Multigrain Sandwich Bread
A good sandwich starts with good bread, and this Multigrain Sandwich Bread is not only good…it’s great!
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Bob’s Red Mill. The opinions and recipe are all my own.
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What are you really passionate about? What’s that one thing that you really, really look forward to doing…no matter when it is? For me, it’s bread baking. (I could also make a strong argument for college sports, but let’s stick with bread for today.) I find making bread dough to be incredibly relaxing. You take a couple of basic ingredients, mix ’em up, let ’em rest for a while and then throw them in the oven. Next thing you know, your house smells incredible and you’re snacking on freshly baked bread. It’s like some sort of crazy magic trick! This Multigrain Sandwich Bread is one of my favorite breads to make, and I’m excited to share it with you today.
For this bread, I actually used half bread flour and half Whole Wheat Flour from Bob’s Red Mill. I find that the whole wheat flour brings a great flavor to the bread, not to mention the added vitamins + protein, too. For my sandwich breads, I prefer a 50-50 mix of bread flour and whole wheat flour. The result is a loaf with wonderful flavor and texture, and it’s not dense at all.
This bread is perfect for slicing and making a peanut butter sandwich for lunch. It’s also perfect for toasting and then topping with butter and jam. But never together. Give me peanut butter or give me jelly. But not both! (Yup, I was that weird kid who only ate peanut butter sandwiches. Jelly need not apply.)
Multigrain Sandwich Bread
I know some of you might be thinking, “I’ve never made bread before. That bread looks tasty, but there’s no way I can make that.” Wrong. This bread is actually pretty darned easy to make. I’ll admit that the recipe might look a bit daunting, but it’s not as hard as it seems. Oh, and don’t be scared off by the various grains and seeds. No sunflower seeds in your pantry? Add in more flaxseeds and sesame seeds. Or go out and grab some. That’s the fun thing about making bread. You can experiment and play around a bit to find the taste you like the most.
So what exactly is a soaker? Well, you take the grains that go into the bread and soak ’em overnight in a portion of the water from the recipe. The grains soak up the water which, in turn, makes them taste much better once baked into the bread. It’s an easy step that will make a huge difference in grain breads. If you don’t soak the grains, then those grains will soak up water once they’re in the dough…resulting in a much drier (and much less tastier) loaf of bread.
But then what is a biga? A biga is simply a portion of the recipe’s flour and water mixed with a pinch of yeast. You then cover it up and let it rest overnight. Breads draw significant flavor from long fermentation…which is where the biga comes in. It’s true. Professional bakeries often save a portion of the day’s dough and then mix it in with the dough the next day.
Since you aren’t likely making bread every day in your home, just mix up a quick biga instead. Plus, you get to sound fancy in front of your friends when you say you used a biga (bee-gah) to make your bread. (I also use a biga when making my Homemade Pizza Dough. Recently I forgot to make the biga, so I just mixed the dough as normal. The pizza didn’t taste nearly as good. #PizzaFail)
Baker’s Tip: I let the soaker and biga rest (covered) at room temperature, but the dough itself likes to be a little bit warmer. You gotta make that yeast happy so that it’ll wake up and start partying like a rock star! So unless you keep your house at 85°F, you’ll probably need to find a warmer spot. My little trick is to turn the oven on. As soon as I see the temperature start to climb, I turn the oven off. (My oven doesn’t register the temperature until it hits 100°F. As soon as it hits 100°, I turn the oven off.) Then I cover the dough and put it in the oven. (Just make sure to pull it out before you start to pre-heat your oven for baking!!)
Have I convinced you to give this Multigrain Sandwich Bread a shot yet? Whether you’ve been making bread for years or wanting to give it a shot, I think you’ll be pleased with it. The loaves have a great texture, and they’re packed with flavor.
