Homemade multigrain bread, or pan multigrano, is a high fiber loaf made with wheat, rye, and bran flours, a beer preferment, and a filling of cooked barley, brown rice, and bulgur with toasted oats and sesame, flax, sunflower, and pumpkin seeds, rolled in more seeds and baked with steam. It takes about 4 hours of active preparation, plus an 18 hour preferment, and 40 minutes in the oven, and makes 2 loaves or 12 servings.
It is a rustic, deeply flavored bread with a rich crumb and a crunchy seeded crust, ideal for breakfast and sandwiches.
How to Make Multigrain Bread?
As its name says, multigrain bread combines several flours, wheat, rye, and bran, with whole grains such as barley and rice and seeds such as flax, sunflower, and pumpkin. A beer preferment, or biga, ferments for 18 hours, the grains are soaked and cooked, and everything is folded into an enriched dough that rises twice before baking.
Nutritional Information
Each serving of multigrain bread (1/12 of the recipe) contains approximately 350 kcal, 9 g of protein, 10 g of fat, 25 mg of cholesterol, 55 g of carbohydrates, 8 g of sugars, 8 g of fiber, and 320 mg of sodium. These values are estimates and may vary depending on ingredients and portion sizes.
Homemade Multigrain Bread Recipe
Preparation: 4 hours (plus 18 hours for the preferment)
Cooking: 40 minutes
Servings: 2 loaves (12 servings)
Ingredients
Preferment (biga)
- 150 g (1¼ cups) of wheat flour
- 90 ml (⅓ cup) of beer
- 2 g of fresh yeast
Bread dough
- 450 g (3¾ cups) of wheat flour
- 300 ml (1¼ cups) of water
- 80 g (⅔ cup) of rye flour
- 30 g of wheat bran
- 30 g of powdered milk
- 30 g of sugar
- 30 g of honey
- 20 g of fresh yeast
- 15 g of butter
- 10 g of salt
- 1 egg
Filling and topping
- 100 g of rolled oats
- 40 g of pearl barley
- 40 g of brown rice
- 40 g of coarse bulgur
- 20 g of sesame seeds
- 20 g of flaxseeds
- 20 g of sunflower seeds
- 20 g of pumpkin seeds
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine the 150 g of flour, the beer, and the 2 g of yeast and stir until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for about 18 hours. In separate bowls, soak the brown rice and the barley for at least 8 hours, then drain and boil each in three cups of water, the rice for 45 minutes and the barley for 15 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- Soak the bulgur in 120 ml of water, boil it for 10 minutes, drain, and plunge into cold water. Set aside. Take three quarters of each type of seed and of the oats and toast them separately, then mix everything with the cooked grains and set aside. In a cup, mix 30 ml of the water with the 20 g of yeast and 5 g of the sugar and leave in a warm place for about 10 minutes.
- In a medium bowl, mix the wheat and rye flours, the bran, and the powdered milk. In a large bowl, dissolve the rest of the sugar, the honey, and the egg in the rest of the water and add the yeast mixture. Add the flour mixture little by little, stirring with a wooden spoon, then add the preferment and the salt and bring it together into a ball.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes. Add the butter in cubes and knead until fully absorbed, then cover and let rest for 15 minutes. Stretch the dough into a square, spread the cooked grains with the toasted seeds and oats evenly over it, and press them in.
- Divide the dough into 6 pieces, stack them, and press gently. Cover and rest for 10 minutes, knead again, place in a greased bowl, cover with a towel, and let rise for about 60 minutes or until doubled.
- Degas the dough, divide it in two, stretch each piece into a square, and rest for 10 minutes. Shape long loaves, spread the untoasted seeds and oats on the work surface, mist the loaves with water, and roll them in the seeds to coat.
- Place on a lightly greased baking sheet, cover, and let rise for another 60 minutes or until doubled. Make a 1.5 cm deep cut along the top and bake in an oven preheated to 230°C (446°F), lowering it to 210°C (410°F), for 40 minutes, with steam for the first 10, until deep golden. Cool on a rack.
Additional Tips
Make steam at home
Put an empty metal tray on the bottom of the oven while it preheats. Right before loading the bread, pour half a cup of boiling water into the tray and close the door quickly.
Do not skip the preferment
The 18 hour biga develops flavor and begins to break down the starches of the flour, giving a more aromatic, easier to digest bread.
Check the windowpane
A well kneaded dough stretches thin enough to let light through without tearing. If it tears, knead a little longer.
| Original ingredient | Substitute | Ratio | Flavor note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beer in the preferment | Water | 1:1 | Milder, less complex |
| Rye flour | Whole wheat flour | 1:1 | Lighter crumb |
| Barley and brown rice | Cooked quinoa | 80 g | Lighter, quicker |
| Honey | Chancaca syrup | 1:1 | Deeper caramel notes |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Why soak the rice and barley before boiling?
Soaking whole grains shortens their cooking time and helps neutralize phytates, which makes them easier to digest and improves mineral absorption.
2. Can I make this bread without the beer preferment?
Yes, but it will lose complexity of flavor and texture. Without the biga, increase the fresh yeast in the main dough to 30 g and leave out the beer.
3. How does rye flour affect the dough?
Rye has less gluten than wheat, which gives a denser, moister crumb. It adds fiber and the slightly sour flavor typical of rustic country breads.
4. How should I store multigrain bread?
Once cool, keep it in a paper bag inside a plastic or cloth bag at room temperature, which keeps the crust crisp and the crumb moist.
History of Bulgur
Bulgur originated in ancient Mesopotamia, where wheat was cooked, dried, and cracked to preserve it for long periods. It spread across the Middle East and the Mediterranean and became a staple thanks to its nutritional value and ease of preparation.
What Is Multigrain Bread?
Multigrain bread combines several flours and whole grains in one loaf. It is richer in fiber than white bread, has a hearty flavor, and keeps you full longer, which makes it a favorite for healthy breakfasts.
Did You Know?
Bran, called afrecho or salvado in Spanish, comes from the outer layers of the cereal grain removed during milling, and it is one of the richest sources of dietary fiber.
How to adapt this recipe to a vegan or vegetarian version?
How to adapt this recipe to a gluten-free version?
How to adapt this recipe to a keto (ketogenic) version?
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