Nourishing, nutty and beautifully textured
If you love a classic sourdough but want something a little more wholesome (and a lot more delicious), this Seeded Sourdough Loaf is for you. Packed with pepitas, sunflower seeds, pine nuts, flaxseed and chia, it has a gorgeous crunch on the outside and a soft, tender crumb inside.
The secret? Soaking the seeds first. This keeps them from drawing moisture out of your dough and ensures every bite is perfectly hydrated and full of flavour.
Let’s bake.
Why You’ll Love This Loaf
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Nutty, toasty flavour
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Extra texture without compromising oven spring
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Naturally nourishing and filling
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Perfect for toast, sandwiches or dipped in olive oil
This loaf follows our Basic Bread Recipe, with the seed mix added after the autolyse stage.
Seed Mix
75g seed mix (pepitas, sunflower seeds, pine nuts)
25g flaxseed
20g chia seed
100g water
Combine all seeds with 100g water and soak for 1 hour before starting your dough.
Ingredients
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150g active sourdough starter (bubbly and at peak)
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350g room temperature filtered water
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500g bread flour
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10g fine salt
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Soaked seed mix (from above)
Tools You’ll Need
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Mixing bowl
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Dough whisk
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Plastic wrap or bowl cover
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Dough scraper
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Banneton proofing basket
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Bread lame
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Dutch oven
Method
1. Mix the Dough
In a mixing bowl, combine 150g active sourdough starter with 350g room temperature water. Mix well until the starter is fully dispersed.
Add 500g bread flour and 10g fine salt. Mix using a dough whisk until no dry flour remains.
At this stage, the dough will be sticky and shaggy. Cover and rest for 30 minutes. This is the autolyse stage, allowing the flour to fully hydrate.
2. Add the Seeds
After the autolyse, add your soaked seed mixture (including any remaining water).
The seeds will seem loose at first, don’t worry. They will incorporate more and more during the stretch and folds.
3. Stretch and Folds (2 Hours)
Rather than traditional kneading, we use the stretch and fold method.
Every 30 minutes:
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Wet your hands
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Stretch one side of the dough up and fold it over itself
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Rotate the bowl and repeat
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Complete 4 folds per session
Do this a total of 5 times over 2 hours (including the first fold right after adding the seeds).
You’ll notice the dough becoming stronger and smoother each time.
4. Bulk Fermentation
Continue bulk fermentation until the dough has risen by approximately 30%.
Depending on your kitchen temperature, total bulk time (including stretch and folds) can take 3-8 hours.
The ideal temperature for sourdough fermentation is 25-28°C.
5. Shape
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured bench and let it rest for 10 minutes.
To shape:
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Gently stretch into a square
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Fold the top down one third
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Fold both sides into the centre
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Roll up from the bottom
Use a bench scraper to help manage the dough and build surface tension.
Place the dough smooth side down into a well-floured banneton. Lightly flour the top, cover loosely and transfer to the fridge.
6. Proof
Proof either:
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1-4 hours at room temperature, or
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Overnight in the fridge (recommended for deeper flavour)
The dough is ready when it passes the poke test, it springs back slowly but leaves a slight indent.
7. Bake
Preheat your Dutch oven to 250°C.
Turn the dough onto baking paper and score with a bread lame (one long central score works beautifully for seeded loaves).
Place into the Dutch oven, reduce temperature to 220°C, and bake:
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20 minutes with lid on
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25-30 minutes lid off
The loaf is ready when:
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Internal temperature reaches at least 97°C, or
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It sounds hollow when tapped
You’re looking for a deep golden brown crust.
8. Cool (The Hardest Part)
Allow the loaf to cool for at least 1 hour before slicing.
Cutting too early releases steam and can result in a gummy crumb (resist the temptation!)
Serving Suggestions
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Thick slices with cultured butter and flaky salt
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Toasted with smashed avocado
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With soup for the ultimate comfort meal
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As the base for the best sandwich you’ve ever made
This Seeded Sourdough Loaf is hearty, flavourful and endlessly satisfying, a beautiful twist on your everyday sourdough.
If you bake it, don’t forget to tag @youkneadsourdough on Instagram or use #YouKneadSourdough so we can see your creations.
Happy baking 🤍
