Whole Wheat Sourdough Starter
Making your own whole wheat sourdough starter is a simple and rewarding process that gives you the power to create naturally leavened bread at home. This starter uses 100% whole wheat flour, which is packed with nutrients that promote healthy yeast growth and a tangy, rich flavor.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup whole wheat flour Choose a strong variety with 13-15% protein content
- 1/2 cup water filtered, chlorine-free, room temperature
Instructions
- Mix the Starter: In a clean jar or bowl, combine 100g of whole wheat flour with 100g of water. Stir until you have a smooth mixture with no dry flour pockets. Cover the jar loosely with a cloth or plastic wrap to allow airflow and prevent contaminants. Let it sit at room temperature (ideally 70-75°F or 21-24°C) for 24 hours.
- Daily Feeding: After 24 hours, you'll begin the daily feeding process. Discard half of the mixture (about 100g), and then feed the remaining starter with 100g of fresh flour and 100g of water. Stir it well, cover loosely, and let it rest at room temperature. You’ll repeat this process every day for 5 to 7 days, making sure to discard half each time and replace it with fresh flour and water. As you continue, you’ll see the starter become bubbly and active, with a pleasant, sour smell developing.
- Watch for Signs of Growth: As the days pass, your starter will start to rise and fall within a few hours of feeding. This is a good sign! You’ll see small bubbles forming and the texture will change as it becomes more lively. By Day 5 or 6, your starter should be bubbly and ready for baking.
- Testing Readiness: To test if your starter is ready, try the "float test": drop a small spoonful of starter into a glass of water. If it floats, it’s ready to use for baking! If it sinks, give it another day or two of feedings to strengthen it.
- Storage and Maintenance: Once your starter is fully established, you can store it in the fridge to slow down its activity if you're not baking regularly. Be sure to feed it once a week to keep it healthy. When you’re ready to bake, remove the starter from the fridge, let it come to room temperature, and feed it a couple of times before using it in your dough recipe.
Notes
Whole wheat flour starters can be more dense and sticky than white flour starters, but don’t worry—this is normal! Just keep stirring and feeding.
If you prefer, you can experiment with other whole grain flours like spelt, rye, or einkorn. Each will create a slightly different flavor and texture in your starter, but the process remains the same.
Spelt flour makes a smooth, beautifully textured starter, while rye flour produces a strong, active one that’s great for sourdough. If you want to try einkorn or emmer, both are wonderful options, though they may have a thicker, paste-like consistency at first.
Nutrition
Calories: 306kcalCarbohydrates: 65gProtein: 12gFat: 2gSaturated Fat: 0.4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.3gSodium: 8mgPotassium: 327mgFiber: 10gSugar: 0.4gVitamin A: 8IUCalcium: 34mgIron: 3mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!