This is a soft, fluffy, fresh-milled whole wheat bread with seeds mixed throughout and gently pressed into the crust. It’s designed to rise well, slice cleanly, and still feel hearty and nourishing without being dense.

Yields: 4 loaves (about 800 g each), often with a little extra for buns.

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Ingredients

Flour & Structure

• 1800 g fresh-milled bread flour from hard wheat (hard red, hard white, or a blend)

You may substitute up to 20% of the flour with heritage or ancient grains such as Red Fife, Einkorn, or Khorasan (Kamut). Keep at least 80% hard wheat to maintain good rise and structure.

Liquids & Enrichment

• 5 cups water, divided
• 80 g honey
• ~30 mL oil
• 3 eggs

Leavening & Salt

• 2.5 Tbsp yeast
• Just over 1 Tbsp salt

Seed Mix (Added Dry)

Use 1 cup total seeds for the full batch.

• 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds, rough-chopped
• 1/4 cup sesame seeds (white + black combined)
• Up to 2 Tbsp sunflower seeds (optional)
• 1–2 Tbsp max whole flax seeds

Method

1) Make the sponge

In the mixer bowl, combine:

• 900 g flour
• 2.5 cups water

Choose one:

• With sourdough: add ~100 g sourdough starter (discard is ok!)
• Without sourdough: add a small pinch of yeast (taken from the total yeast)

Mix until combined, cover, and let sit for 1–2 hours, until lightly active and expanded.

2) Mix the final dough

Add to the sponge:

• Remaining 900 g flour
• Remaining 2.5 cups water
• Honey, oil, eggs, salt, and remaining yeast
• All of the dry seed mix

3) Develop gluten

Mix using a start-and-stop method:

• Mix ~5 minutes
• Rest ~5 minutes
• Repeat 2–3 times

Allow the dough to fully hydrate and develop strength before adding any extra flour. The dough should be soft, elastic, and slightly tacky, not wet.

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4) Short bulk ferment

Transfer dough to a covered container. Over the next ~45 minutes, punch down twice. Do not allow the dough to fully double. Fresh-milled dough ferments quickly.

5) Divide & shape

Turn the dough onto the counter and divide into 4 portions (about 800 g each).

6) Seeded crust (double press method)

1. Prepare a shallow tray with crust seeds (oats and/or sesame).
2. Dunk the top of each dough portion into the seeds.
3. Place the dough seed-side down on the counter and rest briefly.
4. Shape into a loaf, building surface tension.
5. Optional: dunk the top again and roll lightly to work seeds into the sides.
6. Place into loaf pans seed-side up.

7) Final rise

Cover and rise until visibly puffy and just crowned over the pan, usually 45–75 minutes, depending on room temperature.

8) Score & bake

Optional: score for visual appeal. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for ~30 minutes, until golden and baked through.

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Note on Soaked Seeds & Hearty Loaves

Some add-ins such as oats, chia, quinoa, or other grains benefit from soaking or scalding before use. These will produce a more filling, hearty loaf with a slightly smaller rise.

To use soaked add-ins, pour boiling water over them, soak 20–45 minutes, cool completely, and fold them into the dough after gluten development. Expect a softer, more substantial crumb.