Multigrain Bread Recipe is an easy, healthy yeast bread recipe that's full of good-for-you ingredients like chia seeds and whole wheat flour!
There are some days when nothing beats white bread. It's just so soft and fluffy!
Other times, though, you need a bread with a little more to it. A bread with a little substance that's still soft and moist but that doesn't fall apart when you spread anything on it.
This Multigrain Bread recipe is the latter. It's full of good-for-you ingredients like chia seeds, grains, whole wheat flour, and sunflower seeds.
It's a great bread for sandwiches or for snacking. And even though there are quite a few steps, the bread still comes together easily.
I have a hard time getting my kids to eat any wheat or whole grain bread. This multigrain bread recipe, though, is one that they ask for and happily gobble up. And I love any healthy bread that my kids are happy to eat!
How to Make Multigrain Bread
Mix the hot cereal and boiling water together. Let it stand until it reaches 100F, about 1 hour.
Once it reaches temperature add it to the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the butter, honey, yeast, and salt. Stir to combine. Let it sit for 10 minutes.
Stir in flours and salt a little at a time. Let the dough rest for 20 minutes.
Knead until the dough clears the sides of the bowl. Let the dough rise until doubled in size.
Form the dough into two loaves and place in greased loaf pans. Let the dough rise for about 30 minutes. Bake.
Tips
- Hot Cereal Mix: You can use a similar hot cereal mix, like a 7 grain or a 9 grain. Also, if you have leftover hot cereal mix, try it in these multigrain pancakes.
- Mixing: You can mix this bread by hand, but you will need to add additional time to the kneading time.
- Seeds: Feel free to sub in other seeds, like pumpkin or flax, in place of the sunflower or chia seeds.
- Texture: This bread is soft but it holds together well. It can be sliced and used as a sandwich loaf.
How to Serve
This bread can be used to make sandwiches. It's also great served warm with butter (or butter and honey or jam).
How to Store
This bread can be stored in a resealable container at room temperature for up to 4 days. The baked loaves can also be wrapped and frozen for up to 1 month.
More Bread Recipes!
- No Knead Cranberry Nut Bread
- White Bread Recipe
- 60 Minute Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls
- 30 Minute Honey Wheat Rolls
If you’ve tried this multigrain bread recipe, don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below. I love to hear from people who've made my recipes!
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Multigrain Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups eight-grain hot cereal mix1
- 2 ½ cups boiling water
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups whole wheat flour
- ½ tablespoon salt
- ⅓ cup honey
- ¼ cup butter (melted)
- 2 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast
- ½ cup unsalted sunflower seeds
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds (optional)
- ½ cup old-fashioned rolled oats or quick oats
Instructions
- Place cereal mix in bowl of stand mixer fitted with dough hook, and pour boiling water over it; let stand, stirring occasionally, until mixture cools to 100-105 degrees (F), about 1 hour.
- Meanwhile, whisk flours and salt together in separate bowl; set aside.
- Once grain mixture has reached 100-105 F, add honey, butter, and yeast and stir until combined.
- Let mixture sit for 5-10 minutes.
- Add flour mixture, ½ cup at a time, and knead until dough starts to come together.
- Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap, and let dough rest for 20 minutes.
- Knead on medium-low speed until dough clears sides of bowl, 3-4 minutes. If it does not clear sides, keep adding 2 tablespoons additional all-purpose flour and knead until it does.
- Once it comes together, continue to knead dough for 5 additional minutes.
- Add seeds, and knead until seeds are evenly dispersed throughout the dough and dough forms smooth, round ball.
- Place dough in large, lightly greased bowl; cover tightly with plastic, and let rise at room temperature until nearly doubled in size, 45-60 minutes.
- Grease two 9×5 inch loaf pans.
- Transfer dough to lightly floured counter and divide in half.
- Stretch first piece of dough into 9×6 inch rectangle.
- Roll dough into a cylinder, and place dough seam-side down in prepared loaf pan.
- Repeat with second piece of dough.
- Spray loaves lightly with water or vegetable oil spray.
- Sprinkle both loaves in oats.
- Cover loaves loosely with greased plastic, and let rise at room temperature until nearly doubled in size 30-40 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 375 F.
- Bake until loaves register 200 degrees, 30-40 minutes.
- Transfer pans to wire rack, and let loaves cool in pan for 5 minutes.
- Remove loaves from pans, and let them cool to room temperature on wire cooling rack.
Video
Notes
- A similar hot cereal mix, such as a 7 grain, will work. Also, if you have leftover hot cereal mix, you can use it to make multigrain pancakes.
- Looking for a basic bread recipe? Check out this white bread recipe.
- Nutrition values are estimates.
Nutrition Information
Originally published 5/9/14. Updated with new photos and tips 1/18/19.
Adapted from Our Best Bites
Deborah
Hello there, we don't have those grain mixes in New Zealand. What grains do you recommend using and/or avoiding, to ensure they soften in the hot water? Another question, does this recipe work if you grind the grains slightly, so they are finer?
Kate
Hi! I've only made the bread with the hot cereal mix. I haven't tried grinding my own mixes, so I'm afraid that I can't say which ones would work best.
Nell
Wonderful recipe. Tasted great! The bread was just a little crumbly though, so it was a little difficult to make sandwiches and things like that. Did anyone else have this problem? Is there any tips to make it a little more slice friendly?
