Baking bread is one of life’s simple pleasures, and I have found it’s one that is easy to embrace.
I love baking. Getting to watch the dough rise and enjoying the aroma that fills the house is truly a joy.
And the best part is the taste of that first piece of a fluffy white loaf or whole wheat loaf, when it is fresh out of the oven.
It’s so hard for me to wait to cut myself a slice. I love to smother it with jam and butter right away, risking the inevitable burns inside my mouth, due to my impatience.
I should just learn to wait, but recipes like this get me so excited!
Maybe you’re a little reluctant, a fan of bread made from scratch who is perhaps a bit of a cautious baker, or you don’t feel like you’re able to invest the time that’s required.
This wholesome baked good is an easy solution to making the delicious homemade baked good at home, and you have to believe me when I say that it is truly simple to prepare.
Filled with whole grain oats that are tasty and good for you, the finished product doesn’t taste anything like oatmeal, even though there’s a whole cup of oats in the dough.
Instead, I think it tastes like a hearty wheat, thanks in part to the whole wheat flour that’s in the dough as well. And rather than being loaded with refined sugar, this loaf is slightly sweet thanks to the honey that’s in the recipe as well.
It makes a killer toast for breakfast, or a really tasty sandwich for lunch.
This recipe is one that you have no excuse not to make. There’s no kneading involved at all, there aren’t any fancy ingredients or equipment required, and each slice is super soft, fluffy, tasty, and chewy.
And you’ll have plenty of opportunities to use up the whole loaf!
For breakfast, you can toast it and spread it with butter and jam, make avocado toast, or spread it with butter and sprinkle the top with cinnamon and sugar.
At lunchtime, it makes a heck of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, or a gooey grilled cheese, and you can top it with a big scoop of chicken salad and a pile of greens too.
For dinner, you can turn it spread it with garlic and butter, or use it to dip in soups and stews, and sop up the sauce from your favorite entrees.
When you make this recipe, you’ll see right away that it isn’t hard to pull off. There are very few steps to master, and the rising time is super short – which means you can actually make this for dinner tonight.
The enticing scent fills the house as it bakes, transporting you straight to your grandmother’s house, or a professional bakery.
Seriously, I don’t understand how anyone can give up bread… It’s just too dang good.
Ready to start your grocery list? I’m guessing you have most – if not all – of these ingredients already waiting for you in your pantry and fridge.
All you will need to make your first loaf is yeast, honey, oats, all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, butter, and salt, plus a little warm water.
How incredible is that? Simple, delicious, and easily homemade. That’s what a freshly baked treat should be all about, am I right?
Not only will you receive instant gratification via that first warm slice of deliciousness, a reward in and of itself, you can look forward to feeling like a total rockstar because you just made bread from scratch.
Whether you are a serious baker or just starting out, you can whip this out whenever you need to, if you don’t feel like running to the store, or if you’re just craving a fresh homemade baked good.
The only question is, what will you do with it once it comes out of the oven?
Will you make a sandwich, perhaps a grilled cheese? Maybe you will just inhale a slice fresh out of the oven with nothing on it, to enjoy the incredible hearty flavor?
There’s no wrong answer here, people. All you need to do is make it, and eat it. Trust me, I think you’ll be happy that you did.
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Super Easy No-Knead Oat Bread
- Total Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
- Yield: 1 9x5" loaf 1x
Description
This easy oat bread doesn’t require any kneading at all. It’s simple and flavorful, a recipe that you’ll be eager to make again week after week.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, for brushing (28.35 grams)
- 1 1/4 cups warm water (105-115˚F) (295.73 grams)
- 2 teaspoons active dry yeast (one packet, 7 grams)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons honey (26.45 grams)
- 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour (120 grams)
- 1 cup whole wheat flour (113 grams)
- 1 cup rolled oats (not instant) (90 grams)
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt (15 grams)
Instructions
- Grease a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with melted butter.
