Seeded Sourdough Bread: artisan bread made easy at home
Nothing is better than a seeded sourdough bread loaf made fresh in your own kitchen! It’s nutty and hearty – the perfect compliment to salted butter, fresh jam and a warm beverage. It has an impressive look: crusted with seeds, yet still packs a nutritious boost with each bite. Don’t be daunted by the complexities of sourdough, this recipe will take you step by step to successful, delicious bread!
The story behind my Seeded Sourdough Bread
For the past three years, I have been baking sourdough bread almost exclusively in my own kitchen. I appreciate the health benefits and unique flavor that store bought bread can’t provide. Our household uses sourdough bread as a daily staple for sandwiches, toast and snacks. During the past year I’ve started to craft my own sourdough recipes, with the goal to make them healthier and easier for my lifestyle. While I still crave fancy, artisan breads for special meals or to gift, I’ve mastered the basic sourdough sandwich loaf and plain artisan loaves and was up for a challenge and started working on this recipe. I’d never attempted a seeded loaf, but knew I wanted the classic sourdough chewiness, extra nutty flavor, and a beautiful artisan design.
Disclaimer: this recipe does not start at the beginning of sourdough. I recommend getting established with a successful sourdough starter and mastering basic sourdough bread recipes prior to trying this one. This recipe is surprisingly simple but still not ideal for one completely new to sourdough!
Ingredients
The ingredients for Seeded Sourdough Bread can all be found at the local grocery store, yet are hearty and nutritious. It’s a pretty simple ingredient list:
- The Flours – this recipe uses both bread flour and whole wheat flour. The bread flour has a higher protein content which supports gluten formation for chewy, lofty loaves. The additional of whole wheat flour does make the bread slightly more dense but adds that nutty flavor. I do prefer the King Arthur’s brand because it is consistently available at the store and a great quality.
- Sourdough Starter – the sourdough starter has its roots back to ancient cooking. The process of fermenting flour and water to harvest wild yeasts creates a tangy flavor. You’ll start this recipe with an active, bubbly starter.
- Salt – raw salt works best so I recommend a sea salt, pink himalayan, or mineral salt in this recipe. In a pinch, table salt would work but not ideal for this style of bread. It is important to weigh out salt regardless of type to achieve the appropriate amount.
- Oats – rolled oats provide additional fiber and a softness to the bread. Pre-soaking the oats allows the oats to “melt” into the bread and you won’t really notice it as part of the texture.
- Seeds – this is the fun part! You can really use any seeds you like but I like using pepitas, sunflower seeds, white & black sesame seeds and poppy seeds. I like to have a variety of size, color and flavor. I recommend using raw, unsalted seeds.
Method for Seeded Sourdough Bread
Start with an active sourdough starter.
Whisk together sourdough starter, water, and honey together in a large bowl. Then mix in flours until it forms a shaggy dough and the flour is mostly absorbed. Allow to rest for the autolyse – about 30 minutes to 1 hour.
After the autolyse, knead in the salt, oats + water, and seed mix-ins.
Allow to rest for 30 minutes then complete 4 “stretch and fold” about 30 minutes apart.
Then allow to rest, covered for bulk fermentation. This can take 4-12 hours depending on room temperature. Dough will be doubled and slightly jiggly when completed.
Turn dough out on work surface and shape as desired then transfer for proofing baskets for cold proof. You can cold proof the dough for 4-72 hours as desired.
Dough will be slightly more risen after the cold proof and ready to bake. Preheat oven with dutch oven to 450 prior to baking.
Turn dough out onto parchment paper and top with seeded mixture. Score with lame then transfer to dutch oven to bake – covered for 25 minutes.
Remove lid from dutch oven and return to bake uncovered for 12-15 minutes until you get your desired crust.
Remove from oven and transfer loaf to cooling rack. Cool completely before serving.
Other Sourdough Recipes to Try
- Indulge in the ultimate breakfast treat: Pear Butter Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls. This recipe can be made with or without sourdough if needed.
- Rhubarb Berry Cobbler with a sourdough biscuit crust – enjoy all the spring flavors in this rustic sweet and tart dessert.
Supplies needed
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- Digital kitchen scale – this makes measuring for sourdough recipes so much easier and provides consistent results every time.
- Large bread bowl – a durable pottery style bowl gives you plenty of space to mix up and rise your dough all in the same bowl.
- 6-quart dutch oven – dutch ovens are excellent conductors of heat and provide the right environment for the steam to accumulate to achieve the “oven spring”.
- Proofing baskets – this will help achieve artisan loaf shapes. I keep a batard and boule shaped proofing basket on hand at home.
- Bread lame – a razor sharp lame gives you the ability to score the loaves quickly and effectively.
- Parchment paper – thick, culinary grade parchment paper is the perfect liner for your dutch oven while it bakes.
