No-knead oat bread

Mix it in a bowl with a spoon, let it rise for an hour and bake. No kneading at all.

2 h 5 min
Total time: 55 min
Hands-on: 14 slices
Servings: 145 cal
Per serving: Easy
Difficulty: Oven
Method

Photo: cogdogblog · CC0

Ingredients

14 slices

Nutrition facts

per slice

145cal

Protein: 5 g14 %
Carbs: 27 g74 %
Fat: 2 g12 %
Fiber: 3 g
Sugarstotal, including the natural sugars in fruit and dairy: 1 g

Approximate values, calculated from food composition tables. They vary with the brands and cuts you use.

Step by step

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No-knead oat bread

Mix it in a bowl with a spoon, let it rise for an hour and bake. No kneading at all.

1Step 1 of 7

Mix in a bowl

Combine the flour, oats, yeast and salt in a large bowl and stir while dry. Add the lukewarm water and mix with a wooden spoon until there's no dry flour left. It'll be a sticky, ugly dough: that's correct.

Tip: Put the yeast and salt on opposite sides of the bowl at first. Direct contact with salt kills some of the yeast.

2Step 2 of 7

One-hour rise

Cover the bowl with a damp towel and leave it somewhere warm for 1 hour, until doubled in size and full of bubbles on the surface.

Tip: Go by how it looks, not the clock: in a cold kitchen it can take an hour and a half.

1:00:0060 min · One-hour rise

3Step 3 of 7

Fold, don't knead

With a wet hand, grab the dough from one side, stretch it up and fold it over itself. Repeat four times, turning the bowl. That's all the kneading it needs.

4Step 4 of 7

Into the pan for a second rise

Transfer the dough to a loaf pan lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle the seeds on top, pressing them in lightly, and let it rest for 10 minutes while the oven heats to 425 °F (220 °C).

10:0010 min · Into the pan for a second rise

5Step 5 of 7

Bake with steam

Put the bread in and place a pan with a cup of hot water on the bottom of the oven. The steam in the first minutes is what makes the crust crisp. Bake for 20 minutes at 425 °F (220 °C).

20:0020 min · Bake with steam

6Step 6 of 7

Lower the heat and finish

Lower to 400 °F (200 °C), remove the water pan and bake for 25 more minutes. The bread is done when it sounds hollow when you tap the bottom with your knuckles.

25:0025 min · Lower the heat and finish

7Step 7 of 7

Cool completely before slicing

Take it out of the pan and let it cool on a wire rack for at least an hour. Slicing it hot squashes the crumb, which is still setting.

1:00:0060 min · Cool completely before slicing

About this recipe

Baking bread at home has a reputation for being a long-weekend-and-sourdough project. Not this one: you mix it with a spoon in a bowl, let it rise for an hour and bake it. Five minutes of actual work.

It works because the dough is very wet. With that much water the gluten organizes itself while it rests, without kneading, which is the whole principle behind no-knead breads.

You get a hearty loaf that tastes of oats with a crust that crackles. It keeps four days and toasts beautifully.

Tips for getting it right

The wire rack matters: on a plate, the bottom sweats and turns soft.
No loaf pan? Shape it round on a sheet pan. It will be flatter but just as good.
You can replace some of the rolled oats with oat flour for a finer crumb.

Storage

4 days wrapped in a cotton towel, never in a plastic bag (it softens the crust). It freezes very well sliced.

Questions

Frequently asked questions

Do I really not need to knead it at all?

No. With a dough this wet, the gluten develops on its own while it rises. The four folds in step three are enough to give it some strength.

Why is my bread raw inside?

Almost always because it came out too soon or was sliced while hot. Tap the bottom with your knuckles: if it sounds hollow, it's done. And let it cool for a full hour before slicing.

Can I use whole wheat flour?

Yes, replacing up to half the bread flour. With more, the bread rises much less because the bran cuts the gluten strands. Also add about 20 ml (4 teaspoons) more water.

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