Poppy seed and saffron sourdough

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The combination of poppy seeds and saffron make a wonderful combination in a cake, but they are fabulous in a bread such as this.

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Saffron and poppy seeds really do work marvellously well together and I love making sourdough loaves using them both. However, I have given the adaptation to make this as a non-sourdough bread ie) using commercial yeast.

Saffron and poppy seed sourdough

If you are new to making sourdoughs, my earlier post shows how to make sourdough starters and using it for sourdough bread, along with general tips. The post can be found here

Saffron and poppy seed sourdough

A non-sourdough version of this bread

Instead of using the sourdough starter, use 500g strong plain white flour, mixed with 2 level teaspoons on instant dried yeast and increase the water content to about 430ml: adding more if needed so that it comes together to form a soft dough.

Knead for about 15-20 minutes (by hand or using the dough hook attachment to the food mixer) and prove for a couple of hours at room temperature until about double in volume. Knead to knock out the air and shape as either one large loaf of two smaller loaves: these can be popped into tins to prove a second time before baking: about 30 minutes for smaller loaves to 45-50 minutes for larger ones.

Recipe: poppy seed & saffron sourdough – makes one medium loaf

Saffron & poppy seed sourdough
  • half the amount ingredients at my main sourdough recipe*: here
  • 1/2 teaspoon saffron strands, crushed and soaked in about 10ml warm water
  • 30g poppy seeds
    * use either 45g active starter or make the smaller amount of levain. Use a mixture of flours if you wish.

You will also need fine semolina or rice flour for dusting the banneton

(1) Mix the ingredients togther as in the recipe above, adding the saffron and poppy seeds as you make the dough.
NB: do the stretch and folds, bulk fermentation, shaping as in the main recipe.

(2) Bake for about 40-45 minutes in total.

Saffron and poppy seed sourdough
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Author: Philip

Finalist on Britain’s Best Home Cook (BBC Television 2018). Published recipe writer with a love of growing fruit & veg, cooking, teaching and eating good food.

4 thoughts on “Poppy seed and saffron sourdough”

    2. I assume you add the starter in the first step – with the flours, saffron, poppy seeds and water. When you say strong whole meal flour, do you mean whole wheat or spelt, or ??? Not a term we use in the States. I’m looking forward to trying this. Thank you. I thought I’d have to create the recipe myself from scratch. I wouldn’t have put the poppy seeds in. I love poppy seeds.

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