Sourdough Bread Recipe With Fresh Milled Flour

Sourdough bread has incredible health benefits, but when made with fresh milled flour it is even more nutrient dense! Learn how to make bread in the true traditional way of bread making, with whole grains and natural fermentation with this easy to follow recipe. The process of making sourdough with fresh milled flour is just as rewarding as the bread is delicious! 

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Benefits of Fresh Milled Flour

So why freshly milled flour? While sourdough made with all-purpose flour is still better for you than traditional store-bought bread, it is still not very nutrient rich. The problem is, that when flour is processed from wheat berries, nearly all of the nutrients are stripped away (20 key nutrients!) A few are synthetically added back in, but the end results is still vastly different. 

Here is some data pulled from the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture), which compares fresh milled flour from mixed wheat berries, with enriched white flour. 

The other problem is that the longer flour sits after it is milled, the less nutrients that it will maintain. As soon as the wheat grain is broken, 40-45% of the nutrients deplete after just 24 hours of the flour being milled, and 95% are depleted after 3 days (source). However the nutrients from freshly milled flour are “locked in” after the first bread rise or after baking, due to the enzymatic activity. So as long as you bake with your flour within 24 hours (or at the most 3 days) of milling it, you are ensuring higher nutrient density in your bread. 

Why Sourdough With Fresh Milled Flour is The Best Bread For You

Do you know all of the benefits of sourdough bread? It is incredibly gut healthy, due to the natural fermentation process and simple ingredients. Here are a few of the benefits: 

• Easier to digest
• Improved nutrient absorption
• Balanced blood sugar levels
• Supports gut health
• Longer shelf life
• Fewer preservatives

To learn more about all of these health benefits, I’ve got a post that goes more in depth. 

Types of Wheat Berries

There are several different types of wheat berries that you can choose from when making your homemade sourdough bread. There are some differences to keep in mind when selecting what you want to use.

Hard vs Soft Wheat

Hard wheat has a higher protein content, as well as a lower moisture content. The high protein is good for yeast breads because that is when it is combined with liquid, it creates gluten.  Gluten is what creates the rise and texture in breads that is so delicious. 

Soft wheat on the other hand, has a lower protein content and higher moisture. This results in less gluten, so it may not be the top choice for breads that you want a good rise out of. It may be better for baking things like quick breads, cookies, cakes etc. I will say however that I have made this recipe with soft white wheat and it turns out well. I think you have to experiment for yourself to really see what the different types do for your bread.

Red vs White Wheat Berries

These categories have more to do with flavor. Red wheat will have a nuttier flavor, while white wheat berries have a milder flavor. 

Heritage Wheat Berries

Heritage wheat varieties have not been hybridized, meaning they are still in their original form. These can often add really good depth of flavor to your breads, and may be easier to digest than some other modern hybridized varieties. Heritage berries may also result in a heavier, denser loaf. 

Ancient Grains

There is no concrete definition of an “ancient grain”, but in general grains are considered ancient if they have remained largely unchanged over the last 100 years or so. Three common ancient wheat berries are einkorn, kamut, and spelt. 

Einkorn – This wheat variety is thought to be the oldest known variety to exist. It is a very unique berry in it’s gluten structure, and can be tricky to work with. It is probably one of the easiest to digest, but you may not get the results you want at first. The first time I baked with einkorn, my bread was flat as a pancake! However once you get the basics down of how to work with Einkorn, it can be a really rewarding and delicious wheat variation to add into your baking. 

Kamut – Kamut is a wonderful ancient grain to work with, and one of my favorites. It makes really nice light loaves, and is easy to digest. 

Spelt – Many consider spelt to be the easiest ancient grain to bake with. The rise can be very good with spelt flour, and it has a delicious nutty flavor. 

If you are just getting into milling your own flour, I have found great success in buying wheat berries from Azure standard. You can get them in bulk for a really reasonable price. They primarily have modern wheat berry varieties, but also carry some heirloom berries. 

Making Your Own Bread – A Rewarding Hobby

I think another bonus of milling your own wheat berries, and then making homemade bread is that it is an incredibly rewarding process. You know exactly what is in your bread, where it came from, and you have your hands on every part of process (well besides growing the wheat). Unless you have your own farm of course! 

If you have never milled your own flour, an element I wasn’t expecting is the smell.. When the grains are being milled, it smells so rich and almost earthy, but in a good way.  

