Bread Machine Chia Seed Bread

My bread machine chia seed bread is a soft white bread with added fiber. Chia seeds are a very easy way to add soluble and insoluble fiber to a bread without massively changing the flavor of the bread.

Recipe Sections

1. Ingredients
2. Instructions
3. Helpful Tips

As I have gotten older (and less active), I find that I need to eat more fiber… to help things move along! Therefore, I have experimented making many different bread machine recipes with fiber. However, many people don’t like the taste of whole wheat. This led me to create a “white” bread with added chia seeds. My Bread Dad bread machine chia seed bread is a soft & tasty sandwich bread with extra fiber.

Sliced Bread Machine Chia Seed Bread

FYI – For details on how to make a 1 lb version of this recipe, please visit my 1 lb Bread Machine Chia Seed Bread page.

Ingredients – 1.5 lb Loaf

• 1 1/3 Cups – Milk (warm) – 315 milliliters
• 3 Tablespoons – Olive Oil – 45 milliliters – Or use 3 tablespoons of softened/melted butter if you prefer a buttery tasting bread.
• 3 Cups – Bread Flour – 360 grams
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons – White Granulated Sugar – 19 grams
• 1 1/8 Teaspoons – Salt – 6.8 grams
• 1 1/8 Teaspoons – Bread Machine Yeast (Instant Yeast) – 4.1 grams – Not active dry yeast
• 3 Tablespoons – Chia Seeds – 39 grams – Use whole seeds & not ground chia seeds. Do not pre-soak the seeds. Also this ingredient uses tablespoons (not teaspoons).

Ingredients – 2 lb Loaf

• 1 3/4 Cups – Milk (warm) – 414 milliliters
• 4 Tablespoons – Olive Oil – 60 milliliters – Or use 4 tablespoons of softened/melted butter if you prefer a buttery tasting bread.
• 4 Cups – Bread Flour – 480 grams
• 2 Tablespoons – White Granulated Sugar – 25 grams
• 1 1/2 Teaspoons – Salt – 9 grams
• 1 1/2 Teaspoons – Bread Machine Yeast (Instant Yeast) – 5.4 grams – Not active dry yeast
• 4 Tablespoons – Chia Seeds – 52 grams – Use whole seeds & not ground chia seeds. Do not pre-soak the seeds. Also this ingredient uses tablespoons (not teaspoons).

Servings – Roughly 12 slices

Equipment Needed – Measuring cup & spoons, silicone spatula, oven mitts, cooling rack and a bread machine.

Close-Up of Chia Seeds

Grilled Cheese Sandwich – Made With Chia Seed Bread

Instructions

• Bread machine settings – 1.5 or 2 pound loaf, light color and “basic/white” bread setting.
• Unplug your bread machine.
• Remove the bread pan from the unplugged bread machine.
• Pour the milk into the bread pan and then add the other ingredients. Place the bread machine yeast in last and the yeast should not touch the liquid or salt (until the bread machine is turned on and the ingredients start to be mixed together by the bread machine).
• Put bread pan with ingredients back into unplugged bread machine.
• Plug in bread machine. Enter the correct settings (for either the 1.5 lb or 2 lb loaf version) and press the “start” button.
• When the bread machine has finished baking the bread, unplug the bread machine and remove the bread pan from the bread machine. Wear oven mitts as the bread pan & bread machine will be hot.
• Remove the bread from the bread pan and place the bread on a cooling rack. Use oven mitts when removing the bread as the bread & bread pan will be hot.
• Let the bread cool on the cooling rack for 1 to 2 hours before cutting.
• Please read the tips section below for extra information on how to make this recipe successfully & to avoid common bread machine problems.

