Multigrain Bread Recipe
Multigrain Bread Recipe is a hearty, nutty tasting bread, made with oatmeal, honey, white whole wheat flour, and plenty of seeds and nuts. We love toasting this healthy bread and topping it with peanut butter and jelly!
Bread with Seeds
My sister, Jackie, introduced me to Whole Foods’ Seeduction Bread during our visits to see her family in Colorado. Ever since I’ve been thinking about making a copycat version, and this is my attempt.
Multigrain simply means that two or more grains are used in a loaf of bread. This one happens to include wheat flour and oatmeal. However, it also contains seeds and nuts which adds to a hearty flavor – one that I love in my morning toast!
When it comes to bread, I enjoy it in many forms. Paninis, cold sandwiches, crostini appetizers, and soup dippers. But I love it most for any kind of toast. THIS one is exceptional with butter and jam, or peanut butter and jelly. You choose!
Bread is my jam! Try some delicious Chewy French Bread, Whole Wheat Honey Bread, or something sourdough – like my favorite Cinnamon Raisin Sourdough Bread!
Ingredients needed for Multigrain Seeded Bread:
- Yeast – I use Red Star Active Dry Yeast. (This is a very large amount. I keep a bunch in the freezer, and it lasts a long time.) We have perfect bread-making weather here in Texas, and my bread always rises pretty quickly. You may need a Quick Rise Yeast, depending on where you live.
- Sugar – Just a pinch of sugar is needed to help activate the yeast.
- Water – You need to use warm water to activate the yeast. You should be able to keep a finger in it, without it being too hot.
- Honey – I always use raw honey. This is what gives it a slightly sweetened flavor.
- Oil – This recipe calls for canola oil, but I’ve used olive oil too.
- Salt – Kosher salt or sea salt works great here.
- Oatmeal – Old fashioned oatmeal is really the only kind I buy now. But quick oats is fine.
- Seeds – A combo of chia seeds and poppyseeds.
- Nuts – A combo of pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and chopped pistachios. You can use raw or roasted, whatever you have or prefer.
- Flour – This recipe calls for white whole-wheat flour. You can also use a combo of regular whole wheat and all-purpose flour if you can’t find white whole wheat flour.
- Butter – Brush the tops of the bread loaves with butter, after baking.
How to make Multigrain Bread (Bread with Seeds):
Note: You can definitely make this recipe by hand instead of using a mixer. It will take a little bit more time and some arm strength, but you can do it.
Step 1
Activate the yeast. Using a large standing mixer, combine the yeast, sugar, and warm water. Take a spatula, and stir it around a couple of times. Then let it sit for about 15 minutes so that the yeast activates. You should see a bubbly mixture when it’s ready.
Step 2
Add other liquid ingredients, and salt. Add honey, oil, and salt. Stir again to mix well.
Step 3
Place dough hook on mixer, and start adding dry ingredients. Add the seeds, nuts, oatmeal, and about 3/4 of the flour. Add the dough hook and start mixer. Let it run for a couple of minutes and then use a spatula to scrape down the sides as needed.
Step 4
Continue adding flour to desired consistency. Let the mixer run, and continue to occasionally scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula. Gradually add more flour until you get a nice dough consistency. It should be slightly sticky, but easy to handle.
Step 5
Let the dough rise. Grease a large bowl with oil. Remove the dough from the mixer, and form it into a ball. Then place it in the bowl, and cover it with a clean dish towel. Place the bowl in a quiet corner of your kitchen and let rise until approximately doubled in size, about an hour. The rise may be different each time, and will vary depending on where you live.
Step 6
Form loaves of bread. Once the bread rises, it’s time to form the dough into loaves. Prepare bread pans with baking spray. (See below for my favorite pans.) Add a little oil to a pastry mat or a large flat surface (a cutting board works too), and form sections of dough into oblong shapes for bread.
NOTE: This recipe makes two large loaves or three smaller ones. See the bread pans I use below.
Step 7
Let rise again. Cover dough with a clean dish towel, and let it rise again until the dough rises about 1/2 inch over the top of the pans, about an hour.
