Easy Fresh Milled Flour Sourdough Sandwich Bread
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Finaallyyyyy, it has happened to me.
Right in front of my face.
And I just cannot hide it.
You singing along? Or nah?
FINALLY, I mastered sourdough and fresh milled flour. FRESH MILLED FLOUR SOURDOUGH. Say that 10 times fast. If you guys watch my stories on either Instagram or Facebook, you’ll know I have struggled with it for a while. I persisted despite my failures and now I have for you a fresh milled flour sourdough sandwich bread you will enjoy. And the fun part? It’s simple and not overcomplicated!
4 simple ingredients to have fresh milled sourdough bread fresh from the oven!
Is Fresh Milled Flour Good for Sourdough?
Oh my gosh YES! Once you flip your starter from dead flour to fresh milled, you will notice it jumps from inactive to bubbling and psychotic in a jiff. Yeah, it works great with dead flour too, but there’s something about the fresh unprocessed stuff those little wild yeasties really love. Try it for yourself and you will see!
Any sourdough recipe can be converted to fresh milled flour pretty easily. For yeast recipes, use a hard wheat variety and add about 3 tablespoons less fresh milled flour per cup of dead flour the recipe calls for.
For pastry/cookies/cakes use a soft wheat variety and add about 1/4 cup MORE fresh milled flour for every cup of dead flour it calls for. Super easy, and yeah there’s a learning curve, but some patience and practice and it becomes second nature to convert recipes.
How to Make Fresh Milled Flour Sourdough Starter
For me, it was simply converting my existing starter to fresh milled. Which means, one day I just started feeding it fresh milled flour instead of dead flour.
What I did notice in the beginning is that I can’t leave my starter on the counter for days and days without feeding it, since the wild yeasties really love the fresh stuff. It’s more prone to mold. I’ve also noticed that it will turn black REALLY fast. This is normal, since fresh milled flour isn’t sifted and then heated to retain a perfectly white color.
If you want to start your own start from scratch, start by mixing a couple tablespoons of freshly milled rye flour with an equal part of water. Feed it twice a day for 2 days and then begin discarding. It should be pretty active rather quickly. It’s easier though to find a friend and barter for a bit of their starter. Mature starters (those older than 9 months) develop better flavor I have found. But if you want to start from scratch, you do that and it will be perfect!
I’m sorry that I don’t have like precise measurements and times, but that’s not me. I’m type whatever winging it is. Because my sourdough starter never knows what’s coming. There’s no routine and I give it no mercy. :D
Using a Bread Machine
I got a bread machine last year after some mulling it over and lemme tell you sumthinnnn. I USE THAT DANG THING ALL THE TIME. It is amazing for kneading down, proofing dough, baking bread, all the things. It does take a bit of learning the machine, but I use it so much. It works a billion times better for kneading bread than my stand mixer does.
For sourdough bread, I prefer to knead it until it is an elastic ball and smooth. I never do the windowpane test… because I don’t want to and you can’t make me because you’re not my real dad. I will throw this dough through a “raw dough” setting on my bread machine and it’s perfect. No stretch and folds. No timers. Nothin. Just slap all the ingredients together, mix, rest to rehydrate, knead, rise, cold proof, rise, bake. That easy.
The bread machine model I have will be linked in the recipe card if you’re interested, but I recently upgraded to a Zojirushi and lemme tell you sumthin… holy quality batman! Found it on a Facebook Marketplace deal that I couldn’t say no to.
Getting the Timing Right
I think that most challenging part of fresh milled flour and sourdough was the timing. The timing for dead flour is vastly different than fresh flour. Sourdough starters LOVE fresh milled flour and will eat that up real quick. I have found that a maximum of 2-3 hours ferment on the kitchen counter is plenty before it heads to the fridge to finish rising by cold proofing. Any longer and the dough turns out over proofed, doesn’t rise well, and is dense.
As soon as the dough ball has risen by about 50-75%, I cover it tight and put it in the fridge. I’m sure if you baked it straight from the fridge (I don’t like doing that), you could allow a longer bench proof but this is MY recipe and yer gonna do it MY way. Kay?