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Helpful Tips

• The tips below are designed to help bread machine “novices” and those who haven’t touched their bread machine in years.
• Click on this “print recipe” link if you want to print out this recipe. It includes all of the recipe’s ingredients and instructions. However, the recipe print function does not include my tips section. Please read the tips section in order to avoid common recipe problems.
• This recipe is part of Bread Dad’s series on easy Bread Machine Recipes such as banana bread, whole wheat bread, pizza dough, bagels and French bread.

• As I have gotten older, I find that I need more fiber in my diet. To get more fiber, I have been adding chia seeds to my morning oatmeal and to my yogurt. Therefore, I thought lets see what happens if I add chia seeds to a white bread recipe! I thought this would be a super easy way to add fiber to a sandwich bread.
• Moreover, some of my family members don’t like the taste of whole wheat. So for these non-whole wheat people, I wanted to create a “fiber bread” which tasted more like a white bread. Got to make everybody happy!
• The result – My bread machine chia seed bread is very soft & tasty sandwich bread because it is basically a white bread with chia seeds thrown in.
• I also like the “speckled” look of the bread (dots everywhere). It gives the sandwich bread an attractive & different looking appearance.

• Chia seeds have roughly 4 or 5 grams of fiber per tablespoon. Nevertheless, be aware that this fiber estimate can vary by manufacturer. So check the nutrition label on your chia seed package for the exact amount. According to the nutrition label on the Bob’s Red Mill chia seeds package that I like to use, there are 10 grams of dietary fiber in 2 tablespoons of their chia seeds. However, some other manufacturers have lower numbers on their chia seed packages.
• Chia seeds have a lot of insoluble fiber. It is estimated that the fiber in chia seeds is 70-80% insoluble and 20-30% soluble. For more information about the differences of insoluble and soluble fiber, you should read the Wikipedia article on Dietary Fiber.
• Bread flour has some (not much) fiber too. Bread flour has roughly 3 grams of fiber per cup. In contrast, whole wheat flour has roughly 10 to 15 grams per cup. According to the nutrition label on my package of King Arthur Baking whole wheat flour, their whole wheat flour has 12 grams of fiber per cup (3 grams per 1/4 cup).
• Therefore, based on the info above, I estimate that my 2 pound chia seed bread recipe has roughly 32 grams of fiber (20 grams of fiber from 4 tablespoons of the chia seeds and 12 grams of fiber from the 4 cups of bread flour).
• In comparison, my 2 lb Bread Machine White Bread has roughly 12 grams of fiber (based on 12 grams of fiber from 4 cups of bread flour) and my 2 lb “soft” Bread Machine Whole Wheat Bread has roughly 30 grams of fiber (based on 6 grams of fiber from 2 cups of bread flour and 24 grams of fiber from the 2 cups of whole wheat flour). However, my bread machine 100% whole wheat bread recipe has roughly 48 grams of fiber (based on 48 grams of fiber from 4 cups of whole wheat flour).
• Of course, these are VERY ROUGH estimates and they can VARY based on the ingredients used, amount of ingredients used, etc.
• So you are getting a decent amount of fiber in my bread machine chia seed bread. It has as much as my soft whole wheat bread (which uses a 50/50 mix of whole wheat flour and bread flour).
• However, my chia seed bread has less fiber than my 100% whole wheat bread. Nevertheless, the chia bread is softer and fluffier than my 100% whole wheat bread.
• Chia seeds also contain other nutrients such as omega-3 fatty acids. For more on the benefits of chia seeds, you should read this Harvard Health article.
• The chia seeds may add a slightly nutty flavor to the bread but the taste is very mild.
• My biggest problem with chia bread – I occasionally get the chia seeds trapped between my teeth!
• You generally can find chia seed packages in the baking section of many major supermarkets in the USA. They are also easy to buy online.
• Visitors – Why do you like to eat chia seeds? And do you add them to your bread or other baked goods? Please post your chia seed thoughts & baking ideas in the comment section below.

