Our scrumptious Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread Machine Recipe is a delightful treat for bread enthusiasts and a warm, comforting addition to any kitchen. While this recipe showcases the wholesome goodness of whole wheat and Einkorn flour, you can use all-purpose flour if you prefer; versatility is our bread and butter (pun intended)!
Read on to be guided through the art of crafting a heavenly sourdough loaf in your trusty bread machine. But that’s not all! We’ve sprinkled in some of our finest bread-making tips to elevate your skills and answered your most pressing FAQs about the magical world of bread-making. Let’s get baking!
In This Post
Why Use this Sourdough Bread Machine Recipe?
I don’t usually use a bread machine. Not that I’m against them, but I enjoy the whole process of making bread, especially the kneading. I also like to bake my bread in my cast-iron Dutch oven because of the artisan look it gives the loaf. You can learn how to use and care for cast iron in our sister article dedicated to it.
I couldn’t face turning on my oven on one sultry summer day in the Deep South, but it was bread-making day. I found myself asking, “Can you make sourdough bread in a machine?” So I set out to learn how to make sourdough bread in the bread machine and developed my easy sourdough bread recipe for the bread machine.
After a couple of disappointing loaves made from sourdough bread machine recipes I found on the internet, I figured out the problem. Before sharing my recipe, I want to answer your FAQs and share my best bread-making tips.
FAQ About Sourdough Bread
Do you use yeast in sourdough bread recipes?
There’s no need to toss in extra yeast when you’re working with our sourdough bread recipe for the bread machine. Your sourdough starter is already packing a punch of natural yeast it has captured from the air.
I’m all about savoring the authentic tang of the starter’s yeast. However, I’ll let you in on a little secret – if you’re in a hurry or craving that quick, tantalizing rise, a mere teaspoon of active yeast can speed things up for you.
So, here’s the scoop: Whether it’s a quest for a quicker ascent or simply a preference, that teaspoon of yeast is your ace in the hole when your sourdough starter might be taking its sweet time to rise to the occasion.
What’s the difference between sourdough starter and yeast?
Sourdough starter naturally contains yeast from the flour and captures more from the air. When you mix flour and water, they create an environment where yeast can thrive by feeding on them. This fermentation process is what gives your starter its characteristic bubbliness and tartness.
Interestingly, the yeast in your home imparts a unique flavor to your sourdough. Your environment’s yeast makes each sourdough starter distinct—it’s uniquely yours!
Store-bought yeast is a reliable choice for most baked goods. It interacts with the flour’s gluten, leading to that sought-after rise. Nevertheless, it can be finicky about temperature—too hot, and it’s a goner; too cold, and it remains inactive. Finding the right temperature is crucial to activating this sensitive ingredient.
What makes my sourdough bread so dense and heavy?
The likely culprit here is a chilly starter. The remedy is simple if you’ve been keeping your starter in the refrigerator. Give it a good feeding and let it sit on your countertop for 12-24 hours to regain its warmth and vitality.
However, if your room temperature dips below 75 degrees, it’s time to find a cozier spot for your starter. It craves a room temperature of at least 75 degrees to be at its active best, though it’s even happier at 80 degrees or higher.
I’ve delved into your sourdough questions in detail during one of our podcasts, and I trust you’ll find it quite enlightening.
For more sourdough wisdom, along with a starter recipe and sourdough bread recipe, head over to our companion article on sourdough. It’s a treasure trove of valuable tips and techniques to elevate your sourdough game.
My Best Tips for Making Homemade Bread Recipes: Sourdough and Yeast Breads
The first thing I would tell you is to remember that a sourdough “recipe” is really more of a guideline. Treat it as a starting point for your bread-making. Why, you might ask?
- Your sourdough is alive. Sometimes more so than at others. It won’t act the same every time. It’s not like anyone else’s either.
- Temperature is key to making a starter and bread. Your house may not be as cool as mine or vice versa. The warmer the temperature, the faster things go. So, too, the cooler the temperature, the slower things go.
- The older your starter, the stronger the flavor. This means that if your ratio of starter to flour is high, you’ll have a strongly flavored bread. If you prefer a lighter sourdough taste, you’ll need to lower the amount of your aged starter and replace the missing amount with warm water.
- You may not use the same kind of flour as I do. Yes, the type of flour changes the texture, absorption, and even the proving time of bread.