Optional Step: If you want to add some nuts to the top, brush the dough with some water and adds nuts to the top before baking.
Step 8
Bake. Bake bread in a preheated 375 degree oven, until done, approximately 35-40 minutes for three smaller loaves or 40-45 minutes for larger loaves. The bottoms should be slightly browned, and the tops a nice golden brown. Remove bread to a wire rack.
Step 9
Add butter. Using a pastry brush, brush softened butter on top of the loaves to get a nice shine. Let cool before slicing.
White whole-wheat Flour has the same nutritional value as whole wheat flour but is made from a different grain of wheat. It has a milder taste and a paler color. It also has a nuttier flavor than regular all-purpose flour, but not as nutty as 100% whole wheat. If you can’t find this type of flour in your store, you can use a combo of whole wheat (one part) and all-purpose flour (three parts).
Tips for making the best Multigrain Bread.
- When you add the warm water to the yeast, sugar, and salt – be careful to use WARM water, not hot. If the water is too hot, the yeast will disappear and you can’t make bread without yeast. Also, do not use cool water because it won’t activate the yeast.
- Don’t add all the flour at once because every baking day is different. Some days you will need a bit more flour and some days, you will need less.
- The dough shouldn’t be overly sticky when ready. It should bounce back slightly to the touch. Over time, you will learn exactly how much flour is needed to make the ultimate bread.
- When done, the bottom of the bread should be slightly brown and crunchy, and the top, a nice golden brown.
- Be sure to brush some butter on the top of the loaves of bread to get a nice shine.
- You can also change up the seeds and nuts, and use whatever you have on hand.
Active Dry Yeast vs Instant Yeast:
As a rule, I only use Active Dry Yeast in my bread baking. You can use Instant Yeast as well, but will need just a little bit less. Instant Yeast also requires less time to rise, but since I live in a fairly warm, humid climate (Texas), I’ve never had a problem with my bread rise.
- Active Dry Yeast – A type of dry yeast that’s granular, similar to cornmeal. This yeast is a living organism that’s dormant until proofed, requiring a small amount of lukewarm water and a pinch of sugar to activate.
- Instant Yeast – Also known as quick-rise, rapid-rise, or even bread machine yeast. This yeast is milled into smaller particles so it doesn’t need to be dissolved into water. The dough rises faster with this yeast because enzymes and other additives are included to make this happen. You don’t ever need to do more than one rise with this yeast.
More Bread Recipes:
If you’re a bread lover like me and enjoy trying new versions, be sure to give one of these a try.
- Cracked Wheat Bread
- How to make Flatbread Pizza
- Italian Focaccia Bread Recipe
- Chocolate Sourdough Bread
Kitchen Tools Used: (affiliate links)
xoxo ~Sue
Multigrain Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ½ Tablespoon yeast – I use Red Star
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 2 cups warm water – not hot, not cold
- 1/2 cup raw honey
- 1/2 cup canola oil
- 1 Tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 cup old fashioned oatmeal
- 1 Tablespoon chia seeds
- 1 Tablespoon poppyseeds
- 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
- 1/2 cup pepitas
- 1/2 cup pistachios – chopped
- 6 cups (720 grams) white whole wheat flour – or to desired consistency
- few pats butter – to brush on top of bread
Instructions
- Activate the yeast. Using a large standing mixer, combine the yeast, sugar, and warm water. Take a spatula, and stir it around a couple of times. Then let it sit for about 15 minutes so that the yeast activates. You should see a bubbly mixture when it’s ready.
- Add other liquid ingredients, and salt. Add honey, oil, and salt. Stir again to mix well.
- Place dough hook on mixer, and start adding dry ingredients. Add the seeds, nuts, oatmeal, and about 3/4 of the flour. Add the dough hook and start mixer. Let it run for a couple of minutes and then use a spatula to scrape down the sides as needed.
- Continue adding flour to desired consistency. Let the mixer run, and continue to occasionally scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula. Gradually add more flour until you get a nice dough consistency. It should be slightly sticky, but easy to handle.
