This harvest grain bread has whole wheat flour, wheat bran, rolled oats and multigrain cereal, combined with golden raisins and dried cranberries. Sweetened with honey, this bread makes great toast, too!

Harvest grain bread sliced on cutting board.

If you enjoy my popular multigrain bread recipe, you’ll also love this harvest grain bread. It adds whole wheat flour, wheat bran, oats and multigrain cereal with just enough all-purpose flour to ensure a light and fluffy loaf.

The addition of plump golden raisins and dried cranberries is a great combination with the grainy bread. This bread makes great toast, so it’s a perfect morning bread.

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Ingredients and substitutions

A few notes about the key ingredients …

Wheat bran – Wheat bran is simply the outer husk of wheat that is sold in small bags at most any grocery store. Look for them in with the baking ingredients or in the “health food” section.

Rolled oats – These are the large-flake, old-fashioned oats.

Multigrain cereal – Multigrain cereal mixes are sold at Bulk Barn in Canada, where they have both 7-grain and 12-grain cereal mixes. Bob’s Red Mill also sells 5-grain or 10-grain cereal mixes. Finally, Red River cereal is also an option and I believe it is available in both Canada and the US.

If you can’t find a premixed cereal blend, you can replace the multigrain cereal mix with a bit more of the oats and wheat bran.

Golden raisins – Golden raisins have both great flavour and a lovely plump texture. Unless particularly old, I also find they don’t need plumping (soaking in hot water) before adding them to the bread.

Quick oats – I like to use quick oats for the loaf topping as I prefer the look and the smaller oats tend to stay in place better than the large-flake oats. If you only have large flake oats on hand, simply process them down a bit in a food processor to make them a bit smaller.

How to make harvest grain bread

This is a visual summary of the steps to make this bread. Always refer to the complete recipe instructions in the Recipe Card below.

Grains and whole wheat flour in bowl of the stand mixer.
1
Adding butter to the mixing bowl.
2
Adding all-purpose flour to the mixing bowl.
3
  1. Proof the yeast in the lukewarm water and milk, then add the honey, wheat bran, oats, soaked cereal and whole wheat flour. Mix together.
  2. Mix in the softened butter.
  3. Add the bread flour, adding as much as needed to form a moist but not sticky dough.
Kneading in the golden raisins and dried cranberries.
4
Finished dough in the mixing bowl.
5
Setting the dough to rise in a large measuring cup.
6
  1. Knead in the dried cranberries and golden raisins.
  2. The finished dough should wrap the dough hook and clean the bowl.
  3. Set the dough to rise in a greased bowl or large measuring cup covered with plastic wrap.
Dough after rising.
7
Dough pressed out into a rectangle.
8
Folding the corners of the dough in before rolling.
9
  1. Let the dough rise until doubled in size. This dough is a fast rise so keep a good eye on it. It can double in as little as 40 minutes.
  2. Remove the dough and press out into rectangle about 8-inches wide and 12-inches long.
  3. Start to shape the dough by folding in the corners closest to you, then roll from the folded end tightly into a jelly-roll shape, pinching the seams together.
Shaped dough in a loaf pan covered with plastic wrap.
10
Brushing the dough with egg wash.
11
Quick oats and seeds pressed on top of the harvest grain bread before baking.
12
  1. Place the shaped loaf into a greased 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch loaf pan. Spray some plastic wrap with cooking spray and cover the loaf. Let the loaf rise until it crests the pan by at least an inch. The second rise is usually 30-45 minutes.
  2. Brush the top of the loaf with the egg wash.
  3. Press the soaked cereal and quick oats onto the top of the loaf and bake.

Recipe tips!

  • Multigrain cereal mix is not very appetizing in bread unless it has been soaked, as some of the grains are quite hard. Be sure not to skip or skimp on the soaking time for the grains. Soak the grains for the dough for a full 30 minutes for the bread. For the topping, a 10-minute soak is fine.
  • I don’t always use the walnuts in the bread. It depends on my mood when I’m making it. The bread is lovely either way.
  • This bread is a fast riser, so don’t wander far and watch closely. Let it rise only until doubled, which can take as little as 40 minutes. For the second rise, the loaf should crest the pan by a good inch or so, but shouldn’t form shoulders (where it bulges out along the long sides).
Harvest grain bread sliced on cutting board.

Storing and freezing

Store this bread in an air-tight container at room temperature for about 3 days. For longer storage, wrap tightly and freeze for up to 3 months.

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Harvest grain bread sliced on cutting board.

