This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please visit the disclosures and privacy policy page.
May 29, 2022

Rustic Multigrain Bread

This rustic multigrain bread, loaded with seeds and whole grains, is hearty and satisfying. 

Two Multigrain loaves on a wire rack.



This multigrain multiseed bread is delicious plain with butter, toasted and topped with a fried egg, and grilled with cheese. It makes excellent avocado toast. 

It's also perfect for deli style sandwiches and stands up really well to salami, pastrami, or corned beef. Plus, you feel so virtuous eating it because there's quinoa in there. 

Rustic Multigrain Bread sliced in a basket.


Along with bread flour, liquid levain (100% hydration sourdough starter), instant yeast, salt, and water, this bread is filled with hearty whole grains and seeds. 

Whole grains and seeds in this Multigrain Bread:

Rolled oats.

Whole wheat and rye flours. 

Sesame seeds. I used a 50/50 combination of white and black sesame seeds

Hulled sunflower seeds. Be sure they are unsalted. 

Flaxseeds. 

Quinoa. I used white quinoa, but you can use any quinoa. 

Rustic Multigrain Bread Soaking seeds.


To make this bread, you first soak the oats, seeds, and quinoa in cold water for an hour. This will soften the seeds and grains a little but not so much that you can't see the seeds and grains in a slice of this bread. 

After that, you mix the dough for the bread in a stand mixer for twenty minutes, adding the seed mixture at the very end and mixing until they are just incorporated. 

Give the dough a few folds and then let it rest and rise for an hour. In the meantime, set up your oven for steam. 

At this point, divide and preshape your dough into ovals and let it rest for 15 minutes before the final shaping. The dough is pretty sticky, so you should flour your work surface and wet your hands. 

Rustic Multigrain Bread preshaped dough.


Do the final shaping of the loaves and let them proof in a floured couche or tea towel for an hour. 

Transfer the loaves to a parchment lined peel or back of a baking sheet using a baguette transfer peel if you have one (I love mine). You use the couche fabric to flip the dough onto the peel and then turn the shaped dough over onto the parchment. This minimizes extra handling. 

If you don't have a transfer peel, a long strip of cardboard wrapped in shipping tape will work just fine. 

There are various ways to set up your oven for steam, but typically it involves a baking stone on the middle rack and a steam pan on the bottom rack. I use the broiler pan that came with my oven. 

Sometimes I also use a sprayer for spraying the walls of the oven with water after loading the loaves in the oven to generate a lot of initial steam. 

Some bakers place boiling water in the steam pan and some use ice cubes. I've tried it both ways and I'm not sure I can tell the difference, especially if you spray the walls of the oven to create a quick burst of steam. 

In his book, Bouchon Bakery, Thomas Keller recommends filling a large hotel pan with 10 pounds of river rocks and a 10-foot metal chain and spraying it heavily with a Super Soaker when you load the bread in oven. I'm not quite ready to invest in that setup! 

Besides, my grandsons would probably take over the Super Soaker

This bread only takes about 20 to 25 minutes to bake. Make sure it reaches an internal temperature of 200 degrees F. 

Rustic Multigrain Bread slices on a cutting board.



This recipe makes two small bâtards. You can easily freeze one of the loaves once it has cooled for later by wrapping it in foil and then freezer wrap or a freezer bag. 

Or... give a loaf to you neighbor! 

Rustic Multigrain Bread buttered slices.


This week the Sunday Funday group is sharing recipes that feature quinoa, a super nutritious grain. There are many ways to use the ingedient, including in salads, bowls, in soups and meatloaves, and for breakfast. 

 Quinoa also is great for adding into bread dough. I've shared recipes for using quinoa in whole wheat bread and no knead bread

Check out everyone's recipes using quinoa:



Rustic Multigrain Bread sliced on a cutting board.



Rustic Multigrain Bread

Rustic Multigrain Bread
Yield: 32 slices
Author: Karen's Kitchen Stories
Prep time: 45 MinCook time: 30 MinInactive time: 2 HourTotal time: 3 H & 15 M
This rustic multigrain bread, loaded with seeds and whole grains, is hearty and satisfying.

