With a crunchy exterior and chewy interior, this reader favorite Seeded Multigrain Sourdough Bread is texture-rich with an earthy blend of grains and seeds to make a crave-worthy loaf. Made by hand, the ingredients are mixed, stretched and folded then fermented overnight. Once doubled in size, the dough is shaped, proofed then baked. Readers share this is a versatile loaf and one of their favorites (see comment section). Got leftover sourdough bread? This loaf makes irresistible Sourdough Croutons and Sourdough French Toast.
Looking for a soft sandwich loaf version of this bread? Check out my Soft Multigrain Sourdough Sandwich Bread recipe.
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Celebrating Multigrain Sourdough Bread
If you love making homemade sourdough recipes, you’ll enjoy this crusty, flavorful seedy loaf. It’s a perfect crumb for sandwiches, toast and anything you want to slather on it.
This was the first loaf I made after an eight-month gluten hiatus. I couldn’t believe how resilient the sourdough starter was after having been neglected for far too many months. After all, I was focusing my efforts on a gluten-free sourdough starter and bread recipe, which you can find here: my gluten free starter and gluten free sourdough bread.
I’m thrilled to be back to my glutenous ways and excited to share more sourdough recipes with you!
This Recipe Is
- has a sturdy closed crumb for sandwiches, toast and slathering all the things
- bulk fermented overnight
- quick room temperature proof
If you have sourdough starter discard, you can use it in these Olive Oil Sourdough Crackers or many other recipes found in my Sourdough Discard Recipe Library.
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How to Make Multigrain Sourdough Bread
Recipe Inspiration
This seeded sourdough bread recipe is an adaptation on my Yeasted Multigrain Sandwich Bread, a bread I made often before learning how to make sourdough bread. Chock full of grains, including a 10 grain cereal, oats, and quinoa, I also add sunflower and flax seeds to create more texture and flavor.
Making sourdough bread isn’t hard, but, it’s a process that takes a little planning and practice. I used to say I think about sourdough longer than it takes me to create a loaf. And while this was the case at one time, now that I know how to make it, manipulate the rise time through retardation if needed, shape and proof the dough, and bake sourdough, the process doesn’t seem so daunting anymore. Its become closer to second nature, and I don’t think about it as much. A little more brain space is always good!
Scheduling Your Mix and Bake
The process is pretty straightforward but it takes a bit of planning. I typically mix the night before and bake early on a weekend morning because I have a bit more flexibility then. While you sleep, your little dough baby is growing! Here’s an overview for scheduling.
- Saturday Evening:
- prepare the soaker by pouring hot water over the mixture of seeds and grains.
- mix the dough using a previously fed, active sourdough starter, water and a mixture of bread and whole wheat flour. Rest the dough, then hand mix in the soaker.
- do a series of at least two stretches and folds with 30-45 minutes between each.
- Begin bulk fermentation overnight until dough has doubled in size.
- Sunday Morning:
- preshape the dough (optional), then shape.
- proof the dough for about 30 minutes.
- score and bake!
The aroma wafting through the house while the sourdough is baking is so warm and inviting, you’ll want to rip into the bread as soon as it comes out of the oven.
How Long for Bulk Fermentation
- Bulk fermentation (first rise) time depends on several factors: ambient temperature and how active your starter is. Also, a firmer dough will take longer to rise than a well-hydrated dough.
- When fermenting at room temperature, bulk rise time in summer will generally be quicker than from winter rise times.
- An ambient temperature of 70F (21C) will require a bulk rise time of about 8-10 hours. My kitchen tends to be cooler most of the year (68F (20C), but in the winter, it’s downright cold. It’s not unusual for my sourdough to take up to 14 hours to rise during the coldest months.
How To Tell When Sourdough Has Risen Enough
- The bulk fermented (first rise) dough is ready when:
- it no longer looks or feels dense
- is jiggly when the bowl is shaken
- has about doubled in size
- you may see a few large bubbles on the surface of the dough
Cool After Baking
To complete the cooking process, sourdough bread needs at least an hour to an hour and a half to rest at room temperature. The crust will continue to develop as the sourdough cools as well. However, I won’t deny that I’ve ripped into a few loaves before the hour was up. It’s sublime with a slather of butter.
