It’s a shame bread has taken a beating over the last decade or so, because there’s little on this earth — I mean, save the obvious stuff, babies in hippo onesies, world peace — that makes me happier than the aroma rolling off a slice from a freshly baked loaf. So when I went on my bender of frenetic-nesting-by-way-of-freezer meals this summer, I also made a couple loaves of sandwich bread to stash away.
I cannot recommend this enough. Even if you don’t have a kid that needed to have a sandwich packed for camp every day this summer, even if you think you’re too old for peanut butter and jelly yourself, even if you’re really trying hard not to eat too much gluten/flour/bread/carbs/or other villian-du-jour, I resolutely believe that if/when you’re going to, you might as well make it excellent.
And here’s the other thing with homemade bread; I think we’re all making it too complicated, all of these very specific amounts of yeast, water, precise rising times, vessels and right-wrong ways to knead. Although we’ve talked about this before, the bread recipes on this site are indeed guilty as charged, and while these very detailed recipes provide a blueprint for bread that works as directed just about every time (I mean, sometimes yeast is just going to be a jerk), they also make it seem harder than it is. Bread is surprisingly forgiving. So long as you don’t overheat and kill the yeast while proofing, so long as you roughly follow rising times (quite often, an extra hour on the counter or several days in the fridge won’t harm a thing), you’re going to make something excellent, something you’re going to be really proud of.
Trust me on this. Because I was a gazillion months pregnant when I made this and had all of the forgetfulness and low energy that came with it, I made the dough for these loaves and ended up leaving it in the fridge for five days before finally baking it off. It ended up being the best sandwich bread I’d ever made, deeply tender and fermented, soft with an excellent chew and a scent that you need to fill your home with ASAP. Do you need five days to make this? No, not at all. But if you only have a few minutes to put the dough together on a Monday night, you can still pop it in the oven at the end of this week and regret nothing. And then oh, the sandwiches you will have.
One year ago: Cauliflower Slaw and Cucumber Lemonade
Two years ago: Fudgy Chocolate Sheet Cake
Three years ago: Roasted Apple Spice Sheet Cake
Four years ago: Roasted Tomato Soup with Broiled Cheddar
Five years ago: Skirt Steak Salad with Blue Cheese
Six years ago: Chocolate Pudding Pie, Roasted Tomatoes and Cipollini and Cheesecake-Marbled Brownies
Seven years ago: Sour Cherry Compote, Cold-Brewed Iced Coffee, Bourbon Peach Hand Pies and Raspberry Breakfast Bars
Eight years ago: Lemon Layer Cake and Tortilla de Patatas
Nine years ago: Summer Squash Soup and Giardiniera
And for the other side of the world:
Six Months Ago: Potatoes with Soft Eggs and Bacon Vinaigrette and The Consolation Prize (A Mocktail)
1.5 Years Ago: Double Chocolate Banana Bread and Sizzling Chicken Fajitas
2.5 Years Ago: Chocolate Hazelnut Macaroon Torte
3.5 Years Ago: Carrot Cake Pancakes and Soft Eggs with Buttery Herb-Gruyere Soldiers
4.5 Years Ago: The Best Baked Spinach and Sally Lunn Bread + Honeyed Brown Butter Spread
Oat and Wheat Sandwich Bread
Adapted from Peter Reinhart’s Artisan Breads Every Day
This is my go-to sandwich bread and I find that a stash of it in the freezer makes even the most sad desk sandwich something to look forward to. The dough is quite forgiving; use more water if you want to skip the milk, or use a soy milk. Use more sugar or salt, use less. Forget what you’re doing and it will forgive you if it rises a little too long. Accidentally leave it in the fridge for the better part of a week and it will taste even better than if you’d baked it on the first day, growing more flavorful with age.
Yield: 2 standard sandwich bread loaves
5 cups (635 grams) whole-wheat flour
2 cups (160 grams) rolled oats (I used quick-cooking for the least noticable texture)
1 tablespoon kosher or coarse salt
3 tablespoons raw or brown sugar, honey or agave nectar
1 large egg
1/4 cup (55 grams grams) vegetable or olive oil, plus a little more to coat bowl
1 1/4 cups lukewarm water
1 1/4 cups lukewarm milk, any kind
1 1/2 tablespoons (about 14 grams) instant yeast
Make bread dough: In the bottom of large mixing bowl, combine water, milk and sugar or honey, then stir in yeast. Add egg and oil and whisk until combined. Add flour, oats and salt and if mixing with a machine, combine with paddle attachment at the lowest speed for 1 minute. If mixing by hand, use a large spoon and stir for 1 minute. The dough will be wet and coarse; do not fret. Let it rest for 5 minutes.
If using a mixer, switch to the dough hook and mix the dough on medium-low for 2 more minutes. By hand, do the same with your spoon. The dough will seem firm and more smooth, ideally supple and sticky, but if it’s still very wet, add a bit more flour, a spoonful at a time. If it seems excessively stiff, add a little more water, a spoonful at a time. Continue to mix with dough hook or by hand for 4 minutes.
Scrape dough out onto lightly floured counter. Knead a few times, then form the dough into a ball. Oil your empty mixing bowl and return dough to it. Cover with plastic wrap and let proof at room temperature for 60 to 70 minutes, or until doubled in buik or transfer to the fridge and let it ferment overnight or up to 5 days. If proofing in the fridge, remove the dough before the fridge about 3 hours before you plan to bake it.
Form loaves: [Edited to add:] Lightly coat two standard loaf pans with oil, butter or a nonstick spray. Turn dough onto a floured counter and divide it into two equal pieces. Press each gently into a rough rectangle-ish shape. Fold in sides so that the first dough is roughly the width of your prepared bread loaf pan (about 9 inches). Roll from bottom to top and then put this log into your bread loaf pan, seam side down. Repeat with remaining dough. Let proof at room temperature for about an hour, or until the dough has crowned 1 inch above the rim of the baking pan. Halfway through, heat oven to 350 degrees F.
Bake bread: For 35 to 40 minutes, rotating pans once for even color. A cooked loaf of bread will sound a bit hollow when tapped and the internal temperature should read 190 degrees F. Remove loaves from tins and let cool on a rack. If you’re planning to freeze bread, I like to let it cool completely before slicing it, then sliding the sliced loaf into freezer bags. You can mark them with a date, but they rarely last long enough to be forgotten.
Wow, looks super good, Deb. Just the thing I knead to do this weekend. If I start tomorrow, I’ll give the extended proofing time a go, should do real miracles on the taste, I agree. Love this.
Nicole xx
Could you use the dough setting on a bread maker to mix and rise this dough?
Would this work as a bread loaf cooked without being in a loaf pan? :)
I haven’t tested it as a freeform loaf. Usually it’s a bit on the wet side and might flatten out too much, but I can’t remember for sure.
I made one in a loaf pan and one loaf on a cookie sheet (I only have one loaf pan) and it worked really well! Needed a slightly shorter cooking time than the thicker loaf pan one
So happy to see this…been hankering to bake bread all month and used up the last of the all purpose flour on soft pretzels last Saturday (actually had to use a little whole wheat white in the pretzels since I ran short on all purpose, they were still wonderful.) I think this is just the thing for the rest of the whole wheat white flour and my dismal college sandwiches!
I *will* be making this, this week. I have a whole wheat sandwich bread that has been my go-to for a while now; but I’m just tired of it. The process (oh, what a process!) and the taste. My mixer (KA Artisan) is being a bit of a jerk these days, so I’ll be trying it by hand (gasp!). Perfect timing!
Hooray! I always love seeing more whole grain bread recipes. So often, it seems, I look at a recipe for “whole wheat” bread or pizza dough or something, and find out that it’s maybe 1/4-1/3 whole wheat, and the rest is white flour. White flour is great for baking, true, but I love the taste and the fiber of whole grains, and prefer to eat them most of the time. I just whipped up a batch of 70% whole wheat bread, but I will pin this recipe for future use!
Looks great!
Do you use a tool to get such even slices or just a steady hand? I love homemade bread but can’t get such beautiful slices, so would love any tips either way!
when you cut, keep your eyes on the loaf, NOT on the slice.
Same question as Diane – just want to make sure I see the response: Can I use a bread machine for this recipe?
If you put the bread in the fridge to proof, how long do you let it sit prior to putting it in the bread pans? Then how long do you proof the bread in the pans?
Thanks!
I was wondering the same, so I looked at Peter Reinhart’s recipe and he calls for shaping it right away upon removing from the fridge, letting it then rise for 2-3 hours before baking.
Hi! This seems like an amazing recipe but would you have a vegan substitute suggestion for the egg? Maybe a flax egg as a neutral binder?
Can’t wait to make this — vegan!
-Allie
This sounds delicious and I can’t wait to try it. Could you freeze the dough of one loaf after it rises the first time? Then later thaw it, let it rise for the second time and bake it? I know I could freeze a loaf once it’s been baked but I find the freezer dries out my homemade bread.
While I am quite new to your site, I ha e made several of your recipes with this being the latest. As always your measurements are spot on and the instructions are clear and concise. The agreed is currently baking and the smell is incredible! Well done!
This loaf looks great! Really love the oat and wheat combo – reminds me of the bread my Gran made when I was little :)
Nothing like fresh bread wafting out of the house……..so delightful and happy!
I do have a 5-year-old whose lunch I pack and already, I am struggling. And I was with you on the bread…..why is bread the enemy? Honestly, I did 60 with my second child, but it wasn’t bread that caused the gain. It was chocolate. Everything is balance is my new motto and it’s working for me. Thanks!
Can this bread be made in a single round pan? I saw free form it is a little wet and soggy
Is the egg super necessary? (Asking for an allergic friend)
This bread looks amazing! I can never get my homemade bread to come out right!
Jeez… you’re reading my mind. Yesterday, I put off making my usual “Back of the Bag/KAF Oatmeal Bread” for sandwiches this week. Your recipe sounds better right now – on the docket for tonight! Thanks!
It’s like you read my mind! I’m moving to our new city a couple of weeks ahead of my husband and stepson, and I wanted to make sure they ate decently while I was away! This looks like it will be perfect with chili and for peanut butter sandwiches or toast. Thanks, Deb!
Kay
My mom baked every slice of bread that we ate while I was growing up. Monday was bread day. Four loaves. My father and I used to compete over the end cut. I didn’t learn how to bake bread. I didn’t appreciate it when I had it. Fall is a good time to take on this project, right?
I don’t bake bread. Should the pan be greased or not? If it should, what do you grease it with? Thank you! That bread looks amazing.
really wish I had a proper mixer to be able to try this recipe…
oh well haha
No mixer needed. Just use a bowl and spoon, and/or your hands.
What are your thought on replacing whole wheat pastry flour for the traditional whole wheat flour? Any additional adjustments to be made as a result?
Whole wheat pastry flour is not a good choice for bread.
What about whole wheat bread flour?
I am so pleased to hear you say that bread making is forgiving. Most baking is, but it’s something you learn from experience…and being a little short on an ingredient but pushing on anyway! When you look at all the different recipes for basically the same thing, you realize how flexible baking really is. Thanks for just coming out and saying it. BTW…this looks really good. Will make it soon.
Yum! Remind me, what should I do if I only have active dry yeast?
Oh this looks absolutely glorious–and love that it’s whole wheat to boot. Have you tried it with the mixed whole grains from the cinnamon swirl bread?
A bread-texture question for you–how does the center of a slice hold up? I can’t figure out what I’m doing wrong, but more often than not the center of my homemade bread is not as sturdy as the rest (and whole wheat and grain brads seem to be particularly prone to this), and there’s nothing worse than the middle crumbling out when I’m trying to butter a slice of toast.
Get an instant read thermometer- when you think it looks done, flip it over and stick the thermometer in- should read @210 degrees Fahrenheit.
I just spent my lunch hour at the grocery store, wrinkling my nose at the bread choices, trying to find one with the fewest ingredients. Less than a half hour ago I was wishing I had time to bake bread, the way I seemed to have time to bake lots and lots, and then freeze, when I was home with a newborn this summer. And Boom! I find this in my Facebook feed when I got back to my desk. (Not that I’m on Facebook at work or anything.) Rich gets the pb&j and Lilli gets the j as nuts and seeds (and eggs) are verboten at daycare. Will start this tonight but probably won’t get to baking it until the weekend. Any chance you have a version of Pirate’s Booty in your arsenal? I just bought some for lunches, and I hate that I did that, but fruit is just not cutting it at snack time.
Does anyone know if I this dough would work as large bread rolls rather than a sandwich loaf? I’m trying ween my kids off bagels for lunch, but they are complaining about sandwiches.
Peter Reinhart’s Artisan Breads Every Day is my bread bible. I live in Charlotte, and I’ve *almost* stalked Johnson and Wales’ campus to snag an autograph from the man himself. Everything he makes is perfection. Can’t wait for the fall weather to fully hit so I can go on a complete bread bender. Thanks for all of your hard work! You make my kitchen infinitely more delicious.
Today as I read your recipe of choice, my exact words to self were: “Oh my gosh. Who is this woman? I love her”. The zucchini last week. The bread today. The baby love. You and I have so very much in common. Thank you for so many years of virtual inspiration!
Same question as Amy. I so want to make this, but my son is allergic to eggs. Maybe I’ll give this a go later today with some sort of substitute and I’ll report back :)
One TBS of flax seed meal with 3 TBS of water and let sit 10 minutes. It is the vegan substitute for eggs in baking and works pretty well. I keep flax meal on my stove for healthy eating and having on hand :-)
It’s interesting how your thinking on bread-making for the home baker is that it’s all become too complicated. The complaint I have about bread recipes I find on the web is that the writer assumes that everyone who makes bread uses a mixer with a dough hook, and recipes are written for that assumption.
Whatever happened to people using a wooden spoon and their hands to mix/knead dough?
Actually she gave the instructions for both machine and hand. In this technological age, most people who actually make home made bread, DO have a stand mixer of some kind. So having instructions that work either way, is great. Beats having to try to figure out how to adjust for one or the other or having to find a different recipe.
Any thoughts on how this would be if you substituted rolled oats, that are quick cooking, with those that aren’t?
You are NEVER too old for peanut butter and jelly.
Can’t wait to bake! Are there any suggestions on how to use my sourdough starter instead of dry active yeast? I’ve made bread with both, but never substituted.
I am so making this! Thank you Deb!!
Is this dried yeast and if so, should it be “activated” before putting it in? Or should it be put in dry?
Thank you for the great recipe! I’m so happy to hear someone else addressing how forgiving bread is. Bread making seem quite complicated and rather daunting at first glance, but I’m always telling my friends that your bread is going to taste wonderful no matter what mishaps you encounter.
OMG I just made sandwich bread last week and it turned out dense and not very tall and now I have to go home and make this because anything I attempt from your site comes out perfectly. Thank goodness!!
This bread looks amazing and I look forward to trying it soon! I love baking bread, and having an excellent standby for sandwiches in the freezer is wonderful. one question though — how do you get such lovely even slices?? What is your secret (please don’t say a ruler)? In the past when I’ve made it, I always end up with slices that are a bit wonky, such that it looks like the appropriate width up top, but is uneven and thin by the time I get to the bottom of the slice. Do I just need a lot more practice? Or patience? It’s hard to be patient when there is warm, fresh-baked bread to be eaten!
Someday, when you get a free minute (18 yrs from now), I’d love to hear your thoughts on phytic acid. We’re such oat junkies in our house and we’ve tried but don’t love the texture of soaked oats plus that doesn’t work well for granola and cookies. Really I’m just hoping you’ll help allay my worries about vitamin and mineral deficiencies and tell me to keep eating all the oatmeal, granola, granola bars, oat muffins, oatmeal cookies, and oat bread my heart desires.
This look amazing and since I have whole wheat flour I need to use up, and some rolled oats I want to tackle it but I don’t know what size a standard bread tin is in the US. I don’t want to be left with extra dough! Does anyone have dimensions on hand? Will this recipe fill two 1lb tins, or two 2lb tins?
What brand of ww flour do you use? Looks so delicious. Almost as delicious as a baby in a onesie :)
I have the kind of yeast that you need to mix into the dry ingredients, not the wet ones. If you don’t do that, it doesn’t rise at all, I have found …
But I guess the bread still works if you do it that way? I wish you’d have posted this two days ago, when I baked my usual loaf of unsatisfactory, better-than-storebought, but-not-as-good-as-it-could-be loaf :p
Yay! New favorite recipe: anything that accommodates the vicissitudes of erratic infant naps (i.e., something that lets me walk away between steps for a few hours…or days…and come back later!). Chiming in on Bryn’s (#37) query about WW flour (and comment on delicious babies!). I’ve been using Whole Food’s store brand, but it is a bit coarse, though I’m new to WW flour, so maybe that’s typical.
Thanks for yet another amazing recipe, Deb. My kitchen smells so good right now, butter could practically melt on the air. As you said, this is a wonderfully forgiving recipe, which is especially appreciated at high altitude here in CO. Cheers.
I made this bread yesterday-everything was going great until the second rise. I let it rise for for one hour -it looked great split in two and set it out to rise a second time but -the bread didn’t rise over the bread pan-I baked and it was very dense—so sad!
With the crisp fall air that seems to be rolling in here (in Upstate NY), bread baking sounds like just the most perfect thing (not to mention, I’m 7 months pregnant and craving all the carbs!).
