Crunchy, complex, and delicious, this seeded sourdough bread is made with a mix of whole wheat and white flour and 4 types of seeds: sunflower, pumpkin, sesame, and flax.
One reader, Iris, commented: "It was delicious! I will add this to my sourdough baking. I already love your recipe for sourdough Bauernbrot (German farmers bread). Do note that this loaf has a lot of different seeds. I happen to like the amount in the recipe. If you are used to a supermarket bakery style ‘seeded’ loaf, this may have too many seeds / nuts. Otherwise the recipe is extremely forgiving as I was a little lax with the stretch and folds, but it still baked beautifully. Thank you!"
Recipe Rundown: Seeded Sourdough
- Texture: crunchy and a little chewy, the seeds are the star here. You'll get a little of that whole wheat texture as well.
- Flavour: complex, with the toasty seeds and nuttiness from whole wheat flour. This is a great sandwich bread but equally good simply toasted with a little butter.
- Difficulty: not too tricky. If you've made a sourdough boule before you can make this no problem – and Sophie's recipes are easier than most as they're shaped before a bulk ferment, when the dough is more forgiving.
Ingredients
- Sourdough starter: this should be active starter or levain.
- Flour: plain white flour, but you can use bread flour if you prefer a chewier loaf.
- Seeds: we recommend keeping the seed types and amounts as is. You could sub chia for flax. Other seeds might change the hydration of the bread.
Use the JUMP TO RECIPE button at the top, or scroll to the bottom of the post to see the printable recipe card with full ingredient measurements and complete instructions.
Step by Step Photos
Step 1: add the starter or levain, flours, and water to a bowl.
Step 2: mix and set aside to hydrate for an hour.
Step 3: add the salt and seeds.
Step 4: mix well to fully incorporate.
Step 5: do 6 rounds of stretches and folds over the course of 3 hours.
Step 6: shape the dough and top with extra seeds, then refrigerate overnight.
Step 7: turn out the loaf and score.
Step 8: bake for about 45 minutes in a dutch oven.
Recipe Notes
This is a classic Sophie recipe and you might think it's missing a bulk ferment. The rising or proving for this loaf, as with most of her recipes, is done in the fridge after the loaf is shaped. This is a method she learned early in her career working at sourdough bakeries.
We highly recommend using a scale for all sourdough baking and it's for this reason we don't include US customary volume measurements. Volume measurements can be wildly inaccurate and room for error is large. If you don't own or want to buy a scale we recommend using another recipe.
Another tool that makes a huge difference, not only to sourdough baking but to all baking, is an oven thermometer. You can purchase them for around $5 CAD at most hardware stores. Thermometers provide across-the-board consistency for baking and all of us here at Baked Collective use them.
Top Tips
- Let it hydrate: the dough might seem a little stiff at first due to the whole wheat flour. It will become softer and more pliable as you work through the stretches and folds.
- Cool fully: if you often get gummy slices of sourdough bread, it might be down to slicing too soon. The loaf should cool fully before slicing, especially if it includes whole grain flour, or the texture will be off.
How to Store
Storage: keep wrapped in a tea towel and in an enclosed area like a cold oven, or wrap in beeswax wrap and leave on the counter. It will keep for 3-4 days but start to dry out over time.
Freezing: transfer the fully cooled loaf to an airtight container or freeze individual slices for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or directly in the toaster.
More Sourdough Bread Recipes
- Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread
- Sprouted Grain Sourdough Bread
- Jalapeño Cheddar Sourdough Bread
- Sourdough Olive Bread
If you make this Seeded Sourdough Bread recipe or any other sourdough bread recipes on the Baked Collective, please take a moment to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. It’s such a help to others who want to try the recipe. For more baking, follow along on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.
Seeded Sourdough Bread
Equipment
- Mixing bowl
- Wire rack
- Dutch oven
Ingredients
- 100 grams active sourdough starter, or levain
- 425 grams water , room temperature
- 300 grams white all-purpose flour
- 200 grams whole wheat flour
- 15 grams fine sea salt
- 50 grams toasted pumpkin seeds
- 50 grams toasted sunflower seeds
- 30 grams toasted sesame seeds
- 30 grams flax seeds
- 5 grams each extra seeds for topping
Instructions
- Add the starter, water, white flour, and whole wheat flour to a large mixing bowl. Mix well to combine, then set aside to hydrate for an hour, covered.100 grams active sourdough starter, 425 grams water , 300 grams white all-purpose flour, 200 grams whole wheat flour
- After an hour, add the salt and all of the seeds. Mix again to incorporate, using your hands or a wooden spoon and mixing very well.15 grams fine sea salt, 50 grams toasted pumpkin seeds, 50 grams toasted sunflower seeds, 30 grams toasted sesame seeds, 30 grams flax seeds
- Do 6 rounds of stretches and folds, once every 30 minutes, over the course of 3 hours.
- Line a banneton with a liner or clean natural-fibre tea towel and set aside. Turn the dough out on to a clean work surface and shape into a boule. Flip seam-side down and gently press the extra seeds into the top of the loaf. If they're not sticking, mist the dough with a little water first.5 grams each extra seeds for topping
- Transfer the shaped dough into your prepared banneton, seeds down and seam-side up.
- Cover the loaf well and place in the fridge to rise overnight, for at least 8 hours and up to 24 hours.
- The next morning, place the dutch oven in the oven and preheat to 500°F (260°C). Once hot, turn the loaf out onto a square of parchment paper and score the top.
- Carefully transfer the loaf into the preheated dutch oven. Reduce the oven temperature to 450°F (230°C) and bake for 20 minutes with the lid on, and then 20-25 minutes with the lid off.
- Remove from the oven and cool the bread fully on a wire rack before slicing. If the loaf is too hot to remove from the dutch oven, let it cool in the pot until it's safe to handle.
Notes
- Storage: keep wrapped in a tea towel and in an enclosed area like a cold oven, or wrap in beeswax wrap and leave on the counter. It will keep for 3-4 days but start to dry out over time.
- Freezing: transfer the fully cooled loaf to an airtight container or freeze individual slices for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or directly in the toaster.
- This is a classic Sophie recipe and you might think it's missing a bulk ferment. The rising or proving for this loaf, as with most of her recipes, is done in the fridge after the loaf is shaped. This is a method she learned early in her career working at sourdough bakeries.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is an estimate and is provided as a courtesy. For precise nutritional data, please calculate it independently using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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It was delicious! I will add this to my sourdough baking. I already love your recipe for sourdough Bauernbrot (German farmers bread). Do note that this loaf has a lot of different seeds. I happen to like the amount in the recipe. If you are used to a supermarket bakery style ‘seeded’ loaf, this may have too many seeds / nuts. Otherwise the recipe is extremely forgiving as I was a little lax with the stretch and folds, but it still baked beautifully. Thank you!