Easy Seeded Sourdough Bread Recipe • Heartbeet Kitchen (2024)

FAQs

What are the best seeds to put in sourdough bread? ›

With chia, poppy, and toasted sesame seeds, this bread smells delicious and is full of flavor. The crust is crackly and the crumb is soft and chewy. This seeded sourdough bread can be eaten any number of ways, but is particularly tasty in grilled cheese sandwiches, buttered and fried on a cast iron skillet.

Seeds. Sunflower, poppyseed, flaxseed, sesame, and other seeds should first be soaked in an amount of cold water at least equal in weight to that of the seeds. I like to soak the seeds for a full 12 hours the night before mixing my dough.

Before the first set of stretch and folds, add the cooled seed soaker and optional lemon zest. I like to spread the mix-ins on top of the dough and then perform my stretch and folds to help the ingredients distribute. They will further distribute through the dough with each subsequent set of stretch and folds.

Whole wheat flour is an excellent choice for creating a sourdough starter due to its nutrient-rich composition and potential for fostering a robust microbial community.

Longer fermentation

As your dough proofs, the good bacteria eats up sugars and starches in the flour. This decreases the sweet undertone and creates a more sour undertone. The longer you ferment, the more starches and sugars the bacteria eats, and the more sour your bread will be.

An important factor to this dough is the need to pre-soak the toasted seeds before adding them to the dough to prevent the seeds from absorbing all the water in the dough. I usually soak the seeds in about 5% extra water right when I start with autolyse.

Sourdough bread contains higher levels of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants than other breads. It also contains lower levels of phytate and therefore allows your body to absorb the nutrients it contains more easily than those in regular bread.

You can soak seeds overnight, strain them, and add them to a bread dough during mixing (easiest) or during an early round of stretching and folding the dough (better gluten development).

Without scoring, the steam will find its own weak point and burst through the crust as it hardens, this creates unwanted bulges and blowouts in your bread.

Finally, seeds will germinate if you don't soak them; they just need more time. Be sure to inoculate your soil with our soil amendment to ensure that active biology is there to help your plants to thrive!

What are the healthiest seeds to add to bread? ›

Packed with omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, and antioxidants, flax seeds are not only great for your heart health but also add a great nutty flavor. Sunflower seeds are a versatile addition that brings a subtle nuttiness and a delightful crunch to your bread. These seeds are rich in vitamin E, healthy fats, and magnesium.

Spread the seeds on the top of the dough as evenly as possible. Grab the right side of the dough and fold it one-third over the dough. Then fold the left side of the dough over the fold you just did. Fold the bottom third up over the dough.

For some breads, you can use an egg wash as the glue; the seeds will stick to it. But not all breads benefit from an egg wash; crusty loaves that bake at a high temperature, for example. In those cases, the best way to get the seeds to stick is simple: Just add water. For the seediest crust, just add water.

There are two main acids produced in a sourdough culture: lactic acid and acetic acid. Acetic acid, or vinegar, is the acid that gives sourdough much of its tang. Giving acetic acid-producing organisms optimal conditions to thrive and multiply will produce a more tangy finished product.

So don't leave your dough in a warm oven, on a radiator or in sunlight. It will likely be too warm and will dry out your dough too. Instead, find a cosy spot, with no drafts, for your dough to rise. And, if your sourdough starter is struggling to get going, consider finding it a warmer spot too.

Honey: Honey adds a sweetness to this dough and helps balance any sour flavor that comes through from the fermentation process. If you are looking for whole wheat bread without the honey, try this recipe. Salt: Salt enhances the flavor and helps tempers the fermentation.