king arthur flour

An easy recipe for whole wheat sourdough bread that's light and flavorful (not heavy and dense). Made with 20% whole wheat flour. The dough can be made in advance and baked the following day. Fantastic for sandwiches, crostini, and morning toast with jam.

Light Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread

bubbly, active sourdough starter (100% hydration)

bread flour

whole wheat flour

fine sea salt

Whole whether doughs tend to rise faster than white doughs, especially in warm weather. To avoid over proofed dough, I like to start mixing in the afternoon (usually between 2-3 PM) when I know I&#8217;ll be home to stretch and fold the dough. Please adjust your rise times based on temperature. 

Baking Schedule

Combine the sourdough starter and water in a large bowl. Add the flour and salt. Mix with a fork and then finish by hand to fully incorporate the flour. It will feel very wet and sticky. Cover with a damp towel or wrap and let rest for 1 hour on your countertop, returning to the bowl after the first 30 minutes to work the dough into a rough ball. 

Make the Dough

After the dough has rested for 1 hour, do your first fold.

Gather a portion of the dough, stretch it upward, and fold it over toward the center of the bowl. Give the bowl a 1/4 turn and repeat 3 more times, stretch and folding the dough to come full circle around the bowl (4 folds =  1 set). If the dough still feels slack after the 1st set, do an additional 4 folds around the bowl to tighten the dough. 

For best results, do 4 sets total spaced 30 minutes apart resting the covered dough in a warm spot in between each set (see tip below). Notice how the dough will tighten after the 4th set. See video for technique.

When finished with the folds, cover the bowl and continue the bulk rise (untouched) at 75-78 F for about for 2-3 hours. The dough is ready when it has almost doubled in size. Wrap and chill the whole bowl overnight; the dough will continue to rise only slightly in the fridge when the dough is warm.

How to Create Warm Spot for Bread Dough

Preheat your home oven to the lowest setting for 30- 45 seconds and then shut it off. Place the covered bowl of dough inside to bulk up. The temperature should be 75-78 F and no higher than 80 F. Use an oven thermometer (and common sense) to keep track of the temperature. Dough that is too warm will become wet, sticky, and a tricky to work with. Alternatively, use a proofing box.

Bulk Rise with Stretch and Folds

The following morning, make sure the dough has doubled in size. If not, give it more time to bulk up, if needed. This is important to build strength.

Line a small bowl with a cotton or linen cloth. Sprinkle with flour. You&#8217;re going to shape the dough twice to build extra strength.

Shape the Dough

Remove the cold dough onto a floured surface. Let rest for 10-15 minutes to take some of the chill off. Shape the dough into a loose ball using the envelope technique. Starting at the top of the dough, stretch and fold it over toward the center. Then stretch and fold the bottom of the dough toward the center. Repeat on the left side&#8230;and then the right side. Using a bench knife, scoop up the dough and flip it over so the smooth side is facing up. Cover and rest for 20-30 minutes. 

Preshape

After the dough has rested, flip it over again (the smooth side should be facing down now). Shape it again following the steps above. Flip it back over. With floured hands, gently cup the dough and pull it toward you in a circular motion to tighten its shape. Place the dough into the lined bowl, seam side up. Cover with the cloth overhang.

Final Shape

Rest in the warm spot you used earlier for 30 minutes to 1 hour. The dough is ready when it looks puffy and has risen slightly, but has not yet doubled in size. The dough should not be very cold prior to baking.

Preheat your oven to 450 towards the tail end of the second rise.

Cut a sheet of non-stick parchment paper to fit the size of your baking pot, leaving enough excess around the sides to remove the bread.

Second Rise

Place the parchment over the dough and invert the bowl to release. Sprinkle the dough with flour and gently rub the surface with your hands. Using the tip of a bread lame, small, serrated knife or a razor blade, make four shallow 4-inch long cuts at 3, 6, 9, and 12 o’clock around the dough. Use the parchment paper to transfer the dough to the baking pot. 

Score the Dough

Bake the dough on the center rack for 20 minutes, covered. Remove the lid, and continue to bake for 40 minutes and golden brown.

When finished, transfer to a wire rack. Cool for 1 hour before slicing, for best texture.

