Sunflower and pumpkin seed sourdough

Toasted pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds give this sourdough loaf an added layer of flavour, making it a perfect sandwich bread. Despite the high hydration, the crumb is fairly dense and moist and the crust light and crisp. 

The finished sunflower and pumpkin seed loaf

 
You could also substitute half of the white flour in this recipe for wholemeal, which would give an ever stronger flavoured, if more dense, finished loaf.

The recipe uses the long overnight bulk ferment that I have been using recently to make my bulk bakes for sale at work, and the small amount of starter means that it is the flavour of the seeds, not the sourdough culture, that shines through.

Sunflower and pumpkin seed sourdough – makes one loaf

• 500g strong white flour
• 45g white starter @ 130% hydration 
• 390g water
• 10g salt
• 100g sunflower seeds, toasted
• 100g pumpkin seeds, toasted

1. Mix together all of the ingredients except the seeds. Autolyse for 15 minutes. Do a stretch/fold, rest for 15 minutes, and repeat.
2. Add the seeds after the rest and stretch/fold the dough until they are incorporated. Rest again for 15 minutes, then repeat the knead once more.
3. Oil a bowl and shape the dough into a rough ball. Roll the dough around in the oil, and bulk ferment overnight at room temperature in the bowl, covered with cling film. 
4. In the morning, tip the dough out onto the bench and shape. Take a third of the dough, stretch it and fold it into the middle, and then rotate 90 degrees. Repeat this four times (for pictures, see this previous post). Using two cupped hands, turn the dough and shape into a ball. Rest for 15 minutes, then repeat the ball shaping.
5. Place into floured bannetons and proof for 3-4 hours until risen.
6. Preheat oven to 230C with a Dutch oven on the middle shelf. Turn out the dough onto a floured peel, score, and bake on the Dutch oven for 15 minutes with the lid on, 15 minutes lid off.
7. Cool on a wire rack for one hour before slicing.