• Try making my 1.5 lb recipe FIRST because my chia bread is a very fluffy bread. My 2 lb loaf might be too big for some “supposedly” 2 lb capable bread machines.
• See my Bread Pan Size page to see what sized bread loaf best fits your specific bread machine. Some bread machines are better with my 1 lb recipes, others with my 1.5 recipes and other machines with my 2 lb recipes.
• If you have a small compact bread machine (such as Briskind Compact Bread Maker or Zojirushi Mini Breadmaker), you should make my 1 lb Bread Machine Chia Seed Bread.

• Do NOT use cold milk. The main problem with using regular milk is that people tend to use cold refrigerated milk and this can slow the yeast growth. Try to use warm milk (or instant powdered milk mixed into warm water). If the milk is just coming out of the refrigerator and thus is too cold, I like to put the milk in my microwave for 15-20 seconds in order to warm it up. However, you should also be aware that the milk/water should not be too hot because very hot milk/water can kill the yeast.
• The ideal temperature for liquid ingredients used when making bread machine bread is around 100 to 110 F. Cold liquids (such as water & milk straight from the refrigerator) will slow yeast growth and liquid ingredients that are 140 F or above can kill the yeast. Some people like to use a digital bread thermometer in order to measure the temperature of their liquid ingredients.
• You can also use non-dairy milk substitutes such as plain (non-flavored) soy milk, oat milk, etc.
• In addition, you can use water to replace the milk. However, the bread will be a little less tasty (versus breads made with milk).
• Optional – If you want to make an even softer chia seed bread, you should use buttermilk instead of milk. The slight acidity of buttermilk tenderizes the bread (in part by softening the gluten).

• Warning – The dough for my chia seed bread may look a little wetter than usual in the beginning until the chia seeds absorb the moisture (they are very absorbent unlike many other seeds). Don’t freak out if things look a little too wet (as it takes chia seeds 5 to 10 minutes to absorb the moisture). The dough should look “normal” by the second mixing/kneading cycle of your bread machine.
• If you like breads with fiber, check out Bread Dad’s recipes for Bread Machine 100% Whole Wheat Bread, Bread Machine Cracked Wheat Bread and High Fiber Bread.
• Or if you like breads with seeds, take a look at my recipes for Seed Bread (contains chia seeds, flaxseeds and sunflower seeds) and Bread Machine Multigrain Bread (which uses chopped grain seeds).
• Or if you want to make a dessert with chia seeds, you might like my Chia Seed Banana Bread recipe.

• Many bakers like to make an indent/pocket in the top of the flour in order to hold the bread machine yeast in place (looks sort of like a small flour volcano with a yeast crater). This is done to prevent the yeast from falling into the liquid ingredients (and activating prematurely) or coming into contact with the salt until the bread machine is turned on.
• I like to place the yeast in the center of the bread pan and the salt on the side of the pan. You want to keep the yeast and salt separated because the salt can kill the yeast.
• Do NOT confuse or mix up the 1.5 lb & 2 lb ingredient amounts when making this bread machine recipe (e.g. accidentally using some of the 2 lb ingredient amounts when making the 1.5 lb version). Cough, cough… I know because I have done this before!

• My recipe is based on bread flour (and not all purpose flour). A bread made with all purpose flour will NOT be as good as one made with bread flour. Most sandwich bread recipes use bread flour because bread flour has more gluten than all purpose flour. This helps to add “structure” to the bread and capture more of the CO2 “bubbles” put out by the bread yeast. Thus bread flour breads tend to be fluffier than all purpose flour breads.
• Moreover, since all purpose flour has less gluten than bread flour, breads made with all purpose flour do not hold together as well as breads made with bread flour. Gluten provides structural strength to bread. Breads made with all purpose flour often will “crumble” and/or break more easily when sliced (versus breads made with bread flour).
• My bread machine recipe will NOT work if you use gluten free flour (instead of the bread flour called for in the recipe).