Bake the Dough

This is a great recipe as all of your recipes are!  Your book is my sourdough Bible!

Hi! Do you have to put it in the fridge, or could you leave it out longer on the counter and bake it that night? Thanks!

This was my very first sourdough bread.  The directions were just what I needed as I had so many questions.  Oh so good!!

Made this for the first time today and was blown away! I was sure that it wouldn't turn out because I hit a few snafus along the way... 1 - My dough seemed super, super wet early in the process so I used flour on my hands, instead of water to do the envelope folds, so I was a little nervous. 2 - My dough developed a little bit of a skin on it during the second day steps, so I kinda folded them in, but there were definite hard spots. Despite my issues, the bread was perfect! So so tasty, with a great texture. Thank you!

This was the first attempt at true sourdough bread that has ever worked for me. Thank you! 

Tweaks:
1. I do not have a dutch oven or any oven proof container with a lid so I baked mine in two bread loaf pans stacked on top of each other and wrapped in foil. Worked beautifully! 
2. I did not have whole wheat flour so instead of the 100g of whole wheat flour, I did a 80:20 mixture of rye flour to white flour instead. It worked and tastes great!

Hi, I would like to ask if I still have to use unbleached bread flour or can I use regular bread flour? Thank you.

Hi wonderful recipe . I ended up adding olives to one of the loaves during the first fold. I followed your sourdough add in recipes to add the olives in. Should I still rise for 2 hours then overnight in fridge ? I was guessing it was ok to continue to follow this recipe the same and just add in. Thanks so much I’ll let you know how it turns out

Thank you Emilie,
I'll keep at it and give it a go. Thank you for the time to reach back out :)

Hi! Could you give me the measurements to increase the whole wheat to 30% ? 
By the way, I’ve tried the recipe as is with great success :)

Hello. I often find great advice online, but shamefully I rarely take time to comment and leave feedback. 

On this occasion, however, I really felt compelled to say thanks and make a recommendation. 

I baked my first sourdough loaf today (well, started yesterday, finished today!) and followed your recipe 'to the letter'. The result, is nothing short of fantastic. 

Whilst no part of the process is particularly complex, there are lots if steps and plenty of potential 'banana skin' moments for the novice throughout. 

So, thank you, your recipe helped this beginner bake like an expert, and the video helped remove anxiety associated with traslating instruction into practice. 

Highly recommended. Thank you :)

Hi Emilie,
Thank you for your sourdough starter and light sourdough bread recipes.  I love the nutty note and the open crumb.   I'm still working on the oven spring (which I dont get always and It's my fan forced oven's issue). I have to do some work arounds like oven temperature and best vessel to cover the dough while baking to have a perfect loaf however, your recipe is the best and the easiest ive tried and I am thankful I've came  across your website and yes I will try Shannon's tip too.   Again, many thanks to you.

Hi - I have made this recipe a few times and it comes out great, except that the bottom of the loaf burns a bit. I have used the oven and also the grill (since it's too hot to use the oven). It's obviously harder to control the heat using the grill, but the same thing happened in the oven. Should I try a lower heat and bake longer?

This is currently my go to recipe. It’s a really nice tasty bread, the schedule is idea for my lifestyle, it’s super easy but yet covers all the bases for a good sourdough bread, stretch &amp; folds, overnight CR, etc.    Perfect loaf for seed additions, too.

https://content.jwplatform.com/videos/fmsk1wQF.mp4

An easy recipe for whole wheat sourdough made with 20% whole wheat flour. 

Preheat your home oven to the lowest setting for 30- 45 seconds and then shut it off. Place the covered bowl of dough inside to bulk up. The temperature should be 75-78 F and no higher than 80 F. Use an oven thermometer (and common sense) to keep track of the temperature. Dough that is too warm will become wet, sticky, and a tricky to work with. Alternatively, I highly recommend using a proofing box.

Line a small bowl (or proofing basket) with a cotton or linen cloth. Sprinkle with flour. You&#8217;re going to shape the dough twice to build extra strength.

