1. Start with a Healthy Sourdough Starter
• Your starter is the engine of your sourdough. For a good rise and open crumb, it should be:
• Bubbly and able to triple in 3–5 hours after feeding
• Mildly sweet in aroma, not overly sour or acidic
• Light and airy when stirred
• Tip: If your starter has been refrigerated and not feeding every day, feed it several times before baking to reactivate it fully.  Please check out the Sourdough Maintenance "here".
2. Watch the Temperature 
• Ambient temperature plays a huge role in fermentation speed and gluten development.  It will affect the dough temperature and eventually affect your fermentation time. Warmer ambient ferments faster, while cooler ambient takes longer.   The ideal ambient temperature is around 24°C–26°C (75°F–79°F).  If your environment is cold, you can use a warm spot like inside the oven with the light on, or a proofing box.
• Baking in a Tropical Country:
• In a warm kitchen (above 28°C/82°F), fermentation can move very quickly, which may lead to over-proofed dough.   To control the temperature:
• Use cooler water when mixing your dough.
• Bulk ferment in a cooler room if possible, or use an air-conditioned room.
• Shorten the bulk fermentation time and watch the dough, not the clock.
• You can also place the dough in a cooler box (without ice) to create a slightly cooler and more stable environment.
• Tip: Warmer temperatures can create faster fermentation, but be careful — if it’s too warm, you risk over-proofing and weakening the dough.
3.  Nail the Bulk Fermentation
• Bulk fermentation is where most of the magic happens for an open crumb.  
• The dough should rise about 50% to 75% — not double at the end of bulk fermentation.
• You should see bubbles forming on the surface and edges.
• The dough should feel lighter and slightly jiggly.
• In a Warm Kitchen:
• In tropical climates, bulk fermentation can finish much faster — sometimes in just 3 to 5 hours (or less), depending on your dough temperature.
• Always observe the dough’s behavior rather than sticking strictly to a timeline. It's better to slightly under-proof than over-proof when aiming for an open crumb.
• Tip: Stretch and folds (or coil folds) during bulk fermentation help strengthen the dough without deflating it. Typically, 3 to 4 sets spaced 30–45 minutes apart work well, but you may need to adjust depending on how quickly your dough is fermenting.
4. Build Good Dough Strength
• For a beautifully open crumb, the dough needs enough strength to trap the gases formed during fermentation, but not be overworked.  Too strong (tension or elastic) dough will take a longer time to increase (proof) in volume.  So too strong dough may not have good oven spring and open crumb.  While too weak dough (extensibility) dough may not hold it shape and rise with good oven spring too.  
• Proper gluten development is key. This starts with gentle mixing and continues with lamination and folds during bulk fermentation.  Over-handling can knock out the precious gas bubbles you're trying to keep.
• Tip: Think “gentle but firm.” Handle the dough carefully at shaping to maintain the gas pockets inside.
5. High Oven Heat with Steam
• This gives the bread better oven spring and crust.

Who This Recipe Is For

• Whole wheat bread lovers
• Health-conscious bakers
• Sourdough enthusiasts
• Anyone looking to bake an open-crumb bread with whole wheat

Final Thoughts

Baking Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread with Open Crumb at home can be both satisfying and rewarding. Not only are you making a healthier bread, but you're also in control of every ingredient that goes into your loaf.

For the full recipe with step-by-step instructions, please scroll down below.

If you try this recipe, do let me know how it turns out! Tag me on Instagram @bakewithpaws  and share your bake.

If you have any questions regarding this recipe or any other post, please leave me a comment.

