Sourdough Bread With Fresh Milled Flour Made EASY
Sourdough Bread With Fresh Milled Flour Made EASY! If I can do it, you can do it. It is ok to fail, as long as you try again!
Ok, I had to do it! I am by no means a professional sourdough baker. I am assuming you have also seen those beautiful crusty sourdough loaves that are scored so perfectly that look like a piece of art that should be in an art gallery! Yes, I have seen those too, and they are gorgeous!
Beginner Sourdough Bakers
But, What About the Rest Of Us?
Right? The rest of us home bakers that just want to put healthy food on the table, and don’t have years to perfect a loaf before we can serve it to our family. I hear you! I am one of you! So, I decided to share my recipe.
You can see where the sourdough loaf decided it wanted to rise more, even where I did not have it scored. I love when a loaf comes alive and makes it’s own decisions, even if this may be considered a flaw to some. Each Sourdough bread loaf is different, and they all have their own character!
My Sourdough Journey
In the beginning, I had a beautiful sourdough journey, But, it did start out with 100% commercial white flour. I was lucky to take a class several years ago back in 2017. And, I soaked in all the info I could! The teacher also shared some of her over 100 year old Authentic San Francisco sourdough starter. I was so grateful for this amazing free gift! I cherished it and cared for it for many years.
How I Killed My Original Sourdough Starter
Then…. I killed it. sad day. That is the day I learned that bleached flour can kill your sourdough starter. I tried to no avail to revive him. But, in the long run, it was ok. Because, this forced me to make my own starter from scratch. Which I did, and did again, and did again. Sigh… You know what I mean right? I tried and failed, tried and failed again, and finally success! It is frustrating to mess up so many times, but WOW the satisfaction you feel when it finally works out, and is bubbly and YOURS!
My Sourdough Starter Made With Fresh Milled Flour
Eventually, I had a 100% fresh milled flour sourdough starter, made from scratch, by me! And, you know what? I take so much better care of something that I put so much time and effort on! “Bubbles,” my sourdough starter, is kind of like a pet in our house. He comes out on the counter and makes delicious food for us, then he gets to go on “vacation” in the fridge for a week or so if we have travel days, or a busy schedule, and I know he will get neglected.
Here is Bubbles, my sourdough starter. He is made with 100% Freshly Milled Flour. I use a mix of different whole wheat flours. Whichever wheat berry I use that day is typically what Bubbles gets fed.
Struggling With Fresh Milled Flour Sourdough
I struggled with making a good sourdough loaf once I switched to fresh milled flour. It was very frustrating to me, and I felt like I was wasting so much! Either the loaf was too dense, or way too sour, just completely inedible. I almost gave up! And, I put my sourdough starter, Bubbles in “time out” in my refrigerator for awhile. Oh, I wanted to just cry! How could I have the most beautiful loaves of sourdough bread with regular flour, but not with fresh milled flour.
Don’t Give Up On Sourdough, Try & Learn Until You Succeed!
But, if you know me at all, you know I just could not give up! Every time I opened my fridge, there was “Bubbles” just looking at me, almost begging to give him another try. Well, I am so glad my determination paid off, and I had to give it another try.
Each time I had a failed loaf, I learned something. Actually, I am still learning things. Every time I bake bread, any kind of bread, I learn!
Tricks To Sourdough Bread With Fresh Milled Flour Making It Easy
There are a couple tricks to know when working with fresh milled flour to make Sourdough Bread. I can tell you there are 2 major things I noticed, and once I switched things up, I started having success! Are my sourdough loaves perfect? No, Are they delicious, and nutritious? YES!
The first thing I realized is that Fresh milled flour (the hard wheat varieties) are so much thirstier! I used to make 75% hydration loaves with white flour with no issues. I found that fresh milled flour needs to be at a minimum 80% hydration. Don’t worry, I will cover what the heck hydration level is, and what I am talking about next.
The second important thing I realized was that fresh milled flour seems to ferment much quicker. So, I realized that overnight fermentation that I always did with white flour sourdough wasn’t working with fresh milled flour, it was ending up WAY to sour, and that is coming from family members who love a sour bread. (Not me, I prefer a mild sourness.)
This day I was using Spelt. These everyday Grain Storage Bins are Amazing to have on hand! They completely seal for freshness and keep out moisture, and they have a nice wide opening so I can get a large measuring scoop in and out easily. You can grab some HERE
What Is Hydration Level In Sourdough Bread?
Hydration level is the moisture level in the bread dough. Ok, great… what does that mean?
The hydration level in Sourdough Bread (or any bread, really, just more commonly talked about with sourdough) is always based on the weight of the flour, generally in grams. So, for example, if I start with 1000 grams of flour, and I use 800 grams of water, then the bread is 80% hydration. I hope that example makes sense.
Bakers Percentage Made Easy
So, to elaborate more on the hydration level, this also ties into bakers percentages. This will also come up when adding salt. So, let’s take that same 1000 grams of flour, and add 800 grams of water, and 20 grams of salt. These numbers may change with different recipes, but the precents will always go off the weight of the flour. So, with our example loaf, we have 80% hydration, and 2% salt. (this ratio will actually give you 2 nice loafs.)
Why Do I Need To Weigh The Ingredients To Make Sourdough?
Ok, this one can be super controversial (well, sourdough in general seems to be a bit controversial, lol – This is why it took me this long to make a sourdough loaf post, it takes bravery to write a post on sourdough, lol)
Do you need to weigh the ingredients to make sourdough? The answer is yes, and no! How can it be both? Well, if you want a truly successful loaf, that has correct ratios, and the proper procedure, yes. BUT, can you do without measuring in a pinch, sure. (Please sourdough experts, don’t kill me here! lol) I understand not every baker wants to weigh, and was taught to bake exclusively by volume (i.e. cups, etc.) So, for you guys, my recipe has weight and volume.
