First published August 2016. Last updated April 24, 2025 for editorial improvements.
Table of Contents
Finally—a wholesome multigrain sandwich bread that won’t fall apart the second peanut butter shows up to the party. It’s nutty, slightly sweet, and soft enough for the kids but sturdy enough for a proper sandwich stack. No cardboard texture here—just chewy, golden goodness with a crisp crust and a load of feel-good ingredients like flaxseeds and whole grains (hello, omega-3s!). Whether you're toasting it, jamming it, or piling it high with ham and cheese, this bread delivers. And if the words healthy recipe make you flinch? I get it. But trust me—this one actually tastes like something you want to eat.
🧾 Ingredient Notes
This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the green recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.
- Active dry yeast is what causes the dough to rise. You can use active dry yeast or instant yeast. Either is fine. If you use instant yeast you'll add it with the dry ingredients and skip steps 1 and 2.
- Honey is the sweetener of choice here. Strongly flavored honeys will add more of their flavor. You can also use maple syrup or agave for a completely vegan recipe.
- 7 grain cereal is a dry mix of grains. I use Bob's Red Mill but you can use whatever you need. You can often find hot mixed grain cereals at Whole Foods and health food stores.
- Rolled oats add chewiness and nuttiness to the bread. The old fashioned oatmeal is best but you can use quick oats if you want. Just don't try to use instant.
- Whole wheat flour is made by grinding the whole wheat berry so that you get all the vitamins and minerals and fiber.
- Whole flax seed adds fiber, texture, and Omega-3s. Be sure to get the whole seed and not the ground.
- Bread flour has a higher protein content that all-purpose flour so the dough rises a little higher than it would with regular flour. More about different types of flour here.
- Vital wheat gluten helps the bread rise high and increases that soft, fluffy texture.
- Salt helps control the yeast (it can get a little wild otherwise) and gives flavor to the bread. I always use kosher salt.
- Butter or use vegetable oil or coconut oil for a vegan recipe.
- I also like to use homemade dough enhancer to help it rise light and fluffy.
🔪 How to make multigrain bread
Yeast looks like this when it's proofed properly. It gets foamy. That shows it's alive and kickin' and ready to be used.
When the dough has risen properly you can see that it's puffy and has nearly doubled in size. If you push your finger into the dough it won't "push back".
Multigrain bread often takes longer to rise than other types of bread. Be patient and keep it in a warm place.
Shape this homemade multigrain bread into loaves or rounds before baking.
Can I make this recipe in a bread machine?
Most bread machines can't handle the stiff dough of this multigrain bread recipe so you'd better plan on using your stand mixer or kneading by hand. Here's a video I made showing you how to knead by hand.
📖 Recipe
Multigrain Bread with Flaxseed
Print Pin Recipe Save Recipe Rate RecipeIngredients
- 2 packages yeast
- ¼ cup warm water, (110F)
- 5 tablespoons honey, divided use (use maple syrup or agave to make it vegan)
- 2 cups warm water
- ½ cup 7 grain cereal
- 1 cup old fashioned oatmeal
- 2 cups whole wheat flour
- 1 cup flaxseed
- 3 cups bread flour, more as needed
- ¼ cup vital wheat gluten
- 1 ½ tablespoons salt, yes, that is tablespoons
- ½ cup melted butter, use coconut oil or vegetable oil to make it vegan
Instructions
- Add the yeast and 1 tablespoon honey to the warm water.
- Set the mixture aside for about five minutes. It will get bubbly.
Sponge
- Add the 2 cups of warm water, remaining honey, 7 grain cereal, oatmeal, 1 cup of the whole wheat flour, 1 cup of flaxseed, 1 cup of bread flour, and ¼ cup gluten.
- Stir until well mixed.
- Cover and set in a warm place to rise - about 30 minutes and up to 3 hours.
Bread
- Stir the sponge down and add the salt and butter.
- Using the dough hook on your mixer beat in the remaining whole wheat flour and enough of the remaining bread flour to make an elastic dough.
- Knead for 6 - 10 minutes, or until smooth and elastic.
- Cover and place in a warm spot to rise.
- Let rise until double, about 1 ½ hours.
- Punch down.
- Let rest for 15 minutes.
- Form into loaves and place in greased pans.
- Oil tops and cover, let rise for 1 hour or until doubled.
- Bake at 375F for 40 minutes or until golden brown.
- Loaves will sound hollow when tapped if they are done.
- Cool completely before slicing!
Notes
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.
If you have more questions check out this Bread Baking FAQs post!
Last time I put together the sponge for my multigrain bread recipe Sunday before church.
I figured it could do the first rise when I was at church and I'd finish it up when I got home. Although I hadn't tried it this way before it was actually better than the old method.
The longer rising time for the sponge made the bread even more soft in texture and seemed to give it more flavor, too.
📚 Related recipes
I love making homemade bread - I made my first loaf in 1974 and I haven't stopped since! I probably love to eat it as much as to bake it - which may not be such a good thing!
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- Whole wheat bread with the chewy goodness of cracked wheat and the sweetness of honey is much easier to make than you might think! This soft, fluffy wheat bread makes fantastic sandwiches, toast, and even dinner rolls.
- Buttermilk bread is a light sandwich bread that is probably the most popular recipe here on Restless Chipotle. It's got hundreds of comments and 5 star reviews. It's an easy for beginners, too. It's the first yeast recipe my kids used when they were learning.
