I’ve been wanting to have my “own” bread recipe for a while now. I’ve dabbled here and there with several recipes, but I wasn’t completely crazy about any of them. I liked certain things in this recipe and certain things in that recipe……so I dabbled a little myself in my kitchen and came up with this bread. And man oh man – it’s a winner!
But I should tell you, before you have a winner you have several flops…..or in this case, several flat loaves of bread. Disks. Hockey pucks. Door stops. Croutons. And then came this glorious Honey Oat Bread. It makes the house smell wonderful. It makes me smell wonderful. It is just stinking GOOD. This is now my “go to” bread recipe. It makes great sandwiches and the flavor has just a hint of sweetness. Yummy!
You’ll need yeast, tupelo honey or any other kind of honey, coconut oil, water, eggs, salt, rolled oats, and white wheat flour (hard white wheat, ground). In a small saucepan, combine the honey and coconut oil, heating just until the oil is melted and the mixture is combined. In the hot months, my coconut oil stays liquid, but now that it’s cooling off it is solid.
Once it’s warm, remove from the heat and add the water. Your temperature should now be about 110 degrees. How do you know it’s right if you don’t have a thermometer? Think baby-bath water. It should be warm enough to give a baby a bath, but not too hot. An oiled up, honey baby…..man, that gives new meaning to “slicker than a baby’s butt.”
Add the yeast to the warm mixture and let it sit about 10 minutes. After that, it should look like this. You’ve just “proofed” your yeast – or made sure it was alive.
Pour the yeast mixture into your stand mixer. Add three cups of your flour and mix it up a tad. Then add the salt. I never add my salt to the yeast mixture without adding a bit of flour first because the salt can kill your yeast. Beat this mixture about two minutes on speed 1.
Now, add the eggs, remaining flour, and oats. On speed 1, mix this until it becomes kneadable. You might have to add more flour. Like I’ve told you before, I usually don’t add a ton of flour since fresh flour can continue to absorb moisture as it kneads….too much flour and you have hockey puck bread.
Let your bread knead on speed 1 for 10 minutes. After about 10 minutes, I can tell if I need more flour and then I add it.
Grease a large bowl with oil and then add your kneaded dough. Turn it over so it gets coated on all sides. Cover and let it rise until doubled. It might take an hour, it might take longer. It all depends on the temperature of your kitchen.
How do you know it’s done rising? Poke it. Think about the Pillsbury Dough Boy and giggle. If you barely poke the dough and it springs right back out, it’s not ready. But, if you poke it and your finger print stays, then you know it’s done. Don’t poke it too hard, just in case it’s not done…..or you have to start all over again.
Punch the dough down and divide it into two loaves. Put the loves in two greased 9 inch loaf pans, turning it over to coat all sides.
I tried making this into 3 loaves, using 8 inch pans…..but, they were too short for sandwiches. Tasty, yes. And we ate every crumb, but I like a taller bread for sandwiches. 9 inches works great for this recipe.
Let these loaves rise until they double – they won’t rise much in the oven, so make sure they’re as tall as you like. But, if you wait too long they will deflate when you put them in the oven. See next photo for an idea of how tall they should rise.
Bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes. They should sound hollow when you tap on the top. Cool in the pans for 10 minutesbefore turning out to cool completely on a wire rack.
Try really hard not to cut them too early, or they’ll just make a mess. It’s a hard job, waiting…..but you can do it. I can’t. But maybe you can. Since this makes two loaves, I usually put one in the freezer and we eat the other one. In the hot months, I store it in the fridge to keep it from molding early. In the winter, I leave it out on the counter in a bread box. I don’t like it straight from the fridge – but you do what you have to do. I don’t like mold, so I deal.
Honey Oat Bread
- 4 teaspoons yeast
- ½ cup honey
- 1/3 cup coconut oil
- 2 cups water
- 2 eggs
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 6 ½ cups hard white wheat flour (or white wheat flour)
- In a saucepan, warm the honey and oil until the oil is melted. Remove from heat. Add the water. Mixture should be warm (around 110 degrees).
