My recent cheesy white sub recipe turned out super delicious, and that crispy cheesy crust was something extra special. But I need to step back sometimes and make equally as delicious healthy counterparts of those types of recipes. So, here we have seeded 50/50 white and whole wheat subs. They’re soft and bouncy and full of complex flavours.

You can customize this recipe to your taste. Swap the seeds for other ones or leave them out altogether. Change the ratio of flours if you want more whole-wheat (at the cost of softness). Shape the dough into buns instead of subs if you want to use them for some hearty burgers.

I went with cold bulk fermentation because it is the most convenient method for my schedule. If you want to make them on the same day, then do the bulk fermentation at room temperature for 1.5 hours giving the dough a fold halfway through. Continue as per recipe after that.

This recipe makes 3 large subs or 4 burger buns.

Watch the video down below for detailed instructions.

Ingredients

For the scald –

50g (1.75oz) whole wheat bread flour

20g (0.7oz) butter

15g (0.5oz) barley malt syrup or any other sweetener

6g (0.21oz) salt

30g (1oz) seeds

240g (8.5oz) boiling water

For the dough –

3g (0.1oz) instant dry yeast or 3.6g (0.13oz) active dry yeast or 9g (0.32oz) fresh yeast

1 egg yolk

100g (3.5oz) whole wheat bread flour

150g (5.3oz) white bread flour

For topping –

1 egg white

30g (1oz) seeds

My seed mix –

15g (0.5oz) black sesame seed

15g (0.5oz) white sesame seed

10g (0.35oz) poppy seed

5g (0.17oz) caraway seed

5g (0.17oz) dill seed

5g (0.17oz) fennel seed

5g (0.17oz) coriander seed

To learn more about no-knead bread dough temperature control click here.

The flour I use has a protein content of 13%. If your flour is weaker, then you may need to lower the hydration. 

If you are using active dry yeast, then you may need to let it sit in the scald for 10 minutes before adding the other ingredients or else it could take a lot longer to raise the dough.

If you are curious about why the dough contains butter, egg, and sugar, click the links to learn more about the effects those ingredients have on bread dough.

Method

1. Toast 30g (1oz) of the seeds for 2 minutes on high heat in a dry pan. They will be mixed into the dough. You can leave them untoasted if you like. Grinding them is also optional.
2. Make the scald. Combine the flour, butter, syrup, salt, and seeds in a large bowl. Pour in the boiling water and mix until smooth. Cover and leave to cool down.
3. Make the dough. Add the yeast, egg yolk, and whole wheat flour to the cooled down scald. Mix well. Add the white flour and mix to a dough. *Desired dough temperature around 23C (73F). If your dough is at this temperature, then chill it right away. If it turns out cooler, like mined did, then leave it at room temperature.
4. Ferment the dough for 30 minutes.
5. Fold.
6. Cold ferment for 18 – 24 hours.
7. Divide the dough into 3 equal pieces and shape into balls.
8. Rest for 30 minutes.
9. Shape, cover and proof for 1.5 hours. At room temperature it may take only 1 hour.
10. Brush the subs with egg white and top with seeds.
11. Bake at 170C (340F) fan on or 190C (375F) fan off for 25 minutes.

Leave to cool down and make yourself a delicious sandwich!

Keep in mind that the conditions in each kitchen are different, so fermentation times may vary for you. It is up to the baker to control the bread and react accordingly.

Your oven may be different too, so your baking time may vary.

I’ve been really into cold proofing lately. It’s the ultimate breakfast baking method. The dough is prepared and fully shaped the day before and all that is left to do in the morning is baking the bread. It works especially well with little buns because they stop actively fermenting soon after they are placed in the fridge which prevents them from over fermenting and makes these types of recipes fail proof.

We’ve made cheesy breakfast buns and sweet berry filled ones topped with crumble. Now I wanted to make something heartier and healthier. This recipe contains 1/3^rd whole wheat four along with seeds inside the bread and covering the top of it.

These soft and tasty buns will make perfect little sandwiches to start your day!

This recipe makes 5 buns.

Watch the video down below for detailed instructions.