I Don’t Have a Grain Mill… Where Do I Buy Fresh Milled Flour?

I have been able to find milled flour at my local health food store, but that doesn’t mean that is has been milled recently. Try a local bakery that mills their own flour, and see if they will sell you a bag of flour on the same day that it is milled. You can also buy ancient grain flours at azure standard in bulk, but there is no guarantee when they were milled so they most likely lost most of their nutritional value by the time you bake with it. 

Ingredients For Sourdough Bread With Fresh Milled Flour

Bread is simple. That’s how it has always been made, and how it should be made! You only need four ingredients to make your own sourdough bread.

Wheat Berries, or Fresh Milled Flour – See the section on wheat berries for different types, and where to buy them. 

Water – room temperature, filtered water is best. Tap water often has unwanted chemicals in it that may interfere with your loaf.

Active Sourdough starter – starter that has been fed 4 -12 hours prior, and is very bubbly and active. Ideally it has doubled in size. 

Salt – I prefer to use unrefined mineral salt, but any salt will work! 

Other Tools You Will Need

Grain Mill (If you are grinding your own berries) – I have the Mockmill 100 and I love it. 

Glass Bowl

Plastic Wrap

Dutch Oven – I find that a dutch oven gives the bread a nice crispy crust. If you don’t have a dutch oven, you can use a baking sheet or cast iron skillet. You may not get quite the same results though.  

Bench Scraper – This is the easiest way to work with your bread dough when you are shaping your final loaf. If you don’t have one, you can still make bread but make sure to use extra flour, and be aware that your dough might stick to your work surface. 

Parchment paper

Razor blade or bread lame – This is a tool that you will use to create the beautiful score on top of your loaf of bread. It’s aesthetic but it also helps air to escape the loaf and get a better rise.

How To Make Sourdough With Fresh Milled Flour

Step One: Feed Your Sourdough Starter

You do have to plan ahead to make your own sourdough bread. Roughly 4-12 hours before you plan to mix your bread dough, feed your sourdough starter. I try to aim for feeding it on a 1-1-1 ratio, so equal amounts of flour and water as there is sourdough starter in my jar. So for example if I have about 1/2 cup of sourdough starter, I will add 1/2 cup of flour, and 1/2 cup of filtered water, and stir it well. If I do change that ratio, it is more flour/water but not less. 

I feed my sourdough starter with all-purpose flour, even when I’m baking with fresh whole wheat flour. I have experimented with feeding it fresh milled flour, and have not had as successful loaves of bread. I’m not sure of the science, but it seems like my starter is much stronger when it is fed all-purpose flour, and the result is better loaves. 

In my personal experience, my sourdough starter is bubblier and very active closer to 12 hours after feeding. I have a sample baking schedule below so you can see how I like to do it, but as always experiment!

Step Two: Mill Your Wheat Berries (If using)

Once your sourdough starter is bubbly and active and ready to use, you will get your flour ready. For this recipe you need 3 cups of milled flour. I have found that it is approximately 2/3 cups of wheat berries to yield 1 cup of flour. So for this recipe, you will need about 2 cups of wheat berries. You may need to experiment based on your specific grain mill and berries you are using. 

​On my mockmill I have the option to set how fine I want the final product. I like to do it at the finest setting but you can also experiment with different textures to see what you like. Generally when milling flour the finer the flour, the smoother and “nicer” the dough and final product will be. 

Step Three: Mix Your Bread Dough

Combine the 3 cups of fresh flour and 1 1/2 tsp salt in a large bowl. My favorite bowls for bread making are glass, like these. Add 1/4 cup of active starter, and 1 1/2 – 2 cups of water. The amount of water will depend on how dry it is where you live, and what type of flour you are using. Start with 1 1/2 cups, and see how it mixes up. If it is too dry add a little bit more water until you have fully incorporated the flour and the dough is nice and sticky (but not too wet!). Practice makes perfect, after you have made bread a few times you will start to get a feel for how the dough should look.

Step Four: Cover & Ferment the Dough

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a tea towel. Place it in a warm place in your kitchen. 

Optional Step: One Set of Stretch & Folds

30 minutes into the bulk fermentation, you can do an optional set of stretch and folds. You don’t have to do this step, but it’s quick, easy, and helps your bread to rise better so why not! You may need to wet your hands before working with the dough to prevent sticking. Recover, and allow the dough to bulk ferment until it has roughly doubled in size. This should take anywhere from 6 – 12 hours depending on how warm it is in your kitchen, and how strong your sourdough starter is. One trick I have learned is to place your bowl of dough in the oven, and turn on the light. This adds just enough warmth to hep it to rise really well a little bit faster.

