This easy to bake homemade honey oat bread is free of processed sugar. It is incredibly delicious and slightly sweetened with a bit of natural honey.
This homemade, light and fluffy bread is great toasted with a bit of butter. It’s simple to prepare, and features oats and honey.
It’s been a reader favorite for a reason! Give it a try and see just what makes it so deliciously good!
This post has been updated from its original publish date of September 15, 2016. It has been updated to provide better photos, additional helpful information and step by step instructions.
Honey Oat Bread Recipe
This recipe has been a long time family and reader favorite.
This simple bread recipe is a hit with my entire family, can easily be made and kneaded in a stand mixer or by hand – totally your preference.
I thoroughly enjoy kneading by hand, but sometimes we don’t always have the time for that. I usually make a loaf about once or twice a week because my family likes it that much.
Around our home, we try to avoid as many processed or sugar filled foods as possible and since sugar is found in nearly everything — including bread, so I like to bake my own.
Spread butter over top of fresh baked slices, use it for sandwiches, serve with soups or stews, or enjoy all on its own!
Its so good!!
Ingredients
Homemade bread is much more satisfying than store-bought bread. Throw together the ingredients for this easy recipe and you’ll have a new favorite bread recipe!
And this recipe uses just a few pantry staple ingredients.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- all purpose flour
- old fashioned rolled oats
- dry active yeast
- fine sea salt
- butter
- whole milk
- lukewarm water
- raw, natural honey
- For the top of the bread: 2 tablespoons honey, 2 tablespoons oats
Instructions
Begin by combining the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl or in the bowl of a standing mixer.
Next, add the milk and butter to a small saucepan over medium low heat. Heat just until the butter melts, but don’t allow to boil or scald the milk. Stir in the honey and water.
Add the milk mixture to the flour mixture. If using a stand mixer, use the dough hook attachment. Check often to make sure it isn’t becoming over kneaded. And knead for about 6-8 minutes.
If kneading by hand, you’ll notice this bread is very sticky and may require more flour. Add a small amount at a time, approximately 1 tablespoon at a time, until it isn’t very tacky, but don’t allow to become too dry.
Knead the bread for about 10 minutes.
Place dough in an oiled bowl, cover with clean dry kitchen towel and allow to rise until doubled in size – approximately 1/2 hour to 1 hour.
Add the bread dough to a lightly floured surface and roll dough out into loaf size and place in pan, seam side down.
I use a standard 9×5 inch loaf pan. Allow to rise again until doubled inside of the bread pan. This rise time is again for approximately 1/2 hour to 1 hour.
Brush the top of the bread with the honey and sprinkle with the remaining oats.
Bake bread in a preheated oven until golden brown. (see the complete recipe instructions in printable recipe card below)
How to store homemade bread
My favorite way for storing homemade bread is by wrapping the loaf in a bread bag and storing in a bread box. Our family goes through bread fairly quickly so this option works great for us.
If you need to store for longer term, wrap the loaf in a resealable bag or silicone storage container for a more natural option. You could also use an airtight container or wrap in aluminum foil.
Homemade bread can also be stored frozen. My favorite way to do this is to keep the bread in a loaf shape and place in a freezer bag.
Pro tip: when storing frozen bread, be sure to allow the bread to cool after baking before moving it to storage.
Tips for Making this Bread
When making this bread, I usually use whole milk. But I have also had success with using nut milks like almond and coconut.
I like to hand knead bread so I can get a feel for when it is ready. But sometimes, I’m pressed for time so I will use my stand mixer with the dough hook.
It is important to stop and check it periodically when using a stand mixer to ensure it isn’t being kneaded too much.
When baking this loaf, check on it every now and then. I recommend “babysitting” homemade bread. It isn’t something that you can just throw in the oven and call it good.
Oven times vary for most people. If the bread starts to brown on one side more than the other, rotate it.
More favorite bread recipes
Here’s a few of our favorite bread recipes that we think you’ll love too!
🍅 Recipe tips
I wholeheartedly believe that good quality ingredients make for the best recipes! I don’t recommend any fake or overly processed ingredients and will usually recommend organic / non-gmo ingredients whenever possible.
Sourcing good quality ingredients can be difficult sometimes. Did you know that most of the olive oil in grocery stores aren’t truly authentic? Or that most seafood is farmed and sourced from China? These are just a couple of examples of confusing product labels.
