Nordic Style Heritage Bread Mix

What You'll Need from Your Kitchen:

Warm Water 375 ml 

Instant Yeast 3 Tsp

Neutral Oil (extra virgin olive oil works nicely) 3 Tbs

Your choice of honey or maple syrup (4 Tbs), or blackstrap molasses (2 Tbs)

Apple Cider Vinegar (or white vinegar or lemon juice)  2 tsp

A greased 9x5-inch loaf pan (or 8.5x4.5-inch for a slightly taller loaf); or line the loaf pan with parchment paper 

Method

1. Mix: Pour the warm water into a bowl. Add the olive oil, your choice of sweetener, and apple cider vinegar and stir to combine. 

Pour the bread mix into a large bowl and add the yeast. Mix to combine.

Add the bowl of liquids to the bread mix and mix well with a spoon or your hands for 2–3 minutes until no dry flour remains. The dough will be thick and sticky — this is correct.

2. Rest at Room Temperature: Cover the bowl with a damp cloth and leave the dough to rest on the counter for 30–45 minutes. This gives the yeast a head start before the cold ferment and helps develop a taller rise.

3. Shape & Refrigerate: With wet hands, press the dough evenly into a parchment-lined loaf tin, smoothing the top. Cover with a damp cloth or cling film and place straight into the fridge. Refrigerate for 12–24 hours.

Bake Straight from the Fridge: When ready to bake, preheat your oven to 220°C (430°F). Keep the dough in the fridge while the oven heats up. Once fully preheated, take the loaf directly from the fridge, take the cover off & score the top with one deep slash, and place immediately into the hot oven. Bake for 50–55 minutes until the crust is deep brown and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom. If the top darkens too quickly, loosely cover with foil for the final 15 minutes.

Cool & Slice: Turn out onto a wire rack and cool for a minimum of 2 hours before slicing. The crumb sets as it cools —slicing early will give a gummy texture. Once fully cool, slice thinly for open-faced sandwiches.

TIPS & SERVING: Toasting: For best results toast slices multiple times to draw out moisture slowly and to give it a crispier result. Or toast slices in a dry frying pan over medium heat rather than a toaster—this draws out moisture slowly and gives a much crispier result.

Fridge to oven: Going straight from fridge to hot oven gives better oven spring and a crispier crust. Do not let the dough warm up on the counter first.

Slicing: Best sliced thin (5–7mm) with a serrated knife once fully cooled. 

Serving ideas: Smoked salmon + cream cheese • Avocado + seeds • Soft cheese + roasted vegetables • Butter + marmalade.

Storage: Wrap in a cloth or paper bag. Keeps 4–5 days on counter. Freezes exceptionally well; slice before freezing— toast straight from frozen.

Flexible for Your Schedule: Same-day baking: Let the dough sit for 3–4 hours at room temperature until risen with small bubbles. Some fermentation flavour, ready faster.

Add-ins & Variations: Fold in up to 100g of well-drained, patted-dry chopped olives, sundried tomatoes, or 2 tbsp of fresh woody herbs (rosemary/thyme) before the room-temperature rest. For dried herbs or spices (caraway, oregano), stir them straight into the dry mix bag before adding liquids.

Like all Well Crafted products, this mix is built around the ancient soaking tradition. An overnight ferment does more than develop flavour — it breaks down phytic acid, activates the grains, and makes every ingredient easier on your digestion. 

The night before takes about five minutes. The morning after takes about ten. The rest is just waiting.

Picture a kitchen in Denmark or Sweden. There's a dark, seeded loaf on a wooden board, sliced thin. Open-faced pieces are arranged on a plate, one with butter and cucumber, one with smoked salmon and a squeeze of lemon, one with soft cheese and a few herbs. Nobody is rushing. The bread is the meal.

That's the tradition this loaf comes from.

Nordic bread is dense, moist, and deeply satisfying by design. It has a firm, golden crust and a tight, seed-threaded crumb that feels substantial from the first slice. The flavour is earthy and nutty, with a mild tang from the overnight ferment, honest and unfussy, exactly like the culture it comes from.

It won't rise the way a white loaf does. It won't pull apart into soft, pillowy pieces. What it will do is keep you full, and support your digestion. Slice it thin. Top it generously. Eat it slowly. That's not just a suggestion, it's a centuries-old ritual that happens to be very good for you.

Organic Whole Spelt Flour, Teff Flour, Whole Teff Grain, Organic Superseeds: brown and golden flaxseed, chia seed, pumpkin seed, sunflower seed, sesame seed, Psyllium Husk, Salt

Contains sesame. Made in a facility that also processes soy, milk, eggs, coconut, and other tree nuts.

MAKES 1 loaf (~12 slices). PREP 10min + 30-45min rest. 

FERMENT 12–24 hrs (fridge). BAKE 50–55 mins

You Will also Need:

Instant Yeast , Warm Water, Olive Oil, Blackstrap Molasses or Honey or Maple Syrup ,Apple Cider Vinegar