Sourdough Bread: A Multi-Flour Fermented Loaf with Wheat, Corn, Rye & Sesame Options

This is sourdough the way it was made for thousands of years — no commercial yeast, no additives, no shortcuts. Just flour, water, salt, and a living sourdough starter whose wild yeast and Lactobacillus bacteria do all the leavening and flavor development over hours of patient fermentation. The flour blend is entirely flexible: wheat for a classic, hearty loaf; rye for depth and sour complexity; corn for sweetness; sesame for nutty mineral richness. The result is bread in its most elemental, nourishing form.

Jump to Recipe ⬇

🌿 The Healing Ingredients

• Flour (your choice of blend) — The recipe suggests 3½ cups wheat, 1 cup corn, 1 cup rye, ½ cup sesame, or any combination totaling 6 cups:
  • Whole Wheat — The backbone of the loaf; provides gluten structure, B vitamins, fiber, and iron. → Shop Whole Wheat Flour, Organic | Shop Whole Wheat Flour, Bronze Chief, Certified Glyphosate Free | Shop Whole Wheat Flour, Prairie Gold, Certified Glyphosate Free | Shop Einkorn Flour, Whole Wheat, Organic
  • Rye — Adds earthy depth, characteristic sourdough tang, and exceptional soluble fiber. → Shop Rye Berries, Organic | Shop 6-Grain Flour, Organic
  • Corn — Sweetens the loaf. → Shop Cornmeal, Yellow, Organic
  • Sesame — Adds remarkable mineral density and a toasty, nutty character. → Shop Sesame Seeds, White, Hulled, Organic
• Sourdough Starter (1–2 cups) — The living culture of wild yeasts and Lactobacillus bacteria that leavens the bread, develops flavor, breaks down phytic acid, and pre-digests gluten proteins during fermentation. See the companion Sourdough Starter article for how to make and maintain your starter. → Shop Sourdough On The Rise by Cynthia Lair
• Salt — Regulates fermentation rate, strengthens dough structure, and is essential for flavor development.
• Water — Temperature controls rise speed: very hot water for a 2-hour rise; cold water for a slow 6–8 hour rise with deeper flavor and more phytic acid breakdown.

📖 Hot Water vs. Cold Water: Choosing Your Rise

Hot water creates rapid fermentation — lighter crumb, milder flavor, ideal when time is short. Cold water creates long, slow fermentation — more complex sour flavor, more open crumb, and significantly more phytic acid breakdown, making the bread’s minerals more bioavailable. When time allows, the slow rise is the superior choice for both flavor and nutrition.

📋 The Recipe

Ingredients

• 6 cups Flour (3½ cups wheat, 1 cup corn, 1 cup rye, ½ cup sesame — or any combination)
• 2 tsp. Salt
• 3 cups Water
• 1–2 cups Starter (see Sourdough Starter article)

Directions

1. Put 3 cups of water in a bowl with starter and salt.
2. Use very hot water for a 2-hour rise or cold water for a slow 6–8 hour rise.
3. Add flour and mix well.
4. The dough should not be stiff enough to knead, but should not be so moist that it falls apart.
5. Place in an oiled tin or line the tin with plastic wrap.
6. Place plastic wrap on top of the tin and place it in the sun or a warm place to rise.
7. Bake at 350°F for 1½ hours.

💡 Tips & Serving Ideas

An active, bubbly starter is essential — see the companion Sourdough Starter article. The tin should be about half full before rising; the dough will expand significantly. Look for visible doming and bubbles at the surface as signs that the dough is ready to bake. Allow to cool completely — at least 1 hour — before slicing; the interior continues cooking as it cools.

Part of The Healing Kitchen series at Black Hills Health Retreat.