Classic Oatmeal Bread
This Classic Oatmeal Bread reminds me of my childhood. We’d eat my mom’s version hot out of the oven, covered with cold pats of butter. This recipe will make your inner child come alive!
This Oat Bread is soft, tender, and absolutely delicious! And who can resist the aroma of a freshly baked yeast bread recipe! It’s incredibly comforting.
Why You Must Make
- This recipe comes from one of my favorite bakers, Nick Malgieri.
- There is nothing better than sharing a good loaf of homemade bread with your family! Especially when it’s still warm from the oven.
- Slightly sweet from the addition of brown sugar, this is one terrific homemade yeast bread recipe.
One of my favorite loaves since childhood was my mom’s oatmeal bread. I’m not sure the secret of her recipe, but I do recall eating it hot from the oven with lots of cool, creamy butter smeared on the slices. Hot bread? Cold butter? Maybe that was the secret…I still love that combo. I turned to a baking guru, Nick Malgieri, for some inspiration for this challenge.
His How to Bake (affiliate link) cookbook has been the source for my favorite cheesecake, apple pie, and now oatmeal bread. Nick’s attention to detail was priceless when, as a novice baker, I needed very detailed tips and instructions. I’ve tried a few oatmeal bread recipes over the years, but this has got to be my favorite. Soft, sweet, tender. Truly the ultimate oat bread.
Ingredient Notes
This Classic Oatmeal Bread Recipe is a delicious, basic bread recipe made with dry active yeast.
- Rolled Oats – Old Fashioned Oatmeal not Quick Oats.
- Active Dry Yeast – 1 envelope. I recommend Red Star Yeast brand.
- All-purpose, Unbleached flour – I use King Arthur brand.
- Table Salt – Never omit the salt in the recipe as it’s a flavor enhancer. Your bread will taste flat without salt.
Expert Tips
- PRO-Tip: Remember that yeast is a living organism and if you add water that is too hot, you can kill the yeast. Use a kitchen thermometer to make sure your warm water is around 110º and no hotter than 120º.
- Check the expiration date on your yeast. If it has expired, purchase a fresh batch.
- A stand mixer fit with a dough hook is a terrific way to knead bread. Just make sure your mixer does not overheat by monitoring it during the kneading process.
- If the mixer feels very hot, turn it off and let it cool down before continuing. You may need to finish kneading by hand if necessary.
- Letting the dough rise, or proofing the dough, works best in a warm location. Cover the bowl of kneaded bread with greased plastic wrap.
- PRO-Tip: An ideal location is about 80-85º. Forcing the dough to rise in a too hot environment will compromise the texture.
- Shape the loaf by flattening the dough into a rectangle, folding in half, and rolling to make a nice-shaped cylinder. If it doesn’t adhere to itself when rolling, a small amount of water can be used to moisten the dough.
- You can expand upon this recipe by adding raisins or other dried fruit or by sprinkling with cinnamon and sugar before rolling and shaping the dough into a loaf to make a cinnamon oatmeal bread.
- I prefer mine plain and simple, except for that generous smear of salted butter.
Frequently Asked Questions
The oatmeal adds some nutritional value that’s not in white bread. Oats contribute fiber and contain magnesium, Vitamin B1, iron, and zinc. It’s healthier than white bread, but not a healthy food per se.
If your dough is sticky enough, the oats will adhere to the top of the bread. If not, you can brush a very light coat of water or milk over the surface, then sprinkle with oats. Milk will darken the crust a bit due to its sugar content.
Oatmeal adds a mild nutty flavor to the bread.
Keep your oatmeal bread at room temperature in a plastic bag for up to 2 days. For longer storage, wrap well and keep in the freezer for up to 2-3 months. Before freezing, make sure it’s cooled to room temperature or frost will develop.
You May Also Like:
- Basic White Bread from Magnolia Days
- Grandmom’s Dinner Rolls from One Sweet Mess
- Rosemary Olive Oil Bread from Hip Foodie Mom
- Homemade Potato Bread
- No-Knead Bread Recipe
- Cinnamon Twist Bread
- Plus more of the Best Bread Recipes
Classic Oatmeal Bread
A marvelous oatmeal bread adapted from Nick Magieri's How to Bake
Ingredients
- 1 cup oatmeal (regular, not quick oats)
- 1 cup boiling water
- 1/2 cup warm water (about 110º)
- 2 1/4 teaspoons dry active yeast (1 envelope)
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons butter, cut into about 12 pieces, plus more for greasing the bowl and pan
Instructions
- Grease 8 1/2 x 4 1/4 inch loaf pan with butter and set aside.
