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40% whole-wheat bread with warm-fed starter

Name: 40% whole-wheat bread with warm-fed starter
Yield: 2 loaves
Ingredients: 50 g Mature active levain; 250 g White wheat flour; 175 g Water Warm; 50 g Levain from first feed; 250 g White wheat flour; 175 g Water Warm; 100 g Levain from second feed; 500 g White wheat flour; 350 g Water Warm; 350 g White wheat flour; 400 g Whole wheat flour; 625 g Water Warm; 20 g Fine sea salt; 425 g Ripe levain from A3 Use this portion only, not the entire feed.; 1 g Instant dried yeast; As needed Flour For counter and proofing baskets; excluded from dough formula.

Makes: 2 loaves
Heat: 245°C
Baking time: 30 min covered + 20–25 min uncovered

Preheat covered pots for at least 45 min. Check the crust after 15 min uncovered.

Hybrid levain bread

40% whole-wheat bread with warm-fed starter

The warm-spot culture used in a dough with 40% whole wheat and 80% nominal hydration.

Include step photos when printing

Ingredients

Group	Ingredient	Amount	Preparation
A · day 1 morning	Mature active levain	50 g
A · day 1 morning	White wheat flour	250 g
A · day 1 morning	Water	175 g	Warm
A2 · day 1 evening	Levain from first feed	50 g
A2 · day 1 evening	White wheat flour	250 g
A2 · day 1 evening	Water	175 g	Warm
A3 · day 2 morning	Levain from second feed	100 g
A3 · day 2 morning	White wheat flour	500 g
A3 · day 2 morning	Water	350 g	Warm
B · final dough	White wheat flour	350 g
B · final dough	Whole wheat flour	400 g
B · final dough	Water	625 g	Warm
B · final dough	Fine sea salt	20 g
B · final dough	Ripe levain from A3	425 g	Use this portion only, not the entire feed.
B · final dough	Instant dried yeast	1 g
Finish	Flour	As needed	For counter and proofing baskets; excluded from dough formula.

Tools & alternatives

Utensil checklist

Tick the tools you have ready. Choose the recommended tool or its workaround; keep the specified pan size and heat rating.

Recommended Tools Regular Baker	Casual Baker Workarounds Hacks
Digital kitchen scale	Borrow a suitable scale for the gram amounts. Use measuring cups only where a volume is provided; fluff flour, spoon it in and level without packing.
Covered 5.7 L levain tub and 11.4 L dough tub	Use a food-safe container of similar capacity with a loose lid or plate. Leave room for rising; do not seal fermenting dough airtight.
Bench scraper	Use a firm food-safe spatula for lifting dough, or a kitchen knife for dividing it. Avoid sharp edges on nonstick surfaces.
2 floured baskets or towel-lined bowls	Use similarly sized bowls lined with clean, flour-dusted, lint-free tea towels; leave room for the dough to expand.
1–2 oven-rated 3.8 L lidded Dutch ovens	Borrow a lidded ovenproof pot of similar capacity, with every part rated for the stated heat. Bake loaves one at a time if necessary; keep waiting dough cool.
Cooling rack	Set a clean, cool wire trivet over a tray. Let air reach underneath; a flat plate can trap steam.

Timing & recipe details

Time & temperature

Baking temperature: 245°C
Baking time: 30 min covered + 20–25 min uncovered

Preheat covered pots for at least 45 min. Check the crust after 15 min uncovered.

Makes: 2 loaves
Heat: 245°C
Plan for: Culture transition over 2 days; third feed 6 h; bulk 5–6 h; cold proof 11–12 h; bake 50–55 min

1,000 g total flour80% hydration2% salt0.1% instant yeast25% prefermented flour

Use the recipe tools

Core dough totals include the flour and water in the portion of preferment used. Extra feeding culture, toppings and inclusions are separate.

