Leftover Oatmeal Sandwich Loaf

This leftover oatmeal sandwich loaf is the perfect loaf to make for your regular weekly sandwich bread. Full of whole grains made with half whole wheat and leftover cooked oatmeal. Sourdough is our favorite, but this is our go to loaf when we need a quick yeasted bread for toast or sandwiches. I also seem to always have a cup or two of leftover oatmeal to use up, anyways, so this is a regular in our rotation!

While I am typing this, it is currently -17*F. SEVENTEEN BELOW ZERO. Yes, it’s colder here than in Antarctica right now! (It also happens to be summer in Antartica, but what does that matter?LOL) There is just nothing like the smell of fresh bread baking on a cold, blustery, winter day. We are all cozied up by the fire practicing our best Hygge. The extra heat of the oven is certainly welcomed, as well.

What you’ll love about this leftover oatmeal sandwich loaf

1. It’s a super easy and forgivable sandwich loaf

This is the most forgivable loaf! I have made this recipe wrong quite a few times and it stills turns out scrumptious and I have to fend off my kids from gobbling it up too fast! I have over risen both rises, over baked it, added too much oatmeal or flour and it has still turned out decent enough to be tasty

2. Such a great way to use up leftover oatmeal

I don’t know about you, but in a family of 11 I make a BIG OL’ pot of oatmeal on such cold mornings as we’ve ben having up here north in Montana. Some mornings my kids aren’t as excited about that pot of oatmeal as I expected and so I end up with extra cups of it tucked away in the fridge for our favorite uses. I make leftover muffins, banana bread and this loaf regularly now. I have even used oatmeal that has a bit of flavors in it and the bread only tasted yummier! Bonus- extra fiber and whole grains while adding moisture for a velvety texture.

3. A sandwich loaf with hearty whole grains AND a luscious texture

Speaking of velvety texture, this loaf has it! Even when’t I’ve messed it up it still has a sliceable, smooth, nutty and rich flavor. I have never had success with a loaf that slices well consistently, but this one does. I think because it is a shallower loaf instead of being baked in a bread pan and getting too high. The lower height lends itself to not getting too airy and crumbly.

4. This bread is not complicated and easy to make a weekly staple

I can whip this bread up in 20 minutes and the rest of the time is just resting, with some shaping. It really isn’t complicated at all, and neither are the ingredients. It has a great texture without all the complicated dough conditions or additions other than the flour and oatmeal. I always have these staples on hand and can bake up a loaf whenever I have leftover oatmeal to use.

What you’ll need for this Leftover Oatmeal Sandwich Loaf

Ingredients

(The recipe was inspired and tested from this recipe)

The basic ingredients are simple.

You will only need:

2 cups of whole wheat flour (I use fresh milled Prairie Gold wheat berries)

2-3 cups unbleached all purpose flour (I love Montana Wheat company)

2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons active dry yeast

1 1/4 cup warm water

2 Tablespoons honey

1 cup leftover cooked oatmeal (I’ve used quick and regular whole oats successfully)

2 tablespoons light oil- such as avocado oil (can substitute with softened butter)

Extra 2 tablespoons of butter for basting after baking.

Basic tools you will need

• Kitchen stand mixer (optional)
• Parchment paper
• Bread basket or banneton for rising (optional)
• Measuring cups and spoons
• I love using a dough whisk when mixing the dough by hand
• Baking Stone (not neccessary but helpful)
• Lame or razor blade for scoring

Steps for this Leftover Oatmeal Sandwich Loaf

1. The wet ingredients- To a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the honey in water and sprinkle the yeast over and let sit until creamy. (5-10 minutes) Add in the oil and oatmeal.
2. The dry ingredients- Meausure your flours by loosely scooping and leveling each cup. Mix well between each addition. Add the salt with the flour. An additional 1/2- 2 cups more all purpose flour might be needed. The dough should be a bit sticky still, but pulling away from the sides of the bowl when kneading. The amount of extra flour you will need depends on how moist the oatmeal you added was as well as the humidity, barometer etc.
3. Kneading- Turn dough onto a lightly floured work surface to knead by hand for 5-10 minutes. Alternately, you can change to a dough hook and mix in the stand mixer on low for 5-10 until you can stretch the dough and it doesn’t tear easily.
4. First rise- Remove the loaf from the bowl and lightly oil the bowl or spray with cooking spray. You can then add the loaf back to the bowl. Cover with oiled plastic wrap and let rise until double. Check after 1 hour.
5. Final rise and shaping– Remove the ball of dough from the bowl and shape ball as you tuck the sides under and roll around on the counter. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet or bread bowl. Cover loosely with oiled plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in bulk. Check after 30 min. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F after 30 min.
6. Bake– Score the loaf with a lame or razor blade. Place your loaf with the parchment paper on a cookie sheet or baking stone. Bake your loaf at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes. Your loaf should be deep golden brown and a flick to the bottom should produce a hollow sound. (The center should read 190 on a digital thermometer). For a shiny and soft crust, spread a cool stick of butter over the still warm crust (about 1-2 tablespoons worth).
7. Let bread cool on a cooling rack. Wrap in plastic and store in a cool dry place for several days.

Printable Recipe

As always, thanks for joining me here!