Wholewheat Seeded Boule
This is a delicious sandwich loaf. With the lower hydration you get a closer crumb and the combination of the unsifted wholewheat flour and the mixed seeds add together to give you lots of flavour in a really healthy slice of bread.
Category
Breads
We have used a mixture of linseed, pumpkin seed and sunflower kernels but you use what ever seeds you like (except Chia - they need their own recipe as they are water hungry little guys and mess up your hydration.

Ingredients
- 150g Motherdough, refreshed
- 400g Wholewheat bread flour
- 300g Water, filtered, room temperature
- 8g Salt
- 25g Extra virgin olive oil
- 60g Seeds
Directions
- Add the flour and 250g of the water to a bowl. Mix to combine and leave to autolyse for 1 hour.
- Blitz or dissolve 150g Motherdough with the remaining 50 grams water and the oil, and add to the mixing bowl.
- Add the salt and work the two mixtures together.
- Knead the dough by hand on a clean surface, or on a medium speed in planetary mixer with a dough attachment for about 10 minutes until the dough passes the kneading poke test.
- Transfer for the dough to a container brushed with oil. Cover the cling wrap and leave to rest for 15min. Transfer to the fridge for 12-18 hour bulk fermentation at 6 deg C.
- Remove the dough from the fridge, turn onto a very lightly floured counter and shape. You want to pull the ball of toward you, turning clockwise a bit after each pull, using the counters resistance pushing back to help you create a ball. Do not use a lot of flour you want the ball to still move with a bit of friction.
- Lightly spray the surface of your ball or touch gentle with wet hands to make to moist. Wait a couple of minutes to let the water make the surface a little sticky, and then sprinkle the seeds on the loaf.
- Set aside to prove until the bottom side and top side of the dough pass the proving poke test. The final proof should take 2-4 hours* but depends on temperature and humidity.
- When proved, bake in a preheated oven for 15 minutes with steam at 220 deg C (lid on with a dutch oven), drop temp. to 200 deg C. continue cooking with no steam/lid off for 35 minutes. Jam the oven door slightly open with a wooden spoon and cook for a further 10 minutes.
- Remove from the oven onto a cooling rack and allow to cool down before cutting.
Recipe Note
Hydration: 70%
Skills: Poke tests for kneading and proving. Practice shaping into a boule with good surface tension.
The Poke Test – Give that ball of dough a firm poke with your finger. If the indentation fills back quickly, you're good to go. If it stays looking like a deep dimple, continue kneading. This is different from the proving poke test discussed in the proving blog article.
*To help speed up final proving, you can leave the dough in the switched off oven with the light on and a bowl of boiling water. Take the dough out when it is time to start preheating the oven.