Yum. I’ll second the comment about the smell of freshly baked bread. I so enjoy baking once it starts to feel like fall.
Vegan tip (or for anyone who wants to use fewer eggs considering their current cost): Substitute one tablespoon of ground flax seed plus three tablespoons of water for the egg in just about any yeast bread recipe. This combination adds just as much moisture/richness (or more) than an egg would. I don’t think you’re losing anything with this substitution (I find the results to be sublime), but you’re gaining a little extra whole grain.
Ooh … a new bread recipe to try! I just started baking cakes about this time last year – a brand new from scratch baker! – and then started making my own bread. Haven’t bought a loaf since January. My go-to recipe is a rye & wholemeal from Nigel Slater, but I think I may give this one a try.
I agree with a previous poster ie why a mixer all the time, what’s wrong with doing it the old fashioned way, by hand.NO bread of mine has worked with a mixer so EVERYTHING I do is by hand – a great workout!!
This looks great, Deb. Will definitely give Nigel a rest and try this one!
How did you know? We have mastered white bread and I have been meaning to start baking something whole wheat? Perfect timing, Deb!!! Again!
Don’t you think if you only had old fashioned oats, you could break them down in the blender to approximate quick cooking? That is what I would try because I would much rather use what I have than make another purchase. So funny about “villain-du-jour”. In my opinion, if you can’t enjoy a slice of fresh homemade bread slathered with good butter and honey, I feel sorry for you (and I know there are people with real health issues who can not)!
Now this is sandwich bread! Perfect for that toasted peanut butter and honey sandwich with a shake of cinnamon I’m currently craving…
“I think we’re all making it too complicated, all of these very specific amounts of yeast, water, precise rising times, vessels and right-wrong ways to knead.”- Yes. When I make bread I don’t need it to be a bakery-quality loaf- I just want to eat a good loaf of bread. And honestly, even when I’ve messed up a loaf of bread and underbaked it/overproofed it/forgot to add salt/what have you, it still gets eaten. It’s still good.
Oh! This makes me sad. I love baking bread (by hand, no mixers) but hubby was diagnosed with celiac a few months ago. I gave away all my bread-baking stuff to friends so we can have a gluten-free kitchen. Waah.
@cesia, #36: With this amount of flour, I’d put it in two one-pound tins. Enjoy it for me…
For several glorious years during my childhood, my mother made all our bread and they were wonderful hippie loaves like this one ; D JK… but wow, they were good. Love the oat addition to this one!
Just the recipe I was looking for. I will make it as shared but your comment about five day fermentation makes me want to make it with my sourdough start next.
Whoa, bread. OK. I need to go sit down and then re-read this later when I am feeling more ambitious.
Thanks for posting an all-whole wheat bread! I rarely see ones that don’t have half AP flour, which is frustrating for someone who looooves really wheat-y whole wheat breads.
Besides fresh babies, there’s not much better smelling than fresh bread! Looks great. Thank you very, very much for considering and following through on the request to do away with the constant pop-up ad at the bottom of every page. Such a relief. I went and clicked on a different ad to make up for it. :)
when you say ANY kind of milk
Does that include non dairy milk?
If not do you have a go to bread w no dairy?
My son is deathly allergic to dairy and there is commercial bread available without milk but often it has 17,435 other ingredients or
Is available for $8 a loaf at a store 45 minutes from
My house. (I may rounded up a bit on ingridents in a dramatic allergy mom moment)
I make it with unsweetened almond milk and it turns out great!
Update: I tried it with a flax egg, and it is amazing!!
Thank you for telling us!
Thanks so much, I can’t wait to make this!!!
You are amazing. Two gorgeous children with hair to die for, and a perfectly sliced loaf of bread to tempt me from my 25-30 year hiatus from anything but quick breads. That loaf is so beautiful I can nearly smell it. No excuses either- I am retired and so can no longer blame “time” as a factor.
Made the peach cobbler again-gave it to my kids, ( HAD to…I ate one myself last time) and have gotten rave reviews.My daughter is pregnant and she left exactly none for her hubby.I think my son was (slightly) better to his wife…but that cobbler is AMAZING.Thank you so much for that lovely, easy, delicious goodie.
So funny – I just put my dough in the refrigerator from this exact recipe about an hour ago, and then found that you love it too. I’ve only made it once before, but was wowed by the texture of a 100% whole wheat bread recipe. I love Artisan Breads Everyday – his lean bread recipe is also wonderful, and it’s an excellent starter book for breadmaking. I am a mother of four children, three whom I homeschool, and the methods in his book make it possible for me to have time to bake bread by starting the dough at night after they go to bed. I haven’t tried it with subbing out oats, though – maybe I will do that next time!
I bake all my own bread, have done for years. It’s usually very much like this but based on a recipe from King Arthur Flour. Kneading can be very therapeutic (Take that, boss!) but I usually use my bread machine, so it’s very nearly a matter of dump, push the button, and wait. By this point, it’s almost foolproof, even when the fool is me; I have been known to make just about every mistake possible but it’s always edible, if not perfect.
But oh! the smell as it gets close to the end of the cycle! And that first slice slathered in butter…
So did you actually use a bread machine for this recipe? Im a very inexperienced in bread baking…do you remember how you adapted this for the machine??
This bread looks amazing. I don’t bake my own bread often, but every once in a while I like to fill my home with that cosy smell of fresh baked bread (I think nothing can compete with that smell). And I actually like the process of leavening bread. I do have to try this one once, I love the fact you can just leave it in the fridge and bake it later (I can already imagine a perfect weekend morning with fresh home made bread, that didn’t require waking up hours before)!
The bread looks awesome.
And very dangerous to have on hand ( as in I eat the whole in one sit) so I’ll have to freeze it. I’d like to know how can i thaw it. Do you just thaw slices , or the whole bread at once? And how do you thaw it? On the kitchen counter? In the oven?
Sorry, Im totally new to freezing bread, and a guick Google search didnt help much.
Thank you.
I routinely bake, cool, slice, and then freeze. When making sandwiches for eating later, I just pop off the frozen slices and work with the frozen bread right then. Thaws in minutes. If wanting to eat right away, just pop off the frozen slices and spread them out on the cutting board. Just takes a few minutes. If toast is desired, it just takes a bit longer in the toaster.
I love baking bread. I couldn’t agree more that we should eat everything in balance and not get hung up on what the current villain is. Enjoy good bread and you’ll eat less of it.
I bake a lot of bread and here are some answers to some of the questions everyone’s been posting – anything to encourage more good bread eating!!
@Amy and @tinab: egg adds richness and contributes to the texture of the bread, but it’s not a necessary ingredient. You can miss it out. Or add some oil or butter – also contributes to the texture.
@Dana – you can grease tins, but I usually just dust the loaves with cornmeal or semolina or any coarse dry grain.
@Hallie: pastry flour doesn’t work that well with yeast – it doesn’t contain enough gluten (which is what the yeast feeds off). So your bread won’t rise so well. Especially as you have oats in this, you’ll need the gluten in the flour.
@JessB – there are 3 kinds of yeast – fresh, dried that you mix with water and dried that goes straight into the flour. The last one is the most common. Check the instructions on the packet for which one you have. In the past, all dried yeast had to be mixed with warm water (in general with yeast, warmth = more activity, cool = less activity) and (optional) some of your baking flour until it starts to bubble and get active.
@SusanW – you can make any bread dough into any shape you like, more or less. Yes, rolls would work. You’d have to adjust the baking time downwards.
I knead all my bread by hand – I use Dan Lepard’s technique of resting/kneading in a short burst/repeat usually (http://www.danlepard.com/) You don’t need a machine AT ALL!!
Thanks Deb for getting everyone started!
This looks like perfect bread! I love the beautiful dark brown color of the dough, gorgeous!
what I really want to know is….how to best store fresh bread! I’ve heard you shouldn’t use plastic bags, but if I just cover or wrap with a towel it dries out and no one wants to eat it. What is the best way to store bread for a day or two?
Let it cool completely. Then definitely put in a plastic bag. I think the breads where the goal is a firm crust don’t want the bag because it softens. But sandwich bread is best stored in a bag, or an airtight container.
Had a bit of time today so decided to give this a go and it was SO GOOD. Added poppyseeds and sesame seeds for some texture and it turned out beautifully. So easy, too! The real struggle is trying not to eat a whole in one go. Thanks so much for saring, Deb!
Mmmm, can almost smell the bread baking all the way from Sydney! You are super dooper clever, have never tried making bread, perhaps I should tackle my fear and try it!
Lovely! This is the recipe to get me back into bread-making, which I did for years and have let get away from me for far too long.
Is it even possible to make a yummy bread like this using a blend of gluten-free flours?
Forty years ago I accompanied my medical student husband on a primary care rotation to a small town on the Carribean coast of Nicaragua. We had many adventures. Perhaps the least of which was buying flour to make bread daily from one of the several Chinese merchants. In that town with wooden sidewalks, dirt streets, and swinging saloon doors, only the foreigners could survive in the mercantile trade. Locals would go broke giving their stock away to relatives!
Anyway, the storekeeper’s wife,Mrs. Hing Chow took a shine to me and made sure I got the flour with the least amount of grubs in it!l still make bread from time to time but without the added protein from wiggly creatures.
this bread(or a slight variant) has been on my rotation for a while–bread is extremely forgiving with ingredients–sweeteners&fats can be subbed easily–I like to let the dough rest(after blending) for an half hour or so before adding salt–comes out fine in the pullman tin too
I understand the reason for the milk, but I’m looking for pareve recipes. Could I just add the same amount of water in place of the milk? On second thought, maybe I’ll try coconut milk.
No milk is required.
I don’t understand the first paragraph. do you have a chest freezer or something?
I’ve been contemplating buying one but it seems insane. But at the same time, my freezer can barely contain its contents. I cannot imagine fitting even one loaf of bread in with the ice, ice cream, frozen portions of batch-made meals, peas, coffee and compost bag. What’s your trick??
In other news, what a perfect post. I have been nervously contemplating making bread, and here you come along with this!
Is the crumb sturdy enough to spread peanut butter? I have a problem with all my bread turning out too fluffy or too crumbly.
What size are the loaf pans? Someone … anyone
This is very similar to your whole-grain cinnamon swirl bread (without the swirl, of course!). That recipe–when I made is sans swirl one day not long after you posted it–was the first time I successfully made sandwich bread… and I will be forever grateful to you as a result! I’ll give this one a try, too, since I love oats in bread and I bet it makes gorgeous toast. You are single-handedly responsible for our household eating homemade bread on a regular basis. Thanks Deb!
So, if we put it in the fridge, we have to take it out three hours before baking. But after we put the dough in the pan, it has to rise about an hour.
Does that mean 4 hours between taking it out of the fridge and putting it in the oven, or does that mean 2 hours after taking it out of the fridge we should put it in the pans to rise during that last (third) hour?
Can you use white whole wheat flour? Thanks
I mixed up this dough (used rolled oats, but I whizzed them in my Vita-Mix, also used white whole wheat) and let it sit overnight. (used the brown sugar option and whole milk)
This morning, instead of loaves, I wanted to try focaccia rolls, i.e. large, crusty rolls. I cut off 2 hunks, rolled them round, flattened and let rise for 30 minutes. Then a schmear of olive oil and a sprinkle of basil/marjoram/oregano/rosemary/thyme (my homemade “Italian” mix) – baked at 425 for 25 minutes.
Flavor and crumb texture is perfect! Next time, I will lower the temperature as the outside got a bit brown. I think 375 will do it and then maybe a few minutes longer. But, the main thing is what great flavor from 100% whole grain!
Oh, refrigerated the remaining dough and will use as needed over the next 3-4 days which is what I normally do with my no knead doughs. With an egg, I will bake or freeze the dough in 3-4 days, i.e. other no knead doughs I will keep 5-7 days.
What is instant yeast? The only one I have (the only kind sold in my store) is active dry. Can I substitute it, and what is the conversion?
Yes, my third comment… But, I just want to re-iterate what Allyson (#47) said – don’t make this complicated! As Deb noted, it is a very forgiving dough. You don’t need a mixer or a bread machine – it took me about 5 minutes to measure and stir. I put the dry ingredients in a bowl, including the instant yeast, added the wet ingredients (water/milk/egg/oil) – all warm. I stirred with a wooden spoon. I didn’t knead. I covered with plastic and let it sit out overnight. Shaped, let rise and baked this morning.
And I made 1/2 recipe as it is just me and I usually make 1/2 recipe. And 1/2 recipe is minimal investment in ingredients so if you want to try without an egg or milk or with white whole wheat or even a mix of white and whole wheat ( NOT pastry flour, though – you need the protein of regular or bread flour ) – just do it :) !!
Thanks PippaS and great to hear of your success with rolls Liz. I think I’m ready to give it a try!
I have only ever made white sandwich bread before – this looks awesome, and sounds so perfect for Fall. I am definitely going to give this one a whirl!
Katie
Come see the first pictures from my Italian adventure!
http://www.lamiabellavita.com
Thank you for sharing this! I’ll definitely have to try it. I wholeheartedly agree with you on the “make it excellent” idea for bread. Most loaves on the supermarket shelves have little taste or nutritional value so I generally don’t bother with it. This bread, however….I think I may be in trouble!
Please mail me some of that bread immediately!
Looks amazing, love your site and your cookbook is one of my favorites!
I make my homemade bread too but found out it is harder with brown flour than white flour… Yours seems marvelous!! :D
Reiterating Amy’s comment (#73)… what size are the loaf pans?
I learned a trick when I moved from a woman who has baked at 7000 ft. that to get it to rise quickly, fill your sink with warm water, then put your dough in a plastic bowl and set it in the water, covered in plastic wrap, and it will rise in half the time. I haven’t tried this down at sea level, but I thought I was going to have to give up making bread because it took so stinkin’ long to rise, and now I can have 3 loaves mixed, kneaded, risen, shaped, and baked all in 2 hours. . . Life is good! I’m definitely going to have to try your loaf. Looks delish!
JanetP at #48, thank you for the advice! I’ll give it a bash in my (only) 2lb loaf tin and see how it goes. Judging by the pre-rise dough in my fridge you might be right! On the other hand if there’s obviously too much once I’ve finished the rise I’ll turn the excess into dinner rolls or something!
I love me some Reinhart bread! For the person with the loaf pan questions — those pans look to be 8 1/2 X 4 1/2. Reinhart likes to use this size pan for most of his two loaf bread recipes.
I now knead bread with my stand mixer because of arthritis issues, but when I was younger , I had no mixer, and made all of our bread. I lived in a place and time when there was Wonder bread and Wonder Bread. As Deb said, bread is very forgiving. All you need is a big bowl, a strong wooden spoon, and lots of elbow grease.
Made the recipe this afternoon. I love having all the ingredients and not needing to go to the store for anything. I used agave since I had a bottle of it that I bought a while back for another recipe. The loafs look delicious. They are cooling right now.
I find that when making whole wheat bread, it can turn out quite crumbly and not very stretchy and springy, like you’d want it to be. I’ve discovered that letting it prove for multiple hours or even overnight fixes this problem without having to spend lots of time kneading your dough.
I suppose people with a stand mixer wouldn’t so much have this problem, but since I don’t have one, I’d rather let my dough prove for a long time (and exercise patience!) intead of kneading for ages!
Loaf pans — Mine are 9×5; 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inches is also standard for a 1-pound loaf. If yours are close, you’ll be just fine.
Instant yeast is also sold as rapid rise or bread machine yeast. The difference between it and active dry is that it doesn’t need to be proofed in warm water first (although we use warm water here to help move things along; I find it helpful although not mandatory). If you’d like to replace it with active dry yeast, you’ll want to whisk it into the warm (but not hot; a max of 116 degrees F) liquids and let it dissolve for 10 minutes. It should look a little foamy. Then add it to the other liquids before adding it to the dry ingredients. I sometimes find it to rise FASTER than instant yeast, so keep an eye on it at room temperature. Shouldn’t be an issue if you’re slow-rising it in the fridge.
Should the pan be greased? — Whoops, ideally, yes. Well, let me clarify: it’s not necessary I’d say 95% of the time, but do you really want to ever find out if your pan wants to be in the remaining 5%? So, I lightly coat mine with a cooking spray. Now edited.
Using a bread machine — I have used one maybe once in my life so I cannot say for sure, but I suspect you can, just follow its baking instructions.
Egg — I haven’t made this recipe without the egg. I suspect you’ll be okay, you might need a touch more liquid to compensate. The egg will add some richness and a little extra elasticity/protein. If the issue is an allergy, you might also try the flax egg others have mentioned (or google for more details on this swap).
White whole wheat flour — Will work here as well.
Whole wheat pastry flour — You probably can use it here, however, pastry flour has less gluten (which provides elasticity) than regular flours, while for bread you usually want that much or more (bread flour has more gluten). So, while the bread may still work, it’s not the ideal ingredient to use here.
Storing fresh bread — If for 1 to 2, I might just keep it in a paper bag at room temperature. More than 2 days, I keep it in the freezer, which I find keeps the moisture and texture the best. I never, ever, ever, ever refrigerate bread. I find it irrevocably destroys the softness.
PippaS — Thank you for helping with the questions!
More bread tips — In an early post on this site, I talk about what I learned in a breadmaking class. I still stand behind all of it. Hope it helps!