Ingredients

For the dough –

200g (7oz) water

1 egg yolk

20g (0.7oz) melted butter

6g (0.21oz) salt

3g (0.1oz) instant dry yeast or 3.6g (0.13oz) active dry yeast or 9g (0.32oz) fresh yeast

30g (1oz) sunflower seeds

100g (3.5oz) whole wheat bread flour

200g (7oz) white bread flour

To top –

1 egg white for glazing

Black & white sesame seeds

Sunflower seeds

To learn more about no-knead bread dough temperature control click here.

The flour I use has a protein content of 13%. If your flour is weaker, then you may need to lower the hydration. 

If you are using active dry yeast, then you may need to let it sit in the water for 10 minutes before adding the other ingredients or else it could take a lot longer to raise the dough.

Method

1. Combine the water, egg yolk, melted butter, salt, yeast, sunflower seeds, and whole wheat flour in a large bowl. Whisk together. Add the white bread flour and mix to a dough. *Desired dough temperature around 23C (73F). If your dough is warmer, then it will ferment more rapidly. If it is cooler, then it will take longer. Adjust the room temperature fermentation time accordingly.
2. Cover and ferment for 40 minutes.
3. Fold.
4. Ferment for 40 minutes.
5. Divide the dough into 5 equal pieces. Shape into balls and place on a non-stick paper lined baking tray. Leave to rest for 15 minutes.
6. Flatten the dough balls slightly. Brush with the egg white and sprinkle with seeds.
7. Cover and cold proof for 12 – 24 hours.
8. Let the dough warm up at room temperature for 15 – 30 minutes before baking.
9. Bake at 180C (355F) fan on or 200C (390F) fan off for 20 – 25 minutes.

Leave to cool down slightly and make a delicious sandwich!

Keep in mind that the conditions in each kitchen are different, so fermentation times may vary for you. It is up to the baker to control the bread and react accordingly.

Your oven may be different too, so your baking time may vary.

Sandwiches don’t always have to be made with sliced loaf bread. So many other breads can be used for making delicious sarnies. Buns, pitas, baguettes, and flatbreads are all great vessels.

Recently I came across my old rye square recipe. As soon as I saw it, I realized that I must make a thicker and softer version of it. I added some white wheat and whole wheat flours to the mix to make it lighter and increased the recipe ingredients in order to make the squares thicker.

This is a super simple bake. It’s quick and easy and the result is unique and tasty. You can adjust the seeds in the bread spice to your liking. You can toast them or leave them as they are, and you can choose whether to grind them or not.

This recipe makes 7 squares.

Watch the video down below for detailed instructions.

Ingredients

For the bread spice –

10g (0.35oz) caraways seed

6g (0.21oz) coriander seed

4g (0.14oz) anise seed

4g (0.14oz) fennel seed

For the dough –

300g (10.6oz) water

4g (0.14oz) instant dry yeast or 4.8g (0.17oz) active dry yeast or 12g (0.42oz) fresh yeast

8g (0.28oz) salt

40g (1.4oz) barley malt syrup or honey

50g (1.75oz) whole wheat bread flour

150g (5.3oz) white bread flour

200g (7oz) wholegrain (dark) rye flour

To learn more about no-knead bread dough temperature control click here.

If you are using active dry yeast, then you may need to let it sit in the water for 10 minutes before adding the other ingredients or else it could take a lot longer to raise the dough.

Method

1. Toast the seeds in a small pan on high heat for around 2 minutes until they become smoky and fragrant. Grind the seeds.
2. Make the dough. Pour the water in a large bowl. Add the yeast, salt, syrup, seeds, and whole wheat flour. Mix well. Add the white flour and mix again. Finally, add the rye flour and mix to a dough. *Desired dough temperature around 25C (77F). If your dough is warmer, then it will ferment more rapidly. If it is cooler, then it will take longer. Adjust fermentation time accordingly.
3. Cover and ferment for 30 minutes.
4. Fold.
5. Ferment for 30 minutes.
6. Roll the dough out to a rectangle measuring slightly more than 30cm x 20cm (12in x 8in). Trim the edges and cut the dough into 6 equal pieces measuring 10cm x 10cm (4in x 4in). Make another square from the trimmings.
7. Place the squares on a non-stick paper lined baking tray.
8. Cover and proof for 1.5 hours.
9. Spray with water and bake at 200C (390F) fan on or 220C (430F) fan off for 15 minutes.

