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Honey Oat Sourdough Bread Recipe

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This Honey Oat Sourdough Bread recipe offers a delightful homemade loaf with a chewy crumb and a beautifully nutty oat topping. Utilizing an active sourdough starter, rolled oats, and honey, this bread balances mild sweetness with traditional tangy sourdough flavor. The recipe includes detailed instructions for proper fermentation, stretch and folds, shaping, cold proofing, and baking in a Dutch oven to achieve a crusty yet tender bread perfect for slicing and enjoying with butter and honey.

Ingredients

Wet Ingredients

  • 100 grams sourdough starter (about 1/2 cup)
  • 100 grams honey (slightly less than 1/3 cup)
  • 330 grams water (1 1/4 cups + 2 tablespoons, room temperature, filtered)

Dry Ingredients

  • 500 grams bread flour (3 1/2 cups)
  • 90 grams rolled oats (1 cup), plus more for rolling and topping
  • 12 grams salt (2 teaspoons)

Instructions

  1. Make the Dough: In a large mixing bowl, combine the active sourdough starter, honey, and room temperature filtered water. Mix using a dough whisk or your hand until the mixture looks like a golden, milky liquid. Then, add the bread flour, rolled oats, and salt to the wet ingredients. Mix thoroughly until all flour is incorporated. The dough will appear wet and sticky rather than forming a uniform ball. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a reusable shower cap and let the dough rest for at least 30 minutes.
  2. Stretch and Folds: With slightly wet fingers, scrape a piece of dough from the bowl, stretch it upwards, and fold it over the dough. Rotate the bowl about a quarter turn clockwise and repeat until you have gone full circle (approximately 4–6 folds). The dough will become smoother. Cover and rest the dough for another 30 minutes. Repeat this stretch and fold process three additional times (for a total of four rounds), resting 30 minutes between each. After the final stretch and fold set, cover the dough and let it ferment on the counter for about 7–9 hours at 70°F.
  3. Bulk Fermentation: Allow the dough to ferment until it has increased in size by about 75%, appears domed, jiggles when the bowl is shaken, easily pulls away from the bowl, shows visible bubbles, and passes the windowpane test without tearing. Temperature affects fermentation speed: warmer environments promote faster rises; cooler environments slow it down.
  4. Pre-shape: Using slightly wet fingers, gently release the dough from the bowl sides without deflating the bubbles. Tilt the bowl to let gravity help move the dough onto the counter. Perform another round of stretch and folds around the dough until full circle is complete. Flip the dough seam-side down and cover it with a bowl. Let it rest for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare your proofing basket lined with a tea towel and oat topping on a clean tea towel.
  5. Final Shape: After resting, flip the dough seam-side up. Perform a series of folds: pull the bottom towards you and fold to center, pull the right side and fold to center, repeat on left, then pull top and fold to center. Flip dough seam-side down again. Shape the dough into a tighter, round ball by gently turning and pulling it toward you in a quarter turns without tearing. Lightly dampen the dough top with water and roll it in the rolled oats on the tea towel so they stick. Place the dough oat-side down into the proofing basket and cover with plastic.
  6. Cold Proof: Refrigerate the dough in the proofing basket for 8 to 72 hours. This slows fermentation, enhancing flavor and allowing flexible baking timing. Avoid overproofing in the fridge as it can reduce oven spring.
  7. Score: Thirty minutes before baking, place the cold dough in the freezer to firm up for easier scoring. Preheat the oven with a Dutch oven inside to 500°F for at least 30 minutes. Place parchment on the workspace and invert the proofing basket to release the dough onto it, oat-side up. Use a lame or sharp knife to score a crescent moon shape on top to allow expansion during baking. Carefully lift the dough with the parchment into the preheated Dutch oven and cover.
  8. Bake: Reduce oven temperature to 450°F and bake covered for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and bake uncovered at 425°F for 10–15 minutes more to develop a golden, crispy crust. If browning too fast, cover the top with foil. Ensure internal temperature reaches at least 205°F. Remove the Dutch oven from the oven, and use parchment to lift bread onto a wire rack.
  9. Cool and Serve: Allow bread to cool for at least one hour before slicing to prevent gummy texture. Once cooled, slice and enjoy with butter and honey for a delicious treat.

Notes

  • Bread Flour: Preferred for high protein content that strengthens the dough and provides a good rise. All-purpose flour can be substituted but results vary. For a nuttier flavor, try a blend of 50% whole wheat and 50% bread flour.
  • Honey: Adds sweetness and chewiness. Using darker honeys like wildflower or raw can deepen flavor. Honey also accelerates fermentation and browns crust more.
  • Oats: Use rolled oats for texture and appearance; avoid quick or instant oats as they dissolve and make the bread dense. Oats also help prevent sticking to proofing baskets.
  • Sourdough Starter: Use an active starter for the best rise and flavor. Inactive starter may result in less rise and denser crumb.
  • Temperature: Dough fermentation times are flexible; watch dough behavior rather than relying solely on time.
  • Cold Proofing: Allows flexibility in baking schedule and enhances flavor but avoid letting dough over-ferment in the fridge.

Find it online: https://flavorspath.com/honey-oat-sourdough-bread-recipe/