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Give this No-Knead Seeded Oatmeal Bread a try! It's easy, versatile and so... delicious! The hands-on time is minimal and the fabulous results are maximum!
Yikes! Thirty-five pounds of flour later and many recipes rejected, I'm super happy to introduce you to this delicious, super-easy No-Knead Seeded Oatmeal Bread. Yes, thirty-five pounds of flour! Scott struck gold early one morning a few weeks ago and nabbed seven 5-pound bags of King Arthur flour at our local grocery store, as he knew I was working on a new bread recipe.
On top of that, a very kind reader from Utah, hearing that my supply of instant yeast was dwindling (and the stores in our area were experiencing a "yeast drought") mailed me a 1-pound package of instant yeast. "Yippeee!", I yelled when the lovely package arrived. I can now come up with fun new bread recipes "till the cows come home" (a saying that means a lonnnnnggggg time - and one you might not have heard, unless, of course, you originally hail from the fine Dairy State of Wisconsin like I do).
If you'd been a mouse in my house, you probably would have laughed as you watched me trying so many different bread recipes and variations (slow rise, quick rise, overnight in the fridge, rise on the counter...). It got to the point where I had so many bowls going, I had to label them to make sure I didn't get confused. Below is just one day of testing, see what I mean?
The one problem I ran across with many of the recipes was inconsistent results. Sometimes the bread turned out great and other times just so-so. Some recipes were too dense, some too puffy and light and some just didn't have a lot of flavor. So I kept going, working my way (fairly quickly) through all that flour.
In the end, I adapted and tweaked a simple recipe from Baking from Scratch. I'm happy to say that I think the recipe's perfect now and pretty much fail-proof if you follow the easy directions.
Don't believe me about the "easy" part? My daughter, Cait didn't either. Last week, I was scrolling through Instagram and saw that one of our nieces was attempting to make bread for the first time that day. Then I noticed that Cait had left a comment on the post. She said, "Haha, I've been trying too... mom swears it's so simple, but I haven't had much success yet, good luck!"
So I sent Cait the recipe and we did several FaceTimes to give her some tips and encouragement. Check out the pic below that Cait sent this week of her bread!
Gorgeous, right? (I'm wondering if Cait should be the one with the food blog!) Even if you've never attempted homemade bread from scratch, you can do this too!
Our daughter-in-law, Lindsay was also a bit reticent. She said, "I'm not a bread baker". It was so fun to, again, make a few loaves of bread with Lindsay via FaceTime and then see the great the picture she sent me with her iPhone:
Although this bread needs a stint in the refrigerator, the actual hands-on time is quite minimal. I like to mix the dough up at night (simply combine flour, brown sugar, yeast, salt and seeds in a large bowl, add hot tap water and stir well) then form the loaf and bake the next morning. After forming, the dough gets a little rest/rise on parchment paper while you get the oven and a large pot with a cover (or Dutch oven) nice and hot. Right before baking, the loaf is brushed with water, covered with seeds and then dropped right into the hot pot via the parchment paper. Cover the pot and let the oven do it's magic!
Since you and I can't make bread together via FaceTime, we took a few pictures of the process to help you out:
Your work's done for now. You'll just cover the dough with plastic wrap, let it sit out for an hour then refrigerate for at least 8, but up to 48 hours.
The dough is easy to form into a loaf. Starting on one side and, turning the dough as you go, fold the edges toward the center, pressing lightly to keep all the ends together. Once all the edges are turned in, flip the loaf over so the bottom (smooth) side is up. Now cup the dough all around the edges with the palms of your hands to form a smooth, tight ball.
At this point, transfer the ball of dough to a sheet of parchment paper that's been lightly sprinkled with flour. I like to put the parchment on a sheet pan so I can easily move the dough if needed. Give your pretty little ball of dough about 20 minutes to warm up and start to rise then place a Dutch oven or large pot into the oven and preheat it to 425˚F.
By the time the oven is nice and hot, your dough will be ready to go. Now's the time to add the seeds. Simply brush half of the loaf with water and sprinkle with the seed mix. I like to cup my hand right below the area I'm sprinkling to catch the runaway seeds. I just press those seeds onto the lower half of the dough.
Repeat the brushing and seeding then pick up the parchment paper and drop the whole works into the heated pot. Cover the pot and let the oven work it's magic for 40 minutes.
You'll be so delighted when you lift the cover and see the beautiful loaf of bread. It will need to bake another 10-20 minutes without the cover to brown and crisp.
