Sourdough Sandwich Bread with ground flax and almonds
A fantastic healthy bread for sandwiches that tastes great cold, grilled or toasted. It's substantial enough to hold up to heavier sandwich toppings and is loaded with protein and omega 3's.
I love the nutty flavor of the almonds and the texture it gets from them. I added some sunflower and pumpkin seeds to this mix too for added chew, crunch and nutrients.
Flax seed is best absorbed by the body if consumed in it's ground state so I've added 3 tablespoons of ground flax to this recipe. It brings a moist and dense quality to the bread somewhat like using sprouted wheat flour. It has a nice chew without being too heavy. I also like the golden flecks it adds throughout the bread.
I brush the loaf with butter after baking so the crust softens and soaks up all that buttery flavor.
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This is a sandwich bread we are especially fond of because of it's versatility. It's not only perfect for deli style sandwiches and grilled cheese but also for toast in the morning with some raw honey and butter. It makes a really nice side to home-style meals like meatloaf or chili too.
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I use an electric knife to slice my sandwich loaves because it's much faster and easier to get thin to medium slices. This bread is hearty and moist enough to hold together if sliced on the thin side the way we like it.
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I hope you'll give it a try.
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Happy Baking!
~Melisa
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Greek Yogurt Bread
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Best Sourdough Pizza Crust
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Lunch Lady Brownies
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Seeded Sourdough Sandwich Bread
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Sourdough Pull-apart Rolls
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Sourdough Sandwich Bread with ground flax and almonds
Ingredients
2 cups all purpose flour + 1/4 cup for kneading
1 1/2 cups bread flour
1 cup sourdough starter, freshly fed and bubbly 50% hydration
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons real butter
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
3 tablespoons ground flax seed
2 tablespoons hulled raw pumpkin seeds
2 tablespoons hulled raw sunflower seeds
2 tablespoons raw almond slices
1 cup + 2 tablespoons warm milk - about 100 degrees
Method
Mix all of the dry ingredients then add the butter and sourdough starter.
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Slowly add a cup of the warm milk while the mixer is running on low speed until the dough begins to come together adding more if you need it a tablespoon at a time. You can add a bit more flour if you go over and it gets too sticky. Let the mixer knead the dough 6-7 minutes more.
Now scrape the dough out of the mixer and onto a floured board. Knead the dough by folding it over on itself and turning it 4 times then shape it into a ball. Roll it around in a large bowl with a little good quality oil to coat it then cover it with plastic wrap to rise for about 1 1/2 hours.
After the dough has risen to approximately double in size you can form your loaf by folding it over on itself once or twice then rolling the dough up like a newspaper and pinching closed the seem. Check out my tutorial for Soft Sprouted Wheat Multigrain Sourdough Sandwich Bread to learn more about rising and forming the loaf.
Let the dough rise in a loaf pan that has been sprayed with oil, covered loosely with plastic wrap for about 30 minutes to 1 hour while preheating your oven to 375 degrees.
After the dough has risen 1/2 to 1 inch or so above the rim of your loaf pan, remove the plastic wrap and put it on the middle rack in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes. It will rise even more in the oven so be sure it's not too close to the top element. Turn the loaf front to back halfway through to ensure even baking and color. When it's done it will sound quite hollow on top when tapped.
Brush it with melted butter and let it cool for about 10 minutes before loosening it from the pan. Let cool at least 45 minutes before slicing.