I first read about baking with sprouted grains several years ago in Chad Robertson’s Tartine Book No. 3, which offers a how-to sprouting guide and explains why we would want to do this in the first place: Sprouting grains before mixing them into dough or milling them into flour makes them not only more digestible but also more nutritious.
To paraphrase from TBNo3:
At their sprouting (or germination) point, grains begin to transform from a seed into a plant, at which point, the dormant nutrients, minerals, and vitamins stored to nourish the plant become more accessible, which makes them easier for us to absorb. When we eat sprouted grains, we are digesting something more similar to a vegetable than a grain.
This sounded like a win all around—easier on the tummy, amped up nutrition. I researched grain sprouting further and discovered even more benefits: boost in fiber, unlocked flavor, and increased sweetness. But as I looked more earnestly into the sprouting process—soak grains in water for several days, transfer to a clean jar, cover with cheesecloth, drain and aerate and rinse twice a day—I couldn’t help but feel discouraged. I kept thinking: Couldn’t someone do this for me?
Yes! King Arthur Flour now sells Sprouted Wheat Flour. For the past month or so, I’ve been baking the sandwich bread featured here using half King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour and half King Arthur Sprouted Wheat Flour. The loaves have been turning out beautifully, the crumb soft and light, the taste without a trace of bitterness. Most sprouted wheat flour on the market today is made from hard red wheat, which can taste bitter and behave more like a standard whole wheat flour. King Arthur Sprouted Wheat Flour, on the other hand, is made from white whole wheat berries that, when sprouted, yield a creamier, sweeter, milder-tasting flour that can easily be used in any of your favorite recipes.
Observations:
Smell: Every time I mix up a batch of this bread with the sprouted wheat flour, I’m surprised by how fresh the dough smells and how much more fragrant it is overall than other flours I’ve used.
Taste: Sweet and nutty.
Versatility: You can substitute King Arthur Sprouted Wheat Flour 1:1 for whole wheat flour or up to 50% for all-purpose in your favorite recipes.
You can read more about King Arthur Flour’s patent-pending sprouting process and find more recipe inspiration in this guide on King Arthur Flour’s site.
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Seedy Sandwich Bread
This is a basic sandwich bread, coated in seeds or not—I love the seeds; my children do not, so I make it both ways, and everyone is happy. The original recipe is in Bread Toast Crumbs (soon to be released!) but here I’ve replaced half of the flour with the sprouted wheat flour.
There are three recipes below: one for a single loaf pan, one for two loaf pans, and one for three loaf pans, which I have been making nearly every Sunday for the past month or so thanks to this King Arthur Flour 3-loaf pan. I’ve been keeping two loaves handy for toast and sandwiches, and slicing and freezing the third to have on hand for later in the week.
A few tips:
• You can mix the dough at night, store the bowl (covered with plastic wrap or bowl cover) in the fridge, then proceed with the recipe in the morning. The key is to be patient the following morning after you transfer the dough to the loaf pans to let it make its second rise—it may take as long as two hours due to the temperature of the dough and the temperature of your kitchen.
• Seed and grain mix: You can use anything you have on hand, from simply rolled oats to sesame seeds to every seed you have in your pantry: poppy, millet, sunflower, pumpkin, chia, flax, etc. I like to use ALL the seeds.
This post is sponsored by King Arthur Flour. Thank you for your support.
Three batches of bread in the works: 2-loaf recipe (top); peasant bread recipe (right); 1-loaf recipe (bottom)
Dot and Army Bowl Covers — love!
Tiglet, helping out
3-loaf pan in action
Made a how-to video on Facebook Live:
Seedy Sandwich Bread — 1 loaf
Adapted from Bread Toast Crumbs.
Ingredients
- 1½ cups (192 g) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
- 1½ cups (192 g) King Arthur Flour Sprouted Wheat Flour
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 1½ teaspoons sugar
- 1½ teaspoons instant yeast
- 1½ cups lukewarm water
- 3 tablespoons neutral oil or olive oil
- softened butter for greasing
- mix of seeds: flax, millet, pumpkin, sunflower, sesame, poppy, chia—whatever you like, optional
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, salt, sugar, and instant yeast. Add the water and oil. Using a rubber spatula, mix until the liquid is absorbed and the ingredients form a sticky dough ball. Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel, a bowl cover, or plastic wrap and set aside in a warm spot to rise for 1 to 1½ hours, until the dough has doubled in bulk.
- Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat it to 375ºF. Grease a standard loaf pan (8.5x4.5-inches) with the softened butter. Spread a generous handful of flour over a clean surface. If you are coating the loaves in seeds, spread the seeds out on a rimmed vessel such as a small sheet pan. Set a bowl with water and a pastry brush nearby. Using two forks, deflate the dough by releasing it from the sides of the bowl and pulling it toward the center. Rotate the bowl quarter turns as you deflate, turning the mass into a rough ball.
- Use the forks to lift the dough onto the prepared surface—you may need to guide the dough out with your hands. Using as much flour as necessary from the surface, dust your hands and the exterior of the dough, then shape the mass as best you can into a ball and flatten into a rectangle/oval—doesn't have to be perfect.
- Brush the surface of the dough with water (you can do this on all sides or just the top —whatever you wish). Roll in the seeds. Transfer to prepared pan. Let rise until the dough crowns the rim of the pan—be patient. Depending on how cool your kitchen is, this may take more or less time.
- Transfer the pan to the oven and bake 40 minutes, or until golden. Remove the pan from the oven and turn the loaf out onto a cooling rack. Let cool for at least 20 minutes (longer is best) before slicing.
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Seedy Sandwich Bread — 2 loaves
Adapted from the soft sandwich bread recipe in Bread Toast Crumbs.
Ingredients
- 3 cups (384 g) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
- 3 cups (384 g) King Arthur Sprouted Wheat Flour
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon instant yeast
- 3 cups lukewarm water
- 1/3 cup neutral oil or olive oil
- softened butter for greasing
- mix of seeds: flax, millet, pumpkin, sunflower, sesame, poppy, chia—whatever you like, optional
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, salt, sugar, and instant yeast. Add the water and oil. Using a rubber spatula, mix until the liquid is absorbed and the ingredients form a sticky dough ball. Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel, a bowl cover, or plastic wrap and set aside in a warm spot to rise for 1 to 1½ hours, until the dough has doubled in bulk.
- Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat it to 375ºF. Grease two standard loaf pans (8.5x4.5-inches) with the softened butter. Spread a generous handful of flour—about 1/4 cup—over a clean surface. If you are coating the loaves in seeds, spread the seeds out on a rimmed vessel such as a small sheet pan. Set a bowl with water and a pastry brush nearby. Using two forks, deflate the dough by releasing it from the sides of the bowl and pulling it toward the center. Rotate the bowl quarter turns as you deflate, turning the mass into a rough ball.
- Use the forks to lift the dough onto the prepared surface. Using as much flour as necessary from the surface, dust your hands and the exterior of the dough, then shape the mass as best you can into a ball. Use a bench scraper to cut the dough in half. Shape each portion into a ball, then flatten into a rectangle/oval—doesn't have to be perfect.
- Brush each portion of dough with water (you can do this on all sides or just the top —whatever you wish). Roll each in the seeds, then transfer to the prepared pans. Let rise until the dough crowns the rims of the pans—be patient. In the winter, I find this takes longer, 30 minutes or more.
- Transfer the pans to the oven and bake 40 minutes, or until golden. Remove the pans from the oven and turn the loaves out onto a cooling rack. Let cool for at least 20 minutes (longer is best) before slicing.
Did you make a recipe?
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Seedy Sandwich Bread — 3 loaves
Adapted from the soft sandwich bread recipe in Bread Toast Crumbs.
Ingredients
- 4½ cups (576 g) King Arthur All-Purpose Flour
- 4½ cups (576 g) King Arthur Sprouted Wheat Wlour
- 5 teaspoons kosher salt
- 5 teaspoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon instant yeast
- 4½ cups lukewarm water
- ½ cup neutral oil or olive oil
- softened butter for greasing
- mix of seeds: flax, millet, pumpkin, sunflower, sesame, poppy, chia—whatever you like, optional
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, sugar, and instant yeast. Add the water and oil. Using a rubber spatula, mix until the liquid is absorbed and the ingredients form a sticky dough ball. Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel, a bowl cover, or plastic wrap and set aside in a warm spot to rise for 1 to 1½ hours or until the dough has doubled in bulk—be patient, especially in the cooler months.
- Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat it to 375ºF. Grease three standard loaf pans (8.5x4.5-inches) with the softened butter. Spread a generous handful of flour—at least 1/4 cup—over a clean surface. If you are coating the loaves in seeds, spread the seeds out on a rimmed vessel such as a small sheet pan. Set a bowl with water and a pastry brush nearby. Using two forks, deflate the dough by releasing it from the sides of the bowl and pulling it toward the center. Rotate the bowl quarter turns as you deflate, turning the mass into a rough ball.
- Use the forks to lift the dough onto the prepared surface—you may need to guide it out with your hands. Using as much flour as necessary from the surface, dust your hands and the exterior of the dough, then use a bench scraper to portion the dough into three equal pieces. Shape each as best you can into a ball, then flatten into a rectangle/oval shape—doesn't have to be perfect.
- Brush each portion of dough with water (you can do this on all sides or just the top —whatever you wish). Roll each in the seeds, then transfer to the prepared pans. Let rise until the dough crowns the rims of the pans—be patient. In the winter, I find this takes longer, 30 minutes or more.
- Transfer the pans to the oven and bake 40 minutes, or until golden. Remove the pans from the oven and turn the loaves out onto a cooling rack. Let cool for at least 20 minutes (longer is best) before slicing.
Did you make a recipe?
Tag @alexandracooks on Instagram and hashtag it #alexandracooks.
SallyBR says
Ok, my arm is properly twisted. I am placing an order right away, your description of the flour has me mesmerized!
beautiful loaves! I am going to bake some as soon as the flour reaches our doorstep!
thanks for the inspiration…
alexandra says
Yay! Sally, you make the most beautiful breads … can’t wait to see what you do with the sprouted wheat flour.
SallyBR says
I made a recipe from King Arthur site with it, free shaped – turned out really nice, it is true that the crumb is super moist!
I intend to blog about it, but it will take some time… My bread had cranberries, pistachios, and sunflower seeds – nice flavor, but next time I want to try your exact version!
alexandra says
So great, Sally! I can’t wait to see what you do with this flood. Your breads are always stunning.
Brenda Steele says
I’m new to your blog and have now downloaded 2 recipes, this bread recipe and your chocolate cake recipe. I will be trying them out this weekend. I can’t wait. Your photos are so beautiful on your blog. I am glad I signed up, really enjoying the blog so far.
alexandra says
Thank you for the kind words, Brenda! Welcome! I’m so glad you’ve found some recipes you like. Let me know if you have any questions.
Mary says
I love that they have seeds all around – and they rose so high – really beautiful loaves
alexandra says
Thank you, Mary!
Liz says
I’am going to make this bread as soon as I receive my flout from King Arthur. Also, I like the looks of the other
Bread with the oats on top. Where do I find that recipe? Thanks, liz
alexandra says
Great! For the oat one, all I do is put rolled outs on a small sheet pan, brush the shaped loaves with water, and roll them in the oats — so essentially, follow the recipe exactly, just use oats in place of the seeds.
Carlos At Spoonabilities says
I’m a bread lover, and I like my bread with toasted seeds like the two recipes in this post. I always want to bake bread, but I’m afraid to work with dough that needs a lot of attention. How was your first experience making bread?
alexandra says
Carlos this is SO easy! If you’re looking for a super easy bread recipe, start here: My Mother’s Peasant Bread Recipe
Susan O'Hollaren says
Bread looks great,and will try, but now I need the recipe for your Balzano Apple cake.. Thanks. I couldn’t print it somehow.