The aroma of this bread as it bakes is unbelievable. If you have any family members, roommates or friends staying with you who are difficult to coax from the bed, this is a no-fail, no-coercing, no-words-necessary technique for getting them out of bed!
This No-Knead Seeded Oatmeal Bread makes delicious sandwiches and wonderful toast. I like to heat a little olive oil in a pan then add a slice or two of this bread and toast each side until crisp and golden - a wonderful accompaniment for soups and salads!
So versatile!
I love that there are so many ways to "do" this bread. My daughter, Cait's four children don't like seeds, so she's learned to make the bread with just oatmeal. It still makes a gorgeous loaf and is quickly gobbled up by her little herd. If there are certain seeds you don't like or don't have available, just skip them. I love to use sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, and flax seeds but pepitas, hemp seeds, amaranth, millet, and even flaked barley are all great candidates. The only seeds I wouldn't use would be chia seeds, as they soak up so much water and the recipe would need to be adjusted to compensate.
Café Tips for making this No-Knead Seeded Oatmeal Bread
- If you're using the American way of measuring flour (cups), be sure to whisk or stir the flour up a bit before measuring. If you don't, the flour will be compressed and you'll end up with more flour than is ideal for this recipe.
- Feel free to make this bread with your own mix of seeds. Keep the total amount the same, but adjust to your taste.
- No Dutch oven? No problem. This bread can be successfully made in any large pot. The pot should be at least 5 quarts or as large as 7 quarts. You can also divide the dough in two and make two loaves in medium-size saucepans with covers.
- I like to make the dough for this recipe at night, then it's ready to bake in the morning. You can also make the dough in the morning and bake it later in the day.
- If you like a really crisp crust on your bread, remove the bread to a sheet pan after the first, 40-minute bake in the Dutch oven then bake on the sheet pan for another 5-20 minutes, depending on how golden and crisp you like the crust.
- The water for this recipe should be hot tap water. Let the water run until it's nice and hot. If you check the water with your finger, it should feel hot but not so hot that you pull your finger back.
- Once you mix in all the water, if the mixture still seems a bit dry, you can add more water, 1-2 teaspoons at a time. It should be a shaggy, fairly stiff dough but it's important that all of the flour is well-incorporated.
- This No-Knead Seeded Oat Bread can be a little messy to cut with seeds flying here, there and everywhere. I find that place a cutting board on a sheet pan helps eliminate and contain most of the wayward runaway seeds.
- Be sure to cool this bread completely before slicing or it will become dense and a bit gummy.
If you enjoyed this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review! It’s so helpful to other readers to hear other’s results and ideas for variations.
- 4¼ cups all-purpose flour (I use unbleached)
- ⅔ cup old-fashioned oats
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- ¼ cup roasted shelled sunflower seeds
- 2 tablespoons flax seeds
- 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
- 1 tablespoon light or dark sesame seeds
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 2¼ teaspoons instant yeast
- 2 cups hot tap water see Café Tips above in the post
- 3 tablespoons oatmeal
- 2 tablespoons sunflower or pumpkin seeds
- 1 tablespoon light or dark sesame seeds
- 2 teaspoons poppy seeds
- 2 teaspoons flax seed
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Combine flour, oats, brown sugar, seeds, salt and yeast in a large bowl. Stir well to combine. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture.
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Add about ¾ of the hot water and stir with a rubber spatula, scraping the sides of the bowl, then bringing the mixture to the center. Rotate the bowl as you stir. When the mixture gets difficult to stir, add more of the water in increments, stirring as you go until all of the water is added and all of the flour mixture is well-incorporated. The dough should be thick, but a little shaggy. If it still seems a little dry and all of the flour is not mixed in, add another tablespoon of hot tap water, one teaspoon at a time.
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Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and allow to sit at room temperature for one hour then refrigerate for at least eight hours and up to 48 hours.
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Place a piece of parchment paper on a work surface and sprinkle it with about 2 teaspoons of flour. Set aside.
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Sprinkle about 1 tablespoon of flour onto a work surface (counter). Transfer the dough from the bowl with a spatula to the prepared surface. Sprinkle the top of the dough lightly with a little more flour.
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Gently press dough just to level and even it out a bit. Then, starting on one side and turning the dough as you go, fold the edges of dough toward center, pressing lightly in the center. Now turn the dough ball over, and using both hands, cup dough around the edges to form a smooth, tight ball. Place the dough onto the prepared sheet pan and cover it with a clean kitchen towel. Allow the dough to rise for 20 minutes.