The Best Vessel to Bake Sourdough Bread In
I use two vessels to bake sourdough bread. One is a 10″ cast iron skillet with deep dish skillet for a lid and the other, a 7 quart Staub Dutch oven (these are affiliate links). I recommend either or both, but I’ve noticed the Staub bakes the bottom of the bread darker than the cast iron, sometimes it’s burnt. This may have to do with the vessels’ differing materials.
UPDATE – Burnt Sourdough Bottom: After testing various methods to remedy the too dark bottom problem, as commenters have mentioned on this sourdough recipe (and on many other non V&B recipes – this is not uncommon in the sourdough world), I’ve finally found the simplest solution ever (duh!). Simply place a sheet pan on the oven rack under the rack your baking vessel is setting on. This helps protect the vessel from the most intense heat of the oven. The two images below show one of the boules I baked using this method.
Prior to doing this, I used a method from The Perfect Loaf who suggests using a double layer parchment or a dusting of course cornmeal alone or under the parchment. Doing this offers a bit of distance between the bottom of the dough coming in direct contact with the base of the vessel. I tested both approaches, but found I still had a bit of too dark bottom for my preference. Now, I exclusively use the sheet pan method.Â
Traci’s Tips
- Because kitchen temperatures vary, use the time suggestions in the recipe as such. Let the bread guide your process rather than the clock.
- Mini Boules? Yes please! This sourdough recipe can be made into one, 2 lb boule or two, 1 lb boules. The one-pound boules are fabulous for bread or dipping bowls, or if you’re baking for one or two and want to freeze or give away the second loaf. Both sizes make decent size sandwich bread.
- TIP: This recipe calls for 10 grain cereal. If unavailable, you can use 7 grain or even 6 grain cereal. Also, a combination of polenta, millet, quinoa, and/or amaranth can be subbed, but the flavor will be different.
- Whole wheat bread flour can be difficult to find. If unavailable, this recipe will also work using whole wheat flour with similar results. Whole wheat bread flour renders the dough a bit easier to work with, however (more stretchy).Â
- For a tutorial on how to make a sourdough starter, see my post on how to make a Sourdough Starter.
Makers Notes
I’m beyond thrilled to read y’all are enjoying the bread in the comments below. Keep those tips comin’! Here are excerpts from the community:
- Emily Commented: “…used apf (all-purpose flour) instead of bread flour, but the result was still stunning, I got a gorgeous rise and soft moistness with a chewy crust.”
- Marilyn Commented: “I used a 5 qt DO for 1 loaf (without splitting the dough in half) and it was fine!”
- Dara Said: “I didn’t have all the ingredients the recipe called for so I used a combination of sunflower seeds, oats, hemp seeds, flax seeds, and millet.”
- Samantha Commented: “I did 3T each of quinoa, rolled oats, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds. I did 3 cups all-purpose unbleached white flour and 1 cup whole wheat bread flour and 1/2 cup spelt. I also subbed honey for maple syrup.”
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My Sourdough Toolkit
(these are affiliate links)
- Glass Mixing Bowl
- 7 Quart Dutch Oven
- 10″ Cast Iron Skillet with Deep Dish Skillet for a lid
- Bench Scraper
- Parchment Paper
- Digital Food Thermometer
- Lame – for scoring the dough
- Banneton(s)
- Digital Scale
Soft and Crusty Seeded Multigrain Sourdough Bread
Ingredients
For the Soaker:
- 1/4 C (40g) 10 Grain Cereal, *(see note)
- 3 Tbs (25g) Rolled Oats, not quick
- 2 Tbs (25g) Quinoa, red or tricolor, rinsed
- 2 Tbs (25g) Flax Seed
- 2 Tbs (25g) Hulled Sunflower Seeds, unsalted
- 3/4 C (155g) Hot Water, about 150F (65C), or soak the grains and seeds overnight in room temperature water
For the Dough:
- 1/4 C (50g) Sourdough Starter, previously fed, bubbly and active
- 1 1/3 C (300g) Warm Water , about 80f (26c)
- 2 1/2 Tbs (50g) Maple Syrup
- 3 C (400g) Bread Flour
- 1/2 C + 1 Tbs (100g) Whole Wheat Bread Flour, or whole wheat flour
- 2 tsp (16g) Fine Sea Salt
Instructions
For the Soaker:
- In a medium mixing bowl add the cereal, rolled oats, quinoa, flax seeds, sunflower seeds and water. Set aside.