alexandra says
Sure thing! I just updated the Bolzano Apple Cake recipe — it’s not in printable format: https://alexandracooks.com/2009/11/06/balzano-apple-cake-revisited/
Andrea Christensen says
I can’t WAIT for your book to arrive! Now that I’ve finally started making your peasant bread (after following the blog for years!), I make it at least once a week. This seeded sandwich bread looks delicious! Can’t wait to try. 🙂
alexandra says
Andrea, thank you!! You are too kind. This means so much to me, truly. Let me know if you have any questions! And thank you again for writing in and reading. xoxo
Debby says
So, I’m hoping to make this bread this weekend, but don’t know if my grocery store carries the sprouted wheat flour (I’m guessing not, particularly after seeing the other comments here – plus, they stopped carrying King Arthur’s cake flour) so until I can order some, can I sub a different flour?
alexandra says
See if they carry the King Arthur White Whole Wheat flour — I love that one as well. If neither is there, you can use 100% all-purpose or you can substitute other whole wheat flour for the sprouted wheat. That said, certain whole wheat flours behave differently than others. If you can find graham flour, I love that, too.
Kevin | economicalchef.com says
This looks great! I love bread with a crunch. I eat sandwiches nearly every day and could definitely use a change of pace. Thanks for the recipe.
alexandra says
You’ll love this, Kevin!
Liz says
Wow! This is a superb recipe. I made the two-loaf version using an olive oil from Crete, which ends up tasting more buttery than olive oil-ish. The crumb is lovely and light!! I was astonished that using half of the sprouted whole wheat flour would deliver a crumb that makes a beautiful sandwich bread. The seeds add to the flavor and the aesthetics of the loaf–I used millet, sunflower, poppy, polenta, oatmeal, sunflower and pumpkins seeds. For anyone who dislikes the King Arthur whole wheat flour, as I do (although I like other flours of theirs), the sprouted wheat flour is a revelation and one I will turn to again and again. This is a beautiful recipe and I parted with one of the loaves to a very happy recipient. Somehow the seeds make the loaf look even more special. Your readers should be sure to use the right size pan ie the standard loaf pan 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 and not the larger bread pan 10 x 5. The smaller one yields the prettier shape.
alexandra says
So happy to hear all of this, Liz!
Ben says
Great post. Lovely bread.
alexandra says
Thanks my love. Love you.
stacey says
I love that you did the math for us and got these into loaf pans. I made the 2 loaf batch last Thursday and now the 3 loaf batch is doing a final 5…rise. The sprouted flour was so nutty and good, even my whole grain averse brother enjoyed his toast at brunch yesterday.
I like eating seeds instead of sweeping them up ( have you met my family?) so I put the seeds IN the loaf and it was fantastic. The tops of my loaves flopped a bit in the oven so I think I will slash them today and see if that helps. I notice the peasant bread starts at 425 and then down to 375 where this one is all at 375.. is that because the whole grains get dark at the higher temperature? Thank you for all the good cooking you have inspired at this Yiayia’s house.
alexandra says
Hi Stacey! Thanks so much for writing in. And thank you for the kind words 🙂
You make a great point re the sweeping of seeds … that is the only downside of this seed-coated bread recipe. Seeds everywhere! Love the idea of putting them IN the loaf.
Regarding the timing, I do the 375 for the entire time for all of my loaf pan recipes. I think I found that at 425 to start with the loaf pan recipes that they got too dark with the longer cooking time (40 minutes as opposed to 32).
Also, regarding the flopping — this happened to me with one of the batches, and I think it was because I let the second rise go too long. But, I’ll be curious to hear how the slashing works.
Thanks so much for writing in!
Amy says
I saw this last week and I ordered the 3 loaf pan and sprouted wheat flour from King Arthur and I made it last night. It was so
easy and came out great. I will enjoy my lunchtime sandwiches very much! Thank you. I have also recently made the peasant bread and the sandwich rolls and they were wonderful too.
alexandra says
So happy to hear this, Amy!! Thanks for writing in. Glad the peasant bread and sandwich rolls worked out well, too.
