Bread is one of those things that at times look far more fancy than what it really is. Well, it can do anyway. This Flower Bread is one of them. An easy one to do if you want to team it up with a simple soup or alternatively, tear chunks off and slap some butter on those sides.
First up flatten your dough, this is done at the stage when you would normally shape your bread. (For a basic bread dough recipe see here for a regular yeasted one, or here for a simple sourdough.) Any old shape, as long as it’s the same thickness generally all around. Next you need to divide it into equal portions. I would normally do this as I go along. Again any shape is fine, and a rough triangle is excellent for the next step.
Next you are creating little balls. If you pull those corners into the middle (as if you were making a dumpling) it traps air in and creates a smooth outer surface. Pinch the ends together to seal it. Lightly plop it into some flour (this stops it from sticking to the board or bench top) and leave to the side. Carry on with the rest.
Once you have all your balls. Get two small bowls, one filled with water and the other with poppy seeds (or any other seeds, you might like to use.) Holding your ball of dough at the top where you sealed it, gently dip about a quarter of the dough into the water and then the seed bowl.
Next place them, seed side up into a lined cake tin. Depending on how big you did them, you should fit about seven. Six on the outer and one in the middle. Cover, and let them prove. Then bake at 230C with steam for about 25-ish minutes.
And there you have it… easy fancy pants Flower Bread!
cityhippyfarmgirl 
Beautiful Brydie! And so simple! Lovely Jason over at Don’t Boil the Sauce also made a lovely variation – each ball was dipped into a different topping, resulting in a multi-coloured multi-seeded effect.
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I just had a peek, it looks great.
I wonder if we will ever tire of talking bread Celia….nahh, probably not š
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oh! lovely and yummy!!!
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Very cute š
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gorgeous brydie..as always..x
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You are such a gifted baker Brydie. I love seeing the beautiful loaves you create! This one definitely looks extra special with its poppy seed crust and flower effect. Love your photographs too… I feel relaxed after reading this. Is that weird? xx
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Never weird Laura. It’s well known fact there are relaxing properties in bread pictures š
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Fabulous idea Brydie – looks so much more fun than a regular loaf! š
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I didn’t know it would be that simple! Gorgeous. You are a really skilled baker, Brydie xx
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Looks lovely! I was thinking that if you dipped the six outer petals in poppy seeds, but the central one in sesame seeds, you’d have even more of a flower appearance. š ~ Linne
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It would Linne, it definitely would. You can also dip them in assorted seeds, and have each one in a different colour. Visually they look great, (but alas I only had poppy seeds.)
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So pretty Brydie…love your bread work x
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Just lovely…I have a sourdough coming along on my counter this morning…maybe I should make it into a flower š
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Stunning bread Brydie! Or actually fancy pants is a much better term for it! š
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Always good to see a recipe for something that looks impressive, but is relatively simple to make as opposed to massively complicated recipes that take hours to make and end up looking as though I knocked it together in five minutes in a hurry.
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Nice looking breadā¦I’d love a hunk.
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Splendid flower bread. I make a zucchini and parmesan version often to go with soup and had no idea it was called a flower bread but of course, I can see that now:)
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Ahh looks yummy! Want to try this with different seeds like Linne suggested
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It’s beautiful! I love the idea of a pull-apart loaf.
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I think you’ve reached a pinnacle of fancy pants bread – although I am sure, being you, you’ll manage to create more of an equal quality in the future š
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It’s lovely! š
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I bet it was gorgeous with that soup. Guess who is going to have a go at making fancy pants flower bread today as I have an enormous pot of soup in my mind that just needs a bit of chopping and a cleared spot on Brunhildas blistering hot cook top to veer from contemplation into reality. LOVE this bread š
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Fancy pants indeed! I like the multi seed idea too, might just have to give this a go. x
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