In the instructions of this recipe, I give approximate times of when I do different steps just to help you see and understand the flow of my sourdough bread making. This isn’t to overcomplicate it or to give you an itinerary, but to show you exactly how I made it work for me. It may seem a bit excessive, but it’s really not that much when you start doing it! Sourdough fresh milled bread is WORTH it!
Yeast
When making bread with yeast, either with commercial instant or active dry yeast or sourdough starter, you will want to use a hard wheat variety. Yes, sourdough is yeast.
To make this bread recipe, I get my sourdough starter out of the fridge before I go to bed for the night and then give it a big feed first thing in the morning. I keep a really small amount of starter on hand, so I feed it with 200+ grams of both fresh milled flour (hard variety) and water. I cannot be bothered to measure mine and I go entirely off consistency and want about a half filled quart jar of starter just to be sure I have enough for a batch or two of bread the next day.
Just be sure your sourdough starter has been fed recently before making this bread. I sincerely tried to use inactive starter and make it work like I used to with dead flour back in the day, but it just never would turn out right. So, make sure you feed the starter anywhere from 3-12 hours before you’re going to make the dough. That’s best.
You will want to use either hard white wheat or hard red wheat to get your feet wet. These two are the easiest to work with when starting out. Hard white has a much milder flavor than hard red, but if you love a strong flavor, go ham on hard red. Or do a mix.
Once you get the different varieties of wheat figured out, you can add in some kamut or spelt to this recipe and go from there. I would NOT recommend making it entirely with kamut or spelt though, as the measurements for the freshly milled grain would be quite different.
Grain Mills
I’m sure you know what a grain mill is. They’re ALL OVER social media right now with influencers trying to sell you one or the other. Just know, if someone tells you they’re quiet, they’re nuts. Grain mills are LOUD.
Aim for a model that will handle the volume, type of grain you’re wanting to mill, and doesn’t heat the flour up too much. Different brands have certain strengths and weaknesses.
I have a Wondermill, which I wholeheartedly recommend. It has been a wonderful little mill, easy to clean and maintain, and handles even the really hard stuff, like popcorn. I also like the collection container it has to minimize mess and spills and it comes with a lid, so if I need to cool the flour first, I can pop it right in the refrigerator or freezer.
Don’t be a victim though. I hear it all the time. “Must be nice.” The privilege to own a grain mill. While you don’t know how I obtained mine, I will say that you can afford what you make a priority and if you want fresh milled flour, you can budget and save. Skip the Starbs for a year… you’ll have more than enough. There are things we *don’t* need that can be given up to purchase the things we *do* need.
And even then. An electric grain mill isn’t necessarily needed. Where there’s a will, there’s a way. Use a mortar and pestle. Smash the grains with rocks. I always wonder what Ruth did with the grain she gleaned from Boaz’s fields… I bet she went and smacked it with rocks and made a heckin’ good loaf of bread for her and Naomi. Does anyone else’s minds go there when reading the Bible? Just me? HAHA
Where Do You Buy Wheat Berries?
I get mine from smaller bulk food stores that are local. I’m also semi-close to Amish country here in Ohio, so I can buzz out to Stutzman Farms and stock up if I wish. But, it’s quite a bit easier to shop local bulk food stores.
If your local bulk food or specialty store doesn’t stock wheat berries, but sells bulk flour, ASK. Ask if they can order them in for you. Most stores like this have zero issue ordering something in for you custom with their next truck. They’re already getting a shipment, it’s not a big deal to tack something else on the order that’s a sure sale.
When trying to decide what wheat berries to buy to begin building your stock, first take into account any allergies or sensitivities. My advice is simply for someone with none of those that will begin stocking the most basic and easy to use to then expand upon from there.
The first wheat berries I would buy would be hard white wheat and soft white wheat. Not necessarily at the same time if the budget doesn’t allow, but that would be my priority. Those two varieties are going to be somewhat cheaper and easier to find and also easy to use. Hard white would be for you yeast recipes and soft white would work for pastry, cakes, cookies, etc.