• Always use FRESH ingredients (e.g. bread flour and yeast) for the best results. Ingredients that have been sitting in the pantry for months can become stale or pick up weird smells & flavors.
• Try to keep your ingredients (e.g. flour) in airtight food containers in order to extend their shelf life. Airtight containers protect ingredients from moisture (in the air), pests, dust, etc.
• Flour (when stored in an open bag and not in an airtight container) can absorb a lot of moisture from the air. This extra moisture throws off recipes and can lead to bread collapses, etc.

• This recipe uses bread machine yeast (instant yeast). It does NOT use active dry yeast.
• Bread machine yeast and instant yeast are not the same as active dry yeast. Bread machine yeast and instant yeast are added directly to the recipe’s ingredients. In contrast, active dry yeast must be pre-activated for 5-10 minutes in water/milk before being added to a recipe’s ingredients. If you try to use active dry yeast for this recipe, it is much less likely to work properly (as the recipe instructions & leavening time is based on the use of bread machine yeast). Examples of yeast that can be used for this recipe include Fleischmann’s Bread Machine Yeast, Fleischmann’s Instant Yeast, Saf Instant Yeast, Red Star Instant Yeast, etc. You should not use active dry yeasts for this recipe such as Fleischmann’s Active Dry Yeast, Red Star Active Dry Yeast, etc.
• I would recommend NOT reducing the salt in this recipe. You generally want to keep the salt-to-yeast ratio at a 1:1 basis in most bread recipes (1:1 based on teaspoons to teaspoons and NOT grams to grams). The salt moderates the growth of the yeast. If you cut the salt (and disrupt this 1:1 ratio), the yeast will grow faster than expected. In turn, this leads to more bread collapses (because the yeast rises too high and then craters in the middle) and/or results in “slack” less manageable dough. In addition, less salt will impact the flavor and browning of the bread.
• If you would like to read my review of the bread machines that I own & use to create my bread machine recipes, please visit my Best Bread Machines page. It covers bread machines such as Briskind, Hamilton Beach and Zojirushi. The page provides my thoughts on the machines’ strengths and weaknesses.

• If you haven’t used your bread machine or bread maker in a long time, please buy some NEW bread machine yeast before making your bread. Old yeast can die or lose its potency and this will lead to bread that does not rise properly. Bread machine yeast is not likely to be viable if it has been sitting in your pantry for years.
• Bread machine yeast loses its potency over time. Generally, bread machine yeast lasts for only 3-4 months after you have opened the bottle. However, if the yeast is exposed to air & moisture (e.g. the bottle is not sealed tight) or exposed to higher temperatures, the yeast will expire even more quickly.
• Once you have opened the bottle that contains the bread machine yeast, the yeast will last longer if you store the bottle in the refrigerator or freezer. Just make sure the bottle is sealed tight (as yeast will deteriorate quickly if exposed to air, moisture and/or heat).
• If your dough is having trouble rising properly, you should check out my How To Test Yeast page. This yeast test will show you if your yeast is alive & active or dead/expired. It will save you from a few bread disasters!

• You should let your bread COMPLETELY cool down before slicing. If you try cutting bread while it is still warm, you will squash & compress the bread and interfere with the bread slowly releasing the steam/water vapor from the interior. Premature slicing can negatively impact the bread by making the bread more gummy. FYI – It can take 1 to 2 hours for a bread to completely cool.
• Do not overbake your sandwich bread!! As soon as the bread machine done, you should remove the pan from the machine and then remove the bread from the pan. This applies to most sandwich breads made with a bread machine but always follow the recipe’s instructions for the best results.
• Do not forget the bread & let it sit in the bread machine or pan after the machine has finished baking. The residual heat will continue to bake the bread, drying it out and the loaf will turn into a rock!!

