Whole Wheat Sourdough Sandwich Loaf

If your New Year’s resolution was to eat healthy or if you are just particular about your bread ingredients, this whole wheat sourdough sandwich loaf is a perfect way to add more grains and nutrients to your daily diet.

Here is the recipe.

Ingredients

Sourdough Starter

• 7g sourdough starter
• 35g water
• 35g bread flour

Oatmeal Soaker 

• 50g rolled oats 
• 240g hot boiling water

Dough

• 300g whole grain whole wheat flour (100%)
• 60g water (20%)
• 30g melted butter or oil without flavor (10%)
• 30g honey (10%)
• 250g porridge or soaker 
• 60g of levain (20%)
• 6g salt (2%)

Directions 

Day 1

Starter 

• 10 pm add starter to the water and whisk together, add flour, mix well, cover loosely, let it sit at a room temp 74-78F for about 8-10 hours until starter reaches its peak (at least triples in volume).

Soaker

• 10 pm boil water, pour the boiling water over the oats, cover it, let it soak until next morning.

Day 2

Dough

• 8 am mix water, flour, honey, sourdough starter (60g on its peak, the rest use for future feedings), all the soaker, let it autolyse for 1 hour.

• During the autolyse process the flour becomes fully hydrated. This activates gluten development.
• 9 am mix dough on low speed of your mixing machine for 2-3 minutes, or KitchenAid on speed 3 for 3-4 minutes until well incorporated.
• Add salt, mix for a couple more minutes. Add melted butter or oil, mix for 10 more minutes until the dough is well incorporated and comes up together.

• Cover and let it proof for 3-4 hours at 76-80F/ 24-28C.
• During that time perform 2 stretches and folds.
• The dough should become slightly puffy.

• 1 pm transfer the dough to the fridge for cold fermentation for 4-8hours

• 10 pm Remove the dough from the fridge.
• Shape as desired. I rolled it into a long roll same length as a baking/loaf pan. 
• Also you can roll the dough into wheat bran.

• Transfer the shaped loaf into the loaf pan.
• Cover the dough and let it proof for 8-10 hours at 70-72 F /20-22C until it doubles in volume (usually it’s ready by the next morning).

Day 3

• 6-7 am dough has to double or more in volume.
• Preheat oven to 375F.
• Bake for 35 min until golden brown.

Enjoy your whole wheat sourdough sandwich loaf.

Whole Wheat Sourdough Sandwich Loaf

1716kcal

No ratings yet

Pinterest Facebook Share on X

Share Print

Prep 45 minutes mins

Cook 35 minutes mins

Total 1 day d 20 minutes mins

This recipe delivers an exceptionally healthy, soft, and nutrient-dense bread perfect for your daily diet. By combining 100% whole grain whole wheat flour with a soothing oatmeal porridge soaker and sweet honey, you completely bypass the dry, dense texture common in standard whole wheat loaves, securing a beautifully pillowy crumb instead.

Servings 1 loaf

Cuisine American

Ingredients

1x2x3x

Sourdough Starter Levain (Night Before)

• ▢ 7 g Sourdough starter culture
• ▢ 35 g Water
• ▢ 35 g Bread flour

The Creamy Oatmeal Soaker (Night Before)

• ▢ 50 g Rolled oats
• ▢ 240 g Hot boiling water

The 100% Whole Wheat Main Dough

• ▢ 300 g Whole grain whole wheat flour (100%)
• ▢ 60 g Water (20%)
• ▢ 30 g Honey (10%)
• ▢ 60 g Active sourdough starter levain (20% – From the stage above)
• ▢ 250 g Prepared oatmeal porridge soaker (From the stage above)
• ▢ 6 g Salt (2%)
• ▢ 30 g Melted butter or flavorless vegetable oil (10%)
• ▢ Extra wheat bran (Optional – Reserved for coating the exterior crown)

Equipment

• ▢
  9-Inch Loaf Pan (Essential for accommodating the volume expansion of this nutrient-rich dough)
• ▢
  Stand Mixer (Crucial for handling the mechanical mixing required to thoroughly incorporate the thick oatmeal soaker)
• ▢
  Rolling Pin (Optional, for pressing out air pockets before rolling the loaf into a uniform log)
• ▢
  Pastry Brush
• ▢
  Kitchen Scale

Method

Prevent Sleep ModePrevent Sleep Mode

Night Before – Levain Initialization & Oatmeal Soaker

1. 10:00 PM – Starter Build: In a small glass jar, add your 7g of starter culture to 35g of water and whisk together cleanly. Stir in 35g of bread flour. Mix thoroughly, cover loosely, and let it sit at room temperature 74–78°F (23–26°C) overnight for 8 to 10 hours until the starter reaches its peak and at least triples in volume.
2. 10:00 PM – Creamy Oatmeal Soaker: Weigh out 50g of rolled oats in a heatproof bowl. Pour 240g of hot boiling water directly over the oats, cover tightly with a lid or plastic wrap, and let it soak on your counter overnight until the next morning.