Purchasing the wheat berries in bulk, meaning 40-50 pound bags, will get you a better price, too. Most of these bulk food stores buy their things this way and then portion them out into smaller bags.
Storing Wheat Berries
I think some people tend to forget that wheat…. grows outside.
I just recently saw a reel of a woman losing her mind over bugs in her wheat berry blend she purchased that she didn’t properly store. It was shipped to her and she put it in a jar in her warm pantry.
Guess what? There’s insect eggs in there that may or may not hatch. So, when they do, why are we surprised. Thankfully, there are precautions and steps we can take to mitigate this and ensure we don’t have bug flour or a pantry moth explosion.
When I get my bag of wheat berries, it goes straight into the freezer. It helps if the outdoors is the Lord’s freezer, because then I just put the bag in a cooler with a lid and leave it on my porch for a few days. I always stock up on wheat berries in the winter because of this! Sometimes freezer real estate can’t accommodate a big bag!
After the bag has been frozen for a minimum of 48 hours, remove the bag from the freezer (or bring it inside) and let it sit a room temperature for a minimum of 24 hours. After this time, return the bag BACK to the freezer for 48 hours.
Then remove the bag AGAIN and let it come completely to room temperature before packaging it. Do not store the wheat berries in the bags they came in. That’s not rodent or bug proof. My favorite way to store them is in food grade buckets fitted with a gamma lid. This ensure air tight storage and is easy to access and re-seal. You can pick up relatively cheap food grade buckets and gamma lids at Menards! That’s my favorite place to get them and the quality is also good.
IF you don’t want to freeze your wheat berries, or can’t, my second recommendation would be to add the berries to a food grade bucket fitted with a gamma lid. Add the proper amount of oxygen absorbers based on the size container and density of the food. I actually have charts in this blog post about long term food storage and there is a section on wheat berry long term storage there, too!
By adding oxygen absorbers and sealing the bucket, you’re…. removing the oxygen. Ain’t no bugs living is you take out all the oxygen. No oxygen means no bugs.
But, for the love, don’t bring your sack of wheat berries home and toss them in a jar or canister with no further though and then complain you got bugs. Wheat grows in a field. A field where bugs…. live. Come on now. We’re smarter than this.
If I am planning on using the wheat berries pretty quickly, I don’t go through these steps and will just plan on using them. But, since I purchase in bigger quantities, it’s pretty normal to have to put some time in to make sure they store properly.
A bag of organic soft white wheat berries that is 50 pounds will run about $90 here, or $1.80 per pound. Hard white is cheaper than that and for the life of me, I cannot remember the price of it. But it’s easier to grow and easier to get, I have found. And I can purchase hard white wheat more easily without the USDA organic logo, which also means a lower price. (Chances are if you follow me, you know my stance on the USDA organic… it ain’t organic unless you grew it yourself).
Equipment You Might Want
- Bread Machine
- Grain Mill
- Large Bowl
- Loaf Pan
- Spray Bottle
- Meat Thermometer
- Reusable Bread Bag
Ingredients
- 500 grams hard white wheat berries
- 325 grams filtered water
- 15 grams salt
- 100 grams active sourdough starter
Let’s make some fresh milled sourdough bread!
Step 1: Prep
First thing in the morning (6am for me), feed your sourdough starter with equal parts of fresh milled hard white wheat and water to be sure you have 100g for this recipe. Let rise in a warm location.
Late morning (10-11am), start by weighing out the wheat berries and running them through your grain mill. I run them through on a pretty fine setting. On my Wondermill I leave it evenly between the pastry and bread setting. I’ve found that keeping the flour a little finer for sourdough gives me a better loaf.
Bread Machine
(10-11am) To the pan of your bread machine, weigh out water, sourdough starter, and 400 grams of freshly milled flour.
Place the pan into the machine and set it to mix just until the dough is combined. Watch the dough and add more flour a couple tablespoons at a time until the ball just barely starts to come together and pull from the sides. It can be loose and shaggy.
