Breads (Sourdough) - Soft Loaves
Soft Multigrain Sourdough Bread (With Soaked Grains for Extra Moisture)
July 28, 2020
| Recipe by Bake with Paws
Updated: March 2025
By Bake with Paws
Scroll to the bottom of the page for "PRINT RECIPE" ⬇
This Soaked Multigrain Soft Sourdough Bread is wholesome, nutritious, and surprisingly soft for a naturally leavened loaf. It combines the deep flavor of sourdough with the tender bite of soaked whole grains—perfect for sandwiches, toast, or simply enjoyed warm with butter. If you’re looking for a bread that’s both hearty and fluffy, this recipe delivers the best of both worlds.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Soft & Tender Crumb – Not your typical chewy sourdough. This loaf stays moist and soft, even with whole grains.
- Nutritious – A blend of grains adds fiber, minerals, and depth of flavor.
- Natural Fermentation – No commercial yeast—just the power of wild yeast and time.
- Great for Beginners – Straightforward method with helpful tips along the way.
What Makes This Bread Unique?
This sourdough loaf uses soaked multigrains, which are mixed into the dough after being pre-softened in boiling water. This soaking step:
- Makes the grains tender and more digestible
- Enhances moisture retention (resulting in a softer crumb)
- Adds beautiful speckles of texture throughout the loaf
- Combined with a strong, mature sourdough starter and proper fermentation, the result is a flavorful loaf with excellent structure and softness.
Step-by-Step How To Make Soaked Multigrain Soft Sourdough Bread
INGREDIENTS (Yields 1 Loaf)
Levain - 190g total (ratio 1:3:3):
28g sourdough starter (100% Hydration)
84g bread flour (I used Japan High Gluten Flour)
84g water
Soaked Multigrain:
90g multigrain (9 grains - brown flax, anthograin wheat, rye, triticale, barley, sesame, spelt, quinoa & millet)
115g boiling water
Main Dough:
220gg bread flour (I used Japan High Gluten Flour)
35g whole wheat flour
190g levain (above)
All soaked multigrain
36g (3 Tbsp) brown sugar or honey (I used brown sugar), please add more sugar if you prefer sweeter.
1 tsp salt
26g extra virgin olive oil or butter (I used olive oil)
55g full cream milk (Reserve 10g and add in later if needed. I used 55g)
Utensil:
450g loaf pan (21.3 X 12.2 X 11.5 cm / 8.4" X 4.8" X 4.5")
Digital kitchen scale
Electric Stand Mixer
- Levain:
- One night before baking, mix all ingredients in a jar and cover.
- Let it ferment in aircond room temperature (approximately 25-27C) overnight until tripled. It took about 10 - 12 hours. You will get slightly more than 190g. But, you will only need 190g.
- Note: If you like to prepare levain on the same baking day, please use the ratio 1:1:1. Let it ferment in our tropical room temperature until tripled. It took about 3-5 hours depend how strong is your starter.
- Soaked Multigrain:
- In a bowl, pour the boiling water over the multigrain, cover with cling film and soak overnight.
- Kneading Bread Dough:
- Put all ingredients (except olive oil) into the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix with paddle attachment for 2 minutes or until all incorporated. Change to hook attachment and knead for another 3 minutes or until the dough comes together. Add in olive oil and continue kneading for another 10 - 13 minutes or until the dough comes together, become elastic, smooth and reaches window pane stage. During the whole kneading process, I stopped few times to scrape down the dough from the hook to be sure it is evenly kneaded and also to prevent the motor from overheating.
- First Proofing/Resting The Dough:
- In the same bowl, let the dough rest for 60 minutes. Keep it covered with clingfilm or use a lid. The dough did not rise a lot in 60 minutes.
- Shaping:
- Transfer the dough to a clean floured surface then divide into 2 equal portions.
- Form each portion into a ball.
- Flatten with rolling pin.
- Roll the dough like a swiss roll into a log.
- Flatten the log with rolling pin as shown.
- Roll up the dough again like a swiss roll until a small log is formed.
- Place all the dough in the prepared loaf pan.
- Final Proofing:
- Let it proof at warm and dark place until the dough reaches the height of the pan. It took 3.5 hours for this one (my room temperature here is 28C - 30C). It may take longer to proof depending on your starter and ambient temperature.
- Baking:
- Preheat oven at 190C (top & bottom heat) or 170C (fan-forced) for 15 minutes.
- Bake at preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until golden brown.Remove bread from oven and let them cool on rack completely before slicing.
Tips for Best Results
- Sourdough Starter:
- A healthy starter is essential for successful bread baking. To ensure your bread rises well, it's important to feed your starter regularly and use it (the levain) at its peak. A consistently fed starter will be more active and reliable. If the mother starter isn’t strong, the dough may still struggle to rise properly, even if the levain is used at its peak. For more information, click the links: "How To Make Sourdough Starter" and "Sourdough Maintenance".
- Gluten Development:
- Essential for soft, airy bread, gluten is created when flour hydrates. To develop it, use techniques like autolyse or kneading. The windowpane test checks readiness—dough should stretch thin without tearing. From my experience, high hydration dough with high percentage of fat will be easy to stretch and achieve a paper thin windowpane stage.
