Deli-Style Polka Dot Bread with Your Ankarsrum Mixer
Ready to add a seeded bread to your baking repertoire? Polka Dot Bread comes together easily in the Ankarsum mixer and has just the right amount of nuts and seeds to offer crunch, flavor, and interest!
You are going to love this bread!
A tempting mix of seeds and nuts bring wonderful flavor. Using part whole grain flour such as whole wheat along with some white flour improves the nutrition.
I’m sharing a re-creation of a memory of a wonderful bread my German grandparents used to bring us when they came to visit. I always looked forward to dropping a slice of this fluffy bread dotted with seeds in the toaster.
You will too. Whether you are craving a simple slice of buttered toast or a favorite sandwich, it all tastes better on your homemade Polka Dot Bread. As a bonus, I am also sharing how to make a favorite sandwich: the King of Hearts. You’ll find directions for that at the bottom of the recipe and this post.
The story of Polka Dot Bread
When I was growing up, my German grandparents always brought food when they came to visit my parents’ small farm in Oregon. Grandma would carefully pack home-canned soups and jars of sauerkraut and fermented cucumber and watermelon rind pickles into a box along with German-from-Russia baked goods like kuchen (custard-topped coffeecake) and kechla (fried bread to dip in jam).
There were American-style treats, too: Rice Krispy Treats, Cracker Jack, and chocolate chip cookies. Everything was homemade.
Grandpa and Grandma were farmers that retired from North Dakota to Lodi, California along with a lot of other German farmers, so their town boasted a wonderful combination butcher shop and deli that made traditional German sausages, bread, and pickles. Grandpa and Grandma would stop at the butcher shop on their way out of town and buy sausage and bread to bring us.
The Polka Dot bread was a happy childhood memory for me. It was fluffy and white and dotted with poppy seeds. My siblings and I enjoyed dropping slices of Polka Dot bread in the toaster to eat because toasting made the seeds pop between your teeth.
The mixer: Ankarsrum Assistent Original
This recipe is specifically tailored to the Ankarsrum Assistent mixer. This Swedish super mixer plays the roles of both Beauty and the Beast in the kitchen! The Ankarsrum is powerful, quiet and dependable.
With its 8 liter capacity you can double or triple the batch to make 4 or 6 extra large 9×5-inch (23×13 cm) loaves; keep one on the counter and freeze the rest. Easy directions here: How to Freeze Bread and Rolls.
If you are considering purchasing a heavy duty stand mixer for bread making, check out this post: KitchenAid vs Bosch vs Ankarsrum: Best Mixer for Bread Dough.
Need help learning to use the dial controls on your Ankarsrum Assistent? Watch this quick clip to help you master the controls.
If you have a KitchenAid Artisan series mixer, use: Polka Dot Bread recipe for the KitchenAid mixer.
Steps to making Polka Dot Bread
Step 1 Toast seeds and nuts
Measure the seeds and nuts (holding back the flax) into a baking dish and toast in the oven until fragrant.
Step 2 Make the dough
Dissolve the yeast in lukewarm water. Measure liquid ingredients into the bowl fitted with the roller and scraper. Mix on low speed, 1-2 o’clock. Add the whole wheat flour and salt, then gradually add the white flour, seeds, and nuts (including flax). Mix to make a thick, sticky dough.
Step 3 Knead
Knead 6-8 minutes with the roller and scraper. Turn the dough out onto a clean, greased work surface and knead by hand 8-10 times.
Step 4 Let rise
Clean the mixing bowl, generously butter it and place dough smooth side up in the bowl. Or use a smaller bowl if desired. Cover and let rise until doubled, 60-90 minutes.
Step 5 Poke test
Press two fingers gently into the dough and quickly let go. If the indentation remains, your dough is ready to shape.
Step 6 Shape loaves
Divide dough in half, flatten each piece into a rectangle, and fold in thirds like a letter. Flatten again into a rectangle, roll up from a short end, and place loaves seam-side down in prepared pans.
Step 7 Second rise
Cover and let rise until loaves curve nicely over sides of pans.
Step 8 Mist and bake
Use the touch test to determine when loaves are ready to bake. Gently touch the risen loaf with one finger and quickly let go. If a slight indentation remains, your loaves are ready to bake. Mist generously with clean water from a spray bottle and bake until the crusts is well-browned, about 25-30 minutes.
Step 9 Cool
Allow loaves to cool completely on a wire rack before slicing. Now you are set for making the yummiest toast and sandwiches!
PrintDeli-Style Polka Dot Bread with Your Ankarsrum Mixer
Make a fabulous seedy bread with your Ankarsrum Assistent mixer! Polka Dot Bread makes the BEST toast and sandwiches. It is soft, sliceable, and substantial enough to hold up to your favorite sandwich fillings. Try the King of Heart sandwich at a the end of the recipe.