Leave to cool down and make yourself an awesome sandwich!

Keep in mind that the conditions in each kitchen are different, so fermentation times may vary for you. It is up to the baker to control the bread and react accordingly.

Your oven may be different too, so your baking time may vary.

As far as I can tell, a slab loaf is just a big flat loaf bread. There is no consistency between many of the recipes that I have come across. So, I decided to create my own flat loaf. It contains a variety of flours and seeds that produce a relatively mild yet complex flavour.

Whenever a recipe contains a considerable amount of seeds, it is advisable to soak those seeds so that they don’t dry out the dough. Dry seeds are also harder to slice through; soaking them turns them soft and easily sliceable. Most seeds can be soaked in cold water.

There is another method for improving dough – scalding. The scalding method involves boiling water. The hot water is mixed with part of the flour which essentially cooks the flour and makes it absorb more water and at the same time weakens the gluten forming ability of it. This results in a bread that is soft and moist and able to stay soft and moist for longer.

Both soaking and scalding can be combined into one, and that is exactly what I did here. The seeds and the flour are both mixed with boiling water to achieve the best results of both methods described above.

You can use any seeds that you like. You can swap the spelt flour for any other flour that you prefer or have available. You can adjust the wheat flour ratio in the main dough too.

This recipe used the cold bulk fermentation method which improves the flavour of the bread and makes the dough easier to handle. You can ferment it at room temperature if you want to. Let it bulk ferment for 1.5 hours and then proceed as per recipe.

Watch the video down below for detailed instructions.

Ingredients

For the scald/soaker –

50g (1.75oz) spelt flour

8g (0.28oz) salt

100g (3.5oz) seeds. I used sunflower, pumpkin, and caraway.

20g (0.7oz) barley malt syrup or any other sweetener

360g (12.7oz) boiling water

For the main dough –

3g (0.1oz) instant dry yeast or 3.6g (0.13oz) active dry yeast or 9g (0.32oz) fresh yeast

150g (5.3oz) whole wheat bread flour

200g (7oz) white bread flour

Wheat bran for coating (optional).

To learn more about no-knead bread dough temperature control click here.

The flour I use has a protein content of 13%. If your flour is weaker, then you may need to lower the hydration. 

If you are using active dry yeast, then you may need to let it sit in the scald for 10 minutes before adding the other ingredients or else it could take a lot longer to raise the dough.

Method

1. Make the scald/soaker. Combine the spelt flour, salt, seeds, syrup, and boiling water in a large bowl. Whisk together. Cover and cool down at room temperature or in the fridge or even in the freezer. Whisk it occasionally to cool it down more evenly and quickly.
2. Make the dough. Add the yeast and the whole wheat flour to the scald. Mix well. Add the white bread flour and mix to a dough.
3. Cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
4. Fold #1.
5. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.
6. Fold #2.
7. Cold ferment for 18 – 24 hours.
8. Pre-shape and leave to rest for 30 minutes.
9. Shape and place on a piece of baking paper. Spray with water and cover with wheat bran or seeds.
10. Final proof 1 hour.
11. Score and bake covered at 220C (430F) fan on or 240C (465F) fan off for 25 minutes.
12. Remove the lid and bake for 15 more minutes or until you are happy with the colour of the crust.

Keep in mind that the conditions in each kitchen are different, so fermentation times may vary for you. It is up to the baker to control the bread and react accordingly.

Your oven may be different too, so your baking time may vary.

I got hooked onto this crispy cheesy crust after remaking my old cold proofed cheesy breakfast roll recipe. It’s just so crunchy and delicious that I had to make another recipe with it. The best part is that all it takes to achieve it is to sprinkle some cheese on the bread before baking. It may be the best effort/outcome ratio when it comes to uniquely crusty breads.