- Add yeast and stir. Let stand for 10 minutes to proof.
- Pour the mixture into your stand mixer.
- Add three cups of flour and the salt. Beat for 2 minutes on speed 1.
- Add eggs, oats, and remaining flour until you have a kneadable dough. You may need to add more flour.
- Knead on speed 1 for 10 minutes.
- Move dough to an oiled bowl. Cover to coat all surfaces. Let rise until doubled.
- Punch down and divide into two loaves. Put into two greased 9 inch loaf pans, turning to grease all sides. Let rise until doubled.
- Bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until they sound hollow when tapped.
- Cool 10 minutes in the pan before turning out to cool completely on a wire rack.
Not everyone has an electric mixer. Please in the future, add hand mixed options.
Thanks.
All stand mixer recipes are easily converted to mixing by hand. 🙂 You’re always going to want to get the spring back effect to know you’ve kneaded enough. That’s the same for most bread recipes. Hope that helps. The ingredients are the most important part of a bread recipe – you can use a stand mixer or hand and still get amazing bread.
I ground my own oatmeal flour for this & used it instead of AP flour, so 3 1/2 c whole wheat & 3 1.2 c oat flour. I used @ 1/2 c AP flour in the needing process (mixer) in the final rise stage, so far so good!!!!
Woot!! Good job!
Do you feel like a bread machine is really necessary if you are only going to use homemade bread? I don’t have one, but want to start making my own. If I can get hubby to switch over for sandwiches. But I have a family of 6 (and want more), would that be crazy to do without a machine
We have a family of 6 and a bread machine has been a game changer here. I got a Zojirushi and I won’t look back! 🙂
Hi Stacy! I’m so glad I found you 🙂 Thank you for your hard work with the recipes, videos and everything else in between!!
What I was wondering is, do you have a recipe that I could make that would be low in calories? I’m doing WW but I don’t want to miss out on making my own rolls and breads.
No, I don’t. I wish I could help. 🙂
I just found your recipe! It sounds yummy and definitely something I want to try! Have you ever substituted flax seed for eggs in the recipe?
We’ve not tried it that way…if you give it a try, let us know how it turns out!
I baked my bread this morning and it was soooo good!! The flax seed seemed to work just fine! I also don’t have a stand mixer so I just kneaded by hand, no clue if I did it right since this is my 1st time making bread but it looked and tasted good to me! ha I am having my husband try to tonight to see if he agrees!!
Excellent! Thanks for letting us all know!
I don’t have a stand mixer. I do have a food processor with a “dough” blade but it doesn’t make it more than a few minutes without getting hot. Do you have any suggestions on how to make this bread without a stand mixer?
Sure! You could easily knead it by hand. 🙂
could use store bought whole wheat flour? I don’t have white whole wheat.
No, I probably wouldn’t. It would be okay, but the end result is going to be pretty dense.
Hip, hip hooray!!!
I tried using my coconut oil and baking bread at the same time with this one. It got a thumbs up from my picky 7 yo. Great recipe!
I really want to try this…but my baby doll isn’t 1 yet and so into solid foods that I”m having to avoid honey for a few more months. I’ll have to wait just a little longer!
🙂 The time will pass faster than you realize.
This sounds great and a fun way to try out my coconut oil for the first time. We are making the gradual switch to better foods. Sadly I still have 10lbs of white all purpose flour. I am still unsure how it made its way into my cupboard in the first place. I have used only whole wheat flour for a couple of years(but sometimes well meaning in laws buy you a large bag of flour for holiday baking….) Thanks for all your great recipes!
Use it for potlucks and other get-togethers!
I was wondering what to do with my flour and sugar. Thanks!
that’s some remarkably delicious bread. thanks for the recipe! i only recently found your blog and i’m loving it.