- Kneading:
- Please regard the timing provided as an indication only. It is only meant as a guide. Times vary by flour and mixer type. For higher fat dough, knead longer (18–20 minutes).
- Flour & Hydration:
- Use high-gluten flour for optimal texture. Always reserve some liquid to adjust dough consistency for best results. If dough is too dry, add the reserve liquid one tablespoon at a time until the right consistency.
- Dough Temperature:
- Maintaining the right dough temperature during kneading is crucial for a fine crumb. If the dough becomes too warm, the crumb will become too big and uneven. To prevent this, use cold water, milk, or eggs, and chill your mixing bowl or hook attachment in the freezer. Knead at low speeds, and if your kitchen is warm, rest the dough in a cooler spot. Proper dough temperature ensures a soft, fluffy bread with a fine, even crumb.
- Proofing:
- Proofing time depends on your environment. Use the finger poke test to gauge readiness. To check dough readiness, lightly press the side with your finger:
- If it bounces back instantly, it’s under-proofed and needs more time.
- If the indentation stays, it’s over-proofed.
- If the indentation slowly bounces back, it’s ready to bake.
- There’s also a final rise called oven spring when the dough bakes, which adds to the bread’s height.
- Wrinkle Top or Shrinking:
- If your bread collapses or develops wrinkles on top after baking, it might be over-proofed during the second rise. Aim for the dough to rise to 80-90% of its final size or just below the rim of the pan to prevent this. Over-proofing leads to weaker structure, causing the bread to lose shape.
- Baking & Oven Temperarate:
- Do also note that the baking temperature and timing provided are what works for my oven and should also be regarded as a guide only. Every oven behaves a little differently, so please adjust accordingly for your oven.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I change the grain mix?
Yes! Try chia, pumpkin seeds, or even cooked quinoa. Just keep the ratio of grains to water the same.
Can I retard the dough in fridge overnight during first proofing?
Yes! Shape, final proofing and bake the next morning.
Why is my loaf dense?
This is usually due to under-proofing or a weak starter. Ensure your starter is strong and your dough has risen enough before baking.
Final Thoughts
This Soaked Multigrain Soft Sourdough Bread proves that you don’t have to sacrifice softness for nutrition. With the right technique and a bit of planning, you can bake a beautifully risen loaf full of flavor, texture, and nourishment.
Give this recipe a try and let me know how it goes—tag your bakes with @Bakewithpaws on Instagram or leave a comment below!
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Breads (Sourdough) - Soft Loaves,
Thanks for the lovely bread, I was wandering if I can use APF with 11.8% protein ? or bread flour with 10% protein?
ReplyDeleteMy pleasure! Bread flour content higher protein than all purposed flour, usually bread flour content 11 - 13% of protein if I am not wrong. But, maybe special case for the bread flour you have.
DeleteHowever, I used Japan High Gluten Flour, the protein content is 13% and above.
To get the fluffy and tall bread, it is advisable to use high gluten flour instead of bread flour. Usually high gluten flour content more protein than bread flour.
I hope it helps.
Cheers :)
Hi, I use Electrolux Built in. Thanks
ReplyDeleteHi, did you buy all 9 multigrain in one bag or does it come separately? Thank you
ReplyDeleteHi, I bought pre-mixed multigrain. You can mix your own and don't have to have 9 grains or seeds.
DeleteCheers :)
Hi BWP. Your levain ratio is 1:3:3. Does it mean one part starter to 3 parts flour and 3 parts water? Your starter is 28 gm. So flour/water should be 84gm ? Sorry I haven't done sourdough before but just a bit confused cos I am seriously thinking of trying to do a sourdough starter soon. Thanks for your amazing upload as always. Chloe
ReplyDeleteHi, thanks for asking and clarification. Sorry for the confusion.nyes, you are right should be 84g. I will make the amendment.
DeleteCheers and happy baking..
Thanks for quick response. I have a few questions to ask u before embarking on my daunting journey of making a starter. Is it convenient for u to give me your email address so I could clarify a few doubts or if not then I will just text u here. Please let me know cos I hope to start soon. U are such an amazing Baker!
ReplyDeleteYou can send me message at Instagram or Facebook.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if this recipe will stay moist longer if we modify with yudane or thangzong?
ReplyDeleteHi, thanks for reading this recipe. I have tried using yudane dough with soak multigrains but it turned out too moist. But, I tried once only. You can try and maybe it will work.
DeleteCheers :)
Hello!
ReplyDeleteThank you for your recipes…the ones that I’ve used are delicious!
Is it necessary to divide dough into 2 or can the dough be rolled and shaped as one?
Thank you!
DN
Hi, thank you for trying this recipe and your kind feedback. I'm glad that you liked it. It is totally up to you how you want to shape it. You can roll it into one, two or three.
DeleteYou are most welcome:)
Hi, how do I convert the levain to 1:1:1?
ReplyDeleteHi, Thank you for your interest in this recipe. Just feed your sourdough starter with one part of flour and one part of water.
DeleteFor example: 30g sourdough starter + 30g flour + 30g water
Cheer:)