Get the Recipe: Harvest Grain Bread

This mixed-grain bread uses whole wheat flour, wheat bran, rolled oats and multigrain cereal, together with golden raisins and dried cranberries.
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Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Rising Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
Yield: 14 servings

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup (35 g) multigrain cereal mix, soaked and drained *see Note 2 below
  • 3/4 cup (180 ml) whole milk, lukewarm (about 105F)
  • 1/4 cup (60 ml) water, lukewarm (about 105F)
  • 1 1/2 Tablespoons Active dry or instant yeast
  • 1/4 cup (80 g) honey
  • 1/2 cup (30 g) wheat bran
  • 1/4 cup (20 g) old-fashioned oats, plus more for topping
  • 1 cup (125 g) whole wheat flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp fine salt
  • 3 Tablespoons (42 g) butter, at room temp
  • 1 3/4 cups (220 g) bread flour, *see Note 1 below
  • 1/4 cup dried cranberries
  • 1/4 cup golden raisins
  • 1/4 cup chopped walnuts, finely chopped (optional)

For topping:

  • 1 large egg, *see Note 3 below
  • 1 Tablespoon cold water
  • 2 Tablespoons multigrain cereal mix, soaked and drained
  • 3 Tablespoons quick oats, *see Note 4 below

Equipment

  • 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch metal loaf pan

Instructions
 

  • Place the multigrain cereal in a small bowl and cover it with very hot water. Stir and let stand for 30 minutes before starting the bread.
  • Warm the water and milk and place into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the kneading hook or a large bowl. Add the yeast and stir. Let stand 5 minutes, then stir in the honey. Add the wheat bran, rolled oats, whole wheat flour and salt to the bowl. Drain the multigrain cereal and add the cereal to the bowl as well. Stir the mixture together and then add the butter in small pieces, mixing in as you add it.
  • Measure out the flour and have ready in a medium bowl. With the mixer running (or stirring with a wooden spoon if making by hand), start adding the bread flour a bit at a time, mixing or stirring as you add it. As you near adding most of the flour, check the consistency of the dough in the bowl. The dough should begin wrapping the dough hook and start cleaning the bowl. It should be moist, but not sticky. Add only as much of the flour as you need to reach this point. You may not need quite all of the flour or you may need a few Tablespoons more. Once the dough reaches this point, allow it to knead with the kneading hook for 3-4 minutes or knead by hand for 6-8 minutes.
  • Add the raisins, dried cranberries and walnuts (if using) to the dough and knead in.
  • Remove to the dough to a lightly floured work surface. Knead the dough briefly, adding additional flour only if the dough is sticking to the work surface or to your hands. Form the dough into a ball and place it into a greased bowl or large measuring cup. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow to rise just until doubled in size, about 45-75 minutes. *This dough is a fast riser, so don't wander far. Rising time will vary from kitchen to kitchen. Watch the dough and not the clock. Let it rise just until doubled.
  • Remove the dough to a lightly floured work surface and gently deflate. Press the dough into a rectangle about 8-inches wide and 12-inches long, with the short side closest to you.
  • *If these shaping instructions aren't clear, please refer to the step-by-step photos above this recipe card where it is demonstrated. Fold the two corners closest to you in towards the centre, almost meeting each other. Starting with the edge closest to you, roll up the dough tightly, pressing the roll into the base with your fingertips as you roll. Pinch the seam together.
  • Spray an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch metal loaf pan with cooking spray. Place the rolled dough into the loaf pan with the seam at the bottom. Spray a piece of plastic wrap with cooking spray and cover the loaf with the sprayed side down.
  • Allow the loaf to rise until the dough crests the pan by at 1 – 1 1/2 inches, about 30-45 minutes.
  • Preheat the oven to 350F (non-convection/not fan-assisted). Place the topping multigrain cereal in a small bowl and cover with hot water. Let sit for 10 minutes then drain. Combine the soaked cereal with the quick oats in a small bowl and set aside.
  • When the loaf has risen, combine the egg and cold water and stir together with a fork. Brush the top of the loaf with the egg wash, then press the oat/cereal mixture onto the top of the loaf. You may not need it all.
  • Bake the loaf for 35-40 minutes, turning once front to back half way through baking. The loaf should reach at least 190F internal temperature.
  • Remove the loaf from the oven and immediately remove the loaf to a cooling rack. Place the loaf on its side to cool for 10 minutes, then place upright to finish cooling. Allow the loaf to cool completely before slicing to prevent a gummy loaf.
  • Once cooled, store the loaf in an airtight container for about 3 days or wrap tightly and freeze for up to 3 months.

Notes

Note 1: Bread flour is recommended, but you can use all-purpose flour if necessary. You may need to use a tiny bit more flour to bring the dough together if using all-purpose flour.
Note 2: Multigrain cereal mixes are sold at Bulk Barn in Canada, where they have both 7-grain and 12-grain cereal mixes. Bob’s Red Mill also sells 5-grain or 10-grain cereal mixes. Finally, Red River cereal is also an option and I believe it is available in both Canada and the US. If you can’t find a premixed cereal blend, you can replace the multigrain cereal mix with a bit more of the oats and wheat bran. If not using multigrain cereal, you can simply omit it for the loaf topping.
Note 2: If eggs are at a premium and you don’t want to use one to brush the loaf, substitute cream or milk for the egg wash.
Note 4: If you only have large-flake oats on hand, you can process them briefly in a food processor to break them down a bit before using them.
Be sure to read the notes above this recipe card, for substitution suggestions, more tips and step-by-step photos, that you might find helpful.
Cuisine: American, Canadian
Course: Bread
Author: Jennifer Maloney
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 180kcal, Carbohydrates: 32g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 4g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 21mg, Sodium: 280mg, Potassium: 144mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 9g, Vitamin A: 117IU, Vitamin C: 0.1mg, Calcium: 31mg, Iron: 1mg
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