Although the crust is my favourite part, I wanted to make the bread equally as good. I chose to use my scalded burger bun recipe for it. It produces extremely soft bread with a nice and even open crumb. The crunchiness of the crust perfectly contrasts the softness of the crumb.

This recipe makes three large subs. You can divide the dough into four to make smaller ones.

Watch the video down below for detailed instructions.

Ingredients

For the scald –

60g (2.1oz) white bread flour

20g (0.7oz) butter

15g (0.5oz) barley malt syrup or any other sweet syrup or even sugar

6g (0.21oz) salt

190g (6.7oz) boiling water

For the main dough –

3g (0.1oz) instant dry yeast or 3.6g (0.13oz) active dry yeast or 9g (0.32oz) fresh yeast

1 egg yolk

240g (8.5oz) white bread flour

For topping –

1 egg white

Grated Emmental or Gouda cheese

To learn more about no-knead bread dough temperature control click here.

The flour I use has a protein content of 13%. If your flour is weaker, then you may need to lower the hydration. 

If you are using active dry yeast, then you may need to let it sit in the water for 10 minutes before adding the other ingredients or else it could take a lot longer to raise the dough.

If you are curious about why the dough contains butter, egg, and sugar, click the links to learn more about the effects those ingredients have on bread dough.

Method

1. Make the scald. Combine the flour, butter, syrup, salt, and boiling water. Mix well. Cover and cool down. This can be done at room temperature or in the fridge or even in the freezer.
2. Make the dough. Add the yeast and the egg yolk to the cooled down scald. Mix them in. Add the flour and mix to a dough.
3. Cover and ferment for 45 minutes.
4. Fold.
5. Ferment for 45 minutes.
6. Divide the dough into 3 equal pieces. Shape into balls. Cover and rest for 20 minutes.
7. Shape the subs and place them on a non-stick paper lined baking tray. Leave them round or flatten them to increase the surface area of the crust.
8. Cover and proof for 1.5 hours.
9. Gently glaze with the egg white and top with the grated cheese.
10. Bake at 170C (340F) fan on or 190C (375F) fan off for 25 minutes.

Leave to cool down and then make yourself a massive sandwich!

Keep in mind that the conditions in each kitchen are different, so fermentation times may vary for you. It is up to the baker to control the bread and react accordingly.

Your oven may be different too, so your baking time may vary.

Sharp and zesty lemon curd, creamy smooth soft cheese all wrapped up in a super soft and puffy dough. This bake has it all when it comes to flavour and texture. It’s a beautiful all-in-one dessert. It may look complicated, but it’s extremely easy to make.

The three elements are made with simple recipes. The cream cheese part of the filling only needs to be mixed together. The lemon curd is cooked in a pan to a certain temperature and then cooled down. And the dough is made without kneading or folding. To simplify it even further you could replace the lemon curd with some type of jam.

Watch the video down below for detailed instructions.

Ingredients

For the cream cheese filling –

20g (0.7oz) flour

10g (0.35oz) lemon juice

30g (1oz) sugar

180g (6.4oz) full fat cream cheese

For the lemon curd –

50g (1.75oz) lemon juice

1 medium egg (50g; 1.75oz)

50g (1.75oz) sugar

Zest off all the lemons

25g (0.9oz) butter

For the dough –

90g (3.2oz) milk

30g (1oz) yogurt

4g (0.14oz) instant dry yeast or 4.8g (0.17oz) active dry yeast or 12g (0.42oz) fresh yeast

6g (0.21oz) salt

1 egg (50g; 1.75oz)

20g (0.7oz) butter

20g (0.7oz) sugar

6g (0.21oz) vanilla paste

300g (10.6oz) white bread flour

To top –

1 egg for glazing

Pearl sugar for decoration

To learn more about no-knead bread dough temperature control click here.

The flour I use has a protein content of 13%. If your flour is weaker, then you may need to lower the hydration. 

If you are using active dry yeast, then you may need to let it sit in the water for 10 minutes before adding the other ingredients or else it could take a lot longer to raise the dough.

If you are curious about why the dough contains butter, egg, and sugar, click the links to learn more about the effects those ingredients have on bread dough.