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After 20 minutes of rising time, place a 5-7 quart Dutch oven on the center rack in the oven. Turn the oven to 425℉ and allow it to preheat for 30-40 minutes. The dough will be puffing up at this point, but will not have doubled in size.
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Brush half of the top of the loaf with water, and sprinkle with the seeded topping. Cup one hand along the bottom edges as you sprinkle the seeds catching the excess in your hand, then gently press the extra seeds onto the side of the loaf. Once half of the loaf is sprinkled with seeds, brush the other half with water and repeat the sprinkling and pressing process. Don’t worry if some seeds are on the parchment paper.
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Remove the Dutch oven (it's hot!) and place on the stovetop. Place the sheet pan with the dough next to the Dutch oven. Pick up the dough ball by the parchment paper and lower it into the Dutch oven. Be careful as the pot will be very hot. Cover the Dutch oven and return it to the oven.
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Bake for 40 minutes, covered then remove the cover and bake for another 5-20 minutes or until the bread is a nice golden color. (Check it every 5 minutes at this point.)
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Remove the Dutch oven from the oven and lift the bread, using the parchment paper onto a cooling rack. Gently slide the parchment paper (and excess seeds) away from the bottom of the loaf and discard.
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IMPORTANT - Allow the bread to cool completely before slicing.
See Café tips above in posts for more detailed instructions and tips.
Recipe adapted from Bake from Scratch.
This bread stores well at room temperature to 2-3 days and also freezes well. I like to slice it before freezing so I can pull out just as many slices as I want.
This recipe calls for instant yeast. If you only have regular dry active yeast you can still make the bread, the steps will be just a bit different: start the recipe by combining all dry ingredients in a bowl EXCEPT for the brown sugar and yeast. When you get ready to add the hot water, first add the brown sugar and yeast to the hot water and stir. Wait 5 minutes until the mixture begins to foam and bubble a bit. Then add the water mixture to the dry ingredients and proceed as directed.
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Lou says
I've made your easy rosemary bread (love it) and would like to try this oatmeal bread. I note the rosemary bread uses 1 tsp yeast while this one uses 2 1/4 tsp. Can I reduce yeast in this recipe to 1 tsp or is it too dense and needs the extra yeast?
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Lou, you could reduce the yeast in this recipe, however, the rising time will be much longer and with all the seeds plus oatmeal, the bread may be a little heavier.
Kim Lawrence says
I've been checking out your recipes and the site. I like what I see. Please add me to your mailing list. KL
Chris Scheuer says
Thank you, Kim! You can sign up for our emails at the very top of the site on the home page. 🙂
Amy says
I made this bread last night and while it’s delicious, it turned out dense. I followed the recipe to the T. Do you this I mixed it too much?
I’m doing craft services for a movie. Mena Suvari ate a piece!
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Amy, it's difficult to say without having been right there in the kitchen with you. If it's dense, it may be that the ingredients were not combined enough or perhaps it's an issue with the yeast.
Jane Olsen says
I have been making this bread for the past 2 months, and we LOVE it. My only problem is that I often start it in the late morning, and the timing, with 8 hours minimum in the fridge, is tough. I would like to try a shorter, non-refrigerated, rise (we use a proofing box, set at 78 degrees or so), and I am wondering how long you would recommend?
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Jane, the long slow rise does improve the flavor but you could definitely let it rise at room temp and it will still be great. I wouldn't go so much by time but rather by how quickly it's rising. Once it's doubled in bulk, you're good to go!
Jane Olsen says
Thank you! We are loving this bread!
Nina Lian says
I ended up with a dense and unfortunately not full cooked bread. It looked beautiful but gooey inside so not what I had hoped. I too have made other no-knead breads where I left it out but covered overnight (~8 hours) and then baked. I will try that next time but want to know how to make sure it is fully cooked. Please advise.
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Nina, the best way to tell if bread is properly baked is to use an instant thermometer. The internal temperature should be 190˚F.
Lorraine Lamb says
I can't leave well enough alone I guess. I used 1 cup vital wheat gluten and 3.25 all purpose and regular sugar. I then baked in a loaf pan. I was looking for a no knead oat bread with seeds and wanted high protein to compliment vegetarianism. Man is it good. Chewy and the toasted seedsI Now I am going to make up packets of the dry mix with a baggie of the topping inside, one for each week in the month. I can have bread made in minutes!
Chris Scheuer says
Awesome! Thanks for letting us know, Lorraine!
