Fibonacci Spiral Growth Loaf (Printable Version)

Artisan loaf shaped in Fibonacci spiral with layered seeds, nuts, cheese, and vegetables for depth.

# What You'll Need:

→ Dough Base

01 - 3 1/3 cups strong bread flour
02 - 1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
03 - 3.5 ounces 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 - 1 1/2 tablespoons toasted sunflower seeds
07 - 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts
08 - 3 tablespoons pumpkin seeds
09 - 1/4 cup grated hard cheese (Gruyère or Parmesan)
10 - 1/4 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes, drained
11 - 1/3 cup mixed olives, pitted and chopped
12 - 1/3 cup sautéed spinach, well-drained

# How to Make It:

01 - Combine bread flour and lukewarm water in a large bowl and mix until just incorporated. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
02 - Add sourdough starter or instant yeast, sea salt, and olive oil. Mix to form a sticky dough and 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 ferment at room temperature for 8 to 12 hours until doubled in volume.
04 - Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide into seven equal portions.
05 - Gently knead each ingredient addition into one portion of dough, starting with sunflower seeds and increasing quantity through each portion, finishing with spinach in the largest piece.
06 - Roll each portion into ropes. Coil the ropes from smallest to largest around a central point on a parchment-lined baking sheet, pressing ends together to seal.
07 - Cover loosely and allow the formed spiral to rise for 1.5 hours until puffy.
08 - Preheat the oven to 445°F. Place an empty tray on the oven bottom to create steam during baking.
09 - Lightly dust the loaf with flour and score spiral lines using a sharp blade to allow expansion.
10 - Pour one cup of hot water into the oven tray to generate steam and bake the loaf for 40 minutes, rotating halfway through until crust is golden brown and crisp.
11 - Remove from oven and cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It's a showstopper—this bread turns heads at any table and becomes an instant conversation starter, even though the technique is more manageable than it looks
  • Every spiral segment has its own flavor story, building from subtle nuttiness to bold, briny complexity, so each bite surprises you
  • The long fermentation gives you that restaurant-quality tang and crumb structure without constant babysitting, perfect for a weekend project
02 -
  • The dough must be slack and sticky from the start—if you're tempted to add more flour because it seems wet, resist that urge; the autolyse period and proper kneading technique will transform it into something manageable and beautiful
  • Drain your spinach obsessively; I learned this lesson the hard way when a waterlogged batch created a sad, gummy crumb that defeated the entire spiral structure
  • Temperature matters enormously—if your kitchen is cold, give the first rise 12 hours; if it's warm, it might finish in 8; watch the dough itself, not the clock
03 -
  • Invest in a bread lame or even a clean razor blade for scoring; a dull knife drags dough rather than cutting cleanly, and clean cuts are what create those striking expansion lines and ear formations on your crust
  • Save your sourdough discard if you have it—discard from a fed starter actually ferments beautifully and can replace all or part of your active starter; it's peak waste-reduction baking
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