Remove the cold dough onto a floured surface. Let rest for 10-15 minutes to take some of the chill off. Shape the dough into a loose ball using the envelope technique. Starting at the top of the dough, stretch and fold it over toward the center. Then stretch and fold the bottom of the dough toward the center. Repeat on the left side&#8230;and then the right side. Using a bench scraper, scoop up the dough and flip it over so the smooth side is facing up. Cover and rest for 20-30 minutes. 

After the dough has rested, flip it over again (the smooth side should be facing down now). Shape it again following the steps above. Flip it back over. With floured hands, gently cup the dough and pull it toward you in a circular motion to tighten its shape. Place the dough into the lined bowl or proofing basket seam side up. Cover with the cloth overhang.

Place the parchment over the dough and invert the bowl to release. Sprinkle the dough with flour and gently rub the surface with your hands. Using the tip of a bread lame, small, serrated knife or a razor blade, make four shallow 4-inch long cuts at 3, 6, 9, and 12 o’clock around the dough. Use the parchment paper to transfer the dough to a Dutch oven (or another oven safe pot with lid).

I’ve tried about 10 recipes for sourdough so far and this will now be my go to. Letting it ferment slowly in the fridge added additional flavor as well as the perfect addition of wheat flour. I use 100g starter however and a bit less water.

I started the bread maki g process this morning .  I doubled the recipe. The first 2 hour bulk rise will be finished at 1:45 this afternoon. Can I still put it in the frig this afternoon until tomorrow morning or do I need to complete the bulk rise and bake today?
Thank you!

Favorite recipe so far, so happy with the outcome of the bread!

Hi Emilie,

I made this last weekend using 375 g of water and it turned out great. If I increase to 150g of starter will that give a quicker bulk rise? If I do use 150 g of starter, would I need to change any of the other variables such as amount of water, time in the 450 F oven?

Steve

Thank you! I enjoy your site. I appreciate your helpful tips.
I recommended your site to several friends and family. 😊

Love this recipe so much. I’m a beginner to bread, but from the get-go your recipe’s bread has turned out perfect for us every time. 

A small question I have - what do you mean by a “lightly oiled wrap” to cover the dough before chilling? I’ve been using a plastic bag which is working but would like to follow your direction! 

Thanks so much for the great recipe and helpful video.

i used olive oil on cling wrap &amp; it turned out great :)

The most amazing wheat sourdough! I only wish I could bake multiples to keep in the deepfreeze for quick use. It rose beautifully &amp; made the perfect loaf. You're my new fav! I wish I could show you a picture!

Excellent recipe- thanks for posting, and for adding so much detail to the notes!
I had excellent outcomes with reduced batch sizes of the same proportions. 
Also I let my dough rest in much warmer setting for longer times at rest for my first batch- about 82-85 deg. As the author notes it will be a wetter stickier batch which is difficult to shape- but turned out extremely fluffy and flavor was amazing. The accident turned out to be my family’s favorite bread ever. 
Also- it’s a good idea to train your starter with the stone ground whole wheat you use in the recipe.

This bread is amazing!! I made it yesterday and turned out great. I live in a very small apartment so I don’t have a proper oven (I just have a toaster oven). In case anyone else is in a similar boat, I baked it in a loaf pan, did the first 20 min with a small tray of water next to the pan to create steam, then I removed the water tray and baked for the remaining 40 min. Absolute perfection, and bonus points that my boyfriend loved it too! Thanks

I get a little nervous because it doesn't hold much shape until chilled overnight. I did 2 shapes in the morning and now putting bannetons in fridge to ferment longer. Will bake tomorrow.  I like the sour flavor.

LOVE this recipe!! I’ve made two loaves just the past few days. Can you double this to make a larger boule?

I've made this recipe at least a dozen times. It has always produced a decent loaf of bread for me. After the first few time using 375 g of water I reduced water to 360 g, which was easier for me to work with. My baking schedule is to prepare the dough in the morning using starter that had been fed after the last loaf and put immediately into the refrigerator. I put the starter jar in a pan of hot tap water for about 30 minutes, give it a float test, which it will pass if stored in the refrigerator no more than about 15 days. I bulk rise during the day and bake in the evening. 

