You are going to love this sandwich loaf of Whole Wheat Oatmeal Bread. It is light, tender, and perfectly sliced warm, toasted, or used for sandwiches. Honestly, you cannot go wrong with this bread!! Plus, the smell that will fill your house is heavenly!!
If you like this loaf and are looking for other recipes, let me share a few of my favorites. I love using sprouted wheat flour, with it I make this awesome Sprouted Wheat Bread. This Multigrain Loaf is one of my all-time favorite loaves, it is so delicious! Maybe you are looking for a quick bread, how about this Jalapeno Cheddar Skillet Cornbread? Rolls are also a great option, so how about these Parker House Rolls? I love these!! If you like sourdough, how about this sourdough focaccia?
Why Honey Oatmeal Sandwich Bread?
The soft, fluffy texture of this oatmeal bread knocks it out of the park when it comes to homemade bread. People are always so surprised to find out it has light it is.
Seriously, the flavor of this bread is so good. When I think of comfort food, this bread is at the top of the list. My family loves this loaf and I cannot tell you how excited they are to come home from school/work and find this fresh out of the oven!
If you have always been intimidated by yeast bread, don't be! Let me share a few simple tips and tricks to making an awesome loaf. If you are already proficient at bread making, this loaf is really going to be a cinch for you!
Ingredients
- Milk- I used 2% cow's milk, but you can use any milk you like.
- Regular oats- I like using these so much better than quick-cooking oats as they hold their shape and texture.
- Butter- you can also use vegan butter or even oil if you want here.
- Honey- If you don't want to use honey, you can use other sweeteners you like.
- Whole wheat flour- I used white wheat flour, but you can use any whole wheat flour you prefer, such as red winter wheat, white winter wheat, einkorn, etc.
- All-purpose flour- The blend of whole wheat and all-purpose flour keeps this bread light and fluffy.
- Salt- I like Kosher salt.
- Active dry yeast
- Eggs
How to Make
- Heat milk just under a boil.
- Add milk mixture to the oats, butter, and honey. Mix to combine. This will sit for about 30 minutes. Not only will it let this cool, but will also cook your oatmeal. It is important to use regular rolled oats here, you don't want quick cooking as they will turn to mush!
- Once it is about 100 degrees- this is important, too hot and it will kill the yeast, add it to your stand mixer. This can also be kneaded by hand for a great arm workout.
- Add your yeast to the mixture. Mix and let it sit to activate for about 2-3 minutes.
- Next in are your flours and eggs.
- Mix for about 6-8 minutes at medium speed.
- Cover and let it double.
- Form your loaf- I went with braided bread.
- Once it is braided, gently add it to your loaf pan.
- Cover and allow it to double again.
- Brush with egg wash and oats if you want.
- Bake until it is a beautiful golden brown.
- That's it. Be prepared to be greeted like a Rockstar!!
Notes for Beginning Bread Makers
- If you have never made a loaf of bread before, let me give you a few suggestions:
- Yeast is important. When activated, it is a live organism. It needs to be handled with a certain amount of care, but don't let that intimidate you.
- Check your date on the yeast to make sure it is still good. I always store unused yeast in the fridge or freezer. This keeps it dormant and extends its shelf life.
- When you are making your dough, remember that yeast loves a warm, moist environment. Too cold and it takes a really long time to activate, too hot and you will kill it. The perfect temp for ingredients is about 100 degrees, or warm to the touch.
- Another important part of the bread-making process is properly developing the gluten. I like to knead my bread dough in the stand mixer for at least 6 minutes. That gluten you develop in the process is what gives the bread its structure and texture.
- If you aren't sure what your dough should look like when the gluten is developed, just know it should be a fairly smooth dough. Not perfectly smooth, but pretty smooth. Whole wheat flour is a little more coarse than refined, so it makes it less smooth.
- Make sure and proof your dough. You will do this twice in this recipe. Once is the first rise (bulk rise), then the second is after your loaf is formed. I like to let mine double both times.
- This bread rises best in a warm moist environment. I like to choose a warm spot in my kitchen. I also like to cover my bowl and loaf with saran wrap. This traps all the moisture inside and allows it to rise. Keep an eye on it, you don't want it over-proofed.
- Baking is critical. When you bake bread and remove it from the oven, it will actually continue to bake in a process called carry-over baking. That means the residual heat from the bread and the pan will continue to bake it.
- With whole-wheat bread, as the whole-wheat flour absorbs more moisture, if you pull it out when the bread is perfectly baked, it will continue to bake and be slightly dry when you pull it out.
- So, I never bake mine at more than 190 degrees temp. Another trick is to remove the loaf from the pan within 5 minutes. If it is slightly underbaked, just a touch, it will be perfect within 5 minutes of removing it from the oven.
