Description
This No Knead Seeded Oat Bread is a simple yet flavorful homemade loaf packed with wholesome seeds and oats. With minimal hands-on time, this bread yields a rustic, slightly chewy crust with a tender crumb enriched by pumpkin, sunflower, and flax seeds. Perfect for breakfast or sandwiches, it requires a long rise to develop deep flavor without any kneading—just mix, rest, shape, and bake.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 3 cups (390g) bread flour (spooned & leveled), plus more as needed for shaping and pan
- 2 teaspoons (about 6g) Red Star Platinum instant yeast
- 1 cup (85g) old-fashioned whole rolled oats
- 1/4 cup (30g) unsalted pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
- 1/4 cup (30g) salted or unsalted sunflower seeds
- 2 Tablespoons (18g) flax seeds or sesame seeds
- 2 teaspoons coarse salt
Wet Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons (43g) honey
- 1 and 1/2 cups (360ml) warm water (about 95°F / 35°C)
Topping
- 1 Tablespoon (5g) old-fashioned whole rolled oats
- 1 Tablespoon (8g) pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
- 1 Tablespoon (8g) sunflower seeds
- 1 teaspoon flax seeds or sesame seeds
Optional
- Cornmeal for dusting pan
Instructions
- Watch the video guide: Start by watching the accompanying video to understand the steps visually, ensuring better results.
- Combine dry ingredients: In a large ungreased mixing bowl, whisk together the bread flour and instant yeast. Add the oats, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, and coarse salt, then whisk everything together thoroughly.
- Mix wet ingredients and combine: Stir the honey into the warm water, then pour this mixture over the dry ingredients. Using a silicone spatula or wooden spoon, gently mix until all flour is moistened, working with your hands as needed. The dough will be sticky and shaggy.
- First rise: Shape the dough into a ball in the bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap or foil, and let it rise at room temperature for 3 hours until nearly doubled with visible air bubbles.
- Optional refrigeration: For better flavor and texture, refrigerate the covered dough for at least 12 hours up to 3 days. The dough will continue to puff and then deflate slightly after about 2 days.
- Prepare baking surface and shape dough: Lightly dust a large nonstick baking sheet with flour or cornmeal. With floured hands, gently shape the dough into a ball, being careful not to deflate it excessively.
- Add topping and rest: Transfer the shaped dough to the baking sheet. Mix the topping seeds and oats then sprinkle liberally on top, pressing them lightly into the dough. Cover loosely and let rest for 45 minutes.
- Preheat oven: While the dough rests, preheat your oven to 425°F (218°C).
- Score the loaf: Using a sharp knife or bread lame, score the dough with a shallow slash or an X about 1/2 inch deep. If the dough has flattened, reshape gently with floured hands.
- Place dough in oven: Put the baking sheet with dough on the center rack of the preheated oven.
- Add steam (optional): For a crispier crust, place a shallow metal pan or cast iron skillet on the bottom rack and pour 3–4 cups boiling water into it immediately after placing the bread inside. Quickly close the oven door to trap steam.
- Bake: Bake for 40 minutes until the crust is golden brown. Tent with foil if browning too fast. Test doneness by tapping the crust (should sound hollow) or using a thermometer (195°F / 90°C internal temperature).
- Cool: Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack for at least 10–20 minutes before slicing.
- Storage: Store leftover bread loosely covered at room temperature up to 3 days or refrigerate for up to 10 days.
Notes
- Using the refrigerator rest enhances flavor and texture but is optional.
- If you don’t want to use a baking sheet, you can bake this bread in a pizza stone or Dutch oven—adjust baking time accordingly.
- Steam in the oven helps develop a crispy crust but can be skipped if desired.
- Flour or cornmeal dusting on the baking surface prevents sticking and provides texture to the crust bottom.
- Use gentle pressure when handling dough to preserve the air bubbles and final texture.
