This simple honey oat bread is baked in a loaf pan so it's the perfect size & shape for slicing into sandwiches. Topped with an extra drizzle of honey and rolled oats, it's the perfect balance of soft, sweet, hearty, and cozy.
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This Old-Fashioned Loaf Reminds me of Childhood School Lunches
When I moved from Germany in middle school, I walked into my first day at school in Oregon and the aroma of honey oat bread from the cafeteria hit me like a ton of bricks. Since then, that subtly sweet smell instantly transports me back to childhood. However, I crave a more grown-up version now with whole wheat flour mixed in, like my honey wheat bread, since I love the flavor and chewier texture it adds.
In testing this honey oatmeal bread recipe, I first tried grinding oats into homemade oat flour, but that caused the loaf to be gummy and fall apart. So to keep this loaf as simple as possible (so you don't have to break out your food processor), I tested it with whole oats instead, which created the ideal chewy, hearty texture.
Let's Bake Delicious Bread Together!
For the full step-by-step directions and ingredient quantities, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
1. Gather all the ingredients.
2. Whisk the dry ingredients.
3. Mix in the water and honey.
5. Let it rise & double in size.
7. Brush with honey and sprinkle with rolled oats.
4. Knead the bread dough.
6. Shape and proof the loaf.
8. Bake until golden then cool before slicing.
Baking Tips for this Easy Sandwich Loaf
- Kneading Dough: If the dough keeps sticking to your fingers as you knead it, I find that washing off the excess dough from my hands in the sink, drying them, then coating them in a little flour makes the dough wayyy easier to handle.
- Types of Oats: I prefer rolled oats in this loaf, since quick-cooking oats didn't give my bread enough structure. And I have used steel cut oats in other loaves like my German brown bread, but they need to be soaked first.
Soft Honey Oat Bread Sandwich Loaf
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup rolled oats (also called old fashioned oats)
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
- 1 teaspoon salt (use table salt or fine sea salt)
- 1½ cups warm water
- ¼ cup honey
Topping (Optional)
- honey
- rolled oats
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the rolled oats, all purpose flour, whole wheat flour, active dry yeast, and salt.
- Add the warm water and honey, and mix with a large spoon until it forms a sticky dough.
- On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough by hand for 5 minutes, until it's smooth and elastic. Shape the dough into a ball and place it back in the same mixing bowl.
- Cover the mixing bowl with a clean kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place until it about doubles in size, after about 1.5 to 2 hours.
- Grease or line a 9x5 loaf pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
- On a clean work surface, shape the dough into an oval. Gently spread the top edges of the dough down the sides and underneath, to create tension on the top. All the seams or edges of the dough should be tucked underneath.
- Place the dough seam-side-down in the prepared loaf pan. Cover the dough again with a towel and allow it to proof for about 30 minutes. The dough is done proofing once an indent made by your finger into the dough springs back after 2-3 seconds.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Drizzle a little honey on the top of the loaf and use your fingers or a pastry brush to spread it out. Sprinkle a small handful of rolled oats on top.
- Bake the loaf for 30 to 40 minutes, until it's golden on top and sounds hollow when tapped. Allow the loaf to cool for 10 minutes, then remove it from the loaf pan. Allow it to finish cooling on a cooling rack for at least 1 hour before slicing. Enjoy!!
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