I love telling you about my mishaps, and this recipe is no exception. KRÜMELIG has been around since 2023, and while I used to take a completely failed loaf of bread out of the oven once a week, that rarely happens now. Most of the recipes I test are edible on the first try, and it’s usually just a matter of fine-tuning. The first attempt at this flourless seed bread with sourdough was different. I completely overestimated how much water grains and seeds can absorb. The result was a slippery, sticky loaf of seed bread. Fortunately, it worked out in the end, and today I can share this super delicious grain bread without flour with you: no flour, no yeast, with sourdough, and gluten-free if desired. The recipe is based on DM’s Pure Oat and Seed Bread.

✨ The links with an star* are affiliate links. If you click on one of these links and buy something, I get a small commission and you support my work (thanks for that 🧡). This does not change the price for you. You can find more information on privacy policy here.✨

What is seed bread?

Seed bread is a type of bread made mainly or exclusively from various seeds and kernels such as sunflower seeds, flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, and oats. It usually contains little or no flour and is particularly high in fiber and filling.

You’ll need these ingredients

• Oatmeal (fine) is essentially the basic ingredient in this bread dough.
• Grains and seeds: Flaxseed and psyllium husks are particularly important because they absorb a lot of water and help bind the bread together.
• Salt for flavor.
• Water: The bread dough for this seed bread is essentially a large soaked dough.
• Sourdough starter adds flavor, a little leavening power, and holds all the ingredients together.

Which seeds are ideal?

Basically, you can use any seeds you have at home and like the taste of for this grain bread. I used sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds. However, millet, whole buckwheat grains, or nuts would also be possible, for example. I would not substitute flaxseed and psyllium husks, because they are important for the formation of the dough.

Baking with sourdough – cultivating and caring for sourdough starter

You can use either wheat sourdough or rye starter for this recipe. I use a universal sourdough for all types of flour. I feed my sourdough with equal parts water and flour. If you use a different mixing ratio, you will need to adjust the amount of water in the recipe.

The sourdough does not need to be freshly fed for this recipe, but it should not have been more than a week since it was last refreshed. The longer your sourdough has not been fed, the longer the dough usually needs to rest.

If you don’t have a sourdough yet, I’ve put together some methods for growing your own starter here.

This is how seed bread is made without flour

Prepare the soaked pre-dough & mix the dough

On the first day, prepare the dough. To do this, mix the psyllium husks with water and leave them to soak until a thick gel forms. At the same time, pour boiling water over the oats, cover them, and leave them to cool completely. Then mix the oat flakes, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, salt, and bread spice in a large bowl. Add the soaked oats, psyllium gel, and sourdough starter and knead everything thoroughly into a smooth, moist dough.

Pour into the mold & let rest

Now let the dough rest for about an hour so that the seeds can continue to swell. During this time, prepare a loaf pan and grease it thoroughly. Then place the dough in the pan in portions and press it down firmly so that there are no air pockets. Since the bread will not rise, you can now shape the surface to be smooth or slightly rounded, as desired. Cover the pan with a cloth and leave the dough to stand overnight at room temperature.

Bake and allow to cool

On the second day, preheat the oven to 200°C (hot air) and place a steam tray filled with hot water inside. Put the bread in the oven, reduce the temperature to 180°C and bake for 20 minutes with steam. Then remove the steam tray and bake the bread for another 60 minutes without steam. Remove the loaf pan from the oven, cover it with a cloth, and let the bread cool completely—the condensation that forms will make it easier to remove from the pan later.

Tips for storing and preserving seed bread

What should you do if the grain bread won’t come out of the pan?

Cover the hot bread with a cotton cloth and leave to cool. The condensation makes it easier to remove the sourdough bread from the loaf pan.

How long does seed bread keep?

Homemade seed bread will keep for around 4–5 days if stored correctly (e.g., in a bread bin or linen cloth). If you want to store the bread for longer, you should freeze it in slices.

Can you freeze grain bread without flour?

Yes, seed bread is great for freezing. It’s best to slice it and freeze it in portions, then you can toast or defrost it as needed.

How do I store seed bread properly?

It is best to store seed bread in a wooden bread bin or in a linen or cotton bag. Avoid plastic bags, as they trap moisture and can promote mold growth. Bread dries out quickly in the refrigerator, so I would recommend storing it at room temperature.

What is the difference between seed bread and whole grain bread?

Seed bread consists mainly of whole seeds and grains, such as sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and flax seeds, and often does not contain any flour. Whole grain bread is made from flour, i.e., ground grain. Unlike white bread, however, the whole grain is used here.

Is seed bread gluten-free?

That depends on which sourdough you use for this recipe. If your sourdough starter is fed with rye, spelt, or wheat flour, then the bread you bake with it will never be gluten-free. If you want or need to avoid gluten, try using a gluten-free sourdough starter made from buckwheat and rice flour. In addition to sourdough, you should also make sure that your seeds and grains are gluten-free and have not been contaminated.

Can I bake seed bread without flour?

This recipe requires virtually no flour. The only exception is the fermented flour in the sourdough starter. However, if you use a sourdough starter made from buckwheat or rice flour, the seed bread will still be gluten-free. Instead of flour, this recipe uses flaxseed and psyllium husks as binding agents.

You might also like these recipes

If you enjoyed this seed bread, you can find more recipes for grain breads with sourdough here:

• Whole grain bread – recipe with sourdough
• The best buckwheat bread made from three ingredients
• How to Make Rugbrød – Danish Rye Bread with Sourdough
• The best protein bread with sourdough
• Homemade Seeded Multigrain Sourdough Bread

Helpful tools – My recommendations

✨ The links with an star* are affiliate links. If you click on one of these links and buy something, I get a small commission and you support my work (thanks for that 🧡). This does not change the price for you. You can find more information on privacy policy here.✨

• A grain mill* for freshly ground wholemeal flour.
• A Danish Whisk* – especially if you don’t use a kitchen machine. This allows you to mix your ingredients without the whole dough sticking to the spoon.
• A kitchen scale*.
• With this sharp baker’s knife*, you can make precise cuts in your bread and get creative with intricate scoring patterns.
• You can use a stainless steel dough knife* to cut your dough pieces or shape your loaves.
• A stainless steel loaf tin*.
• A steam tray consisting of a stainless steel oven mould* and lava stones*. The tray is filled with the stones and placed on the bottom of the oven during preheating. When you put your bread in the oven, pour hot water onto the stones. This creates steam, which ensures that your bread rises well.
• Baking steel* or baking stone to make your bread, rolls and pizza nice and crispy.
• A cooling rack* for bread, rolls and waffles.
• A stainless steel kettle* with different temperature settings for soaked ingredients.
• A sharp bread knife*.
• A stainless steel toaster* for slices of bread, toast and rolls.

You can find more product recommendations here.