Sourdough Oatmeal Sandwich Bread

Sourdough Oatmeal Sandwich Bread reminiscent of the hearty multigrain sandwich breads that I ate when I was a kid. With a soft and spongy texture this bread is perfect for peanut butter jelly, but is sturdy enough for a tall BLT. 

Although this Sourdough Oatmeal Sandwich Bread uses the simplest ingredients, there’s nothing basic about its flavor and texture. Cooking the oatmeal into a porridge keeps the oats from weighing down the loaf and locks in added moisture that keeps this bread tasting fresh for much longer.

This recipe makes one 9 by 4 inch loaf. Using a pullman pan with high sides ensures a taller loaf. You can, however, use a regular loaf pan if that’s all you have, just know that your loaf may not appear as tall as mine when it bakes (don’t worry it will be just as delicious).

I use a little bit of whole wheat flour in my Sourdough Oatmeal Sandwich Bread because it adds an earthiness and a nutty flavor that I love. I'll seldom bake anything with 100% white flour as I think the flavor turns out a bit flat, you can totally skip the whole wheat if you’re baking for picky eaters or don’t like the flavor yourself. Subbing other flours such as spelt, einkorn, kamut, or even oat would work wonderfully in this recipe as well. 

I absolutely adore the flavor of honey and oats together, however if you don’t have any on hand, feel free to substitute it with any other sweetener, such as brown sugar, molasses, agave syrup or even granulated sugar in a pinch. 

Now onto the recipe!

Ingredients

Oat Porridge 

Quantity	Ingredients	Baker’s %
25 g	Old-fashioned oats	6.25%
50 g	Whole milk	12.5%
125 g	Water	31.25%

Dough

Quantity	Ingredients	Baker’s %
250 g	All-purpose flour	62.5%
100 g	Bread flour	25%
50 g	Whole wheat	12.5%
100 g	Active sourdough starter	25%
150 grams	Whole milk	37.5%
56 g	Unsalted butter (softened)	14%
40 g	Honey	10%
6 g	Salt	1.5%

Topping

Quantity	Ingredients
1	Egg
20 grams	Old-fashioned oats

Instructions

Day 1

Combine oat porridge ingredients into a small saucepan and cook on medium high heat until the mixture comes to a boil. Lower the heat and continue to simmer until the oats have cooked and porridge has thickened noticeably, around 3 to 5 minutes. Your porridge will continue to thicken as it cools so you don’t want it to dry out completely as you are cooking it, set aside and allow to cool completely. 

Once your porridge has cooled to room temperature, combine dough ingredients with porridge into a large mixing bowl. Mix with a wooden spoon or your hands, the dough will be a bit sticky at this point, once the mixture is fully combined, cover it with plastic wrap and set aside for an hour. This will allow the flour to hydrate fully, making your dough less sticky and easier to work with. 

After your dough rests, turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for 10 minutes. Round the dough into a tight ball and place it into a clean, lightly oiled container. Cover and allow the dough to rest for an additional 30 minutes. Repeat the kneading and resting periods one or two more times depending on how your dough feels. Your dough is ready once it feels strong, only slightly sticky and passes the windowpane test

Place the dough back into the oiled container, cover and allow the dough to ferment in a warm spot (78 F/25 C) until the dough has doubled, this can take anywhere from 4 to 6 hours.

***I proof my dough in my Brod and Taylor Proofing Box which allows me to maintain a steady temperature of 78 F/25 C, however my proofing times still tend to vary and depend highly on the activity of my starter. Remember to watch your dough not the clock. 

Once bulk fermentation has completed, knock the air out of your dough, round it tightly into a ball, return it to your container and place it in the refrigerator overnight. 

Day 2

Line your loaf pan with parchment paper. Take your dough out of the refrigerator, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and flatten it into a 7 by 5 inch rectangle, the top and the bottom of the rectangle should be shorter than its sides. Fold down the top corners of the dough towards the middle (your dough should look like a house). Then, gently roll the top towards the center pressing down to seal. Repeat this two more times until your dough has formed a log, seal the seam. 

Place oats on a plate, brush the top of your dough with egg wash. Gently pick up your dough and roll the top of it onto the oats. Place your dough seam side down into your loaf pan, wrap the loaf pan with a plastic bag (clean grocery bags work great). Allow your dough to rise at room temperature for 2 to 4 hours, the dough should fill your tin, it is ready to bake once it has grown noticeably (almost reaching the top of your pullman pan, if you are using one). 

Once your dough is close to being ready, preheat your oven to 350 F/176 C and bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until it is golden brown and the center registers at 190 F/87 C when measured with an instant read thermometer. 

Remove the baked loaf from the oven and turn it out of the pan onto a wire rack to cool. Allow the loaf to cool completely, about 2 hours before slicing.  

Other Sourdough Bread Recipes You'll Love

• Sourdough Brioche
• Sourdough Apple Honey Challah
• Sourdough Potato Hamburger Buns

Please share this recipe if you enjoyed it! Remember to post a photo and tag me @makeitdough when you make this delicious recipe, so I can check out your bake