I should also mention that this bread freezes quite well. The recipe makes 2 loaves, and I just wrap one in plastic wrap (once it has cooled) and put it in a gallon-sized freezer bag. Then it goes into the freezer until the first loaf is gone…which usually doesn’t take long around here. In fact, I used this bread when I made these Fried Green Tomato BLTs a couple of weeks ago, and it was delicious!
Did you make a loaf or two of this Multigrain Sandwich Bread? Leave a comment, or snap a photo and tag me on Instagram (@Spicedblog). I’d love to see your version!
Multi-Grain Sandwich Bread
Ingredients
For the Soaker
- ¼ cup flaxseeds
- ¼ cup sunflower seeds
- ¼ cup sesame seeds
- ½ cup oats
- 1 cup water
For the Biga
- 2½ cups bread flour
- 1 cup water
- 1 tsp salt
- pinch active dry yeast
For the Dough
- Soaker see above
- 3½ cups whole wheat flour
- 1 cup bread flour
- 1 cup water
- 1 Tbsp salt
- 1½ tsp active dry yeast
- 2 T malt syrup or honey
- Biga see above
Instructions
For the Soaker
- Using a medium bowl, add all of the Soaker ingredients (flaxseeds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, oats and water). Stir until fully combined. Cover bowl and let rest at room temperature for 12-16 hours.
For the Biga
- Using a medium bowl, add all of the Biga ingredients (bread flour, water, salt and yeast), and stir until a loose dough forms. Cover bowl and let rest at room temperature for 12-16 hours. (Note: Since the biga and soaker both rest for the same amount of time, so just make them the evening before and let them rest overnight.)
For the Dough
- Transfer the Soaker into the bowl of a countertop mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment. Add all of the additional dough ingredients except for the Biga (whole wheat flour, bread flour, water, salt, yeast and malt syrup or honey) to the bowl. Stir on low speed for 3-4 minutes, or until dough begins to come together.
- Add the Biga and increase speed to medium. Mix for 3-4 more minutes, or until dough is smooth and springy.
- Transfer dough into a large, lightly oiled bowl. Cover and place in a warm (85°F) location for 1 hour.
- Turn dough out onto a floured countertop and fold several times. Place dough back into bowl, cover and let rest in a warm location for 1 more hour.
- Divide the dough into 2 pieces of equal weight and shape each piece into a loose ball.
- Working with one piece of dough at a time, shape the dough into a 9"x9" square. Fold the dough into thirds (like a letter) and pinch the seam closed. Place the dough seam-side down into a greased 9"x5" loaf pan. Repeat with the remaining piece of Dough.
- Spray the tops of the loaves (in the bread pan) with baking spray or olive oil and cover lightly. Place in a warm location and let rest for 1 hour, or until loaves have risen about 1” over the top of loaf pan.
- Using a sharp knife, make 3 angled cuts (~1/2" to 3/4" deep) in the top of each loaf.
- Preheat oven to 425°F and bake for 40-45 minutes. (Tip: Check the bread after 30 minutes. If the loaves are getting dark on top, just cover with a piece of aluminum foil to prevent them from burning.)
- Let loaves cool for 20 minutes in the pans and then turn loaves out onto cooling rack until fully cooled. (Note: If you aren’t planning on eating the bread within a couple of days, wrap it tightly and freeze it instead. This bread freezes quite well!)
Looking for more tasty homemade bread recipes? Check out these other favorites, too:
Love, love, love! my husband’s homemade sourdough bread!
Oh, that’s a great one, Bonnie! Sourdough is definitely one of my favorite breads, too…there is something so cool about the wild yeast factor in sourdough. Thanks for commenting!!
Wait – you don’t like PB&J sandwiches??? I didn’t have my first PB&J till I was a senior in college and I almost died – I couldn’t believe I went so long without combining those flavors!!
Baking can be such a relaxing passion! There used to be a time when my daughter and I baked bread ALL THE TIME (it’s a fun fun activity to get a toddler involved in)! But I had no idea about soaking the seeds – thanks David! Your loaves look fabulous!
And thanks for this giveaway – I adore Bob’s Red Mill products!