Measuring your ingredients by weight is still recommended and will give you better results with more accuracy. When measuring by volume, the amounts can vary based on density of flour and how much each persons flour is fluffed, etc.
I try to keep it simple, but when baking, a small kitchen scale gives me more accuracy.
Kitchen Scale
The great thing is kitchen scales are fairly cheap, and you may find yourself happy to have it for other kitchen projects as well. HERE is a link to a fairly inexpensive kitchen scale like the one I have. I have found many uses for mine over the years!
Ingredients For Sourdough Bread Made With Fresh Milled Flour – Easy
- 1 TBSP Sourdough Starter (15-20g) (Active, healthy, and bubbly)
- 550 g of Fresh Milled Hard White Wheat Flour – Divided (I mill by weight, but it should be about 3 cups of wheat berries milled into about 4&2/3 cups of total milled flour)
- 10 g sea salt (1&3/4tsp)
- 475 g room temperature filtered water – Divided (about 2 cups)
- Dusting of rice flour
Instructions For Easy Sourdough Bread Made With Fresh Milled Flour
I will try to explain this process in the best way possible. It may sound intimidating, but the process is not really as difficult as it may sound. I will put the volume and weight, but I HIGHLY suggest you use a scale and make this by weight! This recipe makes 4 Bread Bowls.
MAKE THE LEAVEN THE NIGHT BEFORE
- To make the leaven the night before, you use 1 TBSP of a hungry starter and mix it with 50g water(1/4cup) and 50g fresh milled hard white wheat flour (1/2cup). Mix to combine, and let sit covered at room temperature overnight.
THE NEXT MORNING
- Firstly, pour 400g of room temperature filtered water into a medium bowl.
- Then, add the leaven you made the night before. (the leaven should appear to lightly float if it is ready) Stir.
- Next, add 500 g of fresh milled hard white wheat flour, mix until no dry flour is left. Cover and let sit for 30- 45 minutes. This is called the Autolyse.
- In a separate small bowl, add 25g room temperature filtered water(1/8cup) and 10g of sea salt(1&3/4 tsp), stir to start dissolving the salt.
- Then, after it had a chance to absorb the water, now add the salt & water mixture. and mix it in with your hands. You should see that the dough already is softer and not so shaggy. Cover, and let sit for 30-60 minutes. This is the beginning of the Bulk Ferment.
- Pull & fold dough in the bowl, turning the bowl a few times, Then cover.
- Repeat this Pull & Fold technique every 30-60 minutes until the dough rises about 20-30%. It should get bubbly, and stretchy over time. This phase should take about 4-6 hours.
Shaping The Loaf
- Then, take it to a clean flat work surface, start to shape the loaf. Use the cup & turn technique to form a round shape.
- Let the dough ball rest for 10-20 minutes. This is called the Bench Rest.
- Repeat shaping 1-2 more times, until the dough ball forms good surface tension. You should notice the dough ball “remembers” better each time you shape it.
- During this time, preheat oven to 480*F with Dutch Oven or a High Heat Proof Baking Vessel With Lid inside. (If you don’t have one, never fear, check the notes for an alternative.)
- Place dough on parchment paper, and coat dough ball with a little rice flour and score the loaf however you desire.
- Place loaf in preheated Dutch oven with lid on.
- Bake bread 30 minutes at the 480*F covered.
- Then, decrease oven to 450*F, remove the lid, and continue baking 20-25 more minutes.
- Check the temperature of the loaf, and bake until the internal temperature of the loaf reaches. 210*F
- Let the loaf cool completely before slicing into it.
What If I Don’t Have A Dutch Oven?
You don’t HAVE to have a Dutch oven to make Sourdough. It does make your loaf a little better, but I have an alternative method that won’t require you to purchase anything new… yet.
Alternate Sourdough Cooking Method Without A Dutch Oven
If you don’t have a Dutch Oven, the alternative method would be to use a heat save bowl, fill it with water, and preheat the oven with that water inside to create steam. Then, place loaf on parchment paper and on a baking sheet, and bake with the water in the oven for the first 20 minutes.
I also LOVE To make Sourdough bread bowls, you can find that recipe HERE
What If I Already Have A Sourdough Starter, But It Is Not Fresh Milled Flour?
Well, I have a whole post on how to transform your sourdough starter into 100% Fresh Milled Flour. HERE is that post. I also have a ton of sourdough Discard Recipes you can find HERE
Make Your Own Sourdough Starter From Scratch With Fresh Milled Flour
If you don’t already have a sourdough starter, but are wanting to make one with 100% fresh milled flour from scratch, I am here for you! I have a video resource that goes over how you can make your very own sourdough starter using only freshly milled flour. I also go over troubleshooting issues to help make this process a little easier for you, and I make a brand new sourdough starter right along side you! You can watch that video HERE.
I also have a written blog post that covers this information, if you would like to print it out and have it handy for when you are just getting started. You can do this, it is not as difficult as some on the internet have made it seem! You can checkout my blog post about it HERE.
Simple Way To Level Up Your Sourdough Bread
I have a great dipping oil recipe that tastes amazing with this sourdough bread. I make it with dried herbs and seasonings if that is what I have on hand, but I love to make it with fresh herbs whenever I have access to them. HERE is that recipe.
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Sourdough Whole Grain Recipe Book
Check Out Some Of My Other Recipes
Sourdough Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes
Chocolate Sourdough Swiss Cake Roll
Pumpkin Roll From Sourdough Discard
Interested In Learning More About Milling Flour At Home?
