Deli-Style Polka Dot Bread with Your KitchenAid Mixer
The secret is in the bread!
For the BEST toast and sandwiches, you need the BEST bread – and I’ve got the recipe for you!
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 the BEST veggie sandwich you’ve ever had!
Today I want to share a bread recipe with you that has a story. When I was growing up, my German grandparents John and Emma, always brought food when they came to visit my parents’ small farm in Oregon: home-canned tomatoes, fermented cucumber and watermelon pickles, gallon jars brimming with homemade Cracker Jack, aluminum foil-wrapped boxes of fudge, chocolate chip cookies, and Rice Krispy Treats.
They also brought cured summer sausages wrapped in crisp, white butcher paper and a loaf or two of Polka Dot Bread from their local German butcher shop. It was actually called Crunch Bread due to a generous amount of poppy seeds in the dough, but we kids called it Polka Dot Bread and the recipe I am sharing is a re-creation of that memory.
About the bread: Crunch Bread was a fluffy white bread with lots of crunchy little poppyseeds. I always looked forward to dropping a slice of this fluffy bread dotted with seeds in the toaster.
It also made amazing sandwiches – and I am not a sandwich person!
I wanted a more nutritious version, so I developed the recipe using one-third whole wheat to two-thirds bread flour using my older Hobart-built 4.5-quart KitchenAid mixer.
It is still light and fluffy with 1/3 to ½ whole grain flour. I’ve added more nuts and seeds to give it even more nutty, toasty flavor and texture. You can use half or more whole grain flour if you like. Spelt and Kamut Khorasan work well. I have not tried einkorn, so if you do, let me know!
Print the recipe and add it to your bread recipe binder. Remember, you can adapt it to what you have on hand. If you are missing one of the seeds called for, don’t worry about it. Just use extra of one of the others and it will be fine.
Steps to Making Deli-Style 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 and mix on low speed. 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
Switch to the dough hook and knead 6-8 minutes.
Step 4 Let rise
Clean the mixing bowl, generously butter it and place dough smooth side up in the bowl. 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!
PrintUnlocking the Secret to the BEST Toast and Sandwiches | Polka Dot Bread
The BEST toast and sandwiches are made with Polka Dot Bread! A variety of seeds and nuts in a fluffy slice of bread pairs perfectly with butter, jam, or your favorite sandwich fixings. Enjoy!
- Prep Time: 20
- Hands-Off Time: 135 min
- Cook Time: 25
- Total Time: 3 hours
- Yield: 2 loaves, 17 slices each 1x
- Category: bread
- Method: mixer
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
4 tablespoons each: poppy seeds, raw sunflower kernels, hulled millet, chopped walnuts, flax seeds
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 mixer bowl and blend with flat paddle beater. 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. Switch to the dough hook, taking a moment to grease the collar of the hook (top and bottom) with soft butter to keep the dough from climbing. Turn the mixer on low 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, 6-10. Wash your mixer bowl, butter it well, and place the dough in it smooth side up. 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 veggie sandwich: spread mayo on a slice of bread. Layer on sliced radishes, tomato, lentil sprouts, salad shoots or greens of your choice. Add some Golden Sauerkraut and Italian salad dressing for flavor. Season with black pepper. Add a few slices of your favorite cheese and top with a large chard leaf or a second slice of bread.
🛒 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.
🌼 Looking for a vintage Hobart KitchenAid like mine? Check local yard sales, thrift stores, Craigslist, Buy Nothing groups, and eBay.
🌼 Extra 4.5 quart Kitchenaid mixing bowl
🌼 Wheat and other grains for grinding into flour
🌼 Flour sack towels (lint-free)
🌼 Oxo silicone spatula set (set of 3)
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