Breads (Sourdough) - Soft Loaves
Soft Wholemeal Sourdough Bread
April 12, 2020
| Recipe by Bake with Paws
Updated: May 2025
By Bake with Paws
This Soft Wholemeal Sourdough Bread is a wholesome, nutritious loaf made with a combination of sweet stiff starter and the Yudane method—resulting in a tender, moist crumb with excellent keeping quality. With its mild flavour and soft texture, it’s a wonderful daily bread option that works beautifully for sandwiches, toast, or simple snacking.
If you're looking for a soft sourdough bread that’s not overly tangy and made with good-for-you ingredients, this recipe might become a staple in your kitchen.
What Makes This Bread Special?
✅ Made with sweet stiff starter – mild in flavour, excellent structure
✅ Uses the Yudane method – enhances moisture and shelf life
✅ High in whole grains – rich in fibre and nutrients
✅ Soft and fluffy crumb – not dense like typical wholemeal loaves
✅ No commercial yeast – fully naturally leavened
Why Sweet Stiff Starter + Yudane?
Using a sweet stiff starter (a low-hydration levain with added sugar) helps reduce the sourness typical in sourdough while improving oven spring. Pairing this with the Yudane method—where part of the flour is gelatinised with boiling water—boosts moisture retention, yielding a soft, fluffy loaf that stays fresh for longer.
This combo is ideal for enriched sourdough breads, especially those made with wholemeal flour, which can otherwise be dense or dry.
Learn more about the Sweet Stiff Starter "here", and check out the section on "Bread Making Methods" for a detailed explanation of the Yudane Method.
Step-by-Step Instrucstions How To Make Soft Wholemeal Sourdough Bread
INGREDIENTS (Yields: 1 Loaf)
Yudane Dough:
70g bread flour (I used Japan High Gluten Flour)
70g boiling water
Sweet Stiff Starter:
60g sourdough starter (100% Hydration), use at its peak
165g bread flour (I used Japan High Gluten Flour)
20g wholemeal flour
75g water or 90g milk
30g sugar (I used organic brown sugar)
Main Dough:
65g wholemeal flour
All yudane dough (above)
All stiff starter (above)
15g brown sugar (I used organic brown sugar)
1 tsp salt
25g milk powder (omit if SST is fed with milk)
45g cold egg, whisked (from 1 egg), balance use for egg wash
25g water, cold (reserve 10g and add in later if needed) I used total 25g of water
25g butter, room temperature
Egg Wash: (Optional)
Balance of egg wash from the above + 1/2 tsp water
Balance of egg wash from the above + 1/2 tsp water
Utensil:
450g loaf pan (21.3 X 12.2 X 11.5 cm / 8.4" X 4.8" X 4.5")
METHOD:
1. Yudane:
- Add bread flour in a bowl, pour the boiling water and mix well with spatula or spoon until no dry flour.
- Cling film and leave on the counter for at least 4 hours or overnight in the fridge. I prepared the night before.
- Use directly from the fridge.
- Dilute starter with water, stir in sugar and mix in bread flour and wholemeal flour to become a dough. I used electrical mixer with paddle attachment.
- Cover and let it ferment until tripled. I prepared a night before and leave it in aircond room (approximately 24 - 25C room temperature) overnight until tripled. It took about 8 - 9 hours depending on your starter. It should take around 4 - 6 hours to get triple at room temperature at 28C - 30C.
- However, if you feed your starter with milk, the starter will take longer time to proof and very much depend on your stater. Mine took about 9 - 10 hours to proof overnight. And the starter did not rise until triple in size compared feeding with water. It rose almost 2.5 to 3 in size. It is because natural yeast takes longer time to digest the milk than it does in water.
3. Main Dough:
- Put all ingredients (except butter) into a bowl of stand mixer. I usually torn stiff starter and yudane into pieces first.