🙂 I’m so glad!
I want to sub oat flour for the rolled oats. Do I need to use 1c. of oat flour or? Or do I need to adjust more or less?
Hi Lori – I wish I could tell you…I’ve never done that before, so you’ll just have to sorta play around with it until the consistency is right. 🙂 Good luck!
Stacy i love your blog, you are my new favorite person! 🙂 i do have a question, cam i freeze the other ball of dough since i don’t have to bread pans?
Sure! I’ve done it both ways – I just like freezing it baked better. Either works though. 🙂
Can this be converted to a bread machine recipe…
I’m sure – but I’m not much help with that because I don’t have one. 🙂 I like making mine in the oven.
I don’t seem to knead dough correctly, and with 4 boys find it easier to just throw the ingredients in the bread machine and let it do the work…will have to give it a try…do you happen to have any potato bread recipes?
I usually let my stand mixer do all the kneading work for me! 🙂
I don’t have a stand mixer, but I can just do the dough option in my bread machine…I just only have one loaf pan…
I have several friends that use it for that option. 🙂
My machiene is 2 lbs, do they need to cut this in half or does it work in there at that size?
I’m sorry Maggie, I wish I could help. I really have no idea. 🙁 Maybe someone else knows.
This is 2 lbs.
Hi Nikki (& Stacy),
I’m not sure if you’ll even get this as you posted in 2011, but the wheat berries were mislabeled at my grocery store so instead of buying hard white wheat, I came home with hard red wheat. I see you tried it with the red wheat, Nikki, and loved it. Did you use all red wheat or a mixture of red and white? This will be the first time I grind and the first time I make Stacy’s fabulous bread. I’ve been only wanting to do this for about a year now!! Thanks!!
The smell coming out of my oven right now is amazing, but I just looked at the loaves, and they have 10 minutes left and seem to have fallen 🙁 – I let them rise in the pans until they were just coming out of the top, and then I put them i the oven. Did I let them rise too long? What else may have caused this? I imagine they will still taste fine, but I’m so bummed 🙁
You know, sometimes my Kitchen Aid bread does that too…I think it’s a combination of things, but usually it’s because I let it rise too high. And yes, they’ll still taste AWESOME!
Hello! I was wondering if you have a certain site/store you like to buy your coconut oil from? Or a certain brand? It can get so expensive! Thanks!
Yes, it really can. I can find it locally sometimes, but I really like buying it from Tropical Traditions when they run a sale and also offer free shipping – you can keep up with those sales if you sign up to get their emails.
I also like buying the Vitacost brand….good quality at a great price. 🙂 http://www.stacymakescents.com/use-vitacost-for-better-deals
I’m wanting to try this recipe and I grind my own flour as well… I have to use fresh yeast though so I’m hoping I end up using the same amount. Also, do you just grind your hard white wheat on the finest setting and throw it in or do you sift it first? Let it settle? Hope the question makes sense. Thanks!
Yes, I use the finest setting and then add it – I don’t sift first. I hate to shift….I’m odd. 🙂
Oh that’s not odd! Sifting sucks… so this is a whole wheat recipe? No white flour at all? Do you think it would work with spelt?
No white flour at all – I don’t buy white flour. 🙂 I have not tried it with spelt – yet….I keep forgetting to buy spelt. My mind is shot – Momnesia. 😉
I have to stop and say thank you for TEACHING us through your blog. I never proofed yeast before. That was sooo cool! I also never considered the temperature of the water/oil/honey mixure. I just got the water really hot and went with it, but that was NOT baby-bath temperature! I would have scalded that poor baby! My family and my ego thank you. I can now say that I am able to make bread without 10 attempts at failing first!