Stop the bread machine and allow the mixture to autolyse, or rest, for 1-2 hours with the lid closed.
By Hand
(10-11am) Into a large mixing bowl, weigh out water, sourdough starter, and 400 grams of freshly milled flour.
Using a dough whisk, or your hands, mix together to combine. Add more flour a couple tablespoons at a time until a very shaggy ball has formed.
Cover the bowl and allow to autolyse, or rest, for 1-2 hours.
Step 2: Knead
(12-1pm) After the autolyse, set your bread machine to knead raw dough. My KBS bread machine has a setting labeled “raw dough” that will mix the dough and then knead it and beep when it’s done. As the dough mixes, add in more flour just until a ball has formed and the dough is no longer sticky. Tacky is fine.
If you aren’t using a bread machine, you can turn the dough out onto your counter and knead by hand while adding flour just until the ball forms and is no longer sticky. Continue to knead the dough for about 15 minutes or until your feel the dough tighten and become very stretchy. Don’t skimp on this part because it really does help with dough structure and we don’t do stretch and folds.
Knead the dough until the ball is smooth and elastic. If you bread machine has a pretty short cycle, just go ahead and run that knead cycle again until the dough looks right.
Step 3: First Rise
Once the dough is done, transfer the ball to an oiled bowl, toss the dough ball to cover, and cover with a damp towel. Place somewhere warm to rise for no more than 3 hours.
(3-4pm) Check the ball periodically; once it has risen by 50%, transfer the dough to the refrigerator.
Step 4: Cold Proofing
Leave the dough in the refrigerator overnight to cold proof, being sure to cover the bowl very tightly to hold in moisture. If not, whole grain doughs made with fresh wheat flour have a big tendency to dry out and your dough ball will be looking like that crusty play-do you found under the table your kids left for you.
The next morning (around 6am), remove the dough from the fridge. Transfer the dough to your counter or a cutting board dusted with flour to come to room temperature, covered with a damp towel. I use a cutting board because I have stone counters and they’re cold. Yeast bread doesn’t like to be cold!
Step 5: Second Bench Rest
Once the dough is about room temperature (8am), press it out flat to remove any air bubbles. You can use a rolling pin if you’re not feeling aggressive. Roll the dough up and shape it as you would dead flour sourdough.
Transfer dough to a greased loaf pan. A normal sized one. IDK the measurements. Just get a normal pan, ok.
Allow the dough to rise, covered, in a warm area for 1-3 hours, or til the dough reaches the rim of the pan. When the dough is nearing being done rising, preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.
Step 6: Bake
Cut a few slashes in the top of the loaf and spritz the top liberally with water.
Place into your preheated oven and bake until the loaf reads an internal temperature of 190F. I don’t have a time for you because I go by temperature. I usually let the loaf bake for 15 minutes and then place a meat thermometer in the center that alarms when it hits the temperature threshold its set at. Baking by temperature is the ONLY way you will be successful baking bread, especially with fresh milled flour. It doesn’t brown like dead flour, so it’s very hard to tell otherwise.
Once the internal temp reads 190F, remove the loaf from the oven and immediately brush with butter, tallow, or lard.
Remove the loaf from the pan and allow to cool completely on a wire rack.
Step 7: Store
Store the loaf in an airtight bread bag and eat within a few days.
If you’re not going to use it right away, freeze the loaf whole or slice and flash freeze the slices and store them in a bag in the freezer, thawing as you need them.
Bread made with fresh milled flour gets hard and stale in a flash because it’s… fresh.
I hope you enjoy this sourdough bread recipe!
Equipment
- Large bowl
- Spray Bottle
Ingredients
- 500 grams hard white wheat berries
- 325 grams filtered water
- 15 grams salt
- 100 grams active sourdough starter
Instructions
- First thing in the morning (6am for me), feed your sourdough starter with equal parts of fresh milled hard white wheat and water to be sure you have 100g for this recipe. Let rise in a warm location.
