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I’ve been working on this recipe for awhile now and finally produced a bread that is dense and hearty, as well as incredibly flavorful and satisfying. This Kansas Sourdough Bread could be used for sandwiches or just with butter as a table bread. It’s quite wonderful and named after my home state of Kansas with wheat flour, malted wheat flakes, and roasted sunflower kernels.

Years ago, my grandma and I enjoyed making what we called Kansas Sunflower Bread from a flour that was sold in Emporia, Kansas. I don’t even know if they still make or sell that flour, but it was delicious. I’m not even sure if it was a combination of wheat and white flours, but I know it had sunflower kernels in it. Possibly something else, but it’s been too long ago.

View More Multigrain Bread Recipes

This recipe is a nod to that bread and includes wheat flour, malted wheat flakes, and roasted sunflower kernels. Plus it’s made from sourdough, which makes it even better. My husband and I like it so much, it might go onto my bi-weekly bread rotation, along with my Tangy Sourdough Bread and my Multigrain Sourdough Sandwich Bread.

Ingredients for Kansas Sourdough Bread

(See the full recipe at the bottom of this post.)

Soaker

Malted Wheat Flakes
boiling water

Sourdough Bread

sourdough starter (Fed and Active)
warm water
honey
olive oil
artisan sea salt
Whole Grain Bread Improver (optional)
instant yeast
roasted sunflower kernels
whole wheat flour
all-purpose flour
Everything Bagel Topping (or poppy seeds, celery seed, sesame seeds, etc.)

Instructions for this Recipe

Gather your ingredients so that you have everything close at hand on the counter or table.

Prepare the Soaker

Begin the recipe by combining malted wheat flakes and boiling water in a medium bowl. Allow to set for 20-25 minutes until cool.

Make the Sourdough Bread

In a large mixing bowl, combine the active (or fed) sourdough starter, warm water, honey, olive oil, artisan sea salt, whole-grain bread improver, and instant yeast. Mix together.

When I bake with whole wheat or multigrain, I like to use a teaspoon of Whole Grain Bread Improver to help attain a better rise in the loaf. This is optional, but I highly recommend it. I purchase it from King Arthur Baking and it lasts a long time.

Add in the prepared malted wheat flakes, sunflower kernels, whole wheat flour, and 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour. Mix with a kneading hook until the dough comes together. Add in remaining all-purpose flour and knead until the dough is supple.

Place in a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to rise until double 1.5-2 hours. Gently deflate and shape dough into a large round ball.

When shaping the dough, smooth and stretch the dough coming together at the base of the ball. Do this several times and then pinch the ends.

Place the ball on a piece of parchment paper or a silicone bread sling and then transfer the sling to a large cast iron Dutch oven. Cover with a lid and allow the loaf to rise until puffy, 1-2 hours.

Just before baking, score the bread using a sharp knife or bread lame. Brush the loaf with an egg wash made from 1 egg + 2 tablespoons water. Generously sprinkle Everything Bagel Topping over the loaf.

If you don’t have Everything Bagel Topping (and I have to ask, why not?), you may sprinkle one or a combination of the following over the bread: sesame seeds, poppy seed, celery seed, dried minced onion, and dried minced garlic. See my recipe for Sourdough Whole Wheat Bagels that also uses Everything Bagel Topping.

Cover with the lid and bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes at 450 degrees. Uncover and continue baking until the bread is a deep golden brown, about 7-10 minutes.

Transfer loaf with bread sling onto a wire rack to cool.

It’s best to allow the bread to cool completely before slicing. I know how tempting warm bread from the oven is, but trust me, it will slice easier once it has cooled. This recipe makes one large loaf and will serve approximately 12 people, more or less, depending on how thick you slice the bread.

Serve this bread with your favorite sandwich fixings or as a table bread slathered with butter.

See more Sourdough Recipes Here. Browse Bread Recipes Here.

Kansas Sourdough Bread

This bread is dense and hearty, as well as incredibly flavorful and satisfying. It’s quite wonderful and is named after my home state of Kansas with wheat flour, malted wheat flakes, and sunflower seeds.

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 40

Soaking and Rising Time 4

Total Time 4 55

Serving Size 10

Equipment

Ingredients

Soaker

1 cup Malted Wheat Flakes
1/2 cup boiling water

Sourdough Bread

1 cup sourdough starter Fed or Active
1 cup warm water
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons artisan sea salt
1 teaspoon Whole Grain Bread Improver optional
1 teaspoon instant yeast
1/2 cup roasted sunflower kernels
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Bread Topping

1 large egg + 2 tablespoons water for egg wash
2 tablespoons Everything Bagel Topping or poppy seeds, celery seed, sesame seeds, etc.

US Customary - Metric