The Easiest Whole Grain Seeded Bread

I have made this a couple of times now and I must say that it’s a delicious, easy to prepare bread. I’ll definitely make it time and time again. It pairs wonderfully with vanilla almond butter (:
My criticism is the same as many I’ve read in the comments here. After hours in the fridge, the dough is far too tough to knead in the seeds or to shape into a loaf. The second time I prepared this, I skipped the fridge and left the dough to rise for about 3 hours total in my kitchen, which is about 78°. After that I followed the recipe as written and it was much better than the first loaf.
Now to make it again.

Have made this loaf 3-4x now even though I said I was gonna try a different recipe next. I’ve modified SLIGHTLY each time because I haven’t had the sunflower seeds so had to use pumpkin seeds and wanted to try it with the different sweeteners. Can barely tell the difference in taste with the different loaves, but one thing has been consistent, it’s been delicious every time! My family loves it and we usually finish the whole loaf in a day (2 at most). And best part is it is beyond easy, thus the challenge in trying new recipes.

I made this yesterday. I have small children, and a distracted brain, so here’s what I did differently:
1) whole chia instead of flax (turned out that I couldn’t find any flax in the cupboard)
2) chopped sunflower seeds, millet, and oats (1/4 cup total)
3) I left this to rise for about 2 hours (maybe very slightly longer), then put it in the fridge for 7-7.5 hours, because I couldn’t find time to deal with it
4) during the rise, I covered it with reusable beeswax wrap
5) I made my cuts into the top of the bread before the final rise

The bread looks lovely. The texture is a bit dense, and it has more of a yeasty (maybe slightly fermented) flavour than I would prefer. It did get somewhat dry on the surface, under the wax wrap (more porous than plastic). The dough was very tough when I was kneading in the seeds and oats. I wonder if the chia and lack of plastic sucked some of the moisture out, making it dense. And I wonder if the flavour is normal, or if it was because it sat for so long. My daughter doesn’t like it, but my husband does!

This is the 3rd time I made this bread….so delicious. I made a double recipe today and added the oats and sunflower seeds at the beginning to distribute. It’s so easy but a little time consuming. Will be a staple in our house. Thanks for the fantastic bread recipe.

I’ve made this recipe twice in the last two days and both times it was not cooked in the middle. The first loaf is edible, but the second loaf is not, the entire core is completely raw. With the second loaf, I baked it at 425 for 15 minutes and 400 for another 15. I then let it cool for 10 minutes in the pan. It looked and sounded perfect (sounded hollow when tapped), but when I cut it in half to freeze, it was completely raw inside. The only alteration I made to the recipe was adding 2 Tbs pumpkin seeds with the other seeds. I’ve made bread before and never had this problem!

This became my go-to recipe, and I made it several times (five, I think) with great results. Then, primary audience asked if I could make “grittier” version with the seeds more pronounced. So I doubled the flax, the oats, and the sunflower seeds. The result was delicious! It was a little too crumbly for sandwiches, but it made heavenly toast.

my first bread ever to bake. I followed the recipe with only whole wheat flour and it was a success. I have a gas oven and it was ready in 30 min! I can’t wait to repeat it. thank you for the recipe!

I’m calling this bread “Pony” bread from now on because it’s Just what I Always Wanted. Lovely seeded whole wheat with plenty of fluffy loft. I followed the recipe exactly, and swapped out the sunflower seeds for a tablesooon each of flax and poppyseeds. My bake time was a lot longer than the recipe indicates: about 45-50m. I inserted a thermometer into the bread and took it out once the internal temp was at/a little over 190. This bread is comparable to Whole Foods Market’s “seeduction” loaf, though it’s a little less sweet making it more versatile.

I tried this recipe after making whole wheat bread in the bread machine several times and not being while about the results. I just tasted my first slice and OMG, this is the best. Fluffy and not at all dense. I used whole wheat flour since I didn’t have whole wheat pastry flour, used chickpea cooking liquid instead of water (learned that trick from another recipe and I had it on hand), and replaced some of the flour with a couple tablespoons of vital wheat gluten.

I’ve made this bread twice during our Covid isolation and it is truly delicious. Followed the instructions and it turned out perfect. The second time I doubled the recipe as the first loaf disappeared. Next time I’m going to put the rolled oats and sunflower seeds in the dough.
Thankyou for the great and super easy recipe.

I loved the ingredients and taste of this bread so I decided to stick with the recipe until I could successfully modify it to consistently work in our toaster oven. Here’s what I have found (after making approx 10 times):
-Reduce the water to 1 cup. 1.5 cups makes the loaf too large (it actually rose into the heating elements!). This also means the flour will be reduced. I add 1/2 cup at a time alternating between regular Whole Wheat and AP and usually move the dough to a floured surface to continue kneading at around 2 or 2.5 cups. I would *estimate* I end up at a little over 3 cups by the time it’s all said and done.
-I use a standard loaf pan
-425 works fine, but once the top crust reaches your preferred color (I like dark brown and this usually happens between 15-20 minutes for me) lightly cover with foil AND remove the pan with water from underneath. The bottom crust was not cooking all the way and stayed soggy when i left the pan in the whole time: I assume because the steam was too close and it also blocked the heat from the bottom elements.
-I leave it in for the full 35 minutes. It’s never doughy in the middle and has the best crust, in my opinion.