Last Saturday prepared the dough in the morning and started the bulk rise at 9:30 am. At 2:30 pm, about halfway through the bulk rise, I had a family emergency out of town. I put the dough in the refrigerator, packed a suitcase and left. I returned late Wednesday evening and Thursday morning I removed the dough from the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature. It was obviously over-proofed. I did the usual 2nd rise steps and put the loaf into a cold DO and put on a pre-heated lid. I baked at the usual time and temperature and noticed not much oven spring when the lid was removed after 20 minutes. When the full hour was done the loaf was not as high as usual but it had a decent crumb and was, as you would expect, quite sour. This is a very forgiving recipe, Emilie. Thanks for all your tips and videos.

I started my sourdough journey almost 3 years ago &amp; this is my go to recipe! I’ve made it countless times. I add olive oil to the mix which adds to the crumb &amp; taste. Thanks for the easy to follow recipe (I’ve memorized it!)

I've made lots of bread but have never seen this technique for folding and tightening the dough.  That explains a lot of flat loaves! The instructions were perfect and ready l easy to follow and the bread was delicious with just the right crunch in the crust.

What if I don’t have a bread basket for final proof?

This recipe with all the tips is amazing! Thank you so much, I didn't change a thing. I will say you need to trust in the process! My sour dough loaf looks so pretty and smells DELICIOUS!

BEST BREAD EVER!! I for months have had nothing but failed loaves, followed this recipe to a T and got my first PERFECT loaf! It wasn’t gummy, it had nice airy crumb, crunchy and chewy the best of all worlds! Thank you for such a great recipe and step by step instructions! 🤌🏼😍

This is my go-to recipe. I bake 2-3 times a week. I always come back to this after trying something new. It never disappoints.

I love this recipe so easy! I add in 25 grams of molasses and it’s perfect! I’ve not timed it well and ran out of time left it out all night in my cool (65 degrees??) kitchen and it works out fine! I do the double shape and leave it out for a second rise much longer more like 3 hours. I typically do a longer second rise then suggested and this 400/100 mix of flours has just the perfect texture.  I have your sourdough cookbook (currently loaned out to my mom!!) and ever recipe is the 💣
I’ve always wanted to go to your restaurant in the city… someday we’ll get there!  Appreciate you ❣️

This recipe is fool proof! I want to double the recipe, could you advise how long to bake it for please and at what temperature?

Anxious to try this recipe! 
One question..do you preheat the Dutch oven or does the proofed dough go into a cold Dutch oven into a preheated oven @ 450..?
Thanks,   Dave

I have had excellent results with both the beginner sourdough loaf and the light whole wheat loaf.
Why is the whole wheat loaf baked at a higher temperature that the beginners' white loaf and why is there no oil in the whole wheat loaf?

I just made my first light whole wheat sourdough loaf and it turned out awesome! Her instructions were clear and simple to follow.

Amazing recipe! Saving this one fore sure. I soaked some chia, flax, and pumpkin seeds and added them during my third stretch and fold. Made the perfect seeded multigrain, thank you so much!

Is it ok to leave the dough in the fridge for ~2hrs instead of over night?

This was a wonderful recipe...a bit different from my base sourdough recipe...but it made a  gorgeous loaf. Great look and taste...but not heavy on the whole wheat.  A keeper!  I've been baking bread for years but I still appreciated the precise, easy to follow directions and pictures too!

This recipe is wonderful! The flavor and texture are both perfect, and the crispiness of the crust was LOVELY! But, I have a dilemma. I find it very hard to score the relaxed nature of warm dough after it's second rise, and the final shape is affected as well because the dough continues to spread rather than spring. Should I reduce the amount of water in the recipe, or retard the dough (a second time) in the fridge for 30 min to an hour before scoring &amp; putting it in a dutch oven and baking as directed? Another recipe I've had success with followed the final shaping with an overnight retard, then flip dough, score, and bake immediately. That method was the easiest to score and had much taller oven spring, but the crust was much thicker than desired, even when using a proofing bag. Would like to find a blend of both recipes if you think that would work?

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Light Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread

Light Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread

Top 2 king arthur flour recipes from across the web

The most viewed king arthur flour recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

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Light Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread

Light Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread

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