Homemade Oatmeal Bread

By
Jennifer McGavin
Jennifer McGavin
Jennifer McGavin learned to cook German food while living in Germany for 11 years and has worked in the food industry for many years.
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Updated on 03/4/21
Homemade oatmeal bread recipe

The Spruce

Prep: 2 hrs 30 mins
Cook: 40 mins
Total: 3 hrs 10 mins
Servings: 10 servings

Oatmeal bread is a wonderful way to add nutrition and texture to morning toast, a favorite sandwich, or an accompaniment to a hearty soup. In addition to all-purpose flour, this oatmeal bread is made with just 1/2 cup of whole wheat flour and a rolled oats, which boost the fiber content while giving the bread a little heartiness. The all-purpose flour allows it to rise in a normal way, but still preserves the nuttiness and golden tan color. You can also make this as a whole grain loaf​ if you prefer.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup oatmeal

  • 1/2 cup whole wheat flour

  • 1 cup boiling water

  • 1 tablespoon honey

  • Optional: 1 tablespoon molasses

  • 1 tablespoon oil

  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt

  • 1/4 cup warm water, about 110 F

  • 2 teaspoons yeast

  • 1 pinch granulated sugar

  • 1 1/2 to 2 cups all-purpose flour, or bread flour

  • Optional: 1 cup oatmeal

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for homemade oatmeal bread
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  2. Mix the oats and whole wheat flour in a bowl.

    Mix oatmeal and flour
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  3. Add the boiling water and stir.

    Add boiling water
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  4. Stir in the honey, molasses, if using, oil, and salt and let cool, about 1/2 hour.

    Stir in honey, molasses, and oil
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  5. In a small bowl, mix the warm water with the yeast and a pinch of sugar, stirring to dissolve yeast. Place in a warm spot for about 10 minutes until foam forms on the top of the mixture.

    Mix warm water with yeast
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  6. Add the yeast to the oat mixture and mix well.

    Add yeast to oat mixture
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  7. Start adding the all-purpose flour 1/2 cup at a time until a firm dough forms.

    Adding white flour
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  8. Turn out on a lightly floured board and knead 4 to 5 minutes, until the dough is elastic and somewhat smooth.

    Turn out dough
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  9. Form the dough into a ball and place in a clean, oiled bowl, turning once to coat.

    Form dough into a ball
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  10. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in a warm spot (70 to 85 F) until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

    Cover dough with plastic wrap
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  11. Shape the bread into a sandwich loaf and place it in the pan.

    Form the dough into tin
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  12. Spray the top of the loaf with water and sprinkle oatmeal or other desired topping on the bread.

    Put oats on loaf
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  13. Cover with a towel and let rise until almost double. (If steaming your bread, skip to the steaming instructions.)

    Cover with a towel
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  14. Meanwhile, heat your oven to 450 F for 1/2 hour; if using a baking stone, heat for 1 hour.

  15. Slash the top of the loaf with a sharp razor blade.

    Slash the loaf
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  16. Place the loaf pan in the oven and turn down to 400 F. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the bread's internal temperature reaches 190 F.

    Place loaf in oven
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  17. Let the bread cool for about 1 hour or so before serving.

    Let the bread cool
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Steaming the Bread

Professional bakers often use steam in the first 5 minutes of baking. Steaming helps the dough rise and creates an attractive, crackled crust. You can create a similar environment in your own oven with a few simple steps. Once the dough is in the pan and has risen a second time, proceed with the instructions for steaming.

  1. Place an old roasting pan on the rack below the baking stone (if using) or the rack below where the loaf pan will go. After you put the bread in the oven, fill the roasting pan with 2 cups of boiling water.

    Baking pan
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  2. Using a squirt bottle, spray water on the sides of the oven two or three times within the first 5 minutes of baking.

    Spray bottle
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  3. Turn the oven down to 400 F and bake for 30 minutes or more, until the internal temperature of the bread reaches 190 F.

    Steam bread
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  4. Bread steams itself dry, so let the loaf cool for at least 2 hours before slicing or it may seem gummy inside.

    Slice bread
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  5. Enjoy!

Tips

  • Instead of baking in a pan, you can make a free-form, German-style bread by placing the loaf on parchment paper or an oiled cookie sheet.
  • If you are baking a free-form loaf, directly place it on a cornmeal-dusted baking stone using the parchment paper or a baker's peel or, if you are using an oiled cookie sheet and do not have a baker's peel, place the cookie sheet with the dough directly on the stone.
  • A baking stone creates a brick oven environment in a regular oven. It helps bake a bread with a beautiful crust that is evenly cooked.
  • If using a baking stone, preheat the oven for 1 hour instead of 30 minutes.

Helpful Links

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
141 Calories
2g Fat
27g Carbs
4g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 10
Amount per serving
Calories 141
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 2g 3%
Saturated Fat 0g 1%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 129mg 6%
Total Carbohydrate 27g 10%
Dietary Fiber 2g 6%
Total Sugars 2g
Protein 4g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 8mg 1%
Iron 2mg 8%
Potassium 65mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)