Freezing before baking/after first rise — Theoretically, this should work, but TBH, I don’t do it often because by the time the bread has defrosted and finished its second rise at room temperature, I often could have made the dough twice up to that point, i.e. defrosting takes forever and is variable, so it’s not just like you can say “take it out x hours before you’ll want bake it.”
Alexis — Not while super warm and steamy, but yes, it’s otherwise fairly sturdy for a sandwich loaf, especially if you do the extended rise in the fridge and the oats/grains get good and soaked while they grow.
Flour brand — I use King Arthur almost 100% of the time, in part because they’re excellent and in part because I know most people can get it so my results should hopefully match what others are getting. (I use Bob’s Red Mill for some wholegrain flours that KA doesn’t mill or distribute as widely.)
Molly — Ha! I can’t believe they’re not allowed eggs or seeds either. And my kid still goes to a progressive public school that allows peanut butter! (It’s the twilight zone.) Pirate’s Booty is delicious. Don’t fight it. Wait, is Veggie Booty still around? I feel like I haven’t seen it in a decade.
Christina — Do you use a breadmaker? Even if not, it might just be either the recipe itself or maybe letting things overproof a little, so they get extra-airy. My parents briefly had a breadmaker when I was younger and I remember the bread was very soft and airy in the center. But, then again, that was the dark ages; they’ve probably come far since then.
Gabriella — I either thaw or toast what I need. I slice before freezing because slicing frozen bread is a huge pain.
Molly/phytic acid — Well, I certainly wasn’t concerned before you asked but I did some reading. It seems some people are concerned; I wouldn’t count myself among them. Then again, I truly hope this doesn’t sound glib I find it hard to be truly worried about being vitamin or mineral deficient in this lifetime, not when we can afford and eat daily all sorts of fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains. But this might be more about my nature/outlook towards health worries than science. I suspect there are all sorts of foods we’re not truly absorbing all of the nutrients from based on what we’d expect from their nutritional composition (I count these blasted prenatals I’m still taking on this list) but if we’re healthy, high functioning and have energy, we’re probably doing okay.
JP — Absolutely. Though, if you’re going for the long fermentation in the fridge, old-fashioned oats won’t have much of a notable texture left by the time you’re baking it.
Torrie, Ara — I think you’ll be just fine with a nondairy milk or even water instead.
Jess — Thanks. I have been known to use a ruler for bar cookies and brownies but no, I resisted here. Just dumb luck this time, although I’m pretty sure several were slimmer at the bottom. A good serrated knife is a great thing to have; this doesn’t necessarily mean expensive, just one that seems to cut through bread like butter.
rr — No, instant yeast doesn’t need to be pre-activated.
A — I used quick cooking. The main difference is that the texture of the final oats will be less noticeable.
Ted — I think that’s because once people have a standing mixer, few go back to hand-kneading. That said, 90% of the time, including this recipe, I include directions for kneading by hand or with machine.
Stand mixer — As mentioned, you don’t need one for this, or most, bread recipes. Handmixing instructions are included in the recipe.
Susan — I’d expect this recipe to work just fine as rolls.
Made the bread today, no machine, super easy, turned out very well and is so nicely filling — gives a warm feeling in the tummy. I think though long fermentation will make it even better. thanks a lot!
Used two tablespoons of molasses for the sugar,this might become my go to sandwich bread.Thanks.
Nope, no breadmaker. I try to go by the rule of it’s proofed when you can poke it and it doesn’t bounce back (I think I actually learned that from the bread post you referenced). It’s never bad, per se, just a little more crumbly than I’d like in the middle. My go-to recipes are one from Joy of Cooking and your cinnamon swirl (minus the swirl). Clearly more testing is necessary!
I’d try baking slightly longer at a slightly lower temperature.
I love your attitude toward bread making! After over 40 years of breadmaking I found it’s really hard to make bad bread – in fact I’ve never made any people wouldn’t eat – including my picky kids …
Just keep it simple – for sandwich bread – 2.5/3 cups liquid, yeast, 2/3 tsps salt, 1 tbsp some kind of sugar – add any kind or mixtures of flour until it makes a dough – and you will have 2 9 inch loaves!
I’ll be making this recipe tomorrow morning …
I love making sandwich bread at home. In fact, I’ve gotten so used to it that I’ve become a bit of a snob with the store-bought kind. Your loaves look gorgeous and perfect. I agree that making bread can seem too complicated when reading through recipes, but I think it’s just because people searching on the internet expect bread to be complicated and, therefore, sort of expect all the details to be laid out. I know as a bread instructor, I have people asking me “How long does the bread have to proof? 1 hour? 1 hr 1min? 1 hr 30 min?” etc. and I’m like don’t worry – just bake it when it’s all puffy and expanded! :p I can’t wait to try out a new recipe – thank you so much for sharing!! <3
This recipe looks amazing! I will have to try it out as soon as I can ;)
mangoandcoconuts.blogspot.de
I love making my own whole wheat bread. A slice of toast with a fried egg is a great way to start the day.
Deb, I made this bread in my Breville stand mixer, exactly as stated. New bag of King Arthur flour and fast-rising yeast from Aldi’s. I put the dough in the fridge overnight, let it come to room temp (I thought) and formed it, at which time it did not rise properly even after 2 hrs. in the pans. Upon baking, it sort of fell. It was a failure, and I’m not sure why. A lot of ingredients wasted! I bake bread very often and am not really a novice (altho I like to use my breadmaker for the dough part). What could have gone wrong??
Can’t wait to make this! What do you think about adding things like seeds or nuts either to bread itself or baked on outer crust?
wow this looks delicious!!!
I think this is my new favourite bread. I used old-fashioned oats and although they add texture to the bread, I think it’s good texture. I love that it’s a whole-grain bread that isn’t at all heavy or, you know, excessively healthy-tasting. Thanks for posting this!
Thanks for the update on greasing the pan. I divided the dough in half (I only have one bread pan) and made one loaf last night and it got a little stuck and needed some assistance to come out, which it did eventually. I think I will grease the pan for round two for easier removal from the pan. I also used regular active dry yeast and let it proof for about 5 mins in the warm milk-water-honey and everything worked fine. :) Delicious! I wish I had brought more to work with me! I’m also storing mine in a recycled plastic bread bag. I had one on hand and figured it was the right size so I would give it a go. It is very dry where I live so I didn’t want the bread to dry out too much.
He’ll Deb, I made the dough and is in the fridge until Saturday night, instead of 160 grams of oat I used 160 grams of 9 grain blend, I will keep in touch .P. S. Can’t wait :)
I’ve never made bread before. I read the instructions and it seemed easy enough, so I gave it a go! Definitely didn’t come out like the pictures. That said, the bread is more than edible. It’s a little crumbly and it didn’t rise right but we slathered it with butter and jam and I thought it was tasty. I wish I had done a little research beforehand, though. For example, directions state mixing yeast into lukewarm milk/water. I’m impatient and just said what the heck and mixed it into cool milk/water. After the fact I read about how warmth activates the yeast. GOT IT. I also live in high altitude (8000+ft). Not sure if something should have been changed because of that fact. Conclusion:: bread novices, beware, terms like proofing and kneading and knowing about yeast are probably necessary to make this successful (as I was clueless). But I do agree that even with mishaps it’s still yummy.
I’m just so in awe seeing your oat and wheat sandwich bread come to life – even if just in pictures. Everything says “healthy” and “yummy” when it comes to this bread recipe. Would like to try doing it myself in the near future for the little ones at home, and for myself (and health) as well.
Also, can someone explain what might have gone wrong in my process so that my bread smells and tastes yeasty? It’s easily covered up with butter but the bread plain jane has this yeastyness to it I wasn’t expecting. Could it be connected to how it didn’t rise?
Emily , I made mine yesterday night and refrigerate it right away and I looked at it this morning and it has double in size and I will be baking the loaves this evening. …
@Emily and @BetsyScotto I can almost guarantee that both issues are yeast. Deb has a link in the post “we’ve talked about this before” … and in that same paragraph … problems are almost always the yeast. Unless you are using the yeast successfully in other recipes … get some fresh yeast.
I make high moisture no or low knead breads in a very cool house at 3300 feet, but my mom and I bake at her house at just under 9000 feet. We don’t adjust bread recipes…cakes and cookies are a different story. Generally altitude can cause something to rise too fast before it has the strength to hold the rise. This is not usually an issue with bread.
I do the ingredients a bit of the reverse … dry ingredients in a bowl (I measure by weight and not volume and go a little light on the flour as you can add more if needed – you might have over-floured if the crumb is dry and crumbly) including yeast (instant – if you use active dry, you WILL need to proof it in warm water). I warm any liquid, dump it in, stir well and let it sit on the counter for at least 4 hours, but mostly 10-12. BUT, my doughs are typically doubled in 1-2 hours even in my cool (65F) house. I go for the longer rise as I think it helps develop the gluten, but I’ve also shaped and baked sooner.
@Emily, you kind of said it … you do need to both read and follow the recipe when you are learning :) !
The yeasty taste – I don’t use near 1.5 Tablespoons of instant … more like a teaspoon for this full recipe, but then I do/did a 12 hour counter-top rise. Still seems like a LOT of instant yeast to me and maybe at high altitude that would account for an odd taste.
I love every recipe I have ever tried of yours, and this is no exception. Keep on blogging please.
Mandy
I’m hankering to bake up a storm, starting with this great bread, but my oven’s finally given up the ghost. Do you (or anyone within the sound of my keystroke) have a recommendation for a good stalwart of an oven that isn’t in the four-digits price range? (I’m also in a miniscule NYC kitchen.)
Deb – this is my first time commenting and just wanted to say how much I love your site and recipes! I have followed you for many many years and have always found your recipes be really accessible in terms of ingredients and technique as well as delicious which is hard to find in the online sea of recipes! this bread recipe looks particularly delicious because of the heartiness of ingredients and apparent ease to make. thanks for everything that you and always brightening up my day!
I made the recipe yesterday and LOVE the bread and how easy it was to make with my mixer with the dough hook. I had it for breakfast with cream cheese and my guava jam and tonight, I’m having breakfast for dinner so that I can have more!
What is ‘room temperature’? In my house in VT, it’s 62º. Is that warm enough, or should I wait until the woodstove is going and put it close to that? ;-)
Hi Deb, the bread came out pretty darn good with 160 grams of 9 grain blend, Absolutely Delicious. ….
http://maggiggie55.blogspot.ca/2015/09/9-grain-blend-and-whole-wheat-sandwich.html?m=1
I’ve been meaning to get back to bread baking now that it’s not 100 degrees out. Haven’t thought much about oats, but I’m thinking about it now. Can’t wait to test this out this weekend. Thanks for the awesome post (and the baby pics)!
@Emily – I’ve been making bread for years, and I would guess that your yeasty taste is due to over proofing. There is a certain point that the yeast makes things a little sour, and this recipe has quite a lot of yeast, so I could imagine that could easily happen. It gets tricky, since recipes list proofing times, but it all depends on the actual temperature of your ingredients, as well as your room. I find it’s easy to overproof when I put things into the fridge (I tend to forget them). You could either try cutting some yeast the next time, or shorten your proofing time. Let it sit on the counter for 30 minutes, vs 60, and when you pull it from the fridge, shape it right away so you can be ready to pop it in the oven the moment it doubles in size. The more you try, the better you will get. And as you have already discovered, it’s all edible!
How much in ml is the milk/water? Don’t have cups in the UK!
Thanks :-)
hello deb–
i would love to try this recipe, but i mainly bake with sourdough. how much of it do you recommend me using instead of the yeast?
thanks,
m.
Is it really 1 1/2 TABLESPOONS? or 13 grams? 13 grams is less than a teaspoon…which is right? Thank you!
Deborah — Weights and volumes don’t line up across ingredients because different ingredients have different weights. Regardless, each teaspoon of dry yeast weighs about 3.1 grams, so 1.5 tablespoons i.e. 4.5 teaspoons, is actually 14 grams. I’ll fix it now.
Jayne — Each 1.25 cups is 295 ml. Can add the rest of the metrics soon.
Tamara — Room temperature is considered 70-72 degrees, so you’re on the cool side. It needn’t be exact, but it could take longer for your dough to rise.
deb, re the yeast … 1.5 Tablespoons/13 or 14 grams … it is a LOT of instant yeast. My experience differs from yours and the recipe quite a lot as I successfully use 1 – 1.5 teaspoons or .33-.5 T of instant yeast in a higher moisture dough like this with equivalent amounts of flour and grain. A packet of yeast is 2.5 teaspoons. I have made your recipe twice now with (half recipe) with 3/4 teaspoon of instant yeast, in my cool house and no issues.
2 T = 6 teaspoons = 2.4 packets of yeast for 2 loaves of bread. Not typical.
re the 10 degree cooler house – I do add warm-hot liquid to the dry ingredients – dry ingredients include the yeast. I use SAS Instant yeast which I buy in bulk and store in the frig.
Oops… SAF Instant yeast.
I bake bread fairly regularly and found these loaves to be super crumbly for sandwich bread (I’ve had to eat my sandwiches with a fork all week). I knead by hand, so maybe just need to do more? Any other possibilities? I also used rice milk instead…
Thanks for a great recipe! I just wanted to note that I used traditional rolled oats and they did not retain any oat-y texture or appearance–the bread was smooth all the way through.
Hi Deb! I only have one bread pan. Could I halve this recipe and make one loaf at a time?
mea culpa on the yeast thing… sort of. I went off reading because I was curious and I know based on questions that you have verified the amount of yeast, i.e. it wasn’t a typing/entry error. I looked at a lot of sandwich bread recipes to see if they typically used a larger amount of yeast and some do. KAFlour recipes have some with 1 T and others with 1 tsp … also dough enhancers, dry milk etc.
I also read about altitude adjusting – I bake at 3300 feet and at my folks house we bake at just under 9000 feet and don’t adjust bread recipes at either location. (Cake and cookies adjusted). KAFlour had the most detail and concise explanation(s) about many altitude adjustments, but re yeast it said to reduce by 25% for altitude.
At any rate, I’ve made this recipe twice – excellent results!! I made half recipe both times, use rolled oats ground to “flour” in Vita-mix, white whole wheat flour and 1/2 tsp SAF Instant yeast. This is the best whole grain recipe that I’ve tried (taste and crumb): 40 years making bread.
The other item I came across that is probably in your archives on bread making… a test for yeast. Even recently purchased yeast can be “bad” so to make sure, especially after a failure: 1/2 cup warm water (100-110F), 1/2 tsp sugar, 2 1/4 tsp yeast (1 packet equivalent) – yeast should foam within 10 minutes if active
I was comparing this to your whole grain cinnamon swirl bread and was wondering if the swirl would work with this recipe as well. Maybe one loaf plain and one with cinnamon!
Summer — Yes, they’re quite similar and from the same source. Over the years, I’ve ditched the mixed whole grains in favor of what I always have around, oats, hence this update here. Cinnamon swirls are never unwelcome.
Liz — Late to respond but yes, I agree it reads like a lot but it works flawlessly. I also pretty much defer to Peter Reinhart on everything, and that’s his yeast suggestion. Since you’re a bread pro, I wonder if you, too, find Instant yeast to work more sluggishly than Active Dry. I have been making bread for over a decade and it always takes longer to get going, I think because it doesn’t require pre-proofing and thus needs to dissolve into the dough (which seems to take an hour) before it really gets proofing. Back to the yeast level thing, as you probably know, you can ALWAYS use less if you want to give the bread longer to rise.
Katie — Absolutely. You can also keep one half of your dough in the fridge while you use the tin for the first loaf, i.e. when it’s out of the oven and out of the tin, use it for the final rise and baking of the second half of the dough, so you get more yield for your efford. The bread dough is totally this flexible.
deb, I have had few issues over the years making breads. I think I got really lucky as a young baker and then got used to how dough should feel. Then the no knead/high moisture thing kind of makes you have to suspend all you know about dough. I admit to being a bit obsessed by the “chemistry” and so go off reading – a lot. And, good grief – there are differing instructions/opinions even among the reknowned bread bakers! I try a lot of things just to see what happens :)
re instant yeast working more sluggishly than Active Dry … I can’t really say as I have not used Active dry for many years. I’ve been using SAF instant (first from KAFlour and now my grocery stocks it) – in bulk form, kept in the refrigerator. I make mostly high moisture, no knead doughs now, typically adding the instant yeast (1/2 teaspoon to 3-3.5 cups flour) to the dry ingredients mixing dry with a whisk, adding liquid, stirring to mix, cover loosely with plastic wrap and let sit out 2-4 hours at least but often I mix late afternoon and let it sit out until morning. Still, I am getting a good (and fast) rise in the first 2 hours in my 62-65F house (Hey, I’m 60 and I’ve been too warm since I turned 50 :)! AND I live in NW Montana). Maybe my 3300 foot altitude compensates for a cool house…
I make Homesick Texan’s Kolaches recipe which is a kneaded dough, but not whole grain and it uses a packet of yeast which she specifies Active Dry, but I use equivalent Instant with no issue. I also make a Mel’s Kitchen Café 100% whole wheat roll that is a kneaded dough using 3/4 T instant yeast to 3-4 cups flour with 1/4 cup vital wheat gluten. I get excellent rise in the specified time for both.
The final thing – I measured my flours by weight the past several years. I think for years I was probably over-flouring and while breads were good, I never had really good results with whole grain especially, before I started measuring by weight.
Thanks for taking time for the discussion.
