Soft and tender, this multigrain bread is so delicious, full of many different grains that is perfect for sandwiches and toast.
This multigrain bread has so many different grains and two different flours, honey and butter, so it has extra flavor and texture. The process is quite simple and results in a tender loaf, not dense at all. If you have a stand mixer, there's hardly any work involved at all.
I have my standard recipe for regular white bread, and I love it. It's so simple to make and always comes out so well. I've also wanted to find a good recipe for a whole wheat multigrain bread as well. The problem with most whole wheat recipes is that the bread is so dense and hard, and that's not what I was going for. I also didn't want to be perusing many aisles in several specialty stores looking for all the different grains that the recipe would need. As soon as I gave this recipe from American's Test Kitchen a try, my husband and I were both very pleased with the results and I've been making it for several years now. It's so rewarding to take out a warm and fragrant loaf of bread from the oven, and the smell that wafts throughout the house is amazing.
The bread has whole wheat, rye, barley, oats, triticale and flaxseed grain and additional all purpose flour to make it soft. It's perfect to enjoy with a bowl of soup and sandwiches. My favorite is to use it for all kinds of toast - simply with butter or avocado toast, smoked salmon toast, cream cheese and arugula and so much more. The options are endless.
Ingredients:
Scroll to the bottom of the page for the printable recipe with measurements or use the Jump To Recipe button at the top of the page.
- 5 or 7-grain hot cereal mix (more details about the hot cereal mix below)
- boiling water
- unbleached all-purpose flour
- whole-wheat flour
- honey
- butter
- instant dry yeast
- salt
- old-fashioned rolled oats or quick oats
Hot Cereal/Oatmeal is the secret to great multigrain bread
This multigrain hot cereal mix is the perfect answer to multigrain bread. This 5 grain hot cereal mix has a combination of whole wheat, rye, barley, oats, triticale and flaxseed grain. Sometimes you can also find 7 grain hot cereal mix.
Instead of gathering many different grains and dealing with them all separately, the hot mix cereal gives us a simple solution. Here we have numerous grains and we only have to deal with them once. Isn't it genius? Plus, using the warm and hydrated "oatmeal" makes the bread so soft and tender too.
Multigrain Bread Video
How To Make Multigrain Bread
- Pour the boiling water over the hot cereal mix and set aside for about an hour, until it cools to approximately 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
- During that time, the cereal will hydrate and soften, soaking in all that water.
- Meanwhile, in another large bowl, combine the two flours together.
- Using half the amount of whole wheat as all purpose flour, will keep the bread nice and soft.
- Once the cereal has cooled, add the honey, melted butter and yeast. Mix to combine.
- Gradually add the flour to the liquid ingredients.
- In a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment, mix the dough on low speed, slowly adding in the mixed flours. Mix for about 2 minutes, until the dough forms a ball.
- Add the salt and knead the bread dough for about 7 minutes, until the dough has pulled away from the sides of the bowl.
- If you've mixed if for 3-5 minutes and it's still sticking to the bowl, add 3 Tablespoons more flour.
- Set the dough aside, covered, to rise until doubled in size, about 40 minutes.
- Coat the bowl and the dough in oil, so it's easier to get out of the bowl after it rises.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a towel while it's rising so it doesn't dry out.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease 2 bread pans with oil.
- When the dough has doubled in size, cut the dough in half and roll each into a loaf. (More details instructions below.)
- Lightly spritz each loaf with water or oil and roll in the oats, just enough for the oats to adhere to the bread.
- Place the bread loaves into the loaf pans and set aside to rise until double in size, for another 40 minutes or so.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes in the preheated oven. Cool the bread in the loaf pans for about 5 minutes before taking them out of the loaf pans and onto a cooling rack.
Shaping the Bread
- When the dough has risen and is double in size, lightly sprinkle your counter with flour, then remove the dough from the bowl.
- Divide the dough in half.
- Flatten each half into a rectangle (the width of the rectangle should be about the same size as the length of your bread pans.)
- Roll up the rectangle into a loaf, tightly.
- Lightly spritz the dough with water, oil or melted butter.
- Spread out the old fashioned or quick oats onto the counter, then roll each loaf on all sides in the oats. Pat the oats onto the bread dough so it adheres. Place the bread into the prepared baking pans to rise.
Storing and Freezing the Bread
I have a detailed blog post all about how to freeze bread, you can get a lot more info there. But, here's the quick version.
Store the bread at room temperature or in the refrigerator for longer storage.
