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Just-baked oatmeal maple loaf on a cooling rack.

No-Knead Maple Oat Bread


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4.9 from 36 reviews

Description

Sweetened with maple syrup and loaded with oats, this fresh maple oat bread is baked in a loaf pan, comes together in no time, and is so, so tasty. The oats give the bread a nice chew, and the whole wheat flour lends a heartiness, making it an excellent toasting bread.

Adapted from my cookbook, Bread Toast Crumbs.

Changes from the original recipe include:

  • The vessel: This one is baked in a single loaf pan as opposed to two 1-quart Pyrex bowls. You can use an 8.5×4.5-inch pan or a 9×5-inch pan. I prefer the 8.5×4.5-inch pan for this one because it creates a slightly taller loaf.
  • Flours: The original recipe calls for a mix of white and whole wheat flour. Rather than using commercial whole wheat flour, I’m using stone-milled flour, which is more nutritious and more flavorful. Read more about it here or up above in the post. 
  • Water: I’ve cut the water back by 1/4 cup because I was finding my finished loaf to be a little too damp for my liking. With this slightly smaller amount of water, the dough is a teensy bit stiffer and therefore requires a bit more time to rise. 

If you like this recipe, find 40 variations in my cookbook


Ingredients

  • 1 cup (88 g) rolled oats plus another 1/2 cup (44 g) for coating the pan
  • 1 cup (227 g) boiling water
  • ¼ cup (86 g) maple syrup
  • 1.5 teaspoons (5 g) kosher salt
  • 3/4 cup (170 g) room-temperature water
  • 1.5 teaspoons (5 g) instant  yeast
  • 2¼ cups (288 g) unbleached bread flour or all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup (128 g) stone-milled flour or whole-wheat flour, see notes above
  • Softened unsalted butter, for greasing
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl, combine the oats, boiling water, maple syrup, and salt. Let stand for 10 minutes. Add the remaining 3/4 cup (170 g) water and stir to combine. Add the instant yeast, and stir to combine. Finally, add the flours and stir with a rubber spatula, until the liquid is absorbed and the ingredients form a sticky dough ball. You may need to knead the dough with your hands briefly to help the dough come together, no more than 15 to 30 seconds. 
  2. Cover the bowl with a tea towel or plastic wrap and set aside in a warm spot to rise for 2 to 3 hours, until the dough has doubled in volume. 
  3. Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Grease an 8.5- x 4.5-inch (or 9×5-inch) loaf pan generously with softened butter. Pour the remaining 1/2 cup of oats into the loaf pan and turn the pan so that the oats coat the pan on all sides. Pour out the remaining oats and set aside. 
  4. When the dough has doubled, drizzle the tablespoon of olive oil over the top and use your hand to rub the oil over the surface to coat. Use your hand again to release the dough from the sides of the bowl, then flip the ball over so that the oil side is down. Roll the dough into a coil or into a loaf shape (see video in the post above), then transfer to your prepared pan seam side down. Pour the reserved oats over the top, then spread with your hand or shake the pan to distribute them.
  5. Let the dough rise on the countertop (preferably in a warm, draft-free spot) for 45 minutes to an hour or until the dough has risen significantly in the pan — it should be doming above the rim of the pan by about one inch. See photos for reference.  
  6. Transfer the pan to the oven and bake for 45 minutes, or until the top is evenly browned. Remove the pan from the oven and turn the loaf out onto a cooling rack. Let the loaf cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing.
  • Prep Time: 5 hours
  • Cook Time: 45 minutes
  • Category: bread
  • Method: oven
  • Cuisine: American