Yes, it’s true, Shashi. I don’t like PB&J. I know PB&J is like the quintessential kid food…but I didn’t like ’em. I wanted PB. By itself. And I ate jelly on toast almost every morning. But never together. Never! I can only imagine how much fun it would be to have a toddler help out with bread dough. There is something so relaxing and enjoyable about watching dough rise…and of course, homemade bread just tastes amazing! Laura always knows the days I make homemade bread because she can smell it as soon as she gets out of her car in the garage. Oh, and our dogs love the smell of bread when it’s baking…it’s a little insane how much they love it!
Nothing better than making your own bread, therapeutic too, Nice job!
Thanks, Matt! I couldn’t agree more…homemade bread is the best!!
I absolutely love a good brioche, but pathetically, this chef can’t bake her own bread worth a crap. Yeast HATES me with a passion… your bread is just gorgeous!
I don’t believe it! Homemade bread is so much fun, Becca. I order you to get back in the kitchen and give it a shot. (Plus, it’s just so darned fun to play with the dough!)
Homemade bread is the way to go, and I especially love recipes that call for whole grains. I have yet to try soaking, but definitely will now! Thanks for the inspiration.
No problem, Julie! I’m a huge fan of soaking grains before adding them into homemade breads. It doesn’t take much extra time at all, and it makes it easy to incorporate all sorts of grains/seeds into bread. Thanks for commenting!
All bread is my favorite! I adore bread of all kinds. Yours looks so good! And I also like Bobs Red Mill. I’ve got two 5yo granddaughter’s that love my bread and want to make it with me. This would be so much fun to have to teach them. Thanks for the chance!
Hey Terri! It’s great to meet another bread lover! Isn’t homemade bread the best?? I love doing all sorts of things in the kitchen, but bread baking day always holds a special spot for me! Thanks for stopping by…I really appreciate it! 🙂
Sourdough Pecan Bread! <3 My sons favorite is Cranberry Orange Bread! <3
Sourdough Pecan? I haven’t heard of that combo, Darlene…but it sounds amazing! And Cranberry Orange is another delicious one. I’m taking notes for breads I want to make this winter…thanks for the inspiration! And thanks for commenting. I really appreciate it. 🙂
Sourdough is my favorite, but rosemary garlic is a close second.
Sourdough is definitely one of my favorites, too, Terri…I just made a batch the other day, and it was delicious! But thanks for the reminder about rosemary garlic…I totally need to make a loaf (or two) or that soon. And thanks for stopping by…I really, really appreciate it!
No knead crusty Italian made with half bread flour and half spelt. I sometimes add kalamata olives, roasted garlic , rosemary or dried cranberries. My biggest regret is that when I lived in West Linn, OR. I never visited Bob’s Red Mill store.
I’m jealous that you used to live near Bob’s Red Mill’s main store, Jeanette! It’s kindof a long trip from upstate New York out to Oregon…haha. I love that you make your Italian bread with 1/2 spelt flour…I’ll have to give that a whirl next time I’m making Italian bread. And your add-ins all sound amazing! Thank you so much for commenting…I really, really appreciate it!
I love dark breads.
Me, too, Ginny! I have a Honey Wheat Bread that is one of my favorite breads ever. Pumpernickle is on my to-make list soon, too! Thank you so much for visiting…I really appreciate it!
i love all sorts of bread! Can’t wait to try this new recipe. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you so much, Diane! Bread baking is definitely a passion, and I’m happy that I can share it here. And thank you for visiting…I really, really appreciate it!
I love dill and pumpernickel bread!
Dill and pumpernickle? What a fun combo, Amy! I totally need to give that one a shot. Thank you so much for visiting, too…I really appreciate it!
Wheat or Multigrain!
Both are awesome classic breads, Becky! Thank you so much for stopping by my site…I really appreciate it! 🙂
Would LOVE to win this kit!
Good luck, Francine! Thanks for visiting my site!
My favorite bread is sourdough!