Sandra says
Hello Scott and Chris,
Today, I baked you wonderful bread, and oh! what joy! I used the metric measurements and followed your very well written recipe to the letter. Everyone enjoyed it immensely, especially my little grandson. He gave me two thumbs up, so you see, it must have been very good. My loaf was large, light and airy, despite the addition of seeds and oats.
I would happily to recommend this recipe to anyone who is new to bread-making. The instructions are super clear and the photographs are a great support to anyone who is a little hesitant.
Many thanks from myself and my grateful family.
Chris Scheuer says
Awesome! Thank you for taking the time to let us know, Sandra!
Modd says
I decided to make half recipe but I did a mistake. Everything half recipe except all seeds. Sigh! I hope it will turn out well, finger crossed.
Chris Scheuer says
Oh man! Hope it was ok, Modd. Give it another try soon!
Rebeca Sharp says
Hi! Do you have gram measurements for the flour and water in this recipe? I saw you gave tips for "if you're using the American way of measuring" but I didn't see an alternative. I followed the instructions but at first the dough was VERY wet once I used all of the water, so I added a very small amount of flour to even out the texture of the dough-- it did successfully rise some before I put it in the fridge, so the yeast was good. But once I took it out of the fridge it was very hard and difficult to mold-- definitely didn't end up with a smooth finish. So, all that is to say -- I would love the grams measurement so I can try to be more precise! It's delicious anyway, just dense!
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Rebeca, if you look under the ingredient list, you can click where it says metric and convert the ingredients to grams. Hope that helps!
Z. Baksh says
Can I use this formula to make bun/roll sizes? Can you just bake this bread on a sheet pan; with out using a pot or Dutch oven?
Chris Scheuer says
You could make rolls with this recipe as well as making it on a sheet pan will work. The crust just won't be as crisp but it will still be delicious!
Bev Ulaszek says
I'm not a bread baker but my husband really likes bread. I had printed this recipe when it was posted and finally took a deep breath and attempted to bake it. It is so easy, it turned out perfectly, and he loved it! I too liked the dense texture and hearty flavor. Now I have a bread recipe!
Chris Scheuer says
Bravo! That's so awesome, Bev! Thanks so much for sharing your success! 💕💕
janet says
Made this last week. Awesome and easy. Gave half to some friends and they are still raving about it. Another ridiculously easy recipe! Thank you.
Chris Scheuer says
I'm so glad! Thanks for letting us know, Janet.
janet says
Should I use large flake oats?
Are the old fashioned oats the same as oatmeal?
Thanks, love your other recipes.
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Janet, thanks so much! Old-fashioned oats are perfect for this recipe! Enjoy!
Vicki says
Made this amazingly detailed recipe (thank you!!) today for a friend who is having Stem Cell Transplant for Nultiple Myeloma next week. The thorough instructions are much appreciated...the seeded bread, delicious and visually impressive...and the taste is spot-on.
Great bread!
Chris Scheuer says
Oh, I know your friend really appreciate getting a yummy loaf of bread from you. Hope the transplant goes well! We have a friend who underwent that and he is doing fantastic! Thanks so much for sharing your results, Vicki!
Rebecca Fahrbach says
Hello-I'm not sure what happened to my first attempt. I followed your instructions and when I took it out of the fridge it was a big solid lump there was no way to shape it or or knead it at all. I tried to do what your photos showed (which I really appreciate and think are very helpful) I baked it anyway and the taste was wonderful but it was (not a surprise) a very dense stodgy texture. My sweet husband ate several pieces-can't resist fresh bread from the oven no matter how it looks. Any imput would be appreciated...I'm going to give it another go today. Thank you for all of the instruction-very easy to follow.
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Rebecca, I'm sorry you had trouble with this recipe. It sounds like it might have been an issue with the yeast. Did you use instant yeast? Did you let it sit our for an hour? By the time you put the dough in the refrigerator it should be starting to rise if the yeast is active.
Make sure the water is hot to the touch, not so hot that if you put your finger in the water, you have to pull it out but it should feel hot to the touch.
Lee-Ann Blackburn says
Hi! Excited to try this recipe! Would one be able to use half all purpose flour and half whole wheat?
Thank you!
Lee-Ann
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Lee-Ann, I might start with ¼ WW flour and increase from there. I'm afraid the bread may be too heavy with too much WW. You may have to add some vital gluten if you use ½ to lighten it a bit.
Lee-Ann says
Thank you!
Lee-Ann Blackburn says
My dough has been in the fridge overnight, so I need to sit dough at room temp for any length of time before next step or can I dive right in?
