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.
Table of Contents
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.
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Missy Wilson says
Can you put in grams? I have made this bread recipe 5or6 times and it’s very good. I like using grams and I have tried to convert to grams but it’s seems way off on ingredients. Plus I like to mix my seeds (flaxseeds, pumpkin seeds,sunflower seeds and amaranth seeds.) I haven’t had a problem with this at all.
Marye says
I don't measure so I really can't help with that. If what you're doing is working I'd keep doing it.
Cindy says
I can imagine. This bread’s wonderful potential, but I’ll be throwing the first attempt away due to way too much salt. I’ll prolly reduce it to only about 1:5 teaspoons. I’m truly bummed about it, but I’ll try again. Totally bummed.
Marye says
Are you using table salt or Kosher salt?
Leo chartrand says
I dont try it now but bi sure i gone try it the recipe look good
Sarah says
Hi Marye!
At what point in the process do you add the homemade dough enhancer? Do you still use the vital wheat gluten if you use the enhancer?
Marye says
I add it mixed with the first cup of flour. Yes, I still use the gluten.
Sarah says
Thank you! I made the bread and it seems very heavy and not very fluffy - I didn’t end up using all the bread flour / I had about 1/2 cup left. How do I know when I have added enough? I have a Bosch mixer - maybe I kneaded it too long? I let the sponge rise for 3 hours. I must be doing something wrong - help? 😆
Peg says
Well, I tried this but made some substitutions buckwheat for the whole wheat). I also couldn't find the wheat gluten. It tastes great, but didn't rise much. I used a warmed oven for all the rising steps to counter our cold weather. It rose ok the first 2 times, but not much at all the second time. Maybe I just didn't wait long enough? I used all the highest lengths of time in the recipe.
Marye says
So Buckwheat has very little gluten - and you didn't use the gluten called for in the recipe. The dough requires gluten to rise. If you want a nice, fluffy loaf of bread you'll need to get the gluten (Amazon has it) and use whole wheat flour.
Jean says
In place of wheat gluten I use whey protein powder. I make this bread every two weeks. I freeze two slices wrapped in Saran Wrap and freeze it. I also grind half cup flax seed with 1/2 cup whole flax seed I’m pre diabetic and it does not spike my blood sugar. I only use 3 tbsp honey, 1cup bread flour and the rest is whole wheat flour. It turns out great.
Raven7146 says
I am giving it 5 stars even though I "tweaked" the recipe. I only using 1 1/2 tsp salt NOT the TABLESPOONS in the recipe. (Why is there so much salt- what is the purpose? Salt inhibits yeast growth so this seems to be counteractive) I also decreased the butter to 6 Tbsp instead of 8 and only had to use 2 C bread flour not 3. I added 1/4 tsp ginger and the bread turned out GREAT so changing this recipe didn't seem to do anything negative.. Still curious about all of that SALT- that is not heart healthy.
It also doesn't say anywhere what size pans to use.
Marye says
This recipe has been working for me as written since the 1970s so I've never seen a need to change it. I'm glad you liked it. I use glass 1.5 quart loaf pans that I've had since the 80s and they are no longer a standard size. I'd guess 5x11 pans would be what you'd want.
Lonnie says
I love this recipe, but this time I ran out of active dry yeast. If I use instant yeast do I still use the honey and warm water in the later steps? I’m assuming I don’t, but I wanted to double check. Thank you!
Marye says
You'll skip the first 2 steps of proofing the yeast. You'll add the yeast with the first batch of flour and follow from there.
Jean Sim says
My family loved this! Excellent! I make this every week.
kelly says
can i sub flax meal for the flax seed?
Marye says
No, the meal is too small of a grind and it will change the texture.
Pat says
Can you get away without using gluten?
Marye says
You can but it won't be as soft.
Georgianne says
I finally made the Multigrain bread and it was wonderful! I even put the flaxseed in as instructed and was delicious. Tomorrow will be my third time to make it. I am making some for a neighbor.
I made a batch today, but I think I messed up the rise a little. In an effort to have a nice even rise I rolled it out and rolled it up like a jelly roll and then pressed into place to fill the pan up….i will still enjoy it …but the set I make tomorrow I will go back to shaping into a loaf.
Georgianne says
Can I leave out the flaxseed? I am making this for my neighbor and they requested no seeds, but wanted multi-grain bread…
Marye says
I've never left it out but you could, I'm sure.
Susan Weidner says
This sounds delicious and I can’t wait to make it. Any chance that I can make it in my bread machine? I use it occasionally when I’m going to be gone all day. Thanks, Susan
Marye says
I've never tried. The dough might be too heavy.
Georgianne says
Can I leave out the flaxseed? I am making this for my neighbor and they requested no seeds, but wanted multi-grain bread…
Georgianne says
Can I use my 13x4 Pullman pan and just make one loaf? If not what size loaf pan do you use? Also if I use the Pullman pan ..how long do I cook it with lid and without..because I know that sometimes it continues to cook after you take lid off.
Marye says
Im not sure? I've never done it that way.
Peggy says
What is vital wheat gluten and is it necessary for the making of bread.
Marye says
It is pure gluten flour - available at most whole foods, health foods, or amazon. It helps whole grain and multigrain breads rise and be lighter. It's not totally necessary but without it the bread will be heavy and coarse in texture and it will be hard to knead.
Linda says
This is the best multi grain bread recipe I ever made. Easy to follow and simple ingredients. Thanks
Aniko Hager says
Perfect bread!!!!!
Mel says
Can I substitute White Whole Wheat Flour for the whole wheat flour?
Marye says
Sure! That's what I usually use.
Ken says
Thank you for sharing this recipe. Any chance you have a sourdough version available? Thank you.
Marye says
No, not for this recipe.
Sissy says
Why does this bread need so much salt? Is there a reason for this or a preference? Thank you so much for taking time to answer this.
Marye says
Salt helps to control the yeast growth as well as give flavor to the bread.
Valerie says
A question for my clarity -- in the first step, is proofing the yeast and making the sponge two separate activities? As in, the sponge ingredients are not added to the proofed yeast after it sits for the 5 minutes. I've only made one bread dough with a biga, so the sponge concept is pretty new to me. If they're kept separate, which I kind of think that's the intent, and the upper end of the resting time is used for the sponge (3-4 hours), would it be advisable to delay proofing the yeast until closer to the end of the sponge resting time? Will it adversely affect the yeast if it's proofed and left to sit in theory for several hours?
Marye says
First you proof the yeast (5 minutes or so) then you add the sponge ingredients and continue. 🙂