Fibonacci Spiral Growth Bread (Printable)

An artisan loaf with spiral layers of seeds, nuts, cheese, and veggies offering crisp crust and tender crumb.

# What You'll Need:

→ Dough Base

01 - 3 1/4 cups strong bread flour
02 - 1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
03 - 100 g active sourdough starter or 2 1/4 tsp instant yeast
04 - 2 tsp fine sea salt
05 - 1 tbsp olive oil

→ Fibonacci Spiral Additions

06 - 1 1/2 tbsp toasted sunflower seeds
07 - 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
08 - 1/3 cup pumpkin seeds
09 - 1/3 cup grated hard cheese (Gruyère or Parmesan)
10 - 1/4 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes, drained
11 - 1/3 cup pitted and chopped mixed olives
12 - 4 1/2 oz sautéed spinach, well drained

# Directions:

01 - Combine flour and lukewarm water in a large bowl. Mix until just integrated. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.
02 - Add active sourdough starter or yeast, salt, and olive oil to the mixture. Stir until a sticky dough forms. Knead on a lightly floured surface for 8 to 10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
03 - Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and let rise at room temperature for 8 to 12 hours until doubled in size.
04 - Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide into seven equal portions.
05 - Gently knead each addition into one dough portion, starting with sunflower seeds and increasing quantities with each portion, finishing with sautéed spinach in the largest piece.
06 - Roll each portion into a rope. Coil ropes around a central point on a parchment-lined baking sheet, forming a spiral. Press ends together to seal.
07 - Cover loosely and allow dough to rise for 1.5 hours until puffy.
08 - Preheat oven to 445°F (230°C). Place an empty tray on the bottom to generate steam during baking.
09 - Dust loaf with flour and slash spiral lines with a sharp blade to facilitate expansion. Pour one cup of hot water into the oven tray to create steam.
10 - Bake for 40 minutes, rotating halfway through, until the crust is golden and crisp.
11 - Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely before slicing.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It's absolutely stunning to look at—your guests will gasp when you slice into that perfect spiral pattern
  • The slow fermentation creates incredible depth of flavor and a naturally digestible crumb
  • You get to play with flavors as the density increases through each spiral segment, making every bite slightly different
02 -
  • Drain your spinach obsessively—I mean really press it between paper towels. Moisture is bread's enemy, and soggy spinach will create dense pockets instead of even crumb
  • Don't skip the autolyse. That 30-minute rest fundamentally changes how the dough behaves and how developed your final crumb will be
  • The spiral is forgiving, but pressing the segment ends together firmly matters. I learned this when a spiral unwound during baking because I'd been too gentle
03 -
  • If your kitchen is cold, proof your dough near a warm spot—an oven with just the light on, or on top of a running refrigerator works beautifully
  • Temperature matters more than exact time. Dough that feels alive and bubbly is ready, whether it's been 8 hours or 12
  • Save a piece of your dough before adding the individual spiral ingredients—you can make a beautiful control loaf alongside it to compare, or freeze it as a starter for your next batch
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