Multigrain Sourdough Bread

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This Multigrain Sourdough Bread is guaranteed to be your new favorite bake! A crunchy crust on the outside, light and soft on the inside, and loaded with FIVE different whole grains. It’s truly the most delicious sourdough bread. The best part? It’s SO much better than store-bought…and makes beautiful companion to your breakfast or dinner table. It’s actually so much easier to make than you would think and oh so impressive. Best served toasted with a generous smear of salted butter or even thinly sliced avocado. Trust me, you will LOVE this bread. It’s the good-for-you sourdough you’ve been waiting for. Serve alongside your favorite breakfasts for a wonderful and healthy toast, with dinner, or simply on its own. SO. GOOD.

→ This post is also available as a Web Story: Multigrain Bread

About The Recipe

Just three words. Multigrain. Sourdough. Bread. Ohhhh, yes. Sourdough baking just got a whole lot better.

After you all LOVED our Fig and Walnut Bread so much, we decided to share one of our favorite breads to eat! We discovered a multigrain sourdough in Florida at our local grocery store. It was our absolute FAVORITE, but after we moved a few years ago, we haven’t been able to find a suitable replacement. Nowhere here sells a multigrain sourdough.

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So, after two years of searching, my mom decided that she would develop her own! It’s taken quite a few test bakes to get it just right, but we finally achieved it! There’s just enough sourdough to give it plenty of sour flavor, while hints of grains compliment the overall flavor. It’s truly is SO good.

Though, this bread is made a little unconventionally. We love a traditional sourdough as much as anyone else, but it just takes so. long. I mean, it’s sooooo worth it, but if you could have a loaf of sourdough just a little faster, wouldn’t you prefer that?

Well, with this recipe, that’s just the case! We added just a little bit of yeast to help with the rise, as we have a lot of grains in this bread. Old-fashioned oats, flaxseeds, steel cut oats, sunflower seeds, PLUS whole wheat! It is the ultimate multi-grain bread, but it needed a little bit of help from the yeast.

But don’t let the addition of yeast deter you. This multigrain sourdough is ABSOLUTELY delicious and oh so worth the wait. Every bite is nutty, full of flavor, with just the right amount of sour flavor from the sourdough starter.

Why You Need Make This Multigrain Sourdough Bread ASAP!

• It’s healthy AND delicious!
• This bread is naturally vegan.
• Made with a blend of whole wheat flour and bread flour.
• A perfect use for sourdough.
• Gives you delicious loaf of bread to enjoy in the mornings!

Equipment Needed

• Glass Mixing Bowls
• (optional) Bread Proofer
• Stand Mixer
• Instant Read Thermometer
• 9 Inch Round Banneton
• Bench Scraper
• Bread Lame
• Medium (5 ½ qt) Dutch Oven

Ingredients

(Full ingredient amounts and instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the post)

For The Whole Wheat Starter:

• Sourdough Starter
• Water
• Whole Wheat Flour

For The Soaker:

• Flaxseeds
• Steel Cut Oats
• Sunflower Seeds
• Old Fashioned Oats
• Salt
• Boiling Water

For The Final Dough:

• Bread Flour
• Water
• Instant Yeast
• Honey
• All of the starter
• All of the soaker

How To Make Multigrain Sourdough Bread

Step 1: Make the whole wheat starter and soaker

The night before you want to bake the bread, you will need to make the whole wheat starter and the soaker. First we are going to make the starter. To do this, combine water and sourdough in a glass bowl and whisk until well combined and there are no lumps of starter.

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Add in the whole wheat flour and beat well. Proof at 70 degrees for 12-16 hours (If you’re not using a proofing box, cover the starter with plastic wrap and set aside for 12-16 hours).

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In a new bowl, combine the flax seeds, steel cuts oats, sunflower seeds, old fashioned rolled oats, salt, and boiling water. Stir until combined. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to stand at room temperature for 12-16 hours.

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Step 2: Make the final dough

The next morning, combine the bread flour, water, yeast, honey, the starter, and the soaker in the bowl of an electric mixer. Mix on low speed for 3 minutes. Switch to dough hook, if using. Increase speed to medium and continue to mix for 3-4 minutes.