Tips For This Sourdough Bread Machine Recipe
- Add 1 Tbsp raw, organic apple cider vinegar to the dough while mixing. This will add vital enzymes and give you a lighter dough.
- Always start with the smallest amount of flour and work your way up. Your bread dough should be slightly sticky when you start the first rise. During the first rising, the flour will absorb some of the moisture.
- Resist the temptation to knead the dough until it’s “smooth and elastic” with the first kneading. I know many recipes say to do this, but resist it. Trust me. Over-kneading is the reason for a “tough,” dense loaf. Knead until it starts to be smooth and elastic but is still a little sticky, then stop! The second kneading you do when shaping your loaf will finish it up.
- My best tip for kneading and handling tacky dough is to moisten your hands with water instead of dusting them with flour.
- Rewet them every time the dough begins to stick to you.
- This avoids the mess of flour dust getting everywhere and keeps it moist as well.
- Reserve about 1/3 of the flour your recipe calls for. You’ll add it after the first rising.
- A second kneading may seem time-consuming, but it is well worth it.
- After your first rising, knead in the remaining flour a little at a time.
- Stop kneading as soon as the dough can be handled without sticking to you or your kneading surface.
- Remember that humidity levels directly affect all breads. On a very humid day, you may have to adjust the amount of flour you use.
- I bake bread in my Dutch oven a great deal of the time, and this is how I discovered the importance of steam in the oven.
- I put a pot of boiling water on the bottom shelf of the oven just before I put the loaves in. It produced fantastic results.
- Don’t worry about being perfect. Like any other skill, the more you do it, the better you’ll get. You’ll even develop your way of doing things.
- Don’t rush the preheat. Let your oven reach the correct temperature and maintain it for 20 minutes before putting your bread in.
- This is easily done by starting the preheat 35-40 minutes before you’re ready to bake. Of course, your oven times and temps will vary, so adjust for your situation.
- Different “toppings” develop different crust types. For a crustier top, brush with water just before baking.
- For a soft top, brush with beaten egg just before baking.
- For a spongy, soft crust, brush with melted butter after baking.
- Be sure to allow yourself plenty of time. I set aside about 4 hours on bread-making morning. It only requires 30-40 minutes of work; the rest of the time is spent waiting for the rise and the baking.
- Use high-quality ingredients. Our goal is to buy whole grains and grind them ourselves to use as flour.
- I also use butter and coconut oil for better, lighter bread, and the ingredients have high nutritional value. I don’t recommend using oils, shortening, or margarine.
Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread Machine Recipe
- This makes a 1 1/2-pound loaf
- Add the ingredients in the order listed
- I set my machine on Whole Wheat, Medium, or Dark, depending on how I want it.
- Let your loaf sit for 15 minutes before slicing.
- If you use all-purpose flour, cut the liquid back to 1 1/8 cup starter and 1/8 cup water. Choose the sourdough setting on your bread machine
- You can use any flour you like
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups sourdough starter (learn to make your own starter)
- 1/4 cup warm water (I rinse the cup I used to measure the sourdough starter with 1/4 cup warm water and use it)
- 2 Tbs molasses or honey
- 2 cups whole wheat flour or flour of your choosing – I use Einkorn flour
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (I use Einkorn)
- 2 tsp real salt
- 2/14 tsp (1 pkg) active dry yeast (OPTIONAL for a faster rise)
- 2 Tbs unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, and place in the corners and sides of the pan
Instructions
- Add the ingredients to the machine in the exact order listed above
- Set your machine to the whole wheat setting. Choose your loaf color setting and hit start.
- When the bread is done, remove it from the machine and let the loaf cool in the pan for 15 minutes.
- Remove from the pan and place the loaf on a cooling rack.
- Wait at least 15 minutes before slicing – if you can. Sometimes I don’t, and the slice looks weird, but if you have to have a slice with butter, you just have to, right?
It’s just that easy to make this sourdough bread machine recipe!
You May Also Enjoy
Einkorn Sourdough Starter Recipe
Sourdough Bread Machine Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pound loaf
- 1 ¾ cups Sourdough starter
- ¼ cup warm water I rinse my sourdough cup with 1/4 cup warm water and use that
- 2 TBS Molasses or Honey
- 2 cups whole wheat flour (I use Einkorn Flour) If you use all-purpose flour, cut the liquid back to 1 1/8 cup starter and 1/8 cup water. Choose the sourdough setting on your bread machine
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour (I use Einkorn)
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp active dry yeast (OPTIONAL for faster rise)
- 2 TBS unsalted butter cut into pieces and placed in corners and sides of pan
Instructions
INSTRUCTIONS
- Add the ingredients to your bread machine in the exact order listed
- Set your machine to the whole wheat setting. Choose your loaf color setting and hit start.