Step-By-Step Instructions How To Make Whole Wheat Open Crumb Sourdough Bread 

Ingredients You’ll Need

300g whole wheat flour (I used Bob's Red Mill, Organic Flour, Whole Wheat flour) - 50%

245g water  - 83% final hydration (please refer notes)

6g salt - 2%

60g Levain (100% hydration):

21g sourdough starter (please refer notes)

21g bread flour (I used Japan High Gluten Flour)

21g water

Utensil:

Banneton (proofing basket)'s size - 6.5" oval shape

Ambient temperature after adding in levain - Around 25C - 26C
Total Bulk Fermentation - 6 hours

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Feeding starter - Around 9.30 am
1. Feed ratio of 1:1:1, keep at room temperature (28C – 30C) and wait until tripled, around 3.5  – 5 hours.  I fed a few grams extra as some will stick to the jar.  You will need only 60g.
2. Please feed your starter at the ratio that fit your schedule as long as the starter is at its peak when use.   
2. Mix The Dough - 1.30 pm
1. Dissolve levain and water in a bowl of stand mixer.  Add in flours and salt.   Mix with paddle attachment for about 3 - 4 minutes at speed 2 (KA mixer) and slowly turn to speed 4 or until the dough turns smooth, comes together and away from the sides of the bowl.
2. Transfer the dough into a greased dish. Cover and rest for 30 minutes at room temperature around 26C - 27C.
3. Instead of using a machine, you can autolyse the dough, let it rest for 1–2 hours, then mix in the levain and salt by hand. After that, rest the dough for another 30 minutes, similar to the method I used for my Basic Open Crumb Sourdough Bread.
3. Long Stretch and Fold (Quite same like Bench Fold) - Around 2.05 pm
1. Pull and fold the four sides, flip over and round the dough.  
2. Cover and rest for about 30 minutes or until dough spreads.
4. Lamination - Around 2.55 pm
1. Lightly mist the counter top with water and wet your hand.  
2. Pull from centre out to form a rectangle shape.  
3. Pick up one edge and fold into the center.  
4. Pick up other edge and fold into the center over first section.  
5. Fold the top down half way.  Fold the bottom up.  
6. Put dough in a new dish (square pyrex dish).  The reason to use a square dish is because it is easier to judge how much  the dough has spread.  Cover and rest for about 40 - 45 minutes or until dough spreads.  
5. Coil Folds
1. Coil Fold 1 (Around 3.55 pm) -  At this stage, the dough is weak and extensible.  Fold the dough in the dish. Cover and rest for about 60 minutes or until dough spreads.
2. Coil Fold 2 (Around 5.00 pm) -  At this stage the dough still extensible but stronger compare with the dough  before the 1st coil fold.  Fold the dough in the dish.  Cover and rest for about 60 minutes or until dough spreads.
3. Coil Fold 3 (Around 6.05 pm) -  At this stage, the dough is quite strong and not so extensible and will be the last coil fold.  However, if the dough is still quite extensible and spread a lot, then you will need one or two more coil folds.   Fold the dough in the dish.  Cover and rest for 60 - 90 minutes or until dough rise 50% in size since you added the levain.  
6. Shaping - Around 7.40 pm
1. 95 minutes later, the dough had risen about 50% in size since adding the levain.  The dough should look puffy.  It should jiggling when you slightly shake it.  This is the end of bulk fermentation.  The total bulk fermentation time was about 6 hours for this bread.
2. Flour the counter top.  Shape and transfer to a  flour banneton.  
7. Proofing On The Counter
1. Let it proof in the banneton room temperature for 15 minutes (27C - 28C ambient temperature)
8. Cold Retard - Around 8.05 pm
1. Then retard overnight in the fridge (4C) for 12 - 16 hours.  This bread was about 15 hours.
9. Baking - Next Morning Around 10.30 am
1. Preheat oven with the dutch oven (cast iron) at 250C (top & bottom heat) fo 30 - 60 minutes before baking.  
2. Take bread dough out from the fridge, invert onto a parchment paper.  Using a razor blade attached to a lame slash the dough approximately 0.5 inches deep at 45-degree angle.  Immediately transfer the dough with the parchment paper to your preheated dutch oven.
3. Bake with cover on for 25 minutes.  Remove the cover and lower the temperature to 220C (top & bottom heat), continue bake for another 10 - 15 minutes.
4. Remove bread from oven and dutch oven. Let it cool on rack completely before slicing.
   

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