This simple recipe produces a sturdy yet soft loaf that is perfect for piling high with your favorite sandwich or toast toppings. My Whole Wheat Sourdough Discard Sandwich Bread recipe is made with 100% whole wheat flour which gives it a hearty and delicious flavor and aroma that pairs beautifully with the tangy discard. It is one of our favorites around here. I especially love it for grilled cheese or for buttery toast alongside my eggs every morning. Grab your starter and let's get baking!
If you enjoy the nutty, hearty taste and texture of whole wheat, then this is the sandwich bread for you. It is so flavorful from the whole wheat, honey, and tangy sourdough discard. My toddler actually prefers this whole wheat bread over my regular Sourdough Discard Sandwich Bread and over my Artisan Sourdough Bread.
My discard sandwich bread continues to be wildly popular and I have had a few requests for a whole wheat version so here you go! I hope you love it as much as we do.
Instructions
Here is the easy step-by-step process in photos:
Mix milk, butter, honey, and yeast. Let sit for 5-10 minutes until foamy.
Add sourdough discard.
Add whole wheat flour and salt.
Knead with dough hook for 7 minutes.
Cover and rise until doubled.
Press into a rectangle and roll up into a tight log.
Place in greased loaf pan.
Cover and rise for 60-90 minutes.
Ensure dough does not rise more than one inch above edge of pan.
Hint: Be sure to grease your loaf pan really well unless you are using non-stick (and even if you are, it can't hurt!). This will help the bread rise to its fullest potential as well as ensure it slides out of the pan with ease. This is the small pullman loaf pan I used in these photos. I love the tall, straight sides and use it for all of my sandwich breads!
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More Sourdough Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Whole Wheat Sourdough Discard Sandwich Bread Recipe
This 100% Whole Wheat Sourdough Discard Sandwich Bread is hearty, aromatic, flavorful and perfect for sandwiches or toast.
- Total Time: about 4 hours
- Yield: 1 9x4 sandwich loaf
Ingredients
1 ¼ cups whole milk (284 grams), warmed to 100-110 degrees F
4 tablespoons (56.5 grams) butter, melted (salted or unsalted)
4 tablespoons (84 grams) honey
2 ¼ teaspoons (7 grams) active dry yeast
½ cup (140 grams) sourdough discard
3 ¾ cups whole wheat flour (450 grams), I use King Arthur Organic
1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Place warm milk, melted butter, honey, and yeast in bowl of stand mixer and whisk to combine. Allow to sit for 5-10 minutes until foamy.
- Next add sourdough discard, flour, and salt.
- Knead with a dough hook for 7 minutes on speed 2. This is a softer dough and will stick to the bottom of the bowl but it should pull away from the sides. Don't be afraid of the stickiness and be tempted to add much more flour or you will have a very dense loaf of bread.
- Cover dough and allow to rise until doubled. This will take 60-90 minutes.
- In the meantime, grease a 9x4 or 9x5 loaf pan. If you want a taller, straight-sided loaf, I recommend this small pullman pan. I used it for the loaf in these photos - it is one of my favorites.
- Once doubled, turn onto a work surface and press into a roughly 8x12 inch rectangle - use your loaf pan as a guide. Roll the dough up into a tight log, pinching the seams to seal.
- Place into loaf pan seam side down.
- Cover and let rise until the dough is no more than one inch above loaf pan. This will take about an hour but keep an eye on it. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F during last 20 minutes of rising time.
- Bake in preheated oven for 45-50 minutes or until an internal temperature of 190-200 degrees F. Tent with foil after 20 minutes to prevent over-browning.
- Carefully remove from pan and let cool on rack before slicing.
Notes
- You will not get a lot of oven spring with a 100% whole wheat loaf so you must let it rise fully before baking or you will have a very dense loaf. 1 inch above the pan edge is what you are looking for.
- Instant yeast can be used instead of active dry yeast.
- Another sweetener can be used instead of honey such as cane sugar, maple syrup, brown sugar, sucanat, etc. If you use a dry sweetener you may want to add a few extra tablespoons of milk or water.
- Buttermilk can be used but you will want to bloom your yeast in a bit of water as the acidity from buttermilk is not great for activating yeast and could potentially kill it.
- If you want to replace some of the whole wheat flour with white bread flour you can. You will get a softer crumb and a higher rise.
- If you want to make this without yeast, you will need to use an active, bubbly starter and increase your rising times significantly.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes active
- rising: 3 hours
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: bread, sourdough
- Method: baking, sourdough
- Cuisine: American
Jolene says
How to store and for how long? I'm excited to try it!
anita | wild thistle kitchen says
Hi Jolene. I store this at room temp in either a glass cake stand or a plastic bag for about 4 days. If you need it to last longer, you can slice and freeze it. I hope you enjoy it!
Bree says
Made this recipe today because I have so much SD discard I needed to get rid of. I added flax seeds and oats to the top and the bread came out perfectly. It is currently 11pm but I cannot wait to toast a slice in the morning with some butter and jam. FWD'd this recipe to all my friends and family who bake. thank you!!
Alison Creighton says
hi Anita , wow , wow wow !!! I have spent forever trying to make a full wholemeal loaf that isn't dense answer heavy like a brick . until yesterday . . and today ! your recipe is so good , I made one loaf then and another for my pregnant daughter to try . her response after eating a slice " oh wow mum , you have baked a wholemeal heaven and I'll order 1 a week and 2 after the baby is born " I don't know what witchery you performed creating this recipe , but this little potion is going right into my nan's , then my mum's and now my recipe journal ! thanks so much Anita
anita | wild thistle kitchen says
Hi Alison! This comment really made my day! Thank you so much for giving my recipe a try and for coming back to leave this wonderful feedback! I appreciate you!! - Anita
Sonja Goldinak says
Would you recommend half whole wheat flour and half white all purpose flour?
Thank you
anita | wild thistle kitchen says
Hi Sonja. Yes, you can use that ratio. 🙂 If you feel like the dough is overly sticky while mixing just add a touch more all purpose. Let me know how it goes! - Anita
Tiffany says
Can I use water instead of the milk?
anita | wild thistle kitchen says
Hi Tiffany. Milk adds tenderness, moisture, and a bit of sweetness, but water will work as a substitute. Let me know if you have any other questions. - Anita