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Step 3: Proof

Turn the dough into a clean glass bowl and proof at 78 degrees for 1 hour (cover with plastic wrap if not using a proofing box).

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Step 4: Shape and proof

Turn the proofed dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently deflate.

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Fold the top third of the dough over towards the middle. Fold in the right and left corners. Roll dough towards you, tucking it tightly. Tuck ends under. Use a bench knife, or your hands, to round and tighten the dough.

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Place the shaped dough, bottom side up, in prepared banneton. Proof at 80 degrees for 1 hour (cover with a tea towel or plastic wrap if not using a proofing box).

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Step 4: Score and bake

Turn loaf out onto a piece of parchment paper and score the bread.

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Carefully, place bread in preheated Dutch Oven and cover with lid. Bake at 450 degrees F for 15 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 425 degrees F and take off the lid and bake for another 30 minutes. Take out of oven and let cool completely before serving.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I make a sourdough starter? If you don’t have a sourdough starter, there’s no worries! You will need 5 days to make a sourdough starter. Use our recipe and guide How To Make A Sourdough Starter In 5 Days to make one!

Why is there yeast in this recipe? This bread needs all the help it can get! It not only has a LOT of additives that weigh it down, but it’s also made with whole wheat flour. While making it without yeast is possible, we wouldn’t recommend it. Adding the yeast helps give it some much-needed lift.

Why did my bread not rise in the oven? This could be so many things from the dutch oven not being preheated/preheated enough to the ingredients added to the dough. The most common problem is actually over-proofing. We highly recommend investing in a good quality proofing box to help with this issue. Though, if you follow the directions below exactly, you should have a perfect loaf every time!

What type of bread lame should I use? With so many different bread lames on the market, I’m sure it can be confusing. Each one is used for something specific, actually! A straight blade is used for normal scoring and decorative scoring. A curved blade is used for achieving that iconic ear you see in bakeries. While it’s possible to use each lame/blade for the opposite intention, it’s always best to try and use the tools as they were meant for. If you do not have a lame, we recommend in purchasing one, but a very sharp knife can be used.

How can I tell when the bread is properly baked? The most important thing is to follow the times and directions of the recipe card! Though, if you’re unsure, you can actually tap the bottom of the bread and listen. If the bread sounds hollow, it’s baked through! You could also use a thermometer to see if it’s cooked. A properly baked loaf of bread should read an internal temperature of 212 degrees F.

What To Make With Multigrain Sourdough Bread

The wonderful thing about this multigrain bread is that it has so many uses! Below is a few of our favorites.

• Toast for breakfast in the mornings.
• Used as sandwich bread.
• Served alongside charcuterie boards.
• Chopped into cubes for croutons or savory bread pudding.

How To Store This Bread

Once this bread is baked and cooled, you can actually store it a few different ways! In a zip top bag and left at room temperatures for about 1 week, in the fridge for 1-2 weeks, OR wrapped with aluminum foil and kept in the freezer for up to 2 months!

Though, if kept in a zip top bag, this bread’s crust will soften and no longer be crunchy. Just keep that in mind! You can always slice it and toast it in the toaster or place the loaf in the oven for a few minutes to get the crust crunchy again!

Expert Tips

• If you’re new to sourdough and don’t have a starter, use our How To Make A Sourdough Starter in 5 Days guide!
• If you already have a sourdough starter, but it seems to be a little sluggish/doesn’t have that healthy smell, we recommend giving it about a week of really working to revive it. You can find out how to do this/get more tips HERE!
• Be sure to read through all the directions before beginning this recipe.
• Use a tea kettle to safely boil the water needed for the soaker.
• Do not use any roasted or salted nuts in this recipe.
• You will need old-fashioned (rolled) oats AND steel cut oats.
• Use glass bowls for the proofing.
• If you are using a thermometer, after mixing, final dough should have a temperature of 78 degrees.
• Rice flour works the best to flour your banneton to prevent sticking.
• You can use a dutch oven or a baking stone to bake this bread.
• If you are using a proofing box with a water tray, you will not need to cover the dough to proof it.
• Remember to preheat either the dutch oven or baking stone!

When you make this Multigrain Sourdough Bread, leave a comment down below! We love hearing from you and answering any questions you might have! Also, be sure to tag us on social media and hashtag it #BakersTable.

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