Basic Multigrain Bread Recipe (With Video)

Multigrain Bread

8:24

Yield:

2 loaves

Healthy and hearty, Martha's multigrain bread is made with rye, whole wheat, and all-purpose flour, and packed with oats, seeds (both flax and sunflower), bulgur, and wheat berries. It's a dense, flavorful bread that’s also soft and chewy. It makes the best sandwiches and toast, though our favorite way to enjoy it is simply sliced and spread with a little good butter. The recipe makes two loaves, so you could slice one and freeze it, and use the other straight away. Or gift the second loaf to a friend—there’s no better gift than a loaf of homemade bread! Martha says making this recipe is likely to get you hooked on making bread, and that’s a healthy habit to have.

Directions

Proof yeast:

In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, sprinkle yeast over 1/2 cup water. Add 2 teaspoons honey. Whisk until yeast dissolves. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.
Transfer to mixer bowl:

Transfer to the bowl of a mixer fitted with the dough hook. Add butter and remaining 1 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons water and 3 tablespoons honey.
Whisk flours and add to yeast mixture in 2 parts:

Whisk together all-purpose, whole-wheat, and rye flours with salt; add 3 cups to yeast mixture. Mix on low speed until smooth. Add remaining 3 1/4 cups flour mixture, 1 cup at a time.
Add berries, bulgur, oats, and seeds:

Add wheat berries, bulgur, 1/2 cup oats, 1/2 cup flaxseed, and 1/3 cup sunflower seeds; mix on low to combine. Continue mixing until dough comes away from sides of bowl and forms a ragged, slightly sticky ball.
Butter a bowl; knead dough:

Butter a large bowl. Knead dough on a floured surface until smooth and elastic but still slightly tacky, about 5 minutes.
Shape into bowl, place in bowl:

Shape into a ball. Transfer to prepared bowl; cover with plastic wrap.
Leave to rise:

Let dough stand in a warm place until it doubled in volume (it should not spring back when pressed), about 1 hour.
Prep loaf pans; divide dough:

Butter two 4 1/2-by-8 1/2-inch loaf pans. Punch down dough and divide in half.
Shape dough into two loaves:

Working with one piece of dough at a time, shape into a 7-by-7-inch square. Fold dough into thirds; press seam to adhere and pinch ends to seal. Place seam side down in loaf pan. Repeat process with remaining piece of dough.
Brush tops with egg white and sprinkle with remaining seeds and oats.

In a small bowl, mix egg white with 1 teaspoon water and brush mixture over tops of loaves; sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons rolled oats, remaining 1 tablespoon flaxseeds, and remaining 2 tablespoons sunflower seeds.
Let rise:

Spray two pieces of plastic wrap with nonstick cooking spray; drape loaves with prepared plastic wrap and let stand until dough rises about 1 inch above tops of pans, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Preheat oven:

Preheat oven to 450°F for conventional, 425°F degrees for convection. Reduce oven temperature to 400°F (conventional) or 375°F (convection).
Bake:

Uncover loaves and transfer to oven. Bake, rotating pans after 20 minutes, until tops are golden brown and internal temperature reaches 205°F on an instant-read thermometer, about 45 minutes total.
Cool:

Transfer to wire racks. Let cool slightly; turn out loaves. Let cool completely before slicing.

Explore more:

Martha's Basic Multigrain Bread

Directions

Proof yeast:

Transfer to mixer bowl:

Whisk flours and add to yeast mixture in 2 parts:

Add berries, bulgur, oats, and seeds:

Butter a bowl; knead dough:

Shape into bowl, place in bowl:

Leave to rise:

Prep loaf pans; divide dough:

Shape dough into two loaves:

Brush tops with egg white and sprinkle with remaining seeds and oats.

Let rise:

Preheat oven:

Bake:

Cool:

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