A delicious loaf of homemade bread made with whole wheat flour and pumpkin and sunflower seeds.
This tasty bread is perfect for using in sandwiches for lunch or toasted with butter and honey for breakfast.
Why make this bread
Making homemade bread is so rewarding. I love the process of making bread, the smell of making bread and eating homemade bread.
Pumpkin and Sunflower Seed Bread is a whole wheat yeast bread filled with raw pumpkin seeds and raw sunflower seeds.
The seeds are added to the dough and sprinkled on top of each loaf.
White wheat flour
White whole wheat flour is a whole wheat flour made with white spring wheat. Most people are familiar with red spring wheat flour which is also a whole wheat flour.
White whole wheat flour is as nutritionally equivalent as red spring wheat flour. White whole wheat is lighter in color and in flavor and is delicious added to homemade breads.
I also use white whole wheat flour in my honey oat bread and in my whole wheat bread.
Step by step directions
- Combine water, yeast and ¼ cup of flour together
- Let mixture set for 5- 10 minutes until bubbly
- Add oil, honey, salt and 2 cups of all purpose flour. Combine
- Add seeds and combine
- Continue adding flour until dough forms a ball and isn't too sticky
- Knead dough in mixer for 5-8 minutes
- Place dough in a greased bowl. Cover with a piece of plastic wrap and let dough sit until double in size.
- Remove wrap and gently punch dough down so it is deflated.
- Divide dough into two equal pieces. Form each piece into a ball
To shape loaves, flatten round into a rectangle. Roll up jelly roll style and pinch seam.
- Tuck in ends and pinch ends together.
- Cover loaves and let rise for about 30 minutes
- Brush with an egg wash and sprinkle with seeds
- Bake for 45 minutes in a 350 degree oven
Bread making tips
- Be sure to use raw, unsalted seeds in the recipe
- Always proof your yeast to make certain it's still active (step 2 in recipe)
- Rise time may vary depending on your yeast and temperature of your kitchen
- Be certain oven is fully preheated before baking bread
- Allow bread to fully cool before slicing
Recipe FAQs
The water should be between 105 and 110 degrees. Any warmer and you can kill the yeast.
Any cooler and the yeast might not become active. The best way to determine the temperature of the water is to measure it with a thermometer.
Warm tap water usually falls between this range. Practice testing the temperature with a thermometer until you are used to what it feels like.
Yeast bread recipes rarely list an exact amount of flour needed in the ingredients. Instead, a range is listed - (2 ½ - 3 cups of flour.)
When making bread, the amount of flour varies each time you make a batch of bread. This depends on many factors - humidity in the air, exact measurements of liquids and flour, how compacted the flour is and more.
Always start with the smaller amount called for and add more as needed.
I love to eat this bread toasted with butter and honey or even a batch of my honey butter, which is honey and butter combined together in a delicious spread.
It's also perfect served alongside a bowl of clam chowder or potato soup or a delicious plate of chicken pasta.
More bread recipes
If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment below and snap a picture and tag me on Instagram @beyondthechickencoop
If you loved this recipe you'll LOVE all the others in this category. Check out all my bread recipes here!
Pumpkin and Sunflower Seed Bread
Ingredients
Dough
- 2 cups water
- 4 ½ teaspoons yeast (active dry yeast, 2 packages of yeast)
- ¼ cup oil
- ¼ cup honey
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 ½ - 3 cups white whole wheat flour
- ½ cup pumpkin seeds (raw)
- ¼ cup sunflower seeds (raw)
Topping
- 1 egg white
- 1 Tablespoon water
- 2 Tablespoons pumpkin seeds
- 2 Tablespoons sunflower seeds
Instructions
Dough
- Combine water, yeast and ¼ cup of flour together2 cups water, 4 ½ teaspoons yeast
- Let mixture set for 5-10 minutes until bubbly
- Add oil, honey, salt and 2 cups of all purpose flour. Combine¼ cup oil, ¼ cup honey, 1 teaspoon salt
- Add seeds and combine½ cup pumpkin seeds, ¼ cup sunflower seeds
- Add all purpose flour and 2 cups of white wheat flour until dough and combine. Continue adding white wheat flour ¼ cup at a time until dough forms a ball and isn’t too sticky2 ½ - 3 cups white whole wheat flour, 2 cups all purpose flour
- Knead dough in mixer for 5-8 minutes
- Place dough in a greased bowl. Cover with a piece of plastic wrap and let dough sit until double in size.