I have a great beginner post HERE about Fresh Milled Flour : 101. It is a great place to start. I also have a whole video on Fresh Milled Flour 101 – Learn to mill flour at home video – HERE
More Fresh Milled Flour Recipes
Fresh Milled Flour Recipe list
Sourdough Fresh Milled Flour Made EASY Video
This video is showing the process I use for sourdough bread, I am making smaller bread loafs for bread bowls here, however, the recipe and technique remain the same until it comes time to divide the loaf.
Sourdough Bread Made Easy With 100% Fresh Milled Flour Printable Recipe
Sourdough Bread Made With Fresh Milled Flour
Ingredients
- 1 TBSP Sourdough Starter (15-20g) Active, healthy, and bubbly
- 550 g Fresh Milled Hard White Wheat Flour – Divided I mill by weight, but it should be about 3 cups of wheat berries milled into about 4&2/3 cups of total milled flour
- 10 g sea salt 1&3/4tsp
- 475 g room temperature filtered water – Divided about 2 cups
- Dusting of rice flour
Instructions
Note About Weight VS Volume Measuring
- I will try to explain this process in the best way possible. It may sound intimidating, but the process is not really as difficult as it may sound. I will put the volume and weight, but I HIGHLY suggest you use a scale and make this by weight! This recipe makes 1 Sourdough Bread Loaf
MAKE THE LEAVEN THE NIGHT BEFORE
- To make the leaven the night before, you use 1 TBSP of a hungry starter and mix it with 50g water(1/4cup) and 50g fresh milled hard white wheat flour (1/2cup). Mix to combine, and let sit covered at room temperature overnight.
The Next Morning
- Firstly, pour 400g of room temperature filtered water into a medium bowl.
- Then, add the leaven you made the night before. (the leaven should appear to lightly float if it is ready) Stir.
- Next, add 500 g of fresh milled hard white wheat flour, mix until no dry flour is left. Cover and let sit for 30- 45 minutes. This is called the Autolyse.
- In a separate small bowl, add 25g room temperature filtered water(1/8cup) and 10g of sea salt(1&3/4 tsp), stir to start dissolving the salt.
- Then, after it had a chance to absorb the water, now add the salt & water mixture. and mix it in with your hands. You should see that the dough already is softer and not so shaggy. Cover, and let sit for 30-60 minutes. This is the beginning of the Bulk Ferment.
- Pull & fold dough in the bowl, turning the bowl a few times, Then cover.
- Repeat this Pull & Fold technique every 30-60 minutes until the dough rises about 20-30%. It should get bubbly, and stretchy over time. This phase should take about 4-6 hours.
Shaping & Baking The Loaf
- Then, take it to a clean flat work surface, start to shape the loaf. Use the cup & turn technique to form a round shape.
- Let the dough ball rest for 10-20 minutes. This is called the Bench Rest.
- Repeat shaping 1-2 more times, until the dough ball forms good surface tension. You should notice the dough ball “remembers” better each time you shape it.
- During this time, preheat oven to 480*F with Dutch Oven or a High Heat Proof Baking Vessel With Lid inside. (If you don't have one, never fear, check the notes for an alternative.)
- Place dough on parchment paper, and coat dough ball with a little rice flour and score the loaf however you desire.
- Place loaf in preheated Dutch oven with lid on.
- Bake bread 30 minutes at the 480*F covered.
- Then, decrease oven to 450*F, remove the lid, and continue baking 20-25 more minutes.
- Check the temperature of the loaf, and bake until the internal temperature of the loaf reaches. 210*F
- Let the loaf cool completely before slicing into it.
Video
Notes
*This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you! As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. But I will only suggest items I actually Love and Have Used!
Hi! I am new to sourdough and haven’t even figured out how to make the starter. Do you have a recipe for the starter or the leavin? Or are those the same?
Thank you
I just start with 50 grams of filtered or bottled water, and 50g of fresh milled flour (any wheat variety.) Let that sit covered, but still able to get air on the counter for 2 days. Then, I will throw half in the trash, and add 50 grams of new fresh milled flour and water. Do this same thing discard then feed each day. Once it starts doubling it is just about ready to use.
Don’t throw half in trash. Save in the fridge until you get enough to use discard in crackers. 🥰
At the beginning of making a starter I would recommend throwing it away until the culture is in balance. Typically the first week or so, until it is doubling regularly. But, once it is stable and good to go, I agree, YES! Save that discard, and make something delicious with it! Thank you for your comment.
I’ve read that you don’t want to use a brand new starter in recipes until at least a week.
That is correct, I also recommend not using your discard in any recipes until it starts consistently doubling. Then you can use it for recipes. I have some info on that in a video I made about making your own sourdough starter from scratch with fresh milled flour. https://youtu.be/lrxGfDPM8Fo
Hello, I have been doing sourdough for a while and just recently started FMF. I haven tried this recipe twice and the issue I keep running into is getting that nice elastic dough. My gluten structure seems so weak, the dough fluffs up and ends up getting torn by the bran when I stretch.
What wheat variety/varieties are you using?
Hello! If you were to estimate a weight of how much active starter, what would you say? Rather than going with the 1tbs 50g/50g recipe, I fed my starter this morning and am now looking into this recipe! Thank you 🙂
I would use about 1/2 cup heavily fed starter (115g) Let me know how it goes! 🙂
When making the starter, do you just go in with a spoon and literally carve out half of it? Then with a spoon add what’s needed back in and mix it up with my spoon? When it’s first being made, let it sit for 2 days, then start the processes DAILY until it starts to double?
This is amazing!! I’ve been milling my own flour for about a year now, and I’ve been dying to learn to make sourdough!! Thank you for taking the time to share this!!! I love following you, your videos, and all of your recipes! They’ve been a huge blessing to our family!!