Yes! Sourdough is one of my favorites, too, Marie! Thanks for visiting my site…I really appreciate it!
I love cinnamon raisin bread!
Cinnamon raisin is up there at the top of my list, too, Teri! Check out my recipe…it’s one of my favorites! (just use the search box in the top right.) Thanks for visiting my site…I really appreciate it!
I have been making bread since the 70’s. Thanks to a recipe found in original Whole Earth book. Love this one.
I’m not familiar with that book, Rise…thanks for letting me know about it. I’ll have to see if I can track down a copy! And thank you so much for visiting my site…I really appreciate it! I hope you enjoy this bread. 🙂
Love Bob’s Red Mill products…favorite bread is GF bread of any kind, especially cinnamon swirl or multi-grain/seed! Thankfully, Bob’s Red Mill GF products are amazing! Regarding this prize pack, I do have non-GF friends who would love it! Thanks! 🙂
Thank you so much for stopping by, MC! I haven’t experimented with GF bread much, but it’s definitely something on my list to try. Bob’s Red Mill does indeed have some great GF products!
I’m all about buckwheat bread!
Now there’s a fun bread idea, Rebecca! I’ve made buckwheat pancakes, but I’ve never tried my hand at buckwheat bread. I totally need to give that a shot! Thank you so much for stopping by. 🙂
I have a wholegrain loaf proofing right now, but my fav is probably molasses wheat bread or challah.
I love that you have a wholegrain loaf proofing as we speak, Lisa! Isn’t homemade bread the best ever?? I just realized that I’ve never made a classic challah loaf at home before…I clearly need to fix that soon! Thank you so much for visiting my site…I really appreciate it!
Love cinnamon raisin bread!! Would love love love to try it myself 🙂
Cinnamon raisin bread is absolutely one of my favorites, too, Amber! Check out my recipe (just use the search box at the top of the page.) It’s really tasty! Thank you so much for visiting my site…I really appreciate it. 🙂
Love multi grain breads with lots of seeds!
Yes! I totally agree with you, Janet! Give this Multi-Grain Sandwich Bread a shot…it’s one of my favorites! Thank you for visiting my site, too…I really appreciate it. 🙂
Dude, this bread looks pretty amazing. I’m such a fan of the idea of baking bread… but I rarely do it for some reason. I know, I’m totally letting the wolfpack down on this one. Apple Cider Wolf is sorry.
And I’m a huge fan of crusty bread with big hole structure inside… the baguettes in Paris were freaking amazing!
Oooo…Baguettes are one of my favorites, too, Chris! And you got to enjoy them in Paris…jerk! I mean that in the nicest way possible, of course. Seriously jealous that you’ve been to Paris. It’s on my list of places to visit. And I plan on eating a baguette a day while I’m there. I’ll tell them that Chris told me to do it.
love your products
Whole grain, any kind
I totally agree with you! Whole grain bread is delicious. Thank you so much for visiting my site!
Your bread making skills are awesome and I don’t know if I can match them. So, can you ship me a loaf? 🙂 Seriously, you inspire me to at least attempt making bread once. I did make Irish Soda bread once, but everything else outside of a quick bread seems so daunting!
Thank you so much, Tamara…you are too kind! I’m happy to send a loaf down to you…but I want you to try it yourself first. You’ll seriously be surprised…it’s easier than you think and so much fun to make homemade bread! If you’ve made Irish Soda Bread, then you’re at least in the right ballpark…now just grab a packet of yeast and make this sandwich bread. I have faith in you!! 🙂
Great looking bread. What a great idea making your own.
Thank you so much, Valya!! Homemade bread is one of the best things ever!
Ummmmm….my mouth is literally watering. If it weren’t midnight I think I’d be heading for the kitchen to make this…it looks absolutely relish! Maybe this weekend…..