• Cool your bread on a wire cooling rack. This type of rack allows moisture to escape via all the sides of the bread (including the bottom of the loaf). FYI – A lot of moisture escapes through the paddle hole in the bottom of the bread.
• If you place bread on a cutting board or plate to cool down, the bottom of the loaf will become soggy. The escaping moisture has nowhere to go and is trapped by the plate/cutting board. This means that the bottom of your bread just sits in the trapped moisture.

• If your bread comes out too dense, it is likely due to one of the following reasons; You are using old or stale yeast, using a cold refrigerator temperature liquid (which slows yeast growth), baking in a cold winter temperature kitchen (yeast likes kitchen temps of 75-80 degree F), using all purpose flour (versus bread flour as called for in the recipe), placing salt on top of or next to the yeast (salt kills yeast so it must be placed away from the yeast in the bread pan), etc. For more reasons, you should visit Bread Dad’s Why Is My Bread Machine Bread So Dense? page.
• Cooler home temperatures in the winter can cause rising problems for bread dough. Ideally, your kitchen room temperature should be around 80 degrees F. Colder winter room temperatures can significantly delay the rise of the dough. You will need to raise the temperature of your kitchen (if you like a cold house in the winter) or find a warm spot for the dough to rise. I often put my dough (covered of course) next to a heating vent in the winter to make sure it is getting enough heat.
• Conversely, dough can rise faster than expected in a very hot summer kitchen.

• Kitchen humidity can impact a recipe. A winter kitchen tends to be drier due to your heating system drying out the air. In contrast, a kitchen in the summer can be much more humid. This change in humidity impacts baking as flour can soak up humidity from the air. Therefore, you might have to add 1-2 teaspoons of liquid in the winter if the dough is looking too dry. Or you might have to add 1-2 teaspoons of flour in the summer if the dough is looking too wet. If your kitchen is very dry or humid, you might have to add even a little more (but start with 1 teaspoon at a time until you achieve the right consistency). Of course, excessive kitchen humidity or dryness can impact a recipe at any time during the year (not just in the summer & winter)!
• This is one of the reasons that people should store flour in an airtight container if they have already opened the flour package. The flour will pick up extra moisture from the air while sitting in the pantry and this can throw off recipes, spoil flavor, degrade shelf life, etc.
• Having trouble with bread collapses & misshapen bread tops? Make sure to read Bread Dad’s article on Bread Machine Bread Collapses. It has reasons and solutions to potential bread collapses.
• For information on other possible errors, please visit my Common Bread Machine Mistakes page.

• You can also use this homemade bread to make one of Bread Dad’s hot & toasty Grilled Cheese & Panini Sandwich Recipes such as air fryer grilled cheese, chicken paninis and ham & cheese paninis.
• My recipes are based on US ingredient measurements (e.g. US cups & tablespoons). However, as a courtesy to our European visitors, I have also included some very ROUGH European equivalents (e.g. grams & milliliters). Since I rarely use European measurements when baking, please let me know in the comment section below if any of the European ingredient measurements need to be changed (e.g. for XYZ ingredient, milliliters are more commonly used versus the grams information listed in the recipe).
• Before using your bread machine, you should always read the bread machine manufacturer’s instructions in order to use the bread machine effectively and safely.
• Always wear oven mitts/gloves when dealing with a bread machine. The bread pan and the rest of the bread machine can get very hot during the baking process. This means that the bread pan and bread machine is likely to be very hot when you attempt to remove a baked good from the bread machine and/or bread pan.
• For more easy bread recipes, please explore Bread Dad’s Bread Machine Recipes or Homemade Bread Recipes sections.

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Reference Sources

1. Wikipedia, Bread Machine
2. Wikipedia, Chia Seed
3. Wikipedia, Dietary Fiber

Related Recipes

1. Bread Machine Cracked Wheat Bread
2. Bread Machine Honey Wheat Bread
3. Bread Machine 100% Whole Wheat Bread
4. Chia Seed Banana Bread
5. High Fiber Bread – Oven baked
6. Seed Bread – Chia seeds, flaxseeds & sunflower seeds

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