This recipe is brought to you in partnership with Red Star Yeast. Can you make a good thing… better? Originally published in 2013, this deliciously chewy no-knead bread is EASY to make. But over the years, I’ve added clearer instructions which are extremely useful for a bread beginner. I also made some small improvements to the recipe including reducing the honey and cinnamon, plus adding a little more yeast to achieve a better rise. I also updated the photos and added plenty of step photos, too. So, to answer the question… when it comes to the original version of today’s bread recipe… yes!
Tell Me About This No-Knead Honey Oat Bread
Texture: This dough is very hydrated, so expect a chewy, soft, and spongey baked bread. And by spongey, I don’t mean damp nor gummy. Rather, if you squish a slice, it will mostly spring back into shape. The crust is a little crisp when the bread comes out of the oven, but it softens over time. Flavor: Honey and oats provide most of the flavor while cinnamon adds a little something extra. You’ll notice the cinnamon is there, but it doesn’t overpower the other delicate flavors. This is a sweeter bread, so I wouldn’t serve it to soak up your savory tomato sauce (but honestly, it would still probably taste great that way!). Ease: Like my artisan bread, this is a very easy bread recipe and perfect for bread beginners because there’s hardly any hands-on work required. You don’t need a mixer, there’s no dough starter, no complicated shaping, and the dough doesn’t require kneading. In fact, the less you handle the dough, the better—the bread wants you to do less work. Set aside enough time to let the dough rise, at least 12 hours (or overnight) for the 1st rise and 1 hour for the 2nd. Serving: There are many ways you can serve this bread and my favorite is toasted with honey butter and a sprinkle of coarse sea salt or flaky sea salt. It’s hearty, so it’s the perfect bed for your avocado toast or dipper for soft/runny eggs. It also makes one heck of a pb&j and tastes phenomenal as a slightly sweet grilled cheese sandwich.
In a rush to start? You can find the full printable recipe below. If you have more time, the following headnotes will help you grasp a better understanding of the recipe before you begin.
Best Ingredients to Use for Honey Oat Bread
This is an egg free baking recipe and dairy free recipe.
Step-by-Step Photos: No Knead Honey Oat Bread
Though this is a very hands-off recipe, let me show you a few process photos so you have a solid understanding of the instructions below. This is a sticky dough, so a mixer will not do you any favors. Mix it by hand with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula (photo below, left). The picture below on the right shows the dough after the 1st rise. Notice how the dough rises OUT more than it rises UP: Pictured below is a close-up of the dough after rising—I pulled the dough inward so you can see the strands of dough. This dough is full of AIR and that’s exactly what you want: Next you will add a little flour to the sticky risen dough—just enough so that you can gently shape it into a loaf. Careful not to deflate the dough: Shaping: The picture below on the left shows the loaf after you shape it. Do not overthink the shaping step because the less you handle and tinker with the dough, the better. As shown below on the right, place into a greased 9×5-inch loaf pan and use a sharp knife or bread lame to score it on top. Scoring allows the airy dough to “breathe” as it rises and bakes. (The pictured bread lame was a gift, but if you’re shopping for one, I also have and love this bread lame.) Let the dough rise again in the loaf pan. This 2nd rise takes at least 1 hour. After that, it’s time to bake the bread. Before baking, you can sprinkle the top of the loaf with oats or add a cinnamon-sugar topping. See details for both optional toppings in the recipe notes below. Usually my loaf is just covered in baked flour leftover from the shaping step: Cool for about 15 minutes before slicing and serving. Again, homemade honey butter is a fantastic finishing touch and you can quickly prep it as the bread cools. And if you love honey in your homemade breads, you’ll enjoy these honey butter rolls too.
Additional Easy Bread Recipes
Sandwich Bread & Multigrain Bread Artisan Bread Cinnamon Rolls Pizza Dough Soft Pretzels
