully develop. Plan for 3–4 stretch-and-folds during bulk. Fermentation is 15–25% faster than with bread flour. Expect a slightly less open crumb than a white bread-flour loaf, especially at the same hydration.