For the Dough:
- Mix the Dough: In the evening, whisk the starter, water and maple syrup together in a large bowl with a fork. Add the flours and salt. First, mix with a fork, the dough will be shaggy. Then mix by hand, mixing, folding and pushing the dough until the flour is fully incorporated and no dry bits are present. It will seem dry at first, but the more you work the dough, the more hydrated it will become. The dough will feel stiff and it will stick to your fingers as you go. Do this for about 3-4 minutes. Use the fork to scrape off the dough on your fingers as much as you can. Cover bowl with a damp tea towel. Set a timer for for 30 minutes and allow the dough to rest for 30 minutes. Now is a good time to feed/refresh your starter.Â
- Incorporate the Soaker: After the dough has rested, mix in the soaker. To do this, dump the soaker on top of the dough and begin kneading and folding the dough over and on top of itself, incorporating the ingredients of the soaker. Do this for about 1-2 minutes or until the soaker is evenly distributed in the dough. It will seem like a lot of added bits, but as you work the dough and as the dough develops through fermentation, the soaker will incorporate. The dough will be stiff, wet and sticky. If adjusting water or flour, now is the time to assess the dough and adjust as needed. Set a timer for 30 minutes and allow the dough to rest for 30 minutes.
- Fold the Dough: After the dough has rested, fold the dough. To do this, grab a portion of the dough while it remains in the bowl, stretch it up and fold it over, pressing your fingertips into the center of the dough. You'll notice the dough is less stiff and more workable at this point. Repeat, until you've worked your way around the dough. This is the first fold, and you can stop here and begin bulk fermentation, but If time permits, and optimally, you'll want to repeat this fold two more times as it improves the final dough's structure and crumb. Allow for about 30-45 minutes each between folds.Â
- Bulk (fermentation) Rise: After the last fold, cover the bowl with two damp tea towels and allow to rise overnight at room temperature. This will take about 8-10 hours at 70F (21C), but in a cooler kitchen the dough can take up to 12-14 hours to rise – this is the norm in my chilly kitchen at 68F (21C) . The dough is ready when it no longer looks dense, is jiggly when the bowl is shaken, and has about doubled in size.Â
- Shape the Dough: In the morning, and with damp fingertips, coax the dough into a floured work-surface. If making two boules (1 pound / 453 grams – each), moisten the cutting end of the bench scraper and cut the dough in half.  *Optional* Preshape: see recipe notes belowShape: with moist fingers, take a portion of the dough, gently stretch it towards you and fold it over towards the center and pressing it down gently. Repeat this process until you work the dough all the way around. Using a bench scraper flip the dough over and let rest for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, line an 8-inch (20cm) bowl with a towel or lightly flour a banneton (or two as needed). Scrape any excess flour away on your work-surface using the bench scraper and using a spray bottle with water, lightly sprits the surface of the work-surface. This will help the dough grip the surface and help create a taut dough. With lightly floured hands and using the bench scraper again as needed to help move the dough (the dough is sticky), cup your left hand around the dough and pull the dough toward you in a circular motion with the bench scraper in the right hand, to tighten its shape and create a taut outer skin. Use the bench scraper as needed to work the dough as this dough is sticky. Re-flour your hands as needed.Once the surface is taut, give it a good dusting of flour and smooth it over the top. With one swift move, use the bench scraper to scoop the dough up and, place the dough into the bowl/banneton, bottom side up. Sprinkle the bottom of the dough with a dusting of flour.Â
- Second (proof) Rise: Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel and let rest for 30 minutes to 45 minutes. The dough is ready when it looks puffy and has risen slightly but has not yet doubled in size. Preheat the oven to 500F (260C). Arrange a rack in the center of the oven, and another just below it. Place a sheet pan on the bottom rack (see UPDATE just below). Cut a sheet of parchment paper to fit the size of a 7 quart Dutch oven or other large baking vessel leaving enough excess around the sides to transfer the bread to the pot. UPDATE: Burnt Sourdough Bottom: After testing various methods to remedy the too dark bottom problem, as commenters have mentioned on this sourdough recipe (and on other non V&B recipes – this is not uncommon in the sourdough world), I've finally found the simplest solution ever (duh!). Simply place a sheet pan on the oven rack under the rack your baking vessel is setting on. This protects the bottom of the vessel from the most intense heat of the oven.