I will get a clean bowl and place it on my digital scale. I will spoon out whatever amount I want of the starter often times I go with 50g. Then, I will add 50g of clean unchlorinated water. I mix that together with the spoon, and then add 50g of my fresh milled flour. mix all together making sure there is no dry flour left. Then I will discard what was left in my starter jar (either in a recipe or in the trash, or save it in a jar in the fridge if you use it often enough.) Then put the new mixture in a clean jar with a loose lid. I hope that helps!
Thank you for helping with this – I finally made my first ever starter on Saturday. So I discarded half and fed it for the first time last night. This morning it is more than doubled!! Is that too fast? Should I wait any longer before using it? Thanks for being available to answer these questions!!
Yay! You can try it, but it may not be quite strong enough. I like to make sure it is doubling consistently for a couple days to know for sure, sometimes it gets a super bubbly rise towards the beginning, then it kind of slows for a couple days. But, if you are itching to try it, it can’t hurt. Just know that as a young starter, it may not rise it as much as a strong starter that you will have shortly! Let me know how it goes! Happy Baking!
Are you only using 15-20g of the fed starter? That’s a lot less than I’ve seen in any other recipe. I’m still new to sourdough and now also new to FMF, so looking to switch my learning immediately to using only FMF. Thank you
This recipe calls for a leaven made the night before. (Which is basically a heavily fed starter) So, you will take that small amount of starter in a new container, and feed it heavily with the recipe instructions. This new heavily fed starter, now ferments overnight and becomes a stronger version of your starter. So, the next day when you go to make the bread, it will all be a heavily fed starter. I hope that makes sense. I have some info on switching a sourdough starter from white flour to FMF here. https://grainsinsmallplaces.net/how-to-feed-sourdough-starter-with-fresh-milled-flour/
I also have some info on making a FMF sourdough starter from scratch in this video, I make one right along side of you, here. https://youtu.be/lrxGfDPM8Fo
Thank you. Yes I understand this part. I actually followed your starter feeding instructions last night. I was concerned that it only used 15-20g starter with 50g water and FMF. I’m seeing elsewhere in comments that you use 50g starter (which makes more sense to me). Good news is that it did double last night, but isn’t as gurgly on top. It’s my first time using FMF to feed my starter – it seems like a stiff starter with lower hydration.
What I’m not clear about is, moving on to step 2… how much of that freshly fed starter to actually use in the recipe. Is it really only 15-20 g as listed in the ingredients or was that referring to feeding the starter?
Step 2 could be interpreted as use all of that now fed starter (maybe except what you need to retain), or use only 15-20g of it.
“Step 2 – Then, add the leaven you made the night before.”
That just doesn’t seem like enough starter. Thanks for clarifying.
The night before you make the leaven, so you take the 15-20g of active starter, and mix it with 50g of water and 50g of flour in a separate bowl than your regular starter. That bowl ferments overnight (the leaven). So, in this bowl there should now be 115-120g of starter the next morning. Then, for step two you use that whole bowl (115g-120g of now heavily fed starter) in the recipe. That whole amount is used in the recipe. And you still have your jar of starter in another jar to feed and maintain for future use.
Hi I’m trying to find a recipe that uses fresh milled 100% rye flour, starter, water and salt only. Do you have any recommendations?
I don’t have any with 100% Rye flour, because it doesn’t really develop gluten to get nice stretchy bread. I would make this recipe with 80% hard wheat and 20% Rye to get delicious results. I hope that helps! 😊
You have 475 g. water in recipe but in the recipe you only use 425 g. of water. Am I missing something?
Yes, the 475g is the total water including the water used the night before. Hope that makes sense! 🙂
Just figured that out – thank you!
Your directions are excellent!
Thank you! I am happy to hear that!
Would a person be able to use any wheat? I have hard red, hard white and spelt.
Thanks 😊
You could use hard white, or hard red. If you choose to use some spelt, make sure to use a majority of hard wheat also so it can form gluten. Hope that helps!
Can this recipe be baked in a loaf pan? I’m needing a sourdough sandwich loaf. Thanks Kara – love your videos!
Yes, it should work in a loaf pan, however, it is a bit denser than a fluffy sandwich loaf. But, still delicious!
Hello! just to clarify, there is only one rise and then shaping and baking? Unlike sourdough bread made with regular flour which has the first rise, shaping, and then the second shorter rise.
Yes, I have found that an overnight ferment, or a long second rise causes them to over ferment. But, it does still get a tiny bit of a second rise with the shaping, then rest and shaping again.
Thank you for your quick response!!
Welcome!😊
If I don’t use this exact leaven amount how much if the starter I have should I use?
For this recipe, you just use 1 TBSP of your starter to make the Leaven the night before.
Do you stir it down first? Any idea how much 1 TBSP weights? Thank you!
I just normally scoop straight from my starter jar. 1 TBSP of starter will vary for everyone, and even at different times depending on the air bubbles inside. But, typically 30 grams is a good round about answer for 1 TBSP sourdough starter. Hope that helps!
How much active starter in the recipe though? Not to feed the night before.
It needs to be fed heavy the night before, that is why I have it separated to make the leaven the night before. If you feed your whole starter heavy the night before, that would work. But, this helps the sourdough starter to gain strength before asking it to rise a loaf of bread. If you have a heavy fed starter, you can use about 1/2 cup 113g. I hope that helps!
