Bran Molasses Sunflower Bread
Submitted by lynnegranche
Hearty homemade yeast bread with bran, dark molasses, and sunflower seeds. Two rustic loaves with a chewy crust and soft, nutty crumb. Worth every minute of the rise.
YIELD
2 loavesPREP
45 minCOOK
45 minREADY
4 hrsSome breads are worth clearing your afternoon for, and this is one of them.
Two big loaves of chewy, molasses-dark bread studded with sunflower seeds and packed with bran for a crumb that’s tender but has real substance.
The molasses gives it a deep, almost malty sweetness, the butter keeps things rich, and those sunflower seeds add little pops of nuttiness in every bite.
This is the bread you want for thick-cut toast with salted butter, or sturdy sandwich slices that can stand up to anything you pile on them.
Chef Tips
- Watch your water temperature when proofing the yeast. Too hot kills it, too cool and it won’t activate. Lukewarm (about 95F) is the sweet spot. It should feel like warm bath water on your wrist.
- Knead until the dough is smooth and satiny. This takes a solid 8 to 10 minutes by hand. If it’s still rough and shaggy, keep going.
- The jelly-roll shaping technique gives you a tight, even loaf with no air pockets. Roll it up firmly and pinch that seam closed.
- Tap the bottom of the baked loaf. If it sounds hollow, it’s done. If it thuds, give it another 5 minutes.
- Let the loaves cool completely on a wire rack before slicing. Cutting into hot bread releases steam and makes the interior gummy.
Ingredients
Directions
Crumble yeast into small bowl.
Stir in lukewarm water and sugar.
Let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, add molasses and butter to milk and stir until butter melts.
Combine 2 cups all-purpose flour, bran, seeds and salt in large bowl.
Whisk in yeast and milk mixtures until smooth, about 3 minutes.
Using wooden spoon, mix in all-purpose flour ½ cup at a time until dough forms soft mass.
Knead on heavily floured surface until smooth and satiny, kneading in more flour if sticky.
Grease large bowl.
Add dough, turning to coat entire surface.
Cover bowl with plastic.
Let rise in warm draft-free area until doubled, about 1½ hours.
Grease two 9×5-inch loaf pans.
Gently knead dough on lightly floured surface until deflated.
Cut in half. Pat each piece out into a rectangle.
Roll up jelly roll fashion, pinching seams to seal.
Place seam side down in prepared pans.
Cover with towel and let rise in warm draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 45 minutes.
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 375℉ (190℃).
Bake until loaves pull away from sides of pans, about 45 minutes.
Immediately remove from pans.
Cool completely on racks.
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