Dana Lunak says
Made this yesterday and LOVE it! Found the Sprouted Wheat flour locally and am in love with it! I taught a friend’s daughter to make your peasant bread and now she is hooked! Ordered your book last night! Love your blog! I always was so intimidated by bread making and you simplified that for me. Thank you and my family and friends thank you!
alexandra says
Dana, you are too kind to say such things!! Thank you thank you. It means so much to read all of this. Nothing makes me happier when people make (and have success with) the bread recipes I post because I know bread making can be intimidating. Thanks so much for writing in. xo
salvegging says
Hi! Can you use dry active yeast? Like Flieshmann’s? Or will this only work with Instant? I’m not super knowledgeable of the differences. Can’t wait to try!
alexandra says
Hi! Yes, definitely. I would just “bloom” the yeast in the lukewarm water along with the sugar — let it sit for 15 minutes, or until it gets foamy, then stir it into the flour/salt mix, then add the oil.
salvegging says
It was great!
Mary says
Made the 2 loaves last week and had to substitute the sprouted wheat flour for best for bread whole wheat flour. They were amazing! Today I am making the 3 loaves. Next time I’m in the city I will have to see if I can find sprouted wheat flour. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen it in Canada.
alexandra says
So happy to hear this, Mary! Let me know if you have trouble finding it. I can always mail you some 🙂 🙂 🙂 It wouldn’t be the first time. Thanks for writing in.
Brianna says
I made this bread in 2 loaves yesterday. The dough was so wet that I was really skeptical of how it would come out, but it is really wonderful! The only thing I’m not sure about is there seems like there’s a dense potion in the bottom of the loaf. Perhaps I didn’t let the dough proof enough? Should I have baked the dough on a baking stone in their pans? I didn’t put a tray in the oven (as the directions suggest). Other than that, it’s really delicious. The sprouted wheat has such a subtle flavor compared to whole wheat. I can’t wait to make more of this bread!
alexandra says
Hi Brianna! SO sorry for the delay here. Not sure how I missed a few of these comments.
So happy this worked out for you. Yes, the dough is super wet, and if you are used to working with kneaded doughs , which are stickier/tackier, it can be a little worrisome, but I think a wet dough is what ultimately produces a good loaf of bread.
I know what you are experiencing re dense part — I have had the same thing happen all around the perimeter of the dough. I think the solution is to just cook it longer. Next time, try baking the loaves for 5 to 10 minutes longer and see if that makes a difference. It’s a very forgiving bread, so a little extra time likely won’t adversely affect the end result.
Let me know if you give it another go!
Cathy A. says
Ali, Have you tried adding the sprouted flour to your peasant bread recipe? I have been baking your recipe for Peasant Bread for several years. I love it. With only my husband and I at home now, the two small loaves seem ideal for us. I have tried subbing in whole wheat flour (just about 1 1/2 cups, and the rest all purpose flour from Bob’s Red Mill) to the peasant bread recipe with success – I just seem to need up to 30 extra minutes for the first rise and 15 extra minutes for the second rise, (but my kitchen is cool in the winter).
alexandra says
Hi Cathy!So sorry for the delay here! Somehow a few of these comments slipped by.
Yes, I have used the sprouted wheat with the peasant bread, and I love it! I do 50/50 sprouted wheat and all purpose. The crumb is still soft and light, and feels good adding a little more nutrition to something we eat ALL the time. So happy to hear you like the peasant bread, too. Thanks so much for writing in!
Phyllis says
Just one small question. Most bread recipes have you cover the bread with greased plastic wrap on the second rise. This recipe doesn’t – why?
alexandra says
There’s just no need! I never cover dough on the second rise, but that doesn’t mean it’s right.
Marty says
Would this be a good recipe to put walnuts and cranberries in?
alexandra says
Absolutely! I have a cranberry-walnut dinner roll recipe in my cookbook (linked to in the notes). Are you making 1, 2, or 3 loaves?
Emily says
Hi – I’m excited to try this recipe with sprouted wheat flour. I’m wondering if you think this recipe would work with just sprouted wheat flour? Thank you!
alexandra says
Emily, you can try, but I worry it will be on the dense side — if you want to up the whole wheat, I would start with maybe 4 cups sprouted wheat and 2 cups all-purpose, then go from there. If you don’t mind denser breads (many people don’t I’ve learned!), then go for the 100% sprouted wheat. I just wouldn’t want you to be discouraged by your results. I love this recipe!