I want to attempt to make this loaf, will be my 3rd try for a sourdough recipe, I usually use the ank and have to knead a long time, you dont use a mixer for this right? so how long do you knead by hand in number 3 and number 5 (next morning).
trying to get all my ducks in a row before I start this lol
Grace
That is correct, I don’t use a mixer for my sourdough bread. I do the pull and fold method. I don’t really “knead” it. Also, I have found that a long ferment overnight tends to be too long with fresh milled flour. So, I will make the leaven the night before. Then, in the morning, mix up the loaf and bake same day. Fresh milled flour tends to ferment much quicker in my experience, so it gets too sour, and over-ferments if left too long like traditional sourdough loaves made with white processed flour. It may be helpful to watch my in a video to help explain it better. Here is a link to that video: https://youtu.be/a7hM2Ti95Bc
Hi.
So with this recipe and method, do I understand correctly that you shape your loaf (loaves) and bake right away? No proof in the fridge at all?
Do you ever proof your loaves upside down like so many other sourdough bread recipes describe? -like in a banneton or other bowl with a linen liner, and then dump them bottom side down onto their parchment right before baking?
Yes, I bake same day, because I find with fresh milled flour that it ferments much quicker. And, an overnight ferment in the fridge gets way too sour. That was one thing that was hard for me to learn, because it is so different than with regular white flour. Fresh milled flour is a whole new ballgame.
Yes! Agreed! It’s a whole new ballgame. I’ve had successful bakes with 50% whole grain, freshly milled & 50% Moore’s Bread flour, but going for ultimate 100%? Mostly strikeouts or foul balls… Lol. We have always eaten it, tho,-good toast! Flavor is fabulous. So. I found your Grains in small places the other day when I was googling for more helpful tips.
I’m determined. All freshly milled grains was the whole real reason I began my own sourdough journey 3 years ago.
You can do it! Try some of these alternative tips, I think you will find success. It took me a long time to let go of some of the “rules” for making sourdough traditionally with white flour. And, contrary to what I read everywhere else – Fresh milled flour just behaves differently, so we need to follow new rules with it.
I just made your sourdough bread recipe!! It is the best recipe I have followed!! Thank you!! I had not used my sourdough starter too much since I started milling my own grain. I have tried a lot of recipes for sourdough bread with fresh milled wheat, but none of them had a sour taste. I thought that was just how it was once milled wheat was used because the wheat flavor over powered the starter. I had even left loaves in the fridge for an extra day hoping they would get sour. My husband and I are loving this loaf!!
It really is the best recipe I have ever used in the last 2 years. This will be our go to recipe!
Oh, I am so happy to hear that! It took me so long to get a sourdough loaf made from fresh milled flour right. I had many fails, lol. But, I am incouraged to hear all the people that have found this recipe helpful! Thanks!
My first loaf last week came out pretty good. Just a little flat but that could be due to the Hawaii summertime weather. Yesterday, I decided to do half hard white and half Kamut because I just like those flavors… bad idea. The dough was completely fine until the Bench Rest phase. Maybe it was the high humidity, but the dough just turned blah… like quicksand. 😞 It didn’t hold up as an artisan bread, ended up baking as a flat bread. Will be trying this recipe again tomorrow.
It could be the humidity, maybe needed a little more flour. I have successfully used about 20% Kamut and 80% hard white with it, but that much Kamut, I think it just isn’t strong enough to hold up with less gluten. Hopefully your next loaf turns out better! But, great thinking in using it as a flatbread.
I am just starting out and only have einkorn, spelt, and soft white wheat berries. Could I use any of those?
Those wheat varieties don’t really develop enough gluten to get the same results. But, you could try Einkorn some people have great success with it for sourdough. I have not tried it with this recipe however.
I absolutely resonate with your journey into sourdough baking! As a fellow home baker, I understand the desire to create wholesome food without spending years perfecting the art. Your honesty about the “rest of us” is refreshing. Your imperfectly perfect loaf is a testament to the individuality of each sourdough creation. Your experience with losing and reviving your starter highlights the dedication required to cultivate something truly your own. Your fresh milled flour starter, “Bubbles,” is like a cherished member of the family, adding a personal touch to every bake. Your story inspires us to embrace the journey, celebrating successes born from persistence.
Aww thank you so much! I do love to share my recipes! Both successes, and fails! Thank you for your support.
Does temperature setting matter for convection vs regular oven?
Often times to use convection oven settings you may need to lower the temp by 25*F. But, check with your oven’s manufacturer’s instructions.
This chart has helped me “nail” the bulk fermentation much more accurately. Percentage rise as well as time depends on temperature of dough.
Also the chart is most accurate with 20% starter which is probably about 2 Tbsp.
Thank you for the tips
How many grams of starter should we use? Maybe I missed you address it, but I’m curious why that measurement isn’t in grams?
I typically just use a big spoonful, I would say about 15 to 20 grams. Hope that helps! Thanks
I Love that I now have sourdough fresh milled recipe. Thank you.
We have hearty appetites and these look kinda small. What if I wanted to make this into only 2 bread bowls, what should the cooking time and temperature be with 2 larger loaves please?
I have a recipe for the bread bowls that make 4 smaller loafs, here https://grainsinsmallplaces.net/sourdough-bread-bowls/
Then, I have the sourdough bread recipe that makes 1 loaf, here https://grainsinsmallplaces.net/sourdough-fresh-milled-flour-easy/
I’m so excited to find your website, I’ve been struggling to make my familiar breads and such with my new mill. With this recipe, should it pass the window pane test? If yes, at what stage? And, if it doesn’t, do we just extend a step or two? Which one?
I did a window pane test on the flour strength test and it took several hours for the flour and water to become extensible.