Day 2 – The Porridge Autolyse & Mechanical Mixing

1. 8:00 AM – The Porridge Autolyse: In your stand mixer bowl, combine the 60g of water, 300g of whole wheat flour, 30g of honey, 60g of your active overnight starter peak, and exactly 250g of your soft prepared oatmeal porridge soaker. Mix thoroughly with a spoon just until all dry flour spots entirely disappear. Cover and let rest for exactly 1 full hour. During this autolyse, the bran-heavy whole wheat flour completely absorbs the moisture, softening the grains and safely initiating gluten development.
2. 9:00 AM – Developing Gluten: Attach your dough hook. Mix the autolysed porridge dough on low speed for 2 to 3 minutes (or use a KitchenAid mixer on speed 3 for 3 to 4 minutes) until well incorporated. Add the 6g of salt and continue mixing for a couple of minutes until the dough begins to pull together.
3. The Fat Incorporation: Turn the mixer back on low speed and gradually pour in the 30g of melted butter (or flavorless oil). Once the fat is introduced, increase the speed to medium-high and mix continuously for 10 full minutes until the fat is completely emulsified and the dough forms a uniform, cohesive mass.
4. Bulk Proof with Intervals: Cover the container tightly and let it proof for 3 to 4 hours in a warm environment kept at 76–80°F (24–28°C). During this window, perform 2 gentle rounds of stretches and folds to organize the vertical gluten network. The dough should feel noticeably lighter and slightly puffy to the touch.
5. 1:00 PM – Cold Fermentation Retard: Slide the entire covered proofing container directly into your refrigerator to rise slowly for 4 to 8 hours of cold fermentation retard until evening.

Day 2 (Night) – Shaping & Final Overnight Proof

1. 10:00 PM – Tension Rolling: Remove the chilled whole wheat dough from your refrigerator. Tip it onto a lightly floured work surface. Roll the dough out cleanly into a long, flat sheet, then roll it up tightly away from you into a uniform cylinder matching the exact length of your loaf pan. (The Visual Upgrade: If you want a gorgeous, rustic finish, roll the exterior top crown of your shaped cylinder through a shallow tray of raw wheat bran before placing it into the pan).
2. The Overnight Counter Rise: Line the bottom of a 9-inch loaf pan with parchment paper. Transfer your shaped cylinder into the pan, seam-side down. Cover loosely and let it proof overnight on your counter for 8 to 10 hours at a stable room temperature of 70–72°F (20–22°C) until next morning. It must completely double in volume.

Day 3 – The Sandwich Bake

1. Next Morning – Baking: By 6:00 AM or 7:00 AM, your loaf should be completely doubled or more in volume. Preheat your home oven to 375°F (190°C). Slide the pan onto the middle rack of the preheated oven and bake for 35 minutes until the crust turns a uniform, deep golden brown. Remove from the oven, turn the loaf out onto a wire cooling rack, and let it cool completely before slicing!

Nutrition

Calories1716kcalCarbohydrates301gProtein54gFat42gSaturated Fat4gPolyunsaturated Fat13gMonounsaturated Fat21gTrans Fat0.1gCholesterol9mgSodium450mgPotassium1408mgFiber38gSugar26gVitamin A36IUVitamin C0.4mgCalcium155mgIron14mg

Notes

• Why the Oatmeal Soaker is Absolutely Crucial: Standard 100% whole wheat flour contains high levels of coarse bran layers that act like tiny razor blades, cutting through delicate strands of gluten and yielding a dense, heavy brick. Incorporating a 10-hour overnight boiling water oatmeal soaker solves this entirely. The hydrated oats gelatinize to trap immense moisture inside the crumb matrix, shielding your gluten strings and ensuring a beautifully light, flexible sandwich bread.
• Managing High-Hydration Whole Wheat Flour: Because whole grain flours vary significantly in their natural protein levels and absorption capabilities, pay attention to the dough feel during step 3. If the mixture appears too loose or fails to clear the sides of the bowl during the high-speed butter stage, do not hesitate to sprinkle in an extra tablespoon of whole wheat or bread flour to tighten the core mass.
• Troubleshooting Your Ambient Overnight Pan Proof: This recipe relies on a prolonged 8 to 10-hour countertop proof inside the pan overnight. For best results, your ambient kitchen temperature should sit right around 70–72°F (20–22°C). If your home runs excessively warm or you are baking in the middle of summer, the dough will ferment much faster; check it occasionally to ensure it does not overproof and collapse over the sides before your morning bake.

Tried this recipe?

Let us know how it was!

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.