Method

01 · Day 1 · first feed
About 8 hours
Use: A
Keep 50 g starter, add flour and water; mix and cover. Hold in a measured 29–32°C warm spot.
Ready when: Stiff culture expands 3–4×, with bubbles and a webbed interior.
01 Day 1 · first feedMix the first stiff feed, cover it and keep it in the measured warm spot.
02 · Day 1 · second feed
14–15 hours overnight
Use: A2
Retain only 50 g from the first feed; mix with fresh flour and water. Cover in the same warm spot.
Ready when: Well expanded and aerated again.
02 Day 1 · second feedRetain only the listed small portion of stiff starter and mix it with fresh flour and water.
03 · Day 2 · third feed
About 6 hours
Use: A3
Keep only 100 g; add flour and water. Cover in the warm spot. Begin final flour/water autolyse after about 5½ hours.
Ready when: Culture has risen vigorously and is webbed inside.
03 Day 2 · third feedMix the larger third feed, cover and keep warm until vigorously expanded and webbed inside.
04 · Autolyse
20–30 minutes
Use: B flour + B water
Near the end of the feed, mix the final-dough flours and water only. Cover. Keep salt, yeast and levain aside.
Ready when: All flour moistened; no dry pockets.
04 AutolyseMoisten all the final-dough flour with the final water, then cover and rest.
05 · Mix
3–6 minutes
Use: Autolysed dough + remaining B
With a damp hand, fold edges over the additions; pinch through the mass with thumb and forefinger 5–6 times. Alternate pinching and folding until uniformly mixed, about 3–6 minutes. Rest briefly, then fold again.
Ready when: Uniform dough, no streaks of levain or salt.
05 MixUse a damp hand to pinch and fold the levain, salt and any listed yeast evenly into the dough.
06 · Fold & bulk
3–4 sets in first 1½–2 h; total bulk 5–6 hours
Use: Mixed dough
With a damp hand, stretch one edge until resistance, then fold across the dough. Repeat around 4–5 sides; turn the bundle seam down. Cover between sets; let it relax before the next set. Do not tear it or fold during the last bulk hour.
Ready when: About 2½× starting volume, aerated and elastic.
06 Fold & bulkLift an edge gently, fold it across, then let the dough relax before the next set.
07 · Divide & shape
After bulk
Use: Fermented dough
Gently tip onto a lightly floured counter and divide equally. Fold each perimeter inward; turn seam down. Cup and drag on an unfloured patch, rotating, until the surface holds tension without tearing. Place seam DOWN in floured baskets; cover.
Ready when: Medium-tight rounds; preserve visible gas.
07 Divide & shapeDivide equally and cup each piece into a smooth round, then place seam down in floured baskets.
08 · Proof
11–12 hours
Use: Covered baskets
Refrigerate in closed bags overnight. Bake directly from the fridge; no warm-up is needed.
Ready when: Expanded, aerated loaves; firm enough to lift while cold.
08 ProofEnclose the baskets in closed bags and refrigerate overnight. Bake the loaves directly from the fridge.
09 · Preheat
At least 45 minutes, overlapping final proof
Use: Oven + covered Dutch ovens
Put covered pots on a middle rack. Preheat thoroughly to 245°C.
Ready when: Oven and pot fully heated.
09 PreheatHeat the covered Dutch ovens thoroughly while the loaves finish proofing.
10 · Bake
30 min covered + 20–25 min uncovered
Use: Proofed loaves
Invert onto a lightly floured counter and carefully lower into hot pot seam UP. Cover for 30 minutes, then uncover to finish. Use dry oven mitts; keep skin clear of hot iron.
Ready when: Deep brown crust; check 15 min after uncovering.
10 BakeUse dry mitts to remove the lid after the covered bake, then finish uncovered until the crust is deep brown.
11 · Cool
At least 20 minutes; longer for cleaner slices
Use: Baked loaves
Lift out of pots and cool on a rack before cutting.
Ready when: Steam has subsided; crumb no longer tears when cut.
11 CoolCool the loaves on a rack before cutting so the crumb can set without tearing.

What to look for

Stage	Look and feel	Needs attention
Mix & folds	Sticky but cohesive dough gains height and elasticity after each fold.	A puddle that never gains strength, or a dry dough tearing under a gentle stretch.
Proof	Use volume and dough feel alongside the schedule. At room temperature, a poke returns slowly and partly.	Immediate rebound suggests more proof; collapse or a lasting deep dent suggests excess proof.

Troubleshooting

If you see	Likely cause	What to do now	Next time
Dough is slow to expand	Cool dough or weak levain.	Keep covered in a mildly warmer spot; wait for the volume cue.	Confirm the starter is vigorous; log dough and room temperatures.
Loaf spreads or collapses	Fermentation went too far or shaping left little tension.	Handle gently and bake promptly; expect a lower loaf.	Use the volume cue; shape with surface tension and shorten the next warm hold.
Sticky crumb when sliced	The loaf was cut warm or insufficiently baked.	Let it cool fully before judging.	Bake to an even deep crust colour and allow a longer cooling rest.

Recipe notes

Formula totals describe the final dough, not all flour used for feeding. Use only the stated levain portion. An established culture at 80% hydration with an 80:20 white-to-whole-wheat flour blend maintains that composition. After a change of feed, traces of the previous flour blend and hydration remain.
Keep unused levain separately for the next feeding; do not return salted dough to the starter. For one Dutch oven, chill the waiting loaf and reheat the empty pot for 5 minutes before the second bake.
Do not turn an oven on while it contains the culture. A switched-off oven light may get too hot; measure the actual warm-spot temperature. To continue this culture, repeat the day-1 feeding proportions twice daily.

