White Sonora wheat sourdough is a soft, sweet-flavored heritage-grain bread milled from the oldest wheat variety in the Americas, introduced by Father Kino in the 1690s.

Father Eusebio Francisco Kino introduced white Sonora wheat to the Pimeria Alta (modern Tucson region) in the late 1690s, the first wheat grown in the Americas. The variety nearly disappeared in the 20th century to commercial high-protein wheats, but Native Seeds/SEARCH preserved the heirloom seed line. Don Guerra of Barrio Bread won James Beard Outstanding Baker 2022 for his community-supported bakery that mills white Sonora wheat from Mission Garden plots and Pivot Produce growers into naturally-leavened loaves.

Where to eat White Sonora wheat bread in Tucson

3 editor picks for White Sonora wheat bread in Tucson, ranked by editorial score. All Tucson signature dishes · White Sonora wheat bread across every city.

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Make it at home

Serves 124 hrIntermediate

Ingredients

  • 500g white Sonora wheat flour (or substitute soft white wheat, like spelt)
  • 350g warm water (35C / 95F)
  • 100g active sourdough starter
  • 10g sea salt
  • Rice flour for dusting the banneton

Method

  1. Whisk water and sourdough starter together in a large bowl. Add flour and mix to a shaggy dough. Cover and rest 30 minutes.
  2. Add salt and a splash of water. Knead in the bowl with wet hands until incorporated, about 5 minutes.
  3. Bulk ferment 4 to 6 hours at warm room temperature (24C / 75F), folding the dough every hour for the first 3 hours. Dough should grow 60 to 80 percent and feel airy.
  4. Shape into a tight boule on a floured surface. Place seam-side up in a rice-flour-dusted banneton. Cover and refrigerate overnight (8 to 12 hours).
  5. Preheat oven and a covered Dutch oven to 250C / 480F. Tip the dough seam-side down into the hot Dutch oven, score the top with a razor.
  6. Cover and bake 20 minutes. Remove lid and bake 25 more minutes until deep brown and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped.
  7. Cool fully on a wire rack before slicing, at least 1 hour.

Editor tip. White Sonora wheat is lower in protein than commercial bread flour. The crumb stays soft and the crust browns deeper.

Common allergens: Gluten.