Honey Oatmeal Sandwich Bread
Equipment
- stand mixer, baking pan
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cup milk
- 1 cup regular oats
- 4 tablespoons butter
- ¼ cup honey
- 1 ¼ cup whole wheat flour I used a spelt flour, but you can use any whole wheat flour you prefer- red winter wheat, white winter wheat, einkorn, etc.
- 1 ½-1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons Active dry yeast
- 2 eggs
- 1 egg for egg wash
- 2 tablespoons milk for egg wash
Instructions
- Heat milk to just under a boiling point, this is called scalding. Pour over your oats into a small bowl. Let this cool until it is just warm to the touch.
- Once it is warm, add the butter, honey, and yeast. Mix and let the yeast activate for about 5 minutes.
- Add mixture to your stand mixer. Then add in the remaining ingredients. Mix on medium speed for about 6 minutes.
- Cover and allow it to rise until doubled.
- Shape your bread as desired. I did the braided loaf. To do this, divide your dough into 3 sections. Roll each section into a 14-16 inch snake. Braid the 3 strands together and place them in a buttered bread pan.
- Cover and allow the bread to rise again.
- At the end of the rise, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Combine your egg and milk for the egg wash. Brush across the top, making sure to brush gently and not collapse the bread. Place the loaf in the oven.
- Bake for about 40 minutes. To know when it is done, we will check for a few things. Color- you will want it to be a beautiful golden brown. Then, temp, t should be about 185-190 degrees.
- Remove the loaf from the oven.
- Allow it to cool in the pan for about 5 minutes. Then, carefully turn it out onto your cooling rack. You can slice into this right away, or give it about 10 minutes to fully set. You cannot go wrong either way!
Video
Notes
- Yeast is important. When activated, it is a live organism. It needs to be handled with a certain amount of care, but don't let that intimidate you.
- Check your date on the yeast to make sure it is still good. I always store unused yeast in the fridge or freezer. This keeps it dormant and extends the shelf life.
- When you are making your dough, remember that yeast loves a warm, moist environment. Too cold and it takes a really long time to activate, too hot and you will kill it. The perfect temp for ingredients is about 100 degrees, or warm to the touch.
- Another important part of the bread-making process is properly developing the gluten. I like to knead my bread dough in the stand mixer for at least 6 minutes. That gluten you develop in the process is what gives the bread its structure and texture.
- If you aren't sure what your dough should look like when the gluten is developed, just know it should be a fairly smooth dough. Not perfectly smooth, but pretty smooth. Whole wheat flour is a little more coarse than refined, so it makes it less smooth.
- Make sure and proof your dough. You will do this twice in this recipe. Once is the first rise (bulk rise), then the second is after your loaf is formed. I like to let mine double both times.
- This bread rises best in a warm moist environment. I like to choose a warm spot in my kitchen. I also like to cover my bowl and loaf with saran wrap. This traps all the moisture inside and allows it to rise. Keep an eye on it, you don't want it over-proofed.
- Baking is critical. When you bake bread and remove it from the oven, it will actually continue to bake in a process called carry-over baking. That means the residual heat from the bread and the pan will continue to bake it.
- With whole-wheat bread, as the whole wheat flour absorbs more moisture, if you pull it out when the bread is perfectly baked, it will continue to bake and be slightly dry when you pull it out.
- So, I never bake mine at more than 190 degrees temp. Another trick is to remove the loaf from the pan within 5 minutes. If it is slightly underbaked, just a touch, it will be perfect within 5 minutes of removing it from the oven.
Marina Gonzales says
Hello, I just found your website, and it is a wealth of information and great-looking recipes! I am new to milling flour (that is how I found you) and I have a question about this recipe. You call for part whole wheat and part AP flours - I take this to mean AP flour from the store, not freshly milled? I am looking for a simple basic bread recipe using freshly milled flour only to get started. Sorry if I misunderstood your instruction, and thank you for any reply!
Amy Sandidge says
Hi Marina!! This recipe is a beginner recipe for someone learning to incorporate whole wheat, but in moderation. This recipe can also be made with 100% whole wheat as well. But, let me share a few links for recipes that use only wheat flour. https://aredspatula.com/cranberry-pecan-orange-infused-whole-wheat-bread/ https://aredspatula.com/hearty-100-rye-bread-recipe/ https://aredspatula.com/homestyle-buckwheat-bread-recipe-gluten-free/ https://aredspatula.com/spelt-bread-recipe-with-walnuts/ https://aredspatula.com/vegan-whole-wheat-dinner-rolls/ Hope these help. Happy baking!
Pan4me says
What size loaf pan did you use?
Do you happen to have the weight of oats and flours that you used?
Thanks- I’m really looking forward to making this bread!
Amy Sandidge says
Hi! This was a 9x5-inch pan. I will add that to the post. As far as weights go, I apologize, I don't have those. Happy baking!