The Food Pig

Sourdough Oatmeal Bread
The Story
I really like finding simple ways to make sourdough a little more interesting, and adding oatmeal turned out to be a great one. This Sourdough Oatmeal Bread has the familiar tangy flavor of sourdough, along with a mild nutty sweetness from the oats. The oatmeal also helps give the bread a softer, more tender crumb while still keeping that hearty homemade texture I like. Oats bring some nice nutritional benefits to the loaf too. They’re a good source of fiber, including beta-glucan, a soluble fiber that can help support healthy cholesterol levels and heart health. Oats also provide nutrients such as manganese, magnesium, iron, and B vitamins. Combined with the slow fermentation of sourdough, they make this bread feel a little more wholesome without making it taste like “health food.” It’s great toasted in the morning, makes an excellent sandwich bread, and is just as good warm with a little butter. If you already enjoy making sourdough, this is an easy way to change things up while adding a little extra flavor, texture, and goodness to every loaf.

The Ingredients

• 125g rolled oats
• 500g bottled purified water
• 250g sourdough starter mix
• 150g bottled purified water
• 725g bread flour
• 20g salt

The Preparation

• Combine bread flour, whole wheat flour and salt and mix well.
• Combine sourdough starter and water and mix well.
• Combine wet and dry ingredients and and mix using spoon until all dry flour has been incorporated into a shaggy mixture.
• Cover and allow to rest for 120 minutes.
• Stretch and fold with a wet hand 4 times rotating bowl 90 degrees each time, cover and allow to rest for 30 minutes.
• Repeat last step 4 more times, resting 30 minutes between each stretch and fold.
• Cover and let rest for an additional 90 minutes at room temperature.
• Dump dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide in half.
• With the first batch, stretch and flatten into a square/rectangle.
• Fold each side over to 1\3 of the width and roll into a ball folding the sides inward while rolling.
• Pre-shape each into a tight ball, dust with rice flour and place in a well dusted proofing basket.
• Repeat with the second batch.
• Cover loosely with dry cotton towel and rest for 30 - 45 minutes at room temperature.
• Perform a final shape and tightening, dust with rice flour and place in a well dusted proofing basket.
• Set aside and allow to proof still covered for 8 hours.
• About 20 minutes before the 8 hours are up, place a Dutch oven/cover in the oven preheat to 450F.
• Turn the dough onto parchment paper, score an expansion line about 1/3 of the way in from the edge.
• Add any designs you wish to incorporate on the other 2/3.
• Place in the preheated dutch oven, add 3 ice cubes, cover and bake 25 mins covered and then an additional 25 minutes uncovered.
• Remove from the oven and place the loaf on a cooling rack for 3-4 hours.

The Bake
425F, 25 covered, 25 uncovered. The Notes

• Oh No!

Some Notes

1. Uh Oh