Sourdough Oatmeal Bread: No Fuss Sourdough Porridge Bread

Sourdough oatmeal bread is not only super easy to make - it's super tasty too!

Perfect as a breakfast loaf, this hearty sourdough bread will have everyone asking for more.

If you have fussy kids, but want to add a little extra goodness to their daily bread, sourdough oatmeal bread is like a "white multigrain" or invisible loaf. The oatmeal is camouflaged with the "plain" white bread.

It's honestly such a delicious bread - and it really is simple to make.

What Is Sourdough Oatmeal Bread?

Sourdough oatmeal bread is sometimes referred to as sourdough porridge bread. This loaf is normally made with cooked porridge or oatmeal (rolled oats cooked or soaked in milk or water).

Due to time constraints and wanting less fuss, I have made this recipe with uncooked oats. The result is the same - a delicious, hearty loaf packed with the goodness of oats.

This recipe uses 400g of water to 500g of flour, which would seem quite high hydration (81% if using 50g of starter). However due to the addition of 100g of oats, the hydration is reduced, making the dough easier to handle.

Making sourdough porridge bread in this way saves time and still gives a delicious, soft and custardy crumb.

How To Make Sourdough Oatmeal Bread?

If you are well versed in making simple sourdough bread, you will easily be able to make this sourdough oatmeal bread.

It requires adding oats at different stages of the bake - including autolyse, stretch and fold and shaping.

While I'm a big advocate of stretch and fold, I believe that laminating the oats in this recipe make a difference and result in a better texture to the oatmeal sourdough. However, if you aren't comfortable with laminating, you can of course add them by stretching and folding.

The basic process for making sourdough oatmeal bread is:

1. Use a food processor to chop some rolled oats into a finer "oatmeal".
2. Autolyse the sourdough starter, water, oatmeal, flour and salt.
3. Add additional whole oats via stretches and folds or lamination.
4. Bulk ferment the dough.
5. Shape the dough, adding oats to the banneton before placing the dough inside.
6. Cold ferment the dough.
7. Score and bake!

What Is Lamination?

Lamination is a term you may have come across when reading about sourdough bread making.

It refers to stretching the dough out on a flat surface so that the dough is thin and elastic. When the dough is stretched out flat, you can add fillings and then roll the dough back up into a ball.

This method helps to strengthen the gluten network, resulting in a light, airy crumb for this oatmeal sourdough bread.

For more sourdough terms and their explanation, check out this extensive sourdough glossary.

When laminating the rolled oats, stretch out the dough and lightly spray the dough surface with water. An atomiser works best for this and creates a super fine mist.

Sprinkle the rolled oats over the water misted dough and then fold back up ready to complete bulk fermentation.

Tips for Making Sourdough Oatmeal Bread

Here are some tips for making the best sourdough oatmeal bread.

• Don't be tempted to reduce the amount of water. This hydration level is necessary for the oats. Without the extra water the bread will be dry and stodgy and you may have a hard time stretching and folding the dough.

• If you are going to stretch and fold the oats instead of laminate them, I recommend still spraying some water on the oats as you add them.

• Use the best quality rolled oats you can find. Do not use steel cut oats, extra thick oats or instant oats. These are the rolled oats I recommend.

• This recipe is made using bread flour - I do not recommend substituting all purpose flour.

• If you are mixing this sourdough in a Thermomix, you do not need to process the oats in a food processor first. Kneading the dough will chop the oats sufficiently.

Flavor Variations

While this sourdough oatmeal bread is just lovely as it is, there are a few ways you can mix it up to make something a little different.

Here are a few flavor variations you might enjoy:

• Try adding some chopped dried fruit like apricots or cranberries - around 75g is nice. This dried fruit can be added with the whole rolled oats during stretch and fold or lamination.

• Add some shredded coconut to the dough along with the rolled oats during stretch and fold and then add a little to the banneton before placing the dough inside.

• Add 30 to 40g of maple syrup to the water when you autolyse the dough - you'll get a delightful maple oatmeal loaf perfect for breakfast.

How To Serve Sourdough Oatmeal Bread

Sourdough oatmeal bread can be served any time - but you can take it to the next level with these accompaniments and toppings.

• Serve for breakfast with a dish of whipped honey cinnamon butter and a platter of fresh fruit.

• Try serving this sourdough bread with this delicious fig cream cheese spread - it's an absolute cinch to make!

• This oatmeal bread also lends itself to savory options and is perfectly at home with poached eggs and bacon. Why not spread it with jalapeño honey butter first?

Sourdough Breakfast Ideas

This sourdough oatmeal bread is just perfect for breakfast. With the added goodness of oats, it will give you a super start to the day! But if you're looking for other sourdough recipes that are great for breakfast, you might like these ideas:

• Whole Wheat Sourdough Pancakes and Banana and Oats
• Simple Sourdough Cinnamon Muffins
• Fluffy Sourdough Discard Pancakes
• Sourdough Fruit Loaf with Cinnamon

Further Reading:

If you love this recipe, you might be interested in these ideas:

• Love oats? This honey oat sourdough bread recipe is one of the most visited on the site! And these Sourdough Anzac Biscuits are equally as delicious!

• For something a little different, why not try this coffee sourdough with maple infused dates.

• This whipped honey cinnamon butter is perfect for serving alongside this easy oatmeal sourdough bread.

Share the sourdough love!