Ingredients

For the Soaker
  • 33 grams (1/4 cup plus 2 1/2 tablespoons) rolled oats
  • 33 grams (3 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons) sesame seeds
  • 33 grams (1/4 cup) hulled sunflower seeds (unsalted)
  • 33 grams (1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon) flaxseeds
  • 33 grams (2 tablespoons plus 2 1/2 teaspoons) quinoa
  • 100 grams (1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons) cold water
For the Final Dough
  • 311 grams (2 cups plus 3 1/2 tablespoons) bread flour
  • 89 grams (3/4 cup) whole wheat flour
  • 44 grams (1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons) rye flour
  • 3 grams (3/4 teaspoon plus 1/8 teaspoon) instant yeast
  • 89 grams (3.1 ounces) liquid levain
  • 311 grams (1 cup plus 5 tablespoons) room temperature water
  • 10 grams (1 3/4 teaspoons) salt

Instructions

  1. Combine the soaker ingredients in a medium bowl and let sit for one hour.
  2. Whisk together the bread flour, whole wheat flour, rye flour, and instant yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the levain and water and mix on low for three minutes. Add the salt and mix on low for 20 minutes.
  3. Add the seed mixture to the dough and mix for a minute or two, until evenly distributed.
  4. Turn the dough out onto your work surface and fold the dough over itself a few times. Place it into an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise for an hour.
  5. Sprinkle your work surface with flour and turn the dough out. Divide it in half and shape each piece into an oval, seam side down. Let rest for 15 minutes.
  6. Reshape the dough into tighter batards and place each, seam side down, between the folds of a floured couche and cover with plastic wrap or floured tea towels. Let rise for one hour.
  7. Place a baking stone on the middle rack of your oven and a pan on the lowest rack and heat the oven to 460 degrees F.
  8. Place a piece of parchment paper on a pizza peel or the back of a baking sheet.
  9. Flip the loaves, one at a time, by lifting the couche, onto a transfer peel so that they are seam side up, and then roll each onto the parchment, seam side down.
  10. Score the loaves down the center with a sharp knife or lame. Slide the bread, parchment and all, onto the baking stone and add 2 cups of ice to the steam pan. Immediately close the oven door.
  11. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the bread reaches an internal temperature of 200 to 205 degrees F.
  12. Cool on a wire rack.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

74.67

Fat (grams)

1.85

Sat. Fat (grams)

0.23

Carbs (grams)

12.27

Fiber (grams)

1.41

Net carbs

10.85

Sugar (grams)

0.09

Protein (grams)

2.56

Sodium (milligrams)

128.91

Cholesterol (grams)

0
quinoa, seeds, whole grains
Bread
Did you make this recipe?
Tag @karenskitchenstories.com on instagram and hashtag it # karenskitchenstories



This recipe was adapted from Bouchon Bakery, published in 2012. 

Would you like to comment?

  1. That's a wonderful crusty and healthy multigrain bread!

    ReplyDelete
  2. The recipe calls for 89g levain, but doesn't give the proportion of water and flour. Thanks

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. 50/50 or 100% hydration. It's mentioned just under the second photo.

      Delete
  3. Sorry missed that levain information. Looking forward to making this beautiful bread.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No worries! I know it's a lot to get through everything.

      Delete
  4. Oh my word Karen.....this bread is amazing!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Wow Karen, such a beautiful bread. Can't stop admiring it.

    ReplyDelete
  6. This bread looks so good with that perfect crust and so healthy. Karen your breads are just wow. Thanks for joining me

    ReplyDelete
  7. As I'm collecting the ingredients together, I thought I'd mention the third ingredient must mean sunflower seeds? ..."33 grams (1/4 cup) hulled sesame seeds (unsalted)".
    Thanks for the recipe I've been looking for one using real seeds "in" the bread and not using already ground seeds in the flower.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am sure you are right! I hate when I do that! Thanks for the heads up!

      Delete
  8. Can I use whole wheat flour only instead of a mix with other flour?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think it would be a lot denser if you did. Plus, you'd probably have to add more water. If you don't mind it being pretty dense, give it a try.

      Delete

I would love to hear from you! If you comment anonymously, be sure to leave your name in your comment.