Oatmeal Bread (No Yeast & No Knead!)

Enjoy a hearty and comforting loaf of homemade Oatmeal Bread! This bread is hearty, full of whole grains, and ready in under 50 minutes.

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This recipe was originally published April 20, 2020. It was republished with new photos, blog post information, and recipe refinements on March 23, 2021.

Delicious homemade bread doesn't need to be a multi-hour experience. With this No-Yeast Oatmeal Bread, you can get a warm and lightly sweet, savory, and fill-in-all-those cracks loaf of bread that goes with almost any meal (breakfast, lunch, or dinner)!

Spend just a few moments on Instagram or Pinterest food feeds these days and I bet you'll see a few, if not many, pictures of homemade bread.

Sourdough starters, sandwich breads, homemade golden challah, and more. It's almost a form of quarantine art.

But, what if you want to make some bread yourself but a) don't have the yeast, b) don't care to mess around with dough rising, or c) just simply want a good loaf of bread fast?

(I'm currently an answer C, by the way. I have more time than ever to play around with yeast, but would rather leave that free time for Tiger King or Unorthodox. I guess we all have our priorities to make, don't we?).

But enough of my digressions. Regardless of your motives or desires, this oatmeal bread recipe will get you a satisfying and comforting loaf of bread in less than an hour (plus any cooling time); won't take any of the kneading, rising, or any of the other similar babysitting typical of yeast bread; and is easily made with pantry staples you probably already have on hand.

That's right. You won't have to race any other shoppers to the baking aisle to grab that last packet of yeast. And you can snack on your fresh loaf while finishing up Tiger King. 😉

This homemade oatmeal bread recipe is...

• Tender
• Hearty
• Rich in whole grains
• Versatile
• Ready in under 50 minutes

Whether you're whipping up a batch for brunch or gifting a loaf to a friend, this no-yeast oatmeal bread recipe is delicious and super simple to make!

Recipe ingredients:

• Whole wheat flour - the high protein content in whole wheat flour helps to add structure to this free-form bread.
• All-purpose flour - this classic flour keeps the bread from becoming too dense.
• Salt
• Baking soda
• Baking powder
• Old fashioned oats - rolled oats or old-fashioned oats are best for this bread; quick-cooking oats won't hold up in this recipe as we need them to.
• Brown sugar - ties all the flavors together and makes this oatmeal quick bread warm and comforting.
• 2% milk
• Unsalted butter

Recipe substitutions or adaptations:

• Flour - the bread does the best with higher protein flour so you can substitute bread flour in place of the all-purpose and whole wheat flour.
• Unsalted butter - if you don't have unsalted butter you can use salted butter instead. Just use a pinch less (or a scant 1 teaspoon) salt in the recipe
• Brown sugar - 2.5 tablespoons of honey can be used in place of the brown sugar if you prefer. Just whisk the honey into the butter and milk before stirring it into the dry ingredients.
• 2% milk - 1% or whole milk also work just fine in this recipe. Just avoid using skim milk, as we need some of the milk fat to add flavor to the bread.

How to make oatmeal bread:

1. Preheat the oven and line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper. Spray it with non-stick spray.
2. Whisk all the dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl until combined.
3. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the milk and melted butter with a fork until just combined.
4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk together until just combined. Then, switch to a rubber scraper or wooden spoon and stir the dough for 15-30 seconds, or until the dough forms a craggy mass.
5. Lightly shape the dough into a large ball. Place the ball on the cookie sheet and place in the oven.
6. Bake the bread until the bread is baked through, golden on the bottom, and the bread sounds hollow when tapped on.
7. Remove the bread from the oven. Place the loaf directly on a cooling sheet and let cool until it's room temperature.
8. Slice into wedges or sandwich bread slices and enjoy!

Recipe pro-tips:

• Use room temperature milk - this will help the butter stay liquid when whisked into the milk
• Let the butter cool after melting - this, too, will help the butter and milk whisk together the best. 5-10 minutes of cooling time works just fine
• Use dairy milk - this recipe relies on milk fat for flavor and acid for the bread to rise, so use dairy milk for the best results with this recipe
• Don't overmix the bread - overmixing the bread will make it tough. Just mix the bread until the oatmeal is incorporated and no streaks of flour remain and you're reading to form the loaf and bake
• Use fresh flour - old flour can taste stale and not rise as well. Use flour that is still fresh (i.e. within its expiration date) for the best flavored and most tender bread
• Measure the flour by weighing it - measuring flour by weighing it is the most accurate way to measure flour. Kitchen scales are only about $10 on Amazon and make the biggest difference in how your recipe turns out. I recommend trying one out today. Here is the food scale I use and love and here are directions on how to measure flour.

Notes on making bread without yeast:

Making bread without yeast is slightly different from making yeasted bread. Here are some points to keep in mind when making this or other non-yeasted bread recipes:

• Milk temperature doesn't matter - we don't need to worry about killing the yeast with warm milk. So, though we want to have room temperature milk to mix well with the butter for this recipe, the precise temperature doesn't matter.
• You don't need to let the bread rise - just pop the loaf of bread in the preheated oven as soon as you've shaped the bread and the leavening agents (baking soda and baking powder) will work to raise the bread in the oven.
• Don't knead the bread - we don't need to knead the bread when yeast isn't involved. Kneading builds up the gluten, which makes a non-yeasted bread tough, but helps a yeasted bread to rise.

Oatmeal bread serving suggestions:

There are so many great ways to serve this homemade bread! I recommend serving this bread...

• For breakfast - toasted with jam and butter
• For lunch - used as sandwich bread or served with your favorite lunch salad
• For dunner - with large chunks served alongside a large bowl of chili or soup!

Can you bake this bread at high altitude?

Yes, you can bake this bread at high altitude. Follow the directions as listed, increasing the baking temperature to 365 degrees Fahrenheit and using only 1 teaspoon baking soda. Continue with the rest of the recipe as directed.

Storage and freezing directions:

This recipe keeps covered in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days. You can also freeze it in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.

For best results, defrost the bread at room temperature for 3-4 hours. Do not defrost it in the microwave, as it may get tough and chewy.

What tools do you need to make this oatmeal bread?

• Large mixing bowl
• Whisk
• Measuring cups and bowls
• Large cookie sheet
• Parchment paper or silicone baking mat
• Wire cooling rack
• Serrated knife

More great bread recipes:

• Sweet Yeast Dinner Rolls
• Walnut Bread
• Brown Butter Banana Bread
• Easy No Yeast Dinner Rolls
• Air Fryer Bread
• Healthy Apple Cinnamon Bread
• Whole Wheat Beer Bread
• Gluten-Free Cornbread

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