Sunflower and poppy seed bread: Made with love at home

Method

• Mix the flour, sugar, yeast and salt in a large mixing bowl. Mix in 70g of poppy seeds and 70g of sunflower seeds.
• Make a dip in the centre of the flour and pour in 300 ml warm water, olive oil. Then mix in enough to gather up any dry bits in the bottom of the bowl, until the mixture comes together as a soft, not too sticky, dough. Gather it into a ball with your hands.
• Put the dough onto a very lightly floured surface and knead for 8-10 minutes until it feels smooth and elastic, only adding the minimum of extra flour if necessary to prevent the dough from sticking. Place the ball of dough on a lightly oiled bowl, cover and leave for 45 minutes – 1 hour or until doubled in size and feels light and springy. Timing will depend on the warmth of the room.
• Knockback the dough by gently kneading just 3-4 times. You only want to knock out any large air bubbles, so too much handling will lose the dough’s lightness. Shape into a ball, then cover and leave for 10 minutes.
• Shape by flattening the dough into a round using your knuckle. Seal both ends by pressing down firmly with the side of your hand. Lay the loaf on a baking parchment-lined baking sheet with the join underneath. Cover and leave for 40-45 minutes, or until about doubled in size. Finish by brushing with egg wash then sprinkling with the seeds that are left.
• Place in a roasting tin in the bottom of the oven 20 minutes before ready to bake and heat the oven to 230°C. Put the risen bread in the oven, carefully pour about 250 ml cold water into the roasting tin (this will hiss and create a burst of steam to give you a crisp crust), then lower the heat to 220°C. Bake for 30 – 35 minutes or until golden. Remove and cool on a wire rack. If you tap the underneath of the loaf it should be firm and sound hollow.