Sourdough has made a big comeback in the last several years. From hipster bakeries using their own hand-milled flour to home bakers looking for something to experiment with during lockdown, sourdough breads are known for their complex flavors, their interesting textures, and their health benefits. And if you ever wondered if you could make a sourdough starter with a whole-grain flour, Heather Perine is here to answer with a resounding yes in Whole-Grain Sourdough Made Simple.

She starts us off slowly, with the fundamentals of a sourdough starter and specific instructions on how to build one. She explains the terminology of making and baking with a starter and lets you know all the tools you’ll need to get started. She goes through all the different types of whole-grain flours you can use and how they will react in the recipe. And then it’s time to hit the kitchen and make your own starter.

With detailed step-by-step instructions, Perine explains what should be happening each day as the starter grows. It takes a lot of patience to get the starter going and keep it growing, but there is lots of advice and encouragement and even a section on troubleshooting problems with the starter. What do you do if there are no bubbles? If it smells weird? If it’s not expanding? All the answers are there.

And then, when you’ve got your starter going good and strong, it’s time to talk baking. First, there is the prep—the equipment you’ll need, the ingredients to have on hand, and the 7 Simple Tips for Sourdough Success (here’s a hint—a lot of them are about planning and preparation). And from there, it’s on to the recipes.

First, the artisan loaves. There is the 100% Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread, 100% Spelt, Multigrain Boule, Cheddar-Chive Amaranth Loaf, Cranberry-Walnut Kamut Loaf, and Pumpernickel Sourdough Bread, for example. Then it’s on to the sandwich breads and pan loaves, like Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread, New York Deli Rye, Sesame Spelt Sandwich Bread, Kamut Cinnamon-Raisin Swirl Bread, Whole Wheat Chocolate Babka, or Millet Hamburger Buns.

Once you get some experience with your starter, you might want to try something more challenging, like the Whole Wheat Pizza, Buckwheat Dinner Rolls, Spelt Bagels, Rosemary Rye Focaccia, Rye Pretzels, Garlic Naan, or Einkorn English Muffins. And if you’re looking for ideas to use your starter discard (you have to discard some each time you feed it, or it will be way too big to use), there is an entire chapter of ideas for you. You can make Whole Wheat Pancakes or Spelt Waffles, Einkorn Pumpkin Bread or Whole Wheat Banana Bread, Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Basil Amaranth Crackers, Cranberry-Orange Millet Scones, Blueberry-Lemon Spelt Muffins, or Buckwheat Chocolate Brownies.

Whole-Grain Sourdough Made Simple does take a lot of the mystery out of baking with a sourdough starter. I love that there are photos of the process of mixing, resting, kneading, shaping, and baking, so you know just what the dough should look like at every step. This sourdough process takes patience and attention, so if you’re looking for some ideas on quick bakes, this is probably not the book for you, but if you are excited about experimenting with whole grains and want a solid guide to get you started, then Whole-Grain Sourdough Made Simple is the perfect place to start.

Egalleys for Whole-Grain Sourdough Made Simple were provided by Rockridge Press through the Callisto Media Publisher’s Club, with many thanks.