Another new sourdough recipe, simple and healthy for a 100% whole wheat rustic bread. Many people ask me; why sourdough, instant yeast is much easier right? That’s right! Baking bread is, in my opinion, much easier with instant yeast. The process is more predictable, faster and requires less handling. And that’s exactly why I enjoy baking with sourdough so much more. There is so much to discover and experiment with. Baking bread risen with wild yeasts from sourdough really requires time, attention and passion. That’s not to say that using instant yeast is easy. There is also a lot to discover when using instant yeast. Therefore, do what suits you best.

Naar recept gaan Easy 100% Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread

Sourdough vs Instant Yeast

I myself started baking sourdough before I had ever baked a loaf of bread using instant yeast. I did this because I found the challenge of making and maintaining a starter so interesting. This method motivated me to keep baking. Personally, I think for your baking skills it is wiser to start with instant yeast, so that you can master the craft of baking, before you start with sourdough. But again, I think, do what suits you. I know for sure that I would have baked much less if I would have started with instant yeast purely because the craft of sourdough appealed to me so much.

Besides the difference in method there is also a big difference in taste. I love that traditional robust flavor with a sour undertone. Don’t get me wrong, the taste of bread depends on so many factors that even with instant yeast a similar taste can be achieved, but in general the bread with yeast is milder and with sourdough a bit more powerful.

Finally, in recent years more and more is known about the health benefits of sourdough bread. It is said to be easier to digest and absorb nutrients, it causes less intestinal discomfort and healthier intestinal flora. However, since that is not my area of expertise, I do not want to make any claims or go into too much detail about it. This bread is 100% whole wheat, and if we want to follow the latest dietary recommendations, this would surely be a very healthy bread. And healthy or not, just for the taste and the fun process it is definitely worth a try.

Whole Wheat differences

Working with whole wheat flour is a bit different than bread flour. For example, whole wheat flour usually absorbs more water than regular flour. This is important to take into account. My advice is never to blindly follow the amount of water mentioned in the recipe. The amount of water depends on the flour itself (usually the one from the supermarket needs less water than the one from the mill), but also on the humidity of the air (in winter it is often drier and the flour therefore needs more water).

Also, the ‘window test’ in which a film is pulled from the dough to check whether the gluten is strong enough is more difficult with whole wheat dough because there are more brans in the dough. Therefore, do not expect a perfect window.
Do not expect a very high rising bread. Because of the bran in the flour, the gluten network is interrupted, which reduces the ability to store gas, which is what causes the rise. Because of this, whole wheat bread is often a bit firmer. (Of course, there are always ways to ensure a higher risen bread).

Ingredients
This bread you really only need 3 ingriendents; whole wheat flour, water, salt, (and a sourdough starter, but that consists of flour and water). If you have a choice of flours, choose one with a high and strong protein content. If you have no choice, regular (preferably organic) whole wheat flour from the supermarket works well too.

You can make a sourdough starter yourself, the internet is full of methods. The easiest is to take over a piece of sourdough from someone. Believe me, there are plenty of enthusiastic and passionate people who are eager to help, so dare to ask. Find someone nearby via sourdough facebook groups.

Method
Please note that I am giving times here for guidance. As I described above, baking sourdough bread depends on many environmental factors and therefore requires more feeling and craft. Therefore, never blindly follow the times that are given. Look and feel, use your senses, and anticipate your dough and your circumstances. I live in a climate with 4 seasons, at the time of baking it was mild autumn, and about 20 degrees inside.

Night before
22:00 LEVAIN MIXING. Mix your active starter with a 1:1 ratio of flour to water to make a levain. (If your starter has been in the fridge for a while, refresh it once or twice before starting this step.) Make sure you end up with 200 grams of starter. I start with 20 grams of starter and add 90 grams of whole wheat flour, and 90 grams of water. Put it away overnight at room temperature (for me this usually takes about 8-10 hours).

The day itself
07:00 AUTOLYSE. Use your levain when it is at its peak. It should be all airy and active. Note that with whole wheat flour, a float test will not work. Now dissolve your levain in the water and mix in the flour. Be careful not to knead, mix it until all the flour is incorporated and then put it away covered for 45 minutes.

07:45 MIXING. It is now time to make the dough by adding the salt. I like to dissolve the salt in a little bit of water and spread it over the dough. After this, I knead the dough for about 3x 1 to 2 minutes with a minute of rest in between to help the gluten get going a bit. If you have little time you can also skip the kneading. Put the dough away in a covered bowl.

08:45 BULK PROOFING + STRETCH AND FOLDS. During the bulk rise you perform 3x a stretch and fold. In which you stretch and fold the dough over itself. You do these on 4 sides, north, east, south, west. Turn the dough over and place it seam side down back into the covered tray.
09:15 = SF2
09:45 = SF3. After this, let it stand for further proofing. The dough should feel a little wobbly. In my experience, feeling the lightness of the dough is more reliable than seeing if it has doubled in size. In my opinion, my dough is not always doubled when it has finished rising.

10:45 PRE-SHAPING. Form a boule from the dough. I personally like to do another set of stretches and folds first and then lightly tension the dough by placing my hands on the side of the dough and sliding it across the workbench so the dough is pulled tighter, as it were. Cover the dough and let it sit for 20 minutes to allow the gluten strands to rest again.

11:20 SHAPING. Flour a proofing basket generously with flour. Form the bread into a boule by doing the same thing as pre-shaping but creating more tension. Dust the top with flour and place the dough seam side up in the proofing basket. Cover the proofing basket and let it continue to proof for about 2 hours at room temperature (or about 10/12 hours in the refrigerator).

Note make sure you preheat the oven with a pizza stone as hot as possible an hour before you want to bake, for me that’s 250 degrees.

13:40 BAKING. Lower the oven temperature to 220 degrees. Remove the bread from the proofing basket and place on a floured cutting board. Using a lame (a special knife for scoring bread) or a very sharp (shaving) knife, score the bread in a few places. This allows the gas to escape so you don’t get cracks in unwanted places. Place the bread on the pizza stone and fill the tray with boiling water. Close the oven door as soon as possible. This creates a kind of steam oven. After 20 minutes, remove the tray from the oven and let the steam escape. Reduce the oven temperature to 180 degrees and bake for another 20 minutes so that the crust browns nicely. The bread is ready when it sounds hollow when you tap the bottom of the bread with your knuckle. Or when it has a core temperature of 95 degrees which can be measured with a thermometer. Let it cool completely before you slice it.