For a wholesome everyday bread, this Sourdough Honey Oat Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread is soft, sweet, and has incredible volume!
Learn how to get the best whole wheat bread bake with the tips and techniques described in this post.
Why is whole wheat bread more difficult to make?
Gluten formation is a key part of the bread dough fermentation process.
High protein white bread flour has a lot of the starches needed to create a very elastic dough, but does not contain the bran that gives whole wheat flour its color, texture, and nutrition.
The bran in whole wheat flour interferes with gluten development by cutting and blocking strong gluten formation.
Whole wheat flour is also extremely varying. Whole wheat flours can have different flavors and different absorbency levels.
Bran is highly absorbent so it requires more water than all white or mostly white breads.
The amount of water used must be just right to fully hydrate the flour but if too much water is used, the poor strength of the gluten can’t support over hydration.
But there are techniques which can make your whole wheat bread more successful.
7 Sourdough Whole Wheat Bread Tips
To make a sourdough whole wheat bread, look for a recipe that includes these factors or experiment with these recommendations:
- Complete the initial mixing of the liquid and flour without the sourdough starter for the autolyse. This helps jumpstart gluten development.
- For a softer and fluffier sourdough whole wheat bread, use white bread flour for half of the overall flour in the recipe.
- Whole wheat bread has optimal texture with 76-82% hydration. The amount of hydration needed can vary depending on the type of flour used.
- Add water slowly and feel the dough to get a sense for whether it feels too dry or too wet. Give the dough 5-10 minutes to absorb the liquid and check again.
- Enriching elements like scalded milk, olive oil, or butter can help make your whole wheat bread softer as well.
- For healthier whole wheat, a few things you can do are to buy whole wheat flour (or berries) from small family farms or mills.
- You can also mill wheat berries at home for the freshest flour, flavor, and greatest health benefits.
How does Sourdough improve Whole Wheat Bread?
The long fermentation required for sourdough bread is ideal for whole wheat bread.
The longer time that the dough sits allows for optimal hydration as the flour soaks in the liquids and softens more.
Sourdough also breaks down the gluten in flour during the long fermentation process making the dough more digestible.
How to Make Sourdough Honey Oat Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread
The process of making this sourdough milk bread recipe has the following steps: Ingredients, Starter preparation, Making the dough, Making the honey oat soaker, Bulk fermentation, Shaping, Proofing, Baking, Cooling.
This recipe is an updated version of the one in my book Everyday Bread Baking.
I substituted some scalded whole milk in place of a portion of the water and used half white bread flour to create an even softer loaf and a better rise.
Ingredients needed
Here are the ingredients you will need:
- Starter preparation
- 20g (1 T.) sourdough starter
- 60 grams (1⁄4 cup) water
- 60 grams (7 T.) all-purpose flour or bread flour
- Honey Oat Soaker
- 50g (1/2 cup and 2 T.) quick oats
- 50g (2 T. 1 t.) honey
- 50g (3 T. 1 t.) hot water
- Dough ingredients
- 305g (1 1/4 cup) water, divided
- 70g (1/4 cup) whole milk, scalded
- 250g (1 2/3 cup) White bread flour
- 250g (1 2/3 cup) Whole Wheat flour (hard red whole wheat recommended)
- 100g (1 cup) active sourdough starter
- 11g (2 t.) salt
- Honey Oat Soaker
Ingredient notes: Here are some good options for ingredient substitutions, if needed. If you only have rolled oats, use a blender to pulse the oats or a grain mill to mill them to a medium coarseness until the texture looks more like quick oats which don’t contain whole oat flakes and have some oat flour in the mixture. Also, brown sugar can be substituted for the honey in a pinch but honey gives the bread its unique honey flavor.
Sourdough Starter Preparation
You will need a healthy, established sourdough starter for making this recipe. If you need to buy one or make one, here are my resources to get started!
Take 20 grams (1 T.) sourdough starter from your most recent active sourdough starter (ideally) or from discard that is no more than a few days old.
When a sourdough starter is old and has been left without care for a few weeks, the starter is not healthy and will not perform well. Do this reactivation method if your sourdough has been in the fridge for longer than 2 weeks: Is my sourdough starter dead?
