High Altitude No Knead Seeded Bread
An easy no knead seeded bread recipe, tested at high altitude. This rustic multi seed bread has a hearty crust and chewy crumb, and is loaded with a variety of crunchy seeds and oats.
All recipes on Curly Girl Kitchen are developed for high altitude at 5,280 feet. See FAQs for adjusting to higher or lower elevations.
Equipment
- Cast Iron Skillet or Dutch Oven (10-12 inches)
Ingredients
Bread
- 3 cups all-purpose flour or bread flour fluffed, spooned and leveled
- ½ cup old fashioned oats
- 1 packet (2 1/4 tsp) instant/rapid rise yeast or active dry yeast
- 1 ½ tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
- ¼ cup raw shelled pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
- ¼ cup raw shelled sunflower seeds
- ¼ cup chopped hazelnuts, optional
- 2 tbsp brown flax seeds
- 1 ½ cups hot water, between 110-115 degrees Fahrenheit
- 1 tbsp honey
Topping
- 1 tbsp old fashioned oats
- 2 tbsp raw shelled pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
- 2 tbsp raw shelled sunflower seeds
- 1 tsp brown flax seeds
Instructions
Make and Rest the Dough
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, oats, yeast, salt, seeds and nuts. Add the water and honey, and stir into a sticky, shaggy dough.
- Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap. Let the dough rest, undisturbed, at room temperature for at least 12 hours, or overnight. The dough will rise and bubble up in the bowl, and may fall again.
- Baker's Note: You can even let the dough rest for up to one week, in the refrigerator. The longer the dough rests, the more of a tangy flavor it will develop, similar to sourdough bread.
Shape the Bread and Add the Topping
- When you're ready to bake your bread, place a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the bowl down and deflate the dough, then scrape it out of the bowl onto the parchment paper. The dough will be sticky, so use the spatula or slightly damp hands to shape it into a round or oval shape.
- Combine the seeds for the topping, and sprinkle them over the dough, pressing them in. Let the dough rest at room temperature for 45 minutes.
- Baker's Note: If the dough is cold from the refrigerator, it may need to rest and warm up for several hours, prior to baking.
Bake the Bread
- While the shaped dough is resting, position a rack in the center of the oven and another rack in the lower third of the oven. Place a cast iron skillet or Dutch oven on the center rack. Preheat the oven to 450 F, letting the cast iron skillet or Dutch oven heat up for at least 30 minutes.
- Place a metal pan, like a baking sheet or roasting pan, on the lower rack. Do not use a glass pan. Boil 2 cups of water to have ready on standby.
- Use a sharp paring knife or bread lame to slash the dough across the top, about 1/2 inch deep.
- Using oven mitts, remove the skillet/Dutch oven from the oven - the skillet will be very hot!! Grab onto the parchment paper to lift the dough, and set the paper and dough onto the skillet/Dutch oven.
- Pour the boiling water into the metal pan on the lower rack - this creates a burst of steam, which will contribute to the bread's crusty exterior. Immediately place the skillet/Dutch oven on the center rack, and close the oven.
- Bake the bread for about 45-55 minutes, until an instant read digital thermometer inserted into the bread reads 195 F. The bread will be a deep golden brown, with a crisp, crusty exterior.
- Set the bread on a cooling rack, and let cool for several hours. Slice the bread with a sharp serrated bread knife, using a sawing motion to get through the exterior crust (since the bread is so crusty, an electric knife would make the job easier).Resist the urge to cut the bread while it's hot from the oven, or you will ruin the texture, making it gummy.
Notes
Cool the bread completely before storing it in an airtight container or freezer bag. Keep the bread at room temperature for up to 3-5 days, or in the freezer for up to 3-6 months.
Leftover no knead seed bread is fantastic toasted and buttered. If you can slice it thinly enough, it also makes a wonderful grilled cheese sandwich.
Leftover no knead seed bread is fantastic toasted and buttered. If you can slice it thinly enough, it also makes a wonderful grilled cheese sandwich.
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