Show ingredient flow

Two matching whole-wheat sourdough halves lie cut-face up on a silver rack, viewed from above beside a bread knife. — The two halves of one 40% whole-wheat sourdough loaf.

Recipe

40% whole-wheat bread with warm-fed starter

The warm-spot culture used in a dough with 40% whole wheat and 80% nominal hydration.

Include step photos when printing

Ingredients

Group	Ingredient	Amount	Preparation
A · day 1 morning	Mature active levain	50 g
A · day 1 morning	White wheat flour	250 g
A · day 1 morning	Water	175 g	Warm
A2 · day 1 evening	Levain from first feed	50 g
A2 · day 1 evening	White wheat flour	250 g
A2 · day 1 evening	Water	175 g	Warm
A3 · day 2 morning	Levain from second feed	100 g
A3 · day 2 morning	White wheat flour	500 g
A3 · day 2 morning	Water	350 g	Warm
B · final dough	White wheat flour	350 g
B · final dough	Whole wheat flour	400 g
B · final dough	Water	625 g	Warm
B · final dough	Fine sea salt	20 g
B · final dough	Ripe levain from A3	425 g	Use this portion only, not the entire feed.
B · final dough	Instant dried yeast	1 g
Finish	Flour	As needed	For counter and proofing baskets; excluded from dough formula.

Tools & alternatives

Utensil checklist

Tick the tools you have ready. Choose the recommended tool or its workaround; keep the specified pan size and heat rating.

Recommended Tools Regular Baker	Casual Baker Workarounds Hacks
Digital kitchen scale	Borrow a suitable scale for the gram amounts. Use measuring cups only where a volume is provided; fluff flour, spoon it in and level without packing.
Covered 5.7 L levain tub and 11.4 L dough tub	Use a food-safe container of similar capacity with a loose lid or plate. Leave room for rising; do not seal fermenting dough airtight.
Bench scraper	Use a firm food-safe spatula for lifting dough, or a kitchen knife for dividing it. Avoid sharp edges on nonstick surfaces.
2 floured baskets or towel-lined bowls	Use similarly sized bowls lined with clean, flour-dusted, lint-free tea towels; leave room for the dough to expand.
1–2 oven-rated 3.8 L lidded Dutch ovens	Borrow a lidded ovenproof pot of similar capacity, with every part rated for the stated heat. Bake loaves one at a time if necessary; keep waiting dough cool.
Cooling rack	Set a clean, cool wire trivet over a tray. Let air reach underneath; a flat plate can trap steam.

Timing & recipe details

Makes: 2 loaves
Heat: 245°C
Allow: Culture transition over 2 days; third feed 6 h; bulk 5–6 h; cold proof 11–12 h; bake 50–55 min

How do I make it?

Day 1: first starter feed
About 8 hours
Keep 50 g starter and mix in the flour and water listed for this feed. Cover and put it in a warm place measured at 29–32°C. This prepares the starter, called levain, for the dough.
Mix the first stiff feed, cover it and keep it in the measured warm spot.
Ready when: The firm starter has grown 3–4×, with bubbles and fine stretchy strands inside.
Day 1: second starter feed
14–15 hours overnight
Keep only 50 g of the starter from the first feed. Mix in the fresh flour and water listed for this second feed, cover and leave it in the same warm place.
Retain only the listed small portion of stiff starter and mix it with fresh flour and water.
Ready when: The starter has grown well and is airy again.
Day 2: third starter feed
About 6 hours
Keep only 100 g starter and mix in the flour and water listed for this third feed. Cover and leave it in the warm place. After about 5½ hours, start resting the final dough’s flour and water together.
Mix the larger third feed, cover and keep warm until vigorously expanded and webbed inside.
Ready when: The starter has risen strongly, with fine stretchy strands inside.
Rest the flour and water
20–30 minutes
As the prepared starter nears readiness, mix only the flour and water listed for the final dough. Cover and let it rest, keeping the salt, yeast and prepared starter separate for now.
Moisten all the final-dough flour with the final water, then cover and rest.
Ready when: All the flour is wet, with no dry patches.
Mix the dough
3–6 minutes
Add the remaining group B ingredients to the rested dough, then wet your hand and fold the outer edges over them. Pinch through the dough with your thumb and forefinger 5–6 times, alternating with folds until evenly mixed, about 3–6 minutes. Rest briefly, fold again and aim for a dough temperature of 25–26°C.
Use a damp hand to pinch and fold the levain, salt and any listed yeast evenly into the dough.
Ready when: The dough looks even, with no streaks of starter or salt.
Fold and let rise
3–4 folding rounds in first 1½–2 h; total first rise 5–6 hours
Wet your hand, lift one edge of the dough just until it resists, then fold it across; work around 4–5 sides and turn the dough folded-side down. Keep it covered and let it relax between rounds of folding. Avoid tearing the dough, and leave it untouched for the last hour of this first rise.
Lift an edge gently, fold it across, then let the dough relax before the next set.
Ready when: About 2½× its starting size, airy and stretchy.
Shape the loaves
After the first rise
Gently tip the dough onto a lightly floured counter and divide it equally. Fold each piece’s edges into the middle, turn the folded side down onto a patch without flour, then cup and gently pull it toward you while turning until the surface is firm without tearing. Put the rounds folded-side DOWN in floured rising baskets and cover, keeping as much air in the dough as possible.
Divide equally and cup each piece into a smooth round, then place seam down in floured baskets.
Ready when: Moderately firm rounds that still have air bubbles inside.
Let the loaves rise
11–12 hours
Put the covered rising baskets in closed bags and refrigerate overnight. Bake the loaves straight from the fridge; they do not need to warm up first.
Enclose the baskets in closed bags and refrigerate overnight. Bake the loaves directly from the fridge.
Ready when: The loaves have grown and feel airy, but are firm enough to lift while cold.
Heat the oven
At least 45 minutes, overlapping the last rise
Put the heavy lidded pots on the middle rack. Heat the oven and pots thoroughly to 245°C.
Heat the covered Dutch ovens thoroughly while the loaves finish proofing.
Ready when: The oven and pot are fully hot.
Bake
30 min covered + 20–25 min uncovered
Turn each loaf out onto a lightly floured counter and carefully lower it folded-side UP into a hot pot. Bake with the lid on for 30 minutes, then remove the lid to finish baking. Use dry oven mitts and keep your hands clear of the hot metal.
Use dry mitts to remove the lid after the covered bake, then finish uncovered until the crust is deep brown.
Ready when: A deep brown crust; start checking 15 min after removing the lid.
Let it cool
At least 20 minutes; longer for cleaner slices
Take the loaves out of the pots and leave them on a rack to cool before slicing.
Cool the loaves on a rack before cutting so the crumb can set without tearing.
Ready when: Most steam has escaped and the inside no longer tears when sliced.