Kate
Hi! Thank you! There are two common reasons for crumblier bread. First, too much flour in the dough. Second, the bread is over- or under-kneaded. If it were me, I would try adding a bit less flour next time to see whether that helps. Finding the right amount of flour can be tricky, and it can even vary a bit each time you make bread. Hope that helps for next time!
Jackie
Best bread I have ever made!
Kate
Yay!! I'm so glad that you liked it!
Gaye
Can I double the recipe so that I can make a 4 loaf batch? Cheers
Kate
Hi! I've never tried to double the batch (my mixer wouldn't accommodate that much dough).
Steve
Double each ingredient in the recipe.....do not double the temperature or the cooking time.......?
JESSICA BERRIOS
Can I make this receipe in the bread machine
JESSICA BERRIOS
Bread looks delightful. Can I place all ingredients in a bread machine and let it do its thing?
Kate
Hi! Unfortunately, I don't have a bread machine to test that out. However, I've heard from a few people who have used their bread machine to make the dough. One person said that she soaked the cereal in the boiling water, added everything to her bread machine in the order suggested by the manufacturer, and then finished the dough according to the recipe instructions. Another person said that she made the dough in the bread machine and then finished it in the oven. If you try making the bread completely through in the bread machine, I'd love to hear how it turns out!
JESSICA BERRIOS
Thank you!! Sorry I had forgotten that I had asked about this previously and asked again. Please disregard. I will try it and let you know how it turns out. The appearance of the bread reminds me of First Watch. Are you familiar with them? Do you think it's similar to the artisan multigrain bread they have?
Kate
Hi! Don't worry about it! I am, but I haven't eaten at First Watch in years! Thanks! I look forward to hearing how it turns out and whether it's similar to First Watch's multigrain bread. =)
Christine
This is a beautifulbread. I had trouble with my multi-grain cereal. Many of the seeds were hard. I was more concerned with the temperature, so I I don't know how long the mixture sat in the water. The temp was under 100 and I was worried the yeast wouldn't work. Next time. Maybe I should simmer it on the stove first for 8- 10 minutes as per directions on the package then cool down. Any thought? I don't want to change the texture which was great.
Kate
Hi! What which multigrain cereal did you use? When I've used Bob's Red Mill 10 grain cereal mix, there is millet and some other grains that don't completely soften. So, I'm wondering whether you may have a mix that some grains like millet in it.
Ginger
What is multigrain hot cereal?
Kate
Multigrain hot cereal is a mix of cereal grains that can me made into a hot cereal. Bob's Red Mill makes different blends of multigrain hot cereal, and I think it's the easiest to find in stores.
dee
what does it mean to prheat at 375 till the bread is 200 i put a temp into the bread at 200
Kate
You preheat the oven to 375F. Then, you'll bake the bread to an internal temp of 200F.
Janice
Thanks for sharing this recipe. I rarely make bread but this turned out wonderfully in spite of my novice status! I’m almost 70 years old so it’s never too late to start baking bread. I like knowing what goes in to the foods I eat!
Kate
Thank you! It's great to learn new things, and I'm glad that it worked out well for you!
Rich
I made this bread today and it was fantastic! The only changes I made was after the 20 minute rest I kneaded it for about 8 minutes on medium speed (We like our bread a bit chewier) I also ended up adding nearly 8 additional Tbsp of flour while kneading as it was still very soft and sticky. It was still sticky when I set it to rise but it wasn't sticking to the bowl. I had no sunflower seeds and I added shelled pumpkin seeds which were great in it! I got 2 large loaves out of the recipe.
Kate
Yay!! I'm so glad that it worked out well! Pumpkin seeds make a great sub for the sunflower seeds. =)
Joan
I have made this recipe twice and my loaves are smaller than yours. The bread is delicious, but I can’t get the mixture to take more than 2 1/2 cups of flour maybe almost three. Any thoughts?
Thanks
Kate
Hmmm! That's interesting! Have you made any changes when you've made the bread?
Kathy
Hi Kate,
Do you have the nutrition info for this recipe? And can you use a higher portion of whole wheat or all whole wheat instead of white?
Thank
Kate
Hi! All of the nutrition info for the recipe is just below the instructions and notes in the recipe. I haven't tried to use more whole wheat flour in the recipe, but I think it could work. However, I wouldn't go more than about 50/50 on the two to start. Hope that helps!
Carol
Love this bread, stays soft and delicious even a few days later, freezes well too. I love bread that doesn't have to be toasted to taste good!
Jamie
May I know, the hot cereal mix is it in form of powder? Or like quick cook oat? Thank you.
Kate
Hi! It's a hot cereal blend that comes premixed in packages. I've lived in several parts of the U.S., and Bob's Red Mill has been the brand that has been the easiest to find.
Carol
Thank you
Carol
Can I use a 5 grain cereal? Do I need to add anything extra if I do? Do you add the 1/2 cup oats in with the flours?
Kate
Hey! I'm not sure whether you saw my answer or not, but I’ve used 7, 8, and 10 grain cereal mixes, and they’ve all worked out well. No, you add the oats in step 17.
Carol
Can I use a 5 grain cereal? Do I need to add anything extra if I do?
Kate
I think so! I've used 7, 8, and 10 grain cereal mixes, and they've all worked out well.
Sudha Gurtoo
I did reduce honey and it worked fine
Kate
Great! Glad it worked out for you!
Sudha Gurtoo
Tried it, it’s wonderful. Thanks for sharing. We don’t get hot cereal mix, how do we prepare at home?
Sudha Gurtoo
Can we reduce the amount of honey?
Kate
You can try it!