Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread -

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This whole wheat sourdough bread is an easy, light and almost undetectable switch from white sourdough loaf with tanginess of a fed and active starter complements the inherent nuttiness of the wheat flour. Excellent for sandwiches, toast and to serve with soup.

WHAT IS SOURDOUGH STARTER?

A sourdough starter, also called levain, is a fermented dough filled with natural, wild yeast and a bacteria called lactobacilli. The starter is what makes sourdough bread rise.Along with leavening the bread, the starter also brings that classic sour flavor.

A starter is literally full of life!

Here is my very own bubbly, active starter ready to make some incredible sourdough bread

Live culture of flour and water, it’s truly incredible! The whole process honestly fills me with such wonder and joy.

WHAT ARE THE INGREDIENTS YOU WILL BE NEED?

You only need a few basic pantry ingredients for this bread!

Sourdough Starter – Using your starter at its peak, or slightly after will ensure your bread rises sufficiently.
Water – When combined with sugar, yeast makes dough rise. Use warm water to cut down on rise time.
Yeast – Use quick rise or instant yeast in this bread recipe to help the bread rise faster.
Sugar– It helps to activate the yeast and gives the bread a very slight sweetness. Use honey or brown sugar for healthier version.
Flour – You can use whole wheat flour.
Salt – Bread made without salt tastes very plain and flavorless
Vegetable Oil– Fat helps to give the bread a finer crumb and better texture, but we’re only using 2 tablespoons.

HOW TO MAKE?

Combine all the ingredients and knead to make a soft, smooth dough; about 15 to 20 minutes.

Grease a large mixing bowl and place the dough in the bowl. Let it with plastic wrap and allow it to rise for 60 – 90 minutes in a warm place. Either on counter top or in oven with lights on.

When the dough is doubled in size, punch it down to release the air and on a floured surface,roll it into rectangle (as per your loaf pan) and then make it like a log.

Grease the loaf pan and place the rolled dough in it. Allow to rise for about 60 – 90 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 F and bake the loaf for about 35 minutes or until golden brown on top.

Allow the bread to cool completely before slicing. Serve with butter or make your fav sandwiches or toasts.

TIPS TO MAKE PERFECT BREAD:

Using your starter at its peak, or slightly after will ensure your bread rises sufficiently. Make sure your starter is healthy and strong, able to double in size 4-6 hours after feeding and passes the float test.
Do scoop the flour out of the container with your measuring cup. Make sure spoon and level the flour into measuring cup.
The dough needs to rise until it doubles in size. If it’s cold in the house, then place it in oven with lights on
Make sure the bread should not rise than 1 inch above the brim of the pan during the second rise.
Allow the bread cool completely before slicing.
You can easily double the recipe for making larger loaf or when making two loafs

HOW TO STORE THESE BREAD?

There is just nothing like freshly baked bread right from the oven! Unfortunately, bread really shouldn’t be left out for an longer time, because it gets stale. Here are the few suggestions to store,

At room temperature: It’s best to store homemade sandwich bread on the counter. Once the bread cools completely, double-wrap your bread loaves in clean plastic wrap, then store at room temperature for 2-3 days;
To freeze the bread: Bread should last 3 months in the freezer. Store by wrapping in a plastic wrap, then seal it in a zip-lock plastic bag.Once ready to serve, unwrap the bread and thaw at room temperature.

You might also like other sourdough recipes,

Sourdough Sandwich Bread

Sourdough Naan

Sourdough Focaccia