- Score: To turn the dough out of the bowl/banneton, place the parchment over the dough and invert the bowl to release. Using the tip of a lame or a razor blade, score the dough about 1/2" (8mm) deep and about 4" (10cm) long on the top or any way you like. Use the parchment to transfer the dough to your baking vessel.Â
- Bake: Place your lidded vessel on the center rack and reduce heat to 450F (232C). Bake, lidded, for 20 minutes. Remove the lid and continue to bake for 30 -35 minutes, for one, 2 lb boule. If baking two, 1 lb boules, continue to bake lid off for 15-20 minutes. To check if the bread is ready, check the internal temperature of the loaf. It should read between 190F-205F when done. When finished, transfer to a wire rack. Cool for 1 hour before slicing. Sourdough is best consumed on the same day it's baked, but it lasts for 3-4 days stored at room temperature. Store at room temperature cut sides down.This bread freezes beautifully. Store baked bread in a freezer bag either whole or sliced for up to two weeks. Thaw at room temperature. This bread can go from freezer to toaster to make the most delicious toast!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate. If this information is important to you, please have it verified independently.
Made it? Leave a comment below!
The most helpful comment may include recipe rating, feedback, any modifications or helping other commentors.
Mine always overproofs I’m wondering if after the folds, I can put it into bannetons in the fridge for the next 14 hours? I love the flavor but it seems too long at room temperature in my house hence it’s always overproofed I tried shortening it still to no avail.
Hi Deb! Oh no! I’m not sure I understand your question… When you say “after the folds”, this would be bulk fermentation. Then after bulk fermentation and shaping, the dough goes into the banneton to proof. Are you asking if you can proof or bulk ferment in the fridge for 14 hours?
Wow! The recipe is fantastic!
I rarely leave reviews, but this one deserves it. I kept checking the clock after pulling my first loaf out to see if an hour had passed so I could have my first slice :)
I have been making sourdough for years now, but I have really been wanting to make my bread healthier and start experimenting with adding in whole grains (without my bread tasting like cardboard). Well, I need to look no further because I have found this recipe, THANK YOU!
I read through a lot of the comments and author’s notes (this is important because she is spot on) before I made my loaves, and made a few tweaks of my own, which yielded two beautiful, tasty loaves with a great oven spring and a perfect crumb:
– I started my dough in the morning around 10am.
– Similar to another reviewer, I also made an autolyse with just the flour and water and let that sit for an hour before adding in the starter/maple syrup/salt
– I used 400g bread flour, 50g wheat flour, and 50g dark Rye flour for the autolyse
– Once I added the starter mixture to the autolyse, I noticed my dough was slippery and goopy, so I worked in 1/4 C of bread flour and it was perfect. From here, I continued with the instructions as written, adding in a bit more flour after I incorporated the soaker to get my dough how I wanted it to feel.
– For the soaker/mash, I used 1/2 flaxseed meal and 1/2 hemp seeds in place of the flax seeds since I did’t have any whole flax seeds.
– I did 4 sets of stretch and folds (30 min apart) over the first two hours of bulk and then let it rest covered on my counter for the rest of the day.
– Around 9 PM, I divided and shaped my loaves and then put them into their proofing bowls. I sealed them up and put them in the fridge to complete an overnight cold fermentation.
– In the morning @ 9 AM, I preheated my Lodge cast iron combo cooker @ 450. Removed loaves directly from the fridge, turned over onto 1 piece of parchment paper, scored, and into the oven they went.
– Baked for 20 min covered, and ~15 min uncovered. I did not get any burning on the bottom.
**This will definitely be making it’s way into my regular bread baking schedule!!**
Love this bread! I’ve been experimenting with this recipe a bit, trying to perfect it for my flours and kitchen temperature.
Most recently, I tried the following and got some of my best results yet:
Starting in the late morning/early afternoon:
– Autolyze ONLY the flours and the water for a little over an hour. This made the dough much easier to work with
– Add in the starter/salt/syrup and let rest for 30 minutes
– follow the remaining instructions here, letting bulk fermentation happen during the afternoon. If I try to bulk ferment overnight, it ALWAYS over-proves, so I need to watch it closely in my apartment.
