Meet your starter
Whole Wheat
Nutty, wholesome, and quick to bulk — a whole-grain baker's default.
Hydration
110% (whole grain absorbs more water)
Peak time
3 hours at 76°F on a 1:1:1 feed
Temperament
Lively; needs a slightly cooler spot in summer.
Origin
Built from freshly stone-milled hard red winter wheat and kept on the same flour ever since. The bran carries wild yeast in every feed, so it never slows down.
Flavor notes
- Nutty, malty, faintly grassy
- Balanced — tang stays in the background
- Reads clearly through high-hydration crumb
Best for
- High-extraction and whole-grain loaves
- English muffins, pita, and crumpets
- Tortillas and flatbreads
The story of this jar
Whole-grain starters are the workhorses. The extra minerals and enzymes in the bran mean this jar practically feeds itself — most complaints we hear about a 'sluggish starter' disappear when someone swaps to whole wheat for a week.
It's the starter to keep if you bake a lot of high-extraction bread, or if your kitchen runs cool and you want a culture that keeps moving anyway.
Take one home
Ship a jar of Whole Wheat.
Recipes that love this starter
Bread · Intermediate
Toasted Seed & Multigrain Boule
A hearty, tightly-crumbed boule loaded with toasted sunflower, pumpkin, sesame and flax. The one we bring to potlucks.
Read recipeDiscard · Beginner
Griddled Sourdough English Muffins
All the nooks and crannies, none of the yeast packets. Cooked on the stovetop — no oven required.
Read recipeFlatbread · Beginner
Puffing Sourdough Pita
Soft, pocketed rounds baked on a screaming-hot stone. Great with hummus, or split and stuffed the next day.
Read recipeFlatbread · Beginner
Skillet Sourdough Tortillas
Soft, pliable, faintly tangy tortillas that stay flexible for days. A discard bake you'll come back to weekly.
Read recipeDiscard · Beginner
Sourdough Discard Crumpets
Nooks, crannies, and a tangy chew — griddle-cooked crumpets that turn discard into breakfast in under an hour.
Read recipe