If you have a small family, you can freeze the second loaf. Wrap it securely in a freezer ziplock bag or even vacuum seal it for longer storage. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Then simply thaw and serve; it will stay fresh perfectly. Another option is to share the second loaf with your friends or neighbors. I'm sure your thoughtfulness will be appreciated. Who wouldn't love a fresh loaf of homemade bread?
What To Serve With the Bread
- This multigrain bread is perfect to serve with a warm bowl of soup, like Chicken Noodle Soup or Borsch and make it into sandwiches.
- I love using this bread for avocado toast topped with poached eggs. So good!
- It's also wonderful to use for Smoked Salmon and Cucumber Sandwiches or Salmon Gravlax Sandwiches.
Multigrain Bread
Soft and tender, this multigrain bread is so delicious, full of many different grains that is perfect for sandwiches and toast.
- Prep Time: 3 hours
- Cook Time: 35 mins
- Total Time: 3 hours 35 mins
- Yield: 2 loaves of bread 1x
- Category: Miscellaneous
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups 5 grain or 7-grain hot cereal mix
- 2 ½ cups boiling water
- 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting work surface
- 1 ½ cups whole-wheat flour
- 4 Tablespoons honey
- 4 Tablespoons butter, melted and cooled slightly
- 2 ½ teaspoons instant dry yeast
- 1 Tablespoon table salt or sea salt
- ½ cup old-fashioned rolled oats or quick oats
- additional butter or oil to coat the bread dough/bowl while rising and to grease the bread pans
Instructions
- Pour the boiling water over the cereal mix and set aside for about an hour, until it cools to approximately 100 degrees Fahrenheit. During that time, the cereal will hydrate and soften, soaking in all that water.
- In another large bowl, combine the two flours together.
- Once the cereal has cooled, add the honey, melted butter and yeast. Mix to combine.
- In a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment, mix the dough on low speed, slowly adding in the mixed flours. Mix for about 2 minutes, until the dough forms a ball.
- Add the salt and knead the bread dough for about 7 minutes, until the dough has pulled away from the sides of the bowl. If you've mixed if for 3-5 minutes and it's still sticking to the bowl, add 3 Tablespoons more flour, 1 spoon at a time.
- Set aside the dough to rise until doubled, about 40 minutes. (Coat the dough and the bowl lightly in oil, cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a towel while it's rising.)
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease 2 bread pans with butter or oil.
- When the dough has doubled in size, divide the dough in half. Flatten each half of dough into a rectangle and then tightly roll the rectangle into a loaf.
- Spread out the oats onto the counter. Lightly spritz each loaf with water or oil and roll in the oats, just enough for the oats to adhere to the bread. Place into the loaf pans and set aside to rise until double in size, for another 40 minutes or so.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes in the preheated oven.
- Cool the bread in the loaf pans for about 5 minutes before taking them out of the loaf pans and onto a cooling rack.
Hi Olga,
Can I use 2 1/2 cups of unbleached flour and 2 cups of whole wheat flour?
Also, can I make a 1 1/4 cup multi grain cereal mix that contains other seeds. Would it change the texture of the bread?
I'm not sure, Denise. I only made this bread by the recipe that I posted. I can't be sure of the results to something I never tried.
Olga,
Many loaves since my first one. I still use your recipe. I always follow your very clear instructions. Over time the bread comes out better than when I first tried. I don't know what I do to change things. I use 100 degree water in s small bowl to activate the yeast. I set the loaf pans covered by dish towels on the stove above the oven to rise. Maybe I have become more careful about how I place the loaf pans in the oven after the rise. I try not to jar the pans or slam the oven door. I try to use a very smooth and quiet process in order to prevent any disturbance to the delicate dough.
Whatever the reason is, the bread gets better with practice. I love it and can't get enough.
Thank you so much for this recipe.
I have made this recipe now probably 5 times. I am addicted to this awesome bread. So tasty and very easy to make. It has never failed. Thank you for your recipe !!!!
I just found your site and made this bread, it turned out absolutely wonderful and I play on making it again. The only issue I had is that it is so soft that it was hard to have formed slices. How do I make it more dense?
That's great, Anna! So glad you enjoyed it.
If you want the bread to be harder, try adding a bit more flour.
Followed your recipe closely, pictures were a great help. I made 2 amazing multigrain bread loafs. I finished both lofts as my kids were walking through the door after school. The house smelt great! I was so proud of my self that I cut a few slices off one of the loaf and gave them to my neighbors!
I'm so glad that the pictures were helpful, Dianhann. The smell of homemade bread is amazing. Best aromatherapy:).
I just made this bread today and it is delicious and will definitely be a staple at our house. I was just wondering if you happen to know the flour measurements by weight so I can be sure that I am using the exact same amount as you are. Mine turned out great but I felt like I could've used a little too much flour.
