This honey oat bread recipe is moist, simple with only 7 ingredients, keeps for days and perfect for sandwiches.

Bread baking wasn’t always on my radar. Before we adopted a more simple way of life, I definitely thought bread from a bag was meant to be.

Then, I became a label reader and realized how much junk is in a loaf of bread that I couldn’t pronounce and was sure my body couldn’t readily recognize and digest properly.

So, I got my first jar of yeast and started experimenting. Now, I can’t say that first loaf was an absolute win, but it wasn’t bad.

Over the years, I developed this delicious, simple honey oat bread. It’s light and fluffy enough to use as a daily sandwich bread. My kids will actually eat it, unlike those expensive bags of whole wheat bread from the store.

Sometimes I use whole red wheat, sometimes white wheat, and I’ve been known to use unbleached all purpose flour in a pinch, but my kids will typically pick up a slice of any of the above and eat it without question.

To me, it’s far better than a store bought loaf and by far less expensive.

Ingredients for Honey Oat Bread

Here’s what you’ll need to make a single loaf:

• Melted Butter – this enhances flavor as well as lubricating the dough which helps retain gases during baking resulting in a well-risen loaf of bread that stays fresh longer.
• Warm Water (between 90°F and 110°F)- to activate the yeast and, of course, add moisture content.
• Honey – enhances flavor and gives the yeast “food”.
• Rolled Oats- gives the bread texture, old fashioned oats are best here, not the quick oats (but quick oats will work).
• Flour- I use whole white wheat most of the time, whole wheat will work as well as all purpose or a mixture of all. When using whole wheat, you’ll want to make sure you don’t add too much, or the loaf will be dense. When using all purpose, make sure you add enough.
• Dry Active Yeast- To create the rise and make a nice, light, fluffy loaf as well as that delicious flavor we’re all accustomed to.
• Sea Salt- to enhance the flavor of the bread.

How to Make Honey Oat Bread

Step One: Proofing Yeast

The first step in this bread is to reactivate the dehydrated yeast and give it some food. You’ll add 2 1/4 teaspoons of yeast, 1 1/2 cups of the flour of your choice, 1 1/4 cups of warm water (90°F- 110°F), your melted butter (cooled), and honey to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment. Mix it well with the hook. Now, cover the bowl, put it in a warm place and let the yeast do its thing for about 30 minutes.

Step Two: Combine Remaining Ingredients

Once you’ve allowed your yeast to proof, it should be tall, light and bubbly. Now, you’re going to add your oats, salt, and flour (1/2 cup at a time) slowly in the stand mixer until you have a well-combined dough that is only slightly sticky. You should be able to handle the dough without it sticking to your hands like glue, just a bit of flour should pull the dough back together.

Step Three: Knead the Dough

I prefer to pull the dough out of the mixing bowl and knead by hand. Just lightly flour a surface and turn the dough into itself for about five minutes until it forms a nice, tight ball.

Alternatively, you can just knead on low speed with the dough hook for 5 minutes.

First Rise

Once kneaded, you’ll put the dough back into the bowl, cover and place in a warm area, and allow it to rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.

Step Four: Form a Loaf

Once your dough has doubled in size, you’ll punch it down, put it on a counter, stretch it to the size of your loaf pan and fold it over itself a couple of times to form a loose, loaf. Slip the loaf, seam side down, into a generously buttered loaf pan.

Second Rise

Now, you’ll allow the loaf to go through its second rise, doubling in size again in the loaf pan. Cover the loaf with a tea towel, place it in a warm area and allow it to double in size (it will come over the edges of your pan). This will take about 45 minutes to an hour.

Step Five: Bake the Bread

Once your dough is almost doubled in size, go ahead and preheat your oven to 350°F. Carefully spread a bit of warmed honey on the top of the loaf and sprinkle a few oats on top if you wish.

Place the loaf pan on a cookie sheet (so the honey doesn’t drip into the bottom of the oven), bake it at 350°F for 20-25 minutes until the top is a golden brown. The internal temperature should be about 190°F.

Step Six: Cool the Bread and Slice

Place the pan on a cooling rack and allow the bread to completely cool before removing and slicing.

If you get too anxious and try to slice while it’s still warm, it will smash the bread, it’s pretty soft.

Tips for Making Honey Oat Bread

• Make sure you let this rise completely both times. The times posted are only a guide. It needs to double in size during both rises, this will make a much better loaf of bread. Bread baking cannot be rushed. 
• To easily shape bread into a loaf, simply get the dough the length you need it and turn it into itself a couple times, creating a seam. Place this seam on the bottom of the bread pan and spread out any areas on the top that aren’t quite filling in.
• If your bread isn’t rising, it’s the yeast. If the yeast isn’t fresh, it will likely not work. If it winds up flat, it is almost 100% guaranteed the yeast. If you had it in the refrigerator, allow what you need to get up to room temperature before you begin baking. If yeast isn’t something you frequently use, I recommend you buy packets. 
• Another issue with yeast breads and activating the yeast is the temperature. If the room is cold, it will take a lot longer for it to rise. If your water is too hot (more than 110F) it will kill the yeast. 
• Rolled oats do not soak up as much moisture as quick oats. If you only have quick oats, use less so the loaf doesn’t dry out. 

Other Bread Recipes You’ll Love:

• Foolproof Buttermilk Biscuits
• Southern Style Skillet Cornbread
• No Knead Dutch Oven Bread