Maria says
I’m making this bread right now actually. My question is about it beine easy digestible. I have crohns and stomach issues and usually make sourdough bread as it calms the tummy. Any ideas on this?? I know your article says easy to digest. Just wondering how much easier…..Guess I’ll find out. : ) Anyone else with stomach issues tried this bread?? Curious.
Maria says
Also any idea on carb count and fiber count?? Needing low on both. : )
Max says
Help! I’m about to make the three seed bread from your cookbook and the instructions say what to do with only the sesame seeds and seem to leave out the pumpkin and sunflower seeds. Do I toast them and add to the flour or do I put them on top like this recipe? Thank you!!
alexandra says
Hi Max! So sorry for the delay here! You’re right — just noticed that mistake. I toast all of the seeds together until they are fragrant. Let them cool, then add them to the flour. (OR, when I’m being lazy, I don’t toast any of them :))
This one is a little different — no seeds in the bread, just on top. Hope that help. Let me know if there is anything else.
Craig says
Luckily, one of my local stores has the sprouted wheat bread from King Arthur – I only use their flours in all my bread baking. I make probably 60 or so different varieties, rotating through them every weekend. I made the 1 loaf recipe, and I believe the liquid needs to be adjusted . All the other 3 cup of flour breads I make typically use 1 cup of liquid. Using 1 1/2 cups in this one caused the dough to look like cake batter. I must have added at least another 1/2 cup of both flours before I got a dough to come together. By then it was obvious it was going to be bigger than an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 pan, so I used a 9 x 5. The bread rose high and looks great, smells wonderful. I haven’t sliced it yet, but expect a nice tall sandwich tomorrow.
alexandra says
Hi Craig! I’m impressed by all of your bread varieties. Question: do you use a scale to measure flour? This dough definitely is on the wet side, and this is intentional — the dough rises more quickly, and the finished crumb is always so nice and tasty. The dough should not look like cake batter, however. Do you see the photos of the dough above? Was yours looser?
Kusum says
Hi, do let me know what changes I should make if I am using whole wheat flour and sprouted whole wheat flour .Will the bread be soft for sandwiches and toasting ?
Thanks .
swales says
I made this bread yesterday and it was wonderful!! I will definitely be recommending it to my friends and family. I have a few questions though:
(1) Have you considered using a sourdough starter instead of instant yeast? (Any recommendations you can provide would be awesome.)
(2) And also, is the 3 tbs of oil, per loaf, completely necessary? (AKA: What is it’s purpose and could you half the amount/skip it completely? Just looking to make it a little healthier!)
alexandra says
Hi!
So happy to hear this! To answer your questions:
1. I have used a sourdough starter in my peasant bread recipe (same proportions essentially), and perhaps the quantities there can serve as a guide:
50 g starter, 430 g water, 10 g kosher salt, 512 g flour: Mix this all together, then let it rise (10-12 hours or more or less); transfer to buttered Pyrex bowls, let rise again (another 2 hours); Bake at 425 for 17 min, then 375 for 15 to 17 minutes more.
2. You can definitely omit the oil! I find that adding a teensy bit of oil, makes the texture of the crumb just a touch softer, which is nice for sandwiches, but it’s so subtle, and truthfully, I’m not sure I would be able to tell the difference in a loaf made with oil and loaf made without.
Hope this helps!
Ali
Katie says
Hi Alexandra!
I only recently found your website and have been using your bread recipes to make my first ever forays into bread making. Thanks for making all these simple and versatile recipes available!!
I just made this recipe today and it tastes lovely. However, I’m not sure it came out to quite the right texture to be considered sandwich bread. I let cool for about 40 minutes and then tried to slice a loaf up so I could use it for sandwiches. It sliced fine at the end of the loaf (though maybe didn’t rise quite as high as in the pictures) but towards the center of the loaf, any attempt to slice the bread just caused it to fall apart. All around, It just didn’t hold together enough to be able to carry the contents of a sandwich. I can (and will) still toast it with butter but not quite what I aimed for.
Any idea what I did wrong here? Thanks for your help!