Name: Sourdough Bread With Freshly Milled Flour
Yield: 1
Cuisine: Sourdough
Ingredients: 500 grams milled flour mix (125g milled kamut, 375g milled hard white wheat); 420 grams warm water; 100 grams active starter; 10 grams salt

Sourdough bread with freshly milled flour is a flavorful and nutritious twist on traditional sourdough bread. Made with freshly milled flour, this whole wheat sourdough bread offers a rich taste and a texture you won’t get from store-bought loaves. If you’re looking for a healthier, homemade option, this recipe is just what you need!

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Close up of freshly baked whole grain sourdough loaf

Baking is one of my greatest joys, and there’s something truly special about making this whole wheat sourdough bread with freshly milled flour to create a loaf that’s both delicious and packed with nutrients. We all want to eat healthier, and when it comes to bread, there’s no better way than using freshly milled flour to preserve all the goodness nature has to offer.

Home-milled flour creates whole grain bread because the entire part of the wheat is used — the bran, the germ, and the endosperm. Compared to all-purpose flour and even whole wheat store-bought flour, milling your own flour gives it more nutrients.

After flour is milled, the nutrient levels decline. Fresh flour is more nutrient-dense! This means your sourdough loaf will contain all the nutrients and vitamins that are naturally present in wheat. It’s a huge win! I created a guide all about baking with freshly milled flour if you want to learn more!

If you’re a home baker like me and want to bring more nutrient-rich, wholesome ingredients into your kitchen, then this is the perfect recipe to try—it will give you the rustic, unique flavor of sourdough, with a nutritional value you’ll feel good about! Once you try it, you’ll love it.

And if you need more delicious sourdough bread recipes, try out our Easy English Muffins, Overnight Bagels, and Easy Tortillas! To easily add whole grains to these recipes, replace half the commercial flour with fresh-milled flour using soft or hard white wheat berries.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Incredible Flavor: The mix of whole wheat and sourdough creates a tangy yet hearty flavor that’s truly irresistible. Fresh milled flour has much more taste than conventional flour.

Nutrient-Rich: Whole grains are a great source of vitamins and minerals. Freshly milled whole grain flour has all the fiber, vitamins, and minerals intact, giving you a healthier loaf that white flour can’t give.

Easy to Make: With just a few ingredients, you’ll be able to make a stunning loaf of bread that rivals any bakery loaf!

Sourdough loaf and freshly milled flour on a baking mitt with a bench scraper

What Is Sourdough Bread With Freshly Milled Flour?

Whole wheat sourdough bread with freshly milled flour is a delicious and nutritious variation of the classic sourdough bread. Instead of using refined flour, we use freshly milled whole wheat flour, which is ground directly from grains such as kamut and hard white wheat berries. This type of flour is packed with essential nutrients, fiber, and protein, making your bread a wholesome addition to any meal.

The combination of sourdough starter and freshly milled flour brings a distinct, tangy flavor to the bread, paired with a chewy, moist crumb and a crisp crust. It’s the kind of bread that tastes like it came straight from a local bakery but with the added benefit of knowing exactly what’s going into it.

Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread from Freshly Milled Flour Ingredients

Kamut (khorasan) whole wheat: Mixing khorasan with white wheat adds a depth of flavor to this loaf. I purchase my wheat berries from Azure Standard. For this recipe, you will use 25% kamut or 125g freshly milled kamut.
Hard white wheat berries: Hard white wheat is the closet thing to bread flour because of its protein content. It’s perfect for bread dough and provides the best results! I purchase mine from Azure Standard. For this recipe, you will use 75% hard white wheat or 375 grams freshly milled hard white wheat.
Active sourdough starter: You need active starter for the dough to rise and develop that signature tangy taste. You can easily make your own starter (King Arthur has a simple tutorial). Once you do, I recommend a stiff starter mtehod.

A full list of ingredients and quantities can be found in the recipe card below.

Tools You May Need

Grain mill. This is an essential tool. Many people like the Nutrimill grain mill. I have a Fibidus I purchased on marketplace that I love.

Kitchen scale. Baking, especially with whole grains, is more accurate when done by weight.

Sourdough baking kit. I personally love having a bench scraper, bread lame, bannetons, a wooden spoon, and liners. These aren’t strictly necessary, but they are helpful!

Sourdough starter with a freshly baked loaf in the background.

Two loaves of freshly baked whole grain sourdough.

How To Make Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread from Freshly Milled Flour

Grind your wheat berries.
Combine the warm water and starter in a large bowl, then add the freshly milled flour and form into a rough, shaggy dough. I start mine with a danish dough whisk, then finish mixing by hand until no dry flour is left. Cover with a damp tea towel, then allow to rest for 30 minutes. This is the autolyse where the flour and water mix to help form the gluten content in the bread.
Sprinkle salt over the bread dough and mix in well using wet hands.
Perform a set of stretch and folds for the first time. Reach under the dough, then pull it up and over onto itself. Repeat three more times, rotating the bowl a quarter turn each time. Cover with a damp tea towel, then allow to rest for 30 minutes.
Repeat the stretch and fold process a second time. Cover and allow the dough to rest 30 minutes. Do this two more times over the next hour, stretching every 30 minutes.
Cover the dough with a damp towel, then set it in a warm place. This is the bulk fermentation. Allow to ferment on your kitchen counter until the loaf is almost doubled in size.
Shape your loaves. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and let the dough rest for 10 minutes. If desired, use a bench scraper to cut the dough in half. To shape into around, pull the dough into a loose rectangle. Fold each end into the middle, then roll the dough up and away from you. Pull it across the counter into a ball shape. Then, place the dough into an oiled bread pan or banneton basket (or bowl lined with a tea towel) for the final proof. Allow a short second rise of about 30 minutes.
Transfer the banneton basket to the refrigerator for cold fermentation. Allow the bread dough to cold ferment for a couple of hours or overnight, depending on your schedule. If you want, you can leave overnight and bake the next morning.
Preheat your oven to 450 with a dutch oven inside. Remove your cold proofed loaf and flip it out onto a piece of parchment paper or bread sling. To create a very visible design on your final loaf, dust the top of the loaf with rice flour. This is optional. Use a razor blade, sharp knife, or bread lame to score your loaf. Carefully transfer the bread sling or parchment paper to the hot dutch oven.
Bake at 450, covered, for 20 minutes. Then lower the heat to 425, remove the top of the dutch oven, and allow the to bake uncovered for another 20 minutes or until the top is golden brown, the side of the dough is cooked through, and the internal temperature in the middle the loaf is 200-210 F.
Cool thoroughly, then enjoy!