- Let the dough rise. Grease a large bowl with oil. Remove the dough from the mixer, and form it into a ball. Then place it in the bowl, and cover it with a clean dish towel. Place the bowl in a quiet corner of your kitchen and let rise until approximately doubled in size, about one hour. The rise may be different each time, and will vary depending on where you live.
- Form loaves of bread. Once the bread rises, it’s time to form the dough into loaves. Prepare bread pans with baking spray. (See below for my favorite pans.) Add a little oil to a pastry mat or a large flat surface (a cutting board works too), and form sections of dough into oblong shapes for bread.
- Let rise again. Cover dough with a clean dish towel, and let it rise again until the dough rises about 1/2 inch over the top of the pans, about an hour.
- Optional Step: If you want to add some nuts to the top, brush the dough with some water and adds nuts to the top before baking.
- Bake. If making two loaves, bake bread in a preheated 375 degree oven, until done, approximately 40-45 minutes. If making three smaller loaves, bake bread for about 35-40 minutes. The bottoms should be slightly browned, and the tops a nice golden brown. Remove bread to a wire rack.
- Add butter. Using a pastry brush, brush softened butter on top of the loaves to get a nice shine. Let cool before slicing.
Notes
- This recipe makes two LARGE loaves or three smaller ones. Adjust baking time as needed to cook completely.
- If you can’t find white whole-wheat flour, use a combo of whole wheat and all-purpose flour. I recommend using a cup of whole wheat and the remaining all-purpose.
- This bread freezes well for up to three months. Use freezer bags and seal tightly.
I have made this recipe numerous times, and have used it twice to teach someone to make bread. I absolutely love it! I want to make it, freeze it after putting it in the pans, thaw it and let rise for Thanksgiving. Can I do that with this recipe?
Yes, although I haven’t tried it, that’s the way I’d do it too. Stop back and let me know if you try that!
How much whole wheat flour to white flour to total 6 cups of flour?
I think I’d use 1-2 cups of whole wheat flour and the remaining all-purpose. Make sure you add the flour slowly at the end and not add it all at once. Add until you get your desired consistency – the dough should be a little sticky but easy to handle.
I don’t suppose you have used a bread machine for this recipe?
I’m sorry but I have not used a bread machine.
I do not see instructions to knead the bread. Is this correct, no kneading necessary?
I normally let my mixer run for a few minutes after getting everything mixed up.
Hi Sue,
found your recipe last week and have made it 3 time already!! Followed your recipe with only a couple little changes because I didn’t have the flax seeds. I used the oatmeal, pumpkin, sunflower, sesame, poppy seeds and poppy seeds. Also used the 3/4 suggestion of flour 1 1/2 cup whole wheat with white bread flour gradually added more as needed.
It was DELICIOUS!! Everyone that wanted to try it raved!!
Thank you so much for sharing your delicious recipe.
Jackie
I want to make your bread, but if I reduce the amount of seeds would that be okay and would it change the bread greatly? Thanks in advance! 🙂
I don’t think it would change it too much. Let me know how it turns out for you, Kimberly!
I made this bread with a reduced amount of honey and substituted some of the flour with a multigrain flour mix (homemade). It’s an easy recipe and worked very well so I’ll add this to my regular bread rotation.
Going to try this bread but would like to make free form loaves, not in a bread pan, has anyone tried it?
I’ve made it several times, in bread pans and free formed, turned out so good.
Used white and whole wheat. No mixer so I kneaded about 5 to 8 minutes. Toasted with butter and honey, yum!
This recipe made two loaves which look beautiful but are far too dense for my taste. The photos do look more light and fluffy but mine did not turn out that way. I do think that using 100% white whole wheat flour and all of the nuts etc. in the recipe would make it very difficult for it to turn out as a lighter texture bread. Also no where in the recipe did it call for kneading so maybe that’s where mine went wrong.
Mine turns out pretty light. I’m sorry yours didn’t. Maybe try letting the mixer run longer or use your hands to knead for extra time.
How much whole wheat flour did you use? I also noticed that the first time I made it I missed the second rise before placing it in the pans. The time I used more whole wheat it came out denser than I prefer. I use 1 cup whole wheat.