Add 60 grams (1/4 c.) water and 60 grams (7 T.) of white flour (all-purpose or bread flour) to the 20 grams of healthy sourdough starter. Mix until there’s no dry flour left.
Cover and let the starter sit at room temperature for 6 to 12 hours to ferment. It will double in volume and look bubbly when it’s active, but you can review the signs of when the starter is ready in the post linked below.
I recommend doing this process the night before so you can begin mixing the dough the next day.
Learn more about sourdough starters in these posts:
Scalding the Milk
Once the starter is active, the first step to prepare the dough is scalding the milk. This neutralizes proteins in the milk that can conflict with good fermentation.
Add more whole milk than the recipe calls for to allow for evaporation, I recommend adding 90 grams of milk to the pot.
Heat the milk over medium to medium-high heat in a medium saucepan until it is steaming and proteins begin to stick to the bottom of the pot.
Temperature will be 130 to 140 degrees F. Don’t let it foam.
Transfer 70g (1/4 c.) of your scalded milk to the large mixing bowl (or bowl of a stand mixer) then add 300 grams (1 cup and 3 T. 2 t.) of the cool or room temperature water.
The water temperature will cool your scalded milk down so you can add the flour.
Autolyse for Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread
Add the 250g (1 2/3 cup) white bread flour and 250g (1 2/3 cup) whole wheat flour to the bowl of water and scalded milk.
Mix until there’s no more dry flour. If using a stand mixer, use the dough hook attachment.
Check the bottom of the bowl to make sure all the flour is mixed in.
Without the starter, the flour and liquid begin to create gluten connections that will make the dough stronger and more elastic ahead of when the wild yeast (from the starter) is added and fermentation begins.
Let this sit for 20-30 minutes. You can leave the dough uncovered or place a towel over it if you have a dryer climate.
Making the Honey Oat Soaker
While the dough is doing its autolyse, boil water to create the honey oat soaker.
In a small bowl, combine the quick oats, honey, and hot water until all the oats are soaked.
Let this sit for the oats to completely soak up the moisture until it is added later.
Making the Sourdough Honey Oat Whole Wheat Bread Dough
After the autolyse, add the active starter and mix in. You may have to do this by hand.
Then, add the salt with the reserved 5 grams (1 t.) of water dropped on top of the salt to help it dissolve.
Massage these ingredients into the dough until full incorporated.
Wait 30 minutes, then add the honey oat soaker.
Mix and fold the dough until all ingredients are completely incorporated.
Move to a dough bin or a clean bowl covered with plastic wrap.
Bulk Fermentation for Sourdough Honey Oat Bread
I like to use a 4-qt cambro bin for a single batch of bread dough as a bulk fermentation container because it is easy to use and see the dough rise and gauge when the dough has doubled in volume.
For double or triple batches, I use a 6-qt size.
The dough ferments for 5 to 7 hours at room temperature. This is also known as the first rise.
For clarity on when bulk fermentation is done, see this post.
I recommend doing at least one stretch and fold after 30 minutes of bulk fermentation. With whole wheat dough, don’t overdo the stretch and folds, 1-2 is enough.
Preshaping Sourdough Honey Oat Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread
Once the dough has fermented, place the bulk on an unfloured surface.
Use a bench knife or dough scraper to create a smooth round ball.
This can be done by pushing the uneven ends of dough under the smooth top and rotating.
Or you can use the scraper to fold one half of the dough over itself to create a smooth top, then use quick short movements to press the uneven parts of dough under the smooth top or rotating the dough until it is smoother, tighter, and round.
Let the dough bench rest for 20 minutes. Cover the dough with a dry kitchen towel or tea towel if you have a dry climate or have family members or pets that might disturb it. 🙂
Prepare Loaf Pans
Use a thin-walled loafpan or pullman pan which will allow the hot heat of the oven to quickly penetrate into the dough for a better oven spring.
To make sure your loaves release easily from the loaf pans, I recommend lining them with parchment paper. Especially a higher quality brand like If You Care Parchment paper that holds up to high heat and I usually get a few reuses out of the liner since it removes easily and doesn’t fall part like some brands.