- Pour boiling water over oats in a bowl. Stir and set aside till cooled to room temperature.
- Put warm water in a small bowl and add yeast. Stir and set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine flour, brown sugar, and salt and stir to combine.
- Fit mixer with the dough hook and add oatmeal, yeast mixture, and butter pieces. Knead dough on low for about 5 minutes till smooth and elastic.
- Place dough in a greased bowl, flip a couple of times to coat all sides with butter, and cover with greased plastic wrap. Let rise till dough doubles in bulk, about one hour.
- Remove dough from bowl and place on a lightly floured work surface. Deflate the dough with the palm of your hand.
- Form dough into a rectangle, slightly longer than pan length. Fold sides in so that dough is slightly less in length than the pan, then roll to form a tight cylinder. The dough should stick to itself, but if it doesn't you may dab a bit of water on the surface to increase adherence.
- Place cylinder, seam side down, into prepared pan. Cover with greased plastic wrap and let rise till doubled, about an hour.
- Preheat oven to 375º.
- Remove plastic from risen dough and place pan in the oven. Immediately decrease oven temperature to 350º and bake for 30-40 minutes or till the loaf is brown and sounds hollow when tapped and/or internal temperature reaches 210º.
- Remove from pan to cooling rack. Slice when cooled.
Notes
Makes 1 large loaf
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
16Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 101Total Fat: 2gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 4mgSodium: 146mgCarbohydrates: 18gFiber: 1gSugar: 1gProtein: 3g
63 Comments on “Classic Oatmeal Bread”
How would this be with white whole wheat flour?
I’ve never tried oatmeal bread and I’m intrigued to give this one a try, looks amazing and I have all the ingredients at hand.
Amalia
xo
Liz, I’ve been thinking about bread lately, and considering trying my hand at it. Your oatmeal bread is a good start. Saving this recipe!!
Velva
There is nothing like homemade bread. Actually, I don’t think I’ve ever had oatmeal bread- it looks delicious. Judee from Gluten Free A-Z Blog.
I LOVE oat bread! I can’t say that I’m a fan of cold butter, but those things that are imprinted on you in childhood are part of you forever. This sounds like a fantastic recipe! And thanks for all the tips.
Looks lovely! How long will this loaf keep in the breadbox?
Hi, Diane,
It stays fresh if stored in a plastic bag for a day or two at room temperature. Otherwise, I like to slice it and keep it in the freezer and pull out a few slices as needed. Hope you enjoy!
I want to try this–could I sub oat flour for the all purpose and if so, do I need to add anything? Thanks so much
Hi, Niki,
Great question. I haven’t tested it, but found some advice for you. I would only be concerned that the lack of gluten in the oat flour could affect the structure/texture of the bread.
Here’s some info: You replace the “regular” flour with an equal amount of oat flour by weight, not by volume. … Oat flour is significantly lighter than all-purpose and whole wheat flour. If you use one cup of oat flour for every cup of regular flour, you won’t be using enough and your baked goods won’t rise as high as they should.
Hope that helps. Let me know how it goes!
Love the recipe! I added cinnamon to mine! Wonderful and lots of thanks!
Sounds like a delicious addition! So glad you enjoyed this yummy bread!
I chose this recipe for my first attempt at oat bread. I added cheese and reduced the salt a bit. Absolutely gorgeous bread. Soft but with a crusty top because I made sure there was a shallow Pyrex pan of steaming water in the oven. Terribly pleased. I will try her other recipes.
Andrea, I love the addition of cheese! I bet it was delicious! Thanks for your review 🙂
Made with AP flour, it was so easy and tasted amazing. Will using bread flour alter the recipe (or finished product)?
Yes, it should work fine, Candace. The crumb might be a little tighter, due to more protein in the flour, but it will barely be noticeable! Glad you enjoyed this bread 🙂
This is so good!! A new favorite at my house. My family really loved it!