- When done, remove from machine and let the loaf cool in the pan for 15 minutes.
- Remove from pan and place loaf on cooling rack. Wait at least 15 minutes before slicing – if you can.
Notes
- Add the ingredients in the order listed
- I set my machine on Whole Wheat, Medium or Dark (just depends on how I feel) since I use whole wheat flour.
- If you use all-purpose flour choose the sourdough setting on your bread machine.
- If you don’t use whole grain flour, cut the liquid back to 1 1/8 cup starter and 1/8 cup water and use the appropriate setting on your machine
- You can use any flour you like
Nutrition
Wrap UP
To wrap things up, I’d like to emphasize the importance of temperature when it comes to your sourdough starter’s vitality. If you ever notice it’s not as active as you’d like, consider whether it might be a bit chilly. The remedy is straightforward—feed it and give it some time on your countertop to warm up and regain its vigor, typically between 12 and 48 hours.
But here’s a personal tip for you: Take into account your room’s temperature. If it’s cooler than 75 degrees, your starter might need a cozier spot. It thrives in an environment of at least 75 degrees and is downright joyful at 80 degrees or more.
Remember, our journey into sourdough doesn’t end here. For even more sourdough knowledge, along with a starter recipe and a sourdough bread machine recipe, make sure to explore our companion article on sourdough. It’s packed with practical tips and guidance to elevate your sourdough game. Happy baking, and may your sourdough adventures be nothing short of delicious!
I’ve made this bread once and very much enjoy it. However, like another poster, mine turned out to be quite dense. The starter was room temp, nice and bubbly, and I followed the recipe exactly using the whole wheat setting on my bread machine. Any thoughts? I’ll definitely make it again; it tastes so good but would like it to be a bit less dense.
I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed the bread!Hm, there are a few things to look at, even if you followed the recipe exactly but it is coming out too dense…
1. Proofing Time and Temperature – Sourdough dough, especially with Einkorn or whole wheat flours, should not be expected to double in size like modern wheat recipes. Einkorn dough should rise to about 40–60% of its original size—overproofing can cause the loaf to collapse and become dense when baked. Make sure your room temperature is warm enough—ideally 75–80°F—since sourdough loves a warmer environment.
2. Flour and Mixing Considerations – If you were using Einkorn flour, it behaves a bit different than modern wheat:
– It absorbs liquids more slowly and is stickier, not smoother.
– It should not be over-kneaded. The gluten in Einkorn is more fragile and doesn’t benefit from long kneading. Over-kneading can damage its structure and lead to a heavy, dense loaf.
– If using whole wheat Einkorn instead of all-purpose, you should also reduce the amount slightly (to ¾ cup for every 1 cup of all-purpose) and increase liquid by about 5%.
3. Measurement Accuracy – Using volume (cups) instead of weight can cause significant inconsistencies in Einkorn flour measurement. The recommendation is to use a scale and assume 138 grams per cup of Einkorn flour.
4. Bread Machine Settings – Even though the recipe is set for the whole wheat setting, the custom rise and bake cycles are key. If your machine allows, try adjusting to:
– Mix/Knead: ~10 minutes
– Rise: ~50 minutes
– Bake: ~50 minutes
You probably did this, but just to be cautious I’ll mention it. Add ingredients in the specific order listed. Ensure you use only 1 ¾ cups starter, and optionally add ¼ tsp yeast if your rise needs help.
5. Adding 1 Tbsp of raw apple cider vinegar can help lighten the dough, improving the texture without altering taste. Fairchild is brand we like.
are you sure only 3/4 water? every recipe i gave seen use 250 to 350mls.
Paul, you’re right my recipe is a little different than most others. I use more starter and less water. Whole wheat bread is more dense than others, as I’m sure you know. If you want to try adding extra water you certainly can. But I looked at the recipe and i don’t see anywehere 3/4 cup of water is mentioned. Can you clarify for me where you see that at?
