By Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff | Published on June 14, 2026
Serves 8
305 cal · 300 min
Whole-Wheat Sunflower Seed Rye Bread
Recipe GLPR89d491a2b3b747
A hearty, dense loaf combining whole-wheat and rye flours with toasted sunflower seeds. This naturally vegan bread develops deep flavor through two rises and produces a satisfying, nutty crumb perfect for breakfast or sandwiches. The sunflower seeds are thoroughly mixed throughout, providing texture and nutritional depth.
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Ingredients
1½ cups Lukewarm water
2¼ teaspoons Active dry yeast
1¼ tablespoons Honey
2¾ cups Whole-wheat flour
1 cup Rye flour
2½ teaspoons Kosher salt
1 cup Lightly toasted sunflower seeds
as needed Vegetable oil for greasing
Directions
Combine lukewarm water, 1 teaspoon of honey, and active dry yeast in a stand mixer bowl (or a large mixing bowl if working by hand). Let the mixture rest for 5 to 10 minutes until small bubbles form on the surface, indicating the yeast is activated. If no bubbles appear, discard and start again with fresh yeast.
In a separate bowl, whisk together whole-wheat flour, rye flour, and salt. Stir the remaining 1/4 cup honey into the yeast mixture. Attach the dough hook to the mixer (or use a wooden spoon if mixing by hand) and gradually add the flour mixture, stirring until a soft, moist dough forms. Adjust consistency as needed: add a bit more flour if too wet, or a tablespoon of water if too dry. The dough should be tacky enough that your finger slightly sticks when touched.
Knead the dough at low to medium speed in the mixer for about 6 minutes until the dough becomes smooth and slightly elastic. If mixing by hand, knead for 8 to 10 minutes until smooth.
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface. Knead in the toasted sunflower seeds by hand, working them throughout the dough until evenly distributed. Return the dough to the mixer bowl (or a clean bowl), cover with plastic wrap or a clean dish towel, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, approximately 1.5 to 2 hours.
Punch down the dough with your fist to release gas, re-cover, and allow a second rise in a warm place until doubled again, about 1 hour.
Lightly grease a 9-inch loaf pan with vegetable oil. Gently shape the dough into an elongated rectangle on a lightly floured surface and transfer it to the prepared pan. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 1 hour. The dough will rise only modestly at this stage.
About 15 minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 350°F.
When the dough has completed its final rise, carefully place the loaf pan in the preheated oven and bake for 45 to 50 minutes until the bread sounds hollow when tapped firmly on the center of the loaf. Alternatively, insert an instant-read thermometer into the center of the loaf; the bread is done when the internal temperature reaches 190°F. Remove the bread from the oven and let cool in the pan for 20 minutes, then tip it onto a cooling rack and cool completely before slicing.
Comments
Every ingredient is stocked at any Charlotte grocer—rye flour is standard at Harris Teeter and Kroger, sunflower seeds sit in the bulk section or baking aisle at all majors, and honey costs pocket change. The 300-minute time is honest for a yeast bread with rising, though a reader making this on a weeknight should plan to start it in morning or early afternoon. Cost per serving runs about $0.60–$0.75, driven almost entirely by flour and yeast, which is genuinely cheap. The bread reheats perfectly, slices cleanly, and feeds a family for days without spoiling; the real drawback is that it demands patience and babysitting—you cannot rush a proper rise, and forgotten dough becomes a wasted afternoon.
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