I’ve been doing everything possible to avoid going to the grocery store. I don’t want to sit in the car, get stuck in traffic or push a grocery trolly up and down the aisles of the grocery store when I could be taking our dog Gracie for a walk in the snow. But, we still have to eat and, to Charles, lunchtime is sandwich time and he hasn’t figured out a way to make a sandwich without bread. The time had come for Charles to learn how to make a loaf of bread.
Making bread can be a long and complicated process. Some dedicated bakers begin by hunting, capturing and nurturing the wild yeast floating in the air. Sour dough starters begin as a slurry of flour and water and with a little luck, a fair amount of patience and enough time, nearly a week, it is possible to make a loaf of yeast bread. Although Charles was willing, lunchtime was looming. We didn’t have three days, we had less than three hours. Luckily we had active dry yeast in the pantry. Rather than making a loaf of slow rise, knead-before-you-bake bread we would make a quick loaf of hearty batter bread. Here’s how we did it:
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Whole Grain Sunflower Seed Bread
- Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
- Yield: 1 loaf 1x
Description
A quick, yeast raised, batter bread with no kneading. This whole grain, seedy bread is lovely toasted and topped with jam, as the ‘outside’ of your favorite sandwich or partnered with soup and salad for dinner.
Ingredients
- 2 tsp active dry yeast
- 1 1/4 (360ml) cups of warm water (110º F / 43°C)
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 cup (110g) plain flour
- 1 cup (120g) whole meal flour
- 1 cup (90g) rolled oats
- 1/2 cup (75g) sunflower seeds
- 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- butter for pan
Instructions
- Sprinkle yeast into warm water, add honey and stir until yeast has dissolved.
- Set mixture, aside in a warm place, for five minutes or until yeast has ‘bloomed’ and the mixture is foamy.
- Combine plain flour, whole meal flour, rolled oats, sunflower seeds and salt in a large mixing bowl.
- Pour the yeast mixture into flour mixture and stir to form batter.
- Tip batter into a 9 in x 4 1/2 in x 2 3/4 in (220 mm x 120 mm x 70mm) loaf pan that has been smeared with butter.
- Covered pan with a damp cloth and set aside in a warm place until dough has nearly doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes.
- Bake for 35 minutes in a preheated 350ºF (175ºC) for 35 minutes until the bread has begun to pull away from the sides of the pan and an instant read, digital thermometer, poked it into the center of the loaf, reads 185º.
- Loosen loaf with a knife and tip the steamy hot bread on to a wire rack to cool.
- Let cool at least 15 minutes before slicing.
Notes
- Most of the prep time is unattended raising time.
- To vary this recipe: replace honey with molasses, brown sugar or golden syrup; sprinkle the top of the batter with poppy seeds, sesame seeds or a combination of both; and/or, add 1/2 cup of raisins, currants, dried figs, cherries or cranberries along with the sunflower seeds.
- Slice and freeze bread if you plan on having it last for more than two days.
- Defrost bread by toasting it.
- Prep Time: 45 mins
- Cook Time: 35 mins
- Category: Bread
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 170
Charles waited as long as he could, about fifteen minutes, and then he used a serrated knife to slice the still warm bread. The aroma of the freshly baked bread was so tempting that he ate two slices slathered with butter before he made his standard Swiss and turkey sandwich with mayo and sliced cucumbers. 
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Frequently Asked Questions
What makes this a “batter bread” rather than a standard kneaded loaf?
The article contrasts it directly: a traditional slow-rise, knead-before-you-bake loaf takes days. This batter bread skips kneading entirely — the dough is stirred until it comes together as a thick batter, poured straight into a buttered pan, and then rises for 45 minutes before baking. Charles had bread on the table in under three hours.
How do I know when the bread is fully baked?
Step 7 gives a dual test: the loaf should have started pulling away from the sides of the pan, and an instant-read thermometer poked into the center should read 185°F (85°C). Bake time is 35 minutes at 350°F (175°C).
Can I vary the flavors, and what does the recipe suggest?
The notes list several options: replace the honey with molasses, brown sugar, or golden syrup; sprinkle the top of the batter with poppy seeds or sesame seeds before baking; and/or add 1/2 cup of raisins, currants, dried figs, cherries, or cranberries along with the sunflower seeds.
How should I store this bread?
The notes say to slice and freeze the bread if you plan to have it last more than two days, and to defrost it by toasting. The article describes Charles eating two warm slices slathered with butter the moment it cooled — that’s the other option.