I use 1.5 cups of whole wheat flour and all-purpose for the rest. Using white whole wheat flour will come out lighter and less dense.
Hi
The instructions need to be updated w/ grams and more precision but I got the idea and mine turned out pretty well. For example 3/4 of the flour is not great. I don’t need to do more math at this point. w It was dense and a little dougy in the middle…but that maybe more my oven than the instructions. I also used bread flour for half of it but will try it again but with tweaks.
My husband HATES pumpkin and other seeds in his bread. I’m going to try making the bread but finely chopping seeds and nuts to see if he will eat it. He loves 9-grain bread so, hopefully, he will eat this. Will finely chopping seeds and nuts alter consistency of the bread too much?
No, I think you could definitely chip the seeds and nuts to whatever consistency you prefer.
This has become my (and my family’s) all-time favourite bread recipe, and so often when I give a loaf away I’m asked for the recipe.
The author has updated the recipe since I printed it out, so I’m still using the original one. I always doubled it and made 6 loaves (using 7+ cups of flour and 2 cups oatmeal). For the size of loaves I make, I still bake at 350 for 30 min and it comes out perfect.
I also use pecans for the nuts and chia/poppy seeds/flax for the seeds. I’m sure the pistachios in the current update would be delicious too!
I can’t get white whole wheat flour where we live, so I use just white flour, or substitute 1 cup white with whole wheat, it tastes great either way.
Thanks for an amazing recipe that can be tweaked for individual tastes!
Thanks for your feedback, Lorraine!
This bread sounds delicious…what’s your thoughts on trying it in a bread machine?
Thank you,
Connie
I haven’t tried it in a bread machine so I really can’t say. Good luck!
Great tasting bread! Mine came out a little dense so I will try less flour next time. Curious if anyone gets a second rise to make sandwich size loaves? I get a much smaller size bread. Any thoughts on using more yeast for a bigger rise?
Just had this bread again this week. I LOVE both the texture and the taste! Thanks for sharing it Sue!
Thank you Cathy!
Absolutely disappointing recipe. While the recipe indicated a 2-hour prep time, there is no way to get the bread made and twice rested in two hours (and the rise time is conspicuously absent in your recipe).
Further, given the density of the bread, I found 350°for 30-35 minutes to be quite unreasonable.
I’m so sorry, Cat. I’ve recently updated this recipe and may have inadvertently made a mistake. Will got back and take a look at those details. BTW, the rise time depends a lot on your climate and/or the temperature of your home.
I plan to make this recipe today! I do have a question/request though – I mostly use recipes where the ingredients are listed in weight (grams). Do you happen to have the measurements in weights instead of volume? As you know, measuring cups of flour can result in a wide range of weights. I would love it if you had that information. Thank you!
Hi Cindy. I’ve just updated the flour to grams. I plan to update my bread recipes with weight conversions, but in the meantime, I’d recommend going with a feel when it comes to flour. Don’t add all of it at once and use your fingers to do the “sticky” test. You want the dough a little bit sticky but easy to handle too. Good luck!
Hello Cindy
Like you, I weigh in grams not cups. To get around this, I have an app on my phone called ‘Useful Units’ that converts the measurements from cups to grams. I open the recipe in the browser on my phone, then copy it into the app, and it converts it. The app can also store the recipe. You might find this approach useful.
Deborah
Deborah, Thank you for the information on that app. I downloaded it and tested a recipe and it works. It’s amazing. I’m in the U.S., but prefer using metric measurements. I think it’s more accurate. One time I was going to convert my favorite recipes to metric, and now I definitely will. I have not tried this bread yet. I need to shop fore seeds.
Holy cow, this is delicious! I used pistachios, filberts, almonds, sesame seeds, and poppy seeds with 2 cups of WW flour and the rest basic white bread flour. Soft and dense, but not too heavy. The perfect breakfast bread. Thank you!
Oh my goodness! This bread is soooo good! I love your chewy french bread, but this may be my all time favorite! The nuts in this bread made it so flavorful! I have tried many hearty multi grain breads but this one is by far the BEST!
