How To Make Honey Oat Wheat Bread – Fresh Milled Flour
Let’s make a Honey Oat Wheat Bread with fresh milled flour! This bread is so soft and delicious! I love the subtle hint of sweetness the honey gives, and the rolled oats just seem to become one with the bread loaf as it mixes. Also, what a beautiful finish those rolled oats add to the top of the loaf.
*Updated on 7/2/2024- I updated the baking time and temperature, the old baking temp was 400*F for 20-25 mins. But, I updated this to 350*F for 30-40 minutes.
What Size Loafs Do I Make?
I get this question a lot actually! My bread recipes are typically for the smaller 4×8 bread tins. (Many bread tins are 5×9 or 4.5×8.5 which actually hold a lot more dough than you would think.) If you have the bigger pans, you may prefer to take my recipe and times it by 1,5. Then, cut that dough in half to make 2 slightly larger loafs. As you know, I live and travel in an RV fulltime, so I don’t have a regular sized oven. Yes! I do all my baking in my AMAZING countertop toaster oven! And boy it gets a workout! LOL
Checkout my Oven review video if you would like to learn more about it HERE.
Will Adding Rolled Oats To My Bread Dough Make It More Difficult To Knead?
No, I find when I add the rolled oats directly to my bread dough in the beginning, they just absorb and soften just as the flour would. So, go ahead and add the rolled oats in the beginning, no need to wait!
How Do I Get The Oats To Stay On The Bread?
I find the best way to keep the rolled oats on the bread, and not fall off is to use a simple egg wash. So, by mixing an egg with a little water, this will make a quick and easy egg wash. Just gently brush it on the bread loaf just before baking. Then, add the rolled oats right on top. This will help the toppings to stay in place, also gives a nice brown & shiny finish on your bread loaf! Win-Win!
Ingredients To Make Honey Oat Bread
For The Bread Dough:
- 1&1/2 cup warm water 375g (may need slightly more or less water)
- 4 cups of Fresh Milled Hard Flour 480g (I milled half hard white & half hard red -2&2/3 cups of the wheat berries total)
- 1/4 cup honey 85g
- 2 TBSP melted butter 28g
- 1&1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp instant yeast
- 1 cup rolled oats 81g
For The Topping:
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp water
- 1/4 cup of rolled oats 20g
Instructions To Make Honey Oat Bread With Fresh Milled Flour
- Firstly, mill the flour.
- Then, to a microwave safe bowl add water and butter and microwave until the butter is melted.
- Add water/butter mixture to stand mixer bowl, then add honey, salt, and rolled oats. Mix to combine.
- Then, add flour to the stand mixer, and mix until there is no more dry flour.
- Cover and let it sit at room temperature for at least 15 minutes, up to 2 hours to allow the fresh milled flour to absorb the liquid.
- Then, add the instant yeast. Start to mix the yeast in until combined.
- Start the kneading process. This could take 25 minutes with fresh milled flour, or less. This varies greatly, so the best way to check if the dough is done being kneaded, is to check for a window pane test. Window Pane Test Video HERE
- Once a successful window pane test is done, then, cover the dough and let it rise until doubled. This will typically take 1 to 2 hours.
Shaping The Dough
- After the dough has doubled in size, then, divide the dough in half if you are making 2 one pound loaves. Press each piece flat, then roll up to shape. Make sure there is some surface tension, see my video for shaping if you are interested HERE
- Place each loaf in a parchment paper lined 4Ć8 bread pan, and cover for about 40 minutes until puffy looking.
- Preheat oven to 350*F towards the end of this second rise time.
- For the topping, mix egg with water in a small bowl and whisk to combine.
- Then, gently brush the egg wash onto the top of each unbaked loaf.
- Sprinkle rolled oats on the top of each loaf before baking. The egg wash should help them stick.
- Them, bake for 30 to 40 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 190*F.
- Take bread out of the oven, and out of the bread tins right away, and place them on a wire cooling rack.
- Let cool for at least one hour before slicing.