Hope this helps anyone else who is also trying to make things work without a regular sized oven.

Thank you for a fantastic recipe! Your site makes vegan cuisine accessible and less intimidating to this mom of a crazy 10 month old <3

This is the best bread I’ve made (and maybe tasted). I’m not much of a baker, but it was easy and SO delish. I did 4 hours on the counter and skipped the fridge after reading comments about how hard it was to knead after fridge. I doubled the recipe, and also added quite a lot more seeds (pumpkin and sunflower) than the recipe calls for, and it worked great.

Best. Bread. Ever. Just had a slice smeared with peanut butter and sliced banana for breakfast and I cannot get over it. I’ve tried it multiple ways with homemade jam, avocado, and just plain. And wow!! I actually never want to buy bread again.
Also, I used normal whole wheat flour and bread flour (rather than AP) with a slightly longer rise time. Heavenly!

I was nervous for the result with all the Covid-pantry substitutions I made, but it turned out delicious! I used only all-purpose flour, refrigerated overnight, and both worked well. I found the most rise was achieved during the cover in plastic wrap right before baking. I used sliced almonds instead of sunflower seeds, and baked for 29 mins. It was soft, dense yet fluffy, with a beautiful touch of sweetness from the honey & oats. It kept really well too, 7 days in a Ziplock. Will definitely make again!

Fantastic! Absolutely delicious and so easy to make. Didn’t change a thing and took out after 26 min. My partner & I just kept eating and raving about it. The problem now is how often will I make it?? Good problems to have! Thank you!

Always great! I have made this many times. My go to bread recipe.

I made this in my toaster oven on a tray and it turned out perfect! I actually left the dough overnight in the fridge (it was a 2 day process). Everyone loved it!

Have made this recipe four times now and just love it. I added some finely chopped pumpkin seeds, almonds, and flax seeds at the last kneading step as well; adds a bit more cooking time, but is very tasty! Thanks Minimalist Baker for all of these wonderful, healthy recipes! :)

Hello! Do you have any suggestions for substitutes to unbleached AP flour? ? Interested in trying other more nutrient dense flours.

One of my favourite bread recipes. Makes a deliciously textured loaf, and so simple to put together!

I’ve made this several times and use “normal”
whole wheat flour (impossible to find whole wheat pastry flour in a pandemic). I love this recipe but it’s IMPOSSIBLE to knead after 2 hours in the fridge. After some research, I changed things up. It was so much easier. My process: 1) do prescribed 2 hour room temp rise 2) punch it down and add seeds/oats 3) do the “20 kneads”, form it, place in oiled bread loaf 4) cover and let rise another hour on the counter. No fridge at all. Success! It’s less dense, equally yummy and kneading was a breeze. Wanted to pass along for others with the same struggle who have zero baking skills (like me).

I’m on round 4 or 5 of making this loaf and it’s easy and successful every time. I’ve been doing a whole wheat/ spelt flour loaf and it comes out great. Thanks for the recipe!

Fabulous result. Take the time to add the cool rise in the frig. Texture and flavor are great. I used the wheat flours I had – white whole wheat and unbleached AP – so a little higher protein level than the recipe specified. Still a lovely loaf. Take the time and be patient with the rises – no complicated techniques. It’s worth it.

I made this with some weird yeast that was substituted in my grocery delivery order. It’s a brick of Fleischmann’s yeast with cornstarch. I followed the recipe exactly with the exception of this weird yeast and I ended up with a flat brick. I’m so sad! I will try again when I can get real, active yeast.

I am a terrific cook, but a terrible baker. Thank you for the wonderful recipe. My bread came out perfect! My only replacement was swapping out one cup of the wheat flour with rye flour. I am so impressed with myself and couldn’t have done it without your recipe!

So delicious and easy! I didn’t have the seeds but I followed everything else exactly as written. Turned out moist with a brown crispy crust! I probably let it rise longer than instructed because I was working but it turned out great! First time making bread I feel so proud <3

I just made this bread yesterday because I’ve been baking a lot during all of this staying at home, and I am SO EXCITED. I’ve never made bread before from scratch, and this recipe was very easy to follow. I’m so excited to try it!

Hi, I loved this recipe. It was easy and foolproof. I added two tablespoons of mixed seeds and it is so yummy. Make store-bought bread totally unappealing. I slice it and freeze it and toast it when I need it . Thanks for demystifying bread-making for me!

Made this with active dry yeast. I followed advice to use 25% more active dry yeast to substitute for instant. Then “proved” the yeast by adding part of the water (approx 1/2 cup) of the warmed 105F water and stirred until dissolved. Then followed the recipe as usual. But I let it rise on the counter for approx 3 hours and skipped the fridge. It doubled in size by the 2 hour mark. It was so delicious. I used all purpose flour for all the flour as that was all that was available right now. LOVE this recipe. So good!!!!