To do this, you will cut a large piece of parchment paper, turn your loaf pan over, then make four cuts at each corner. Fit the cut parchment into the loaf pan by folding the long edges behind the flap.
See this post for more tips on sourdough sandwich baking: How to Shape a Sourdough Sandwich Loaf and Bake with Steam
Final Shape of Sourdough Honey Oat Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread
Lightly flour the round top of your preshaped dough. Gently rub in the flour.
The top of the dough should be coated enough that it is not sticky but there shouldn’t be excess flour on the counter.
Use a bench knife or dough scraper to cleanly pick up the dough from the work surface and flip it flour side down.
Gently stretch the dough into a square-like shape by shaking and gentle pulls (not tearing or pulling aggressively).
Once the dough is about 8 inches square, take the top two corners of the dough and fold them diagonally to meet in the center to create a triangle shape at the top of the dough.
Take the tip of that triangle and fold it down into the center of the dough. Press dough after each fold to seal the sticky ends together.
Then, take both sides and fold them into the center to meet over the folded triangle.
Finally, fold the top of the dough down to meet the bottom half closest to you. Seal the seam by pinching or by using the heel of your hand in quick firm pats.
Use the dough scraper or bench knife to add tension to the shaped dough by tucking the ends underneath or by pushing it against the unfloured work surface.
Pick up the tightened oval shaped loaf of dough and place it seam side down into the prepared loaf pan.
Cover the pan with plastic wrap or a clean shower cap.
Proofing Honey Oat Sourdough Sandwich Bread
Proofing can be done at room temperature or cold in the fridge. This stage is also known as the second rise.
Room temperature proof is 1.5-3 hours until the dough is rising over the edge of the loaf pan and has expanded to completely fill the loaf pan.
Because the proofing time range in sourdough is very dependent on room temperature, it may be helpful to read this post on when your dough is finished proofing to learn the signs like the poke test.
The dough should feel soft when pressed with a gentle fingertip with an indentation that remains.
I prefer doing a 12-16 hour cold proof for great flavor, texture, and oven spring.
Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F with a steam pan to create manual steam. See this post for information on baking with manual steam.
Baking Honey Oat Sourdough Bread
Then use a sharp bread lame (sharp bread knife can be used) to cut a score into the top of your loaf in a straight line or a thin crescent shape like I demonstrate in the video.
Place pan into the hot steamy oven. Add a few sprays of water to the walls of the oven then shut the door.
Reduce oven temp to 450 degrees F and bake for 20 minutes.
After 20 minutes, remove steam pan* and continue baking the for 12 to 15 more minutes.
*Safety note: If you are unable to move the pan because there wasn’t enough evaporation or other factor, leave the oven cracked and the steam pan in place for the last part of the bake.
Important: Cooling the Loaves
Turn the baked loaf out onto a cooling rack.
Once bread cools enough to handle, carefully peel off the parchment liner.
Cutting the bread too early will allow steam to escape and interrupts the final part of the baking stage to set the texture of the bread.
Let the bread cool for at least 2-3 hours or, preferably, overnight.
Overnight cooling will allow the bread to slice easily.
Sourdough Lunch Inspiration
This is our favorite sandwich bread for lunches.
Get more inspiration for delicious and kid-friendly sourdough lunches and recipes in this post: 30+ Easy Sourdough Recipes for Lunch that Kids Love!
Savor and Share
With a little bit of tang from the sourdough and sweetness from the oats and honey, this is the perfect sandwich bread.
Use it for sandwiches, breakfast toast, or the most perfect peanut butter and jelly! Or cashew butter and jelly, as is the preference in our household.
My husband even said it reminded him of a wholesome store-bought sandwich brand.
Share this recipe with another sourdough baking friend who’d enjoy a great new soft fluffy bread to try!
After you try it, send me a note, leave a review comment, or tag me on facebook or instagram @livingbreadbaker
I love seeing how people connect with people through bread.
More whole wheat sourdough recipes
- Whole Wheat Sourdough Hokkaido Milk Bread, Japanese inspired
- Sourdough Whole Wheat with Honey Millet Mix and Seeds
- Sourdough Whole Wheat Challah Bread
Just getting started with sourdough?