- Slice to desired thickness, and enjoy!
How To Store Honey Oat Wheat Bread Made With Fresh Milled Flour
So, to store this honey oat wheat bread for short term use, just wrap in cling film and leave on counter for 3-4 days. For longer storage, place in a freezer safe container or bag in the freezer for 4-6 months. Just let the bread thaw to room temperature before eating. Lastly, enjoy!
What Other Toppings Would Work?
Well, since this loaf recipe is specifically for a Honey & Oats Wheat Bread, I thought it was fitting to just top with some rolled oats. However, this recipe would be an amazing base for many other breads and fixins’. These would make amazing rolls, buns, or cinnamon rolls! They are perfectly sweet, but not too sweet which lends itself to sweet or savory recipes. But, other toppings to try would be these:
- Seeds: Seeds like sesame, poppy, sunflower, and flaxseeds can add a nice crunch and flavor to your bread. You can sprinkle them directly on top of the dough before baking.
- Herbs: Fresh or dried herbs like rosemary, thyme, oregano, or basil can provide a wonderful aroma and taste to your bread. Chop them finely and press them onto the dough’s surface.
- Cheese: Grated cheese, such as Parmesan, cheddar, or Gouda, can create a flavorful crust when sprinkled on top. Just be cautious not to add too much as it can melt and cause browning.
- Use Your Imagination: You could mix and match with any of these and add nuts, fruits, etc.
If you try a unique combination that you love, then let me know in the comments! I would love to hear from you.
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Honey Oat Wheat Bread Made With Fresh Milled Flour Printable Recipe
Honey Oat Wheat Bread made with Fresh Milled Flour
Equipment
- 2 4×8 bread loaf tins
Ingredients
- 1&1/2 cup warm water 375g (may need more or less)
- 4 cups Fresh Milled Hard Flour 480g I milled half hard white & half hard red -2&2/3 cups of the wheat berries total
- 1/4 cup honey 85g
- 2 TBSP melted butter 28g
- 1&1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp instant yeast
- 1 cup rolled oats 81g
For The Topping
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp water
- 1/4 cup rolled oats 20g
Instructions
- Firstly, mill the flour.
- Then, to a microwave safe bowl add water and butter and microwave until the butter is melted.
- Add water/butter mixture to stand mixer bowl, then add honey, salt, and rolled oats. Mix to combine.
- Then, add flour to the stand mixer, and mix until there is no more dry flour.
- Cover and let it sit at room temperature for at least 15 minutes, up to 2 hours to allow the fresh milled flour to absorb the liquid.
- Then, add the instant yeast. Start to mix the yeast in until combined.
- Start the kneading process. This could take 25 minutes with fresh milled flour, or less. This varies greatly, so the best way to check if the dough is done being kneaded, is to check for a window pane test.
- Once a successful window pane test is done, then, cover the dough and let it rise until doubled. This will typically take 1 to 2 hours.
- After the dough has doubled in size, then, divide the dough in half if you are making 2 one pound loaves. Press each piece flat, then roll up to shape. Make sure there is some surface tension, see my video for shaping if you are interested.
- Place each loaf in a parchment paper lined 4Ć8 bread pan, and cover for about 40 minutes until puffy looking.
- Preheat oven to 350*F towards the end of this second rise time.
- For the topping, mix egg with water in a small bowl and whisk to combine.
- Then, gently brush the egg wash onto the top of each unbaked loaf.
- Sprinkle rolled oats on the top of each loaf before baking. The egg wash should help them stick.
- Them, bake for 30 to 40 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 190*F.
- Take bread out of the oven, and out of the bread tins right away, and place them on a wire cooling rack.
- Let cool for at least one hour before slicing.
- Slice to desired thickness, and enjoy!
Video
Notes
*This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you! As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. But, I will only suggest items I actually Love and Have Used!