You have your starter listed in cups. I find it more helpful to have it by weight in grams. Could you add that to your recipe?
Hi Nicole, I will have to wait until I make it again to weigh it because I don’t cook many things by weight. When I do, I’ll add it to the recipe and I’ll reply here again in this comment thread. Until then, Happy Baking!
My bread didn’t turn out; it was too dense. I bought a bread machine to try making bread that way as I was trying, for the last several years, to make a good sourdough Einkorn bread by hand and have no success. I’m think I might need to change my bread machines calculations instead of the preset times. If I did that, could you share what the exact times for each step should be? Thank you
Hi Kathy, I’m sorry your bread was dense. Let’s see if we can help. 1- Was your starter cold? This can be the cause of dense bread. 2-Did you go through the bread making tips in the post to see if they gave you some idea about what might have happened? 3- Since you’re using Einkorn flour, take a look at our Tips for Baking With Einkorn Flour 4- Every bread machine is different. If you have a customizable program on your machine, I would say, specifically to Einkorn flour, mix cycle just until combined – the amount of time would depend on your machine so the first time check it to see; knead for 10 mins not longer; take a longer rising time – at least an hour but not longer than 1 1/2 hours. Overproofing will cause it to collapse and be dense. Don’t wait for it to double in size because Einkorn sourdough bread doesn’t usually do that. I hope this helps. Please let me know if I can help further. Be sure to share with us how it turns out next time.
This worked out really well for me. But all these bread machine seem to be a little different in how they work and how well the loaf turns out. Do you have a bread machine you recommend?
Hello Lora, You are certainly right. All bread machines are a little different. I have one that I recommend above any other. The reason is that it has customizable settings. This is especially helpful if you use Einkorn flour because they need little to no kneading and almost every bread machine setting has long kneading times. This is the bread machine I recommend. This is the bread machine I have which works great, I just have to be home to bake bread to alter the kneading times at the right moment. If you need a compact machine to save space, this bread machine would be my choice.
I hope this helps. Feel free to let me know if you need anything else.
The link I’ve shared with you is an affiliate link which means we’ll make a small commission if you purchase it. Of course, it will mean NO extra charge to you.
Very dense even with the addition of apple cider vinegar.
Oh my, I’m sorry to hear your loaf did not turn out well. I would have to wonder if the yeast was good? Please let me know if I can answer any questions for you. If I don’t know the answer, I’ll try to help you find it.
with all the ads opening and popups on this page it is opening so slowly I cannot even view the recipe. And I have Verion FIOS high speed internet. Just thought you may want to know.
Thank you for informing me. I did receive a email from the ad provider that they were experiencing some changes, I was hoping for the better.
I will contact them asap as I have no control over the ads themselves and would hate for others to experience this.
Much appreciated.
why does the recipe include store-bought active dry yeast if also using the sourdough starter? I’m new at this and thought that the starter would replace the store-bought dry yeast.
Adding baker’s yeast to a sourdough bread can be for the purpose of speeding up fermentation, or to tone down the sour flavor and allow more of the grain flavor to come through. The purpose of having sourdough at all in these breads is to produce a more complex flavor, to increase dough strength, to enhance the keeping quality of the bread, to achieve health benefits that come with sourdough (e.g., increased absorption of minerals), or all of the above
very efficiently written article and your article contains very interesting and very useful facts that i can use for my works. thank you for the article and keep up the good work.
I don’t keep whole wheat flour very often. Could I substitute bread flour instead?
Yes, you can absolutely substitute any flour you like. Just be sure you use the appropriate setting on your bread machine. The whole wheat setting kneads and bakes for whole wheat flour. Let me know if I can help in any other way.
Question? Can this be made in the bread machine on the dough cycle?
Thank you for all the information on the sourdough starter and the bread recipe… My starter looks beautiful now.. It was a beautiful day and I sat it out on the deck . It must have found some of that wild yeast…..
Birdie, the dough cycle will not knead and thoroughly mix this dough. I don’t think it will bake it either, at least my dough cycle only mixes and raises dough. If you don’t have a whole wheat cycle on your machine, try a “Homemade” cycle, or “Sandwich” cycle. The homemade cycle will let you select your variables. If you don’t use whole wheat flour, the “Sandwich” cycle should work. I hope this is of some help to you. Let me know how your bread turns out on the different cycle. Your experiments will help others with the same question and teach me something as well! 🙂