Deeply fragrant, soft-textured and just a little bit rustic, this homemade oatmeal honey bread makes your kitchen smell like you’ve been baking all day, but it comes together with surprising ease. If you’re new to bread baking, this tender loaf, perfect for toast and sandwiches, is a great place to start.

Thanks to rapid rise (quick rising/instant) yeast, the dough skips the uber-long rising times of sour dough or traditional yeast loaves (though you will need to plan for two rises that total 2 ½ to 3 hours of hands-off time). Pairing all-purpose and whole wheat flour with rolled oats and a touch of wheat germ gives the loaf a mellow flavor and satisfying chew while honey adds an earthy sweetness that is warm and inviting. It’s the kind of bread that does it all: perfect warm with salted butter, sturdy enough for sandwiches, and especially good toasted with a smear of jam.

A few quick tips (see more in Kitchen Notes below):

• Make sure the liquid (milk or water) is warm (between 115°F and 125°F) when you add it to the dry ingredients. You want the yeast to stay happy and growing. If the water is too hot, it will kill the yeast, and if the water isn’t warm enough, the yeast won’t activate.
• Avoid the temptation to add more flour to the dough while in the mixer and on the counter. It should stay soft and slightly tacky for the best baked texture.
• After baking and cooling, you can store the loaf, wrapped, at room temperature for several days. Or slice and freeze so you can grab a piece whenever the craving hits.
• See Kitchen Notes below for information on loaf pan sizes and more.

Makes one 8-inch loaf

• 1 1/3 cup (10 5/8 ounces) milk or water
• 3/4 cup (2 ounces) old-fashioned oats
• 1/4 cup (3 ounces) honey
• 4 tablespoons (2 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into six pieces
• 2 cups (9 ounces) all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup (3 3/8 ounces) whole wheat flour
• 2 tablespoons wheat germ
• 2 1/4 teaspoons quick-rise (instant) yeast
• 1 3/4 teaspoon table salt

Make the dough

1. Pour the milk (or water) into a medium saucepan and set over medium heat. Bring to a boil and remove from heat. Stir in the oats, honey and butter. Cover and set aside, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is between 115°F and 125°F (use an instant-read thermometer), about 15 minutes.

2. Put the flours, wheat germ, yeast and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk until well blended. Pour and scrape the warm oatmeal mixture into the flour mixture, and using the dough hook, mix on low speed until flour is fully incorporated (this may take several minutes). Increase speed to medium and mix, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally, until the dough is smooth and slightly sticky, 8 to 10 minutes. (The dough will be clinging to the hook.)

3. Scrape the dough onto an un-floured work surface. Knead once or twice until it passes the “windowpane” test (see Kitchen Notes) and shape into a ball. Lightly grease the sides of the bowl and put the dough back in, rounded-side up. Cover the bowl with a plate or plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, 1 to 1 1/2 hours depending on the ambient temperature.

Shape the bread

1. Lightly grease a loaf pan (see Kitchen Notes for sizes). Lift the dough onto an un-floured work surface and gently press into a 7 x 10-inch rectangle. Starting at one of the short sides, roll up like a jellyroll. Pinch the bottom and side seams closed. If the seams aren’t sticking, lightly dampen your fingers and try again.

2. Arrange the dough seam-side down in the prepared pan. Press on the dough to flatten and fill the pan in an even layer. Lightly grease the top and cover the pan very loosely (to allow for rising) but completely with plastic wrap.

3. Let the dough rise in a warm spot — adjusting and loosening the plastic wrap as the dough rises — until the dough the dough is risen to about 1 1/2 to 2 inches above the pan in the center, 1 to 1 1/2 hours, depending on the ambient temperature.

Bake the bread

1. As the dough nears its risen height, position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. When the dough is risen, remove the plastic and, using a razor (aka lame – see Kitchen Notes) or a very sharp knife, cut a long slit, about 1/2-inch deep, down the center length of the loaf.

2. Bake until the loaf is deep brown and the internal temperature is 195°F to 200°F, 40 to 45 minutes.

3. Remove from the oven, tip the loaf onto a rack and remove the pan. Set on its side and cool completely.

Cover and stow at room temperature for up to five days. Slices are delicious at room temperature, warmed or toasted and a smear of salted butter and/or jam is (strongly) encouraged. The loaf can be frozen, whole or in slices, well wrapped for up to two months.  

Kitchen Notes

Windowpane test: This is the best way to test to see if the dough has been kneaded enough. Use the bench scraper to cut off a piece of the dough. Holding it between the thumb, index and middle fingers on both hands, gently pull in opposite – north to south and east to west — directions. If the dough breaks apart, continue kneading and retest after a minute or so. If the dough stretches evenly and thinly until it holds an opaque film or “windowpane,” it’s ready to set aside to rise.

Loaf pan sizes: They vary in size and shape depending on the manufacturer. Some are straight-sided and others are more sloping; some are slightly larger. This recipe doesn’t require an exact size or shape. The baked results will differ slightly – taller and straighter versus wider and more rounded respectively – but the taste and texture won’t change a bit. For reference, I bake mine in an older model 6-cup Pyrex (8 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 2 3/4 inches) but an 8-cup loaf pan (10 x 5 x 3 inches) will work out just fine though it likely won’t rise the full 2-inches above the rim as directed. Metal loaf pans will brown the bread a tad more than Pyrex, so keep an eye on cooking times and lower the temperature if needed so as not to overbake or brown.

Lame: A lame (pronounced “lah-m”) is a small tool used to score bread dough right before it goes into the oven. Think of it as a super sharp razor blade with a handle. Its job is to make clean slashes across the surface of the risen dough, whether short or, like in this recipe, long and sweeping. These cuts aren’t just for looks. They help control how the bread expands as it bakes. Without scoring, the loaf can split open in unpredictable ways.