Proofing it is pretty awesome, huh? 🙂
Stacy – you are my new kitchen BFF! A sweet friend shared your “soaking” blog and I feel like we are kindred spirits! Now, I just finished this blog / recipe and I have to tell you that I’ve been flopping bread for years, but your step by step help gives me HOPE!! I can’t wait to try your recipe! My family will thank you when a loaf finally turns out right. LOL! God bless you my sister!
I really hope you love it!! It’s our favorite recipe. 🙂
I could not get home from work fast enough to try this recipe! You are right!! It is Soooo good!! It was so hard to wait to try it until it cooled!! But I did it and I cut into it this morning and enjoyed it so much! I even brought one of the loaves to work with me. Gotta get some fiber into my coworkers! They LOVED it too! My family raved about it too! Can’t wait to make this a weekly affair! So long Nature’s Own Whole Wheat. I’ll take this loaf instead! Easy decision!
You’re making my belly growl.
I am wondering what type of yeast you use-and, I’m new to the grinding-your-own-grain thing, can I just use regular bread flour mixed with some whole wheat or something like that?
I use Flechiman’s yeast. And if you don’t grind wheat, you can easily substitute White Wheat Flour – my favorite brand is King Arthur. 🙂
Does it matter if its Fleischmann’s Rapid Rise or Active Dry yeast?
I use active dry. 🙂 But either should work.
I love your blog by the way. I have been making your hamburger buns for a little while now because the kids can get crust free sandwiches that way 🙂 it makes my life easier! Ha! I want to try this bread though and wondered if the recipe could be cut in half because my kitchenaid mixer is one of the smaller ones and I worry all those ingredients will not fit in the bowl. Thanks for your help.
Heidi, I’ve not had much luck at halving recipes that call for yeast. BUT, you could give it a try. 🙂
Or you could just mix and knead by hand instead.
what size kitchenaid do you use? I have the 5 quart, I think. Will it be big enough for this recipe?
Yep, I have the 5 quart too. 🙂
I am so excited to find this. Tomorrow is going to be homemade applesauce and bread day!! Thanks!!!
I hope you like it as much as we do! 🙂 Eat it hot with some butter. Yum!
I know this is probably a very stupid question but here goes. What kind of oil do you use to grease the bowls and pans? I’m fairly new to your blog but I love it, and am trying to make the switch to whole foods slowly but surely. Keep up the good works they have inspired me to stay on this path and not give up. Thanks so much.
The only dumb question is one that you don’t ask…or something like that. 😉
I think it’s a great question, since I didn’t clarify. When I wasn’t eating Whole Foods, I would use Canola oil….now I grease with just about anything – coconut oil, butter, or palm shortening. Whatever is close by and doesn’t cause me to have to go downstairs. LOL
Hi Stacy,
I’m wondering if you can just throw this in the bread maker? It looks delish! BTW – I’ve been reading your blog daily for about a year now and just found you on FB. You make me laugh out loud almost daily!
🙂 Thanks Andrea! I’m not sure about the bread maker, but I would think you could just follow a typical recipe and switch up the ingredients. I don’t use a bread maker….but I’m pretty sure it would work. Keep me posted!
I tried it first in my bread maker. It was great. It is a double recipe, though. So, if you don’t want that mushroom effect, you’ll have to cut it in half.
Do you have a section for “beans & rice OR rice & beans” recipes that Dave Ramsey recommends for budget living?
HA! No, but I really should, shouldn’t I? 🙂 You’ll find that most of my recipes are pretty cheap – because I’m pretty cheap…..that’s how I roll.
You mentioned you put one loaf in the freezer while you eat the other one, I have started cutting all of my loaves and packaging the slices 2 to a fold top sandwich bag and putting the sandwich bags into a bread bag and putting that into the freezer. That way we pull out the right amount of bread needed for the meal (or day) and the rest stays fresh in the freezer waiting to be eaten. It has worked well in our family. You might try it. : )
🙂 That sounds like what Barry’s Aunt Judy does. However, we go through a loaf of bread so quickly that I don’t normally worry about one loaf molding – the freezing is just to keep it a bit fresher. That is a GREAT tip for someone who doesn’t eat bread like it’s going out of style – like we do. HA!
