Sourdough Flour Guide — Which Flour to Use and Why (Australia)

Flour is the single biggest variable in sourdough baking, and yet most guides barely cover it. The type you use affects gluten development, hydration, fermentation speed, flavour, and crust colour. Choosing well from the start means fewer surprises later. This guide covers the main flours you'll encounter, what to feed your starter, where to buy in Australia, and how to combine flours for different results.

Note: we're not affiliated with any brands or retailers mentioned below. These are simply products we have used ourselves and trust.

1. What is baker's flour?

Baker's flour (also called bread flour) is the foundation of most sourdough recipes. It has a higher protein content than standard plain flour — typically 12–14% — which is what drives gluten development. More gluten means better structure, a chewier crumb, and a loaf that holds its shape through the long fermentation process. For wheat starter feeding, use unbleached baker's flour above 11% protein. For rye starter feeding, use whole rye flour.

2. Flour types and what they're good for

Baker's flour (bread flour) — your main baking flour. High protein, strong gluten, great crust. Start here for classic sourdough loaves, baguettes, and rolls.

All-purpose (plain) flour — lower protein than baker's flour but more versatile. Works well for beginners and blends well with other flours. Fine for sourdough, though the crumb will be a little less open than with dedicated bread flour.

Whole wheat flour — adds nutty flavour and more nutrition. Contains the whole grain including the bran, which cuts through gluten strands and can make dough a little harder to handle at high percentages. Start by adding 10–20% to your baker's flour blend. Works well with our wheat starter.

Rye flour — brings earthy, complex flavour and significantly boosts fermentation speed because of its high sugar content. Even a small percentage (5–10%) noticeably affects flavour. Higher percentages produce denser, more moist loaves — which is intentional in European-style rye breads. Pairs naturally with our rye starter. Also our go-to flour for starter feeding — it reliably accelerates activity.

Type 00 (soft wheat flour) — finely milled, low protein. Not suitable for bread but excellent for pizza dough, focaccia, pasta, and soft pastry. If you're making sourdough pizza, this is what you want.

Spelt flour — an ancient grain with a mild, slightly sweet, nutty flavour. Lower gluten strength than wheat — the gluten is more fragile and can over-develop quickly if you're not careful. Keep folds gentle and don't over-handle. Adds interesting flavour complexity in blends at 10–20%.

Ancient grains (einkorn, khorasan/kamut, emmer) — excellent flavour complexity and often higher in nutrients. All have weaker or different gluten structure than modern wheat, so they need careful handling and work best blended rather than used alone.

3. What flour do we use?

We use Wholegrain Milling for all of our starter cultures. They're a family-owned mill in Gunnedah, New South Wales, producing organic and sustainably grown Australian grains. The quality is consistently high and the protein content is reliable — important when you're maintaining a culture year-round.

We use their organic unbleached white baker's flour for the wheat starter, and their organic stoneground whole rye flour for the rye starter.

4. Where to buy flour in Australia

Honest to Goodness — Australia's leading organic and natural food supplier, based in Alexandria, Sydney. They stock most Wholegrain Milling flours and deliver nationally. Recommended products:

Harris Farm — Golden Shore Rye Flour (10.4g protein), 100% rye grain. Best for breads, artisan loaves, and crispbreads. A convenient 800g bag for those who don't need a full 10kg. Works well with our rye starters.

Coles and Woolworths — for everyday baking, both supermarkets stock reliable options.

• Laucke Wallaby Bakers Flour 5kg (11.9g protein) — our go-to supermarket pick. Affordable, consistent, and available in most stores. Works for sourdough bread and wheat starter feeding. Buy at Coles | Buy at Woolworths

• La Molisana Farina 00 1kg (11.5g protein) — our pick for pizza dough and soft pastries. Look for similar type 00 products in the flour aisle. Buy at Coles

5. How to store flour

Keep flour in a cool, dark place in airtight containers. Heat and moisture lead to rancidity and off-flavours, particularly in whole-grain flours which contain oils from the germ. Once opened, a 5kg bag of whole wheat or rye flour is best used within 2–3 months. White baker's flour lasts longer. The Sistema clip-lock range works well for storage — the 5.5L container fits most 2kg bags.

6. Blending flours for different results

Most experienced bakers don't use a single flour — they blend. Start with baker's flour as your base and experiment from there. Here are four combinations we've used and enjoyed:

• Classic blend (75% baker's flour, 25% whole wheat) — a solid everyday sourdough. Good structure, gentle nutty flavour, approachable crumb.
• Nutty blend (60% all-purpose, 20% whole wheat, 20% spelt) — slightly sweeter, more complex, with a lighter texture than a pure whole wheat loaf.
• Rustic rye (50% baker's flour, 25% whole wheat, 15% rye, 10% spelt) — earthy, full-flavoured, denser crumb. Adjust water slightly as rye absorbs more. This is the kind of bread that actually improves on day two.
• Ancient grain blend (40% all-purpose, 20% whole wheat, 15% rye, 15% spelt, 10% ancient grains mix) — complex, distinctive, not for beginners. Handle gently and expect a denser result.

A note on water: whole grain flours absorb more water than white flour. If you increase whole wheat or rye in your recipe, you may need to add 5–10% more water and give the dough a few extra minutes to fully hydrate before judging the texture.

Ready to bake?

Now that you've got the right flour, it's time to use it. Our step-by-step bread recipe covers the whole process from levain to oven — including exactly which flour to use at each stage.

• Classic Sourdough Bread Recipe
• No Knead Rye and Whole Wheat Bread — a great way to use your rye flour
• Step-by-Step Starter Feeding Guide — if you haven't done your first feed yet

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