Easy Overnight Whole Wheat Sourdough Sandwich Bread

This freshly milled whole wheat sourdough sandwich bread recipe is now a staple in our home. I have tried countless sourdough sandwich bread recipes with freshly milled flour. Some were hard as bricks, dense, crumbly, or even crunchy (from the bran). In several previous attempts, I had some nice-tasting loaves, but we would go to take a bite of our sandwich, and it would fall apart in our hands. I wanted something hearty but with a good spring to it. Freshly milled whole wheat bread does tend to be heftier than store-bought bread so don’t expect to make a loaf of Wonder Bread. This recipe though, it’s a winner. It’s got everything: Tang, spring, crust. *Chef’s kiss*

Freshly Milled Failures

Now, I know one of the main reasons I have had some failures is because I refuse to buy the vital wheat gluten that many freshly milled bakers recommend (and they are all much better bakers than me so go for it if that works for you). At this point though, it’s a matter of principle (or pride). I want to be able to make bread without it! Don’t let failure stop you from trying though, baking whole wheat sourdough bread is a tasty way to fail.

My Whole Wheat Sourdough Sandwich Bread recipe is the culmination of mashing together many recipes I have tried over the past year. This recipe takes very little time compared to many sourdough bread recipes, and I love that you can start it before bed.

From Gluten-Free to…

A funny story about me milling my own wheat is that I was 100% gluten-free for about 9 years until a little over a year ago when I started milling my flour. Me of 5 years ago would be aghast, but we all change and grow as we learn.

After I had our daughter in 2013, I became really sick with some heart and thyroid issues, and at the time removing gluten and dairy was what helped me regain my health without having to go the major surgery or medication route. I was super diligent about not eating those things. I was able to reintroduce dairy a couple of years ago, but bringing back gluten was not on my radar. So many friends were starting to go gluten-free it was easy to be that way.

…Gluten-Full

My sister was actually the one who first mentioned it to me and I kind of laughed it off not giving it much thought. But it kept coming back to me and coming up in conversations. I was nervous to try freshly milled wheat because I did NOT want to be sick again. I spent a lot of time reading, praying, and then listening to Sue Becker’s talks and podcast on the history and benefits of eating “real bread” as she calls it. She had several guests on her show talking about eating bread again after being gluten-free and how it helped their health rather than hindered it.

I decided to try milling out and I went all in (which is how I usually do things anyway). I bought the mill, 25 pounds of wheat berries and immediately started baking bread. But that first loaf, which I am sure wasn’t beautiful, oh it tasted like heaven after not having “real bread” for so long. And now, a year into freshly milling wheat, I am still healthy, and actually feel better than I did when I was gluten-free. I’ve seen countless benefits in my life and I hope my story inspires you to try milling your own flour and savoring truly homemade bread.

What is Freshly Milled Wheat?

Almost exactly what it sounds like. You grind your own wheat flour using a mill like they used to 150 years ago. Albeit, we get to use electricity and do it right on the counter. You will purchase wheat berries, which are the raw grain, which you then turn into flour like you buy in the bags at the store. But you also retain all of the nutrients that commercially process flours don’t have. You can mill more than just wheat too – there is buckwheat, beans, corn, oats, rice, etc.

How Do I Mill Flour?

You’ll need a grain mill. They are an investment, but well worth it if you regularly bake bread, muffins, pancakes, etc. for your family. The basics are that you dump grain into a hopper that feeds it between stones to be ground and spit out into your bowl. Milling doesn’t take much longer than scooping flour from a bag.

I have a Mockmill which I love and would recommend to anyone.

Where Do I Buy Wheat Berries or Grain?

• Azure Standard (they have great local pickups, so you don’t have to pay crazy shipping prices)
• Central Milling (this is the brand I started with)
• I often buy mine from a local Mennonite grocery store in 50-pound bags (that may be too much for someone just beginning)
• There are lots of other places to purchase, just do your research

Can I Just Use Store-Bought Whole Wheat Flour?

Of course! Be sure it is a hard wheat and not a soft wheat. Hard wheat varieties have more gluten for bread that use yeast to rise, while soft wheats are better for quick breads like muffins, or cookies.

