Fresh-Milled Honey-Oat Bread

Rolled oats can steal water from bread after it is baked. A hot soaker fixes that problem before mixing, giving this loaf a moist crumb, gentle oat flavor, and enough honey to round the edges without turning breakfast bread into cake.

Ingredients

• 400 g fresh-milled hard white wheat flour
• 100 g old-fashioned rolled oats, plus a spoonful for the top
• 150 g boiling water for the oat soaker
• 225 g lukewarm whole milk or water, divided
• 45 g honey
• 35 g unsalted butter, very soft
• 10 g fine salt
• 7 g instant yeast

Baker’s percentages

Method

1. Pour 150 g boiling water over the oats. Stir, cover, and cool 20–30 minutes until barely warm.
2. Combine the flour, cooled oat soaker, and 205 g milk or water. Rest 20 minutes.
3. Add honey, butter, salt, and yeast. Mix 7–9 minutes, adding the final 20 g liquid only if needed. The oats make the dough soft but it should still gather around the hook.
4. Bulk ferment until 60–75% larger, 60–90 minutes.
5. Shape into a firm log and place in a greased 9×5-inch pan. Brush with water and add a restrained oat topping if desired.
6. Proof until the crown stands about 1 inch above the pan and feels airy, 45–70 minutes.
7. Bake at 375°F for 38–43 minutes, tenting after 25 minutes if needed. Cool completely before slicing.

Make it well

Cool the soaker: Hot oats can weaken or kill yeast. The mixture should be below 100°F before mixing.

Judge hydration after the rest. Oats and bran absorb slowly, so an initially soft mixture often tightens.

Store tightly wrapped for up to 3 days or slice and freeze.

Guides for better bread

Start with the Fresh-Milled Flour Guide, use the Fresh-Milled Flour Hydration Chart, and troubleshoot with Why Is My Fresh-Milled Bread Dense? and Why Is My Fresh-Milled Dough So Sticky?.