Method

1. Make the cream cheese filling. In a bowl combine the sugar, lemon juice, flour, and cream cheese. Mix until smooth. Cover and leave in the fridge for later.
2. Make the lemon curd. In a small pan combine the lemon juice, lemon zest, sugar, and egg. Whisk together. Cook on medium – high heat whisking occasionally. Bring it up to a temperature of between 75C – 80C (167F – 176F). As soon as it hits that temperature take it off the heat. Whisk in the butter. Pour the curd in a bowl, cover and refrigerate it until completely cold.
3. Make the dough. In a large bowl combine the milk, yogurt, yeast, salt, egg, butter, sugar, and vanilla. Mix well. Add the flour and mix to a dough. *Desired dough temperature around 24C (75F). If your dough is warmer, then it will ferment more rapidly. If it is cooler, then it will take longer. Adjust fermentation time accordingly.
4. Cover and ferment for 1.5 hours.
5. Divide the dough into 2 equal pieces. Shape into balls. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
6. Shape and fill the dough.
7. Place the shaped loaves on a non-stick paper lined baking tray.
8. Cover and proof for 1 hour.
9. Glaze with egg, leave to dry for 5 minutes and glaze again. Decorate.
10. Bake at 170C (340F) fan on or 190C (375F) fan off for 25 minutes.

Leave to cool down completely and then tuck in!

Keep in mind that the conditions in each kitchen are different, so fermentation times may vary for you. It is up to the baker to control the bread and react accordingly.

Your oven may be different too, so your baking time may vary.

Easter is the time of braided loaves. Be it large Greek style tsuoreki, little Armenian choreg or anything in between. This recipe is inspired by the classic Armenian Easter bakes. I’ve changed a few things here. Instead of mahlab I decided to add ground anise seed and some extra lemon zest. The juice from that lemon is used for making a sweet syrup that is brushed over the bread once it comes out the oven making is shiny, extra sweet, and lemony.

It’s a great little example of a braided bread. Very easy to handle, so it’s perfect for a beginner. But even if you are experienced you will enjoy this bake as it is effortless. You can flavour the dough with other ingredients. Swap the ground seeds for mixed spice or cinnamon. Swap the lemon zest for orange or leave it out altogether. You can leave the seeds off the top to show the braids a little better too.

This recipe makes 4 braids. To make more simply multiply all the ingredients.

Watch the video down below for detailed instructions.

Ingredients

For the dough –

50g (1.75oz) milk

2 medium eggs (100g; 3.5oz)

3g (0.1oz) instant dry yeast or 3.6g (0.13oz) active dry yeast or 9g (0.32oz) fresh yeast

6g (0.21oz) salt

3g (0.1oz) fennel seed

3g (0.1oz) anise seed

30g (1oz) sugar

50g (1.75oz) butter

1 lemon worth of zest

300g (10.6oz) white bread flour

For topping –

1 egg

Black and white sesame seeds

For the syrup –

30g sugar

30g lemon juice

Combine in a small pan and bring up to a boil just before the bread come out the oven.

To learn more about no-knead bread dough temperature control click here.

The flour I use has a protein content of 13%. If your flour is weaker, then you may need to lower the hydration. 

If you are using active dry yeast, then you may need to let it sit in the water for 10 minutes before adding the other ingredients or else it could take a lot longer to raise the dough.

If you are curious about why the dough contains butter, egg, and sugar, click the links to learn more about the effects those ingredients have on bread dough.

Method

1. Pour the milk in a large bowl. Add the eggs, yeast, salt, ground seeds, sugar, butter, and lemon zest. Mix well to dissolve the salt, yeast, and sugar. Add the flour and mix to a dough. *Desired dough temperature around 24C (75F). If your dough is warmer, then it will ferment more rapidly. If it is cooler, then it will take longer. Adjust fermentation time accordingly.
2. Cover and ferment for 1 hour.
3. Fold.
4. Ferment for 1 hour.
5. Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces. Pre-shape into balls. Cover and rest for 15 minutes.
6. Roll the dough balls into strands with tapered ends around 20cm (8in) long.
7. Braid three strands together to make one little loaf.
8. Place the braided dough onto a non-stick paper lined baking tray.
9. Cover and leave for the final proof for around 1.5 hours.
10. Brush the dough with egg, leave it to dry for 5 minutes and then brush it again. Sprinkle with seeds and press them in gently to make them stick.
11. Bake at 170C (340F) fan on or 190C (375F) fan off for 20 minutes.
12. Brush the breads with the hot sugar syrup as soon as they come out the oven.

