Honey Whole Wheat Sourdough

This hearty, and flavorful sourdough loaf is one that your whole family will love! It is naturally fermented and made with whole wheat flour which makes a gut healthy and nutrient dense loaf that has a chewy crumb, a crisp crust, and a subtly sweet, nutty flavor profile.

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❤️ Why You’ll Love Honey Whole Wheat Sourdough Loaf

This loaf, in my opinion, is the perfect base for a good sandwich. It’s full of flavor but dense to hold all the fillings inside. And, because it’s naturally fermented and easy to digest, it’s a bread you can feel good about feeding your family!

🍲 Ingredients

Sourdough Starter – Bubbly, active sourdough starter that has been previously fed.

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Water – Filtered water is best for sourdough.

Whole Wheat Flour – Typically unbleached, provides fiber, nutrients, and a rich, nutty taste.

All purpose flour – This helps balance the flavor and texture of the bread.

Honey – Natural sweetener that adds flavor, moisture, and helps with browning.

Salt – Enhances flavor and controls yeast activity. Use what you have on hand!

👩‍🍳 How to Make Honey Whole Wheat Sourdough

In the morning, feed your starter and let it rise all day.
In the afternoon when your starter has doubled and is bubbly, assemble your dough.

Dough Assembly

In a mixing bowl on top of your food scale. Add your bubbly starter, water, and honey, and mix until a milky liquid forms.
Add your all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, and salt into the bowl and mix until a shaggy dough forms. Cover and let rest for 45 minutes.
After resting, perform your first stretch and fold by pulling one side of the dough up and towards the middle. Rotating the bowl each time until a semi – smooth dough forms.
Cover and let rest for another 45 minutes. After resting, perform 2 – 3 more stretch and folds every 30 minutes to 1 hour apart.
After your last stretch and fold, cover your dough with a damp tea towel or bowl cover and leave on your counter overnight 8 – 10 hours

The next morning

The next morning, turn your dough over onto a clean workspace.
Stretch the dough slightly and shape into the proper shape of your lined bread banneton (oval or round). Place seam side up in the banneton and stitch the dough by pulling the sides towards the middle all the way up the center of the loaf. This will create surface tension and result in a good oven spring while baking.
Cover and place in the fridge for 2 hours or up to 3 days.
When you’re ready to bake, preheat a Dutch oven to 450 degrees for at least 20 minutes.
Remove your loaf from the fridge and turn over onto a piece of parchment paper .Score the top with a sharp razor.
Carefully transfer your dough into a piping hot Dutch oven, replace the lid and bake covered for 25 minutes.
After 25 minutes, remove the lid and bake for an additional 20 – 25 minutes until the top is browned to your liking!
Let cool completely before slicing and making that perfect sandwich 🙂

🪄 Tips and Tricks

Longer fermentation of this bread enhances flavor and digestibility.
This is a denser loaf because of the whole wheat flour so you can adjust hydration based on your flour’s absorption.
Since whole wheat can be dense, gentle folding during bulk fermentation helps develop gluten without overworking the dough.
Feeding your starter with whole wheat flour helps.

🗒 Variations

Sourdough with special inclusions and flavoring is one of my favorite ways to make bread! There are so many ways to make a loaf of bread unique to you or the season and here are a few recipes that I think you’ll love!

🗒 Substitutions

Substituting Honey:

Maple Syrup: A natural sweetener with a similar consistency. Use about 1:1 ratio, but reduce other liquid ingredients slightly to account for the added moisture.
Molasses: Adds rich flavor; use sparingly (about 1-2 tablespoons) due to its strong flavor and moisture content.

You can also substitute the little bit of all-purpose flour in the loaf for all whole wheat to make it a 100% whole wheat sourdough loaf or you can substitute for bread flour.

🗒 Best served with

Lightly toast slices and spread with high-quality butter. The warmth enhances the flavor of the honey and the tang of the sourdough.
Honey or fruit preserves.
Cream cheese or ricotta cheese.
Nut butters (almond, peanut, or cashew) for a sweet-savory combo.
Use it for sandwiches with fillings like turkey, ham, cheese, avocado, or roasted vegetables. The natural sweetness pairs well with savory ingredients.
Slice and dip in an egg custard, then fry for a delicious breakfast or dessert option.

👝 How to Store Leftovers

Keep the bread in a breadbox or paper bag to maintain crust crispness.
For longer storage, freeze slices and toast as needed.

🤔 Common Questions

My dough is a little dense and hard to mix, what should I do?

Add more water to the dough and knead until it is incorporated and let it rise for at least 10 hours to really allow it to become fluffy with air bubbles.

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Honey Whole Wheat Sourdough Loaf

Print recipe

Prep Time:3

Cook Time:50

Fermenting time:10

Total Time:13 50

Equipment

food scale
mixing bowl
dough whisk
banneton
Razor for scoring
dutch oven
bowl cover/ tea towel

Ingredients

75 grams bubbly, active sourdough starter
350 grams filtered water
50 grams honey
300 grams whole wheat flour
200 grams all purpose flour
10 grams salt