Favourite Multigrain Bread

Eight different grains and seeds go into this loaf, which gives it a depth and fiber level you rarely get from a single-grain bread. Whole wheat flour and bread flour anchor the structure, while triticale, soy flour, rolled oats, bran, cracked wheat, millet flour, ground flax, and a touch of cornmeal round out the multigrain blend. Molasses lends both color and a subtle dark sweetness that ties everything together.

Like all bread machine loaves, the appeal is the absence of work. Load the ingredients in the order your manual recommends, press start, and walk away. The triticale (a wheat-rye hybrid) and the flax give the finished loaf its nutty, complex flavor without making it heavy. Slice for sandwiches, toast for breakfast, or serve warm with butter and honey.

Kitchen Tips

• Add the wet ingredients first, then the dry, then the yeast on top. The layering prevents premature yeast activation from the water and salt.
• Use room-temperature water, not hot. The bread machine warms it to ideal yeast temperature on its own. Hot tap water can kill the yeast outright.
• If you do not have triticale or millet flour, swap in extra whole wheat. The loaf still works, just with a slightly different flavor.
• Toast the bran in a dry pan if it is not already toasted. The deeper roast comes through noticeably in the finished loaf.
• Use the whole-wheat cycle if your machine has one. Multigrain doughs need longer kneading time to develop properly.

Variations

• Stir in a handful of sunflower or pumpkin seeds for crunch and visible texture.
• Replace the molasses with honey or maple syrup for a milder, less mineral-tasting sweetness.
• Brush the warm loaf with butter and dust the top with rolled oats for a bakery-style finish.