Sometimes I can’t believe the fun we get to have here! All the biscuits, all the cookies, and all in the name of work! Today we’re exploring a whole wheat bread recipe. Specifically, Whole Wheat Oatmeal Honey Bread! It’s the last in our 4-challenge King Arthur Flour Baking Bootcamp!
First we made Triple Berry Cinnamon Swirl Bread, a braided bread stuffed with loads of fresh berries, cinnamon and butter.
We made Apple Pie Biscuits with sweet fall apples and tender biscuit dough.
This Winter we made Gruyère and Green Olive Loaves, big salty, satisfying and cheesy loaves.
Now! Hearty loaves of honey, oat, and wheat!
These oatmeal studded loaves bake up light and golden! Perfect for slicing thick and topping with softened butter, ripe avocado, or fruity jam.
As we move through January, I find myself craving staples… simple foods that I can slather in butter for warmth and comfort.
Here’s what we’re going to need for this whole wheat bread recipe:
1 • King Arthur Unbleached White Whole Wheat Flour. A sweeter and more mild whole wheat flour. Perfect for adding whole wheat goodness without being too dense.
2 • I use this King Arthur Flour Bench Knife just about everyday in my kitchen. It’s perfect for scraping little dough bits from the countertop… something a sponge just pitifully attacks. You might also use the bench knife to slice though the center of the rolled dough. It’s sharp too! I love this tool!
3 • Kitchen fashion is important to me. Hedley & Bennett understands my needs for a functional, durable, totally chic apron. Not too frilly. I always want to be more badass than 50’s housewife-y in the kitchen.
4 • Lovely and durable kitchen towels for resting our dough from LoomedNOLA.
5 • Having Colorful Mixing Bowls is the kitchen equivalent of having a great black dress in your closet. Necessary treat.
6 • Loaf pans for loaves of bread and pound cakes.
7 • These wooden spoons just get better with time.
8 • Is it normal to have a completely mismatched set of Measuring Cups, or should I just treat myself to a matching set like this? Don’t answer that…
9 • The Pyrex glass measuring cup. A forever kitchen classic.
10 • Same goes for the Measuring Spoons… it’s nice to have a full matching set.
Let’s get baking! We’re in this together. Here are some important details!
• Baking 101: The Difference Between Baking Flours for all the nitty-gritty on bran and germ and protein content.
• King Arthur Flour’s Baker’s Hotline is a fantastic resource for curious home bakers to discuss your fears, concerns and eventual successes. Give them a ring! It’s magic. 1-855-371-2253
Our ingredients:
Oatmeal, brown sugar, honey, butter, salt, cinnamon, and yeast.
Two kinds of flour: white whole wheat and all-purpose flour for heartiness and balance.
Warm water to bring it all together.
The old-fashioned oatmeal goes into a large glass measuring cup.
Brown sugar along with the honey, butter, salt and cinnamon.
Warm water will help plump the oatmeal, dissolve the sugar and honey, and melt the butter.
Stir stir for cohesive flavors.
White Whole Wheat plus unbleached All-Purpose Flour.
The whole wheat flour adds a hearty and nutty texture to the bread. A lovely balance to the oats and honey.
Active dry yeast stirred into the flour. We’re going to need the umph.
Stir the flour and yeast together to combine.
Wet ingredients meet dry. Oatmeal and all!
A wooden spoon to bring it all together.
The mixture will be fairly thick.
In the bowl, the dough will be rather shaggy.
We’re going to need some knead time.
Generously flour a clean work counter.
Transfer the shaggy dough to the floured counter.
I use the heel of my hand to knead the dough together.
Keep kneading into a smooth dough ball.
I like to clear any dough scraps off the counter, still keep the space covered in flour, and then continue kneading.
Knead and fold. The dough will become cohesive and smooth.
This little dough baby is ready to rest!
Into a large, lightly oiled bowl to rest and rise for 2 hours or until doubled in size.
Look at that perfectly fluffy rise!
The risen dough is dumped back onto the floured counter and, using a bench knife, sliced in half. We’re making two loaves of bread!
Each half of dough is sprinkled lightly with flour and then it’s time for shaping.
Log-shaped. Loaf-shaped. Knead gently and fold under so any seams are on the underside.
Perfect for the loaf pan!
Just make sure the corners are tucked in and the dough is ready to rise again.
Simple loaves. Risen and light. Ready for the oven!