Weekends are the perfect time to make homemade bread, Judy!! Heck, middle of the night is still a good time…but I guess sleep is important, too. Haha! Weekends in the winter? Now that just screams, “Homemade bread!!” 🙂
I’ve also used the Biga when I make pizza crust. It really does make a difference. I like this idea of soaking. Never done that before. I’ve got wheat berries I’m anxious to try making into flour with my Vitamix.
Thanks!
How exciting is that, Lynda?? I’ve always wanted to take wheat berries and make my own flour. The tailor that I go to has a little mill in the corner of his shop (it’s a room off of his house), and he grinds his own flour as he needs it. Talk about getting inspired! Thank you so much for visiting my site…I really appreciate it. Have a great Saturday!
Please tell me that you didn’t just say, “party like a rock star” in relation to yeast. Now I have that horrible song in my head (thanks, but no thanks) and it has been confirmed that you are a huge nerd. In fact, we are probably related.
It has been way too long since I made bread. I miss it. Like woah. This loaf is gorgeous, but I believe I already told you that! Pinned!
Hahaha…oh no! My nerdness has finally come through. I kept up my cool front for a while, but my true colors have been revealed. If you could only see me dance…now there’s full confirmation of my inner nerd. Or is it dork? Eh, in my case, it’s probably both. You should totally get back to making bread…I find it so relaxing and awesome! We’ve got a pizza dough rising in the kitchen for Saturday night pizza right now, in fact. Have a great weekend! 🙂
Me too. Making dough (& pie) is my happy place.
As for your dancing…I can only imagine!
Hmm, my favorite bread would have to be cinnamon raisin bread 🙂 Perfect for breakfast!
You can’t ever go wrong with cinnamon raisin bread, Ashley! Check out my recipe for it…it’s one of my favorite breads to make during the holidays. And thank you so much for visiting my site…I really appreciate it! 🙂
My favorite bread is Jewish Rye. It tastes so good as toast, grilled cheeses, hamburger buns. I’d also like to try a rye bread stuffing this year for Thanksgiving.
Oooo…I rye bread stuffing sounds amazing, Marica! I may have to copy that idea and make one, too. Thank you so much for visiting my site…I really appreciate it!
I really love sourdough, the tangier the better!
Me, too, Jeffrey! Sourdough may be my favorite bread ever…but it’s so hard to just pick a single one. Thank you so much for visiting my site…I really appreciate it!
My favourite type of bread is whole-grain sourdough.
Whole-grain sourdough is a classic! Thank you so much for stopping by my site…I really appreciate it!
Best bread ever! I have adapted it for my bread maker and it turns out amazing every time. My husband can’t get enough of it. Thank you so much for this recipe!!!
Hey Alissa! Thank you so much for stopping back by and sharing. I truly appreciate it! 🙂 This bread is indeed one of my favorites, but I haven’t made it in a bit. Thanks for the reminder to bake another loaf soon! Ooo…this would be great for leftover Thanksgiving turkey sandwiches, right?? 🙂
Made the multigrain sandwich bread without a mixer. It looks beautiful, tastes delicious, but is a little… dense. The crumb is very tight. Too much kneading? Not enough? It never rose more than half an inch over the tins, but it was 90 minutes, so I just put in the oven. Any suggestions for the future?
Hey Jessica! So glad the taste turned out well here – it is a delicious loaf of bread! As far as the rising, that’s hard to say. The dense crumb is definitely a result of it not rising as much as normal, but the challenge is figuring out why it didn’t rise. Too much kneading could cause the dough to take longer to rise, although I suspect it might be something more simple like temperature. I like to let bread dough rise in my oven – the oven is off, but I do turn on the oven light. It’s a nice warm spot with no drafts or anything. And it may very well take longer than 90 minutes – I’d give it a little extra time next time and try the oven trick, too. Just keep an eye on it after 60 minutes to see how it’s doing. (And of course don’t forget to pull the pan out when you preheat the oven!) I hope this helps – let me know if you do try this bread again! I’m curious what the solution is…
Absolutely will. I look forward to perfecting this one!
Thanks for your response.