Cooking In Self Quarantine – Sunflower Seed And Cinnamon Bread
Discover > Texas Mom Blog > Cooking In Self Quarantine – Sunflower Seed And Cinnamon Bread
As another week rolls on, the trend of self- quarantine seems to be getting easier. At least for me. It is very nice to have a helping hand (my husband), who is eager to wake before me and get things going. By all means, I say! Almost seems unreal to be in bed, getting a snooze on and hearing the kids climbing up their dad’s ladder of patience so early in the morning. Hah!
In a conscious effort to keep himself busy and productive, he’s been overseeing the growth of our little victory garden and trying on my chef’s hat in the kitchen.
So, I hand him a new recipe each day, and he gives it his best shot. Which honestly, is pretty good. A multi-grain, seed and fruit bread (What wine goes well with bread?) loaf is the latest successful offering from my husband’s kitchen.
Sunflower Seed And Cinnamon Bread
This loaf of bread has got some serious crunch and texture. Filled with seeds, (how long do seeds last?) grains and raisins (how long do raisins last?), one slice of this loaf, and you’ll be good to go for the morning. But that’s no reason not to have more!
The fiber, protein, and carbs in this bread is what sustains you on those exhausting days, when you are running on your last straw of energy. Call it a seed bread or a grain bread, I call it a ‘life-giving’ bread. It has helped me through the days when my one year old was a baby and both her siblings were under two!
Psyllium husks (how long does psyllium husk last?) are fiber made from the Plantago ovata plant’s seed. This husk is great for digestive movement. It also absorbs a lot of moisture. Psyllium husks in this bread give it the stickiness it needs for a base. What you add after that is entirely up to you. Feel free to switch the seeds and grains with others in the same quantities.
A surprise element in this bread is the filling. Made from brown sugar and cinnamon, the filling gives a sweet and spicy note to the bread, the fragrance taking me back to my mom’s home where we grew up eating this fruit n seed bread.
It’s best to start a day ahead or at least a night before, as the dough needs a minimum of 5 hours for best results.
What You Will Need:
115g or ¾ cup sunflower seeds
140g or 1 cup raisins
60g or 1/3 cup millet (how long does millet last?) seeds
75 g pepitas
85g flax seeds
35 g chia seeds (how long do chia seeds last?)
200g or 2 1/4 cup gluten free rolled oats (how long do oats last?)
30g or 1/3 cup psyllium seed husks
1 and half teaspoons sea salt (how long does sea salt last?)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
55g or quarter cup coconut oil
40g or two tablespoons maple syrup or honey
600g or 2 and half cups water
For The Filling, You Will Need:
3 and half tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
What You Will Have To Do
Preheat an oven to 160 C.
Place the sunflower seeds, millet seeds, pepitas on a baking sheet and toast for about 15-20 minutes until golden. Toss them occasionally so they don’t burn.
Boil the raisins, drain and set them aside.
Roughly mix the toasted seeds, psyllium husks, oats, flax seeds, cinnamon, sea salt and chia seeds in a large bowl.
Add to this, water, coconut oil, raisins and maple syrup. Use your hands to mix together to make a moist dough.
Prepare the filling by mixing together the cinnamon and brown sugar in a small bowl.
Line a baking loaf pan with parchment paper.
Pour 1/3 of the dough into the pan and spread evenly, sprinkle half of the cinnamon and sugar mix over it. Repeat this twice over and make a slight dome like shape on the top.
Cover the pan with a cheesecloth or any cotton cloth and leave overnight.
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 200 C.
Bake for 90 to 110 minutes until it turns a deep golden brown. Check every 15 minutes after an hour.
Let it cool for at least 2 hours before removing from the pan.
You can refrigerate this bread for up to a week safely. Toast as per your liking, kids would like slightly done, I like it extra toasted, as there is nothing like a breakfast of this seedy bread dipped in ginger chai tea.
Read my other post to learn more about seeds!
Here's how to make your life easier while in self-quarantine: Cook everything on a sheet pan. Read more about it here.