Leave to cool down and enjoy!

Keep in mind that the conditions in each kitchen are different, so fermentation times may vary for you. It is up to the baker to control the bread and react accordingly.

Your oven may be different too, so your baking time may vary.

Hot cross buns are an Easter Classic here in the UK. They are so popular that they’re being sold two months ahead of time. Sweet buns filled with plump raisins and candied citrus peel, flavoured with mixed spice – no wonder they’re so beloved.

Mixed Spice is a powdered spice mix which contains cinnamon, nutmeg, coriander, caraway, ginger, and cloves. Candied peel is a mix of lemon and orange peel that is cooked in sugar syrup. Both ingredients are commonly sold in supermarkets here in the UK.

I’ve posted a couple versions of this recipe over the years. Now I’ve decided to adapt it to my current no-knead baking style. And to make them extra soft and moist I decided to use the scalding method. It resulted in an extremely soft and squishy bun that will stay softer for longer.

This recipe is a combination of my previous hot cross loaf recipe, my latest slider recipe, and the topping paste is from my cocktail bun recipe. These are my ultimate hot cross buns. Forget the other ones.

Watch the video down below for detailed instructions.

Ingredients

For the scald –

60g (2.1oz) white bread flour

6g (0.21oz) salt

30g (1oz) sugar

9g (0.32oz) mixed spice

210g (7.4oz) boiling water

30g (1oz) butter

70g (2.45oz) raisins

40g (1.4oz) candied peel

For the main dough –

5g (0.17oz) instant dry yeast or 6g (0.21oz) active dry yeast or 15g (0.53oz) fresh yeast

240g (8.45oz) white bread flour

For the decorative paste –

40g (1.4oz) butter

25g (0.9oz) flour

15g (0.53oz) icing sugar

For the sugar syrup –

30g (1oz) sugar

30g (1oz) water

Mix the two ingredients in a small pan and bring up to a boil just before the buns come out the oven.

To learn more about no-knead bread dough temperature control click here.

The flour I use has a protein content of 13%. If your flour is weaker, then you may need to lower the hydration. 

If you are using active dry yeast, then you may need to let it sit in the water for 10 minutes before adding the other ingredients or else it could take a lot longer to raise the dough.

Method

1. Make the decorative paste. Combine the flour, icing sugar, and butter in a small bowl. Mix until smooth. Transfer to a piping bag and leave on the side for later.
2. Make the scald. Combine the flour, salt, sugar, and mixed spice. Pour the boiling water over the ingredients and then mix together. Add the butter, raisins, and mixed peel. Mix until combined. Cover and leave to cool down.
3. Make the dough. Add the yeast to the scald, mix it in. Add the flour and mix to a dough. *Desired dough temperature around 25C (77F). If your dough is warmer, then it will ferment more rapidly. If it is cooler, then it will take longer. Adjust fermentation time accordingly.
4. Cover and ferment for 1 hour.
5. Fold.
6. Ferment for 1 hour.
7. Divide the dough 12 equal pieces and shape into balls. Cover and leave to rest for 15 minutes.
8. Shape again and place on a non-stick paper lined baking tray. Brush the sides of the buns with butter to prevent them from sticking together.
9. Cover and proof for 1.5 hours.
10. Pipe on the paste and mist the buns with water.
11. Bake at 170C (340F) fan on or 190C (375F) fan off for 25 minutes.
12. Glaze the buns with the hot sugar syrup as soon as they come out the oven.

Keep in mind that the conditions in each kitchen are different, so fermentation times may vary for you. It is up to the baker to control the bread and react accordingly.

Your oven may be different too, so your baking time may vary.