Austrian Pumpkin Seed & Rye Breakfast Bread with Whipped Quark
A dense, seeded rye loaf baked with pumpkin seed oil, sliced warm and spread with tangy whipped quark.
Best for A make-ahead wholegrain loaf that delivers plant protein, fiber and healthy fats for busy autumn mornings
This is the loaf I want on the table when the Styrian mornings turn cold: a squat, wholegrain rye bread shot through with pumpkin seeds and a slick of nutty green pumpkin seed oil, the kind you find all over southern Austria. It leans on rye flour, oats and psyllium rather than white flour and sugar, so it stays moist for days and slices without crumbling. Serve it thick with cold whipped quark, which turns a modest slice into a real protein breakfast that carries you to lunch.
Ingredients
- 250 g Wholegrain rye flour
- 150 g Whole-wheat flour
- 80 g rolled oats
- 100 g raw pumpkin seeds , plus 1 tbsp for the top
- 15 g ground psyllium husk
- 30 g flaxseeds
- 9 g fine sea salt
- 7 g instant dry yeast
- 15 g honey
- 20 ml pumpkin seed oil , plus more for serving
- 380 ml Lukewarm water , about 35°C
- 300 g quark
- 30 ml Milk (optional – can be omitted)
Instructions
-
1
In a large bowl, whisk together the rye flour, whole wheat flour, oats, 100 g pumpkin seeds, psyllium husk, flaxseeds, salt and yeast. Stir the honey and pumpkin seed oil into the lukewarm water until the honey dissolves, then pour it into the dry mix. Stir with a sturdy spoon until you have a thick, sticky, uniform dough with no dry pockets — it will not be a smooth kneadable dough, and that is right for a rye loaf.
-
2
Scrape the dough into a greased 900 g (2 lb) loaf pan lined with parchment, wet your hands and press the top level. Scatter the remaining pumpkin seeds over the surface and press them in lightly. Cover with a damp cloth and leave in a warm spot until the dough has risen by roughly a third and you see small cracks and bubbles on top.
-
3
Meanwhile, heat the oven to 200°C (390°F). Bake the risen loaf for 15 minutes, then lower the heat to 180°C (355°F) and bake until deeply browned and hollow-sounding when tapped, about 40 minutes more; an internal temperature of 96°C confirms it is done. Lift the loaf out by the parchment and cool completely on a wire rack for at least an hour before slicing, so the crumb sets.
-
4
For the topping, whip the quark with a fork or small whisk until light and spreadable, loosening it with the milk if it is very thick. Slice the cooled bread thickly, spread generously with whipped quark and finish each slice with a fine drizzle of pumpkin seed oil.