I don’t really do the window pane with this recipe, I just do the stretch and folds gently until it gets stretchy and doesn’t rip apart. I have a video of me working with this dough for sourdough bread bowls if interested. Pretty much the same, just divided into 4 bread boules rather than one. https://youtu.be/a7hM2Ti95Bc
Thank you! I’m about two hours into the stretch and folds now. It’s still tearing, but it does seem to be getting better. I’m excited to see where it goes. 🙂
Hello! Thank you for all of your gifts and hard work and then sharing them! I do have a question, I am very new to both fresh mill and sourdough. To make the leaven the night before, is it not the same if I were to just use 100g of fed starter? So, could I just remove 100g of my starter in the morning if it is at its peak or must I start the night before with 1 tbs of unfed? does the 1tbs to 50 of flour and 50 of water cause a longer time to reach its peak and allow more sleeping time?
It is feeding it a little heavier, so it can have the strength to rise and hold the whole loaf up!
Thank you! I finally tried the recipe and since I am super green at this, when do I know to move on to shaping? I did the stretch and folds for far too long and everything went to mush.
Once the stretch and folds give less resistance, and the dough is stretchy and pliable without wanting to tear.
Will it mess things up if a mixer is used? Right now I have a KitchenAid with a dough hook.
You can use a mixer if you wish.
Hi! Thoughts on why this dough would be incredibly sticky and dense after baking? I watched your video and mine is nowhere near solid as yours.
There could be a wide variety of things that can go wrong with sourdough, lol. It could be the starter wasn’t strong enough to rise, it could be under proofed or overproofed. Each starter acts a bit differently. It might help to see a picture, if you head over to the facebook group, you can post a picture. Or if you don’t have Facebook you can send me an email with a picture. Sometimes a picture helps. But it is not always clear what went wrong. Even experienced sourdough bakers have flops sometimes.
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/782667429899138
I made this loaf today and it was amazing!! I’ve tried other recipes with freshly milled flour and they just didn’t come out they way I wanted them too. I was to incorporate herbs and other add ins to the loaf. Would I do this when shaping or before the bulk rise? Every recipe is different and I don’t want to ruin this loaf by adding at the wrong time.
Yay! I am so happy to hear that! Thank you! It took me a long time to figure out that sourdough is a whole new ball game when it comes to using fresh milled flour! Yes, you can add the mix ins after your first couple pull and folds. Just add them in, and when you complete the rest of the pull and folds it will continue to distribute the herbs & mix-ins you choose. Just proceed like you would with a plain Sourdough loaf. Happy Baking!
What setting do you mill your flour at?
I mill mine by turning it on, pouring in the wheat, then tightening it a tiny bit more to make it fine. I have a short video to show it better here. https://youtube.com/shorts/GNOt93woIS8
Do you bake this after it has risen roughly 30%? I normally shape place in banneton and refrigerate to complete fermentation.
I bake this around 40-50% risen. I have found that the overnight fermentation with fresh milled flour will be extremely sour, and often will overproof. It just ferments so much quicker with fresh milled flour than white flour.
Thank you so much! This has been a wonderful recipe. Added lemon zest & blueberries and I may eat the whole loaf by myself by the end of the day! 🙂 Quick question(s): if I need to place in the refrigerator to bake later, at what point would you do that & what is the process after removing from fridge? Thanks in advance!
Yum! Lemon and blueberry sounds amazing! It is not advisable to put in the fridge for very long. Because it ferments so much quicker than white flour sourdough recipes, so the taste can be extremely sour. So, It would be once you shape into the loaf pan, cover then put in the fridge. (6-8 hours MAX, or less.) Then let it come up to room temperature and continue the directions from there. I hope this helps. Let me know how it turns out, and how long you ended up leaving it overnight. Thanks!
Thank you!
Hi – so glad to find a recipe that uses 100% freshly milled flour (FMF). I’ve gotten discouraged by the final loaves I’ve made from other recipes because they really aren’t meant to be used with FMF. But I’m back in the game and determined to get to a loaf I’m proud of.
Do you find there is a difference when using your leaven method–letting sit over night with a smaller amount of starter vs. the more traditional method of equal parts starter, warm water, and FMF and waiting roughly four hours for it to double in size? Does the overnight method create a more lively starter?
Yay! I am so happy you found me! I really depends on the recipe. I try to write my recipes for whichever method seems to work the best. If it is a discard recipe, I generally will just feed my starter the night before, and use the discard from the next day in a recipe, rather than throw it away. If I am making an artisan loaf that needs to be really strong, and hold itself up, I will generally make the leaven the night before. This is just what I have found works the best for me. I hope that makes sense!
I am wondering about the sour dough starter. Is there any reason that I cannot just use the sour dough starter I have without converting to fresh milled flour? I would like to use the starter I already have. Please advise.
Yes, you can use the starter you already have. I would suggest that the night before you want to bake something with fresh milled flour (like a loaf of bread) that you feed that portion with half the normal feeding flour, and half the flour you plan to use for the recipe the next day. This gives your sourdough starter a chance to get used to the new “food.” But, you can certainly keep your starter as is. I made these resources of making a fresh milled flour sourdough starter, because there was so much interest and requests for it. Either way, you are still making great food for you and your family. Happy Baking!
If I understand this correctly- your leaven (starter) measurement is 20g but before you feed it for an active ingredient. So would not be safe to say that when actually mixing the dough we are to use 120g of active starter?
Yes and no, lol. When I feed the leaven the night before, it is fed with a stronger ratio than a typical feeding. This is to get the starter stronger and prepared to raise a large amount of dough. So, if your starter is fed with a heavy ratio of feeding, then yes that would be the same. I hope that makes sense.
