Oatmeal Bread

While waiting for the leek event to start (and I invite you to join!), I'll share a few more recipes with you. I've piled up quite a few lately…

oatmeal bread

I'm so proud of myself! And why? Because I finally managed to bake a loaf of bread. An edible loaf of bread. Granted, I started with a yeast bread, but my sourdough starter was still maturing in its jar. The sourdough breads are waiting in line to be published.

We all loved this little loaf. If it weren't for the fact that it's made with wheat, I would make it reeeally often. Still, I'm sure I'll make it again more than once. It has a perfectly hard, crunchy, nicely browned crust, and the flavor reminds me a bit of the Polish bread I know. Oh, I really miss a good baltonowski (a Polish wheat-rye bread) or a country loaf here. It's good that now I can bake one myself.

It's very easy to make. The only thing to remember is to prepare the preferment and the oat soaker the day before, but that only takes a moment. After that, all you need is a little time and patience, so you can enjoy the smell and taste in the end. Still, compared to many breads, you don't have to wait hours for the dough to rise. I prepare the preferment and the oat soaker in the evening and bake the bread the next morning. Once I forgot to make the oat soaker and mixed thin oats with instant oats instead, and it turned out fine too.

The recipe comes from Zorra, who shared a PDF summarizing her project. In 12 months she baked 12 breads and rolls based on a single preferment. Recommended for German speakers.

oatmeal bread

Ingredients: (makes 1 loaf)

Preferment:

• 150 g wheat flour
• 100 g water
• 2 g fresh yeast
• 2 g salt

Oat soaker:

• 50 g rolled oats
• 150 g boiling water

Final dough:

• 350 g wheat flour
• 110-120 g water
• 7 g fresh yeast
• all of the preferment
• all of the oat soaker

oatmeal bread

Preparing the preferment:

Mix all the ingredients and knead well. Set aside, covered, for an hour at room temperature. Then put it in the refrigerator or a cool place for 12 hours, 24 at most (overnight is best).

Oat soaker:

Toast the oats in a dry skillet until golden. Put them in a bowl and pour the boiling water over them. Cover and also set aside overnight, but at room temperature.

The next day – final dough:

It's best to knead everything with a stand mixer. Add the water to the preferment and wait until it dissolves a bit. Add all the ingredients except the salt to the bowl and knead on low speed (for me that's 1 out of 2 possible settings) for about 4 minutes. Add the salt and knead for another 6 minutes on speed 2 (Zorra gives 1.5 out of 4 possible settings first, and then 2). Set the dough aside, covered, for an hour, folding it once after 30 minutes. After that time, shape it into a round loaf and place it seam side down in a proofing basket dusted with flour and rolled oats. Cover and set aside for 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 230°C (445°F) together with a baking sheet (the sheet should be on the very bottom rack). Gently take the bread out of the basket and place it on the baking sheet (it's best to "tip the bread out of the basket onto the sheet"). Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 200°C (390°F), open the oven door for a moment to let out the steam, and bake for another 20-25 minutes. Take it out and let it cool on a wire rack.

Enjoy!