A competent guide transforms sourdough baking from overwhelming to uncomplicated and fun!
Get My Free Quick Start Sourdough Guide: Learn the key terms and concepts in sourdough baking, including the differences between active sourdough starter and sourdough discard, and how to care for your starter.
Time Planning Help for Sourdough Baking
The #1 need for sourdough bakers is help with time planning, so I created a resource for you.
Sourdough Time Planning Workbook: Perfect for new or experienced bakers, this workbook includes 8 templates ready to fill in and a baking journal. The templates cover 4 different ways to make classic sourdough country breads, 3 time planning worksheets for enriched sourdough bread depending on serving time target, and a blank template. The baking journal goes over baker’s percentages and how to take notes on your sourdough bakes.
Get a free sample of the workbook: Use this sourdough time planning worksheet sample to simplify your baking.
Living Bread Baker posts mentioned
When is sourdough bulk fermentation finished?
When is sourdough finished proofing?
Beginners’ Guide to Sourdough Bread Baking Tools on a Budget
How to Shape a Sourdough Sandwich Loaf and Bake with Steam
Whole Wheat Sourdough Hokkaido Milk Bread, Japanese inspired
Sourdough Whole Wheat with Honey Millet Mix and Seeds
Sourdough Whole Wheat Challah Bread
Shop this post
FREE Sourdough Quick Start Guide
Sourdough Time Planning Workbook & Baking Journal
Customized Sourdough Baking Schedule
My Intro. to Sourdough online course
Sourdough Time Planning Workbook & Baking Journal
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Sourdough Honey Oat Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread
Ingredients
Starter preparation
- 20 g 1 T. sourdough starter
- 60 grams 1/4 cup water
- 60 grams 7 T. all-purpose flour or bread flour
Honey Oat Soaker
- 50 g 1/2 cup and 2 T. quick oats
- 50 g 2 T. 1 t. honey
- 50 g 3 T. 1 t. hot water
Dough ingredients
- 305 g 1 1/4 cup water, divided
- 70 g 1/4 cup whole milk, scalded
- 250 g 1 2/3 cup White bread flour
- 250 g 1 2/3 cup Whole Wheat flour (hard red whole wheat recommended)
- 100 g 1 cup active sourdough starter
- 11 g 2 t. salt
- Honey Oat Soaker
Instructions
- Take 20 grams (1 T.) sourdough starter from your most recent active sourdough starter (ideally) or from discard that is no more than a few days old. Add 60 grams (1/4 c.) water and 60 grams (7 T.) of white flour (all-purpose or bread flour) to the 20 grams of healthy sourdough starter. Mix until there's no dry flour left. Cover and let this starter sit at room temperature for 6 to 12 hours to ferment. It will double in volume and look bubbly.
- Once the starter is active, the first step to prepare the dough is scalding the milk. Add more whole milk than the recipe calls for to allow for evaporation, I recommend adding 90 grams of milk to the pot. Heat the milk over medium to medium-high heat in a medium saucepan until it is steaming and proteins begin to stick to the bottom of the pot. Temperature will be 130 to 140 degrees F. Don't let it foam. Transfer 70g (1/4 c.) of your scalded milk to the large mixing bowl (or bowl of a stand mixer) then add 300 grams (1 cup and 3 T. 2 t.) of the cool or room temperature water. The water temperature will cool your scalded milk down so you can add the flour.
- Add the 250g (1 2/3 cup) white bread flour and 250g (1 2/3 cup) whole wheat flour to the bowl of water and scalded milk. Mix until there's no more dry flour. If using a stand mixer, use the dough hook attachment. Check the bottom of the bowl to make sure all the flour is mixed in. Let this sit for 20-30 minutes. You can leave the dough uncovered or place a towel over it if you have a dryer climate.
- While the dough is doing its autolyse, boil water to create the honey oat soaker. In a small bowl, combine the quick oats, honey, and hot water until all the oats are soaked. Let this sit for the oats to completely soak up the moisture until it is added later.
- After the autolyse, add the 100g active starter and mix in. You may have to do this by hand.