Hands down the BEST 100% whole wheat bread I’ve ever made! It’s soft and you don’t need any special ‘pricey’ ingredients which is exactly what I was looking for. It reminds me of the bread from Longhorn Steak House. Thank you for sharing and I look forward to trying your other recipes.
Thanks so much! This has become a very popular bread choice in out house!
This bread is very tasty but my rise was pretty poor. Hardly to the top of the bread loaf pan. Any suggestions?
There are a couple things that can affect the rise, the most common is too much flour added in. Secondly, it could be the yeast. To check your yeast, you can add some to a small bowl of water and a pinch of sugar, it should start to get nice and foamy in about 10-15 mins. If it doesn’t there could be a problem with the yeast.
Also it is important to note that this recipe call for the smaller 4×8 bread loaf pans, because I have a tiny oven! lol. Even the 4.5×8.5 pans are a bit larger, crazy how just that half inch each way can make such a difference! So, if you only have the larger pans, I recommend to x1.5 my recipes if you are looking for a large high rise loaf of bread. The large pans will definitely still work, the loafs will just be a bit smaller. For the 5×9 pans, you can even double the recipe. I hope that helps! Happy Baking
I am brand new to milling my own wheat berries.My favorite bread to make is the King Arthur Vermont honey whole wheat oat bread with regular flour not milled, ( I do add a tablespoon of maple extract & use the maple sugar instead of the brown sugar. I was wondering if you could help me modify your recipe to make it more like the Vermont honey oat. Btw watching all your videos pushed me to buy me mill and start my milling journey. I just got my Mockmill today and waiting for my Ank to come in any day now. Thank you for all your expertise, itās really informative and so helpful.
It looks like that recipe calls for maple sugar/syrup and some cinnamon. I would use my honey oat recipe, and exchange the honey for the maple sugar/syrup 1:1. Then add 1 tsp of cinnamon. Let me know how it goes! Thanks so much!
Not sure if it’s a typo but 1 1/2 cups of water is closer to 350 grams, no? 375 grams was definitely too wet. Great recipe!
I just made this again today and did it all by the weights, and ended up with another beautiful loaf. There are many factors that go into recipes, and it may vary for each person. The amount of humidity in the air, the moisture content in the wheat berries, etc. I do like to work with a wet dough, however. If you watch the video it shows the texture of the dough I am working with, and you can base it off that too! Hope that helps!
Iāve just begun to exclusively use freshly milled grains for baking, and your recipes and techniques are easy to follow and make a lot of sense. I just wanted to say thanks for taking the time to share your experience!
Yay! Thank you so much! I am so happy to hear that! Happy Baking!
How many calories or nutritional information is in this loaf? Just curious?
I don’t have that info off hand, but there are some apps that are great for getting you this info.
Hello, is it possible to use Maple Syrup in place of Honey?
Yes! you can use maple syrup in place of honey! Let me know how it turns out! Happy Baking!
This bread is delicious! I donāt like honey and used maple syrup and it turned out beautifully!! Great recipe, Kara, thanks for sharing.
I am so happy to hear that! Maple syrup does sound like a delicious alternative! Thank you so much! Happy Baking!
Hi! I wanted to try this recipe, however, is it possible to use fresh active yeast instead of instant? How would I use active dry yeast into the bread recipe?
Thank you
Yes, you can use active dry yeast in place of instant. During the first rest period after all ingredients are mixed together is when you activate the active dry yeast. So, take a little of the warm water from the recipe, and a pinch of sugar in a small bowl. Add the yeast, and let it sit for the 15 minutes. It should get foamy and active. (If it doesn’t then there is an issue with the yeast, or your water was too hot, and it killed the yeast.) After that rest period, pour in the foamy yeast mixture, and start the kneading process. I hope this helps! Happy Baking!
Hello Kara,
I was wondering if it would work to mix all the dough together tonight still, and
mix the yeast in tomorrow morning for a softer bread?
Would I have any unforeseen problems if I do that?