What can go wrong, and how can I fix it?

What you notice	Likely cause	What to do
Dough is slow to expand	Cool dough or weak levain.	Keep covered in a mildly warmer spot; wait for the volume cue. Confirm the starter is vigorous; log dough and room temperatures.
Loaf spreads or collapses	Fermentation went too far or shaping left little tension.	Handle gently and bake promptly; expect a lower loaf. Use the volume cue; shape with surface tension and shorten the next warm hold.
Sticky crumb when sliced	The loaf was cut warm or insufficiently baked.	Let it cool fully before judging. Bake to an even deep crust colour and allow a longer cooling rest.

Useful recipe notes

Formula totals describe the final dough, not all flour used for feeding. Use only the stated levain portion. An established culture at 80% hydration with an 80:20 white-to-whole-wheat flour blend maintains that composition. After a change of feed, traces of the previous flour blend and hydration remain.

Keep unused levain separately for the next feeding; do not return salted dough to the starter. For one Dutch oven, chill the waiting loaf and reheat the empty pot for 5 minutes before the second bake.

Do not turn an oven on while it contains the culture. A switched-off oven light may get too hot; measure the actual warm-spot temperature. To continue this culture, repeat the day-1 feeding proportions twice daily.

See the detailed method and ratios in , or follow ingredients through the .

Ingredient proportions & recipe details

40% whole-wheat bread with warm-fed starter at a glance

Makes: 2 loaves
Heat: 245°C
Baking time: 30 min covered + 20–25 min uncovered
Dough hydration: 80%
Prefermented flour: 25% of total flour
Leavening: Starter + yeast
Bulk fermentation: 3–4 sets in first 1½–2 h; total bulk 5–6 hours · About 2½× starting volume, aerated and elastic.

How do the ingredient proportions compare?

Core dough totals include the flour and water in the portion of starter or preferment used. Do not add them again. Toppings, fillings and dusting flour are separate.

Formula component	Grams	Flour = 100%
Total flour	1000 g	100%
Total water	800 g	80%
Salt	20 g	2%
Instant yeast	1 g	0.1%

Method

01 · Day 1 · first feed

02 · Day 1 · second feed

03 · Day 2 · third feed

04 · Autolyse

05 · Mix

06 · Fold & bulk

07 · Divide & shape

08 · Proof

09 · Preheat

10 · Bake

11 · Cool

What to look for

Troubleshooting

Recipe notes

How do I make it?

Day 1: first starter feed

Day 1: second starter feed

Day 2: third starter feed

Rest the flour and water

Mix the dough

Fold and let rise

Shape the loaves

Let the loaves rise

Heat the oven

Bake

Let it cool

What can go wrong, and how can I fix it?

40% whole-wheat bread with warm-fed starter at a glance