Homemade Multigrain Bread

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My Homemade Multigrain Bread is made with tasty seeds and whole grains. Packed full of flavour and natural goodness – this light and fluffy rustic bread is perfect for sandwiches or toast.

Wholemeal/whole wheat flour, whole oats and rye flour are mixed with white bread flour. The white flour helps keep the loaf light and fluffy.

I’ve used a mix of sunflower, linseed/flaxseed and pumpkin seeds but it’s really a matter of your personal taste. Or maybe a matter of what you have in your cupboard !

This super easy multigrain bread recipe makes 1 large multigrain loaf or 8 multigrain rolls. Oven temperature and timings are included for both.

Your homemade multigrain bread can be done and dusted in about 3 hours but that includes the dough rising and baking. Hands on time is less than 15 minutes, so you can do something else as your dough rises and bakes.

You may know by now that I love making bread here at the Kitchen Shed. For me the aroma of freshly baked bread is a genuine delight and it’s something I’ve never tired of. Whether it’s Soft White Rolls, my Crusty White Loaf or Seeded Multigrain Bread, our oven is always busy.

What equipment do I need ?

• A stand mixer – I use my KitchenAid stand mixer to knead the dough. Simply add the ingredients and mix on a low speed. But don’t worry if you haven’t got a stand mixer. All you need is a bit of elbow grease and you can easily knead by hand.
• A baking tray/sheet – a baking tray is required for the loaf and the rolls.

What ingredients do I need ?

• Bread Flour: I’ve used a mix of white and wholemeal/whole wheat flour. Adding white bread flour makes the bread a lot lighter than using all wholemeal flour. I like to use Marriage’s Very Strong Wholemeal and Very Strong White Bread Flour; both are 100 % Canadian flour. These flours have the advantage of being high in protein and so produce more gluten. As a result, the dough holds together well but is also very elastic. A perfect combination for making soft multigrain bread and rolls.
• Grains and seeds: I’ve used linseed/flaxseed, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, whole oats and rye.
• Vegetable Oil: Using oil in yeast breads helps create the soft, light texture and increases the bread’s shelf life.
• Yeast: I’ve used instant yeast in the recipe, often called fast action or quick yeast. This yeast has the advantage that you can add it directly to your flour. My favourite is Dove’s Farm Quick Yeast, which comes in a handy 125g packet. Once opened, Dove’s Farm Yeast will keep for up to two months when stored it in a cool dry place.
• Honey: Adding a small amount of honey to your dough mixture speeds up the action of the yeast. This way you avoid the long proving time needed when making, for example, French bread or sourdough.
• Egg white: I’ve used egg white as a glaze.

What temperature water should I use ?

Lukewarm water is best, that is, you should be able to comfortably dip your finger into your water. Cold water will work but it will take longer for the bread to rise.

REMEMBER: too high a temperature will kill your yeast. Just like us, yeast works best at around 37°C / 98°F. Using my Thermapen, I check the temperature is between 37°C / 98°F and no more than 40°C / 104°F.

How to make the Best Homemade Multigrain Bread

Make your dough:

• I use my trusty KitchenAid stand mixer. All you have to do is add the ingredients and set on a slow speed for 10 minutes. Once the dough is smooth and elastic, check it using the window pane test.
• Equally, the dough can be hand mixed together in a bowl and then kneaded on a counter top. You will get the same results, all you need is a bit of elbow grease.
• Cover your dough and leave in a warm place to rise until it has doubled in size. This is likely to be about an hour in a warm place. If it’s a cold day the rise may take up to 2 hours.

Shaping and baking your Multigrain Loaf:

• Transfer your dough onto a lightly oiled work surface. Use oil not flour as you want your bread to be nice and soft. If you were to use flour, this would be adding flour to your dough and give you a drier loaf.
• I don’t knock back the dough as such. Removing the dough from your bowl and then shaping your bread will take enough air out of it. Why punch all that air out after you’ve patiently waited for it to rise ? I’ve experimented with both approaches, knocking back and shaping without knocking back. Without a doubt, I’ve had the best results when not knocking back the dough.
• Shape your loaf by gently working your dough into a rectangle.
• Roll up your dough tightly from the short side. If you roll up loosely you will end up with big air pockets in your bread.
• Pinch the seams together and turn the loaf over so you have the long seam on the bottom. Tuck under the ends of the loaf to form the loaf shape.
• Place on a greased baking tray/sheet.
• Cover and leave to rise in a warm place for about 45 minutes.

• Brush with egg white and sprinkle with porridge oats.
• Using a sharp knife, make 3 slashes in your loaf at a 45° angle.
• Place in the oven at 230°C for 20 minutes.
• Turn your oven down to 200°C and continue cooking for a further 20 minutes until golden brown.
• Tip your loaf onto a cooling rack and tap the base of the bread to check it is cooked. It should sound hollow.
• Leave to cool.

Shaping and baking your Multigrain Bread Rolls:

• Divide your dough into 90 g portions to give 8 balls. I prefer to weigh the portions to make sure they all get an even bake. You can of course simply divide the dough by eye.
• Shape dough into balls by cupping each portion in your hands before placing them on a large baking sheet. Leave no more than 2½ cm (1 inch) between each dough ball. This means the finished rolls will be touching and they will come out of the oven nice and soft.
• Flatten the balls of dough a little by gently pressing them.
• Cover with greased clingfilm or a damp tea towel. Leave to rise in a warm place for 30 to 45 minutes.

• Preheat your oven to 200°C/180°C Fan/400°F/Gas Mark 6
• Brush your rolls with egg white and sprinkle with porridge oats.
• Place in the oven for approximately 25 minutes. Check halfway through the cooking time and turn the baking sheet around if some rolls are browning too quickly.
• Place on a baking rack to cool.
• Wait until cooled before breaking apart.

How Long Will It Keep ?

Like most homemade bread, fresh is best but this Multigrain Bread will keep for a couple of days.

Can I Freeze It ?

Yes, Homemade Multigrain Bread freezes well. Make sure your loaf is fully cooled and place in a freezer bag before freezing for up to three months. It can also be sliced and then frozen so you can take out slices as needed and avoid waste.

Cooled Multigrain Rolls can be placed straight in a bag and popped in the freezer. Defrost frozen bread at room temperature for a couple of hours before you need it.

Serving suggestions

We love slices of multigrain bread toasted and served with our favourite topping of creamy mushrooms.

These soft and fluffy multigrain bread rolls are perfect for burgers, pulled pork or your favourite sandwich filling. The rolls are also a perfect match for a bowl of warming soup.

You might also like …..

• Healthy Wholemeal Hot Cross Buns

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I’m entering Home Made Multigrain Bread into:

• Credit Crunch Munch created by Camilla from Fab Food 4 All & Helen over at Fuss Free Flavours, hosted this month by Elizabeth over at Elizabeth’s Kitchen Diary.
• Bready Steady Go co hosted by Michelle from Utterly Scrummy & Jen from Jen’s Food, this month over at Utterly Scrummy.