Easy Buckwheat Sourdough Bread

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My amazing buckwheat sourdough bread is soft, fluffy, and loaded with healthy nutrients. Great for anyone trying to achieve bakery-style bread at home, my recipe requires just 7 simple ingredients and is so easy to make! With just a few simple steps, even first time bread makers will feel confident making this foolproof buckwheat sourdough recipe.

I have always had a soft spot in my heart for homemade bread. Sure, you can grab a loaf of bread at the grocery store but nothing beats homemade freshly-baked sourdough bread right out of the oven. Just the glorious smells bring me right back to my childhood and make me feel at home. 

Yet, many people think of baking bread from scratch as a daunting task reserved only for the pros, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. My unbelievable sourdough buckwheat bread recipe requires just 10 minutes of prep time and under an hour in the oven before it’s baked to fluffy perfection.

In my house, this bread tends to disappear quickly. Toasted it’s a fantastic healthy breakfast idea for kids too!

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✔️ Baking With Buckwheat Flour

Despite its name, buckwheat flour contains no wheat at all. It’s a completely gluten-free flour made by grinding whole buckwheat groats into a fine powder. It adds a nutty, earthy taste to baked goods and gives my buckwheat sourdough its deep flavor and slight bitterness.

However, due to its gluten-free nature, when making sourdough bread, I like to blend buckwheat flour with other flours that contain gluten, like all-purpose or whole wheat flour. This mix is my secret to achieving the perfect texture and flavor. With my recipe, you get the fantastic flavor of buckwheat along with the soft, fluffy texture we all love. It’s the best of both worlds!

🙋🏽‍♀️ What Is Sourdough Starter?

The heart and soul of any sourdough bread begins with a sourdough starter, which is a living mixture of flour and water that captures wild yeast and beneficial bacteria from the air. This magical combination is what gives sourdough bread its signature tangy flavor and irresistible texture.

You can find sourdough starter at health food stores or local bakeries. You can also easily make sourdough starter at home by mixing equal parts of flour and water and letting it sit at room temperature for about a week until it’s bubbly and active.

Each day, you need to “feed” it with a little more flour and water to encourage the growth of the natural yeast and bacteria, but the process is simple. To save time with this recipe, I used store-bought sourdough starter, but it will work with any starter you have!

🥘 Ingredients

One of my favorite things about this sourdough buckwheat bread recipe is that you only need 7 basic ingredients. The best part is that you probably already have most of them in your pantry at home! Check out the recipe card below for the exact quantities needed. 

🔪 How To Make Buckwheat Sourdough Bread

Learning how to make this whole-grain buckwheat flour sourdough bread recipe is really easy! My instructions break it down into easy steps and you only need a few hours to let the dough rise, and under an hour in the oven!

Watch my video below to see how effortlessly this bread recipe comes together.

Whisk Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the buckwheat flour, all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, sugar, and salt.

Form Dough: Then I add the sourdough starter and 1 cup of warm water to the dry ingredients, and mix until combined well. Add the remaining water and mix until well incorporated.

Knead Dough: Knead the dough on a floured surface until smooth.

Let Dough Rest: To rest the dough, I’ll line a large bowl with a clean tea towel and dust with a sprinkle of flour. Place the bread dough into the bowl and cover. Rest in a warm place for 2 to 4 hours to allow the dough to rise slightly.

Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (176 degrees Celsius) with the Dutch oven inside for 20 minutes before cooking the bread. 

Prep Dough to Bake: After the dough has rested for at least 2 hours, uncover the top of the dough and place a piece of parchment paper over it. Gently turn the bowl upside down to remove the dough onto your work surface. I recommend scoring the dough with a sharp knife or a bread lame.

Bake Bread: Once the dough has been scored, I’ll place the dough into the hot Dutch oven, cover it with the lid, and cook for 20 minutes. Then I’ll remove the cover and cook for another 25 minutes. The last step is to finish cooking for another 10 minutes either directly on the shelf rails or a baking tray. The sourdough bread should be ready when it sounds hollow when tapped and the outside is crusty.

Slice And Serve: Let the loaf cool on a cooling rack for a few hours, until cooled completely . If I’m baking the bread in the evening, I’ll even let it cool overnight. Once cooled completely, slice and enjoy.