Thank you,
Selma
That would be like the soaking method. I think it would make a nice soft dough. But since the mix won’t be warm from overnight, once you add in the yeast, it may be a little longer on the rise time. Other than that sounds like a plan! Let me know how it turns out! Happy Baking!
Can I ask, is there a reason for two rises? Usually instant yeast is only one rise (sometimes Iām on a time crunch), lol. And thanks for your recipes! Always yummy
Thank you so much! Yes, I find the quality of the bakes is so much better with 2 rises. It is lighter, fluffier, and beautiful! With one rise, I find it to be denser and more hearty. Which isn’t always a bad thing. There are times I might want a more dense loaf. So, give it a try and see what you think! Let me know!
Would I need to half it to put in my 2lb loaf bread machine? Or the whole thing? I prefer to use regular loaf pans but wanting a good recipe to use my bread machine in a pinch.
This is a 2 pound recipe, so it should go in the bread machine as a 2 pound loaf. After the kneading cycle, I would recommend you check the dough for stretchiness. You may need a double kneading cycle if it’s not stretchy yet. Let me know how it turns out!
My bread isnāt getting tall with this recipe? Is there something I can do to get it taller?
This recipe is written for my small 4×8 bread pans. It may help to x1.5 this recipe if you have the 4.5×8.5 pans. OR double the recipe for Two 5×9 bread pans. I hope that helps!
I love this recipe and make 8 loaves almost every week. I usually Yudane 15% of the flour, which has made an even softer final product. But today I’m going to try Tangzhong method (5%) to see what difference that makes. Even without those, this has been my “never fail” recipe for months, now.
Yay! I am so happy to hear that! I would love to hear your results with the Tangzhong method. Thank you so much! Happy Baking!
Just made this and loaves are cooling now, but they’re small. I used quick rise yeast and 2 4.5×8.5 pans. Should it have been just one loaf? And should I have done anything different using quick rise yeast? I’d love to try recipe again!
If using the 4.5×8.5 pans, and you want a larger loaf, you can 1.5 the recipe. That seems to be the perfect amount of dough for Two 4.5×8.5 pans. I hope that helps! Let me know how it goes! Happy Baking!
Awesome! Thank you! I’ll give that a shot!
Welcome! Let me know how it goes!
I only have hard white wheat. Do you think that will work, or do I need to get the hard red?
You can use all hard white wheat in place! Let me know how it turns out! Happy Baking!
Absolutely delicious! Your detailed instructions and video make this a full proof recipe for newbies like me! Thanks so much for sharing this great recipe!
Yay! I am so happy to hear it was a success! Thank you so much!
I have a 13″ Pullman – could I just use one recipe for one large (long) loaf?
Yes! I would just put all of one batch in the longer Pullman pan! Let me know how it turns out! Happy Baking!
Started this recipe measured wheat berries hard red and white 480 came out with 3 cup milled flour is that enough
If you are weighing the wheat berries (make sure to zero out your scale) Then always go with the weight, because each person scoops flour differently, the weight is always more accurate! I hope that helps! Happy Baking!
Can you use olive oil instead of butter?
Yes! Olive oil makes a wonderful butter substitution in this recipe, I just use the same amount in place of it. Happy Baking!
Loaves came out perfect and MIL said,āDo not lose that recipe!ā High praise indeed! Wish I could leave you a photo of them.
Awww that is awesome! I am so happy to hear that! Thank you! If you have Facebook, I do have a free group you can join and share pictures of your bakes. https://www.facebook.com/groups/freshmilledflour/
I usually have great results with your recipes. I make your āno milk, egg, butterā sandwich bread twice a week with such a great rise and texture. But in trying both this and the Everyday Sandwich Bread, I have ended up with much denser dough and less rise. I follow the amounts by weight, so not quite sure what goes wrong. Could salted butter be an issue? I know too much salt can inhibit yeast, but my dough seems too dense before even adding the yeast. I ended up adding more water during the kneading process on this one and eventually got to a semi decent window panes, but the dough was definitely still dense when it finished the first rise. Any thoughts?
