Sourdough With Whole Wheat Flour

Not 100% whole wheat, but two cups added to a sponge of first-clear starter and three cups all purpose flour. I did a shorter soak with this one-three hours for the sponge, two hours for the first rise and two hours for the second. Baked at 400 degrees F. it didn't split off the base (for a change). The crumb is a bit tighter than what I typically like, but the resulting bread was quite pleasant. Here's the details:

1 cup fed starter

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups warm water

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon salt

Mix fed starter with two cups warm water. Add three cups white flour and let sit three hours. Stir in sugar and salt. Add whole wheat flour to sponge adding more if needed. Dough should be sticky. Knead 10-15 minutes until it passes windowpane test. Place in oiled bowl and let rise two hours or until doubled.

Divide dough and let rest ten minutes on a board.

Sprinkle a baking sheet with semolina (or cornmeal) and shape breads. Dust lightly with flour and cover. Let rise about two hours or until just about doubled.

Score loaves (I used a kitchen scissors on this loaf)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Use whatever method you prefer to create steam and load the breads. Bake 20 minutes. Carefully open oven (standing to the side to avoid any steam blasts) and rotate the pan. Bake another ten minutes and begin checking for doneness (is that even a word?). I baked mine to an internal temperature of 200 degrees F. but 205 would have been OK . You can always do the tapping test if you do not have an instant read thermometer.

Cool completely before slicing.