I love adding oats to baked goods, like our Banana Oat Muffins, Applesauce Muffins, and Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies.
How to make Oatmeal Bread:
Soak Oats: Place oats and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl. Warm milk to a simmer then pour on top and give it a stir. Set aside for 1.5 hours, or until it cools to room temperature and oats are softened. It conveniently makes 2 loaves so you can enjoy one now and freeze the other for another day. Make it exception by slathering with homemade jam like Blackberry, Peach, Strawberry, Raspberry, or Chia Seed Jam. Make Dough: Combine warm water, instant yeast, honey, and salt in a bowl and stir well. Add the whole wheat flour and mix on medium low to combine. Gradually stir in all-purpose flour until the dough starts to pull away from the sides. You don’t want to add too much flour. The dough should still feel soft but not too sticky. Knead for a few minutes until smooth and elastic, scraping the bowl as needed. Rise and Shape: Place bread dough in an oiled bowl and cover with a dry dish towel. Let rise about an hour, until doubled. Punch down dough then divide into two. Shape into loaves and place into loaf pans. Brush egg wash on top and add a small handful of dry oats on top. Cover and allow to rise again for 45 minutes to an hour, until risen above the loaf pan. Bake: uncover and bake at 350 degrees F for 30-40 minutes until a thermometer registers 200°F, or until it produces a hollow sound when you lightly tap the top. Cool for a few minutes before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Variations:
Add Raisins: Add 1 cup after first rise, before shaping into loaves. Add Nuts: Add 1 cup after first rise, before shaping into loaves. Dried Fruit: Add 1 cup of desired fruit after first rise, before shaping into loaves; chopped dried apricots, cranberries, blueberries, or dates. Bread Machine: I’d recommend cutting the recipe in half to just make one loaf, depending on your bread machine capacity. Vegan/Dairy-free Oat Bread: Use dairy free butter and almond milk and omit the egg wash. Active Dry Yeast: If your yeast is fresh it’s not necessary to proof the yeast for this recipe. Just substitute an equal amount then use it instead of instant yeast.
Make Ahead And Freezing Instructions:
To Make Ahead: After knead the dough (before the first rise) refrigerate dough in an airtight container for up to one day. Remove from fridge and allow to come to room temperature. Punch down dough and continue with recipe instructions. To Freeze Bread Dough: Make the dough through shaping the dough into loaves. Add the dough to a freezer-safe or aluminum disposable bread pan. Cover tightly with two layers of non-stick aluminum foil and freeze for up to 3 months. Allow loaves to thaw completely, with a dry kitchen towel over them, and continue with the second rise, at room temperature (about 5 hours). Bake as instructed in recipe. To Freeze Baked Bread: Freeze baked bread in a freezer-safe resealable bag for up to 3 months.
More Bread Recipes:
Whole Wheat Bread Homemade White Bread Artisan No Knead Bread Healthy Banana Bread Beer Bread English Muffins Best Homemade Rolls
Recipe adapted from a reader submission; Joan Klingler, Moscow Idaho.
Recipe originally published May 2020. Updated July 2022 and August 2024. This post contains affiliate links.
