Multigrain Bread
What is Multigrain Bread?
Multigrain bread is a type of bread prepared with a blend of two or more grains, as the name indicates. These grains can include wheat, oats, millet, barley, rye, sorghum, and corn. In addition, it may also contain seeds including flaxseeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and quinoa.
- The bread often has an earthy taste and can be used in making sandwiches or croutons.
- This type of bread has become quite popular due to the possible variations that can be produced.
The top 6 most popular brands include:
- Dave’s Killer Bread
- Food for Life
- Arnold
- Milton’s Craft Bakers
- Silver Hills
- Carbonaut
Origin of multigrain bread
When bread was first made by prehistoric humans more than 30,000 years ago, it probably contained more than one grain that the hunter gatherers collected. In Mesopotamia, a mixture of barley and wheat was used to make bread. A mixture of rye, wheat, barley, and millet in different proportions was used in western Europe, while rice and wheat was mixed to bake bread in some parts of Asia. During the agricultural revolution, bread began to be made from single grains. However, it is the Industrial Revolution which saw single grained refined flour wheat bread consumed en masse.
Nutrition
Nutritional profile for multigrain bread (1 slice):
Thi bread is rich in calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium, sodium, selenium, niacin, folate, choline, and lutein + zeaxanthin. However, while grains provide plenty of health benefits, multigrain bread is not guaranteed to offer every part of the grain, like wholegrain bread. Therefore, that means it can offer less fiber and nutrients.
Commercial production
To prepare, a mixture of at least two different grains are required. These grains may include wheat, rice, barley, millet, rye, spelt, oats, sorghum, and maize. Also, seeds such as sesame seeds, flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, or sunflower seeds may be used for additional flavor. Then, the different flours are mixed together and kneaded into a dough, and follow a normal bread-making process by allowing it to rise and, finally, bake.
Multigrain bread recipes
This bread is used for a variety of recipes from sandwiches, sides, breakfast dishes, and even sweet dishes. Here are a few recipes to try:
- Multigrain Bread
- Honey, Ham & Cheddar Triple Decker
- Garlic Bread
- Apple Cinnamon Bread Pudding
- Bread Corn Upma
- Tuna Salad Sandwich
- Poached Egg on Bread
- Baked Multigrain Blackberry French Toast
- Croutons with Herbs & Parmesan
FDA regulations
The FDA regulates all breads under the umbrella term of bakery products. Bread is defined as food produced by baking mixed yeast-leavened dough prepared with wheat. In order to be classified as bread, the product must have a minimum of 62 percent solids. There is no specific standard of identity for multigrain bread.
References
Shane, What is Multi-Grain Bread?, Bake Some Bread, https://bakesomebread.com/multi-grain-bread/
Gordon Ramsey, How to Make Multigrain Bread: Homemade Multigrain Bread Recipe, MasterClass, https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-make-multigrain-bread