This is the kind of bread that makes a sandwich exceptional.
When I set out to develop this recipe I spent a lot of time testing different shaping techniques. I finally settled on a beautiful and functional sandwich loaf. Baking this rich bread in a loaf pan really supports the hearty oat-filled dough.
The texture is chewy with rolled oats and has a semi-open soft crumb. It slices like a dream for making sandwiches and toast!
Buttermilk: The Special Ingredient
I really only started making this bread because I was churning so much cultured raw butter that I needed a use for my very tangy and delicious raw buttermilk. Buttermilk is the only hydrator in this recipe, besides the sourdough starter, and it adds a richness, more protein, and a lot more tang to this dough.
The tangy buttermilk flavor is balanced perfectly by the soft mild oats and earthy sweetness of the honey.
Because your buttermilk will undoubtedly be a different consistency than mine, I am including a range of measurements. Please start slowly with 75% of the buttermilk, then if needed, add in more buttermilk a little at a time until all the dry ingredients are moistened sufficiently.
Two Loaves of Buttermilk Sourdough Are Better Than One
This recipe yields two standard sandwich-sized bread loaves. Perfect for the big and busy family who makes a lot of sandwiches, breakfast toast, and French toast. This bread also freezes really well so you can have one prepared in advance, or one for you now and one to give away!
Buttermilk Sourdough Bread with Honey and Oats
Sweet and Tangy Buttermilk Sourdough with honey and oats is the sliceable sandwich loaf you've been dreaming about!
Ingredients
- 250 grams Active Sourdough Starter (1 Cup at 100% hydration)
- 640 grams Buttermilk (3 cups)
- 120 grams Honey (6 tablespoons)
- 18 grams Salt (2 1/2 teaspoons)
- 600 grams Sifted Whole Wheat Flour (4 cups)
- 200 grams Organic Rolled Oats (1 2/3 cups)
Instructions
The Night Before
- In a large mixing bowl add the starter, 75% of the buttermilk, honey, and salt. Stir this mixture together well with a dough whisk or wooden spoon.
- Add the flour and oats and stir them in until they are fully incorporated.
- Add a little more buttermilk if the dough is too dry. Remember that the oats will absorb some moisture, so it is best to have it on the moist side.
- Let the dough rest for 5-10 minutes. Do a series of stretch-and-fold kneading in the bowl.
- Let the dough rest again and repeat this process 2-5 more times. Follow the video instructions for stretch-and-fold found here.
- Cover the dough and let it ferment at room temperature (65-70℉) overnight.
The Next Morning
- Do a series of stretch-and-folds in the bowl to deflate the dough. This is the punch down.
- Coat two loaf pans with butter.
- Flour your work surface and turn the dough out onto it.
- Divide the dough in half. Shape each half into a loaf. My technique follows:
- Working one at a time, pat the dough into a rectangle about as wide as the loaf pan. Fold the top third of the rectangle down toward the middle and gently press it down. Then roll the two top thirds over the bottom third. Let the dough rest with the seam side down.
- Once both loaves are shaped and rested for a few minutes carefully transfer them to the prepared loaf pans for the final rise.
- Spray the top of each loaf with water and sprinkle them with oats if desired!
- Cover the loaves and let them double at room temperature.
- Preheat your oven to 400℉. Place the loaves side by side in the oven on the center rack.
- Bake the loaves for 35-40 minutes.
- When done, remove them from the oven, and remove them from the loaf pans to a wire cooling rack.
- Let them cool completely before slicing.
Notes
300 grams of Bread Flour and 300 grams of Whole Wheat Flour can be substituted for the Sifted Whole Wheat.
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Rebekah
Tuesday 29th of September 2020
This looks delicious! Can't wait to try it. We often have a little (soaked overnight before cooking) oatmeal left after breakfast. Could I sub that for the uncooked oats? Would I just add it after the initial proof?
Butter For All
Sunday 4th of October 2020
Hi Rebekah!
Thank you! You can absolutely sub cooked oats. I would mix them in at the beginning when you are combining all ingredients. You might want to adjust the hydration just a bit since the oat will already be hydrated. Start slowly with the buttermilk, only adding as much as you need to make a nice dough. Let me know how it goes!
Courtney
Rosalie
Sunday 13th of September 2020
What beautiful bread! I've made this recipe twice now, and my family loves it.
I wanted to let you know, since I saw some earlier commenters asking, that I have successfully substituted a slightly runny homemade yogurt for the buttermilk and it worked just fine.
Butter For All
Sunday 13th of September 2020
Hi Rosalie!
That is so great to hear! Thank you! 😊
Mona Roberts
Saturday 22nd of August 2020
Followed the recipe and have two beautiful loaves of bread. Only used about 75% of the buttermilk and had to cover the top with foil the last 5 minutes or so because the loaves were browning up a bit too much. Love it and will definitely make again.
Sherry Branch
Friday 14th of August 2020
Could this recipe be cut in half? Only two of us. Thx for your great recipes, hints and website !
Amy Marino
Thursday 13th of August 2020
How wet should this dough be when stretching/folding? I substituted for the buttermilk and wow, it's really wet - feels like cookie dough instead of bread dough. I notice you never call for kneading the dough - is that because it's so wet? This is unusual and I'm inclined to add flour until it becomes more pliable.
Butter For All
Monday 17th of August 2020
Hi Amy,
What did you substitute for the buttermilk? And did you start with 75% as suggested in the recipe? It is true that this dough is on the moist side so the oats can get fully hydrated. I prefer to work most of my doughs by hand using the stretch and fold method now. I rarely "knead" sourdough. That's not to say you can't, it is mostly personal preference. So mush of sourdough is using intuition because recipes vary depending on flour, temperature, ingredients, starter strength etc. So if your intuition tells you to add a bit more flour, then do it. You can't hurt the recipe. Hope you were able to bake successfully!
Courtney