Who can resist a loaf of homemade bread? Certainly no one in my family! And this Homemade Multigrain Bread Recipe is one of our favorites! Keep reading to learn all about this delicious loaf of bread.
What Makes This Bread So Good?
It is a light tender loaf of bread with all the health benefits of a multigrain cereal.
This bread makes the best toast! That is one of our favorite ways to eat it. But, don't limit it to just that, it also makes a great bread for sandwiches as well. I have a veggie sandwich I love to eat, and this is my favorite bread for it.
If you can bear to part with it, it also makes a really generous gift. What is more meaningful than being gifted a loaf of fresh bread? Nothing.
What is Multigrain Bread?
What exactly is multigrain bread? Well, basically it is white bread with multigrain cereal added in. I think it is a great bread for just about everyone. You have tender white bread, but also healthy, whole grains added in with the cereal.
The best of both worlds! I used a 7-grain cereal for mine, but there are different varieties you can use as well. I have seen them in a 5 grain, 7 grain, 9 grain, and 10 grain.
There may be other options, but those are the ones I have come across. It doesn't matter too much which one you choose. You can also create your own if you prefer.
How To Make
To start you will need to cook your cereal a bit, if not you get really hard chunks of cereal in the bread and that is not good.
Add boiling water to your cereal and allow it to cool. This will cook the cereal just enough that makes it best for the bread. You will want to make sure that it cools until it is warm to the touch.
Too hot and it will kill your yeast, too cold and it will take a long time for the bread to rise.
Once it is cooled, add in your yeast and brown sugar. The yeast will activate quickly in a warm environment with sugars to feed on.
This dough is made in a straight dough method, meaning all the ingredients are mixed together at once. So add them to your mixing bowl and start mixing on medium.
A few things to note on the flour. I have included a range of measurements. Start with 3 cups. Mix for about 1 minute on medium speed.
You want the dough to pull away from the sides of the bowl as it is mixing but still feel a tiny bit "tacky" or sticky. If you need to, add in a little more flour, mix for 1 minute and check again.
Once it is to the consistency you are looking for, set it to mix for 6-7 minutes on medium speed. This process of mixing develops the gluten, which will give your bread the structure it needs during the rises and baking.
Once the dough is mixed well, cover and set in a warm place. The heat of your home will play into this quite a bit. The warmer it is, the faster the dough will rise. The colder it is, the slower it will rise.
Shaping
I baked mine in a Calphalon 5x10 inch pan. I have owned this bread pan for a really long time and it is a favorite in my kitchen for bread making! Start by forming your dough into a 12x12 inch square.
Now, tuck in about 1-2 inches on each side and press.
Now, start rolling the loaf up, starting from the top and rolling down. Every time you roll it, press it down with every roll.
When you get to the end of the loaf roll, press the open edges to close. Place in a buttered pan for rising. Cover and allow to rise again. You will want it to double.
Baking The Best Multigrain Bread
Cover and let the bread rise until doubled. At the end of that time, preheat your oven.
Then brush your loaf with an egg wash and sprinkle with a mixture of seeds and nuts. I used sesame seeds, poppy seeds, flax seeds, and oats.
Bake until the bread is golden brown. My favorite method for testing doneness is with a thermometer. This bread should be baked to about 195-200 degrees.
You can also turn the loaf over and tap the bottom. You should get a hollow sound when you tap it.
Allow the bread to cool for at least 7-10 minutes before slicing, if you can wait that long. It will slice so much better if you do.
Notes
Make sure the cereal is cooled to about 100 degrees before using. Trust me, I have ruined a few loaves of bread by having it too hot. Take the time to let it cool.
There are a few things to note on this bread. First, you want your dough to be SLIGHTLY tacky (sticky) when you are mixing it. Only a little tacky will do.
Make sure it is mixed on medium speed for the full 6-7 minutes. This will help to properly develop the gluten.
Be careful not to overbake. That will make your bread dry and not as good. The temperature check is my favorite way to do this.
This bread holds well for about 2 days. Remember there are no preservatives in this bread and it uses a whole-grain cereal. That means it will dry out faster than store-bought bread.
FAQ
Technically it needs to be made with 2 or more types of grain. This bread certainly has it is with the cereal in it.
Compared to a typical white loaf, yes! It has heart-healthy whole grain included in the bread.
They are not. Although you can make a blend of the 2, they are not considered the same type of bread.
Carb Lover?
If you are a carb lover, like me, let me share a few more recipes with you!
- These Parker House Rolls are such a delicious roll, slightly sweet and totally tender!
- These garlic herb rolls are so good too!!
- Maybe you would prefer a quick break? I love these sundried tomato and olive scones!
The Best Multigrain Bread
Equipment
- stand mixer, 5x10 bread pan.
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup whole grain cereal I used a 7-grain
- 1 ¾ cups boiling water
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 2 ½ teaspoon active dry yeast
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup oil or softened butter
- 3 ½-4 cups bread flour Use the scoop and scrape method. Meaning, scoop it into the measuring cup with spoon, then scrape the top.
- 1 egg for egg wash
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1-2 tablespoons grain and nut mix I used flax seeds, poppy seeds, oats, and sunflower seeds. You can use whatever you like. Even just some chopped oats are great.
Instructions
- Add boiling water to cereal in a small bowl. Set aside and let it cool. Mine took about 40 minutes. The cereal will absorb the liquid and thicken slightly.
- You want the cereal to be about 100 degrees.
- Add in the yeast and brown sugar, and mix well. Let this sit for about 2 minutes to activate the yeast. It will activate quickly in the warm temp with the sugar.
- Next, add it all to a stand mixer with the remaining ingredients. Start with 3 ½ cups flour. Mix on medium speed for 1-2 minutes. Check the dough at this point. You want it to pull away from the edges of the bowl, but still be slightly "tacky" or sticky. If you need to, add in a little more flour and mix again. Once you have enough flour, mix it on medium for 4- 5 minutes.
- After it is mixed, cover and give it the first rise. How quickly it rises depends on the temp in your house. Mine took about 35 minutes to double.
- Remove from the bowl onto your countertop. Press gently into a 12x12- inch square. Now, take both sides in your hand and gently fold over about 1-2 inches on each. Press to keep the folded sides in place. Now, start rolling up the loaf, starting at the top. Roll down once, then press to hold it. Roll again and press. Repeat this until you have rolled the loaf all the way. Pinch the loaf to close. Place the rolled loaf into a buttered 5x10 pan.
- Cover and give it a second rise. Your loaf should double. Mine took right about 35 minutes again. When it is at the end of the rise, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Add your egg and milk to a small bowl and mix well. This is your egg wash.
- Once the bread rises and the oven is heated, brush the top of the bread with an egg wash. Then sprinkle with the whole grain topping. Place it in the oven.
- It will take between 35-45 minutes to bake, and will be a beautiful golden color. You can check for doneness in 2 ways. First by turning the loaf out into your hand...make sure your hand is covered with a hot pad. Tap the bottom of the loaf. If it sounds hollow, you are good. If not, return to the pan and bake more. You can also check by temp, which is my favorite way. Insert your thermometer into the loaf carefully. The loaf should be between 190-200 degrees.
- Remove the pan from the oven. Wait about 5 minutes, then turn it out carefully and remove it from the pan.
- If you can stand it, allow it to cool for about 20 minutes, if not, go for it. The smell is so hard to resist! Cut yourself a big slice and slather it with plenty of butter!