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.
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Benefits of adding oatmeal to bread
Adding oatmeal, or any other porridge increases the moisture in dough without making it stickier and more difficult to handle. That's because the added liquid is gelatinized and trapped into a starchy mixture. So you'll get added hydration and this results in bread that's moist, with a plush texture and a longer shelf life. Similar to the Tangzhong method used in my Sourdough Japanese Milk Bread Recipe.
What you need
Active sourdough starter: You'll need a mature, active starter to make this recipe
Old-fashioned oats: This recipe was tested using old-fashioned oats. Quick oats will work just fine if that's all you have on hand. The volume measurement may be different, but the gram measure should be the same.
All-purpose flour: Low protein flour imparts softness and keeps the crumb tender. You can substitute bread flour but your bread will be chewier.
Bread flour: Adds structure to the loaf and allows it to rise taller even with the addition of oat porridge.
Whole wheat flour: Adds an earthiness and a nutty flavor. You can leave it out, or sub other flours such as spelt, einkorn, kamut, or even oat.
Milk: This recipe was developed using whole milk. Sub your favorite plant-based alternative.
Honey: Naturally complements the flavor of oats, sub maple syrup, molasses, brown sugar or white sugar for sweetness.
Salt: Use kosher salt or sea salt for the best results.
Butter: Adds softness to the crumb, sub your favorite plant-based alternative, olive oil will work for this recipe as well.
What to bake this recipe in
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).
Step-by-step instructions
- Make the oat porridge
- Make the dough
- Let the dough rest for 1 hour
- Knead the dough
- Let the dough rise until doubled in volume
- Cold proof overnight
- Shape the dough and transfer to a loaf pan
- Proof dough until puffy and fills the tin
- Bake at 350 F for 35 to 40 minutes
- Let the loaf cool for at least 2 hours before slicing
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Soft Sourdough Oatmeal Sandwich Bread Recipe
Equipment
- 9 by 4-inch Pullman pan
Ingredients
Oat Porridge
- 25 grams old-fashioned oats
- 50 grams whole milk
- 125 grams water
Dough
- 250 grams all-purpose flour
- 100 grams bread flour
- 50 grams whole wheat flour
- 100 grams active sourdough starter
- 150 grams whole milk
- 56 grams unsalted butter softened
- 40 grams honey
- 6 grams salt
Egg Wash
- 1 egg
- 20 grams old-fashioned oats
Instructions
- 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.25 grams old-fashioned oats, 50 grams whole milk, 125 grams water
- 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.250 grams all-purpose flour, 100 grams bread flour, 50 grams whole wheat flour, 100 grams active sourdough starter, 150 grams whole milk, 56 grams unsalted butter, 40 grams honey, 6 grams salt
- 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.
- 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.
- The next day, 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).1 egg, 20 grams old-fashioned oats
- 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.
Barbara says
Can I use quick oats instead? That is all I have on hand.
Hannah @ Make It Dough says
Absolutely! Quick oats will work perfectly and shouldn't affect your bake too much.
sky says
This was a great recipe that made a fantastic loaf of oat bread, very delicious. Well worth the time to make it. We paid attention to the instructions-it took much longer to rise to double-both the bulk and loaf, but it was well worth the wait. Thank you for sharing this most excellent recipe! We will definitely make this again & again! Oh, and we tried to mix this in the stand mixer-our advice-just don't! Follow the recipe as written & you will get a great loaf of bread.
Make It Dough says
So glad you tried and loved the recipe. This one is definitely one of my favorites. Glad you tried doing mix-ins! Even though it didn't work out you never know until you try.
Ann Christine Hoffmann says
I made it this morning and it is delicious! Thank you for the simple recipe! Far superior to store bought bread!
Make It Dough says
So happy you love it!
Mari says
Hello! Any specific instructions for making the dough in a stand mixer?
Make It Dough says
No particular tips! Just make it as you would make any other bread.
Sarah says
What size Pullman pan?
Make It Dough says
Hi my pullman pan is 9 by 4 inches, there's a link to the exact one I use in the blog post 😁
Barbara says
Forgot to ask about making these into buns, could I get 6?
Make It Dough says
I'm not sure about the quantity for buns as I've never tried.
Mary says
The recipe says put the dough in freezer overnight and then on day 2 to remove from refrigerator. Is it going in the Freezer?
Make It Dough says
It should go in the refrigerator. I've edited the blog post to reflect that. Thank you for catching my mistake.
Susan Gebhardt says
Sounds good. You said to put the loaf in the freezer overnight. Did you mean the refrigerator, or do you really put it in the freezer?
Make It Dough says
Thanks for catching that! It's been corrected!
Lisa Mae ❤️ says
Have you ever made gluten-free sourdough starter?
Make It Dough says
No I've only made it with wheat flour.
Lisa Mae ❤️ says
Thanks!
Banjo's Bread says
At the end of day 1 you say put in the freezer, should that not be fridge?
Make It Dough says
Great catch! I've corrected it in the recipe. Thank you!!