No-knead turmeric bread with sunflower seeds

Now that you’ve learnt how to make your own no-knead bread and may even have tried the olive bread with herbs, it might be time to change it up a little with this dutch oven variation for turmeric bread with seeds, a bright yellow crumb and a distinctive aroma and flavor. It accompanies cheeses and chutneys very well and becomes very nice bruschetta with some yogurt and leftover curry.

We will add an extra ingredient to the basic dough and the use the rolling technique to add the seeds and spices. Here I’m using a basic combination of turmeric with black pepper. You can alternatively use poppy seeds, anise or cardamom seeds. Pick two at a time until you come up with your favorite combination. Don’t forget that you can use the same dutch oven variation for turmeric bread dough, to make a small loaf every day with a different “stuffing” of seeds each.

Turmeric Bread recipe

• 700 gr. lukewarm water
• 10 gr. active dry yeast
• 1 kilo white flour
• 15 gr. turmeric powder
• 15 gr. salt
• 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
• A pinch of freshly ground black pepper
• Optional: a pinch of nigella seeds for sprinkling

Mix the flour well with the turmeric and salt. Pour the lukewarm water into a large basin and mix with the yeast. After that, add the flour and stir very well until all of it is wet. Then, cover the basin with wrap and make a couple of small holes. I leave on the counter for 2 hours and then refrigerate for at least 12 hours, ideally a whole day. For flour you can experiment with any flour or with a mixture of different kinds you like. As a base I use white or yellow flour here to enhance the yellow color.

Every time you want to make bread, first prepare your counter with a little flour on your counter. Then take the dough out of the fridge. Sprinkle with a little flour, so that the dough does not stick to your hands. Pull out a piece of dough about half a kilo. The dough is very elastic, so it helps to cut it with the kitchen scissors.

Method

Place it on the floured surface and very quickly fold the edges towards the center, going around to form a ball. Turn the ball over with folds under it and sprinkle with flour.

The dough is very soft. Therefore, roll it out gently into an oblong shape, approximately 2-3 cm thick.

Afterwards, layer the sunflower seeds and black pepper all over the surface.

Roll up the dough carefully, without pressing it too hard. Fold the edges of the roll inward and turn it with the folds facing downwards.

Then turn the loaf with your hands around the sides, to give it a round shape again and let it rise for 40′ on a piece of parchment paper.

Before you baking your loaf, make two deep parallel slashes into the dough with a sharp bread knife and sprinkle with nigella seeds, if using, and flour. Afterwards, prepare the spot where you will place the hot dutch oven and make room for the hot lid next to it. Then, take the pot out of the oven using gloves. Set it down in a safe place, take off the lid and leave one glove on the lid (otherwise, I tend to forget how hot it is and, as a result, grab the lid with bare hands). While holding the parchment paper taut with both hands, transfer the loaf as it is into the center of the dutch oven carefully. After that, use GLOVES to cover it and put it back in the oven.

Bake covered for 20′ and for a further 10 minutes without the lid. If you are making a larger loaf, adjust the baking time by 5′. The maximum baking time, if you use all the dough, is 30 ‘ covered and about 20 ‘ without the lid.  Finally, allow the loaf to cool before cutting.