I appreciate your help ☺️
Chris Scheuer says
Nope! Just go ahead with the recipe. By the time you’re ready to put it in the oven it will have had about an hour at room temperature. Which is just perfect. If your kitchen is really chilly, you might give it a little bit longer. Otherwise just go with the recipe directions. Enjoy!
Lee-Ann Blackburn says
This recipe is absolutely perfect, thank you Scott and Chris for your quick answers to my probably obvious questions 😊
Chris Scheuer says
You're welcome, Lee-Ann! We love to help you become proficient in the kitchen!
Lorraine Tutty says
Can this bread be made without the seeds.
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Loriraine, it can but I would use an extra ½ cup of oatmeal in the bread.
Booge says
On my 7th bread!🥰🥰
Giving them away to family, friends!
Thank you,
Have Great Moments!
Chris Scheuer says
I love it! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment, Booge!
kathleen says
Hi Chris:
I'm a newcomer to your website and have already made quite a few recipes. Today I baked the oatmeal seeded bread. It was fun making it since everything went perfectly. I'm a bread baker from years ago and usually use bread flour. This recipe was so easy with all-purpose flour. It wasn't sticky. We just took it out of the oven and it looks exactly like yours. I was so happy when I saw the finished loaf. I'll let you know how we like the taste once it has cooled. I make plain artisan bread twice a week. Maybe this will replace it once in a while. Thanks for a great website. I always look forward to tour emails. Kathy
Chris Scheuer says
Thank you, Kathy, for sharing your review! I'm so happy you enjoyed this bread and appreciate your kind words 💕
Claire Van Allen says
This bread is delicious even if it was a little heavy but that is probably due to the oats I used. In Canada, I suppose I should have used rolled oats or large flake instead of quick oats (not minute) so will try again since this bread was really good with a dab of butter, as toasts and used as garlic bread.
Thank you Chris for all the efforts you put in developing these recipes and all the help so we can look good.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, Claire! I really appreciate you sharing your results!
Carol Chervin says
Can you use a pizza stone to make the bread rather than a dutch oven?
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Carol, that will work fine too!
Nancy says
Hello Chris
Have you ever made this in a regular loaf pan? 8x4 or 9x5 ? If so what temperature would you recommend and how long would you bake it? With thanks
Nancy, Belwood Ontario
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Nancy, I haven't tried this in a loaf pan but I think it would work in a 9x5 pan. I can't say the exact time without having tested it but I would bake it to a nice golden brown color.
Melinda says
This is an excellent bread! I have Made 3 loaves in the last 2 days! It’s A very forgiving bread recipe. Don’t hesitate to try this, you won’t be disappointed!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, Melinda! I'm so happy you enjoyed it. Thanks so much for taking the time to share your results!
Elizabeth Pereira says
Bread was wonderful. also made the Strawberry muffins today. Delicous.Ottawa.🇨🇦
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks for sharing your results, Elizabeth!
Louise says
Hello from Montréal, Québec !
I would like to know why you leave the dough rest in the fridge, and not at room temperature like many other no knead bread recipes? I made your recipe last week and the dough did not rise much in the fridge. I took the dough out of the fridge the next morning and followed your instructions. After 45 minutes the dough was still very cold and did not puffed at all, I know your recipe mentions that the dough would not double in size, but mine didnt do anything. Was wondering if I should have waited longer before cooking the bread? The bread had a great taste, but it was dense and heavy texture. (excuse my wording, as I am a french canadian ). Can I let the dough at room temperature for 8 to 12 hours? What would it change?
Your web site is really great! Glad I discovered it. Thanks for your help!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks for your kind words, Louise!
Regarding the bread, it's refrigerated to give it a long, slow rise which helps develop a more flavorful dough. You could go without the refrigeration but then you will need to give it a shorter rising time as it wouldn't need the 8-12 hours.
Yes, when you remove the bread from the refrigerator, go more with how it looks rather than the time. The time can vary, depending on the temperature of your room and other factors.
Since you had a bit of trouble with the dough rising, the next time you make the bread, try letting it sit on the counter for 30 minutes before refrigerating. That will make the yeast happy.
Marie says
This was absolutely wonderful!! You are my go to source for recipes. I've made the pumpkin bread, several of the salads, and salad dressings, which all turned out just as you said. I can even make quinoa now. And I keep my herbs in a jar in the kitchen window, per your advice. So, thank you for your efforts and hard work!!!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much, Marie, for sharing your results. I'm so happy you've enjoyed our recipes! 💕💕