Easy Overnight Whole Wheat Sourdough Sandwich Bread

Supplies:

• 2 Loaf pans
• Grain Mill
• Mixer/dough hook
• Danish whisk
• Kitchen scale
• Kitchen towel
• Dough Scraper
• Mixing bowls
• Plastic wrap

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Ingredients:

• 130g Sourdough Starter
• 600g warm water plus 1.5 Tablespoons
• 56g honey
• 1000g hard white wheat 
• 40g olive oil
• 2 tsp lemon juice 
• 4 tsp Salt
• 1-2 tsp Rice flour for dusting counter
• 1-2 Tbsp Melted butter for greasing pan and brushing top of loaf

Instructions:

1. Before bed, add starter to a large bowl, mixing in water, lemon juice, and honey well with danish whisk
2. Add flour, mix well, and let sit for 30 minutes
3. Add oil and salt kneading dough until the flour is absorbed and you have a cohesive dough (about 5 minutes in a mixer)
4. Cover dough with damp towel and let rest for 30-45 minutes
5. Do one round of stretch and folds (see notes)
6. Grease a clean bowl with a little olive oil and place dough ball into the greased bowl
7. Cover with plastic wrap and bulk rise overnight at room temperature (8-12 hours)
8. In morning, dust counter with rice flour, pull out dough, and split into two equal pieces with scraper
9. Press/stretch dough gently into rectangle shapes, pushing out some of the air
10. Roll dough into loaf shapes, keeping tension as you do and tucking sides in
11. Use plastic wrap to lightly cover and let dough rest on counter for 10 minutes
12. Grease loaf pans
13. Pull each loaf towards you a bit to keep tension in the shape
14. Place each loaf in a pan and cover with damp towel or plastic wrap and let rise for 1-2 hours (you’ll know it’s proofed enough when you press your finger into dough and it does not bounce back)
15. Preheat over 375°
16. Bake 40-45 minutes (internal temp of bread should be at least 190°)
17. Optional – brush top of bread with melted butter
18. Cool before slicing

Notes:

• Makes 2 loaves in regular-size loaf pans
• You can make 2 small boules in a dutch oven with this recipe
  • While dough is rising, preheat dutch oven at 450 for about 30 minutes. When bread is risen, use a lame to slice a vent and then place bread in hot dutch oven with lid on. Reduce heat to 375 and bake for 30 minutes. Remove lid and bake another 5-10 minutes, until a little more browned
• Stretch and folds are when you take one side of the dough and pull it up a few inches and fold it back on top of itself in the middle, turn the bowl 1/4 turn and repeat for a total of 4 stretches so that you have a semi-ball shape
• If your starter is super active or your house is very warm the bulk rise may take less time
• I have used cold discard from the fridge and this recipe still works great
• I like to remove my bread from the pan to cool on its side to avoid any settling  
• Bread freezes well
• I usually start the bread an hour before I go to bed

Let’s Make Some Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread!

Before bed, add starter to a large bowl, mixing in water and honey well with danish whisk.

Add flour, mix well, and let sit for 30 minutes.

Add oil and salt kneading dough until the flour is absorbed and you have a cohesive dough (about 5 minutes in a mixer).

Cover dough with damp towel and let rest for 30-45 minutes. Do one round of stretch and folds (see notes). Grease a clean bowl with a little olive oil and place dough ball into the greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and bulk rise overnight at room temperature (8-12 hours).

In morning, dust counter with rice flour, pull out dough, and split into two equal pieces with scraper. Press/stretch dough gently into rectangle shapes, pushing out some of the air. Roll dough into loaf shapes, keeping tension as you do and tucking sides in. Use plastic wrap to lightly cover and let dough rest on counter for 10 minutes.

Grease loaf pans. Pull each loaf towards you a bit to keep tension in the shape.

Place each loaf in a pan and cover with damp towel or plastic wrap and let rise for 1-2 hours (you’ll know it’s proofed enough when you press your finger into dough and it does not bounce back). Preheat over 375°.

Bake 40-45 minutes (internal temp of bread should be at least 190°). Optional – brush top of bread with melted butter.

Cool before slicing.

These ladies have really influenced me to take the plunge into baking with freshly milled flours. They have wonderful recipes, and you should try them out. Michal Grappe and Sue Becker.

Check out some of our other recipes.