Sourdough Bread with Fresh Milled Flour

If you’ve ever tried making sourdough with 100% fresh milled flour, you know it behaves very differently than store-bought flour. It’s thirstier, more active, and can feel harder to work with — especially if you’re hoping for good oven spring and an open crumb.

After years of baking with freshly milled wheat, I’ve learned that you can make beautiful sourdough bread using only fresh milled flour — but it requires a few adjustments. In this post, I’ll walk you through exactly how I mill, sift, hydrate, and ferment my dough to get better structure, flavor, and rise. If you’ve been frustrated by dense loaves or tight crumb, this method will help you get consistent results.

What is Fresh Milled Flour?

Simply put, it is flour that is milled from wheat berries immediately before use. While you can purchase fresh milled flour, most people have a counter top mill to grind the berries into flour at home. I have a KoMo but also know that Mockmill is popular.

How is Fresh Milled Sourdough different?

It is important to note that overall, fresh milled flour behaves differently than all-purpose flour. Due to the higher bran content, it is “thirstier”, meaning it absorbs more water than all purpose flour. The higher bran can also act like a knife “cutting” into the gluten strands (which is what gives bread its strength), making the window pane test hard to achieve.

So how does this relate to sourdough? I think the most important thing to note that even implementing these tips, sourdough made with fresh milled flour will not look like “Instagram” sourdough. When I first started baking sourdough with fresh milled flour, I struggled to achieve the open crumb I saw in white flour loaves. That frustration led me to test and refine this method.

In order to get a more open crumb, and better oven spring I did three things.

• I made a higher hydration dough
• I sifted out some of the bran
• I allowed the flour and water to autolyse before adding the starter

Doing these three things led to a bread with a more open crumb (note, it’s still not as open as bread made with all purpose four) and greater oven spring.

Sourdough Terms you may need to know:

• Active sourdough starter: this is your sourdough starter at its peak. It should be domed on top and should have doubled in size since you last fed it
• Sourdough discard: when you feed your starter you need to discard some of the starter. This is called discard. You can’t use it in sourdough bread, but don’t throw it out. You can check out my discard recipes here.
• Autolyse: this is mixing the flour and water and allowing it to rest before adding the starter
• Stretch and Fold: this is how you build the gluten in sourdough bread since you don’t knead the bread. It involves lifting up the dough and folding it over on itself.

• Bulk Ferment: after mixing and folding you need to let the dough sit at room temperature to bulk ferment. This can be anywhere from 4-16 hours depending on the temperature of your kitchen
• Expansion Score: You need to make one (or more) deep cuts in your dough before you bake it . This allows a place for the steam to escape and your bread to rise the way you want it to.

Before You Start

Ingredients

• Active sourdough starter: I feed my starter with a 1:2:2 ratio (for example 50 grams starter: 100 grams water: 100 grams hard white wheat flour). Depending on your kitchen temperature it can take 6-12 hours to be ready to use. The warmer your kitchen the faster it will be ready.
• Fresh Milled Flour: I use half hard red and half hard white. After I mill the wheat berries I then sift out the bran. I use a fine sifter to get 200 grams, then a coarser sifter for 300 grams. Total weight of the flour is 500. After many tests I found that sifting out some of the bran helps to give my sourdough more oven spring and a more open crumb.
• Water: This is a higher hydration dough, so it may use more water than you are used to
• Diastatic Malt Powder: This isn’t necessary, but I really think it helps add to the rise of the bread.
• Salt

How to Make Sourdough Bread with 100% Fresh Milled Flour

Feed the sourdough starter

I usually do this the night before I plan to start my bread. You want your starter to be active and bubbly when you use it to mix your bread. During the winter (when our kitchen is in the lower 60s at night) it takes about 10-12 hours for my starter to be ready. In the summer (when our kitchen is in the upper 70s) it may be ready in 4-6 hours.

Mill and sift the fresh milled flour

For this loaf, I mill about 700 grams of wheat berries (half hard red and half hard white). After milling, I sift out some of the bran to improve the texture of the dough.

I first use a fine mesh sifter until I have 200 grams of flour. Then I switch to a coarser sifter and continue until the total is 500 grams. So the final flour blend is made up of 200 grams finely sifted flour and 300 grams more coarsely sifted flour. By sifting out some of the brand I create a high extraction flour which helps with gluten development and improves oven spring.

Mix and autolyse

Next it is time to mix the water, sifted flour, and diastatic malt powder (if using) together. Allow this to sit (aka autolyse) for 45 minutes- an hour. This step allows the flour to fully hydrate, which is very important when talking about using fresh milled flour. It will also help the gluten bonds form and increase the dough’s extensibility (its ability to stretch without tearing). Remember using fresh milled flour means there is more bran present, which can act like knives, cutting into your gluten strands. This autolyse helps prevent that from happening.

Add starter, salt

Now that you have given the flour some time to absorb the dough it’s time to add the starter and the salt. After adding them do some stretch and folds to incorporate everything together. This is the one time I do more than four stretch and folds to make sure the starter and salt are well incorporated in the dough. After this let the dough rest 15 minutes. Note: this counts as your first set of stretch and folds.

Stretch and folds

After the dough has rested it is time to start the stretch folds. Remember these are what build the gluten strength in your bread since you don’t do traditional kneading. You will be doing six total sets of stretch and folds. The first four every 15 minutes. The last two every 30 minutes. The following is an example schedule:

• 10:00am- Stretch and fold #1 (when you add the starter and salt)
• 10:15am- stretch and fold #2
• 10: 30am- stretch and fold #3
• 10:45am-stretch and fold #4
• 11:15am- stretch and fold #5
• 11:45am-stretch and fold #6

The timing doesn’t have to be exact. When I first started sourdough I set a timer and was sure to get them just right. But after many loaves, I realized it’s ok if it’s not exact.