- Remove wrap and gently punch dough down so it is deflated.
- Divide dough into two equal pieces. Form each piece into a ball
- Form each ball into loaves and place in greased loaf pans
- Cover loaves and let rise for about 30 minutes
Topping
- Make an egg wash by combining egg white and water1 egg white, 1 Tablespoon water, 2 Tablespoons pumpkin seeds, 2 Tablespoons sunflower seeds
- Bake for 45 minutes in a 350 degree oven
- Brush with an egg wash and sprinkle with seeds
- Allow bread to cool for 10 minutes and then remove from pans. Continue cooling on a baking rack until fully cooled.
Notes
- Be sure to use raw, unsalted seeds in the recipe
- Always proof your yeast to make certain it's still active (step 2 in recipe)
- Rise time may vary depending on your yeast and temperature of your kitchen
- Be certain oven is fully preheated before baking bread
- Allow bread to fully cool before slicing
Sharon says
I’ve been baking all our bread recently and this is by far the best recipe. It is delicious! It freezes perfectly, and stays fresh and soft for a week. Love it!
Kathy says
Thanks so much! I love that you're baking all your bread too! Once you get into a pattern, it can work pretty well. Thanks for leaving a comment! I love hearing from you. 🙂
Lindsay James says
Can you make the dough up the night before and then leave it in the fridge to prove overnight and then cook it the next day?
Thanks
Kathy says
Hi Lindsay,
I'm afraid I've never tried this before so I don't know how this would work.
Kathy
Shalaka Ranadive says
Really enjoyed baking this bread. Loved the fact there was no sugar and you used honey. I don't have a mixer so had to used my hands to knead the dough! good hand exercise and it was all worth it! Thanks!
Kathy says
Thank you! Making bread is so rewarding. 🙂
Sharon says
One thing..you don’t specify type of yeast to use.
Kathy says
Hi Sharon,
I use active dry yeast.
Thank you!
KC says
I love this recipe. Only been baking bread for a few months, but this is my favorite so far. I like that it rises quite nicely, the loaves are full and large, makes a good sandwich bread. Very yummy. I find I don’t cook it as long as you recommend, but maybe my oven the reason.
Kathy says
Hi KC,
Good for you for learning a new skill! I love making bread! Cooking times can vary due to stoves but also the type of pan used can change things a bit too. A darker pan will decrease cooking time a bit.
Glad you are enjoying this pumpkin/sunflower seed bread!
Thanks,
Kathy 🙂
Melissa says
How long does it normally take dough to double in size?
Kathy says
It depends on a lot of factors - room temperature, humidity and your yeast. However, the dough should double in 1 1/2 - 2 hours.
Melissa says
Generally how long does it take to double in size?
Sam Lerman says
This sounds delicious! I don’t have any whole wheat flour. Can I just use all purpose flour or bread flour, and how would I adjust the recipe to allow for the difference? Thank you.
Kathy says
Hi Sam,
You can use all purpose flour in place of the whole wheat. The measurements will be pretty close to the same.
Happy Baking!
Kathy
B. Boardman says
I generally only make sourdough breads and do not normally use my kitchenaid mixer but I didn't have the time yesterday. I had enough leftover pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds to make a single loaf so I halved the recipe and made it. I did find that I order to get the dough to ball up on the dough hook I needed to add about 60 grams (1/2 cup) extra flour. I followed the recipe otherwise and the bread turned out with a good crumb and taste. I do all my bread using weighed indregients and I converted the water volume to grams and the came for the flours. I left the honey and oil in volume measure, in this case 1/8c each. It was a bit wetter dough than I normally work but the end result has been pronounced good by all at this morning's breakfast table. Thanks. BB.
Kathy says
Thanks so much for all your details! I'm glad the dough was approved by all! There's nothing better than a homemade loaf of bread! 🙂