Amazing recipe! It raises more than I expected for a whole wheat bread. (20 cm high when cooked) The dough was not sticky so I didn’t add much flour. I use regular wheat flour and also add pumpkin seeds. So impress of the results. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe.

Made this bread for the second time and I love it! This time I subbed the oats for pumpkin seeds and it is great!

This is as easy and delicious as advertised! Thanks for another great recipe!

The dough was very sloppy/runny even after two hours in the refrigerator. Started adding flour by the 1/4 cups to firm it up. Must have added 2 cups at least. Never made this recipe before and perhaps I made a mistake but just don’t want to try it again. The taste was excellent and in the end the dough was too moist in the middle. Mixed feelings.

This is my new go to bread recipe! I have made other bread recipes from you in the past but this one is by far my favourite and I keep coming back to it!

This came out great. I used molasses as the sweetener because I had some to use up. It gave it a particular flavor, but we liked it! I added some wheat germ in place of the flax. Next time, I wouldn’t bother. As far as rising instructions, bake temp and time, and the rest of the ingredients, I followed exactly. Thanks for the recipe!

Perfect, first recipe to become a staple, as it’s the first one I can replicate great results. I do make sure to activate yeast with correct temperature water and honey, it needs less time for rising that way.

First off, I am definitely not a bread maker, I have had many unsuccessful attempts with other people’s recipes And usually get a hard dense bread. After reading this over many times I gave it a go and am I glad. This Bread turned out absolutely delicious. The crust is crunchy and the inside was soft, the perfect combination. I used honey, and bobs white and wheat flours. Our oven cooks hot so I did 425 for 30 minutes and let it rest for an hour. Will be making this again and again, definitely a keeper.

Thank you for the great recipe! I made it last night and it turned out text book. I used red fife flour and all purpose. I did the recipe in my standard mixer, I probably let it sit for a total of 41/2 hours and baked it at 425 for the full 35 mins like you mentioned in your comments. I did not add seeds. This will be my go to bread! Love your recipes Dana.

I made this bread yesterday. I loved it and my husband love it as well. It turned out perfect! I followed the instructions except that instead of 2 hours rest at room temp and 2 in fridge, I left it 4 hours at room temp (just because we were on a walk in the woods and it took longer than expected to get back home!). I will be making this bread all the time now!

Made this yesterday when my wife asked for some “whole-grain hippie bread.” Terrific!

This bread is amazing! I modified the recipe slightly by not adding the sunflower seeds and outs (my kids do not agree with seedy bread), and I did not put in the fridge to rise. Instead I just left it on the counter for 3 hours. Seriously, this is the best bread recipe I have ever made!

I attempted this recipe again after the first loaf being under cooked. I used whole wheat flour and bread flour because that’s what I had and I left out the seeds. I baked for 26 min at 425 (which is how long I baked it the first time). I used an internal thermometer to test the bread and I came right at 190F which is technically cooked from the research I did but on the lower side. So I then covered the loaf with aluminum foil to prevent anymore browning and stuck the loaf back in the oven for 5 more minutes. When I tested the temperature of the bread after then 5 minutes it came to ~200. After letting it cool completely and slicing – success!

I subbed pastry flour with almond flour, vegan butter with coconut oil , and I added 4 different nuts. This recipe is the BOMB. You’re my hero!

I found my “stay at home” bread recipe! So delicious. I followed the recipe as written, except left out the 2hr fridge rise due to time and subbed all purpose wheat flour for pastry flour, since it’s what I have on hand. Thanks for the delicious recipe!

I have been trying to make bread for about 6 years. This bread recipe is the first one I have tried that I have been able to be successful with everytime! Today was my 4th time making it and it turned out perfect. Interestingly, I left out the refrigerator rise and used whole wheat flour instead of whole wheat pastry flour (because that’s all I had).

I did not slash the top before baking and it honestly made it easier to cut.

I think the biggest difference was how much I kneaded it and I didn’t end up needing as much white flour to get to my desired consistency (maybe 1 1/3 cup).

For the final rise, I turned the oven to warm and put the sheet pan with water in it on the bottom rack. When the oven got warm, I turned it off and put my bread in with a large ziplock bag set on top (I re-use these until they become unusable to decrease my plastic waste). It rose beautifully!

I used a glass 9×5″ pan. My elevation is 4,464′ and I live in low humidity.

Delicious and so easy to make we have stopped buying bread from shops! My family love this recipe. Sometimes, we add a mix of seeds and dried berries or dates to it. Thank you!

This bread recipe turned out perfectly! Followed the instructions and ingredient list exactly as written and the end result yielded a perfectly crisp crust with a light and moist interior. 30 minutes is how long I baked my loaf. I will be coming back to this recipe time and time again!

Great, easy recipe. I made it yesterday and We used it for tuna salad sandwiches. We finished off the loaf this morning so I made another today. My kids actually bickered over the leftovers this morning so I guess I’m making this often.
I used my KitchenAid mixer + dough hook and it came together very quickly and used regular yeast.

Very easy, came out crusty and relatively light. Probably would be just as good with no seeds, or with an abundance of seeds, nuts and dried fruit.

It was delicious! Thank you!