- Slightly combine the mixture by hand with the paddle attachment before turning on the machine so that the flour will not splash out. Using the paddle attachment, mix for 2 minutes or until all incorporated.
- Change to hook attachment and knead for another 3 minutes or until the dough comes together. Add in butter and continue knead for 10 - 12 minutes or until reach window pane stage. The whole kneading process, I stopped few times to scrape down the dough from the hook to be sure it is evenly kneaded and also to prevent the motor from overheating.
- In the same bowl, let the dough rest for 45 - 60 minutes. Keep it covered with clingfilm or use a lid. This dough I rested for 45 minutes at 30C room temperature and didn't rise a lot.
- Transfer the dough to a clean floured surface then divide into 2 equal portions. Please use a kitchen scale if you want to be exact.
- Form each portion to a ball. Flatten with rolling pin.
- Fold right to centre and fold left overlap it. Roll out with rolling pin into long rectangle shape. Roll up the dough like Swiss Roll until a small log is formed.
- Place all dough in the prepared loaf pan.
- Let it proof at warm place until the dough reaches the height of the pan. This one took approximately 3 1/2 hours at room temperature of 30C. The duration of proofing depends on your ambient temperature and starter.
- Preheat oven at 190C (top & bottom heat) for 10 - 15 minutes.
- Brush with egg wash (optional) and bake in a preheated oven for 25 - 30 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Remove bread from oven and let them cool on rack completely before slicing.
Main Dough
Pro Tips for Perfect Wholemeal Soft Sourdough Bread
- Sourdough Starter:
- A healthy starter is essential for successful bread baking. To ensure your bread rises well, it's important to feed your starter regularly and use it (the levain) at its peak. A consistently fed starter will be more active and reliable. If the mother starter isn’t strong, the dough may still struggle to rise properly, even if the levain is used at its peak. For more information, click the links: "How To Make Sourdough Starter" and "Sourdough Maintenance".
- Gluten Development:
- Essential for soft, airy bread, gluten is created when flour hydrates. To develop it, use techniques like autolyse or kneading. The windowpane test checks readiness—dough should stretch thin without tearing. From my experience, high hydration dough with high percentage of fat will be easy to stretch and achieve a paper thin windowpane stage.
- Kneading:
- Please regard the timing provided as an indication only. It is only meant as a guide. Times vary by flour and mixer type. For higher fat dough, knead longer (18–20 minutes).
- Flour & Hydration:
- Use high-gluten flour for optimal texture. Always reserve some liquid to adjust dough consistency for best results. If dough is too dry, add the reserve liquid one tablespoon at a time until the right consistency.
- Dough Temperature:
- Maintaining the right dough temperature during kneading is crucial for a fine crumb. If the dough becomes too warm, the crumb will become too big and uneven. To prevent this, use cold water, milk, or eggs, and chill your mixing bowl or hook attachment in the freezer. Knead at low speeds, and if your kitchen is warm, rest the dough in a cooler spot. Proper dough temperature ensures a soft, fluffy bread with a fine, even crumb.
- Proofing:
- Proofing time depends on your environment. Use the finger poke test to gauge readiness. To check dough readiness, lightly press the side with your finger:
- If it bounces back instantly, it’s under-proofed and needs more time.
- If the indentation stays, it’s over-proofed.
- If the indentation slowly bounces back, it’s ready to bake.
- There’s also a final rise called oven spring when the dough bakes, which adds to the bread’s height.
- Wrinkle Top or Shrinking:
- If your bread collapses or develops wrinkles on top after baking, it might be over-proofed during the second rise. Aim for the dough to rise to 80-90% of its final size or just below the rim of the pan to prevent this. Over-proofing leads to weaker structure, causing the bread to lose shape.
- Baking & Oven Temperarate:
- Do also note that the baking temperature and timing provided are what works for my oven and should also be regarded as a guide only. Every oven behaves a little differently, so please adjust accordingly for your oven.
