Big Batch Honey Oat Bread
Three loaves of tender oat bread with a touch of sweetness from the honey in each mouthful make up Big Batch Honey Oat Bread. For another light and airy handmade bread, try my Amish White Bread.
Big Batch Honey Oat Bread
Ingredients
- 7 Cups (875g) All-purpose flour, divided
- 1½ Tbsp Kosher salt
- 2 Cups (180g) Old-fashioned oats, plus an extra ¼ cup for sprinkling on tops of loaves (optional)
- ½ Cup (170g) Honey
- ½ Cup (109g) Vegetable oil, plus 1 tablespoon for coating bowl
- 3 Cups (500g) Very warm water, 120°F-130°F
- 2 Tbsp Active yeast
Instructions
- Add 2 cups flour, salt, oats, honey, oil, and warm water to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on low for about 2 minutes, or until blended.
- Add the yeast and use the stand mixer to mix it in until it is barely mixed after the mixture has cooled to about 110°F. Never exceed the speed setting of 2. (Or use a low setting to mix.)
- After removing the paddle attachment, take the stand mixer's bowl out. After covering with a towel, let the mixture sit for approximately ten minutes, or until the yeast begins to bloom. The mixture will still be fairly moist and appear frothy.
- Use a dough hook instead of the stand mixer attachment. To create a smooth, soft dough, add the remaining flour one cup at a time while the mixer is running on low (or speed setting 2) for five to seven minutes.
- Use the dough hook to knead the ingredients for approximately five minutes.
- Apply the remaining tablespoon of vegetable oil to a big bowl.
- Put the dough in the basin that has been oiled. Let it rest for an hour or until it has doubled in size, covered loosely with a layer of oiled plastic wrap or a fresh towel.
Second Rise
- When the dough is complete, punch it down and divide it into three loaves. (My loaves weighed roughly 700g each.)
- Put the loaves in three 8.5 x 4-inch loaf pans that have been oiled. Sprinkle the extra oats on top of each loaf, if using, then brush the tops of the loaves with water.
- Let the dough rise for 45 to 1 hour, or until it is 1-2 inches above the pan edge, by loosely covering the pans with plastic wrap that has been lightly oiled.
Baking
- Place an oven rack in the center of the oven. Set the oven's temperature to 350°F.
- The bread loaves should be evenly spaced on the middle oven rack. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until golden brown on top. Every loaf of bread should have an interior temperature of 190°F. Additionally, when the loaves are tapped, they will sound a little hollow inside.
- Let the bread cool before slicing or storing.
Big Batch Honey Oat Bread
After you finish the first loaf, you will have a few more to preserve and enjoy since this recipe yields three loaves of honey oat bread! I’ll tell you how to keep it for optimal effects. The bread’s golden crust is just right, not too firm, but just crunchy enough.
When you bite into it, a soft crumb with a hint of sweetness will appear. You may use it for sandwiches, toast a slice with a bit of honey for breakfast, or eat it warm with butter.
Ingredients for Bread
Keep plenty of flour and other ingredients on hand because this recipe yields three loaves of bread!
Flour: This recipe calls for seven cups of all-purpose flour. I can’t testify to the efficacy of other types of flour because we haven’t tested this bread with them. Whole wheat flour, though, ought to function.
Oats: Use rolled or old-fashioned oats, and make sure you have some on hand to sprinkle on top of the bread loaves before baking.
Honey: If possible, use raw honey for optimal effects. Its antioxidants, antiviral, and antibacterial qualities are among the many advantages of raw honey, which has not been heated or pasteurized. Even wounds and burns may find it calming. Additionally, it’s good to help out your neighborhood honey producers.
Water: The temperature of water, when added to other ingredients, is crucial; 130°F is the ideal temperature. However, it must cool slightly (approximately 110°F) before adding the yeast.
Yeast: Since I used active dry yeast, it will take a while for it to bloom. For this reason, the water must cool slightly before adding the yeast to prevent its death.
How to Prepare Honey Oat Bread in Large Batches
Before beginning to make these bread loaves, make sure you have a stand mixer with a dough hook and a paddle attachment. Additionally, keep in mind that the bread rises for an hour at two different periods. To begin, combine 2 cups flour, salt, oats, honey, oil, and very warm water in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.
Mix the ingredients using the paddle attachment on low. The mixture should then be allowed to cool to around 110°F. Add the yeast and cook on low (no more than setting 2) for about two minutes after it has somewhat cooled. After taking the bowl off of the stand mixer and covering it with a cloth, give the yeast ten minutes or so to activate.
Once the yeast has had a chance to activate, change the stand mixer attachment to the dough hook. Add one cup of flour at a time while the speed is on low (setting 2) until the dough is soft and smooth. I used the remaining flour to get the desired dough consistency. Work the dough for approximately.
When the dough is ready, put it in a big oiled bowl. Cover the dough with a fresh cloth or lightly oiled plastic wrap. Give the dough an hour or so to rise. It will grow!
When the dough is finished, punch it down and divide it among three 8 1/2 x 4-inch loaf pans that have been oiled. My loaves weighed roughly 700 grams each. If you plan to add oats, sprinkle them on top after brushing the loaves’ tops with water. To allow each loaf to rise for an additional hour, cover each loaf with plastic wrap that has been gently oiled. (This step is optional because the oats are primarily used for adornment.)
The bread should be baked for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown, on the middle rack of the oven, equally spaced. Baked bread should have an interior temperature of 190°F. Additionally, each loaf will have a bit of a hollow inside sound when tapped. Let the bread cool before slicing.
How to Keep Bread Fresh
There are a few techniques to prolong the freshness of the loaf you will be eating immediately (at least a few days). The following advice will help you store at room temperature: (I’ll go on to freezing bread.)
Methods for Freezing Bread
You most likely intend to save some loaves to eat later if you are making this large batch of bread. The best option is to freeze bread! The loaves can be frozen whole or portioned according to how much you would consume in a day. In order to freeze bread:
Take the bread out of the freezer and unwrap it when you’re ready to eat it. Keep it at room temperature in a plastic bag with a zipper.
Could I only make one loaf?
The measurements will be challenging if you only want one loaf. If you have a kitchen scale, though, you may split the ingredients more easily. If you have the supplies, just make a large batch and savor the bread you prepared yourself for a while! I have, after all, provided you with methods for storing the additional loaves.
Could I Prepare a Larger Batch?
If three loaves of bread aren’t enough, you may easily double the ingredients and make six loaves! You do need the right kitchenware, though, if you intend to do that. The first thing you’ll need is probably two ovens and an industrial-sized mixer. If you have one oven and a mixer, you may put three of the loaves in the fridge while the other three bake to prevent them from rising.
Can I Use a Bread Machine to Make Honey Oat Bread?
It may be challenging to make this recipe in a bread machine. Again, dividing each ingredient by three would require some math abilities because most bread machines only produce one loaf. Please let me know how it goes if you give it a try!