It’s hard to believe that this no-knead, virtually hands-free loaf is really going to work, but rather like sourdough, it has a slightly tangy flavour, an open-crumbed texture and a wonderfully crisp crust. It's inspired by a legendary method popularised by food writer Mark Bittman in The New York Times
Tamsin learned the tricks of the trade from cookery legend Delia Smith. A trusted recipe writer for the magazine for over 25 years, she is now our Senior Food Producer, overseeing testing and editing to ensure that every recipe tastes great, is straightforward to follow and works without fail. In her home kitchen, Tamsin creates fuss-free flavour-packed food for friends and family, with baking being her ultimate form of comfort cooking
See more of Tamsin Burnett-Hall’s recipes
Tamsin Burnett-Hall
Tamsin learned the tricks of the trade from cookery legend Delia Smith. A trusted recipe writer for the magazine for over 25 years, she is now our Senior Food Producer, overseeing testing and editing to ensure that every recipe tastes great, is straightforward to follow and works without fail. In her home kitchen, Tamsin creates fuss-free flavour-packed food for friends and family, with baking being her ultimate form of comfort cooking
See more of Tamsin Burnett-Hall’s recipes
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Ingredients
350g strong white bread flour, plus extra to dust
175g wholemeal bread flour
1⁄4 tsp fast action dried yeast
½ tbsp fine sea salt
75g mixed seeds
2 tbsp clear honey or maple syrup - if vegan, use maple syrup, not honey
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Make sure you start this the day before baking. The loaf keeps for 2-3 days, or can be frozen
At least 12 hours before baking, combine the flours, yeast, salt and seeds in a large mixing bowl, making a well in the centre. Stir the honey or maple syrup into 350ml warm water in a jug, then pour this into the bowl. Use a wooden spoon to mix together into a slightly sticky, shaggy dough, without any loose flour left in the bowl. It will look decidedly unpromising at this stage, but don’t worry, just cover the bowl and leave overnight.
Next day, the batter will look much wetter and slightly bubbly. Scrape the sticky, stringy dough out onto a floured surface and fold over once or twice. Turn the bowl over and use it to cover the dough (use a larger bowl if necessary). Leave to rest for 15 minutes.
Dust a square of baking paper with flour. Shape the loaf into a round and lift onto the paper. Sprinkle with a little more flour and cover again with the upturned bowl, or a clean cloth. Leave to prove for 2 hours or until roughly doubled in size.
About 30 minutes before the end of the proving time, put a ovenproof casserole (around 22cm base diameter) and its lid in the oven (or see tip below) and preheat to 220°C, fan 200°C, gas 7. When the 2 hours is up, score the top of the loaf with a crosshatch pattern, using a sharp knife. Use the paper to quickly lift the loaf into the hot casserole dish (keep the paper under the loaf); replace the lid (use oven gloves to handle the very hot lid).
Bake for 30 minutes, covered, then remove the lid and bake for a further 15-20 minutes until the loaf is browned and really crisp, and sounds hollow when the base is tapped. Remove from the casserole and cool on a wire rack before slicing. Resist the temptation to cut into your loaf too soon, as this will affect the crumb texture, making it doughy.
Tip
If you haven't got a casserole you can prove and bake the bread in a 900g loaf tin, or bake the round loaf on a preheated baking tray. Add a roasting tin of boiling water to the oven bottom to create steam, to help the bread crisp up.
You can soak seeds overnight, strain them, and add them to a bread dough during mixing (easiest) or during an early round of stretching and folding the dough (better gluten development).
Why is my bread dense: Usually bread will be too dense when there is too much flour. Keep in mind this dough will be pretty sticky, do not add more flour than specified. Other factors that come into play are humidity and age of flour. Little yeast, long rise, sticky dough are keys to a good, light loaf.
There are so many seeds and grains that work well as bread toppers. A few more of my favorites include raw sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, amaranth, millet, and even flaked barley.
The Seeded Batch loaf is no exception. With a sensational five seed combination of linseed, millet, poppy, sunflower, and sesame seeds it's absolutely delicious! When toasting, toast to a light golden brown.
Soaking seeds and grains (especially grains) before you bake with them is important for many reasons: 1. It makes them soft so they are more pleasant in the mouth and easier to chew completely so they won't break your teeth, take out your fillings, and are easier to digest.
Be sure to use raw seeds as a topping. Toasting seeds amplifies their flavor, but because the seeds will be on the exterior of your dough, they will toast as the loaf is baking in the oven. Toasting them before topping your dough will likely cause them to burn in the oven.
Starch helps the dough by trapping the gas from the yeast in the dough and makes the bubbles stronger. This helps the bread to rise and be lighter and fluffier. If you are boiling potatoes, you can use the unsalted water in place of the water in your bread recipe to help out the yeast.
Active Dry Yeast is an ideal yeast to use for artisan breads or no knead breads that require a slower rise time. It's also the preferred type of yeast for those doughs that proof in the refrigerator for extended periods of time.
Ideal for baking to make those classic seeded breads, this seven seeded blend is made from: Golden linseed, sesame seeds, brown linseed, raw buckwheat, hulled millet, sunflower seeds, and pumpkin seeds.
If you want full seed coverage, first shape your bread, then place on the damp kitchen towel and roll so it's moistened all over before transferring it to your seed tray.
First, moisten the surface of your shaped loaf with a damp towel so that the seeds will stick to the surface. Next, roll it on the dish full of seeds. Once the top of the loaf is coated, gently place it in the prepared banneton with the seed side down, and the seam side up.
They pack a lot of nutrients, including fiber, protein, healthy fats, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, into a tiny package. They've also been shown to help lower cholesterol, and play a role in combating diabetes and cancer, per a 2022 review in Molecules.
Nigella seeds are tiny black seeds with a slightly bitter, pungent flavour. Discover how to store nigella seeds and how to incorporate them into cooking.
Chia seeds and linseeds steal water from your dough, leaving you with a sourdough loaf that doesn't rise as much as usual. These are the only two seeds that have an impact on your dough. Because they absorb water, and take it from the dough, the hyrdration of the flour is reduced.
Choose a mix of your favourite seeds and soak them, ideally overnight but for at least an hour before adding them to your dough. Soaking will simply make your seeds softer in the final loaf. You could try this seeded loaf recipe.
Once you've shaped your dough, lightly spritz the top with a water mister, this helps the seeds stick to the exterior. Then, using your bench knife, scoop up your dough and invert it, so the seam side is facing up onto the towel with the seed mixture.
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Prep time: 10 mins