- Late morning (10-11am), start by weighing out the wheat berries and running them through your grain mill. I run them through on a pretty fine setting. On my Wondermill I leave it evenly between the pastry and bread setting. I’ve found that keeping the flour a little finer for sourdough gives me a better loaf.
Bread Machine
- (10-11am) To the pan of your bread machine, weigh out water, sourdough starter, and 400 grams of freshly milled flour.
- Place the pan into the machine and set it to mix just until the dough is combined. Watch the dough and add more flour a couple tablespoons at a time until the ball just barely starts to come together and pull from the sides. It can be loose and shaggy.
- Stop the bread machine and allow the mixture to autolyse, or rest, for 1-2 hours with the lid closed.
By Hand
- (10-11am) Into a large mixing bowl, weigh out water, sourdough starter, and 400 grams of freshly milled flour.
- Using a dough whisk, or your hands, mix together to combine. Add more flour a couple tablespoons at a time until a very shaggy ball has formed.
- Cover the bowl and allow to autolyse, or rest, for 1-2 hours.
- (12-1pm) After the autolyse, set your bread machine to knead raw dough. My KBS bread machine has a setting labeled “raw dough” that will mix the dough and then knead it and beep when it’s done. As the dough mixes, add in more flour just until a ball has formed and the dough is no longer sticky. Tacky is fine.
- If you aren’t using a bread machine, you can turn the dough out onto your counter and knead by hand while adding flour just until the ball forms and is no longer sticky. Continue to knead the dough for about 15 minutes or until your feel the dough tighten and become very stretchy. Don’t skimp on this part because it really does help with dough structure and we don’t do stretch and folds.
- Knead the dough until the ball is smooth and elastic. If you bread machine has a pretty short cycle, just go ahead and run that knead cycle again until the dough looks right.
- Once the dough is done, transfer the ball to an oiled bowl, toss the dough ball to cover, and cover with a damp towel. Place somewhere warm to rise for no more than 3 hours.
- (3-4pm) Check the ball periodically; once it has risen by 50%, transfer the dough to the refrigerator.
- Leave the dough in the refrigerator overnight to cold proof, being sure to cover the bowl very tightly to hold in moisture. If not, whole grain doughs made with fresh wheat flour have a big tendency to dry out and your dough ball will be looking like that crusty play-do you found under the table your kids left for you.
- The next morning (around 6am), remove the dough from the fridge. Transfer the dough to your counter or a cutting board dusted with flour to come to room temperature, covered with a damp towel. I use a cutting board because I have stone counters and they’re cold. Yeast bread doesn’t like to be cold!
- Once the dough is about room temperature (8am), press it out flat to remove any air bubbles. You can use a rolling pin if you’re not feeling aggressive. Roll the dough up and shape it as you would dead flour sourdough.
- Transfer dough to a greased loaf pan. A normal sized one. IDK the measurements. Just get a normal pan, ok.
- Allow the dough to rise, covered, in a warm area for 1-3 hours, or til the dough reaches the rim of the pan. When the dough is nearing being done rising, preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.
- Cut a few slashes in the top of the loaf and spritz the top liberally with water.
- Place into your preheated oven and bake until the loaf reads an internal temperature of 190F. I don’t have a time for you because I go by temperature. I usually let the loaf bake for 15 minutes and then place a meat thermometer in the center that alarms when it hits the temperature threshold its set at. Baking by temperature is the ONLY way you will be successful baking bread, especially with fresh milled flour. It doesn’t brown like dead flour, so it’s very hard to tell otherwise.
- Once the internal temp reads 190F, remove the loaf from the oven and immediately brush with butter, tallow, or lard.
- Remove the loaf from the pan and allow to cool completely on a wire rack.
- Store the loaf in an airtight bread bag and eat within a few days.
- If you’re not going to use it right away, freeze the loaf whole or slice and flash freeze the slices and store them in a bag in the freezer, thawing as you need them. Bread made with fresh milled flour gets hard and stale in a flash because it’s… fresh.
Notes
If you’d like to try some other fresh milled flour sourdough or yeast recipes, check these out! Some of my favorites:
