Making the most of seeds: Dry roasting
In cooking, and particularly in baking, there are a lot of seeds we can use, such as linseed, sesame, poppy, etc. Usually, recipes simply say to add them just as they are to the mixture or dough.
To make a seeded loaf, for example, prepare a plain bread dough as usual, then, towards the end of kneading, add around 200g (6 oz) of seeds per kilo (2 lb) of flour, generally a mixture of the seeds listed above. There is nothing wrong with this and your seeded bread will be good.
But there is one thing you should know, a bakers' secret, no less; there's a trick that will allow you to improve your recipe: you should dry roast the seeds before adding them.
To make a seeded loaf, for example, prepare a plain bread dough as usual, then, towards the end of kneading, add around 200g (6 oz) of seeds per kilo (2 lb) of flour, generally a mixture of the seeds listed above. There is nothing wrong with this and your seeded bread will be good.
But there is one thing you should know, a bakers' secret, no less; there's a trick that will allow you to improve your recipe: you should dry roast the seeds before adding them.
58 K 4.0/5 (25 reviews)
Last modified on: January 30th 2015
Making the most of seeds: Dry roasting
Dry roasting (or torrefaction) in this context is done by putting the seeds in a hot oven, which normally fills the kitchen with the delicious smell. This brief spell in the oven is too short to cook the seeds, but really brings out their flavour. This same principal lies behind roasting coffee, though this is a much longer process, or cocoa beans for making chocolate (the famous Maillard reactions).
To do this, you will need to preheat the oven to 360°F (180°C) and spread the seeds in an even layer on a baking sheet (line this with a sheet of cooking parchment to make handling the seeds afterwards easier).
Then put the seeds in the oven for about 15 minutes.
So, this is a simple way of achieving great results. Try it for yourself and you will be impressed at the difference it makes.
Just one detail to bear in mind for bread-making: if you add dry-roasted seeds to bread dough, be warned that they have an annoying tendency to absorb the water in the dough and leave it somewhat drier.
And as we are delving deep into bakers' secrets, here's the ultimate one: when using seeds in baking, dry-roast them, then as soon as they come out of the oven, tip them into their weight in water.
Leave them to soak up the water, which will take about 5 minutes, before adding them to the dough. Then you can enjoy all the flavour of the dry-roasted seeds without them taking the moisture from the bread and making it too dry.
This same dry-roasting method can also be used for nuts, such as almonds, pistachios, walnuts and hazelnuts. Try dry roasting them before you add them to a cake mixture, for example – the result might well surprise you.
To do this, you will need to preheat the oven to 360°F (180°C) and spread the seeds in an even layer on a baking sheet (line this with a sheet of cooking parchment to make handling the seeds afterwards easier).
Then put the seeds in the oven for about 15 minutes.
So, this is a simple way of achieving great results. Try it for yourself and you will be impressed at the difference it makes.
Just one detail to bear in mind for bread-making: if you add dry-roasted seeds to bread dough, be warned that they have an annoying tendency to absorb the water in the dough and leave it somewhat drier.
And as we are delving deep into bakers' secrets, here's the ultimate one: when using seeds in baking, dry-roast them, then as soon as they come out of the oven, tip them into their weight in water.
Leave them to soak up the water, which will take about 5 minutes, before adding them to the dough. Then you can enjoy all the flavour of the dry-roasted seeds without them taking the moisture from the bread and making it too dry.
This same dry-roasting method can also be used for nuts, such as almonds, pistachios, walnuts and hazelnuts. Try dry roasting them before you add them to a cake mixture, for example – the result might well surprise you.
To sum up
- It is better to dry roast seeds briefly in a hot oven before adding them to a dough
- When making bread, moisten the seeds with the same weight of water after roasting, before adding them to the dough
- You can also dry-roast almonds, pistachios, walnuts and hazelnuts
Lasts posts
Should potatoes be washed twice?
Let's say you have to make a recipe that includes potatoes, let's say sliced, you'll most likely proceed as follows: Peel the potatoes, wash them, slice them, wash them again, pat them dry and add them to your recipe. But there's a "but": depending on the recipe, the second washing may be a bad...May 19th 2025789 15
Grilled bacon is much better in the oven
Some recipes call for thin slices of bacon to be cooked and added to the recipe, or to prepare one of those delicious breakfasts known as "à l'Anglaise".April 25th 20251,4115
The thermometer is your friend
There are many recipes or foods that require a (very) precise cooking temperature: foie gras, sugar for caramel, meats and fish, and not forgetting pastries. For these few examples, getting the cooking temperature wrong can spoil the whole recipe or dish: undercooked, it's no good or misses the...April 10th 20251,7175
Travel cakes
You may have come across the term "travel cakes" ("gateaux de voyage" in french) for certain pastries, so let's take a look at what they're all about.January 27th 20253,216
The aromatic power of sugar
In the kitchen, sugar doesn't just sweeten, it also has an exceptional ability to capture flavors. Combined with aromatic ingredients, such as citrus zest, it acts as a veritable sponge for aromas. By taking the time to let the sugar soak up the flavors, you can transform your desserts, making...December 25th 20243,6775
Other pages you may also like
The art of the charlotte
In cooking, a charlotte is a delicious moulded dessert, with biscuits around the outside that have been soaked in a flavoured syrup, filled with a light cream or mousse. The charlotte is left to set in the fridge before being turned out and served in slices. It is very light and a lovely sweet...February 27th 201341 K4.3
Steam for baking bread
What does steam have to do with bread-making? This is not only a bakers' secret, it is something you might not think of at all: if you make bread and bake it like a cake, you will end up with bread, but pale and with a thick, hard crust – a long way from the golden-brown crusty loaf you had in...June 16th 2021140 K4.5
What happens to the bread when you make it?
This bread that we eat every day, and that our baker makes for us, what happens during its manufacture so that it becomes bread? I will try to answer this question, and to summarize the complex alchemy that takes place.May 28th 202111 K4.9
Drawing a pattern in pastry
Often in the kitchen, in pastry-making, or in baking, we need to trace a pattern on a pastry. It's just a question of aesthetics but it has its effect after baking on a galette, pithiviers, pâté en croute (terrine in a pie crust), etc.May 23th 201930 K4.1
How to zest a fruit?
You will have no doubt noticed that many recipes call for the zest of citrus fruit. The zest is that outer layer of the skin which adds so much flavour to a dish. There are many different ways to peel off the zest and various tools are available. Here is a summary of the “dos and don'ts” of...November 5th 201343 K3.8
Post a comment or question
Follow this page
If you are interested in this page, you can "follow" it, by entering your email address here. You will then receive a notification immediately each time the page is modified or a new comment is added. Please note that you will need to confirm this following.
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Alternatively: you can subscribe to the mailing list of cooling-ez.com , you will receive a e-mail for each new recipe published on the site.