Storage Tips
- Room temperature: Store in an airtight bag for up to 3 days
- Freezing: Slice and freeze up to 1 month. Toast directly from frozen or defrost overnight
- Refresh: Toast or microwave briefly to restore softness
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Why use sweet stiff starter for soft sourdough bread?
Sweet stiff starter produces less acid during fermentation, which is ideal for soft, enriched breads with a mild flavour.
Q: What’s the benefit of combining Yudane and sourdough?
The Yudane method adds moisture and chewiness, while sourdough adds depth of flavour and natural leavening. Together, they create a soft and flavourful bread that stays fresh longer.
Q: Can I increase the wholemeal ratio?
Yes, but expect a denser crumb. For a balance of softness and wholegrain nutrition, keep wholemeal content between 20–30%.
Q: How long does this bread stay soft?
Thanks to the Yudane and sweet stiff starter, this bread stays soft for about 2–3 days at room temperature.
Final Thoughts
This Wholemeal Soft Sourdough Bread is a gentle, nourishing loaf that's as practical as it is delicious. By combining a sweet stiff starter and the Yudane method, you’ll get a bread that’s soft, moist, and stays fresh longer without sacrificing the nutritional benefits of whole grains. A great choice for everyday healthy baking!
If you bake this recipe, don’t forget to tag @Bakewithpaws – I’d love to see your version!
Please leave me a comment in the “LEAVE A COMMENT” link and I will reply you as soon as possible if you have any questions regarding this recipe or any other post.
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Labels:
Breads (Sourdough) - Soft Loaves,
Hi Yeanley, i decided to bake your wholemeal soft sourdough bread yesteday and prepared the levain around 10pm last nite. This morning around 8am it was reaching double but later it dropped to less than double and never achieve triple raise.
ReplyDeleteLooking forward for your advice.
Btw, wonder i prepared the levain correctly as i'm new in sourdough starter. I took 40g of starter from fridge and mixed in 120g of bread flour + 120g or water, mixed and cover and left on the table.
Thank you
Hi Melinda,
DeleteThank you for your question and trying to use this recipe. Your feeding is correct. Looks like the natural yeast is running out of food.
1. How often did you feed your sourdough starter? If you didn't feed for almost a week. It is better to refresh for starter by feeding a small amount (1:1:1) for 2 - 3 times in a day before the baking day.
2. What type of flour you used for feeding? I usually used unbleached bread flour/high gluten flour.
I usually feed by starter 2 - 3 times in a week if you can. Just a small amount (8g + 8g + 8g) so that you will not end up with a lot of discard.
I hope it answer your question.
Cheers:)
Hi,hydration can adjust >82% if used yudane method? Will it be hard to shape? I had been tried tangzhong with 82% hydration, dough is not wet as compared to tradition sourdough.
ReplyDeleteHi, thank you for your question. Are you referring to the hydration of sourdough starter? Yudane dough contains less liquid as Tangzhong dough. Hence, not required to adjust the hydration of the levain.
DeleteCheers :)
Hi, my query is on the hydration of the dough. Yundane method looks like the same with autolyze process. Huh?
DeleteHi,
DeleteYudane is not autolyze process. It uses a method of precooking a small portion of the dough scalding. You can refer here.
https://www.bakewithpaws.com/2020/04/yudane-vs-tangzhong-water-roux-method.html
Cheers :)
May I know how do you calculate the total hydration of this loaf taking into consideration the Yudane, levain, dough flour & milk?
ReplyDeleteHi, Thank you for sharing the recipe. May I know how to calculate the total hydration of the loaf taking into consideration the Yudane, levain, dough flour & milk. Appreciate it. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteHi, Thank you for asking.
DeletePlease add up all the liquid (A) and add up all the flour (B). A/B X 100 = you will get the total hydration in percentage.