​Note: If you have baked sourdough bread with all purpose or bread flour, you may be expecting a better rise than you are going to get with fresh milled whole wheat flour. My bread dough with all-purpose flour is typically all the way to the top of the bowl, but it never is with my fresh milled flour. It’s just different! 

Step Five: Preheat the Oven

Once the dough has roughly doubled in size, it is ready for the next step. Get ready by preheating your oven to 450 with the dutch oven you plan to use inside the oven.  Preheating the dutch oven helps with achieving that nice crispy crust!

Step Six: Shape & Final Proof

While your oven is preheating, you are going to shape your loaf and allow it a second rise / final proof. To shape your dough, remove it from the bowl onto a floured work surface. Here are the steps to create a nice, round loaf:

1. Spread the dough out on the counter or cutting board in a rectangular shape

2. Fold the dough in 3rds (the long way), and then fold the other half back on top of the first half. If you find the dough is sticking, use a bench scraper to help fold.

3. Rotate the dough and roll it up the opposite direction. 

4. Tuck the ends underneath, spinning it gently as you go until the entire surface is round and flat.
For the final proof, you wan to protect the round shape you just created. My favorite way to do this is with parchment paper, and the original mixing bowl that you have been using. Sprinkle a piece of parchment paper with flour. Move the dough onto the parchment paper, and place the parchment paper into the glass bowl. Cover it with a tea towel. 

Let the dough rest  30 minutes – 1 hour, or until it is puffy. I have found that often 30 minutes is enough for my bread. Some people choose to do this final proof in the fridge to make scoring easier. I don’t usually do this though and have never had any issues!

Step Seven: Score & Bake

Dust the bread dough with a little more flour, and smooth it out with your hands. Using a sharp knife, razor blade, or bread lame, make a large slash down the center (or slightly off center) of the dough. You want at least one large score (2-3 inches long) to allow the bread to expand, and you can add smaller “aesthetic” scores if you want. The big score is the important one, but have fun with the rest of your design! I love experimenting and seeing what the final loaf looks like. 

Remove the hot dutch oven from the oven. Place the parchment paper and bread dough into the dutch oven, and cover with the lid.

Bake for 20 minutes with the lid on, then carefully remove the lid and bake for 22 more minutes. 

Step Eight: Cool and Enjoy

Remove the dutch oven, and take the bread out of the dutch oven right away. It should be crispy on the top and have a nice round shape! I like to grab the parchment paper and pull it out that way to avoid burning my hands. 

Allow the bread to cool on a wire rack for at least an hour (it really helps with the final texture if you can be patient!). Especially with fresh whole wheat flour, I have found that if I cut into the loaf too early the final texture can be a little gummy. 

Enjoy your fresh bread with some grass-fed butter, or dip it into some homemade soup like my favorite chicken and wild rice soup. 

Sample Baking Schedule For Sourdough Bread

Depending on if you would like to bake your fresh bread in the evening or morning, here are two different baking schedules that you can try. 

Night Baking:

8pm: Feed Sourdough Starter

Next Day

8am: Mix Bread Dough

8:30am: Stretch & Folds

6:30pm: Preheat oven, final proofing / resting time

7:00pm: Bake Bread

Morning Baking

8:00am Feed Sourdough Starter

8:00pm Mix Bread Dough

8:30pm: Stretch & Folds

Next Day

7:00am: Preheat oven, final proofing /resting time

7:30am: Bake Bread

Storing Sourdough Bread With Fresh Milled Flour

Keep your fresh sourdough bread in an airtight container. It should last about a week (if you can resist eating the whole thing before then!). Sourdough bread also freezes really well. To freeze, cool completely and wrap the entire loaf in plastic wrap. Then put your loaf in a freezer safe ziplock bag or airtight container for up to six months. When you are ready to eat your loaf, you can warm it up in the oven at a low temperature, or you can leave it out on the counter or fridge until it is thawed. 

There you have it. I hope you try (and love) baking with fresh milled flour. The health benefits are incredible and it’s a great way to add nutrients to your diet. If you like this recipe, I would love it if you gave it a good review!