How do we find the BEST ingredients? If you’re like me, then sourcing clean ingredients is important to you! So, I’ve created a favorite shop page with all of my recommendations. Here you can find all of the best places to source good quality ingredients!
FAQ (frequently asked questions)
Yes, absolutely! I’ve used both coconut and almond milk in this bread recipe with great results.
Yes, allow the fresh homemade bread to cool before storing. Then store in a freezer bag or other freezer safe container for about 4 months.
want more recipes?
Check out the recipe index where you can discover more homemade recipes from my homestead!
Honey Oat Bread
Ingredients
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- ¾ cup rolled oats
- 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup milk
- ¼ cup lukewarm water
- ¼ cup honey
For the top of the bread
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons rolled oats
Instructions
- In a large bowl or stand mixer bowl, combine the dry ingredients.
- In a small saucepan, add the milk and butter. Heat just until the butter melts, but don’t allow to boil or scald the milk.
- Stir in the honey and water.
- Combine the milk mixture to the flour mixture. If using a mixer, use the dough hook attachment. Check often to make sure it isn't becoming over kneaded. Knead the bread for about 6-8 minutes.
- If kneading by hand, knead for about 10 minutes. You’ll notice this bread is very sticky and may require more flour. Add a small amount at a time, approximately 1 tablespoon at a time, until it isn’t very tacky, but don’t allow to become too dry.
- Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with clean dry kitchen towel and allow to rise until doubled in size – approximately 1/2 hour to 1 hour.
- If dough is still too sticky, lightly flour your working surface and roll dough out into loaf size and place in a bread pan seam-side down. I use a standard 9×5 inch loaf pan. Allow to rise again, this time inside of the bread pan until doubled in size for approximately 1/2 hour to 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 350° F.
- Brush the top of the bread with the reserved honey and sprinkle with the remaining oats.
- Bake for 40 minutes.
- Allow to cool completely (if you can!)
- Slice up and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
where would you like to start?
Katie says
I’ve been on the look out for a good bread recipie. I’m going to test this in my bread machine, I still haven’t mastered baking bread on a wood stove!
Mary Beth says
You’ll have to let me know how it comes out in the bread machine! 🙂
Dom says
I am new to baking bread and tried this wonderful recipe. Unfortunately, I don’t know if this turned out the way I had hoped. Is this bread suppose to be light and fluffy or a little more dense?
Mine turned out so dense. Please HELP!!!
Mary Beth says
Thank you so much for reaching out! I’d love to try to help you troubleshoot it a bit. It should be only slightly dense. This could be from not kneading the dough enough. Here’s a post that might help: https://bootsandhooveshomestead.com/bread-making-for-beginners/
Jessica says
Perhaps I’m missing it but where in the instructions do you let the yeast proof?
Mary Beth says
There is not an extra step to proof the yeast. It will proof during the rise time.
Sopbja says
Hi there, I was wanting to make this for a farmers market. Are you able to freeze the baked bread?
Lisa says
I don’t have any butter only olive oil, I might still give it a shot?!
Taz says
Made this in my bread machine, using the dough setting. I had to add 2 more tablespoons of flour.
After the dough setting was done, I poured the dough out onto the counter and shaped into a loaf. Next I put this in a traditional loaf pan, covered with a damp towel, and let rise about 45-60 minutes. Then I baked it in a hot 375 degree oven for 20-35 minutes.
After I pulled it out of the oven I wrapped the loaf in a towel to cool.
Absolutely delicious !
NICOLE says
DELICIOUS, EASY AND A FAMILY FAVORITE!
Brianne says
Hi! Can you use rapid rise yeast?
Holly says
Have you tried this with rapid rise? I was wondering the same thing!
Brittany jade says
Love this recipe as I am about to begin proofing my bread for the second time! Great bread dough absolutely no problems no need for extra flour! One thing I noticed tho not to do with the fabulous recipe
is that the 1 – 2 hours of proofing time wasnt added to the total recipe time . thank you I can’t wait to try this bread thank you
Mary Beth says
Thank you and great reminder! 🙂
Mildred Cruz says
Very good recipe thanks
Hannah peacock says
Hi there! If I’m a little short on honey, do you think I could substitute maple syrup??
Stacy says
Great taste! Very very dense bread. I did not overmix. Kneaded for 6 min. Had to add a few tablespoons of flour during the kneading as it was very sticky. Any way to make this lighter and fluffier?
Mary Beth says
I’m not sure why it would be dense. Maybe too much flour?