These loaves bake up perfectly hearty and pleasing. Allow the bread to cool completely before slicing. The loaves need time to rest so the inside texture is just right. I like to serve this bread sliced thick, spread with salty softened butter, and either jam or cinnamon sugar.
Print
Whole Wheat Honey Oatmeal Bread
- Prep Time: 2 hours
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 40 minutes
- Yield: 2 loaves 1x
- Category: bread
Description
Hearty and wholesome whole wheat loaves made with honey and oats.
Ingredients
- 2 cups boiling water
- 1 cup old-fashioned oats
- 1/2 cup lightly packed brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) butter
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt or 2 1/2 teaspoons table salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon instant or active-dry yeast
- 1 1/2 cups King Arthur White Whole Wheat Flour
- 4 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the water, oats, brown sugar, honey, butter, salt, and cinnamon. Let cool to lukewarm, about 10 to 15 minutes.
- Add the yeast and flours, stirring to form a rough dough. Knead (about 10 minutes by hand, 5 to 7 minutes by machine) until the dough is smooth and satiny.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover the bowl with lightly greased plastic wrap, and allow the dough to rise for 1 hour. Since the dough is warm to begin with (from the boiling water), it should become quite puffy.
- Divide the dough in half, and shape each half into a loaf. Place the loaves in two greased 8 1/2″ x 4 1/2″ bread pans.
- Cover the pans with lightly greased plastic wrap and allow the loaves to rise until they’ve crowned about 1″ over the rim of the pan, about 60 to 90 minutes.
- Bake the loaves in a preheated 350°F oven for 35 to 40 minutes, tenting them lightly with aluminum foil after 25 minutes, to prevent over-browning. Remove them from the oven when they’re golden brown, and the interior registers 190°F on a digital thermometer.
- Turn the loaves out onto a rack to cool. Store at room temperature, well-wrapped, for several days; freeze for longer storage.
Rachel
This has become my go-to homemade bread recipe. I have taken it in to work where it was an unexpected hit. It’s especially good as toast. As for the thread on when to add yeast, I follow the instructions as written and it has turned out well every time. Definitely a good recipe for beginning bread bakers.
Kathie
I am trying this recipe replacing some of the flour with 1/4c almond flour and 1/4c coconut flour, adding 1/8c mixed seeds.. How long do you initially knead the dough? I’ve also added 1 teas. gluten
joythebaker
I’m sorry, but I do not think that combination of flours is going to work.
Nicole Guajardo
Can i just use whole wheat flour? I am trying to get away from white four.
joythebaker
Yes, but you might need a bit more liquid.
Donna
I’d like to try this recipe, but I’m wondering if it’s really sweet, and can the cinnamon be lessened or omitted? I don’t think it would be good with savory foods.
★★★★
Abby Mallett
Hello! I think the cinnamon can be adjusted to your taste, especially if you’d want to use it for sandwiches. Happy baking! xo
lisa b
Hi Joy! I’m curious if you have used milk instead of water in this recipe? I have a very old time recipe for this bread and it calls for milk.
joythebaker
You can. Have I yes. It’s definitely possible.
Hailey
My bread didn’t rise. Is it my yeast gone bad or sow thing else could have gone wrong?
joythebaker
Yes, probably the yeast.
Holly
I’m a little late to the Bootcamp, but I made this bread tonight and it’s so incredibly delicious! I love the slight sweetness and spice. Can’t wait to try more Bootcamp recipes!
katie
I just made this loaf – WOW. It is SO good. The photos helped me make sure it was all looking right. :) Totally saving this one for the future!
Michele
Joy thank you for sharing your gifts and talents of baking. You are amazing. I am just getting back into bread making. My efforts have not produced good loaves as of yet. I am going to keep trying of course. I have checked several stores around me that carry King Arthur Flour and none of them have the White Whole Wheat flour. Can I use the Hard white wheat that I grind up? Or is there a better substitute for the White Whole Wheat Flour. I am hoping to make this tomorrow if possible. Thanks agin
Joy H.
My BFF and I love this recipe. I love it because it’s super easy to make and lasts me all week. She loves it because every time I bake it I give her the second of the loaves. I can never finish it by myself.
I also highly recommend slapping some honey almond butter on at the end. So good.
Becky
Can I replace the brown sugar with honey?
joythebaker
I would not suggest replacing the brown sugar with honey. It would be too much liquid.
Alex
I’m always scared yeast won’t activate when I bake bread. Do you think you could activate it in warm water and a pinch of sugar to ensure it is active or would this mess things up?