Homemade Soft Multigrain Bread

Learn to bake homemade bread. I’ve noticed that’s a common baking goal at the start of each year. Today I’m sharing a new homemade bread recipe, one I’ve been perfecting for months. Using my regular white sandwich bread as the starting point for this new variation, I finally mastered a multigrain bread that’s both soft and sturdy. If you love homemade bread and crave added texture, you’ll enjoy this multigrain loaf. Bonus: You can use this dough for homemade rolls, too!

Soft Multigrain Bread Details

Flavor: Slightly nutty with an earthy, satisfying flavor similar to whole wheat bread. A little brown sugar adds mild sweetness. Texture: This wholesome bread is wonderfully soft without being flimsy. It’s great for sandwiches, but perfectly satisfying plain or with a spread of butter. Ease: I categorize this as an intermediate baking recipe. The dough requires an extra step in the very beginning—soaking those grains in water. If you read the directions before starting, you’ll be set for success. Take your time and if you’re new to baking with yeast, review my Baking with Yeast Guide and How to Knead Dough posts first. Lots of helpful information there. Time: Between preparing the dough, both rises, and baking, set aside at least 4-5 hours to complete this recipe. But keep in mind that most of the time is hands off as the dough rises. You can even get started on the dough the night before.

If you love wholesome, hearty homemade bread like this, you’ll enjoy no knead honey oat bread and no knead seeded oat bread recipes too.

Video Tutorial: How to Make Soft Multigrain Bread

We need a careful blend & ratio of ingredients to produce a grain loaf that (1) rises tall, (2) maintains a soft fluffy texture, and (3) has legitimate structure for sturdy slices. The ingredients are practically the same as this sandwich bread, but we’re skipping the milk, using hot boiling water, adding grain cereal mix and seeds, slightly reducing the butter, and swapping regular sugar for brown sugar. Took lots of tweaking to perfect.

Key Ingredients You Need & Why

Add-In Options

Add-ins are completely optional, but I encourage seeds and/or nuts for a little texture. I usually use sunflower seeds. Other options include chopped pecans or walnuts, pepitas, raisins, dried cranberries, or a blend of these. You could also throw in smaller seeds such as chia, flax, or sesame. See recipe note below before starting.

Step-by-Step Photos

Soak the grain cereal in the boiling water, as pictured above. Below left: After it cools down, whisk in the yeast and brown sugar. Below right: After 5-10 minutes, you’ll notice foam or bubbles on the surface. This means the yeast is active and ready. Note that the hot cereal that I use contains flax seeds so that’s what you’re seeing floating on top! The dough will feel heavy. As instructed in the recipe below, knead it before letting it rise. If you’re new to bread-baking, my How to Knead Dough tutorial will be helpful here. Below left: After you make and knead the dough, let it rise until doubled in size. Below right: Punch it down to release the air, then place on a lightly floured work surface. Roll it out into an 8×15-inch rectangle: Below left: Roll it up tightly starting with the 8-inch side, so you have an 8-inch roll to fit into your 9×5 inch loaf pan. (Unlike cinnamon rolls where you roll up the dough starting with the larger side.) Below right: Let it rise until it’s 1-2 inches above the rim of the pan. Look at this height! Bake until golden brown: How do I test for doneness? Give the loaf a light tap. If it sounds hollow, it’s done. For a more accurate test, the bread is done when an instant read thermometer reads the center of the loaf as 195–200°F (90–93°C). This multigrain bread is phenomenal when sliced and served warm. The exterior is crisp and crusty while cloaking a hearty, yet fluffy crumb inside. The whole slice is just so, so satisfying and cozy. And it’s fabulous with homemade honey butter. This is definitely a homemade bread to try! If you happen to have any leftovers, day old bread is perfect for soaking up flavors in an easy breakfast casserole.

Can I Make This Into Rolls?

I thought you’d ask! I tested this dough to make multigrain rolls and it worked wonderfully. Not quite as soft as regular dinner rolls and not quite as heavy as whole wheat dinner rolls. I will say that I preferred the multigrain sandwich bread because it had a little more texture from the crust. Served warm with a pat of butter, however, the rolls were fantastic. See recipe note for instructions. Though I haven’t tested it, I imagine you could use this dough to make 3-4 bread bowls, too. Multigrain AND multipurpose!