Honey and sunflower seeds flavor this delicious loaf of Sunflower Seed Bread; it's worth every minute you have to wait for it to rise!
I am not the biggest break baker; it's never been my claim to fame. I could lament the time it takes but come on, we'll all been stuck at home for months on end, time is not the issue. However, when I have a loaf of bread as good as this Sunflower Seed Bread, I think I have discovered why I don't do it more often.
Because the truth is, with this bread, I could eat the whole thing. The same is true with another bread I've been making forever, this Billowy Off-White Bread. Between the whole business of homemade and how delicious the loaves are, I lose all control. Clearly I like something with a bit of honey in it and both of these have that.
The breads are still unique to each other though; the Sunflower Seed Bread adds a bit of crunch and a hint of salt with that crunch. I've topped the Billowy Off-White Bread with Sunflower Seeds but the flavor is not even close, it's the seeds in the bread that make all the difference.
I'll make the Billowy Off-White Bread for sandwich bread but this one, this I save for breakfast. While I suppose you could enjoy this bread with any meal, for me I prefer it to start my day. By itself topped with a hint of butter or going nuts with a favorite jam, I love it with a cup of coffee in the morning. Like every morning.
When Covid forced all of us home, I didn't jump on the sourdough bread train...it's never been my favorite. But I did jump on the 'have to find some yeast' one and I've got enough yeast now to bake bread every day for a year. I won't but I could and if I did, this one would be at the top of my list.
While this recipe is enough for one loaf, I often double it and make two at a time. Sure I could give one away, and I have, but I've also wrapped it well and frozen it for another time and it comes out beautifully. I should probably cut my loaf in half and freeze one portion...or not.
I don't know about you but when I have something homemade that I love like this Sunflower Seed Bread in my kitchen bread box, I wake up in the morning and almost jump out of bed...somehow that whole loaf is gone before I remember I was going to save half of it. 🙂
I hope you'll try it too; it's an easy loaf to make but with a decidedly delicious flavor...you'll see; you may yearn for it first thing in the morning like I do...more even than coffee!!
More Favorite Bread Recipes:
PIN IT! 'Sunflower Seed Bread'
Ingredients
- Ingredients
- 2/3 cup warm milk
- 1 Tablespoon honey
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 & 1/2 Tbsps salt
- 1/2 Tbsp active dry yeast
- 1 Tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon canola or vegetable oil
- 1 egg
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 1/3 cup sunflower seeds
For Garnish
- 2 Tablespoons melted butter
- Sunflower seeds for sprinkling on top
Instructions
- Combine honey, milk, sugar, salt, yeast, oil and egg in the bowl of a stand mixer.
Add in flour and sunflower seeds and mix just until dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl. - Pour dough into a lightly greased bowl, cover and let rise about 2 hours, or until doubled in size.
- Shape risen dough into an oval (batard shape) and place in a lightly greased 8 x 4-inch loaf pan. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30-40 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Brush the top of the loaf with melted butter and sprinkle sunflower seeds on top. Bake loaf for about 35 to 40 minutes. Allow to cool completely on cooling rack before slicing or serving.
