Kiwi Health Bread
Submitted by cjh1014
Kiwi health bread packed with sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, poppy seeds, and caraway in a half whole wheat dough sweetened with honey and molasses. Makes 3 hearty loaves.
YIELD
3 loavesPREP
30 minCOOK
40 minREADY
125 min“Kiwi” here means New Zealand, not the fruit. This is a hearty, seed-studded whole wheat bread from down under that’s loaded with four kinds of seeds: sesame, sunflower, poppy, and caraway. The dough is half white flour, half wholemeal, sweetened with both honey and molasses for a complex, earthy sweetness.
The recipe makes three full loaves, which is smart because bread this good disappears fast. The molasses darkens the crumb and adds a bittersweet depth, while the honey rounds it out with floral sweetness. Together they feed the yeast and give the crust a gorgeous brown color.
Two kneading sessions (five minutes each) with a 20-minute rise between them build enough gluten to support the heavy seed load. All those seeds add weight to the dough, so the gluten needs to be well developed or the bread won’t rise properly. The dough will be stickier than plain white bread dough. Keep extra flour on hand and don’t be afraid to use it.
Kitchen Tips
- Let the yeast mixture sit a full 10 minutes until properly frothy. If it doesn’t foam, the yeast is dead and you need to start over
- The dough is sticky by nature. Flour your hands and surface generously during kneading
- Tap the bottom of the loaf when done. A hollow sound means it’s baked through
- Cool completely on a wire rack before slicing. Warm bread compresses when cut
Variations
- Add a handful of rolled oats to the seed mix for extra texture
- Replace poppy seeds with flax seeds for a different nutritional profile
- Brush the tops with egg wash and sprinkle with extra seeds before baking for a bakery-style finish
Ingredients
Directions
Mix the yeast, sugar and ½ cup of warm water together in a bowl and set aside for a good 10 minutes until the mixture is quite frothy.
In a large bowl, mix together the flour, wholemeal flour, salt, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds and caraway seeds and make a well in the centre.
Stir the honey, molasses and the 900 mls of water into the frothy yeast.
Pour into the well and mix with a wooden spoon until almost combined.
Turn out on to a floured surface and knead for 5 minutes. Make sure you have extra flour on hand to stop the dough sticking.
Turn the dough in a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Wrap the bowl in a towel and stand in a warm place for 20 minutes, or until doubled in size.
Turn dough out and knead for a futher 5 minutes until it is smooth and elastic.
Divide into 3 equal portions and mould into loaf shapes . Place into three greased 20cm x 10cm loaf tins.
Cover and leave until doubled in bulk. This should take about 20 minutes.
Bake at 350℉ (180℃) for 35 to 40 minutes or until the loaf sounds hollow when tapped underneath.
Turn in to a cake rack to cool.
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