I’m so happy you enjoy this bread as much as we do, Cathy!
This bread is delicious! Mine turned out light, tender with just the right amount of texture with the nuts and seeds. The dough was easy to work with and shape and the baked loaves were a beautiful golden brown. My new go to recipe!
The first thing I do when making bread is measure out my flour. The flour is the second to last ingredient on the list. Also, no way are you going to get a loaf of bread to 200f in a 350 oven for just 30 minutes. Suggest 375f for at least 45 minutes.
I’ll be retesting the bake time, Dave. Thanks for your observations.
The bread was easy to make, rose well, and was delicious when baked. My granddaughter, who just turned four and loves to bake with me, was fascinated by the different kinds of seeds. The loaf was a little sticky and difficult to shape nicely, but a little more flour should take care of that. I love the big seeds, and probably would add more next time. I used two cups of whole wheat flour, and 1 1/2 cups of unbleached, unbromated white flour. I can’t wait to toast some.
Hi Meg! Sounds like a fun baking activity with your granddaughter! Enjoy!
Recipe turned out well, based on the size of my loaf pan, this was a single loaf, which was what I was looking for. I swapped in some milk for the water, nice soft bread. Will be giving it a try again soon.
Sounds like a great substitution, Jacob! Enjoy!
This was just what I was looking for. I used walnuts because I was out seeds. Delicious bread. Thank you
So happy to hear this, Ellen! Thanks so much for your feedback! 🙂
Suebee, if I use instant rise yeast, what amount would I need to use? Can’t wait to make this….thanks for sharing!
The rule of thumb is to use 25% less instant rise yeast compared to active. Good luck Char!
Easy-to-make, delicious bread!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the bread, Deborah!
Hi, I love this bread, but it always falls. I have been using whole wheat flour and wonder if it would make a difference if I used white whole wheat. Could you suggest what I am doing wrong?
What do you mean by “it falls”? Is it sinking before you bake it? Or after baking? Could you send me a picture? And yes, using white whole wheat would make it lighter, most definitely!
What is old fashioned oatmeal? Is that the same as rolled oats?
Yes it’s the same thing!
I made the bread. it was great. I used half whole wheat flour and half white. I noticed you said one serving was 162 calories. Is that for one or two slices of bread. Please tell me its two slices…
Well I’m sorry, but it’s just one slice! I know what you mean though. So glad you liked the bread!
Love this recipe!
Thanks Teri!
Great job 👍
My bread did not rise. My yeast was good. I don’t know if the seeds made it too heavy, it if my oven was warmer than I thought when I set it in there to raise. I will try one more time, but it’s a waste of ingredients if it’s too heavy.
I’m sorry you didn’t have success with this bread, Teri. I have had a lot of positive feedback on this recipe, so I’m not sure what happened. You might try to process the seeds and oatmeal. Make sure you use white whole wheat flour as well.
I loved this bread will now be my go-to. Made it as directed.
Making again but want to make one large loaf. Is the cooking time the same for one loaf?
*Can you please update the instructions after the recipe to add the salt to the water/yeast as it is missing. You do mention it in the initial comments but not in the instructions.
Thanks for sharing this great healthy bread recipe.
Hi Michele. I believe you may need a few more minutes of time if you choose to bake one large loaf. That will be a big one! Also, I don’t see that the salt is missing in the instructions. It’s included where you add the honey and oil. I’m really glad you are enjoying the bread!
This was VERY TASTY indeed! Thank you for such a yummy recipe.
However the resulting bread was crumbly and didn’t hold together very well when making a sandwich or after spreading butter on a slice. Any idea what might have happened?
Thank you!
I’m guessing you may have over-baked it? The seeds and nuts give it a lot of texture but I’m not sure what happened.
I always use a thermometer and remove from oven between 190 and 200 degrees. 🤷🏼♀️
But it was still delicious!
This was delicious! I have been making whole wheat bread for some time and discovered early on to add more yeast than most. This is what drew me to this recipe.
