This no-knead sandwich bread is totally coated with seeds: top, bottom, and sides! The crunch and flavor of the seeds contrasts nicely with the bread’s overall mild flavor and soft interior. Our thanks to Alexandra Stafford of Alexandra’s Kitchen for this recipe.
Weigh your flour; or measure it by gently spooning it into a cup, then sweeping off any excess. In a large bowl, mix together all of the dough ingredients to form a sticky dough; don’t knead it, simply mixing is enough. Cover the bowl and set the dough aside in a warm spot to rise for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until it’s doubled in bulk.
Grease an 8 1/2” x 4 1/2” loaf pan.
Spread a generous handful of flour over a clean surface. Spread the seeds out on a rimmed pan.
Deflate the dough by releasing it from the sides of the bowl and pulling it toward the center. Rotate the bowl quarter turns as you deflate, turning the mass into a rough ball.
Wet your fingers (to prevent sticking), and transfer the dough to the floured surface. Shape the dough as best you can into a ball and flatten it into a rectangle/oval; it doesn't have to be perfect.
Brush or spray the dough all over with water. Roll it in the seeds to coat, and transfer it to the prepared pan. Tent it lightly with greased plastic wrap.
Let the loaf rise until it crowns over the rim of the pan. Be patient; depending on how cool your kitchen is, this may take up to 90 minutes or so. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 375°F with a rack in the center.
Uncover the bread, place it in the oven, and bake for 40 minutes, or until it’s golden. Remove the bread from the oven and turn it out onto a cooling rack. Let it cool for at least 20 minutes (longer is better) before slicing.
Store the bread, tightly wrapped in plastic, at room temperature for several days; freeze for longer storage.
Want to make this bread with the help of your bread machine? Place the dough ingredients into your machine in the order listed and choose the dough or manual cycle. When the cycle is done, remove the risen dough and shape and bake as directed in the recipe above. Note: Due to the many brands of bread machines on the market and their different features, we can’t guarantee you can bake this bread start to finish in your own machine; please use the dough or manual cycle instead.