- Add the salt with the reserved 5 grams (1 t.) of water dropped on top of the salt to help it dissolve.
- Massage these ingredients into the dough until full incorporated.
- Wait 30 minutes, then add the honey oat soaker. Mix and fold the dough until all ingredients are completely incorporated. Move to a dough bin or a clean bowl covered with plastic wrap.
- Bulk Ferment: The dough ferments for 5 to 7 hours at room temperature. I recommend doing at least one stretch and fold after 30 minutes of bulk fermentation. With whole wheat dough, don't overdo the stretch and folds, 1-2 is enough.
- Prehaping: Once the dough has fermented, place the bulk on an unfloured surface. Use a bench knife or dough scraper to create a smooth round ball. This can be done by pushing the uneven ends of dough under the smooth top and rotating. Or you can use the scraper to fold one half of the dough over itself to create a smooth top, then use quick short movements to press the uneven parts of dough under the smooth top or rotating the dough until it is smoother, tighter, and round. Let the dough bench rest for 20 minutes. Cover the dough with a dry kitchen towel or tea towel if you have a dry climate or have family members or pets that might disturb it.
- Prepare pans: To make sure your loaves release easily from the loaf pans, I recommend lining them with parchment paper. To do this, you will cut a large piece of parchment paper, turn your loaf pan over, then make four cuts at each corner. Fit the cut parchment into the loaf pan by folding the long edges behind the flap.
- Final Shaping: Lightly flour the round top of your preshaped dough. Gently rub in the flour. The top of the dough should be coated enough that it is not sticky but there shouldn't be excess flour on the counter. Use a bench knife or dough scraper to cleanly pick up the dough from the work surface and flip it flour side down. Gently stretch the dough into a square-like shape by shaking and gentle pulls (not tearing or pulling aggressively). Once the dough is about 8 inches square, take the top two corners of the dough and fold them diagonally to meet in the center to create a triangle shape at the top of the dough. Take the tip of that triangle and fold it down into the center of the dough. Press dough after each fold to seal the sticky ends together. Then, take both sides and fold them into the center to meet over the folded triangle. Finally, fold the top of the dough down to meet the bottom half closest to you. Seal the seam by pinching or by using the heel of your hand in quick firm pats. Use the dough scraper or bench knife to add tension to the shaped dough by tucking the ends underneath or by pushing it against the unfloured work surface. Pick up the tightened oval shaped loaf of dough and place it seam side down into the prepared loaf pan. Cover the pan with plastic wrap or a clean shower cap.
- Proofing: Room temperature proof is 1.5-3 hours until the dough is rising over the edge of the loaf pan and has expanded to completely fill the loaf pan. The dough should feel soft when pressed with a gentle fingertip with an indentation that remains. I prefer doing a 12-16 hour cold proof in the fridge for great flavor, texture, and oven spring.
- Towards the end of the proof, preheat the oven to 500 degrees F with a steam pan (metal pan filled with 1-2 inches water on a bottom oven rack) to create manual steam.
- Scoring: Lightly flour the top of the loaf for a better score. Then use a sharp bread lame (sharp bread knife can be used) to cut a score into the top of your loaf in a straight line or a thin crescent shape like I demonstrate in the video.
- Baking: Place pan into the hot steamy oven. Add a few sprays of water to the walls of the oven then shut the door. Reduce oven temp to 450 degrees F and bake for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, remove steam pan* and continue baking the for 12 to 15 more minutes.
- Cooling: Turn the baked loaf out onto a cooling rack. Once bread cools enough to handle, carefully peel off the parchment liner. Let the loaf of bread cool completely for the best bake and to keep well. Cutting the bread too early will allow steam to escape and interrupts the final part of the baking stage to set the texture of the bread. Let the bread cool for at least 2-3 hours or, preferably, overnight. Overnight cooling will allow the bread to slice easily
Video
Notes
- If you only have rolled oats, use a blender to pulse the oats or a grain mill to mill them to a medium coarseness until the texture looks more like quick oats which don't contain whole oat flakes and have some oat flour in the mixture.
- Brown sugar can be substituted for the honey in a pinch but honey gives the bread its unique honey flavor.
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