Seeded Sourdough Bread
Equipment
- 1 digtial kitchen scale
- 1 large bread bowl
- 1 large dutch oven at least 6 quarts
- 1 lame or sharp, thin kitchen knife
- parchment paper
- 2 proofing baskets alternately you can use a colander lined with a floured tea towel
Ingredients
- 75 g active and bubbly sourdough starter
- 30 g raw honey
- 555 g room temperature water
- 300 g whole wheat flour
- 570 g bread flour
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1 cup warm water hottest tap water or water that has been heated but not boiled
- 18 g salt sea salt or pink himalayan
- 1/2 cup ground flax seed
Seed Mix-Ins (can use sub/swap as desired but this is what I use). Additional amounts as desired for topping.
- 1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds
- 1/4 cup pepitas
- 2 tbsp sesame seeds
- 2 tbsp black sesame seeds
- 1 tbsp poppy seeds
Instructions
- Whisk together room temperature water, honey and sourdough starter in a large mixing bowl until well combined.
- Add whole wheat and bread flour to water mixture and stir until flour is mostly absorbed and dough resembles a shaggy mixture.
- Cover with a plate or damp towel and set aside for 30 minutes to 1 hour to autolyse.
- Soak oats in warm water in a separate bowl and set aside for at least 10 minutes.
- Add in oat mixture (with any remaining water that wasn't absorbed by the oats), ground flaxseed, salt and seed mixture.
- With a hand that is damp (run hand under water and don't dry hand), pinch in the add-ins to the dough. Then fold/knead the dough to continue to work in the add-ins. This part is difficult and may not appear evenly dispersed but don't worry, it will continue to disperse through the remaining stretch and folds.
- Cover and set aside for 30 minutes.
- Using a damp hand, complete 4 sets of stretch and folds 30 minutes apart. How to stretch and fold: grab one corner of the dough and pull it up as far as the dough will allow without ripping then fold the stretched dough on top of the remaining dough. Continue this process all the way around the bowl. You will notice that the dough will get stretchier/softer with each set of stretch and folds. Cover and set aside until next stretch and fold.
- After final stretch and fold, flip the dough to be "fold side" down in the bowl. The top will be smooth. Cover with a plate and/or damp towel to set in a warm place for bulk fermentation.
- Bulk fermentation: Ideal temperature room temperature should be around 70-72 degrees. This process typically takes 5-10 hours, though temperature dependent. The dough will be doubled in size and when it is complete.
- Turn dough out on to work surface. If fermented appropriately, the surface will not need to be floured. Divide dough in half with a bench scraper and roughly shape the dough into 2 spheres and allow to rest on the work surface for 20 minutes.
- Complete the final shaping for both loaves. Here at 2 methods to complete the desired shape:
- For a batard (oval loaf): Turn dough over to have "skin side" down. Gently stretch out dough (do not pull to the point of ripping) to resemble a rectangle. Fold in 1/3 of the dough on the right then 1/3 of the dough from the left along the long edge. From the narrow end of your narrower folded rectangle roll up the dough – slightly pull down on the dough prior to rolling to increase surface tension as you go. Pinch in the sides as well. Once it is all rolled up pinch in the final seam. Drag the dough against the longer end to continue adding surface tension, but don't pull past to the point of ripping the "skin" of the dough.
- For a boule (round loaf): Turn dough over to have "skin side" down. Gently stretch out dough (do not pull to point of ripping) to resemble a circle. Slightly stretch and fold in the edges until it resembles a rough sphere then flip over to "skin side" up. With two hands push and pull the sphere against the counter to create surface tension and mold into a more symmetric sphere.
- At this point you have 2 options: You can dip the "skin side" of the loaf in the remaining seed mixture then place skin/seed side down in the bottom of a floured proofing basket. Or you can skip this step and apply seeds to the top prior to baking. Remember to have the "skin side" down in the proofing basket and have the seam facing up.
- Cover each proof basket with either a damp towel or place inside a plastic grocery sack loosely tied and move to refrigerator for cold ferment. You can leave in fridge for 4 to 48 hours. I have done up to 72 hours of cold ferment with satisfactory results.
- When ready to bake: Preheat oven with dutch oven on the middle rack to 450F for at least 30 minutes.
- Turn dough out of proofing basket with seam side down onto parchment paper.
- If you need to top with seed mixture, I like to use a damp hand or pastry brush with water to lightly dampen the top of the loaf prior to sprinkling and "patting in" the seed mixture. This helps the seeds adhere better to the loaf.
- Using a lame or sharp, thin knife, score the loaf as desired.
- Then pick up loaf by grabbing sides of the parchment paper and transfer to dutch oven, 1 loaf per dutch oven. If you oven fits 2 dutch ovens per middle rack you can cook both loaves at the same time or just 1 at a time. Cover with lid and bake in the oven covered for 25 minutes.
- Remove lid of dutch oven and continue baking for 10-15 minutes uncovered or until you achieved the desired crust.
- Remove loaves from dutch ovens by grabbing at parchment paper corners or using oven mitts to grab loaves and place on cooling racks.
- Allow loaves to cool fully until slicing and serving. Store in an airtight bag on the counter for 3 days or in the fridge for up to 1 week. You can freeze the loaf in a freezer safe bag if desired.