I made this bread with 2 changes for me. I had no milk so I used thinned yogurt and 2 cups of white instead of 5 cups whole wheat. Very good, ate 3 slices.
Not trying to argue with you, but an anecdote reveals that it might be possible to let bread rise too long: my mother always made a certain bread for Christmas. It often had a dip in the middle, with little “handles” (or ears) hanging over the side. The first time I made it, she complimented my more standard-shaped loaves. When I said “I thought they were supposed to have ears!” she promptly assigned my to bake the bread from then on. I thought at the time that as a mother of five, she was too busy to tend to the bread, and guessed that she let it rise in the pan for SO long that it collapsed.
All my questions were answered. I was amused to see the number of comments about kneading by hand. My husband bought a stand mixer when his daughter requested one “strong enough to mix cookie dough.” I was surprised at the number of mixers (hand or stand) that mentioned cookie dough, because I never use it for that. It just doesn’t occur to me! It is nice for mixing the flour into bread dough, though!
This was quite good. I found the dough too thick to stir, so I kneaded it for six minutes. I used whole oats and the texture was terrific. I think next time I’ll try 4 1/2 cups of flour and 1/2 cup of King Arthur harvest grains mix. I’d also do a milk or egg wash, since the crust was a bit dry. This recipe is a definite keeper.
Made this over the weekend – one loaf baked and almost consumed in 2 days, the other half of the dough waiting in the fridge for its star turn. I had a moment of bread-terror after mixing when I realized the yeast I put in expired a year ago. It rose veeeery slowly at first; as a last-ditch effort I put it in a warm oven and it rose beautifully. Phew!
Seeing all the comments here made me very excited to try the cinnamon bread. It sounds like this is essentially the same recipe with the oats subbed for the grain mix? I already ordered the grain mix, so I’ll try that variation too, and it sounds like I could also have the grain mix as a tasty breakfast cereal so no loss there. I might make the second load as a cinnamon loaf, though… BTW I used rolled oats and didn’t bother to break them down in the food processor. They disappeared anyway! I keep looking at the bread trying to figure out where they went, I’ve only seen a couple.
I made the dough for this on Wednesday and baked it on Saturday. It rose just fine on Wednesday, but barely rose after taking it out of the fridge and in the oven. It’s delicious, but a little dense and small. Thoughts?
Mine too Mira (#137)
The only thing I can think is that I left it out of the refrigerator too long and then shaped it too forcefully to put into the loaf pans.
I will be trying this recipe again. I make bread every week for my daughter who has several food allergies.
Deb.
Thank you! I often bake bread but I seem to have – unwittingly – got into the nasty habit of over complicating things (double rises – egg washes etc), but these loaves are in the oven now and look great. I bake bread for a number of reasons but one is to save money, so all the recipes with lots of fancy bits aren’t what I’m after at the moment, but this one may really have hit the mark as far as a day-to-day loaf goes – really modest ingredients outputting 2 fair sized loaves (and a few buns actually). I might see what happens without the egg just for extra savings, but that’s no biggie.
I did add one small process for the benefit of making sure the yeast isn’t being a ‘jerk’, as you put it :). I mixed the warm liquid, sugar option (i used some old honey that had granulated and wouldn’t spread!) and yeast together and then left it for 15mins until it looked foamy and then I continued with your instructions. I hate waste so adding a bunch of ingredients to some dead yeast is anathema to me, I always add this simple step to check first.
Keep up the excellent work, your site is one of my 2 go-tos for anything cooking, AND you do this with a newborn! (You’re making the rest of us look bad! :) )
I just made this recipe using Almond Milk, and it turned out great! Just wanted to post to let anyone who is considering a non-dairy substitute know I had a good result.
Delicious and soooo easy. thank you for another winning recipe!
question, same as a commenter above: how best to store fresh bread for a day or two??
I tried the Oat and wheat bread. The dough never rose. i cooked it anyway and it tasted awful!! It tasted very “fermented”. Suggestions?
Took this out of the oven a couple hours ago and it turned out wonderfully! Deb, you are absolutely right that this recipe is forgiving. I halved the recipe to make one loaf, used active dry yeast instead of instant (activated it in the warmed milk and water for 10 minutes and then dumped in the rest of the ingredients), and mixed by hand for less time than instructed (it’s hard work to stir bread dough by hand for 6 minutes!). I let it sit in the fridge for 24 hours and then on the counter for about 2 hours before shaping it into the pan. Even with messing with the yeast and mixing time, which I understand to be two crucial steps in bread making, my loaf looks just like the pictures and tastes amazing!
Deb, I made this last week and it’s my new favorite! I couldn’t believe this recipe was so light and fluffy. Whole Wheat bread is usually denser.
Thank you!
Clark
Mira & Vanessa (137 &138),the same thing happened with mine. I’ve been thinking about it all day,and I dont think I added enough yeast. I went light since I knew it was going to sit in the fridge for a few days. It rose after taking it out,just not enough. Next time,I will use the recommended amount. Tastes great….but very short sandwiches!
I had the same problem as a few others have mentioned– failure to rise. The bread rose fine initially, but after a few days in the fridge, I shaped it into loaves and it didn’t rise high enough. It hasn’t even come up to the top of the pan. I’m leaving it out all day today hoping it will slowly make it high enough. I’m not very hopeful though, since I left it out for a long time after shaping too. I followed the recipe exactly, including weighing the ingredients and using King Arthur flour. I’m not sure what went wrong.
I attempted a dump and make of 1/2 of this recipe in a bread machine, and it didn’t work well. :( Wish we could find out how to make it work better! I’m wondering if some wheat gluten is needed to help it rise as there is no bread flour used?
Deb, you’re a doll for getting back to me on the phytic acid. I should have suspected you’d introduce “reason” and “common sense” into the picture. I myself am much more prone to hysterics. Initially anyway; I think you’re right, plus your response is exactly what I was after: freedom to eat oats with abandon!
Everyone devoured it on sandwiches for dinner night, now in our weekly rotation with this bread. Hope there’s some left to see how it works up as french toast.
Followed the recipe to the letter, and got a big fat doorstop. Left two days in the fridge, where it didn’t raise (I had tested the yeast, and it was good), left it out for 3 hours, no changes, shaped it and placed in the loaf pan, no rise, and it’s now baking to be, I presume, dense and inedible (except for my dogs, lucky them). I guess it’s back to white bread for me. I’m a pretty good baker, but I have never-NEVER been able to successfully bake bread with more than 25% whole wheat flour. I was hoping this would be the exception, but no luck.
Quick question: once I pull the bread out of the fridge, do I wait three hours and then shape it into loaves? Or do I pull it out of the fridge, shape it into two loaves, and let it proof for four hours on my counter until it’s 1″ above the pan? Thank you!
Laurence — 3 hours before you shape it into loaves. It’s not going to fully rise in the fridge; time on the counter gives it a chance to finish.
I haven’t made this yet, but for those whose loaves failed to rise, you might try cheating a bit and substituting some white flour for whole wheat. Also (this is a tip from a King Arthur Flour recipe for whole wheat bread), after you combine all the ingredients, but before kneading, let it sit for 20-30 min. Deb says 5 min, but if you have the patience, give it longer.
Hi Deb,
Can one use whole wheat pastry flour in this recipe?
Thanks!
I made this bread yesterday and it did not go well. I found the dough to be very wet (the dough was like batter and I had to add probably another cup of flour to get it to the right consistency) and then I had a very sluggish rise with a short loaf and yeasty taste. I think my whole wheat flour might need to be replaced. I will definitely give it another try. Any thoughts on why it was so wet?
I also found this dough too wet so added more wholewheat flour. The conversation of 5 cups of flour to 635 grams is incorrect. Using 900 grams wholewheat flour I produced a lovely loaf which has become a regular bake for me.
We live in Scotland, and oats here are very popular. We adapted your recipe to work with sourdough. Great recipe, I think this one we will bake again and again. Excellent for sandwiches in school boxes!
I left the dough in the fridge for a whole week and baked it up this afternoon. I used active dry yeast and a multi-grain cereal blend, and ended up having to add quite a bit more liquid to the dough to make it workable (I put the multi-grain cereal in the liquid to soak before adding the flour). It rose pretty well–not quite an inch above the top of the pan, but at least a half-inch. I used the bread proofing function on my oven to encourage things along. Next time I’ll use more honey and more salt.
Juliet — This was asked earlier; here’s my response: You probably can use it here, however, pastry flour has less gluten (which provides elasticity) than regular flours, while for bread you usually want that much or more (bread flour has more gluten). So, while the bread may still work, it’s not the ideal ingredient to use here.
I have made three attempts at this bread now and each has been a failure! I used organic whole wheat flour, and rolled oats. Each time I made this the first rise went very well, but when I did the second rise in the pan, the dough would rise to the top of the loaf pan and no further. The first time I let the dough rise for a full two hours, and on my second and third attempts I let it go only until doubled. On my third attempt I got the best second rise yet, but once I put it in the oven it flattened out. Any tips anyone can offer would be welcome!
So I just made this – put together the dough last Sunday and just baked it yesterday (Saturday). The flavor is great but the texture of the bread is sort of crumbly and it falls apart easily. It’s good as toast, but it doesn’t hold together enough for sandwiches. Any idea what I’ve done wrong? I don’t make yeast bread very often, so I’m not sure what would cause it to be like that! Thanks!!
Julie — It could be many things, either overbaked, overproofed, it could be that it didn’t rise enough or that it wasn’t kneaded enough to get good and stretchy.
Made this last week. We found the texture to be perfect, but thought the flavor a bit mild. I’m trying it again today with a bit more salt. Did anyone else find it needed some salt?
Also re: phytic acid; allowing the bread to have a long proof will break down some of the anti-nutrient properties. I agree with Deb, though, if you’re eating a fruit/veggie rich diet and are otherwise healthy (especially if you are also soaking or sprouting your grains/ legumes some of the time) I wouldn’t worry about the oats. If unsoaked oats is the worst thing you eat, I’m thinking you are a-ok.
Oh, I almost forgot! I also added a few tablespoons of vital wheat gluten, which definitely helps it be less crumbly.
I made this for our Sunday dinner. My very picky nephew declared this the BEST bread he has ever had. He even asked me if I would make him a loaf of bread for his birthday instead of a cake! This bread came out fantastic. Fluffy crumb and sliced beautifully (even warm).
Just to say I made 2 loafs – one on Saturday, the other Sunday – and it was prefect. So light and fluffy. Am so chuffed with this recipe. Will be using it many times again. Many thanks for it and for your very useful responses.
These are in the oven, and they are soaring high above the bread pans! I’ve made hundreds of loaves of sandwich bread, but never found a whole-wheat version that does this. Off to research the why and how. And play with how to make it with natural leaven. Thank you, as ever, for sharing! My kids thank you, too. No more bricks of bread for lunch sandwiches.
Thanks for the recipe, I will certainly be giving it a try. Too little bread is baked these days. Many of the bakeries here by frozen bread and just pop it in the oven before selling! Great shame.
Although more traditional breads seem to be gaining favour again, there are still far too many industrially baked, plastic wrapped tasteless offerings on sale.
There have been a few comments on the use of bread makers. I have had one for years and use it often. I still enjoy traditional methods of making bread but there are times when I just don’t have enough hours in the day.
A few tips then from my side:
Most bread makers make a standard loaf. In this case I would be tempted to put the ingredients in and just let the machine run. Otherwise go for a dough cycle and be creative.
In terms of tweaking the recipe for a bread maker….. I know the maximum size of loaf for my machine so the first thing I check is the total volume/weight of flour in the recipe. I reduce the quantity of flours in the recipe to this maximum and adjust all the other quantities proportionally.
Then just put the liquid ingredients in first, then the flours and other dry ingredients. Salt and yeast should log in last, each on opposite sides of the bread maker bucket.
Hope this helps.
Hi Deb!
Do you think this recipe would work well as a free-formed loaf of bread? I don’t mind ugly bread, I just don’t know if this has the structural integrity to remain a loaf without some help.
Julie — I haven’t auditioned it as a freeform loaf, but I have a feeling you’ll be just fine from what I remember about the texture.
Hahaha, so a little extra salt did help the flavor, but considering I absent mindedly added an extra half cup of liquid, I can hardly say it was a scientific comparison. Oh well!
This was perfect. I did have to add a bit of extra flour, as dough was too wet (allowed dough to sit for a bit before adding, so that the whole wheat could absorb liquid). Otherwise, didn’t change a thing. Used quick-rising (sometimes labeled bread machine) yeast. Peter Reinhart is a genius…now to snag that latest book!
I love baking whole grain breads and was curious about this recipe, as I’ve never had great success with a fully whole wheat recipe. I made 2 loaves and have to say I was disappointed with the crumbliness- passable as toast but not a great sandwich bread. I have a stand mixer and it got a good kneading- very elastic before rising. Other people in the thread seem to have the same issue. My husband usually devours my bread, but this one hung around and eventually some of it went in the trash.
I think I’ll be going back to my old faithful recipe, with just enough white flour mixed in to create a nice texture. This really is a first for me as I am usually a big fan of the recipes on this site.
My whole wheat flour had gone bad, so I made this bread with white whole wheat flour instead (King Arthur brand). Very pleased with the finished product: fluffy, light, flavorful. Basically, perfect. My lucky friend will be getting the extra loaf tomorrow.
Deb, or anyone else, I’m so sorry but I have a “complicating things” question. I wouldn’t even bother to ask, except from my experience with baking breads and using a few long fermentation ones, and knowing some specific, exclamation-point-punctuated instructions therein…
If we choose to do the long fridge ferment, should that be in a glass or plastic bowl rather than a metal one for any reason with this recipe? I noticed in your photos that your bread is rising in glass, but couldn’t decide if that was a photography choice or a chemistry choice.
Lauren — I used glass; most of my bowls are glass or stoneware. Don’t see any reason why you couldn’t use stainless steel. Generally, the only cooking warnings come with wooden bowls (no conductivity, not that this would be an issue for rising) or reactive metals (namely aluminum), but most people don’t have those around these days. In short: you should be just fine with whatever you have.
I’ve made this twice now and each time have had to add a considerable amount of additional flour. It may be because I didn’t use whole wheat flour but regular bread flour and some gluten flour to make up for the lower protein content of the bread flour. The second time I used warm liquid rather than lukewarm to kickstart the rise as it took longer than it should to get the dough to double the first time around. But it’s a lovely bread and will add it to my regular rotation. I have a batch percolating in the fridge now with poppy and sesame seeds, I think it will be great!
Just tried this bread – and love it in general. Haven’t found many whole wheat recipes where the bread ends up being so light and fluffy, rather than thick and tough. Great taste too! However, my only gripe is that it almost turned out a little too fluffy – so that the bread crumbles pretty easily especially when spreading PB or butter on it. I mixed it by hand rather than a mixer/dough hooks – could that be why? Would more kneading help it hold together better (more gluten) and make it chewier?
I made this bread this afternoon and put one loaf in a pan and made the other into a free-form loaf. Both baked very well.
I used 1/4 nonfat dry milk and all water for the liquid. I also used half bread flour and half whole wheat flour, and had to add almost another cup of extra flour to get the dough to be sticky instead of just plain liquid. Next time I’ll try it entirely with whole wheat flour to see if that has a lot to do with the liquid levels because it’s still really light, even given that it’s more than half wheat + oats.
I also noticed that my rolled oats (not quick-cook) were about 200g for 2 cups.
To repeat others’ concerns (#137, 138, 145), I had the same problem with my loaves coming out quite dense and falling apart. My dough rose beautifully in the fridge overnight, and I left it out on the counter in my kitchen three hours before working with it. I found once I shaped the dough and placed it in the loaf pan, it didn’t rise very much. I even tried to cover it in the loaf pan and place it in a slightly warmer room, and I never found it rose even to the lip of the pan, much less about 1 inch above, even with extra time and then a little heat applied. What would cause it not to rise, after it had risen so well in the fridge? Could I have overworked it before putting it in the loaf pan? I looked at your sliced loaves and the slices (in the freezer bag) look like they’ve got some air/lightness in them while my slices are very dense and crumble apart at the edges. Thanks for your help, Deb!
Hm, for those of you having trouble, I’m beginning to wonder if 3 hours out of the fridge is too long. It wasn’t an issue for me, and it’s what Reinhart, the actual bread genius here, recommends, but if it’s not bouncing back then perhaps in a warmer home or kitchen it’s too much and 1.5 to 2 hours would be better. I can fiddle around with these times a little more the next time I make this, hopefully this week.
Hi. I just bookmarked this recipe to try on a weekend. Just one quick question though. Your recipe says we need to proof the dough twice? Once after kneading and then after we put the loaves into the bread pan/ baking pan ? kindly clarify this. I don’t plan to refrigerate the dough for days, I will bake the same day so would I need to proof twice then ? From Pakistan :)
I just baked this bread over the weekend, and it was delicious. The texture was soft and fluffy, compared to most whole wheat bread recipes that are very dense and not the best for lunchbox sandwiches.
I made it all in one day, while my mother-in-law was visiting. I let the dough rise a bit too much in the loaf pans before baking, so we had a minor bread-explosion in the oven (the bread dough ended up baking over the edges of the pan), but i just cut it off, slathered it with butter, ate it, and let the rest of the break keep on baking. I would absolutely make this again, perhaps with a closer eye on the amount of time spent rising.
