Sprouted Seed Loaf

Name: Sprouted Seed Loaf
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 1 h 25 min
Yield: 10 servings
Ingredients: 1 ¾ cups sprouted whole wheat flour; 2 tsp baking powder; ½ tsp baking soda; ¼ tsp salt; ¾ cup raw sunflower seeds; ½ cup pepitas; 3 Tbsp flaxseed; 2 Tbsp sesame seeds; 3 large eggs; 1 cup buttermilk; ½ cup rolled oats; 2 Tbsp olive oil; 1 Tbsp brown sugar (packed); 1 ½ Tbsp honey

By Emma

Certified Culinary Professional

Published on 30 January 2026 • Recipe tested & approved

Seed loaf with toasted sunflower, pepitas, flax, and sesame. Uses sprouted flour, baking powder, soda, eggs, buttermilk, oats, oil, brown sugar, honey. Seeds toasted until popping then mixed in. Baked in 9x5 pan at moderate heat about 50 minutes. Cool in pan half an hour, then wire rack. Nutty crust with crunch from seeds on top. Substitutions include regular whole wheat for sprouted flour, yogurt for buttermilk, and maple syrup for honey. Watch seed color, avoid burning. Fold wet into dry; don’t overmix or dense crumb. Goes well for hearty breakfasts or sandwiches.

Prep: 30 min

Cook: 55 min

Total: 1h 25min

Servings: 10 servings

#baking #seed bread #sprouted grains #American cuisine #whole wheat

Diving into sprouted grains changed my bread game — more flavor, better digestibility. Don’t skip toasting seeds. Aromas tell you when it’s right — not burnt, not raw. Pop and sizzle sounds signal progress. Mixing: dry first keeps leaveners evenly dispersed; folding wet in stops gluey bread from forming. Humidity, pan type shift bake times. Watch color cues on crust and seeds, plus toothpick for doneness. Cooling in pan allows crumb to settle without cracking. Flip too soon, crumb sticks. Brown sugar swapped with coconut for twist. Honey could be maple syrup if you want earthiness over floral notes. Be patient, tactile feel is best timer for this nourishing loaf.

Ingredients

1 ¾ cups sprouted whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
¾ cup raw sunflower seeds
½ cup pepitas
3 Tbsp flaxseed
2 Tbsp sesame seeds
3 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk
½ cup rolled oats
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp brown sugar (packed)
1 ½ Tbsp honey

About the ingredients

Sprouted flour is foundation here — brings mellow sweetness and bite. Substitute whole wheat in pinch but lose some softness. Seeds toasted dry on low heat until light crackling; burnt seeds turn bitter, ruin loaf. Reserve some seeds for that nutty crunchy topping; adds textural contrast and visual appeal. Use fresh buttermilk or dilute plain yogurt with a bit of lemon juice for acidity to activate baking soda. Olive oil adds moist crumb, can swap with avocado oil, neutral. Brown sugar could be swapped for coconut sugar; substitute honey with maple syrup for subtle flavor shift. Eggs bind structure; avoid cold eggs, room temp is key to combine smoothly.

Method

Heat oven to 340°F. Grease 9x5 loaf pan with nonstick spray or butter.
Dry toast sunflower seeds, pepitas, flaxseed, sesame in skillet over medium-low heat. Shake pan often. Listen for popping — signals done. Remove when nutty aroma emerges and seeds turn golden. Keep back 3 Tbsp for topping.
In large bowl, scatter sprouted flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt. Toss in toasted seeds except reserved ones.
In another bowl, briskly whisk eggs to frothy. Add buttermilk, oats, oil, brown sugar, honey. Whisk again.
Fold wet mix into dry. Don’t overwork. Combine until mostly moist and homogeneous.
Spoon batter into pan, tap gently to even surface. Sprinkle reserved seeds across top evenly.
Bake 50-60 minutes, checking after 45. Top should be golden brown, seeds toasted, and toothpick in center come out with few crumbs, no raw batter.
Cool in pan 25-35 minutes until loaf shrinks slightly from edges. Loosen gently with spatula. Flip onto wire rack to cool fully. Let breathe before slicing.

Cooking tips

Start by heating seeds low and slow in pan — slow to prevent burning, frequent shaking relieves hot spots. Stop when light pop begins and seeds darken slightly; smell is integral, nutty and toasted without acrid notes. Mix dry ingredients thoroughly so rising agents distribute well. Whisk eggs air into batter subtly to keep bread tender. Folding wet into dry avoids gluten overdevelopment, key for crumb texture. Batter sticky but well combined. To ensure even bake, pan should be greased well, batter patted down but not pressed. Bake in moderate oven; watch color shifting on crust, quiet ticking pop of seeds. Toothpick inserted near center should emerge clean or with moist crumbs, not wet batter. Cooling time important to firm crumb and allow flavor to deepen; patience key before cutting.

Chef's notes

💡 Toast seeds slow on medium-low. Keep pan moving. Listen for that light popping sound, not loud crackles. Aroma goes nutty but avoid bitter burnt smell. Save some toasted seeds for crunchy topping. Timing varies by stove. If seeds scorch, loaf flavor wrecked. Use skillet with even heat, shake often.
💡 Mix dry ingredients well first. Baking powder, baking soda, salt all get tossed with flour and seeds except topping portion. Wet mix: eggs whipped to froth helps lighten crumb. Add buttermilk, oats, oil, sugars last. Folding wet into dry avoids gluten grind — mix just till moistened, lumpy okay. Overmix means dense bread.
💡 Batter sticky but not gluey. Spoon into greased 9x5 pan and tap pan gently to level surface; no pressing needed. Sprinkle reserved seeds evenly on top, press very lightly if needed so they stick during bake. Oven temp steady near 340°F; moderate heat best. Bake 50-60 min but check at 45 min — crust should turn golden, seeds pop quietly.
💡 Toothpick test key but not absolute. Comes out with some moist crumbs but no raw batter. Seed color shifts help judge doneness too — golden on top, aroma richer. Cooling in pan crucial — loaf shrinks away from edges indicating set crumb. Loosen carefully then flip to wire rack to cool fully. Avoid flipping warm or crumb sticks.
💡 Substitutions think function over fancy. Whole wheat for sprouted flour but crumb less soft. Yogurt diluted with lemon juice works for buttermilk acidity. Maple syrup swaps for honey but expect subtle flavor shift. Olive oil can be switched with avocado or neutral oil. Eggs room temp blend better, bind structure. Brown sugar can trade coconut sugar smoothness.

Common questions

Why fold wet into dry?

Stops gluten overwork. Avoids rubbery crumb. Keeps rise lighter. Mixing smooth not required, some lumps okay. Less strong dough means open texture but stable. Eggs whipped help tenderness mostly.

Can I swap seeds?

Yes. Almonds chopped toasted add crunch but change flavor. Sunflower seeds still best for that nutty aroma. Pepitas and sesame toasted low heat vital to avoid bitterness. Burnt seeds ruin taste faster than you think. Adjust timings for nut substitutes. Same gentle toast idea.

What if crust too dark before done?

Tent foil loosely over pan. Oven temps vary. Dark crust means check inside too; toothpick moist crumbs okay. Rotate pan midway for even baking. Using glass pan shifts bake time; watch not dry loaf.

How to store loaf?

Wrap airtight after cooled fully to stop drying. Fridge lasts about 3-4 days but can stiffen crumb. Freeze slices for longer storage. Toast frozen slices directly or thaw at room temp before cutting. Avoid plastic when hot — condensation ruins crust.