- Add warm water to a medium bowl. Sprinkle the yeast over the warm water and stir until yeast dissolves. Stir in honey and set aside for about 5 to 10 minutes, until the yeast swells and foams.
- In a separate large bowl, add both types of flour, the oats, and the salt. Stir to combine.
- Stir dry ingredients into wet ingredients until well combined.
- Add dough to the prepared pan. Cover with a clean cloth, then set in a warm place for 30 minutes until it has doubled in size.
- Meanwhile, position rack in middle of the oven and preheat oven to 350˚F.
- Bake bread for 35 to 40 minutes, until golden and pulling away from the sides of the pan.
- Remove from oven and turn out immediately onto a cooling rack. Cool slightly, until cool enough to handle, and serve warm.
Notes
Recipe adapted from 101 Cookbooks.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Baked Goods
Keywords: oat bread, old fashioned oats, sandwich bread
Cooking By the Numbers…
Step 1 – Measure Ingredients and Prep Pan
Measure out all of the ingredients as listed on the ingredients list.
Melt two tablespoons of unsalted butter.
Grease a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with the melted butter.
Step 2 – Activate Yeast
In a medium bowl, add the warm water and sprinkle the yeast over the top. Stir until the yeast dissolves. Stir in the honey.
Set aside for 5 to 10 minutes, until the yeast swells and foams.
Not seeing any action? Your yeast may have expired.
You can read our article to learn all about yeast and the role it plays in baking.
Step 3 – Make Dough
In a large bowl, stir together both types of wheat flour with the oats and salt, until combined.
Stir the dry ingredients into the yeast mixture, until well combined.
Step 4 – Let Rise
Add the dough to the greased loaf pan and cover it with a clean cloth.
Set in a warm place for 30 minutes, until doubled in volume.
Step 5 – Bake
When you’re just about ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350˚F. Make sure a rack is positioned in the middle of the oven.
Uncover the loaf pan. Place it in the middle of the middle rack and bake for 35 to 40 minutes. The bread should be golden and it will begin pulling away from the sides of the pan when it’s done.
Remove the pan from the oven and turn the loaf out onto a cooling rack right away. Set aside until it is cool enough to handle before slicing and serving.
How Should I Store This?
To store this oatmeal bread, you can keep it in an airtight container or wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, then place it in a cool, dry location. It will keep for about 4 to 5 days.
You can also freeze slices or the whole loaf, if you desire.
Let it cool completely before wrapping tightly with aluminum foil or plastic freezer wrap. Then place in a heavy-duty freezer bag and freeze for up to two months. Freezing slices makes it easier to just pull out what you need for a quick breakfast or lunch.
Got the carb baking bug? Here are some more bread recipes to try next:
What’s the first thing you plan to do with this freshly baked bread? Will you make a sandwich, or eat it slathered with butter?
Tell us in the comments below, and don’t forget to give the recipe a rating after you try it, to let us know how much you loved it!
Photos by Meghan Yager, © Ask the Experts, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. See our TOS for more details. Originally published by Shanna Mallon on August 17, 2011. Last updated on November 23, 2020. With additional writing and editing by Allison Sidhu.
Nutritional information derived from a database of known generic and branded foods and ingredients and was not compiled by a registered dietitian or submitted for lab testing. It should be viewed as an approximation.
About Meghan Yager
Meghan Yager is a food addict turned food and travel writer with a love for creating uncomplicated, gourmet recipes and devouring anything the world serves up. As the author of the food and travel blog Cake 'n Knife, Meghan focuses on unique foodie experiences from around the world to right at home in your own kitchen.
I love this post! 🙂
off to read this yummy bread recipe. thanks!
This is a wheat bread with some oats, not really an oat bread. And please change to grams.
★★
I think you’ll find most recipes for oat bread start with wheat flour! If you prefer a vegan option, this version is also delicious, with the addition of maple syrup.
The recipe card has been updated to include measurements in grams.