Freshly baked sourdough bread with flour, starter, and water in the background.

Recipe Tips

Be patient: Sourdough requires time to develop its flavor and texture, so don’t rush the process. Allow the dough to rise slowly, and give it time to ferment for a richer flavor. If it is cold in your home, choose a warm spot to improve your dough rise.
Increase the protein: If you find that your bread doesn’t get the oven spring you want, you can add some vital wheat gluten to the bread dough. Add 15-20 grams of vital wheat gluten to the mixing bowl when you add your flour.
Use a preheated dutch oven: This helps you get a nice crust on the bottom of the loaf. If you don’t have a dutch oven, you can use a loaf pan. To do this, place a pan of water on the bottom rack to create steam and ensure your loaf stays moist. Then remove the pan of water when you lower the temperature to 425°F.

Recipe FAQs

Yes, you can use store-bought whole wheat flour, but freshly milled flour provides a more flavorful and nutritious loaf. The milling process preserves all the natural oils and nutrients in the wheat.

The rise time can vary based on the temperature and strength of your sourdough starter, but it usually takes around 6-8 hours for the dough to fully rise at room temperature. If you’re in a colder climate, you can let it rise longer or place it in a slightly warmer area.

You can, but the flavor won’t be the same. Sourdough starter is essential for that tangy, complex flavor that defines sourdough bread. If you’re looking for a quicker option, you could substitute it with instant yeast, but it will lack that signature sourdough tang.

To store fresh sourdough bread, keep it at room temperature wrapped in a paper bag, beeswax lined bag, or a tea towel.

You can cut your loaf in half and store it cut-side down in a bread box.

You can store in a plastic bag or with plastic wrap, but this isn’t ideal. It traps moisture and softens the crust, allowing mold to form.

For longer storage, slice and freeze the bread, wrapping it tightly to preserve freshness.

I hope you enjoy this recipe!

Sourdough Bread With Freshly Milled Flour

Yield: 1 loaf

Made with freshly milled flour, this whole wheat sourdough bread offers a rich taste and a texture you won't get from store-bought loaves.

Ingredients

500 grams milled flour mix (125g milled kamut, 375g milled hard white wheat)
420 grams warm water
100 grams active starter
10 grams salt

Instructions

Grind your wheat berries.
Combine the warm water and starter in a large mixing bowl, then add the freshly milled flour and form into a rough dough. I start mine with a danish dough whisk, then finish mixing by hand until no dry flour is left. Cover with a damp tea towel and allow to rest four about 30 minutes. This is the autolyse where the flour and water mix to help form the gluten content in the bread.
Sprinkle the salt over the bread dough and mix in well using wet hands.
After the salt is combined, perform a set of stretch and folds for the first time. Reach under the dough, pull it up and over onto itself. Repeat this process three more times, turning the bowl in a 1/4 circular motion each time. Cover with a damp tea towel and allow to rest for 30 minutes.
Repeat the stretch and fold process a second time, then cover and allow the dough to rest 30 minutes. Do this two more times over the next hour, stretching every 30 minutes.
Cover the dough with a damp towel and set it in a warm place. This is the bulk fermentation. Allow to ferment until the loaf is almost doubled in size.
Shape your loaves. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. If desired, use a bench scraper to cut the dough in half. To shape into around, pull the dough into a loose rectangle. Mentally divide the rectangle into thirds and fold each end into the middle. Roll the dough up and away from you and pull it across the counter into a ball shape. Place the dough into an oiled bread pan or banneton basket (or bowl lined with a tea towel) for the final proof. Allow a short second rise of about 30 minutes.
Transfer the banneton basket to the refrigerator for cold fermentation. Allow the bread dough to cold ferment for a couple of hours or overnight, depending on your schedule.
Preheat your oven to 450 with a dutch oven inside. Remove your cold proofed loaf and flip it out onto a piece of parchment paper or onto a bread sling. To create a very visible design on your final loaf, you can dust the top of the loaf with rice flour. This is optional. Use a razor blade or bread lame to score your loaf. Carefully transfer the bread sling or parchment paper to the hot dutch oven.
Bake at 450, covered, for 20 minutes. Then, lower the heat to 425, remove the top of the dutch oven, and allow the bread dough to bake uncovered for another 20 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the side of the dough is cooked through.
Cool thoroughly, then enjoy!

Notes

If you find that your bread doesn't get the oven spring you want, add 15-20 grams of vital wheat gluten to the mixing bowl when you add your flour.
If you don't have a dutch oven, you can use a loaf pan. To do this, place a pan of water on the bottom rack to create steam and ensure your loaf stays moist. Remove the pan of water when you lower the temperature to 425°F.