Oven-Baked Wheat Sourdough Bread (with Wheat Starter)
Tasty and so aromatic - it makes any meal feel cozier! This wheat sourdough bread is special because the dough includes a mixed seed assortment. Flax adds extra nutrition, while the other seeds bring crunch and flavor. Baking it isn’t hard, especially if you knead the dough with a mixer.
Updated : 26 January, 2026
Easy
More than 1 hour.
Ingredients
Starter
15 grams
Ready-made sourdough starter
75 grams
Wheat flour
100 milliliters
Water
Flax
35 grams
Flax
105 milliliters
Water
Dough
375 grams
Wheat flour
50 grams
Whole-wheat flour
175 milliliters
Water
30 grams
Pumpkin seeds
30 grams
Sunflower seeds
12 grams
Salt
Table
Table of volume measurements:
- teaspoon - 5 ml
- dessert spoon - 10 ml
- tablespoon - 20 ml
- glass - 200 ml
Preparation
Step 1
How to bake wheat sourdough bread in the oven? Prepare the ingredients. For this recipe, use a 100% hydration wheat starter at its peak. You can change the amount and mix of seeds to your taste and what you have on hand. Use shelled pumpkin and sunflower seeds; lightly toast them in a dry skillet ahead of time.
Step 2
The bread is made in two stages. Stage one: mix the preferment and soak the flax. Stage two begins 12 hours later, once the preferment is ready; it will take about 9 hours. For the preferment, use starter “at its peak,” meaning it has been fed in advance and has doubled. Pour in room-temperature water and stir.
Step 3
Add 75 g flour (about 2.6 oz, roughly 2/3 cup) and mix until the flour is moistened. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature for 10-12 hours. During this time, the preferment will bubble and increase slightly in volume.
Step 4
Also soak the flax seeds in advance. Pour room-temperature water over them and leave on the counter for 10-12 hours as well.
Step 5
The seeds will swell and turn into a gel-like mixture.
Step 6
After 12 hours (when the preferment is ready and the flax has swollen), start mixing the dough. You can use a stand mixer, a hand mixer with dough hooks, or knead by hand. Pour the preferment and the soaked flax into the mixer bowl, add both types of flour, and pour in the water. Mix on low speed. Once the flour is fully hydrated, stop the mixer and let the dough rest for 20 minutes for autolyse.
Step 7
Add the salt and continue mixing on the next higher speed. Knead for 15-20 minutes until smooth; the dough will start pulling away from the bowl. 10 minutes before the end, add the pumpkin and sunflower seeds (save a handful to sprinkle on top). Gather the finished dough into a ball.
Step 8
Transfer it to a bowl lightly greased with vegetable oil. Cover with a towel or wrap and leave for bulk fermentation for 3 1/2-4 hours.
Step 9
Fermentation time is approximate and depends on starter activity. Look at the dough: it should increase 1.5-2 times and be full of bubbles.
Step 10
Turn the risen dough out onto a floured surface. Gently stretch it into a rough rectangle. Shape into a ball by pulling the edges to the center. Flip seam-side down and tighten the surface by tucking and rolling. Cover and rest for 15 minutes.
Step 11
Take a proofing basket or a bowl. Line it with a linen cloth. Sprinkle a few seeds on the bottom. Dust the cloth with whole-wheat flour.
Step 12
Place the shaped dough into the bowl seam-side up. Dust the dough with whole-wheat flour. Cover and leave at room temperature for 2-2 1/2 hours.
Step 13
This time is also approximate and depends on room temperature. The dough will rise again. Check readiness with a fingertip press - the dent should smooth out in 5-10 seconds.
Step 14
About 30 minutes before the end of proofing, preheat the oven. Set it to 250°C / 482°F (or up to 280°C / 536°F if possible; do not go lower). Put a baking sheet and the cover you’ll bake under (a dome or a pot) into the oven to preheat. Flip the loaf onto baking paper and score it.
Step 15
Transfer the bread on the paper onto the hot baking sheet and cover it. Bake 15 minutes at 250-280°C (482–536°F) covered. Then remove the cover, reduce the temperature to 200°C / 392°F, and bake for 15-20 minutes more until deeply golden. Remove the bread and cool on a rack.
Step 16
Slice the bread only when fully cooled or slightly warm. Keep in mind: sourdough bread differs in taste and texture from yeasted bread. Enjoy!
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