Fibonacci Spiral Growth Bread (Printable view)

A visually captivating loaf with spiral layers of nuts, seeds, and vegetables, boasting a crisp crust and tender crumb.

# What You Need:

→ Dough Base

01 - 4 cups strong bread flour
02 - 1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
03 - 7 tablespoons active sourdough starter or 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
04 - 2 teaspoons fine sea salt
05 - 1 tablespoon olive oil

→ Fibonacci Spiral Additions

06 - 2 tablespoons toasted sunflower seeds
07 - 2 1/2 tablespoons chopped walnuts
08 - 3 tablespoons pumpkin seeds
09 - 1/3 cup grated hard cheese (e.g., Gruyère or Parmesan)
10 - 1/4 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes, drained
11 - 1/3 cup mixed olives, pitted and chopped
12 - 1/3 cup sautéed and well-drained spinach

# How To Make:

01 - In a large bowl, combine flour and lukewarm water. Stir until just mixed. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.
02 - Incorporate sourdough starter or yeast, salt, and olive oil into the dough. Mix until sticky, then knead on a floured surface for 8 to 10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
03 - Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and let it rise at room temperature for 8 to 12 hours until doubled in size.
04 - Turn dough onto a floured surface and divide into seven equal portions.
05 - Knead each spiral addition into one dough portion sequentially, starting with sunflower seeds and increasing density through walnuts, pumpkin seeds, cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, olives, and finishing with spinach.
06 - Roll each portion into a rope. Coil ropes around a central point on parchment-lined baking sheet, largest rope on the outside, and press ends to seal.
07 - Cover loosely and allow the formed spiral to rise for 1.5 hours until puffed.
08 - Preheat oven to 445°F. Place an empty tray on the oven bottom to generate steam during baking.
09 - Dust dough surface lightly with flour and score spiral lines with a sharp blade to enable expansion.
10 - Pour one cup of hot water into the oven tray for steam, then bake bread for 40 minutes, rotating halfway, until crust is golden brown and crisp.
11 - Remove bread from oven and cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It's a showstopper that actually tastes incredible—your guests will think you spent all day in the kitchen, and you technically did, but most of it was just happy waiting
  • Every spiral segment brings a new flavor surprise, from toasted sunflower seeds to earthy olives, making each bite an adventure
  • The long fermentation develops a complex, tangy depth that store-bought bread simply cannot match
02 -
  • The spiral segments must be pressed together firmly or they'll separate during baking—a lesson I learned the hard way when my beautiful spiral turned into seven separate rounds
  • Draining your wet ingredients is absolutely critical. Spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, and even drained olives can hold surprising amounts of moisture that will collapse your dough structure
  • Your oven temperature matters tremendously for that crispy crust. If your oven runs cool, the bread will bake gently but won't develop that golden exterior. Test with an oven thermometer—I discovered mine was running 15 degrees cool, which completely changed my results
03 -
  • Keep your water just barely warm to the touch—around 35 to 40°C (95 to 104°F) is ideal. If you don't have a thermometer, your wrist should feel almost no temperature change when you dip it in
  • If your kitchen is cold, the bulk fermentation may take longer than 8 to 12 hours. This isn't a problem—let it rise until it's doubled no matter how long it takes. The flavor only gets better with time
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