Sourdough Oatmeal Bread: Delicious and Healthy Bread Recipe

Oatmeal sourdough bread is an incredibly delicious and fun twist on normal tangy sourdough loaves. A healthy chunk of textured sourdough bread, perfect to enjoy for breakfast with a glob of butter, and a cup of coffee. A great way to combine healthy oats, with a healthy bread, here’s how to make this oatmeal sourdough bread recipe.

Table of Contents

• What is Sourdough Oatmeal Bread?
• How to Make Sourdough Oatmeal Bread
  • Ingredients
  • Instructions
  • Tips for Making Oatmeal Sourdough Bread
  • Variations for Oatmeal Sourdough Bread
• What to Serve with Sourdough Oatmeal Bread?
• Sourdough Oatmeal Bread – More Delicious than Expected!
• Sourdough Oatmeal Bread FAQs

Print

What is Sourdough Oatmeal Bread?

Sourdough oatmeal bread, sometimes referred to as sourdough porridge bread is made using cooked porridge or oatmeal, which is basically rolled oats cooked or soaked in milk or water.

If you want a recipe that ensures less stress then use uncooked oats, as the results are equally as delicious.

This recipe requires 400g of water to 500g of flour, which may seem like a higher hydration level, but the additional 100g of oats will balance the levels of hydration making the dough easier to handle.

How to Make Sourdough Oatmeal Bread

If you’re confident in making sourdough loaves, then this oatmeal bread recipe should be a piece of cake.

Let’s take a look at the ingredients required for this recipe:

Ingredients

• 50g sourdough starter – fed and bubbly
• 400g water
• 50g rolled oats (chopped and whole)
• 500g bread flour
• 10g salt

Instructions

1. Mix the starter and water in a glass bowl, so that the starter dissolves. Then add flour, salt and chopped rolled oats and mix. You should have a shaggy dough by the end of this. Cover the dough with a cling film or tea towel and let it sit for an hour.
2. Next, work your way around the bowl, grab the dough from the outside then stretch it up and over itself until you’re left with a smooth ball. You should require 20 to 25 folds till you’re left with a dough ball. Once the dough has formed into a ball, place the cling film back over the bowl and let the dough rest for 30 minutes.
3. Now you’ll need to add whole rolled oats to your dough during the stretch and fold phase.
4. Once you’ve completed your stretches and folds, place the cling film or damp tea towel over your dough once again and let the dough ferment.
5. Once your dough has completed its first ferment, you’ll need to shape your dough. Add a sprinkling of thick rolled oats, then place the shaped dough atop the oats seam side up. The oats will cling to the top of your dough while it cold ferments.
6. Place your dough into a large bowl, cover it loosely with a damp tea towel, and place it in the fridge. Try to leave it in the fridge for at least 5 hours, and up to 36 hours. A long cold ferment will create beautiful crevices on your sourdough oat bread, providing a deep distinct flavour.
7. Once your dough is ready to bake, preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Place a Dutch oven into the oven so it heats up with the oven. Aim to preheat for an hour so that your oven is very hot. Leave your dough in the fridge until the last minute, as placing the cold dough in a hot oven will provide a good oven spring.
8. Once your oven has reached the appropriate temperature, remove your dough from the fridge, and gently place it onto a piece of baking paper. Gently score your bread with a lame, razor blade, or knife. Since the dough will have oats, a single slash or cross will have to do. Carefully remove your hot Dutch oven from the oven, place the sourdough into the pot, using the baking paper to lift and place the dough into the oven. Place the lid on the Dutch oven, and push it into the hot oven. You can choose to spray your dough with more water before placing the lid on top.
9. Bake the oat sourdough bread for 30 minutes with the lid on at 450 degrees, then 10 to 15 minutes with the lid off at 410 degrees. If you’re worried that your oat loaf may burn, then place a baking sheet on the shelf beneath the Dutch oven.
10. Remove the dough from the oven, and place it on a wire rack to cool.

Tips for Making Oatmeal Sourdough Bread

Here are some tips to help you make the best sourdough oatmeal bread.

• Refrain from reducing the amount of water in this recipe, as the hydration level is necessary for the oats. If you’re not using enough water, the bread will emerge dry and you may find it hard to stretch and fold the dough when shaping.
• Spray some water on the oats as you add them to the dough
• Use good quality rolled oats, don’t use steel cut oats, extra thick or instant oats.
• This recipe uses bread flour, but you can substitute with whole wheat flour if you wish (I have a recipe for whole wheat sourdough!).

Variations for Oatmeal Sourdough Bread

While sourdough oatmeal bread is incredibly delicious as it is, there are a variety of ways to elevate its flavors. Through the inclusion of them, you can include additional ingredients to make it into something even more beautiful.

Here are some flavours you can enjoy:

• Add some chopped dried fruits like apricots and cranberries. These types of dried fruit can be added with whole rolled oats during the stretch and fold process. (I also incorporated dried fruit into my sourdough fruit loaf recipe.)
• Add shredded coconut to the dough, with the rolled oats during stretching and folding.
• Add 40g of maple syrup to the water, to achieve a scrumptious maple oatmeal loaf.

What to Serve with Sourdough Oatmeal Bread?

Sourdough oatmeal bread can be served at any time of day, but you can amplify its already incredible features, with some accompaniments:

• This oatmeal bread pairs well with savory sides, such as poached eggs and bacon.
• Serve this oatmeal sourdough bread with cream cheese and avocado slices
• Sourdough breads are particularly delicious when served with a glob of butter. So try serving this oatmeal bread with melted butter instead, along with a plate of fresh fruit, for a delightful breakfast meal.
• Yogurt! I have a homemade yogurt recipe on my blog.

Sourdough Oatmeal Bread – More Delicious than Expected!

Making sourdough bread is great, but adding cooked oats to the mix is when it becomes really interesting. There’s so much to do with your sourdough, with promises of delicious results for everyone to enjoy!

Sourdough Oatmeal Bread FAQs