[catllar]

A question for all you experienced bakers out there please. How do you get sunflower seeds or sesame or even flour come to that to stick to the top of your loaf?

[compostqueen]

With seeds I knead some in towards the end of kneading as I'm forming it for the last time. I also put the sesame seeds (or whatever) into a flat tray or plate and carefully lower my ball of dough down onto it and lightly press it into the seeds

If I flour the top I often use a granary or a wholemeal, or porridge oats to give a change of texture. You can grease  the tin and then flour the tin by chucking a the chosen flour in and moving it around the base and sides. For the floury top, you can finish off the shaping with the chosen flour on the worktop so you get some on and then just get some in your hand and throw it across the loaf with a flourish 

[GrannieAnnie]

I don't usually seed my tops, but I just flour them with my little sifter.

[catllar]

Yeah but does it stick?

[GrannieAnnie]

Yeah!  If the dough feels a bit wet or oily, the flour sinks in, but when I flour the top I don't let anything touch the top of the dough.

I have a clear plastic cake cover which keeps the dough covered, but it doesn't touch it. 

[Lardman]

I asked the very same question last year. Someone suggested wetting the top with a little water, then pressing the seeds on gently .  It's not 100% but it's certainly the most effective way I've found so far.

[Silkychicks]

.. Flour can absord someting but with seeds I think it is different..

I put them on when I prepare the bread before its last time rising: the toplayer is a little sticky and it will slightly sink in and with baking it will get 'attached'. I think that is all you can do. Even when you get a loaf of bread from a good bakery you lose quite a bit when you start to cut it. (I worked in an organic bakery for a few years; using a machine you lose at least half).
Depending on how wet your dough is (there is some space between to wet and to dry: see where you are), you can paint some water over the top after the last knead, then put on te seeds. Make sure you don't touch it anymore before you put it in the oven.

When you bake someting and you add heavy things (apple, currants) and you don't want them ending up at the bottom  you mix them with flour before mixing them through your dough (I mean the doughs you can stir, not knead like soda bread or cake), but that ofcourse doesn't work for a topping.

Have you ever tried baking in a 'closed shape'? Your bread wil hit a top and the seeds will be pressed in.

[Agatha]

I always mix my seeds into the dough, but when my mum used to bake bread, she used to brush the top with milk before adding the seeds.  Seemed to work pretty well.

[catllar]

Thanks peeps - lots of ideas to try. I don't like to touch the dough again once it's done its second rise, so I've just been throwing the sesame seeds on in the hope they'll stick. Might try just using a plant sprayer (clean) to mist the top first.  Will try your suggestion too Sillychicks, put them on before the second rise - less recious then!

[Silkychicks]

Good luck! 

[Trillium]

A bit of milk or egg white lightly brushed over the top then the seeds sprinkled on should do the trick. They'll also help brown the top crust a bit. Its what I do.