Slow-Grain Rye Tin Loaf with Toasted Sunflower Seeds
A dense, moist vegan rye tin loaf built on an overnight soaker, packed with sunflower seeds for lasting fiber.
Best for Steady, slow-release energy with genuinely high fiber and zero animal ingredients
This is the kind of squat, dark Nordic loaf that keeps for a week and slices thin under a serrated knife. An overnight soaker of cracked rye and sunflower seeds does the real work, softening the grains and jump-starting fermentation so the crumb turns moist and faintly malty rather than dry and dusty. It's honestly high-fiber, entirely plant-based, and slow to digest — one slice with avocado or nut butter carries you well past mid-morning.
Ingredients
- 150 g Cracked rye or coarse rye flakes , for the overnight soaker
- 120 g Sunflower seeds , raw; 90 g into the soaker, 30 g reserved for the top
- 300 ml Boiling water , for the soaker
- 250 g Wholegrain rye flour
- 150 g Bread flour , for structure and lift
- 7 g Instant yeast , one standard sachet
- 9 g fine sea salt
- 20 g Blackstrap molasses , or dark treacle, for color and malt depth
- 180 ml Lukewarm water , to bring the dough together
- 5 g caraway seeds , lightly crushed (optional – can be omitted)
- 10 ml neutral oil , for greasing the tin
Instructions
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1
The night before, make the soaker: combine the cracked rye and 90 g of the sunflower seeds in a bowl, pour over the boiling water, stir, cover, and leave at room temperature for at least 8 hours or overnight. The grains will drink up nearly all the water and turn plump and tender — this is what keeps the finished loaf moist rather than sandy.
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2
In a large bowl, whisk together the rye flour, bread flour, instant yeast, salt, and caraway if using. Stir the molasses into the lukewarm water until dissolved, then add it along with the whole soaker (and any residual liquid) to the flour. Mix with a sturdy spoon or wet hands into a thick, sticky, tacky dough — rye has little gluten, so it will feel more like stiff porridge than a smooth bread dough. Don't try to knead it into elasticity; just work it until no dry flour remains, about 3 to 4 minutes.
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3
Oil a 900 g (2 lb) loaf tin. Scrape the dough in, wet your hand or a spatula, and press it level, pushing it well into the corners. Scatter the reserved 30 g sunflower seeds over the top and press them in lightly. Cover loosely and let rise in a warm spot until the dough has risen by about half and the surface shows small cracks and open pores, roughly 60 to 90 minutes. Rye proofs faster and lower than wheat, so watch the cracks rather than the clock — overproofed rye collapses in the oven.
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4
Near the end of the rise, heat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Bake the loaf for 15 minutes, then lower the heat to 180°C (350°F) and bake for a further 50 to 55 minutes, until the crust is deep dark brown and the internal temperature reaches 96 to 98°C. Turn out of the tin and cool completely on a wire rack — at least 4 hours, ideally overnight wrapped in a cloth. Rye needs this rest to set its crumb; cutting it warm gives a gummy slice. Store wrapped in linen or beeswax for up to a week; it slices best thin.