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The Trick for Seeded Artisan Breads

Breads, RecipeRose, Wild Yeast Water Breads

Is there a trick to sticking those seeds? Indeed there is, and it’s as simple as rocking a baby! Just wrap and rock. The real trick is a damp towel. I learned this technique from a post on Food 52 and it works every time. For rolls or a whole loaf, just generously coat a dampened towel with your choice of seeds, wrap the rolls or loaf and gently rock back and forth. The slight pressure and dampness adhere the seeds.

UPDATE: recently a student shared an even simpler method just quickly tossing the cut dough in a dish of seeds. I made a video demo you can see here. I still use the towel method for seed coating a whole loaf.

Use any bread dough you choose — yeast dough, sourdough, and of course I recommend my yeast water doughs, m y KISS recipe with preferment, and Easiest No Knead Artisan Bread.

It just needs to be a dough that holds shape when formed; then you can ‘stick’ the seeds after the final proof just before baking.

Click here for directions on how to start your first jar of yeast water,
or download Step-by-Step How to Make Yeast Water.

Now breeze through the 8-second demo or the photos below. You’ve got this!

Working with dough that is proofed, shaped, and ready for baking, place it on a floured work surface. Update: Instead of floured surface you can dampen the surface. You’ll want the rolls damp on both sides to make the seeds stick. Try floured and damp then decide which works best for you.
Cut the dough round into eighths with a plastic or metal dough scraper (I use plastic so it doesn’t cut my wood board, but metal cuts the dough easier).
Use the dough scraper to separate the wedges as they will want to puff and stick together. Have a water spritzer ready for dampening the dough.
Wet a linen or thin towel with water and squeeze out. Sprinkle the center of the towel liberally with seeds. About 1/2 cup total for 8 rolls. Transfer two to four dough wedges at a time onto the towel. Spritz tops of rolls with water.
Gently wrap the towel around the dough and with one hand under the dough (like a baby’s bottom!) lightly rock back and forth.
The dough should look like this after rocking. If needed, turn the dough over and repeat the rocking to fully cover with seeds.
Place on baking sheet and bake! Parchment isn’t necessary but I always use it for simpler clean-up.
Bake 425F convection or conventional for 18-20 minutes until well browned, turning pan 180 degrees after 10 minutes. Ovens vary. I sometimes bake at 450F conventional or convection and watch carefully. I like the rolls
well browned but the seeds can burn.
Use the same seeding procedure for a whole loaf, following loaf baking instructions in my recipes.

Last but not least, these are my favorite and important tools for successful bread baking.

affiliate link

The high capacity baking scale
I use all day long in my kitchen!

Brod & Taylor Folding Proofer

Brod & Taylor Folding Proofer

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Comments

  1. susan | the wimpy vegetarian says

    What a great (and EASY) way to get those great seeds to stick! Food52 is truly and fountain of information! Thanks for sharing this with us.

    Reply

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