MJ — Yes, proof it twice. Hope you enjoy.
Hi Deb, Just wanted to say thank you again for another delicious recipe! I overproofed this (let it rise a couple hours too long out of the fridge, d’oh, my own fault) and it was still absolutely delicious if a little flat topped instead of pretty as your pictures. :) I’ll be a little more careful about the proofing next time and I know it will be perfect.
Made this a few hours ago. Excellent and so easy.
Made this today – got some delicious but shorter-than-described-and-executed loaves. I had a heck of a time getting the dough to rise after not one, two, but 4 hours. That said, I think I know now that the issue is the yeast I used, and I will make adjustments next time, because there will – absolutely – be a next time for this recipe.
Deb – good going on answering all those questions. After looking up a lot of recipes for bread, I see now why people say “I DON’T BAKE” in the same way one who is physically immobile would say “I don’t walk.” It’s not because of cookies, pies, or cakes, but these dang delicious and sometimes devastating loaves of labors of love can drive a person batty for no other reason than the weather, which they cannot control. I’m not one of those people, as I do enjoy baking and especially enjoy eating bread, but if only there was a way in which neither height nor depth nor heat nor cold nor tropic humidity nor stifling aridity would change how to make something as universally enjoyable as bread – BREAD! – then we’d hear far less “I DON’T BAKE” and far more “YUUUUUUMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!…!!!!!!!”
I love all of your recipes, but I think this is the first one that has changed my life. I have tried dozens of whole wheat bread recipes and my preschooler always complains that he wants “wiggly bread,” like store-bought foldable Wonder bread. I made this for him and he ate three pieces! Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Made this during a burst of nesting last weekend – I used active dry yeast and definitely should have given the dough longer for each rise. Ended up with two brickish loaves – not bad for snacking or a pre-yoga breakfast, but definitely not sandwich worthy! But, this is in line with almost all of my bread-making history, so I accepted it as part of the learning process. Also, I had been keeping my WW flour in the freezer and wonder if that had anything to do with it (didn’t think to let it warm to room temperature, silly me!). Will definitely be trying this again!
Has anyone tried it with all-purpose flour instead of, or in combination with, whole wheat? I have maybe 1.5 cups of whole wheat flour left and didn’t grab more while grocery shopping today, but want to try again soon!
So I think I finally cracked this one! First time I made it I overproofed it (which I didn’t even know was a concept until reading the comments here.) Second time around, I let it sit out of the fridge for ~15 minutes, then shaped it into loaves, then let it rise for ~1.5 hours. Much better texture (fluffier!). Though frankly even my first try was still delicious, just a bit denser. For the record I made mine with a mixture of whole wheat and white flour and let it sit in the fridge for ~48 hours. I also dialed back the honey to 2 tablespoons. Overall, awesome recipe, my weekly avocado toast just got taken to a whole new level :)
If anyone is still reading these comments, I made these again and learned 2 things:
1. Proof your yeast if it is NOT obviously instant, fast-acting, no proofing needed yeast. If it simply says “active” on the packet or jar, assume it needs to sit there in that lukewarm liquid for 10 minutes. I have 2 brands of active yeast – one name brand, one from Aldi. Only the Aldi brand said to let the yeast proof. Solved my dough-rising problem completely.
2. That folding thing Deb does is not just for looks – it’s for kneading. I decided with my first loaf that it wasn’t worth it to fold it because it didn’t work right for me last time (sure, neither did the yeast, but I didn’t consider that). However, that meant the dough was under-kneaded and actually SANK in the oven. So, I looked up some info on under-kneading and discovered what to look for for a rightly-kneaded dough – elastic but holds shape. So, even if you don’t do the folding technique shown above, be sure to knead your dough after it rises the first time to make sure it will bake the way it needs to.
Hello
It is a beautiful and useful blog, it is very nice to meet you.
I made the bread and it is wonderful, very soft and tasty.
Thank you for shering
Shaini
I made this bread this weekend along with a rich and hearty beef stew. Oh. My. God. This is heaven on earth. Please, I implore anyone reading this comment: MAKE THIS BREAD IMMEDIATELY. It’s now my go-to bread to make and keep on hand. It’s soft and nutty and perfect toasted with a smear of butter. You won’t regret making this bread!
This was my first ever attempt at making bread and i’m pretty hooked! I only have the one loaf tin so half of it is still in my fridge and I think I only let it sit out for about 2 hours but then it needed a little longer than an hour sitting in its tin so it must have equaled out the same as written. It did rise almost an inch in the oven too, which I didn’t expect! Taste wise its delicious and perfect for a nice sandwich and even tastes great toasted. The top of the loaf was nice and brown after just 35 minutes with a yummy crunch to it. This is my new love!
Tried this again last night. I made the dough on Sunday afternoon and let it hang out in the fridge til last night. I proofed my yeast since I was using active dry and zipped my (old fashioned/not quick-cook) oats in my food processor a couple of times, but otherwise followed the instructions as written. I think I did a little better this time, but I also think that my dough sunk in the fridge after a couple days. It smelled a little different than I was expecting – not BAD different, just more like beer than I thought it would. It was rather sticky so I’ll do a better job oiling the bowl next time. I let it sit out for about 3.5 hours before forming loaves. I didn’t notice the loaves rising significantly in the pans in the hour I gave them for the second rise. I’ve only cut into one so far but it is much more tender than my first attempt. It’s definitely not sandwich-sized, though, so I guess I still have some room for improvement!
If I were to replace the milk with water, would I replace the 1 1/4 cups or how much? Thanks!
Sarah — Use the same amount.
I posted earlier about my lack of success with this recipe. I tried again, following a baker friend’s advice. He pointed out that, since we live in a very dry area (West Texas), sometimes he needs to add a little more moisture to his bread recipes.
Well, I followed his advice, and made the dough a bit wetter. And now for the first time in my life I successfully baked a whole wheat loaf! So, thanks Deb! Next in the oven, your cannoli cake!
My bread turned out crumbly. What did I do wrong?
Deb, this bread rocks my world. Many, many of your recipes are favorites in our house, but this one is a game changer. I replace one cup of w.w. flour with bread flour for a bit more structure, and literally haven’t bought bread since you published this. I’ve wished for years that I could find a sandwich bread recipe that we all liked well enough to replace the store bought, and this is it. Thank you!!
This is my new boo! Making it for the third time tonight, and going to try tossing it in the fridge to bake tomorrow. I’ve been baking all the bread for our family for years (in fact, I was the only student in our dorm that owned a bread machine instead of a hot plate), and this is an incredible sandwich loaf. Flexible on the bake day/time, never brick-like, 100% whole grain. Yet again, you’ve changed my life. Seriously. Thank you!
I have made this a few times now and it keeps falling apart. Like the slices just fall to pieces when you try to eat them.
Do you think I let them rise too much?
Heather — It could be the culprit.
Quick tip that has made my oatmeal breads fluffier – soak the oats with the liquids and yeast for 5-10 minutes before adding the flour. I just add all my liquids, dump in the oats, and wash a few dishes or check my email before adding the flour. I use old fashioned oats and with the soak my breads are very soft and fluffy.
Deb,
I’ve tried to read as many comments as possible to find the answer to my question but my eyes hurt and I’m none the wiser!
I’ve baked bread for years and I’ve never seen a bread made using yeast and whole meal flour – I’m in Ireland so as far as I can gather, our wholemeal is the same as the US whole wheat. Wholemeal has a protein content of c. 10%. Is that enough to sufficiently rise the bread or should I play it safe with a “strong” flour (c12%)?
Claire — I’m sorry, I’m unfamiliar with these flour varieties, but it can’t hurt to play it safer the first time. It’s not the flour, however, that will ensure it rises, but the yeast and resting times. Good luck!
Hello. This looks delicious! I got married in October and since its just hubby and myself, two loaves may be a bit much. (I also only have one loaf pan at the moment) Will this dough hold up in the freezer to be baked at a later date? That way, I could make one loaf in my lone pan, and make another later.
Any chance you could include a print version of your delightful recipes? This looks delish and I’ll be making it as soon as I get to the store for more flour! It would make it easier to print from the many cloud apps out there. Also I think I can address a couple of questions previously posted, one from Claire in Ireland, go with the strong flour and a longer rise, and Heather, let it rise in the fridge for a more dense loaf that will not fall apart. Love your site, I’m making you browniest cookies right now.
Kelly — You can print a mess-free version of any/every recipe via the “Print” link at the end of it, before the comments begin.
I have a 3 year old grandson who is a very picky eater. He loves plain bread so I try to find bread that has some nutrition to it. On a very cold Illinois day he and I made this today and it is a hit. He had fun kneading and watching it rise. I only had regular yeast so I just let it dissolve in the warm milk and water for 5-10 minutes then made as directed. Worked great. This will be in the freezer ready for my grandson when he visits!
@kelly, debs had print option for years, look under the recipe, above the comments.
Thanks deb, this is so fantastic, my house smells amazing, and I can’t wait to see what five days does for the second half.
Made this today using active dry yeast and powdered milk — turned out excellent and easily replaced my go-to sandwich bread. I mixed on medium in my stand mixer for 2 minutes and kneeded on a floured surface for about 10 minutes (when the bread was a bit more smooth and tacky than sticky, and bounced back quickly when pressed).
Can’t wait to start experimenting with this fantastic bread! Great as is, but you can taste the possibilities a few seeds and grains could do to this loaf.
My tween son said “this bread is amaze-balls” and he was right! Super easy. Delish. I couldn’t even stash the extra loaf in the freezer because we ate it too fast!
Sounds tasty. How long does it last in the freezer?
c — As long as anything will in yours. What I mean is that there’s no reason you cannot freeze it for a half a year, but in many freezers, it will pick up an unpleasant freezer-y odor before then.
Deb, I was wondering if I need to bake the bread a little longer because once I cut the whole loaf I had issues with it being very crumbly. I haven’t tried the overnight in the fridge then baking sounds like that might make it sturdier. Any other suggestions?
Thank you! I live this bread!
Hi Deb,
Can you revise the instructions to reflect that it’s 3 hours from fridge to shaping into loaves? As currently written it is 3 hours until baking, which – with the hour rise in the loaf pans – implies 2 hours out of the fridge before shaping. Thanks!
Fellow smitten kitcheners,
Am desperately hoping one of you is looking at this recipe at the same time. I added in all the liquid ingredients and waiting for the yeast to finish it 10 mins in warm water and just realized I used cold milk instead of lukewarm (thats what I get for not reading through the list properly :( ).
Would you recommend I throw out my liquid ingredients and start all over again? I’d really hate to do that but I would if am looking at wasting 5 cups of flour & 2 cups of oats. But if someone can tell me it will still works, I’ll be very very grateful. I can wait until the mixture is at room temperature if that’s an option as well.
Thanks!!
Never mind, its in the stand mixer already.. will report back tomorrow or tonight, if am impatient :)
Well, I had mixed results with the dough. It did double up in the refrigerator but 1.5 hours were not sufficient for it to rise in the pan. It did smell good and we managed to finish most of it in half day. I still have half the dough in the fridge, hoping to have better results if I waited longer for the second rise. But this was the first time I baked any kind of bread, so yay!
Jane — Sorry for the confusion but I did mean 3 hours until baking (i.e. 1 or so to warm up, another to proof in pans…) Did that not happen for you?
Sowmya — The warm milk helps the yeast get started but it can still work without it, it just takes more time. When in doubt, give the dough longer if it’s coming along sluggishly. I hope you have more luck with the 2nd half. Go you!
I’ve been having a lot of trouble with this recipe, as well as a lot of other long-rise breads. I JUST found this “yeast explainer” from King Arthur (http://www.kingarthurflour.com/blog/2016/01/29/yeast-use/ ) that might have the solution.
Turns out, there are different kinds of instant yeast–the kind sold by SAF and then “everyone else” (in my case, Fleishmann’s “Bread Machine” yeast). Apparently, the non-SAF kind of instant doesn’t have much staying power–meaning that it stops rising after a few hours. It also has an aggressively yeasty flavor, which I definitely experienced in this recipe. So if you’re having trouble with this recipe rising, you might try modifying for dry active or the SAF brand of yeast. (I’m going to!)
Hi, I made your bread today. The first rise the dough definitely doubled. The second rise the bread kinda didn’t rise much, certainly not an inch above the pan. The taste of the bread is great, but I’m frustrated by the shape and the lame second rise. Do you have any ideas for what the failed second rise means for my technique?
Hi Deb! I made this recipe yesterday since we were snowed in and out of bread. (No PB&J?! The horror!) I love the whole wheat and oat flavor, but my loaves were a little on the brittle side. I overbaked them a bit, so I’ll be paying closer attention to them next time. Overall, these really hit the mark for flavorful and healthy standard loaves. Thanks for sharing!
Should the dough be punched down before going into the refrigerator?
Lauren — No. You’re either proofing it at room temperature or in the fridge so there will be nothing to punch down until after it leaves the fridge. Hope that helps.
SAF yeast did the trick! The loaves rose beautifully this time. Thanks for a recipe that hits all the marks–100% whole grain, pantry ingredients, low-effort, and delicous!
Dear Deb,
i have been baking whole wheat bread for over a year now and the recipe is the same that you have mentioned. The bread turns out very nice to eat when its fresh for a day or so – once it gets two days old it becomes very crumbly and barely slices – i have to make very thick slices. Can you help why my bread becomes crumbly? Will be grateful for your inputs!!
Purva — You can try baking it a little less time (I mean, until done, but just done) or you can try dropping the flour 2 to 3 tablespoons. Stickier dough, but should be softer overall. Good luck!
I have baked tried this recipe a few times but the dough never seems to proof after it has been in the fridge (while when it hasn’t, it proofs very well). I was wondering if anyone has had the same problem, or if anyone knows what I’m doing wrong ….?
Just made this bread this past weekend and they turned out so good! This is only my second time making bread (the first being another smitten kitchen recipe No Knead Bread which turned out great as well) and it came out smelling and tasting wonderful. I loved that I was able to give fresh baked bread to my family with ingredients I can read and already have in my pantry! Kept one loaf for home and brought half a loaf to work (the other half was eaten in about 15 minutes after cooling). Thanks Deb for making recipes that even the simplest home cook can make. My family thanks you as well. :)
Just made this..It’s exactly what I’ve been looking for. I don’t think I will be able to bring myself to buying bread any more :-)
This looks yummy! So how long does it store for after baking?
I usually freeze bread if I’m not going to use it within a day or two. Frozen, it lasts months.
Oh my gosh, I just made this and I’m already regretting halving the recipe (for my apartment with population 1)! The crumb is gorgeous and the bread slices like a dream. I went with honey and I really like the subtle sweetness it brings. Next time I am definitely going to try to be patient and do one or two long rises in the fridge (long rises are the best).
I made this bread a couple of weeks ago and I’m in love. I think this will become a staple in my household. I used “extra thick” rolled oats and do notice the texture in the bread, but since that’s what I wanted, I’m very happy! I did find that the first loaf I made (only one loaf pan–I may have to remedy that) was a bit soft and wobbly in the middle. However, I always freeze my bread, and after freezing + toasting (to thaw) those slices, I didn’t have a problem with the middle. I also baked my second loaf for a few minutes longer so the crust would be harder and easier to slice, and the middle of that bread was perfectly firm. And just to note, I used unsweetened almond milk and barely a teaspoon of honey–I didn’t want my bread sweet, just enough sugar to feed the yeast.
Do the oats break down or is their texture noticeable? I’ve got a boy who is very particular about food textures. Would this work the same if I blended the oats down? Thanks!
You can blend them. You can use instant oats, which will have less texture. Plus, the longer your bread rises, the longer the oats soften in the dough. I don’t find it noticeable, however, but I’m not bothered by textures either.
I have made this many times. However, it is a bit crumbly especially when I cut it into slices for my boys. Is this because it is a whole wheat bread? Am I possibly doing something wrong?
I am also wondering about this
Would the wheat bran I just purchased and used in your blue sky bran muffins (yum) work here in place of the rolled oats?
I’m not positive but I think it could. Use the weight substitute, not volume, because bran can feel as light as air.
Can I use regular (instead of instant) yeast? If so, do I need to alter the directions?
If you use regular yeast, you need to proof it in lukewarm water with the honey until the yeasts bubbles first. Then proceed with the rest of the directions (this is just standard for active dry vs instant yeast in general)
Is the 1 1/2 tablespoons of yeast accurate? Or should it be 1 1/2 teaspoons?
It is correct.
Deb, this is a great recipe. Thanks so much! I made a batch and baked the first loaf today. Grilled cheese sandwiches and soup for dinner tonight.
The only change I made to the recipe was to toast the oats for 20 minutes & grinding them up a bit in my Vitamix before adding to the flour. Turned out really well.
Made this today into one loaf and eight mini loaves… Hubby, son and daughter all insist I make again. Have had great success with your recipes, thanks!
Will this recipe work in a bread machine?
I haven’t tried but suspected it would work as well as any other wholegrain bread machine recipe until I saw this comment. Not sure why it didn’t work for her, or if that means it would a problem for you too.
Hi there! Just wondering if I can use a flax egg in place of real egg?
Thanks!
Sounds like this commenter did successfully.
GAH. I just baked this and it looked so amazing…BUT I didn’t grease my pans. BOTH loaves tore into pieces as I tried to get them out. A word of warning to anyone who tries to make this: make sure to grease your pans!!!