Liquid (70 + 140 + 90 = 300g)
Flour (70 + 140 + 190 + 90 = 490g)
300/490 X 100 = 61.22%
Cheers :)
This is the first time i am making a sourdough soft loaf and it turns out very well. I made my levain with 90g starter, 90 bread flour and 90 water..it took 2hours for my second proof to reach the height of my tin..I used a 20x10x10xm tin..the bread was a little compact but still very soft...Thank you for sharing the recipe !!
ReplyDeleteHi, Thank you for trying this recipe and your feedback. Glad to hear that you like it.
DeleteTry to use bigger pan if you can.
Cheers :)
Thanks for sharing! Going to try this tonight :)
ReplyDeleteJust had a dumb question - for the Levain, we use 260g of the 280g we make; what do you do with the remaining 20g of Levain? Sorry if I miss something when I read the steps...
Hi, Sorry for late response. The balance of levain keep as sourdough mother dough.
DeleteCheers :)
Is there a big difference between this recipe for wholemeal bread and your Basic soft sourdough recipe? I recently made your basic soft sourdough recipe and love it! I wanted to make a bread with more wholewheat flour so I thought the wholemeal recipe would work but besides the yudane method and about 10g more wholewheat flour, I am not seeing a huge difference. I am also curious, why make 3 rolls in this recipe instead of the 2 rolls in the basic recipe. Is there a difference?
ReplyDeleteHi, thank you for asking.
DeleteIs there a big difference between this recipe for wholemeal bread and your Basic soft sourdough recipe? No, it is quite similar. The different is I added 18.75% of wholemeal flour in the above bread instead of Wholewheat flour.
why make 3 rolls in this recipe instead of the 2 rolls in the basic recipe. Is there a difference? I baked these two breads in different size of pans if you read carefully. This wholemeal bread I baked in longer and narrow pan. However, this is individual preference.
Just FYI - Different of Wholemeal flour and wholewheat flour
flour:https://www.quora.com/How-do-wholemeal-flour-and-whole-wheat-flour-differ
Cheers :)
Hi, I tried your recipe but made some slight changes use soy milk instead of milk and vegan butter instead of butter. The bread’s texture is not bad and not dense and there is a slight tinge of sourness. I would like to check with you what can I do to make it not sour at all? thanks!
ReplyDeleteHi, Thank you for trying and your feedback. Usually you will get very mild sourness for sourdough breads.
DeleteYou can try to add 40g of sugar when feeding the starter (levain), this is what I learnt from Autumn Kitchen using sweet sourdough starter that produce bread that no sour taste. I have not tried. But, it should work.
Cheers :)
ReplyDeleteThank you for your kind sharing the amazing recipe, I fell in love with YUDANE method from your clip in Youtube ^^.
May I ask you a question of this recipe, if I want to use this whole wheat recipe with Fresh yeast or instant yeast, please advise how to adjust the ingredients of the ‘Levain’.
Thank you very much
Saraya
Hi,
DeleteThanks for watching and visiting Bake with Paws. I have this Wholemeal bread recipe using instant yeast. Please click the below link. You can also search under categories at the side bar. There are a lot of bread recipes using instant yeast and also sourdough.
https://www.bakewithpaws.com/2017/07/wholemeal-bread_19.html
Cheers :)
Hi,
ReplyDeleteThank you for this recipe.
I only gave 450g bread pan. How to change the ingredients to this instead of 600g bread pan? Thank you
Hi, My pleasure.
ReplyDeletePlease use my Sourdough Shokupan Recipe and change to 135g of Japan High Gluten flour + 70g wholemeal flour instead.
https://www.bakewithpaws.com/2019/05/soft-sourdough-bread-with-yudane-method.html
Cheers :)
Hi Yeanley,
ReplyDeleteThank you for the prompt reply.
By the way, can I know the texture of the wholemeal flour you are using? If it superfine or coarse?