Purple says
Love this bread. The instructions are organized and thorough. The stated proof and rise times were spot on. The recipe makes a delicious bakery soft bread with the texture and nutty flavors of your favorite whole grain bread. I will be putting this recipe in my home made bread rotation.
Tricia says
Great recipe can’t wait to taste these 2 wonderful loaves I just made! Great instructions - Thank you.
Jo says
It came together well. I just wish the recipe was for a single loaf. The reason being that there almost 5 cups of various flours. So it is a crap shoot if it turns out okay. If your able to slim it down to one loave that would be great. Many recipes on Pinterest have a button to make the recipe 1,2 or 3 loads. Thank you
Ginda Martin says
This is the most amazing bread. I didn’t do it right because I misunderstood the sponge step and it still turned out great. Soft and great tasting.
Kelli R Wells says
hi
question on the dough enhancer - Do I add this when making the sponge portion? am I taking anything out of the recipe if I add 6 T of the enhancer? thanks!
Marye says
substite it for an equal amount of flour.
Laurel (Chef Potpie) says
I have finally mastered whole wheat bread thanks to you! This bread turned out with wonderful texture and taste, and it actually rose well, something I have not had such luck with in other whole wheat breads I've made. I added papitas and sunflower seeds. Also, I used your bread enhancer and am looking forward to trying it in other bread recipes. Husband and I are skipping dinner tonight we nibbled too much of this tasty bread! Thank you for sharing these recipes!
Amelia Wilkinson says
I’m very new to making homemade bread. Actually have never made bread before. I’m wanting to do this due to a medical condition that now has me on The Mediterranean Diet. I very much want to make a really good whole grain bread. However I cannot eat flax seed. I know this is very nutritious but flax seed makes my mouth sore. Juest like if I eat too many small tomatoes. Is there a way to make a whole grain bread without flax seed.
Thank you for your response.
Danita Ouellette says
About to dive in and hopefully make one loaf and eight hamburger buns! Wish me luck!! Just wondering if I can sprinkle some seeds on top before baking (for taste and appearance)? I will be using sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and flax seeds……
Marye says
It will be delicious!
Francine says
This recipe turned out perfectly. It was my first attempt at a whole grain type bread, and I am so pleased. I originally bought the ingredients to use another recipe, then I found this one, so I added the the 1/4 cup of sesame and sunflower seeds I had bought. I found it an easy recipe to prepare. I must admit I was nervous! The dough is very different from white bread dough, much denser. But the bread turned out so fluffy. Thank you for a great recipe!
Georgianne says
Can you leave the flaxseed out??? I am making this for a neighbor who wanted multi-grain bread, but didn’t want any seeds in the bread. Hoping it’s possible and would still be good. Please advise…will be fixing soon!
Diane says
I make this bread weekly and I LOVE it. Best one so far.
Jennifer says
I made this bread on the weekend and it was absolutely delicious. Your step by step instructions are great. I only have a Kitchen Aid so I had to do most of the kneading by hand. I have decided to go out and buy myself a Bosch. I am just wondering if you could advise me as to whether the Bosch Universal Plus is good enough, or do I need the Universal Plus with the stainless steel bowl? Thank you for your time and advice.
Marye says
My Bosch was made well before they introduced the steel bowl - I don't think it's necessary. 🙂
Jennifer says
I really want to try making this bread. I have found all of the ingredients except for the wheat gluten. I can't find it in the flour either. Can you suggest a substitute?
Marye says
you can leave the gluten out but it won't be quite as soft and fluffy. You can get gluten on amazon.
Jewel says
This bread is a favorite in my household. I never thought I'd be any good at making bread and then I found this website and haven't looked back! I was intimidated by this recipe at first, but when I decided to give it a try, I was amazed at how easy it really was. And did I mention delicious? Thank you, Marye for such easy to follow recipes and teaching me that I can make my own bread! 🙂
Lisa says
Delicious bread. Only change I made was using ground flax (1/2 cup) because I didn’t have any seeds. The bread turned out beautifully. It is hearty. Great recipe.
Marlene says
Exactly how much yeast do you use? The red printing shows a one pound package on Amazon.
Marye says
That IS confusing, sorry. 2 of the small, individual size packets that are about 2 1/2 teaspoons each.
Linda Hensley says
Marye do you use Kosher salt or table salt? I wonder if that is why some said the bread was too salty?
Marye says
kosher.
Jeanette says
The way I read it is the mix the yeast, then the sponge and rest it for 30 mins. Will the yeast sit that long? Thanks
Marye says
yes.
Chuck Sotis says
Miss Marye, Thank you for your Honey Whole Wheat and MX Flaxseed Sandwich Recipes. They look intimidating, but I will try them because I want to and need to bake more healthy breads. Chuck Sotis
Pam says
Could I make this with sourdough starter? How would I adjust the recipe? Thanks!
Marye says
I've never done it that way so I can't say, sorry.
Mary says
This sounds delicious and would like to try it. However My husband is on low sodium diet so would like to decrease the salt. How would that affect the dough- will it still rise? Will it affect the texture?
Marye says
It will be fine.
jayne kriel says
Hi - I have completed the first stage but the dough is very stiff - is this right or should it be more liquidy? I've left it to rise but after 2 hours it hasn't risen much. Should I have added more water do you think?
thanks
Marye says
Jayne - that's really hard for me to know without seeing it.There are a lot of reasons it won't rise.