– put it in a proofing batten and leave it in the fridge overnight.
In the morning, I preheat my oven with my dutch oven in it. When I’m ready to bake, I take the dough from the fridge, score, and toss it right into the dutch oven, following your temperature and time directions.
I always get great oven spring, but I’m still trying to play with the hydration levels to get a more open crumb.
Thanks for the fantastic recipe!
I really like the taste of the bread. I mixed it in the morning, did folding every 30 minutes x 8 folds each time; let it rest 4 hours, refrigerated overnight and took it out a few hours before baking. I use my clay baker to bake because I like and oblong loaf. I baked it at 450 for 40 min. and 15 min. without the cover. The bottom was brown and not burnt.
Hi Debra! Thank you for your note and sharing your tips… So happy to hear you’re enjoying the sourdough!
I made this pretty much according to the recipe. This bread is fantastic – a true crowd pleaser. It makes peanut butter and jelly sing.
Yes to PB&J! Thank you for your note, Jeff and giving the sourdough a go! So happy to hear!
My friend made this recipe, and it was so good I decided to make it myself! I used regular whole wheat flour instead of the whole wheat bread flour and it turned out great. The seeds give it a hearty texture but still allow the natural sourdough flavor to come through. Will definitely be making many more loaves!
Hi Kaia! Thank you for your note, and giving the recipe a go! Hooray for a delicious seedy, hearty loaf. So happy to hear you’ll be making many more loaves!
I have been baking sourdough bread very successfully for about 5 years. Then I tried this recipe. From the get-go I could see that the mix was much too wet, so I added about 3/4 cup more flour. In the end, the dough was still so wet that it was unworkable. I couldn’t pre-shape it and was too worried about putting it into a banneton, so used bread tins instead. Still came out as my first bread disaster. The level of hydration is much too high. Also, I live in the tropics, so humidity may have had an impact. So disappointed!
Hi Joy! I’m sorry the sourdough didn’t meet your expectations. This recipe is a blog favorite with many successes reported here and on social, so I’m not sure what went wrong expect perhaps, like you mentioned, high humidity. I’m sorry I can’t be of more help.
I don’t often leave comments, but this bread is so good it deserves one! I love adding another loaf type to the sourdough rotation! The texture and taste is amazing! I make the soaker like another user recommended with 3T each of oats, quinoa, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds. I also usually do the second proof overnight in the fridge for time sake. Can’t wait to explore your blog more! I’m originally from Anacortes so even more excited to learn you’re a Whidbey gal! Thanks.
Hello former neighbor, Casey! I looove Anacortes and visit often, especially for the Farmer’s Markets. Thank you for coming back, leaving a note and sharing your subs! SO happy to hear you’re enjoying the Sourdough. I hope you find more good things to love on the blog :D
This might be the tastiest bread I’ve ever eaten. It’s definitely the tastiest loaf I’ve ever made.. Well done and thanks for sharing the recipe. FWIW, I used steel cut oats in addition to Bob’s cereal, rolled the tops in sesame seeds and baked half in a bread in my dutch oven to see if it would keep it’s shape. It spread a bit too much so I baked the other half in a loaf pan, which worked out perfectly. Even though I used parchment and placed the loaf pan atop a sheet pan, I still had issues with the bottom getting a little too dark. Next time I’m gonna put the loaf pan on a pizza stone to see if that remedies the issue.
Cheers!
Hi Dave! Thank you for your notes, sharing your tips and giving the recipe a go! Those sesame seeds sound epic. Agreed on too dark bottom… sometimes it takes a little finessing to see what works with your particular vessel and oven. Hooray for tastiest loaf!
Hello, quick question about the hydration – given you are adding 155g of water to the seed soak, isn’t this water supposed to be accounted for in your hydration percentage? the current recipe has 155g in the soak, plus 300g of water for the bread, resulting in 455g of water and only 500g of flour. I have seen other recipes reduce the bread water to accommodate for the hydration coming in from the soak. Please advise
Hi Mary! I’m not sure if the soaker should or should not be included in the hydration percentage. I’m sure it is in some way, but I’m not sure exactly how (hydration calculation isn’t something I typically calculate). If you’d like to reduce the bread water in this recipe, please feel free to do so.