If they are dense, it sounds like too much flour was added, or you need a bit more moisture. OR it could be the yeast. I would say to check the viability of your yeast. So, to do that take a small bowl of water, and a pinch of sugar with some yeast. Let it sit for about 10-15 mins and it should get nice and foamy. If it doesn’t then there is a problem with the yeast. The dough for both of those breads should be nice and wet and sticky. What wheat are you using?
Iāll try upping the hydration. I know my yeast was fine b/c I successfully used it both the date before and after in different recipes (tried your focaccia which came out great!). I used equal parts hard white and hard red. Like I said, I make your basic no egg/milk/butter sandwich bread weekly (thereās actually a batch kneading in my mixer right now!), so I was definitely expecting the dough to be more wet like that one. The taste of the honey oat bread was great! It just didnāt have the structure I wanted. Iāll try again for sure.
Let me know how it goes!
So delicious! I was disappointed with Sue Beckerās loaf. Yourās is very flavorful! Any advice on how to keep the dough from climbing the dough hook during kneading? Mine kept climbing up and had to be scraped down every 5 mins or less.
Thank you so much! If it is climbing up the dough hook, that could mean a couple things, first, could mean it needs just a bit more liquid (or less flour) Or it could mean that your gluten is developed and is ready to go.
Thank you for the great recipe. I followed the recipe as written and it came out wonderfully. I did use 4.5 X 8.5 pans as they’re the smallest I have, baked for 30 mins at 350, and they came out perfect. (Your video says to bake at 400, and the written instructions say 350). I have to say this dough was the nicest to work with of all the recipes I’ve tried. Great instructions and explanations, very helpful for me. Very nice recipe. It’s a keeper!
I am so happy to hear that! The old recipe when I made the video I used to bake at 400*F, but many people were having issues with them baking too dark on the outside to get them to fully bake in the center in a regular oven. (My oven is a countertop oven, so sometimes it varies from a regular oven.) Thanks so much! Happy Baking!
This bread looks wonderful! Can you suggest how I could covert it to sourdough? Thanks!
Thank you! Yes, you can omit the yeast, and use about 1/2 cup sourdough starter (113g). Watch the rise times, they will be much longer. Let me know how it turns out! Happy Baking! (I would not recommend an overnight ferment with this recipe.)
This bread turned out delicious! Iām new to milling my own flour and followed the recipe to a T. It all went perfect until the bread collapsed a bit in the oven and looked deformed š I must have overproofed the dough but definitely still usable and yummy! I sliced up the loaves, individually bagged them for easy access, and froze them for breakfast egg sandwiches š
Yay! I am so happy to hear that! Yes, you are correct, if it deflated it probably slightly over proofed. Just do a shorter second rise next time and you are good to go! š That sounds like a great idea!
I have been baking a loaf of freshly milled flour in my Zojirushi bread maker for about 10 years. Every time I would try to omit the cup of all purpose flour to make it light and fluffy it would be a smaller dense loaf. I have tinkered with things for years and years. The closest thing I got was sifting the milled flower three or four times after milling to get it to be light and fluffy. That was too much of a time suck and not worth it to me so I would just throw in a cup of all purpose flour. I also add a half a cup of oats. Other than that the recipe is so similar. I use 2 cups of kamut berries . I’m going to try to cut your recipe in half and put it in my machine and see what happens. I would love to get away from having to put in an entire cup of all purpose flour to make a pretty tall soft loaf. Wish me luck!
You can do it! For light and fluffy bread, typically you need less flour and more kneading. I have a video talking about this. https://youtu.be/VYOZsbspepE
I would recommend using my everyday sandwich bread, going by weight if you can, and running it through a double kneading cycle. You are looking for nice stretchy dough before moving on. Here is my everyday sandwich bread (the small size will do a 2 pound loaf in a bread maker.) https://grainsinsmallplaces.net/everyday-sandwich-bread-made-with-fresh-milled-flour-easy-recipe/
I don’t have a bread maker currently, but others report this method working great!