Thank you
Hi, I used wholemeal (coarse) and not whole wheat. Thanks
DeleteThank you so much for sharing this recipe! :)
ReplyDeleteThis bread is kids approved. My kids never like sourdough bread before this. I just baked the bread today, using wholewheat, coconut milk, coconut oil, but it ended up soft and fluffy. I asked my kids to try, they ate this bread happily and even asked for more slices. Amazing!
Btw, I have a question. If I want to do a same day baking, I have to make the levain with ratio 1:1:1, as you stated above.
But, how it will change the amount of milk/liquid for the dough? How many liquid should I use for the dough with levain ratio 1:1:1?
I'm new with sourdough baking and hydration, so dont know how to adjust the recipe.
Hi, thanks for trying this recipe and your kind feedback. Great to hear that your kids like it :)
DeleteDifferent ratio will not alter the amount of levain. We still use the same amount and do not need to change the amount of milk/liquid. It will take short time to get peak. You can use 88g starter + 88g water + 88g flour. You will get slightly more than 260g. But, you will lose some levain stick on the glass.
Cheers :)
Thank you for your reply. I get it now. :)
DeleteWill different ratio of levain (shorter fermentation) reduce sourness of the bread?
Your recipe results very slight sour. I wonder if the different ratio of levain will affect the sourness.
Hi, thanks for trying and your feedback.
DeleteThe ratio of building levain will not affect the sourness of the bread. It will only determine the fermentation time.
Please use the levain at its peak before dropping or you can also use the levain/starter when it reaches double before tripple, this will yield less sourness bread. However, please feed your starter regularly too if you want less sour bread.
Stay tune, I will experiment this recipe using sweet stiff levain. Hope it will yield less sour bread.
Cheers :)
Thank you so much for your explanation, it gives me more details about sourdough.
ReplyDeleteLooking forward for the update of your experiment. :)
can check for the 600g loaf, same amount of egg of 45g?
ReplyDeleteHi, thanks for checking. Sorry for the confusion. Actually, I did not use egg in my liquid stater recipe. But, you can replace half of the liquid milk with egg. You can add 45g or 50g.
DeleteCheers :)
The recipe for 450gm size with yudane and sweet stiff starter, you mentioned yield 2 loaves but when I added all of the Ingredients it's about 700gm in total ingredients weight. Is this 1 loaf recipe instead of 2?
ReplyDeleteHi, thanks for reading and your question. I shaped into two separated loaf and baked in one loaf pan as per the above diagram. This recipe is for 450g pan. You can shape into one loaf or 2 small loaves as your choice.
DeleteCheers :)
hi. I would lile to bake artisan country bread with yudane method. Is it possible ?
ReplyDeleteHi, thanks for reading and your question.
DeleteYes, I think is possible. But, only concern is, it maybe abit hard to mix in the yudane dough with the rest.
Cheers :)
Hi
ReplyDeleteWhat can we replace egg with in this recipe
Hi, you can replace with milk or water. I noticed that the bread is less sour or no sour at all if using egg.
DeleteThanks
Can this recipe be made into rolls? Thank you
ReplyDeleteHi, thank you for your interest in this recipe. Yes, of course. You can make into any shape that you like.
DeleteFor buns or rolls, you can bake in 8 inch square pan, 4 X 4 buns or 3 X 3 buns.
Cheers :)
Hi! Thank you for your great recipe.
ReplyDeleteIt's my go-to recipe for family. I didn't change a thing. I wonder if I put into a pullman pan same size as yours with lid on, will I have to reduce the recipe?
Thank you in advance.
Hi, You are most welcome :) Great to hear that it works for you.
DeleteYou can bake with lid on. The texture will be more fine and solid. Otherwise, you can refer to my Sourdough Shokupan using Stiff Starter and just replaced 65g of bread flour with wholemeal flour.
https://www.bakewithpaws.com/2021/03/sourdough-shokupan.html
I hope this helps.
Cheers and Happy Baking :)