Can you make this in a 11 inch loaf pan?
How wide is it?
It is 5.5 inches wide.
I think it definitely holds more, loaf may not be as tall but otherwise no reason not to use it.
Thank you. I may try it and will let you know.
First try at bread baking in a very long time… The first try with regular yeast (on hand) per instructions found on the site, and a 4-day ferment = fail/unforgiving. (Dough rose quickly in fridge, then collapsed a couple hours later. Yet I thought it might still work. Heavy, hardly rose again, flavor, all yuck.)
Second try today per original recipe with stand mixer, instant yeast, and same day bake resulted in an A- outcome (blended oats for finer texture) flavor wise, homey, bready awesomeness just fine plain with butter.
However, the top middle of the bread sank some; it didn’t get that nice, rounded rise as in your picture. The bottom of the loaf also seemed slightly “heavy,” like the weight of it compressed the bottom 1/8″. My dough matched your descriptors of smooth, supple, slightly sticky, not too wet (in my opinion; maybe it was?)
What am I doing wrong? Any ideas why the middle has sunk some and how to prevent it? Am I letting it proof too long after it’s in the loaf pan? (At 45 minutes it looked as if they weren’t going to rise anymore, so I started baking.) Is it because perhaps the ends are too heavy/thick with too much folded in dough? Thanks for helping! I want to get this right!
I have had similar results and wonder what I did wrong.
I put the dough together Saturday night, refrigerated it over night and baked one loaf on Sunday. My problem was that I wasn’t sure what size pan to use and that made me unsure about when to bake. I think I might have over proofed since there was no oven spring. The dough is slow to rise because of being all whole wheat. It was delicious anyway! I am going to try using a smaller size pan for the other loaf and see how that goes. Thanks for inspiring me to get back to baking my own bread!
I thought it was strange that you didn’t say to oil the bread pans, but I didn’t oil them cause it didn’t say to… and so I made some very lovely bread that got thoroughly mangled in its removal from the pans. Oops!
I’m really bummed that I wrecked my bread b/c this important detail was left out.
Oil the pans, everybody!!!
Oh no! Perhaps I got lucky because mine are nonstick? Now edited. Sorry again for the trouble.
Hi! Love the site and very excited for a 100% whole wheat recipe. However, I made the bread and it came out very dense and thick, and I can only cut very thick slices. Almost like a dry cake. Great flavor though! Any thoughts on why this happened and tips to avoid this? Many thanks!
I’m about to make this bread – but I only have one loaf tin. While one loaf bakes, what do you recommend I should I with the other half of the dough? Put it in the fridge, then bring it back to room-temp before baking?
Thanks so much for all your recipes – I make them all the time and everyone raves – from your apple sharlotka to your goldfish crackers – they’ve all gone down a treat!
I don’t think the baking time will ruin the dough at room temperature, but yes, back in the fridge is the easiest way to almost halt the rise. You could put it in for, say, half the baking time and let it warm back up for, say, the other half of the baking time and probably be just fine.
I have made this recipe twice. Love how easily it comes together. But on the second rise it barely rises. First time it Rose and fell before the hour was up. Second time I kept a closer eye on it, but I could tell the rise was done and the dough was barely even with the top of my pans. Should I extend the kneeling time to let the gluten develop further? This is always my problem when making bread, the second rise doesn’t go well and I end up with delicious bricks of bread. Any advice would be great! Thanks!
This is my problem as well. Rises fine the first time. I put it in the fridge and it falls, then, the second rise barely happens. I’m on an hour and a half now with little to no rise. What am I doing wrong? Second time I’ve tried and same results so it has to be me….
I’m a brand new member to this group, but at 85 years of age have been cooking and making bread for quite some time:-) Everyone may not agree with me but from all the information on the internet, its not necessary to let bread rise twice – I never do it and mine comes out lovely, especially if you have a stand mixer…. I also use SPELT many times for a few reasons==spelt is a 100% ancient grain , lower in gluten, and no bitter aftertaste. I’ve found that pure whole wheat leaves a slightly bitter taste, and researched it and found that the berry its made from has a red skin that leaves the bitter aftertaste. White Whole wheat and Spelt do not. ..hope I’m not adding too much information, just love to SHARE.
On my first spin with this recipe, I missed the instant yeast directive and used active instead. I proofed overnight in the fridge and ended up with a delicious but slightly dense loaf – the 11-year-old called it “rich” – great for toast but nobody thought it would work for sandwiches.
Second time around I got the yeast right and proofed and baked it the same day which made a big difference. Still not sure about sandwiches with this one, but I’m thinking that’s a function of the whole wheat vs the recipe. I’m going to try this with white whole wheat next time and see how that fares!
In both cases I used old fashioned oats after a quick spin in the blender which seemed to work well.
When you proof the second time (in the pans), do you cover with plastic wrap again or leave uncovered? I am hesitant to leave it out unprotected, but I don’t want the plastic wrap to keep it from crowning above the pan.
I cover it and spray the side of the plastic wrap that touches the dough with non-stick spray. This way it is protected, but the plastic wrap doesn’t stick to the dough and keep it from crowning properly.
Is there a mistake with the flour weight? Usually one cup of flour = 120 grams. Going on this premise, I made this bread with 5 cups/600 grams of whole wheat flour, not the 635 grams specified. Fab bread regardless! I am always looking for new 100% whole wheat bread recipes and this is a welcome addition to my recipe rotation. I’ve had great luck with your bread recpies, Deb. Your black bread recipe is one of my all time favorites!
Flour can clock in at anywhere between 120 and 140 (!) per cup, depending on who you ask. I usually get a 125 to 130 range, which is nicely in the middle. KA always says 120 but I’ve just never gotten that on the scale, no matter how accurate my spoon and how carefully I fluffed and spooned. So glad it was a hit.
Oh for the love of loaves! Thank you so much for this recipe. It really is the perfect sandwich bread, or anytime bread. My favorite thing, besides how easy it was to make by hand (no machines) was being able to let the dough rest in the refrigerator until I had time enough to deal with it. This is the ultimate busy-person recipe whose life has many ups and downs and interruptions.
My loaf came out looking almost like yours in the picture, but a little more pale because I ran out of wheat flour and only had a touch of spelt flour to use instead. But still, it was amazing. Wish there was a way to include my photo!
My husband really liked the heartiness of it, and the nice crust. He says he didn’t know oatmeal breads could be this good. So thank you for that as well. Keep up the great work!
This is THE most forgiving recipe EVER. I replace milk with water, use white sugar and canola oil, and it’s yum. I make it twice a week for my family, we stopped buying bread. I made it (once) with white flour and rose it slowly in the fridge; I’ve made it with short and long rises; one time I managed to forget to add the oats (!); and every time it was delicious! I use whatever oats I have to hand; if you use quick oats, they disappear and leave no texture, regular oats are more visible and more chewy. Enjoy this. It’s a game changer.
I bake all of our bread and have made dozens of loaves from this recipe. It is consistently wonderful. I sub flax eggs for regular eggs (family allergy) and it works just great. I have also subbed 1 or 2 cups of rye flour (for 1 or 2 cups of the whole wheat) in and that is a nice variation, too! I usually have to bake loaves for 42 minutes total in my oven for a nice, firm center. Thanks for the recipe!
Hi can I use evaporated milk? thks
I’d think so, but haven’t tried it.
Hi, want to say thank you very much for the recipe… !! I only left it in the fridge for 2 days and it was so delicious, chewy and satisfying.. I am gonna leave it for 5 days for the next batch.. LOVE IT !! having this for breakfast, lunch and dinner … .haha
Deb, you can use evaporated milk for anything that calls for milk., I do it all the time. As it is or reconstituted. We drink almond milk so I don’t have regular milk in the house, and a dozen cans in pantry is wonderful to have ;-_
I love your recipe for the Whole Wheat oatmeal bread, but if you don’t mind I have a suggestion on it. The recipe was all out of order, because you had things in certain areas that were supposed to go in others. For instance the brown sugar should have been where it went into that mix. When I make bread, I like all the stuff in order, so, this is what I did. Of course, I make bread a lot, so I understand for those who don’t you must put total instructions Still, the ing redients should be in the order they are added together….I can’t wait to make this delicious bread for my music group with my homemade jam or local wildflower honey!! ..This was my revision for ME .. BREAD, 100% WHOLE WHEAT AND OATS –2 loaves —350º-35-40 minutes
First – Mix together the 4 ingredients, then add egg and oil and mix
1 1/4 cups lukewarm water
3 tablespoons raw or brown sugar, honey or agave nectar
1 1/4 cups lukewarm milk, any kind
1 1/2 tablespoons instant yeast
———-1 large egg +1/4 cup vegetable or olive oil,
Then slowly add the dry ingredients
5 cups whole-wheat flour – ( or 2 cups spelt and 3 cups flour)
2 cups rolled oats
1 tablespoon kosher or coarse salt
Let proof at room temperature for about an hour, or until the dough has crowned 1 inch above the rim of the baking pan
Bake at 350 about one hour
Thanks.
Last summer on Prince Edward Island, I had a farmer’s market sandwich on homemade carrot bread. Thought maybe it was a local thing, carrot bread– my Montreal fruiterie has started carrying a brand of it from a regional distributor. Google was really unhelpful in researching this, turning up only sweet carrot cake recipes. I subbed the oats in this recipe for an equal amount of ground carrots (diced then pulsed in food processor.) It shouldn’t have worked, right, subbing something damp for something dry? The dough was softer to work with, but it TOTALLY worked! So if you’re interested in a delicious wheat bread with pretty specks of carrot and a little extra wholesomeness, DO IT.
This sounds awesome, thanks for the tip.
This bread is great–the best whole wheat sandwich bread recipe I’ve found–but please consider listing the ingredients in the order they are called for in the recipe. Every time the recipe said to add an ingredient, I had to search through the whole ingredient list to see what amount was called for. When they are in chronological order, the reader knows exactly where to look and it is much quicker.
I love this bread so much. Thank you for posting it. Back to school means sandwiches and this is a hit with my kid. I love how easy it is and that unlike store bought, I know what’s in it.
I made my two loaves less than a week ago, and my husband, toddler and I already made quick work of it. Really enjoyed it. I got a great rise after proofing in the fridge overnight and then on the counter the next morning, but the bread didn’t seem to rise more when baking. So it didn’t wind up quite as tall as the loaves pictured, but it was delicious, nonetheless. Thanks!
I made a half recipe of this because I only wanted one loaf but it came out a bit crumbly and not good for sandwiches. Not sure why because I followed the recipe exactly. I wonder if it it because you can’t really cut an egg in half?
Can I shape this into loaves and let it chill in the fridge in the loaf pans? Then when I’m ready to bake, there is no prep work other than bringing the dough to room temperature.
The plastic wrap you indicate to use is, well, one-use-plastic. I am curious if there is some specific reason for using the plastic? Is there another way?
pretty sure you can use a dishtowel instead like in days of yore
Hi Deb, can I use the same measurement for white whole wheat flour? Thanks !
I can’t wait to try this! Do you need to punch down the dough after the first proof, or just pour it straight out to knead and shape?
So, I have attempted this bread countless times. I am not a novice baker, by any stretch, and have made many different bread recipes on many occasions. This bread has me stumped! It smells heavenly, and has a lovely flavor, but no matter what I do, it falls. Sometimes it falls during the second rise, usually in the oven. Today it fell – literally – when I accidentally bumped the pan transferring it to the oven. (Wish I could insert an emoji in here with SMH eyes.)
So, is there any particular trouble shooting I could try? I would love to make this pretty, make it work, taste it as it’s meant to be tasted, etc., but honestly, at this point it’s also starting to sting my pride a little that I can’t make it look like all my other loaves. I have tried playing around with the amount of flour, and tried doing part bread flour to give it better structure, but these things haven’t helped. The humidity doesn’t seem to affect it (as it always falls, no matter what the weather is like), and I don’t live at a high altitude. And again, I don’t have trouble with getting other bread recipes to rise and perform.
If it’s falling, it might be overproofed. It might have just grown more quickly than expected. You could move things along faster or try using less yeast next time. Actually, the last time I made this, it went a little faster than expected too.
Ahhh, thank you! I have a handful of recipes that I make often, and one particular bread recipe that is our go-to, and it rises like crazy and doesn’t ever fall. (My husband very appropriately has named it “cartoon bread” because it looks like a caricature of real bread from a comic strip.) Anyway, I never thought about over-rising being a problem with this bread, because I thought the whole wheat flour would give it enough structure to protect it from collapsing. Shows just how much I actually know, ha. ;)
I am trying this again this week, with a *little* less yeast and a more watchful eye. Thank you for taking the time to respond! :)
This is wonderful! We recently moved to a country that doesn’t have sandwich bread! We’ve been making our own, but it’s been flop and ok. I can’t wait to try this recipe!
Wow, this looks amazing! Any ideas if I could sub the egg for something vegan friendly? 🤞🏼
Has no one ever noticed this typo before?
“1/4 cup (55 grams grams) vegetable or olive oil, plus a little more to coat bowl”
grams grams!
Thank you so much for giving the internal temperature. Good to know.
I only baked one loaf, splitting the recipe as printed in half. Today was a humid weather day so the dough rose nicely. Another simple to follow recipe from SK!
Dough didn’t do a complete 2nd rising – rose halfway then cracked but I baked it anyway and it was delicious! Looking forward to trying again. Any idea why the top of the dough cracked on both loaves? I used soy milk and a flax egg btw. See you in PDX!!
This was my first stab at making wheat bread and while my whole family loved, loved, loved it, I found it had a slightly bitter after taste? Has anyone else experienced this? I let it ferment in the fridge for 3 days… Aside from that it came out great! I have been baking bread for a while and have had lots of trials and errors but this is a new one! I am not giving up but would love some advice about why the bitterness.
This made a really nice loaf of bread. Next time I think I will reduce the salt to 1tsp as I found it on the salty side. And I I love salt!
Made 2 batches of this so far and will likely keep making it! It’s really good toasted with lots of butter. It reminds me of Irish brown bread.
I also had trouble with there being no rise during the second proof. The first time I baked it the same day, the second time I baked it 2 days later and proofed in a slightly warm oven. No rise either time, so it came out very dense and a little crumbly. We love this with stews and warm meals on cold days. It’s so hearty!
Ok, I made this several times about a year ago, maybe a year and a half ago, and now I did it again – doubled in size on the first rise, an inch over the lip of the pan on the second rise, and then sunk in the bread pan while cooking in the oven AGAIN. Can anyone help me? What is going wrong? I’ve had trouble with the rise in the past, but that wasn’t the case this time. My yeast is fresh and everything else seemed to go according to the pictures and directions above. I’m bummed – this is the only SK recipe that has continued to stump me.
Maybe, according to the link below, I let it rise too much?
So confused and bummed. It’s eddible, but will probably be dense, unfortunately.
https://www.craftybaking.com/learn/baked-goods/bread/problems-and-solutions/general
Sounds like it rose too much and then collapsed. I do find (or found recently, not in early tests) that this can sometimes work ahead of schedule…
Thanks so much for replying, Deb! We ate that bred last night and today with no complaints, so I will try and try again! To find an answer (too much rise -who’d have known??!!) at all is much better all my learning through 4 or 5 attempts alone when so many different variables could have been in the mix.
I have been making your light wheat bread for years and loving it, but last night I gave this recipe a try and it’s waaaaaay better! This bread is softer, has a better texture, and I love that it’s all whole wheat and oats. The light wheat bread is delicious but it’s a much stiffer bread, sometimes so stiff that it splits or breaks when making a sandwich. This bread is softer, more flexible and has a better texture overall. I don’t think I’ll go back to the other.
Since I’d made the light wheat bread so much, I had a lot of dry milk in the pantry. So I used that instead of regular milk as this recipe calls for. I used about 1/3c of dry milk, and then added water to the measuring cup to fill it to 1+1/4 c as the recipe calls for. Other than that, I followed this recipe as instructed and it all came out perfectly.
Thank you for your tip, Darcy!! I was ready to try this again, but I’ll dry the dry milk as well. Getting the temp right was one of my tricky problems.
If I’m taking it out after proofing in the fridge overnight, should I shape it right away then let it sit 3 hrs OR wait 2 hrs, shape then let it sit the last hour? Thanks!!
I love this bread recipe! It has become my weekly bread bake… we use one loaf fresh and freeze a sliced loaf for later in the week. It’s good as is written but then over the past couple of months I’ve started making variations. I use unsweetened almond/coconut milk and honey. I do 50% whole wheat and 50% High extraction wheat flour which made it a bit softer of a loaf. I add toasted millet, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, and sometimes flax at the hook mix. Sometimes I make an egg wash and put some on top too. It’s so good- thank you!
If I do not own bread pans can I cook this in a Dutch oven? Would you recommend splitting the loaves or could I extend baking time and cook one large loaf?
I just made this and it was very delicious, I substituted barley malt syrup for the honey as I love the flavour. It was quite crumbly which I’m not used to with bread, perhaps my mixture was too dry, either way, I would make it again. I love the oaty texture and that it is all whole wheat yet light.
How long do you knead this for if kneading by hand and not using a stand mixer? Not sure what “knead a few times” means and don’t want to over or under knead. Thanks!
It’s almost impossible to over-knead by hand, however, that “knead a few times” was presuming the use of a stand mixer/dough hook to have already kneaded. But this can be made by hand; I’d knead it for 5 to 8 minutes on the counter. You’re looking for a smooth (-ish, there are oats here, of course) elastic ball, and then just continue to make the dough as written.
