Healthy Bread Recipe: Flax, Sesame, Caraway, Poppy Seeds and Nuts

Jul 26, 2010
Donna Diegel

Healthy Bread Recipe Made with Seeds and Walnuts - Donna Diegel

Fiber-rich Seeds & Nut bread recipe features whole wheat bread flour, rye flour, walnuts, honey and molasses with plenty of seeds for taste and texture.

Making healthy homemade bread isn't hard to do. Baking with instant yeast instead of active dry yeast, and employing a few time-saving techniques found below, will produce a delicious fiber-rich Seeds & Nut Bread that's perfect for dunking in soup, or for making hearty sandwiches.

Instant Yeast vs Active Dry Yeast

The Healthy Seeds & Nut Bread Recipe needs only one rising – in the bread pans. Instant yeast can be added directly to the dry ingredients in this bread recipe. It does not need to be dissolved in tepid water first, and does not need a second rising or to be punched down in the bowl as with active dry yeast. SAF Instant Yeast is the preferred yeast for this bread recipe. SAF yeast can be found in 1-pound vacuum-packed "bricks" in health food stores, in the baking aisle of large supermarkets, or at online baking sites like King Arthur Flour Company.

Healthy Seeds and Nut Bread Recipe

2 1/4 cups room temperature water
3 Tablespoons canola oil
2 Tablespoons honey, agave syrup, or brown rice syrup
2 Tablespoons molasses
2 Tablespoons soy lecithin (dry or liquid)
2 teaspoons sea salt
3 Tablespoons vital wheat gluten
1 Tablespoon poppy seeds
2 Tablespoons caraway seeds
2 Tablespoons hulled sesame seeds
1/4 cup flax seeds
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
3/4 cup rye flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
3 cups bread flour
2 Tablespoons dry instant yeast (Saf Instant Yeast works the best)

How To Make Healthy Seeds and Nut Bread

Read How to Make Basic Homemade Yeast Bread before starting this recipe. The article explains where to buy whole grain ingredients, what kind of yeast to use for bread, and kneading bread by hand, mixer or bread machine.
Spray or grease two 9X5X2 1/2-inch regular size loaf pans.
Into a large mixing bowl fitted with a dough hook, or in a large bowl with a hand whisk, add water, canola oil, honey, molasses, and lecithin, and blend well.
Add salt, wheat gluten, poppy seeds, caraway seeds, sesame seeds, flax seeds, and walnuts to the liquid ingredients. Mix once just to incorporate ingredients.
Add rye flour, whole wheat flour, bread flour and yeast to the bowl, and with the mixer on low speed and fitted with the dough hook, mix and knead the dough, adding a bit more flour if necessary if the dough is too sticky. Knead on low for approximately 12 to 15 minutes or until seeds and nut bread dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl, and rides up the hook. The dough should form a membrane that doesn't tear when stretched (sort of like a balloon).
Turn bread dough out onto a lightly oiled surface, and let rest for 15 minutes. It is not necessary to let the bread dough go through two risings when using instant yeast. One rising is enough.
Divide bread dough into two equal pieces, and roll them into a log, tucking ends underneath. Pinch the seem with fingers, and place bread seam side down in the prepared pans.
Let bread dough rise in a warm place until double in size. Try not to disturb the bread, or expose it to any drafts. The rising could take longer than usual because of the heaviness of the dough. Covering the dough with a tea towel works great and helps keep flies off the bread.
Preheat oven, and bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes. How to tell when bread is done? Multi-grain breads are done when they are golden brown and sounds hollow when the bread is tapped.
Remove from oven and let cool for 5-10 minutes in the pans. Remove bread from the pans, and let cool completely on wire racks before packing them in plastic bags.
Makes 2 regular size Healthy Seeds & Nut Breads that yield 10-14 slices.

Another easy bread to try baking is Honey Whole Wheat Bread Recipe. This healthy whole wheat sandwich bread is hearty but light, with healthy ingredients like local honey, wheat germ, lecithin and wheat gluten.

Looking for a multi-grain bread that doesn't taste like cardboard? This Healthy 9-Grain Bread Recipe makes nice, soft multi-grain bread that's perfect for sandwiches and dinner rolls.