WOW! I’ve tried more times than I can count to make sourdough with freshly milled wheat and I’ve never been successful. I had given up and just resigned myself to the fact that I would make lots of awesome things with my freshly milled wheat, but for sourdough, I was sticking to good ol’ King Arthur. 🙂 Your explanation of the hydration level and all your other instructions have given me new hope! I said I was not going to try again, but here I go! I’m excited to try your method. I have a feeling this may be exactly what I’ve been looking for! 🙂 Thank you so much!
Yay! I am so excited for you! I understand, I was there too! That is what made me keep trying different non-traditional methods. It is just different with fresh milled flour. We have to kind of forget some of those hard an fast rules we learned baking with white flour sourdough. I also have a yummy sourdough sandwich bread as well! https://grainsinsmallplaces.net/sourdough-sandwich-bread/
I love seeded breads. Can I add seeds to this recipe, and if so at what point?
Yes, you can add seeds to the top right before baking. OR if you want to incorporate them throughout the bread as well, I would laminate them in before shaping like I do with my blueberry sourdough bread, directions for that here. https://grainsinsmallplaces.net/blueberry-sourdough-bread-made-with-fresh-milled-flour/
How are you using you Ank for this recipe? How long do you knead? What speed? Thanks!
I generally use the pull and fold method with this recipe, but you can use the Ank. I have a video showing how I make sourdough baguettes in the Ankarsrum mixer which would be very similar if interested. I typically knead between the 2 and 3 o’clock position. https://youtu.be/GaaNTRjfHx0
Hi Kara,
First I want to thank you for all your help and advise. I am new to fmf and sourdough, do I need a lot of help😃
My question right now is…I cut your recipe in half (my husband only wanted a small loaf😃) so, do I cut back the baking time or temp for a smaller loaf?
Thank you
Sherry
Thank you so much! I am happy to hear it is helpful! For half a loaf, I would cut back on the baking time. So, bake at the higher temp, covered for 25 minutes, then lower the temp, and start checking the internal temperature of the center of the loaf at maybe 10-15 minutes. You are looking for the center of the loaf to be at least 205*F – 210*F. Let me know how it goes! Happy Baking!
My dough ends up pretty shaggy/loose with this recipe. It’s very hard to work with and doesn’t rise very much. Any tips for me?
It could be your starter if it is not strong enough yet, or if the weather is humid or rainy out, you may need to increase the flour. Make sure you are feeding your sourdough starter the night before with a strong ratio of at least 1:2:2. (1 part starter, 2 parts flour, 2 parts water. EX. 25g starter, 50g flour 50g water). The last thing I would check the wheat you are using, make sure to use mostly a hard wheat. I hope that helps, let me know how it goes next time.
This turned out amazing. I used a parchment lined loaf pan for the first 20 min (450). with the pan of water in the oven. The. I took it out of the bread pan to finish and used the meat probe until it registered 205. It was pretty brown on the top but I buttered it well out of the oven so it softened it. I’m at a high altitude and my oven is broken and won’t heat higher than 450. The flavor is excellent. Not sour. Really great grain!
Awesome! I am so happy to hear that! Yes, higher altitudes take a little finagling to get it just right. Nice job!
Hi I’m trying to find a recipe that only uses fresh milled 100% rye flour, starter water and salt. Do you have any recommendations??
I don’t have any with 100% Rye flour, because it doesn’t really develop gluten to get nice stretchy bread. I would make this recipe with 80% hard wheat and 20% Rye to get delicious results. I hope that helps! 😊
Thank you for this recipe! I have been baking with sourdough for a few years, but never with fresh milled flour. I had gotten to the point that I didn’t measure anything, and just “eyeballed” for the right consistency. It would come out great every time, and was super easy. Then, fresh milled grain came into the picture and messed it all up! haha! I definitely had some flops! I was getting a little worried that sourdough just wouldn’t work like the flour I used before. Then, I came to your recipe!!! I made this yesterday with hard red wheat, and it came out beautifully! I can’t wait for my next azure order to try it with the hard white berries! THANK YOU!! My family was excited to have a loaf to dip in oil last night! It is their favorite way to eat it, as well! 🙂
I will say that the dough ball didn’t act “exactly” like my other dough balls… and didn’t seem to get as big during the rise. I was a little worried, because I thought I was going to end up with a brick. But, I trusted the process and followed your directions, and it rose beautifully! Not dense, whatsoever. 🙂
Thanks again!!
God Bless!
Yay! I am so happy to hear that! I was there once too. I went through that same thing where my white flour sourdough was so effortless. Then, switched and it took me a long time to figure out how different fermentation works with fresh milled flour. But, now we can enjoy it whenever we want! Thanks so much! 😊
I have been searching high and low for a 100% fresh milled flour sourdough bread recipe after being disappointed time and again. This is the BEST recipe…finally!
Thank you so much Kara! Can’t wait to try your other recipes!
Hilary from Houston, TX
Awesome! I am so happy to hear that! Nice job! Thanks so much! 😊
Hello, if my levain isn’t floating do I just let it sit longer? I made it around 11pm the night before and its 7am now. Thanks!
Often times the float test is not accurate with fresh milled flour sourdough starter. Essentially all the test is looking for is air bubbles in the starter, enough to make it float. However, fresh milled flour has the bran that tends to tear and pop the air bubbles as we are spooning or pouring the sourdough starter out of the jar. So, I just go by if the sourdough starter if consistently doubling with nice big air bubbles, then it is ready to go! I hope that helps! Happy Baking! 😊
Do you have a video on the cup and turn technique?
I believe it is in my sourdough bread bowl video. https://youtu.be/a7hM2Ti95Bc
Hello! I am super excited to try this out. Now that fall is on its way, I am itching to get back into sourdough! Do you ever bake this recipe with hard red spring wheat? That’s what we farm so I have a lot on hand to mill. Thanks for all your great tips!