⏩ Troubleshooting

My recipe is tried and true but things can sometimes go wrong. It’s part of the fun of baking. These are some common issues that sometimes happen to even the most experienced bakers, and my tips on how to solve them!

Bread Didn’t Rise

Solution: Make sure your sourdough starter is active and bubbly before you begin. It’s also important to proof your dough in a warm environment and extend the proofing time if needed.

Bread Is Heavy And Dense

Solution: The dough was most likely too dry. Try adding a bit more water and kneading the dough adequately to incorporate air. Balancing the buckwheat flour with all-purpose or whole wheat flour is crucial for a lighter texture.

Crust Is Too Hard

Solution: Your oven temperature was probably too high or the loaf was overbaked. Cover the bread with a damp cloth while it cools.

Bread Is Gummy Inside

Solution: Ensure your bread is baked thoroughly. If the crust browns too quickly while the inside remains undercooked, lower the oven temperature and bake longer. You can use an instant-read thermometer; the internal temperature should be around 200-210 degrees Fahrenheit.

Uneven Texture With Large Holes

Solution: It’s important that you mix the dough thoroughly to distribute the ingredients evenly. Proper kneading is needed to develop a uniform structure.

📖 Variations

There are plenty of tasty ways to customize this buckwheat sourdough loaf and make it your own. Below are some of my favorite options to try out!

• Toppings: You can jazz it up with some savory toppings like rolled oats, whole buckwheat, pumpkin seed butter, sesame seeds, or flaky sea salt. 
• Gluten Free Buckwheat Sourdough Bread: You can easily turn this recipe into gluten-free bread by swapping out the all-purpose flour and whole-wheat flour with gluten-free flour. Make sure to also use a gluten-free starter.
• Spelt and Buckwheat Sourdough: Spelt flour is light and airy with nutty flavors and a subtle sweetness. If you want to add it to this recipe, you can use it in place of the whole-wheat flour. 
• Rye Buckwheat Sourdough: Rye is incredibly nutrient-dense, so it would make a great addition to this recipe. I wouldn’t recommend using it to replace the all-purpose flour, but you can use it instead of whole-wheat flour or use equal parts of both.

Recipe Adaptation Chart 

It’s important to understand some of the science behind baking whenever you make changes to a recipe. When making bread, the general rule of thumb is that the total weight of the flour needs to stay the same.

For example, if you want to make my recipe gluten-free, you would need to replace the all-purpose flour and whole wheat flour with 2½ cups of gluten-free 1:1 flour. Using more or less flour will throw off the recipe.

As you can see in this chart, the total amount of flour should add up to 100%. You may need to adjust the water slightly depending on the combinations of flours you choose. By keeping this rule in mind, you can experiment with the ingredients and make a delicious loaf every time.

Ingredient	Volume	Baker’s Percentage
Buckwheat Flour	¾ cup	23%
All-Purpose Flour	1½ cup	46%
Whole Wheat Flour	1 cup	31%

🍽 Serving Suggestions

I love serving this buckwheat sourdough bread fresh from the oven with an oatmilk honey latte, but this bread can go far beyond a simple slice. Here are some of my favorite ways to use it.

With Spreads: Try slathering it with mashed avocado, nut butter, cream cheese, my butter bean hummus, fruit compote, and vegan Nutella. 

Make Sandwiches: Use it to make your favorite sandwiches. Some of my favorites are Mediterranean veggie sandwiches, vegan egg salad sandwiches, and PBJ for the kids. 

Alongside Soup: I will often pair this bread with a bowl of warm and comforting soup for a complete meal. Fresh sourdough buckwheat bread is yummy with any soup and especially amazing with my vegan minestrone or pinto bean soup. 

For Breakfast: You can serve it as toast with this hearty silken tofu scramble, use it to make eggs in a basket, or better yet make my yummy, indulgent vegan french toast casserole!

🧊 Storage And Reheating

I like to store my freshly baked loaf of bread at room temperature for up to 3 to 4 days. It’s best when enjoyed during the first couple of days, but you can also freeze your bread to preserve it for longer if needed. 

To Freeze: Make sure to let the bread cool completely, and slice it before transferring it to an airtight container or plastic bag. Freeze for up to 2-3 months.

To Reheat: Warm slices individually in the toaster or toaster oven on low until just warmed through and toasted to your liking.

❓Recipe FAQs

📋 Recipe Card