Fibonacci Spiral Growth Bread (Printable Version)

Visually striking loaf featuring a spiral of seeds, nuts, cheese, and vegetables creating varied textures and flavors.

# What You Need:

→ Dough Base

01 - 4 cups strong bread flour
02 - 1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
03 - 7 tablespoons active sourdough starter or 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
04 - 2 teaspoons fine sea salt
05 - 1 tablespoon olive oil

→ Fibonacci Spiral Additions

06 - 2 tablespoons 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, drained sun-dried tomatoes
11 - 1/3 cup pitted and chopped mixed olives
12 - 1/3 cup sautéed, well-drained spinach

# How to Make It:

01 - In a large bowl, combine flour and lukewarm water until just mixed. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.
02 - Add sourdough starter or yeast, sea salt, and olive oil. Mix until 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 it into seven equal portions.
05 - Gently knead each addition into one dough portion, starting with sunflower seeds and increasing quantities per portion, ending with spinach in the final piece.
06 - Roll each portion into a rope. Coil the ropes around a central point on parchment paper-lined baking sheet, forming a spiral. Press ends to seal.
07 - Cover loosely and allow the shaped loaf to rise for 1.5 hours until puffy.
08 - Preheat oven to 445°F (230°C). Place an empty tray at the oven bottom for steam generation.
09 - Dust the loaf lightly with flour and slash along spiral lines with a sharp blade to promote expansion.
10 - Pour 1 cup hot water into the tray to create steam. Bake the loaf for 40 minutes, rotating halfway until golden brown and crusty.
11 - Transfer the bread to a wire rack and cool completely before slicing.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It looks like edible art—your guests won't believe you made it yourself, and honestly, neither will you at first
  • Each spiral segment has its own flavor journey, from delicate seeds to rich, savory olives and cheese
  • The long fermentation creates that incredible tangy complexity and tender crumb that makes people ask for seconds
  • It's actually easier than it looks once you understand the rhythm of building each layer
02 -
  • Don't drain your spinach half-heartedly. Excess moisture is the enemy of crispy crust and proper fermentation. I learned this the hard way when my first attempt turned soggy on the inside.
  • The Fibonacci spiral actually works because each segment sits slightly taller than the last, creating natural steam pockets and flavor zones that bake differently. This isn't just pretty—it's functional.
  • If your starter or yeast isn't active enough, the whole timeline stretches. Make sure your starter is bubbling and doubling predictably before you begin, or your dough might take 14 hours instead of 10.
03 -
  • Build your ingredient prep the night before fermentation ends. This bread moves quickly once the bulk rise finishes, and having everything toasted, drained, and ready is the difference between calm assembly and kitchen chaos.
  • Use a kitchen scale. These spirals depend on precise dough portions and ingredient ratios. Your eyes are excellent, but grams don't lie.
  • The coolest discovery I made: scoring the spiral lines slightly deeper around the outer edges encourages the outer spirals to open more dramatically, creating a beautiful visual reveal as it bakes.
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