Healthy Scottish Oat and Wholemeal Bread
A truly luxurious bread with depth of flavour and character. And it ages gracefully over several days. Better yet, it’s packed with quality nutrients. It’s the antithesis of the doughy supermarket loaf
Ingredients
Pre-ferment
- 170 gram Strong wholemeal flour
- 120 millilitres water
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 pinch dried yeast
Oatmeal Soaker
- 90 gram steel cut oatmeal
- 120 millilitres water
- 1 tsp salt
Final Dough
- Pre-ferment
- Oatmeal soaker
- 290 gram Strong wholemeal flour
- 130 millilitres Water warm
- 25 gram Honey
- 1 tsp Dried yeast
Instructions
Pre-ferment
- Weigh the flour into a large bowl
- Make a well in the centre
- Sprinkle the salt around the outside edge of the flour avoiding the well in the centre
- Add the pinch of yeast into the well
- Pour the water into the well
- Stir with a cutlery knife slowly incorporating the flour into the water
- When the two are mixed, knead briefly until the dough forms a ball
- Cover with cling film and leave overnight at room temperature
Oatmeal Soaker
- Mix the water, oatmeal and salt together in a bowl
- Cover and leave overnight at room temperature
Final Dough
- Mix the honey and dried yeast into the warm water
- Weigh the flour into a bowl
- Add the oatmeal soaker and pre-ferment in walnut-sized pieces
- Add the water/honey/yeast mix
- Use your fingers to blend the dough together
- Scrape the dough from the bowl onto your kitchen table
- Knead the dough for 10 minutes
- Return the dough to the bowl, cover with oiled cling film and leave in a warm place to prove for 1 - 1½ hours
- Fold the dough and return it to the bowl, re-cover with cling film and leave to prove for 30-45 minutes
- Turn the dough out onto your table and pre-shape it
- Cover with cling film and leave to rest for 10 minutes on the worktop
- Shape your dough into your desired loaf - boule, bloomer or loaf tin
- Place on an oiled baking sheet or in your loaf tin
- Return to the warm place for final proving of ¾-1¼ hours
Baking
- Preheat your oven to 240˚C /465˚F.
- In the bottom of the oven preheat a heavy roasting tin
- 2 minutes before your bread goes in the oven moisten the oven with ice cubes
- Score your loaf
- Mist the loaf with water (a plant mister works well)
- Sprinkle the loaf with oatmeal
- Put the bread into the oven on a middle shelf and pour a cup of boiling water into the roasting tray before you close the door. (Take care to protect your hands and face, steam can scald)
- After 15 minutes your loaf should have started to colour and reached its maximum volume. Carefully remove the roasting tray.
- Don’t fully close the oven. Leave a tiny gap to vent the remaining steam and moisture as the loaf bakes.
- Bake for a further 25-30 minutes
- Remove and allow to cool on a wire rack.
Notes
If you’re unsure of any of the breadmaking techniques in this recipe there are step by step instructions in this article.
How to make bread at home – an essential guide to baking homemade bread