Ingredients
2 cups whole wheat flour (or spelt or Kamut khorasan)
4 cups bread (strong white) or all-purpose (plain) flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon yeast
1 large egg
1 cup milk
1 cup lukewarm water
1/4 cup olive oil or liquid fat of your choice
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup molasses
Spray bottle of clean water
Instructions
1. Measure poppy seeds, sunflower seeds, millet, and walnuts (not the flax) into a baking dish and toast in a 350 F (175 Celsius) oven until fragrant, about 10-12 minutes; set aside to cool.
2. Meanwhile, dissolve yeast in lukewarm water. Add egg, milk, and dissolved yeast to the 8 liter stainless steel mixer bowl and blend with roller and scraper on low speed, 1-2 o’clock. Measure the olive oil in a quarter cup measuring cup and pour it into the mixer bowl, then measure the honey and molasses in the oiled measuring cup, adding them to the bowl. Add the salt. Mix on low speed until smooth. With the mixer running, add the first 2 cups of flour (whole wheat) and then gradually add 2 cups of white flour and the cooled seeds + the flax. Continue adding flour until the dough starts to clean the sides of the bowl. It will be thick and sticky.
3. Turn the mixer on med-low, 3 o’clock, and set a timer for 6-8 minutes to knead. You can gradually add small bits of flour as needed to make a smooth, cohesive dough.
4. Touch the dough after kneading. It should feel like the tacky side of a Post-It Note, but the dough should not stick to your fingers. Turn dough out onto a lightly oiled table, rub olive oil on your palms, and give it a few turns by hand, 8-10. Wash your mixer bowl, butter it well, and place the dough in it smooth side up. (Or use a smaller bowl if you prefer, but remember to butter it well. ) Cover with a lid, plate, or plastic bag and let rise until doubled, about 60-90 minutes. Meanwhile, generously butter two 9×5-inch (23×13 cm) loaf pans or three 8×4-inch (20×10 cm) loaf pans.
5. Use the poke test to determine if your dough has doubled. Press two fingers gently into the dough and quickly let go. If the indentation remains, your dough is ready to shape. If the holes quickly disappear, cover it up and give it 15 minutes, then test again. If the dough feels flabby and weak, it is over-risen. You can still make bread with it, but remember to give it a shorter rise next time you bake.
6. Turn the risen dough out onto a lightly greased table and gently deflate it with your palms. Flatten the dough into a thick disk. Cut dough in half. You can use a scale to make even-sized loaves. Flatten each piece into a rectangle, then fold in thirds like a letter. Flatten again into a 8×12-inch (20×30 cm) rectangle. Roll up from a short end, placing seam on bottom of the loaf. Tuck in the ends and place shaped dough in the prepared pan. Repeat for second piece of dough.
7. Cover loaves with a clean, lint-free dish towel and let rise until loaves curve over the tops of the pans, about 45 minutes. Preheat oven to 375 F (190 C) with a rack in the center of the oven.
8. Use the touch test to check of loaves are ready to bake. Gently touch the risen loaf with one finger and quickly let go. If a slight indentation remains, your loaves are ready to bake. Mist generously with clean water from a spray bottle and bake until the crusts is well-browned, about 25-30 minutes. Tip each loaf out its pan and look at the bottom, it should be nicely browned and sound hollow when thumbed with your thumb. You can check the temperature for doneness by poking a digital food thermometer into the center of the loaf from the bottom. Polka Dot Bread is done when the interior temperature reads 180 F to 190 F (82-88 C).
9. Cool loaves on wire racks until completely cool before slicing.
Notes
- The windowpane test does not work well with Polka Dot bread due to the seeds and nuts.
- To make a King of Hearts sandwich: spread soft cream cheese and Dijon mustard on a slice of bread. Layer on slices of smoked turkey and season with pulverized oregano leaves and freshly cracked black pepper. Add sliced tomato, marinated artichoke hearts, and salad shoots or greens of your choice. Top with a second slice of bread.
I shared a detailed tutorial on making Polka Dot Bread for you over on YouTube!
🛒 Shopping guide
Some links are affiliate links and I earn a small commission when you make a qualifying purchase. This does not change your price. Thank you for supporting my business! You may also find supplies at thrift shops for cheap. If not, take a look below.
🌼 Ankarsrum Assistent Original mixer
🌼 Wheat and other grains for grinding into flour
🌼 Flour sack towels (lint-free)
🌼 Oxo silicone spatula set (set of 3)
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6 Comments
Yum! This bread makes my mouth water. Earmarking this as a must make.
Hi Deb, thank you!! I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!
This sounds so yummy. I’m going to try this recipe next.
Have fun with it!
I joyed and will try you polka dot bread/
I enjoyed the polka dot bread recipe and will try it love making bread