I omitted the sunflower seeds as mine tasted off and added caraway seed and more flax seed. I added 2 T everything bagel seasoning instead of salt (as there is salt in there). I used 3 C flour and 1.25 C water. Tip: measure oil first then honey, and all the honey will slide off easily—no waste.
I did an egg wash w milk and a few pinches of cheddar powder (the kind for popcorn!) and caraway on top. (The rest of the egg was scrambled eggs!) Baked for 35 min due to me opening the oven to turn the pan as my oven has hot spots. Then let it sit in the oven for 5-7min with oven off. You must try this! Thank you suebee!
Sounds like an interesting version of my bread, Debby! Enjoy!
Hi
I havent made this recipe yet-looking for one that mimics La Brea Honey Sunflower loaf and this recipe looks close:) On their label it says it has cracked wheat and cracked corn-Have you ever included these elements in this bread?
Can I form this into boules and bake this on a baking sheet rather than a loaf pan? I prefer the crusty sides as well as the top of a loaf-Appreciate your reply!
I do have a cracked wheat recipe you could combine with this one, if you’d like. And yes, you could try baking boules instead of loafs. I often use cast iron skillets for this bread as well. Good luck!
Can I use instant yeast? if so do I have to use the warm water? If I use warm water-what is then temperature of the warm water? Can I knead this in a bread machine?
Hi Andrea. I updated this post with some info regarding active dry yeast vs. instant yeast. You will still need water but the temperature isn’t crucial if using instant yeast. I’ve never used a bread machine, so I don’t know if this recipe would work in one. Hope that helps.
I made a lot of substitutions, but it came out perfect! I only had whole wheat flour, I used molasses instead of honey, I used 3 c flour (sifted) and 1/2 c flax meal, then at the end needed to add more flax meal cause dough was too sticky. I also chopped all the oats and seeds in the food processor well because I don’t like big chunks in my bread. Oh my goodness, got it out of the oven and put butter and molasses on top, YUM!!! Very tender, delicious, thank you!!! PS, I let it rise almost an hour in the baking pans so it wouldn’t be too flat. 3 rises, about an hour each.
These sound like great ideas! Thanks so much for trying the bread and for your feedback. 🙂
Hi ,
Nice taste but not fluffy. Please guide me 😊
This is not a light, fluffy bread. It’s more dense and hearty. The only thing I’d say is to make sure you let it rise until doubled in size.
Thanks for replying, do u have any nice whole meal seeds bread recipe. Please 😊
In step 2 it says to add additional cold water but there is no cold water listed in the ingredients. Is this correct? Does it need more water? Thanks.
Sorry Beth. I just made a few changes to this recipe, and forgot to fix that. Just ignore it. No cold water! I’ll fix it now!
Hi Sue, I made your bread recipe with some changes due to Covid 19 and my being 75 yrs old and considered most vulnerable. I ended up with a 50/50 mixture of honey and molasses. The seeds I had were brown sesame, flax, and roasted sunflower. I added 2/3 cup of chopped pistachios and and 1 cup of Nature’s Path Pumpkin and Flax Seed Granola. It turned out well and when I can get to the market I will get all the ingredients and try it again . It is a very good bread and glad I went ahead and took a chance with it. Thank you
Hi Tom! I’m so happy that the bread turned out so well for you. It IS a pretty flexible bread, so all of your adaptations sound pretty great. Enjoy, and stay safe! 🙂
Had to change quite a lot as I don’t understand American cups measurements, haven’t got a mixer so did it by hand and used olive instead if granola oil, BUT IT TURNED OUT PERFECT!
Many thanks
I’m so glad the bread turned out for you, Mo! Thanks for your feedback. 🙂
Hi Sue,
Tried your recipe. My family loved it. Thank you. However, my bread didn’t turn a lovely brown like yours. Where did I go wrong?
Hi Pearl. You could try baking the bread on a higher rack. Also, make sure you brush the tops with butter after baking. That will help you get that pretty shine. I’m so glad you enjoyed this bread! 🙂
Thanks Sue!
Best bread! Will make again and again.
So glad you enjoyed the bread, Connie!
I love your bread recipes! You have something special going with them!
Thanks!