This rustic multigrain bread filled with whole wheat and rye flours, flax seeds, oats, and bulgur wheat is both hearty and delicious!

rustic multigrain bread, sliced with butter

Who can resist a loaf of homemade bread still warm from the oven? Not me! And this rustic multigrain bread is my current obsession. I bake it all the time!

There’s so much stuff going on in this loaf and almost all of it is good for you, plus it’s delicious too! This loaf is hearty, but still a little tender and not at all too dense. I highly recommend enjoying it slathered in salted butter or as part of a sandwich. 

flours and ingredients in measuring cups

Ingredients You’ll Need

(Full recipe below)

  • Whole wheat flour
  • Bulgar wheat
  • Rye flour
  • Flax seeds
  • Oats
  • Sunflower seeds
  • All-purpose flour
  • Honey
  • Butter
  • Active-dry yeast
  • Salt

You should be able to find most of the grains and flours at any major grocery store in the specialty flour section or a well-stocked bulk section. If you can’t find them locally, you can always shop online.

So let’s get baking, shall we?

shaping bread loaf and risen loaf

How to make this Rustic Multigrain Bread

Like most yeast bread recipes, this rustic multigrain bread takes some time to make. But it’s not difficult! And it’s definitely a recipe for all levels of skill.

Let’s break down the steps:

  1. Soak the wheat. Soak the bulgur wheat with water to soften it.
  2. Warm wet ingredients. Heat water, honey, and butter until warm and butter is melted.
  3. Combine with remaining ingredients. Add all of the ingredients except for the all-purpose flour to the bowl of a stand mixer (if you plan to knead with a dough hook, or in a large bowl if kneading by hand) and combine to make a wet dough.
  4. Add flour. Start kneading the dough, adding the all-purpose flour a little at a time until the dough clears the side of the bowl but still feels moist and tacky. You may need less than 1 cup, or you may need more. Every time I make a loaf it’s different!
  5. Knead dough. Continue to knead the dough until it’s smooth and doesn’t break immediately when you stretch it.
  6. Let rise. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise for about 1 hour until it’s doubled in size.
  7. Shape loaf. Gently punch down the dough to release the trapped air, knead it a few times and bring it back into a ball.
  8. Prep for baking. Place it in a dutch oven or large oven-proof pot with a lid and brush with egg wash and sprinkle with oats. Use a sharp knife to slice 3 cuts into the top of the bread. These cuts will help control the rise of the bread in the oven so it’s doesn’t burst open at a random spot.
  9. Rise again. Let rise for another half hour or so, while you preheat the oven to 425°F.
  10. Bake. Cover pot with the lid, put in oven, and reduce oven temp to 400°F. After about 45 minutes of baking, bread should be slightly golden on top and baked all the way through.
  11. Let cool. Remove bread from the pot and try to resist cutting into it until it has cooled.

Then, enjoy!

risen dough in dutch oven

Why does this bread bake in a dutch oven?

A covered pot, like a cast iron dutch oven, mimics the conditions inside a professional baker’s oven— intense heat and moisture. The dutch oven traps moisture released during baking, helping with rise and giving the crust a nice crisp and shiny finish.

Without a dutch oven to trap the moisture released during the first 20 minutes of baking, it would evaporate and the crust would develop a tough outer crust. This crust prevents the bread from rising further and you’re left with a squat loaf. But if you use a dutch oven, this problem is solved!

Want more info on this method? This thorough post from The Perfect Loaf is very helpful, as is this one from King Arthur Flour.

Do I have to use a dutch oven?

If you scroll through the comments you’ll find lots of bakers wondering how to bake this bread without a dutch oven. Which is part of the reason I’ve added the explanation above. You really should use a dutch oven! You’ll end up with a better loaf of bread.

This is the dutch oven I use, but here is another great affordable option.

If you don’t have a cast iron dutch oven, you can use any oven-proof pot with a lid. The thicker the pot, the better job it’ll do at insulating the heat. And if you don’t have a lid, simply cover it with foil or a sheet pan.

Still interested in skipping the pot? Bake this bread on a sheet pan (or better yet, a baking stone or steel) at 400° with a small loaf pan or square pan on the lower rack filled with about 1 cup of water. This water will help add moisture to the environment inside your oven.

rustic multigrain bread, sliced

More bread recipes to try

Now that you’ve mastered this hearty bread recipe, here are a few more you might enjoy:

Shop Tools for this Recipe


Multigrain Bread Loaf | completelydelicious.com
4.93 from 28 reviews

Multigrain Bread

Servings: 10 slices
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Rise Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 45 minutes
This rustic multigrain bread filled with good stuff like whole wheat and rye flours, flax seeds, oats, and bulgur wheat is both hearty and delicious!

Ingredients
 

  • 3 tablespoons bulgar wheat (30 grams)
  • 1 ¼ cup water , divided
  • 2 tablespoons honey (43 grams)
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (28 grams)
  • 2 ¼ teaspoons active-dry yeast (1 envelope, 7 grams)
  • 1 ½ cup whole wheat flour (170 grams)
  • ½ cup rye flour (50 grams)
  • 2 teaspoons coarse salt
  • ¼ cup old-fashioned rolled oats (25 grams)
  • ¼ cup flaxseed (35 grams)
  • 2 tablespoon raw sunflower seeds
  • 1 - 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour (120-170 grams)
  • 1 large egg + 1 tablespoon water , beaten for egg wash (optional)
  • Additional rolled oats , for sprinkling (optional)

Instructions
 

  • Soak the bulgur wheat in ¼ cup warm water for 30 minutes, or until all water is absorbed.
  • In a small saucepan, combine the remaining 1 cup water, honey, and butter. Place over medium heat until butter is melted. Remove from heat and let cool for about 5 minutes (to about 120-130°F).
  • Meanwhile, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the yeast, whole wheat flour, rye flour, and salt. Pour in the warm water mixture and mix until combined. Add the rolled oats, flaxseed, sunflower seeds and soaked bulger wheat and mix until combined.
  • Add the all-purpose flour a few tablespoons at a time until the dough clears the bowl (you may not use all 1 ½ cups of the flour). Continue kneading in the mixer until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 3-4 minutes. This dough is heavier than many bread dough, but you should be able to pull it a bit without it immediately breaking.
  • Gather dough into a ball and place in a greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm place. Let rise until doubled and it doesn’t bounce back when pressed, about 1 hour. Punch down dough and knead a few times until smooth. Let rest for about 5 minutes.
  • Place dough in a dutch oven or large pot lined with parchment paper. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with rolled oats. Use a sharp knife to slice 3 cuts into the top of the bread. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for an additional 30-45 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, preheat oven to 425°F and place oven rack in the center of the oven (or lower if necessary to fit the pot). When ready to bake, cover the dutch oven with a lid and place in the oven. Turn the oven temp down to 400°F and bake for about 45 minutes, until the top of the bread is golden brown.
  • Let bread cool before slicing. It is best enjoyed the day it is baked, but will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for several days.
Calories: 297kcal, Carbohydrates: 51g, Protein: 10g, Fat: 7g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 22mg, Sodium: 477mg, Potassium: 204mg, Fiber: 6g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 94IU, Calcium: 30mg, Iron: 3mg
Cuisine: American
Course: Side Dish
Author: Annalise
Have you tried this recipe?I’d love to hear about it! Leave a rating and review below, or take a photo and tag it on Instagram @completelydelicious with #completelydelicious.