Oatmeal Bread Recipe

Homemade bread is a true signifier of a homely home. Who doesn’t love that comforting smell wafting through the house? It brings back childhood memories and speaks to the comfort and warmth of shared family meals. Oatmeal bread is one of our all-time favorites. It is heartening, delicious, and wholesome all at once. Who says that oatmeal need only be a breakfast food? Certainly not us!

 So, let’s take a look at how to make the best homemade oatmeal bread. It is sure to impress your family and guests alike. It is simple to make, delicious and versatile. We are pretty sure you won’t only be making this oatmeal bread recipe once!

What you Need to Make Oatmeal Bread: Ingredients and Kitchen Tools

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of boiling water
• 1/3 cup of warm water
• cup of oats
• ¼ ounce of dry yeast (active)
• ¼ cup of honey
• A teaspoon of salt
• A tablespoon of unsalted butter
• 3 cups of flour

Kitchen tools:

• 1 x large mixing bowl
• 1 x smaller mixing bowl
• Pan for cooking
• Wooden spoon for mixing
• Wire rack for cooling

What you need to do:

1. Mix your cup of oats with your cup of boiling water. Let the mixture stand until it has cooled slightly (around 110 degrees). In your smaller bowl add the active dry yeast with your cup of warm water. Mix these two together in your larger bowl.
2. Next you will need to add the honey, butter, salt, and flour. You will need to beat this mixture until it is super smooth (an electric beater might work best for this tas.) You might need to add some extra flour so that your dough becomes soft. Add in extra flour (a tablespoon at a time) and knead your dough until it reaches the desired consistency.
3. Once your dough has reached the perfect consistency. To start with your dough will feel sticky and wet, but the more you knead it, the less sticky and glossier it will be. This gloss is an indication of glute forming. However, gluten-free recipes are easily doable, and we’ll look into those in a moment.
4. Now it is time to shape your bread. You might opt for the quintessential rectangular shape in a typical bread pan, or you might opt for a rounder shape. If you’re feeling creative, you can mould it in any shape you like. However, opting to cook it in a bread baking pan is your best pet and will ensure that it holds its shape. Once in the pan, add some melted butter and oats to the top of your dough (for extra crispy, melt-in-your-mouth deliciousness!) Then you will need to give it some time to rise. 30 minutes should do the trick and it should be kept covered and in a warm place. This resting period is a good time to wash those bowls, prepare your toppings, and make yourself a tasty cup of tea.
5. Now is the time to pre-heat the oven. Set it to 350 degrees and once your bread has risen bake it for 50 minutes. After 50 minutes poke a skewer into your bread. If there is residual dough on the skewer give it an extra 5 minutes of cooking time.
6. Your bread should have a crispy golden exterior and be soft and delectable on the inside. You will then need to place it on a wire rack so that it can properly cool (and so that it won’t become soggy!) The cooling part of bread making is important, but we won’t judge you if you want to cut off a piping hot crust while you wait. This lathered in a layer of butter is bound to impress your guests!
7. Once cooled add some butter or any of your favorite sandwich toppings. The bread on its own with butter is absolutely delicious, but you can get creative and opt for sweet or savory toppings. Some of our favorites include cheeses, Nutella, salad bits, and cold meats. You can have your bread as a conventional samie, a toasted sandwich, as a dipping treat with soup, or simply on its own.

For Bread Machines: You can also make this recipe in a bread machine. Simply pop all your ingredients in the machine (in the designated order that the manufacturer of your model suggests) and pop it onto a light or basic setting.

Gluten Free Oatmeal Bread

Making a gluten-free oatbread requires only a few small changes to the above recipe. You will simply need to substitute conventional oats for gluten-free oats and your conventional flour for gluten-free flour. Gluten-free alternatives are usually easily available at various health stores. They are often a little more pricey than their gluten-filled counterparts, but will do the trick and enable you to make delicious oatmeal bread. If you’re vegan, you can also replace the butter with coconut milk or almond milk and add in a tablespoon of vinegar. You will also want to include half a tablespoon of baking powder to the mix. Follow the same process as above and remember to pre-heat your oven, knead your dough well till the required consistency is reached, and allow your bread to cool.

Oatmeal bread is a classic and will delight anyone who shares it with you! This recipe is simple and fun and we’re sure it will become a regular in your cooking repertoire.