I don’t have a stand up mixer …BOOOOO….I wonder if I could do this another way- maybe with a regular mixer??? We luv luv luv sourdough bread and I don’t use mixer for it…sourdough is so tricky and it is a toss if it is gonna rise or even taste good (even with the exact same recipe each time… go figure…) SO, I am excited to get a new bread recipe!
We’re not fans of traditional sourdough, but this is our favorite bread! If you don’t have a stand mixer, you can mix everything up by hand. When you have a good, stiff dough then you can just knead it on a well floured surface for 6-8 minutes. 🙂 Let me know if you have any more questions!
The bread turned out fantastic. I could hardly wait for it to cool long enough before I cut it. I definitely use this recipe from now on. Thanks for sharing it.
Thanks for letting me know. I love to share my bread happiness with everyone!
I made it just like your recipe, but why use the eggs? A lot of bread recipes call for eggs, but the one recipe I usually use for sandwich bread doesn’t. Just wondering.
Adding eggs to bread usually creates a softer end product and I’ve also found that it keeps the bread from drying out so quickly. 🙂 I hope it turned out well and that you love it as much as we do!
I just found your recipe. I have 2 loaves in the oven right now. Can hardly wait for them to get done. I love baking bread, but have been trying to experiment with sourdough which has not been very successful. 🙁 So I was thrilled when I set these loaves to rising and they puffed up beautifully. Thanks so much for the recipe.
I’m so glad!!! I hope you love it as much as we do. It’s the only sandwich bread I make now. I’ve made traditional sourdough, and I quit…..we just don’t care for the flavor – to each his own. 🙂 Please let me know how it turns out!
Is there a reason you use coconut oil instead of another type of fat?
Yes, because coconut oil ROCKS! I use it for everything I can now. It is sooooooooo good for you! Check out this article about its awesome benefits.
Hi Stacy!
Well, I gotta tell ya your bread is a big hit at our house. In our journey (well, ok, it’s my journey…the fam’s just along for the ride cuz they don’t get a choice!! hehehe) to eat more home-made, there has been a lot of trial and error in the bread-baking department. We’re talking lots of bread-for-the-ducks kind of errors….. But your Honey Oat Bread has saved the day!!!! It is now the official bread in our home, as I make several loaves every other week. It is easy to make and we all love the taste! Not only is it yummy, it is WAY more cost effective than the organic bread I was buying, and thus very good on my budget! Yahoo! Thanks, Stacy!
Yay!!!!!!!!! 🙂 I’m SO glad! Thanks for letting me know.
I pinned this to My Food board on Pinterest. Hope that’s okay..if not, let me know and I will delete it! Can’t wait to try it!!!
Pin away! Thanks! 🙂
We don’t care for hard red wheat……let me know how it turns out!
Now, THAT is a good review. 🙂
I’d love to try this but my son HATES any seedy texuture. Any idea what I can use instead of Oats that’s not so grainy? Thanks as always!
I would just stick my oats in the food processor and pulse them until they made oat flour…..and then I’d add that. 🙂
Thanks so much for this recipe! Made me reminisce about when I was a kid,coming home to my mom’s homemade loaves,still warm from the oven…mmmmmmmm!!! Lol! I’m definitely going to be trying this recipe in the very near future! Thanks again and warm wishes to you & Barry! ^_^
Thanks Becki! 🙂
I was in desperate need for a new recipe (same reason as yours…I take from here and there). I am going to try this one tomorrow!
Let me know how it goes! 🙂
How did you know today is my bread baking day, Stacy? I am going to venture out from my usual sandwich bread and try yours – Thanks! 🙂
I hope you enjoy it as much as we do! 🙂 I just finished off a loaf last night by myself….granted, it was only two slices, but I didn’t share. LOL