Name: Sunflower Seed Bread (Sonnenblumenbrot)
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 90 min
Total time: 150 min
Ingredients: 3 cups all purpose flour; 1 cup whole wheat flour; 2¼ teaspoon instant yeast (one packet); 2 Tbsp brown sugar ((light or dark brown sugar both work)); 1 teaspoon salt ((use either table salt or fine sea salt)); 1¾ cups lukewarm water; ½ cup plus 2 Tbsp hulled sunflower seeds

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5 from 4 votes

This delicious German sunflower seed bread (called Sonnenblumenbrot) is made with hulled sunflower seeds for a crunchy texture and nutty flavor. The interior of the bread is soft and chewy, so it's great for sandwiches.

Two slices of sunflower seed bread on a metal plate with butter.

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What is Sunflower Seed Bread?

Sonnenblumenbrot translates to English as "sunflower bread" because nutty sunflower seeds are mixed into the dough and sprinkled on top. It's made with mostly white flour along with a little wheat flour, so it's really soft and chewy.

This sunflower seed bread tastes great for breakfast spread with butter, jam, or a sweet chocolate nut spread. It's also a great sandwich bread served with meat and cheese and a spread like mustard or pesto.

Two slices of sunflower seed bread on a wood cutting board on a red linen.

Gimme All the Soft & Chewy Rustic Bread

Growing up in Germany, one of my favorite places to visit was my Dad's office, because of the food. If my sister and I weren't raiding the vending machines in the basement, we were hounding his coworkers for snacks. One lady in particular would give us hearty German bread, like this sunflower seed bread or pumpkin seed bread. I instantly fell in love with their nutty, sweet flavor!

Hungry for another pillowy soft artisan loaf? Then try my Dutch oven German potato bread - mashed potatoes mixed into the dough make it one of the chewiest breads ever!

White flour, whole wheat flour, yeast, brown sugar, salt, water, and seeds on a wooden table.

Ingredients and Notes

All purpose flour - Creates the base structure for a soft, chewy bread. You can substitute bread flour for a chewier texture.
Whole wheat flour - Adds extra nutrition and rustic flavor.
Instant yeast - Makes the bread rise. Instant yeast doesn't require any advanced activation compared to active dry yeast, and it takes less time overall to rise.
Brown sugar - Both light and dark brown sugar work. A little sugar adds sweetness and provides a food source for the yeast.
Salt - I recommend using either non-iodized table salt or fine sea salt (not kosher salt) for the best flavor.
Lukewarm water - Adds moisture to the dough so everything sticks together. The ideal temperature for the water is between 100°F to 115°F.
Hulled sunflower seeds - Make sure you get hulled sunflower seeds, which means the shells have been removed. You don't want those inedible shells in your bread!

How to Make this Recipe

Below is the process to make this recipe. For the full step-by-step directions and ingredient quantities, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Dry ingredients to make sunflower seed bread in a glass mixing bowl.

1. Mix together the all purpose flour, whole wheat flour, instant yeast, brown sugar, salt, and sunflower seeds.

A sticky, wet bread dough in a glass mixing bowl.

2. Add the warm water and mix until it forms a wet dough, and there are no visible pockets of dry flour.

A hand kneading a ball of sunflower seed bread dough.

3. Knead the dough for 5 to 8 minutes, until the dough is a smooth, elastic ball.

A large, risen dough studded with sunflower seeds in a yellow mixing bowl.

5. Rise, covered, until it doubles in size, after 1 hour.

A round ball of un-proofed German bread dough on a baking sheet.

7. Transfer the dough to a lined baking sheet.

A loaf of unbaked bread brushed with water and sprinkled with hulled sunflower seeds.

9. Brush the top and sides of the loaf with water. Press the remaining sunflower seeds on the loaf.

An unrisen ball of bread dough in a yellow mixing bowl.

4. Place the kneaded dough ball into an oiled mixing bowl.

A ball of bread dough on a wooden table shaped into a round.

6. Shape the dough into a round or oval shape.

A large proofed round of German Sonnenblumenbrot dough on a baking sheet.

8. Cover and proof for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

A baked loaf of German Sonnenblumenbrot on a wire cooling rack.

10. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the loaf is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped.

Carissa's Kitchen Tip

During one recipe test, I brushed the loaf with olive oil instead of water. However, when I picked up the baked loaf, all the seeds fell off!
Water is the best way to get the seeds to stick on top of your loaf.

Two slices of Sonnenblumenbrot next to the rest of the loaf on a wood cutting board.

Recipe Tips

Rising Dough: Let the dough rise in a warm, draft-free spot like the oven with the light turned on. The ideal temperature for dough to rise is between 75ºF to 80ºF (24ºC to 26ºC).
Sunflower Seeds: You can use either salted or raw (unsalted) sunflower seeds. Just don’t use roasted sunflower seeds, because they’ll already get toasted in the oven as the bread bakes, and you don’t want the seeds to burn.
Seed Topping: For the topping, gently press the sunflower seeds into the dough. If you just sprinkle them on top, they could fall off after the bread is baked.

Variations

Honey Sunflower Bread: Instead of brushing the loaf with water, brush a little honey on top, then add the sunflower seeds to make a delicious honey sunflower bread.
Or instead of brown sugar in the dough, you can use honey.
Loaf Pan: You can also bake this in a 5-inch x 9-inch loaf pan. But I prefer baking it without a loaf pan, so I can stick sunflower seeds down the sides of the loaf too.
Sesame Seeds: If you want a variation in flavor, sprinkle sesame seeds on top of the loaf.

A round loaf of German sunflower seed bread on a black cooling rack on a table.

Storage

Room Temperature: Allow the loaf to cool completely. Then store it in a paper bag, kitchen towel, or ventilated bread box at room temperature for up to 4 days.

Freezer: You can also freeze the bread for up to 3 months, wrapped tightly in plastic cling wrap then in aluminum foil.

Sometimes I freeze individual slices, so I don’t have to thaw the whole loaf if I only want a few pieces.

Two cut slices of sunflower seed bread on a metal plate topped with butter.

Looking for more German bread recipes like this? Try these: