Multi-Grain & Nut Bread

This bread machine loaf packs seven different flours and grains into one dense, nutty slice: bread flour, whole wheat, rye, cornmeal, rolled oats, oat flour, and wheat germ. Walnuts, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, and poppy seeds get folded in by hand after the dough forms, giving every bite a different crunch.

The vital wheat gluten is doing important structural work here. With this much non-wheat flour in the mix, there isn’t enough gluten to give the bread proper rise and chew on its own. That tablespoon and a half of gluten flour compensates, giving the yeast something to push against so the loaf doesn’t come out like a brick.

Adding the seeds and nuts separately is not just preference, it’s practical. Dumping that volume of chunky add-ins into the machine at the start sends them flying around the pan and creates a mess. Working them in by hand on a floured surface gives you even distribution without the chaos.

Kitchen Tips

• Remove the dough blade before returning dough to the bucket. This is critical. Forget this step and you’ll have a blade baked into the bottom of your loaf.
• Don’t substitute all-purpose for bread flour. The higher protein in bread flour is already stretched thin by all the alternative grains. All-purpose won’t hold the loaf together.
• Use cottage cheese instead of milk for a slightly tangier crumb and extra protein.
• Grate carrots fine if adding them. Chunky carrot pieces won’t cook through in bread and leave raw, hard spots.

Variations

• Add a handful of raisins when working in the nuts for a sweeter, morning-toast loaf.
• Swap walnuts for pecans or almonds depending on your preference.
• Shape by hand and bake in the oven if you prefer a more traditional loaf shape over the bread machine’s tall cylinder.