Good bread! I liked your casual approach to process. Recipe is a keeper. Thanks
How crusty is the crust?
I made this sandwich bread yesterday, and it turned out beautifully! I have never been able to make an all whole-wheat bread so fluffy – thank you for the recipe! I have a sourdough starter, and I threw that in with the yeast-sugar mixture and it worked well. I also seeded the top of the loaves!
I make this bread in a regular basis, but always comes out crumbly on the edges.
I make it by hand since I don’t have a mixer, could that be the cause?
I recently purchased a kitchen aid and this was my first attempt at bread making.. Loved the process! My loafs came out pretty dense and the crust is very crusty, more ciabatta like. What did I do wrong?! Should I let it proof overnight? I’m hoping to get it right on my next attempt! Thanks Deb!
There are often variances in oats and flour, especially if measured in cups — it either needs a little more water (a stickier dough is a good thing), a little more rising time, or a little less baking time. Hope that helps!
Cam this modified for a bread machine? I was unable to see a previous reply to the question.
I’m wondering that, too.
Is there a vegan hack to make the bread and still have it turn out? I know someone said in the comments to use flax as a egg replacement. How about the plant milk for cows milk?
Turned out awesome! I used white whole wheat because that was all I had and it is a lovely texture. I am normally not a wheat bread fan and I am adding this to my recipe box.
what size of loaf pan do you recommend for this recipe ? 9 ×5 or 8 1/2 × 4 1/2 ??
thanks
Just made my first attempt. My first loaf looked like a mutant butternut squash. ;) It is really tasty. Mine too dense to be sandwhich bread but will be good for toast.
Will try again and see if I get different result.
Made this today, it looked so appealing but the comments almost scared me off. We love homemade bread and since it has turned a bit cooler, I forged ahead. Weighed the dry ingredients, measured everything twice, watched the time — both rises and the bake time wete faster than the recipe. It is delicious; beautiful
Crumn, even texture, slices cleanly. It’s a winner (and forget about sharing the 2nd loaf — the 1st one is half gone)
If you put the bread in the fridge to proof, how long do you let it sit prior to putting it in the bread pans? Then how long do you proof the bread in the pans?
Thanks!
Just made this bread, and it was a huge hit! I have a lot of steel cut oats sitting around and am wondering if it would be possible to substitute those for the rolled oats in your recipe. Any modifications?
I also just made this bread – also a huge hit (gone before I could even use it for sandwiches!) and am now in a similar situation. Would love to hear your thoughts about using steel cut oats instead of rolled oats! Thanks!
(I’m surprised this hasn’t come up yet in the comments!) I’m so glad you enjoyed the bread! I’m sorry I didn’t get to your question sooner. My answer is… I am not certain! What I mean is, I don’t think steel oats will work unless cooked a little first. They’re too hard. It’s not like rolled oats which are still edible uncooked, just dry. I wonder if you substitute them but soak them in the milk or water first, maybe overnight, if this will be enough to soften them enough that they won’t seem crunchy once it’s fully baked. I hope that helps.
I somewhat accidentally tried this a week or two ago with steel-cut oats and because I am not an oatmeal-eater, it didn’t occur to me until the bread dough was already in the mixer getting kneaded that it might not work. Results: it does! The bread has a bit of a chewier texture, and you may need to add extra flour because the steel-cut oats won’t soak up as much liquid as the rolled oats do and therefore the dough is wetter. Still probably better to use rolled oats, but if that’s your only obstacle, the bread was still delicious, wholesome, hearty, and got totally devoured.
I make Irish brown bread every week, recipe from a B&B landlady in Ballyshannon, it has steel cut oats in it and of course goes straight into the oven when mixed. I have never had a problem with over “chewiness”
I’ve made half-recipes (one loaf) of this twice in the last week or so, using honey as the sweetener and regular (not quick) rolled oats. The flavor was great, but I found the texture really crumbly, especially after a day or two. I may have overproved it, but I suspect the big issue is that there is only whole wheat flour and no all-purpose or bread flour, so there is not enough gluten to keep this together. I will probably try this again using 2/3 or 1/2 whole wheat flour and the rest all-purpose or bread flour. I’d be interested in hearing your thoughts about all-purpose vs. bread flour for this and other breads!
I’ve made this a few times and it always comes out perfect. I bake a large loaf in a 13.5” x 4.5” tin and after I’ve rolled up the cylinder, chop both ends off and make a couple of rolls. When I made it to bake the following morning, I put the dough in the fridge and it was bursting out of its container after a couple of hours so I baked it then. Have cut back on the yeast since, but always bake it straight after proving at room temp. Today I’ve added sunflower and pumpkin seeds. Superb!
This was great! The texture of the finished loaf is tender and delicate–not crumbly like soda bread, but not stretchy like pre-packaged bread. Nice with butter, great with cheddar. Would make an excellent grilled cheese!
The second time I made this, I changed the process a bit to save on cleaning. I got the ingredients barely combined with a spoon, then kneaded by hand right in the bowl for a few minutes. It was still very sticky and wet, but I covered it and put it in the fridge for about 24 hours. The next day, I only needed a bit of flour on the cutting board to flatten and roll it. I also measure flour differently from Deb–I shake it from a bag into a measuring cup and I don’t let it compact much….and I’m also using the metric system so I wouldn’t be surprised if on the whole I have proportionally less flour than would be expected.
Just made this (again) with buckwheat flakes, and it was excellent as well. Have also tried spelt flakes in the past. A+ recipe.
I love this bread!! I love to bake but I’ve never made a yeast bread before. I had pretty much no idea what I was doing but it came out perfectly! My family doesn’t buy sandwich bread anymore because I make this all the time now, I practically have the recipe memorized
Deb, love your site. I started this bread this morning and it looks more like batter than dough. I’m sure I used all the right measurements. I have added at least a cup of flour and it’s still wet and sticky. My ww flour was old, but kept in the fridge the whole time. I sifted it first to lighten it up. Should I just go ahead as it is?
Yes, it’s fine. There’s nothing wrong with a batter-y bread, it’s actually correct, especially when it’s intended for a loaf pan, which holds the shape.
FINALLY! VICTORY!
I have whined, I have lamented, I have given up. This recipe stumped me, and I could not figure out why. Really, I departed from it after trying at least 4 times, all failing in at least one unique way and all in one consistent other: short, dense, tasty-but-not-right bread. Then I found other recipes that, long and short, taught me how to bake bread (that and watching “The Great British Baking Show” & Bon Appetit’s Youtube channel’s recent “It’s Alive – Sourdoughnuts” series). I finally figured out why these things were happening: letting the dough rise for too long.
Basically, the lesson I learned was to look at the dough and finish it’s rise once it’s doubled, regardless of how long (or how short) that time is. Then, do the same for the 2nd rise, because that yeast can only do so much.
I am SO thankful I tried this one more time. It’s way easier than it used to be for me, and I thank Deb for answering so many of my questions in the early days!
Can the whole loaves be frozen (without slicing) with no sacrifice of flavor or texture?
Absolutely. They freeze great. Wrap it well.
Just made this recipe, delicious. I would like to make three smaller loaves out of this recipe, would I reduce cooking time?
Thank you.
Yes reduce cooking time but I’m not sure how much without testing it. In general, I find it to be somewhere into the half to 2/3 baking time zone, when sizing things down, if you want to check in then.
Thank you, will give that a try, very yummy sandwich bread
First timer baking bread, and the dough didn’t double in size after 70 minutes. In fact, it looks like it barely rose. What could I have done wrong and can it be saved? I used King Arthur 100% whole wheat flour, 2 packets of instant yeast, and used my mixer…
I’ve gotta leave the house for a few hours, so I’m gonna throw it in the fridge and cross my fingers it can be salvaged. =P
How did it look when you came home? I do find that sometimes instant yeast can take longer to “wake up” than other times, but it should always wake up.
It looked like it rose some in the fridge. I waited 5 days, patiently. Then 3 hrs on the counter. When we put it in the loaf pans, it didn’t rise to the advised height. I expected it to be a brick. But, it was delicious! More proof that one cannot mess this up, no matter what.
Hi there, I posted a comment a while ago but I can’t find it now. I saw your responses on pastry flour, but is that the same as bread flour? I have whole wheat bread flour, can I use this?
You’ve probably figured it out by now, but just in case…
Bread flour is made from hard wheat with a higher gluten content than pastry flour or all-purpose flour. It should work really well in this recipe.
Deb! I love this recipe and make it every 1-2 weeks, depending on our toast and sandwich consumption. It has a jump to comments at the top but not a jump to recipe. Please add a jump to recipe. :)
A great recipe! Genuinely foolproof. I also made it while ridiculously pregnant and managed to make 2 loaves of bread that all the children are happy to eat (white bread only children) and enjoy it myself. 5 stars!
Hello, and thanks so much for this wonderful recipe! I added about half a cup of soaked seeds (flax and quinoa) into the dough along with a bit of vital wheat gluten. After kneading, I refrigerated it for a couple of days, then shaped the dough and refrigerated it overnight. I baked the loaves in the morning, and managed to produce some delicious bread, despite my abysmal shaping and under-proving at room temperature before baking. My picky oldest son liked so much that he took some home for his own sandwiches this week – amazing! This one’s a keeper that I suspect will only get better with practice. Bravo!
I made this with a combo of buttermilk and coconut milk. Sadly I used dark muscovado sugar, so the bread is a little bit bitter. I’m sure it’s so good with a more standard, sweet sugar.
I bookmarked this recipe long ago but it’s not until now, out of bread and hunkering down during a pandemic, that I’m getting around to making it. This was such an easy recipe! I only had half the oats I needed and very little else in the way of substitutions. I ended up using half I Heart Keenwah brand hot quinoa cereal flakes. To my surprise and relief it worked great! I measured the oats and cereal together by weight.
I let the dough proof overnight in the fridge. It at least doubled in size by the morning. In the morning I took it out of the fridge and immediately shaped it into loaves and put them into the pans. Then I set them aside and they did rise past the top edge of the pans. Baked them off for just about 40 minutes.
I was concerned they might taste like quinoa but I can’t detect that at all. And maybe because of the overnight proofing I don’t detect chewy oats either. The bread is slightly tangy with a sturdy (not in a bad way) crust.
Now if I can only find some more yeast in a store or online I will make more!
Just made the oat and wheat bread. The only change I made was to sub about 3 tbsps of wheat bran and 3 tbsps of flaxseed meal. Absolutely delicious. Deb, you are helping me cope with physical distancing and social solidarity. Just gave a loaf to my neighbour. Many thanks.
Hi Marilyn, did you remove an equal amount of flour when adding the meal? Thanks!
I don’t have any whole wheat flour (and don’t want to make extra grocery store trips during COVID-19 lockdown in NYC)–could I substitute AP flour?
Can you use a non-dairy milk alternative?
Well, thank you! So many bread recipes are labeled “whole wheat”, but closer inspection shows they may have more white flour than whole wheat. This one is the real deal. I have plenty of bread in the freezer, and I still want to make this.
I don’t have enough wheat flour in the house and can’t go out to get some. I have white bread flour. Can I substitute some white for wheat?
Thanks
It is a very forgiving recipe. I usually use high extraction whole wheat. But you can use white, a mix of flours, etc… I’ve done it with spelt and rye too.
Yes!
I made this bread today. Still new to the baking yeast bread in loaves. I’ve done rolls before. This bread is amazing! Thank you so much for a brilliant recipe!
I made the Whole Wheat and Oat bread. It was easy. It turned out looking almost exactly like yours. I like the consistency but the bread has a bitter after taste when it’s hot. I wonder if it needs more sugar in it. It is much better cold!
I made this today and it is delicious. But I have a question. My loaves sunk a little in the center, one more than the other. Do you have a tip to prevent this next time?
You may have over-proofed it (left it too long to rise, esp. on the second rise). This happened to me a few weeks ago. Bread was still okay, just not quite as puffy as I would have liked.
Made this today, fantastic! Easy too. I used half sugar half honey. Otherwise followed exactly. I tried to remove one loaf from the pan before it was cool and part of it stuck. The second one cooled completely and came out easily.
I had to substitute about 100g of bread flour for some of the whole wheat and to bake in several small disposable loaf pans, but the bread turned out great nonetheless!
(For anyone else stuck using different pans, the loaf pans I had were labeled as holding “1/4 loaf” – I used about 300g of this dough in each and that worked.)
Can this recipe be halved successfully? I have a friend who raves about this bread, but I can’t store/eat an additional loaf. Thanks!
Yes, easily
If halving the recipe what do I do with the egg? Do I just use it whole and reduce one of the liquids? By how much?
For the bread to be exactly the same, you’ll want to beat the egg and pour half of the beaten mixture in. But I probably would use the whole egg and maybe hold back 2T liquid elsewhere, as you suggested.
I tried the 4 day fridge rise but not happy with the results, very dense, no holes, and even if the temp inside read 195 f it seemed still undercooked inside, but not outside. So next time, like the previous times, bake it when I make it. Ciao from Sardinia
Hello! you are the bet and hilarious watching you cook with your kids. Very similar situation in my house.
Question. I am a good cook and a super shitty baker. I CANNOT seem to bake anything with yeast that turns out well.
This should have been EASY and it rose but once baked it didn’t rise at all.
Any suggestions???
Thank you! River
Did it overproof at all? Maybe rise then collapse?
hello! i’m really excited about this recipe, but when i put my bread in the pans for the second rise, they only rose a tiny bit and never reached the top of the tin. temperature should have been okay (in the turned off oven with the light on) and the first rise seemed great. i did the first rise over night in the fridge. any thoughts on what could have gone wrong? thanks!
Noob bread baker here. First rise went great. During the second rise, the loaves were rising above the pans and all looked great, but then they sank back down about halfway thru that rise. Why did this happen?
It might have proofed faster than the times suggest and overproofed. I realize that’s probably very frustrating for a beginner bread baker. I’d put it in ASAP and see how it bakes up. It’s definitely ready.
Can you use oat milk in this rather than regular milk?
I made this because my last grocery delivery failed to include the bread I ordered and I thought, hmmm…I could always make some. I used active dry yeast, because that’s what I had, and proofed it first. Also, I used old fashioned rolled oats and blitzed them a few pulses in the food processor. They are undetectable in the final product. Also, I had to substitute white all purpose flour for about a cup of the whole wheat flour. And I know I added too much additional flour because the dough was way too sticky to knead by hand. But, you know what? It came out beautifully, sliced like a dream, with a fine crumb and enough sturdiness for sandwiches. And my experience, from years’ back, was that homemade bread was usually not sturdy enough for sandwich-making. This one is!
So, I ordered more whole wheat flour for next week’s grocery delivery order, just so I can make another batch. Winner-winner-winner…
Made this yesterday. Put one loaf in a cast iron skillet and the other into fridge for baking later in the week. This was a big hit so will be making again.
Hi Deb,
I’ve made this loaf before and it was delicious! Question: I was just gifted 25lbs of white flour. Do I have to change anything in the recipe if I use white? Less liquid?
Thank you,
Christine
I’ve made this and enjoyed as written, but this time made the following substitutions and it still made wonderful loaves:
Reduced sugar to 1 tbsp
Increased oats to 3 cups
Replaced whole wheat with AP flour, because COVID, grocery stores, etc. and reduced the amount to maybe 3-4 cups
Used all water
The loaves have a great texture! Next time, I’ll try to lower the amount of yeast. I suspect I could cut it down a lot and it would still work, just rise a bit more slowly.
Your directions about removing the dough from the fridge 3 hours before baking are unclear. I read all your answers to questions about this and none of your answers are any clearer! Based on what I’ve read, I still don’t know if it should sit out for a while before forming into loaves and putting in pans (if so, how long?), or if you take it out of the fridge and immediately form it into loaves and let it rise in the pans (if so, how long?). Please be specific. Please say, “Take dough out of fridge and let sit for _____ hours. Form into loaves and place in pans and let rise for ____ hours. Bake.” I know you said it’s very forgiving, but there were several comments about the dough rising too long and then it fell, or not rising at all after it was put into the pans. I would like this to turn out right the first time! :-) Thank you!
The recipe says “If proofing in the fridge, remove the dough before the fridge about 3 hours before you plan to bake it.” However, I just realized why that might be confusing, as that sounds longer that you could need — the hour is most likely for a room-temperature proof; you might need longer for a cold dough but exact time might vary. For bread, times are always estimates and visual cues are the most important thing to follow. Once the dough has crowned 1 inch above the rim of the baking pan, it’s ready to go in the oven, whether that took 1 hour or 2.
Are you shaping into loaves as soon as you remove the dough from the fridge? Or does the bread need to come to room temp first?
I love love love the taste of this bread and have made it multiple times recently. However, the texture is quite soft and crumbly, such that a slice often falls apart while buttering – and it doesn’t hold up well to toasting. What can you recommend for firming up the texture?
I agree! It just came out of the oven here.
Tried this tonight. I love Smitten Kitchen recipes, but this was a first that didn’t quite work out. I got a beautiful rise the first time, but only a little bit of a rise the second time – not enough to clear the top of the loaf pans. I gave it another 20 minutes to rise, but that didn’t seem to make a difference, so went ahead and baked it. It’s a warm day, is it possible that I either 1) over did the rise the first time around or 2) didn’t let the bread rise long enough the second time? It smells heavenly, just not sure how to fix the rise issue!