Yes! Typically Hard red works great in place of the hard white. Awesome to hear! My pleasure! Happy Baking! 😊
I’m wanting to incorporate pumpkin and pecans into this bread…would I need to adjust the liquid to offset the addition of about 1 cup of pumpkin puree? If so, how much less water should I use? Also, should I add the pumpkin at the beginning when I’m making the dough? I’m thinking I should laminate the dough after the stretch and folds and before final shaping to add the pumpkin spice and pecans so that wouldn’t interfere with the rising process. Any suggestions?
Yes, you will need to decrease the liquid for the canned pumpkin. I would start with cutting it in half, and see how the dough feels. Look for a texture that it typically is when you make it plain. Then, yes I would laminate the pecans in towards the end like I do for my blueberry sourdough bread. https://grainsinsmallplaces.net/blueberry-sourdough-bread-made-with-fresh-milled-flour/
Let me know how it goes! 😊
I followed your measurements and steps, but my dough just spread out on the pan. It had no rise and was flat. I don’t understand what I might have missed. The dough felt right during the folds. Any guesses? The flavor was good though.
Possibly if your starter was not strong enough yet, or if it was under/overproofed.
Thanks for the super easy to follow instructions! My first loaf came out great, although not super sour. I’ll keep working on that part. I am happy it was edible! Ha!
Awesome! I am so glad to hear that! Nice job! 🙂
Hi Kara,
I know you very often add Kamut to your bread recipes. Would you ever add it to this recipe? And if so, do you have a “split” recommendation for the 550 grams flour total?
Thanks much!
Yes! I love to add Kamut to pretty much everything! lol. I would do 100g Kamut and 450g Hard white wheat. Let me know how it goes! Happy Baking! 🙂
After several loaves of trial and error with this recipe, I have finally figured it out! I made one loaf today with sharp cheddar cheese and one plain. My first few loaves have been pretty flat (but delicious), but I’ve now gotten them to rise well! They are absolutely gorgeous and it’s so hard letting them rest after baking- I just want to dig right in!
I do have a question though- if I were to do a pumpkin chocolate chip sourdough, would I replace some of the initial water with pumpkin puree, since it’s about 90% hydration? And if so, how much would you recommend? Thank you!
Any chance you’ve baked this in a regular loaf pan? Same recipe, but just not a boule and not baked in a dutch oven. Im curious if it’d rise much and at what temp I’d bake it.
I have not tried this recipe in a loaf pan, but I would think it should work, just won’t have the same crispy outside texture without the steam. Let me know if you give it a try! I do have a sourdough sandwich bread recipe that I do bake in a loaf pan, and is delicious! https://grainsinsmallplaces.net/sourdough-sandwich-bread/
Happy Baking!
I want to make dinner rolls. I only have hard red and soft white berries. Do you think I could make good rolls with 3/4 hard red and 1/4 soft white? Thank you!
I would use mostly hard red, and only a little bit of soft white, maybe 85% hard red and 15% soft white. You may need to increase the flour by just a bit with the soft white added. OR you can make it will all hard red as well. Let me know how it goes! Happy Baking! 🙂
Hi! Like so many others, my sourdough is no longer turns out as well now that I’m using FMF. I am going to try your recipe next though! But I’m wondering why the shaping here is different than traditional sourdough recipes for store bought flour. Is that just the way you’ve always done it or did you find the change was necessary for FMF? Thank you!
Hi! Yes, sourdough made with fresh milled flour is a whole new ballgame! The shaping can be done other ways as well, that is just a shaping method that is easier to explain for beginners. Let me know what you think! Happy Baking! 🙂
First time sourdough baker here! I’ve made the starter based on your recipe and it’s ALIVE!!! Question, I have it in the fridge because I can’t feed it twice everyday with my schedule but how do I get it to be a little less sour? Would I bring the fridge starter out the day before and then do the leaven overnight? I noticed that using the cold starter to make the leaven didn’t bubble up very much.
Yay! That’s awesome! It does get more sour in the fridge, you can maintain your starter on the counter with once a day feedings. If in the fridge, you need to get it out a day or 2 before baking, and feed a heavy feeding. I like to feed 1:2:2 ratio for this. (ex. 50g starter, 100g flour, 100g water.)
Then feed again before putting back in the fridge, make sure it doubles before putting it in the fridge. I hope that helps! 🙂
Could we use this same recipe to make 1 loaf of sourdough instead of 4 bread bowls?
Yes! It can make 1 loaf or 4 bread bowls! 🙂
Hey! Ok so if I keep my starter in the fridge, do I need to take it out the night BEFORE I make the leaven for this recipe (two days before I bake)? Or could I still just use it the night beforehand ? Would I just double the recipe if I wanted to make two loaves at a time? Thank you so much ☺️
If it is a strong healthy starter, that you are maintaining even in the fridge, you can just get it out the night before to make the leaven. But, if it is neglected or has been several days since a feeding, then I would bring it out 2 days before to make sure it is strong and active and ready to raise bread. Yes, you can double for 2 loaves. 🙂
Ok thank you! I was told it’s a strong starter! I just purchased from someone very reputable a week ago. I haven’t fed it yet myself, but she fed it last Thursday! So if I take it out and do the leaven tonight, I should be fine? Or should I wait the two days? First time ever making sourdough, so forgive me for all the questions! Thank you so much
I would recommend feeding it and seeing how it reacts. It should double with nice bubbles and a pleasant smell about 4-8 hours after a feeding. That will give you a baseline. You got this! Let me know how it goes! 🙂
Is this recipe and description in your book?
I am impatiently awaiting for it to arrive this coming week
Yes! It is! Yay, I hope you love it! 🙂