Bulk Fermentation for Fresh Milled Sourdough

Bulk fermentation is where most fresh milled sourdough loaves succeed or fail — so pay close attention to how your dough looks and feels during this step.

After the last stretch and fold it is time to let the dough rest for bulk fermentation. During this step the dough is strengthened, and the yeast and bacteria get to work creating carbon dioxide gases (which give sourdough bread the light airiness we all love). Besides strength this step is also what gives sourdough bread its flavor.

Temperature is a crucial aspect for bulk fermentation as it controls the yeast and bacteria activity. The warmer the temperature the faster the dough will ferment, while colder temperatures will slow it down. Temperature also plays a role in the flavor of the bread. Dough that is left to ferment at a warmer temperature will produce a milder tasting loaf, while dough that ferments at a colder temperature will produce a tangy loaf.

The temperature a dough ferments at will also affect its crumb. A dough that ferments at a warmer temperature will have a more open crumb, while dough that ferments at a lower temperature will have a slightly denser crumb.

Finally, temperature also determines how much you let your dough rise during bulk fermentation. This websites offers a fantastic temperature guide for understanding bulk fermentation at different temperatures. In general the warmer the temperature the less you let the dough rise. For this recipe in particular I let my dough ferment at 79° (with the help of the Broad and Taylor dough proofer. This was a game changer in my sourdough), which means I let it rise about 30%. This takes about 3-4 hours.

You will know your dough is done with the bulk ferment when it is slightly jiggly, has a domed shape, is pulling away from the sides of the container, and has small to medium sized bubbles on the surface.

A quick recap:

Preshape

After the dough is done with the bulk fermentation you will need to preshape the dough. To do this dump the dough on your counter, and divide (if you are planning on making two smaller loaves). Gently shape each section into a sphere and cover with a tea towel. Let them sit for 10-30 minutes.

Shape

To shape the flip one preshaped dough sphere seam-side up. Gently stretch it out to make a rough rectangle. Take the top of the dough and fold it down, pressing the seam closed. Fold the bottom of the dough up, pressing the seam closed. Then starting at one end (that you didn’t fold over) roll into a ball. After it is rolled using a small bit of tension pull the dough across the counter in a circular motion.

Proofing

Cover a bowl or banneton with a cloth or tea towel and dust with flour. This recipe is a high hydration dough, so you really do need to use a cloth of some sort. Flip the shaped dough into one of the the proofing baskets, pinching the seams closed a little more if needed. Place bowl into a plastic bag and place in the fridge until the next day.

Baking Day

When you are ready to bake place your Dutch oven in your oven and preheat at 500° for one hour.

Once it has preheated for an hour take out one of your bowls. Flip the dough onto a piece of parchment paper. If you want to make a pattern on your dough spray it with water then dust with rice flour. Score your pattern first (if doing). Then make your deeper expansion cut. This angled cut helps control oven spring and can create the classic “ear.” I usually stick to one clean cut down the center and don’t stress if I don’t get a dramatic ear — the flavor and structure matter more.

After you score your bread carefully take your Dutch oven out, remove the lid, and put the dough (parchment paper and all) in. Quickly put the lid on, put it back in the oven, lower the temperature to 450° and bake for 35 minutes. Then take the lid off, lower the oven to 425° and bake for another 15 minutes.

After take the boule out and allow to cool about two hours before cutting into it. I know it is hard but cutting into it while it is still warm can cause the loaf to become gummy and sticky. After all that hard work no one wants that.

If you are venturing into fresh milled flour and sourdough I hope that this post helps you. I did not originally intend to make such an info dense post, but in order to make the best loaf of fresh milled sourdough you can , it is important to fully understand how everything works together. Please don’t hesitate to leave a comment if you have any other questions.

Trouble Shooting Fresh Millled Sourdough

Baking sourdough with fresh milled flour is a little different than baking with all-purpose flour. If your loaf didn’t turn out exactly how you hoped, here are a few common issues and how to fix them.

Why is my loaf dense?

A dense loaf is usually caused by a weak starter or dough that was under-fermented. When dough is under-fermented it can lead to weak gluten development, which in turn, leads to dense loaves.

To fix this for next time:

• Make sure your starter is strong and is at it’s peak.
• Be sure to watch your dough during bulk fermentation. Depending on the temperature be sure to let it rise the correct percentage.
• Be sure to complete all the stretch and folds

Why is my crumb gummy?

Similar to a dense loaf, a gummy crumb can also be caused by under fermentation or weak starter. Cutting the sourdough before it has cooled can also cause a gummy interior as the crumb continues to set as the loaf cools.

To fix this for next time:

• Be sure you are allowing the dough to bulk ferment enough
• Make sure your starter is strong
• Let the loaf cool at least two hours before slicing.

Why didn’t my loaf rise in the oven?

If you didn’t achieve a good oven spring the most likely cause is over fermentation. Weak shaping along with insufficient heat during baking can also cause a loaf to not rise properly in the oven.

To fix for next time:

• Like with all the other problems, your starter needs to be mature and at its’ peak
• End bulk fermentation at the right time. Remember the room temperature will determine what percentage you need to let your dough rise
• Build gentle but firm tension while shaping
• Make sure your Dutch oven is fully preheated

Why didn’t I get large open holes?

Remember fresh milled flour naturally produces a more even, slightly tighter crumb compared to white flour sourdough. Do not stress yourself out trying to chase those holes. Instead look for:

• No dense or gummy patches
• Good oven spring
• Even hole distribution
• Light texture
• Amazing taste

This recipe uses 100% fresh milled flour (a mix of hard red and hard white wheat), a higher hydration, and a partial bran sift to create a lighter, more open crumb while still keeping the nutrition of whole grains.