Hi.
1.)I made this bread twice, it tasted amazing but it turns out pretty dense, I used hand and not a stand mixer for the dough.
2. If I want to use more oats, is it possible and in what proportion
In the comments (I made this section) someone said they increased the oats to 3 cups.
Just made this as directed, except I used 2 tbsp of 100% maple syrup for the sugar – delicious! I have never baked bread before. I am wondering – does a recipe like this NEED sugar? Would it rise properly without it or does the yeast need it? If it is just for flavor I will experiment without it, but if somebody knows the science of bread making and can tell me if it is needed, I won’t bother with that experimentation.
Hi Marilyn, did you remove an equal amount of flour when adding the meal? Thanks!
I used rolled oats instead of the quick cooking. I pulsed them in my food processor for a bit to reduce but they don’t absorb the liquid very well. I could not get the dough to hold its shape to form a loaf. I’ll try the quick cooking next time.
Mondays are always better after I read your post. This recipe looks great. Thank you for all.
Hi, what pan size are you using for this? (9 inch by ?)
btw, i love your recipes! Thank you
Thanks! I’m using a standard 9×5 or 8.5×4.5-inch loaf.
Just made this and it did not come out well :-( first problem: it did not rise but started to sink as soon as I put it in the oven, second problem: the top was dark and crunchy, so I took it out, however after turning it out saw that the bottom was soggy… help! What did I do wrong?
I made this today. I divided the dough in half after the first rise and stuck one half in the fridge. The loaf I baked turned out well with a nice texture. However, when I folded the sides in they didn’t quite meet in the middle resulting in a what looked like a sunken middle. I next time I’ll make sure. Y folds meet in the middle. I also thought it could use some salt so I’ll add some when I mix up the next batch. Great, easy recipe!
My best friend’s very favorite bread is a store-bought oat-walnut bread – could this have roughly chopped walnuts added as a nice treat for her?
Baked it. It’s amazing. Even after freeze and toast still amazing. Thank you. Get us more bread recipes :)
My dough didn’t rise when i put it in the bread pans…nowhere near over the rim. And when I baked it, it didn’t rise either. I used fresh yeast and it rose great prior to forming into loaves. Any idea what went wrong?
Did it rise in the bowl? Did it seem to go past doubling or perhaps to collapse?
Hi Deb. Yes, it rose in the bowl beautifully. I put it in the fridge overnight, took it out and then formed into loaves 3 hours later. Let rest for an hour, but it didn’t rise in the pan…..
Hi Deb,
Are your bread pans 9″ x5″ or 8 1/2″ x 4 1/2?
I have both and either work here.
Good to know. Thanks!
Hi Deb. Yes, it rose in the bowl beautifully. I put it in the fridge overnight, took it out and then formed into loaves 3 hours later. Let rest for an hour, but it didn’t rise in the pan…..
Looks wonderful; going to give it a try. An unrelated curiosity question if I may: what does the “and for the other side of the world” under the recipes over the years retrospective above refer to?
Oh, I’ve always wondered about this too!
It’s summer in Australia and New Zealand when it’s winter here, so I try to throw in some relevant content vs. long baking projects during heatwaves.
Brilliant, as always!
Ah, ok – thanks for the reply!
Can this be made with regular AP flour instead of whole wheat?
Yes
Just realized I made it all and dough is proofing, but I forgot the salt! Will it be terrible?!
No, but you might have a chance to sprinkle it on when you press it down and form it into a loaf. Just give it more rising time if needed to re-poof.
I just made this and it’s amazing, didn’t change a thing! I wanted to note that I was able to bake the entire recipe in one Pullman loaf pan with the lid off and it was perfect!! Thanks for a wonderful recipe!
I made this today! The loaves look beautiful and are just cooling now. This was my second attempt – the first time was not great – the bread rose very well in the bowl but never seemed to recover when shaped into loaves. Not sure why. But today the dough was much smoother (I think a testament to more time in the machine on the med/low setting). I love that this is truly a whole wheat loaf that still rises up so nicely!
The exact same thing happened to me last night. I don’t know if it was because I accidentally used regular yeast or what. My house is cold (62F ish), so, given that and what the recipe said, I gave the dough about 5 hours to rise in the bowl (till it doubled) and then in the pan, another 5 hours, both rises on the counter. The dough rose about 1/4″ over the pan at maybe 3+ hours, but instead of continuing, it sank. The top of the baked bread was even with the top of the pan. Still tasty and cuts well so I will try again with instant yeast. I also only did a half recipe, but that shouldn’t affect the result, as I weighed everything carefully.
I’ve made this several times for my husband and he absolutely loves it. However, I find the dough is super wet and I need to add a lot of flour before shaping.
Anyone else find that? I even reduced liquid a bit but no change. Suggestions?
This recipe is SO forgiving! I’ve made it about 8 times, and it’s really become our family’s favourite. But today, I was distracted and screwed up a couple of things – I miscounted the flour – added a whole extra cup – and it was super stiff in the mixer so I slowly added more water until it looked somewhat normal. And then I realized I’d also forgotten the oil! Doh! I added it too, and let the machine go a little longer until it got to about the right consistency. It was still a bit sticky but I figured I should quit while I was ahead. Amazingly, it rose beautifully in the bowl, and also in the pans, and cooked up great. It is maybe slightly more dry than the other times I’ve made it but still a delicious and hearty sandwich loaf. Definitely a keeper!
Hi! I mixed up this dough and it was SO wet and sticky! I couldn’t even knead it. I’m trying to figure out what happened! I was out of whole wheat so used all-purpose white flour instead (I measured it out by grams, not cups). Would that affect the stickiness/wetness of the dough? It’s proofing now, hoping it’s as forgiving as you say and rises well!
Sticky is fine! The loaf pan holds the shape. More flour makes a more dense, dry bread.
I made this yesterday with buttermilk and it came out perfectly. The buttermilk seemed to just elevate it from my previous attempts.
I used rolled oats but there is no evidence of them, which we would like so I am going to try soaking steel cut oats for an hour and using them next time. I also just found the cinnamon raisin version of this bread and plan to try that soon.
Thanks, Deb, this will become our go to bread.
Hi. Is this he home wheat and oat sandwich bread adaptable to a bread machine?
Thank you
Yes
My bread is rising way too quickly on the first and second proof—in under 30 minutes, it has already over-risen in both rises. My room is 67 degrees, and I double checked my yeast measurements—it’s definitely correct. Am I the only one for whom the yeast quantity is too high?
Hi Deb
I’m going to try making this weekend!!
I briefly scrolled thru and could not find this topic but sorry if I am repeating a question – has anyone tried adapting this dough to use sourdough starter rather than yeast?
I found a couple comments from people who said they used sourdough, but not any directions or details. I’m sure you could and it would be delicious, though.
Having a long and sordid history of baking woes and bread fails, I’m celebrating today as this worked so well. You’re teaching me to cook and I am delighted.
So excited to make this! Thanks for the recipe. I wonder if you’ve ever made this as a boule?
This is second-rising on my counter now, and I really think that somehow (maybe it’s a brand problem? a reformulation problem?) 1.5T of yeast is too much. My dough more than doubled in 30 minutes flat and it’s ready to bake now after rising for, at the most, twenty but I think it’s been less time. My oven isn’t quite preheated yet! And, oddly, I THINK I made this years ago and it turned out great. I might have used active dry last time by mistake, but I know it wasn’t the same brand as my (newly bought) instant that’s in this batch. So I don’t know what the deal is, but Deb’s suggestions of watching it and moving the process along more quickly is what I’m doing this time, and I’ll halve the yeast (I want to do a fridge rise) next time I make it. I’ll reply to this comment after baking if it’s anything besides “normal.”
Dear Deb I am going to make this because it sounds delicious and because of your screed on breadmaking.
I found my sourdough “covid trending” baking made me soooo anxious. the timing, the weighing. I baked bread quite a bit when I was young and besides the most delicious bread there was a theraputic task that relaxed me not tensed me up. Because you often digress I will tell you that my favorite bread, so non stylish is a bread from I think The Complete Bread Cookbook by Ted and Jean Kaufman. I say I think because the book is in such tatters that I cannot be sure. The bread is called Bread of My Childhood, it is challah like with honey and eggs . My husband and kids still ask for it. Your oat and wheat bread sounds great and I will bake and keep some in the the freezer. Maybe pb and j for break-fast
Just a typo alert: “remove the dough before the fridge about 3 hours before you plan to bake it.” I’m going to retry this recipe! Didn’t work out for me the first time but I remember starting in a hassled frame of mind and imparted my mood to the food. Can’t wait for your new book!
Any advice for high altitude bakers? I haven’t made bread in a very long time, so I’m not sure if my altitude will mess up this recipe?
Are you using 2 regular loaf pans….9×5 inches?
Hi! I found this answer from Deb.
A regular Pullman is 9*5 so I guess it is what Deb is using
YOSSI
Hi, what pan size are you using for this? (9 inch by ?)
btw, i love your recipes! Thank you
SEPTEMBER 14, 2020 AT 2:15 PM REPLY
DEB
Thanks! I’m using a standard 9×5 or 8.5×4.5-inch loaf.
SEPTEMBER 14, 2020 AT 3:09 PM REPLY
Do you know if this can be made with a sourdough starter?
This is fascinating. I have this anxiety to overproof my dough and this can stay in your fridge for five days????? I am going to make the dough today since it is my BD and I guess this is the best way to spend my evening as an avid baker.
Hi deb
I love the bread – it’s easy and consistently comes out (even when I get overly involved with a puzzle saying “1 more piece” before I check the rising🙂)
I’m just curious as to what the 1 egg provide in making the bread in view of the amount of flour and oats in the recipe
(Trust me, I’m going to continue w present recipe )
Thank you
More of a classic sandwich bread texture, just a slight enrichment. Glad it’s a hit!
I tried this recipe and the dough did NOT rise on the second proof.
Can you clarify these directions: “If proofing in the fridge, remove the dough before the fridge about 3 hours before you plan to bake it.” and then “Let proof at room temperature for about an hour, or until the dough has crowned 1 inch above the rim of the baking pan.”
Is this 3 hours, then shape and proof for an additional 1 hour?
The dough did great on first proof, then completely failed.
Has anyone made this successfully?
PMA, all you have to do is read the comments to know how many people have had success with this recipe. I’ve made it successfully a few times, always proofing on the counter or in a non-heated oven, never in the fridge. I would take it out of the fridge three hours before baking, shape it and put it in the loaf pans, and proof until they crown an inch above the rim.
As for why the second proof failed, I’m guessing it over-proofed the first time and exhausted all the yeast. But Deb or another experienced baker may have a better answer.
I love your bread – especially because it always comes out perfect
But i have been curious how the 1 egg affects the bread in consideration of all the flour and oatmeal that is in the recipe
Thank you
Gives it a little more richness and density. Glad it’s been a hit.
I have tried this oat and wheat sandwich bread recipe twice. I like the flavor and how healthy it is but once I put it in the oven it sinks. It rises very fast in the bowl and the pans. Almost seems too fast. Wondering what I am doing wrong. Do you think only one package of yeast would be better? Or regular yeast?
Has anyone tried this recipe with a sourdough starter instead of yeast?
So, Smitty, a big question here: whenever I have made bread, the oven temp was in the 425 range, not 350. Are you sure this will work? Because a failed loaf of bread is too hard to handle, when it is still gray out, snd Russia has just attacked Ukraine. I need the comfort of pulling bread out of the oven, knowing it is ready for my plate and a big slab of butter.
I promise: it works! I find that boule-style breads can handle more heat but you want this loaf to bake evenly, and the lower temperature helps. Hope it provides a little comfort.
This bread makes the most outstanding toast! It’s very easy and relatively quick to make, it rises beautifully – I’ve made four loaves so far – LOVE it! Thanks for the recipe!
I can’t wait to try this recipe. Does anyone know if this could be baked as a giant loaf (with timings adjusted)? Has anyone tried it? I have an old huge Hovis bread tin that I’d love to make this in.
Has anyone else thought the list of ingredients should be flipped? I had a hard time juggling between the method and the ingredients, since they don’t seem to be in the right order. Just waiting for it to rise, and I’m sure it will be fantastic – but I missed the salt. :( Deb, your thoughts?
Hi Deb, I’m wondering what size pan you mean when you say a standard loaf pan.
This bread looks wonderful!
How would you adapt this recipe to use sourdough starter?
this is a good bread for sure–have made it numerous times , have found a couple things it usually needs a good amount of flour to make a soft light dough–think this depends somewhat what ‘style’ of WW flour you use. Like to do a longer autolyse adding the flour & yeast after–
Letting the dough ferment overnite in the fridge is a great tip
thanks for another solid recipe from the SK
Mine came out flatish and cracked on top in not a good way. I let it rise on the counter, which it did perfectly, and then put it in fridge overnight. Was I supposed to let it get to room temp before shaping it? I let it proof at room temp in pans for several hours but it never really rose much. Wondering about pan size. Mine are 10″ x 5″. Is that what you mean by standard? I have an 8.5″ x 4.5″ but I consider those small sized so didn’t use it. The dough didn’t really fill the pan when I put it in. Flavor is great and it is a bit dense, but not like a brick by any means. Definitely want to try again. Thoughts?
I baked one loaf right away, and left the other half of the dough in the fridge for seven days (oops!). The first loaf was fine, the second loaf was excellent!! I used rolled oats (not quick oats), and I think it would have risen a little higher with the finer textured oats, but the flavor and texture were still fine. A keeper for sure!
I have made this many times and find that it rises best when the dough is quite wet. Some of my earlier loaves were quite dense, still delish but very compact. I have had success subbing whey leftover from yogurtmaking for the water, it gives it a sourdough taste and adds extra protein. I was less successful using all whey, which was the genesis of some of the really dense loaves.
My bread has become crumbly after baking ( at times I end up using it for bread crumbs)
I always let it cool before cutting it.
King Arthur stated the dough should be kneaded no longer than 7 min when using WW flour (I use a mixer) even if the dough is too sticky
Because it ruins the gluten strands
After the 1st rise should i knead dough for 2 min before placed into the pan ? Would this help?
I love your bread and am desperate to get it right
Thank you
To make this (almost) vegan, I subbed 1 T flax + 3 T water for the egg, almond milk for dairy, honey to sweeten (could use molasses next time). Decreased the yeast to 2 1/4 t and used active dry. Flour was Bob’s Red Mill whole wheat, oats were Bob’s thick cut. Baked 1 loaf on day 1 and stashed the other for 6 days before baking, with a refrigerator rise after shaping – yes, I abused every direction and … score! Soft and fluffy, a perfect crumb, rose fairly well in my 9″ pan. (To others asking, no discernible oat texture was present in the final product, even with the thick-cut oats.) An ideal, lovely sandwich loaf. Enjoyed this morning toasted with almond butter & banana. Thanks Deb!
I agree with all here that this is a wonderful, forgiving and deeply delicious recipe! I have made it once, with active yeast (because I didn’t pay one bit of attention to the type called for, and second because I am a “use what you have and it will be fine , kind of baker) So, the first round, whole wheat flour, extra think oats, maple syrup, oat milk, olive oil, fermented for 5 days. Baked and delicious. Not super high loaves but excellent flavor etc. second batch, same ingredients except I used instant yeast and baked same day. The difference is like night and day. Both are delicious but it looks like two different recipes. Next week I’ll make it with the instant yeast and ferment in frig for a few day and see what that yields. Thank you for this nice place to communicate and learn. Thank you Deb, for sharing this lovely recipe.
Very interesting! Can you give us a bit more info on how the two loaves differed based on your different methods/ingredients? (So if somebody prefers one result over the other, they’ll know how to achieve it.) Thanks!
Well, the first two loaves, made with active yeast were half the volume of the second set, made with instant yeast. The first two were very similar to what is pictured. Rose about an inch over the pan before baking, the second set was so much higher. The other notable difference is that the thick cut oats were much more noticeable ( not unpleasantly to us) in the second set of loaves.
Just made this bread again and it truly is perfect in taste and texture. It is my go to sandwich bread. Slicing before freezing is a great way to have it accessible and fresh.
You don’t happen to know the amount of carbs in this bread so you?
This recipe came at exactly the right time for me. A rainy, cool day, craving carbs etc. Making it today! Thank you.
Has anyone tried baking this recipe in glass loaf containers (like Pyrex)? I love using glass because it’s just so easy to clean. Read that, genetically, if you sub glass for metal for baking, you should reduce baking temperature by 25°. I’ll try it and report back!
I made this today and baked it for 15 min longer because it still seemed under baked. I then added a bit more time but was scared I’d burn it so I removed it but the bottom is still dough. Any advice? Higher temperature or longer bake time? Or both?
Deb, I love this bread. I’ve been making it for years. I like that it’s so simple to make and so good-for-you. There’s just the two of us now so I make it about every 2.5 weeks. I’m in Canada and I’ve finally realized why I have trouble with American yeast recipes. Our flour is 13% protein so I reduce the H2O/milk to 2 cups and it works like a charm. Saw you via in Seattle streaming — you’re charming. I’m looking forward to your podcast.
Made this! Loved it! Easy peasy and just as delicious as Deb promised. I only had regular yeast so put that in warm water and sugar and then mixed that into liquids, worked fine.