I'm so glad to hear that you enjoyed the bread, Christopher. It's definitely one of my favorites.
6 1/4 ounces 7-grain hot cereal mix
15 ounces unbleached all-purpose flour
7 1/2 ounces whole-wheat flour
Never mind Olga, made another 2 loaves today and they where flops as well. Four dead loaves of bread, I think this bread is not for me. Have been making bread for many years and have had an occasional flop, but never 4 in two days. Loaves look great, rise well, after 20 minutes in the oven down they come. When I cut them the centre is doughy. Have just discovered 7 grain hot cereal and thought it might be easier than adding individual grain but at least they turn out. Love your site and will try your chicken noodle soup next.
I'm sorry to hear that this bread didn't work out for you, Jeanette. I wouldn't have been able to tell you metric measurements for the recipe, since I just use the standard American cup measurements.
Thanks Olgak9. Can you tell me the volume of your cup please, in ounces and fluid ounces if these what you use. I can hopefully work it from there.
http://allrecipes.com/howto/conversions-us-standard-to-metric/
Olgak7, I live in Australia and we use metric measurements. Can you give me some idea of weights please as our cups are 250 mils.? Thanks, look delicious and I love multi-grain bread.
Will this recipe work in a bread maker?
Probably, but you will have to adjust it to your machine, Linda.
Thanks for the recipe.
I made it this morning but made a few alterations.
I used hot milk instead of water, a bit more honey, and split the amount of flour evenly between whole wheat and white.
It turned out lovely. It had a nice texture and was soft.
That's great, Suzie! I just love this bread. I'm so glad you enjoyed it too.
Thanks a lot for sharing this great recipe. That's very nice to put all those details. I enjoyed your posts...
I have a question for you. My breads have great texture but they are not even looking on the top! Here is what the problem is:
I put the dough into the baking pans and let it rise again. After they got volume again, I put them into the preheated oven and right there in few minutes the top of the bread flattens down! I made even this bread with your recipe and the same thing happened on them. What do you think the problem might be?
Maybe I need to add more flour? or less yeast?!
Thank you
Hi, Olga. I just made the bread following your very clear directions and step-by-step photos...and the two loaves turned out great. I didn't have wholewheat flour, so I substituted with plain bread flour. As for the multi-grain cereal, I happened to have leftover 5-grain porridge mix and that worked perfectly. It's a brilliant idea to use cereal mixes like this.
I just found your blog today and plan to return to enjoy your recipes and postings. Keep up the good work.
Cheers!
PS I have never bothered to leave comments in blogs I have visited todate. But I am so happy with your recipe and presentation, I just had to leave my thanks.
Hi MM Saw! Welcome. I am so glad you stopped by and are happy with how the bread turned out:). Thanks for taking the time to write. It means a lot to me. I hope you find many other recipes that your family will enjoy.
I made this recipe today. It turned out amazing! I bought a small bag of unbleached all-purpose flour at the store today thinking I had whole-wheat at home. Annnd I ended up with two bags of unbleached all-purpose. And I couldn't find the 5 or 7-grain hot cereal at the commissary. So I made the following substitutions: Hodgson Mill Oat Bran hot cereal with some oats mixed in, and I used almond flour instead of the whole-wheat plus some ground flax seed. I can't stop eating it!
I'm glad you enjoyed the bread, Rachael.
Multigrain bread is the favorite bread of my family. We all love bread and can make a meal out of it. Love this easy recipe will be trying it very soon. Thanks Awesome!!!!!
I hope you like it, Yvonne:).
I ran across your blog the other day and thought this recipe looked great! I have since tried to make it twice, both times my bread simply would not rise for me after I formed the loaf. I have made wheat bread for years and have not had this problem. During both of the rises I rest the bowl/loaf pans in warm water to aid in the raising process. For this recipe I did the same thing, to no avail. I waited for two hours for the last rise until I grew to frustrated and finally threw it into the oven. Ended up with flat, fairly dense loaves. I followed the recipe exactly with the one addition that I used a 10 grain hot cereal instead of a 5-7 grain.
Do you have any thoughts on what could have gone wrong?
I'm sorry, Kristen, but I just don't know what to tell you. I tried to be very clear and precise in the recipe instructions. Is your yeast fresh? Try putting some in warm water and let it stand for 5 minutes, it should become foamy.
Maybe your kitchen isn't warm enough?
The yeast is fresh, I just used it the other day. And I put the dough bowl in a sink filled with hot water for the sole purpose of ensuring that it is warm enough for the yeast to grow. I have read that using vital wheat gluten can help with rising issues. Do you think that may be my problem?