A soft, sturdy and hearty peasant bread with a tender crumb; Oatmeal-Maple Bread is no-knead and comes from Alexandra Stafford’s new cookbook Bread Toast Crumbs. vegetarian or vegan
Before we get to this crave-worthy oatmeal bread, It’s birthday month y’all so you know what that means! Plenty of double chocolate devil’s food cupcakes on the agenda as well as copious bits of fun time sprinkled throughout.
Rob and I took a little weekend getaway to Seattle this past weekend to see a sold out U2 concert! It was their U.S. kickoff concert and I was completely blown away! The Seattle Times called it “Political. Passionate. Larger Than Life.” Of course we sat waaaay up in the stands at Century Link Field, but there wasn’t a bad seat in the house.
Imagine, an open roof, Seattle’s skyline, a dramatic sky and Bono singing Where the Streets Have No Name… I was completely undone. The energy was palpable, being with so many other fans, friends and chatting with strangers; it was a most memorable evening.
If they’re heading your way, and you’re a fan, this is something you don’t want to miss!!
Since it’s a bit of a trip to get to Seattle, I always pack snacks and sometimes lunches when we go. Oatmeal bread was one that went with us. This simple peasant bread so good with a bit of peanut butter and jelly slathered on.
One of the best things about food blogging is receiving cookbooks in the mail from bloggers you follow. Being able to share new cookbooks with y’all in this space makes receiving them even more fun.
Ali’s cookbook, Bread Toast Crumbs; Recipes for No-Knead Loaves and Meals to Savor Every Slice is packed with inspiration and page-turning, drool-worthy photography. And while I finally landed on Ali’s peasant bread recipe, oatmeal bread, to share with y’all (hello – breakfast bread!), there are so many more recipes I can’t wait to try.
Simple ingredients transformed into the tastiest pleasures is part of what makes cooking and baking so rewarding. The process, time and love that goes into making a recipe goes a long way to feed the belly and soul.
When it comes to bread, this peasant bread recipe is as simple as baking gets.
In Bread Toast Crumbs, Ali starts with her Mother’s basic, 40 year old, peasant bread recipe. Then, she presents variations of this time tested and family treasured recipe. Spicy Jalapeño Corn and Jack Bread, Three Seed Bread and Cinnamon-Sugar Monkey Bread are just a few examples of how she transforms her mom’s peasant bread.
Ali’s cookbook doesn’t stop at sweet and savory bread recipes though. She shares how to put that delicious bread to work in recipes such as Savory French Toast, Panzanella Three Ways, Food Cart Grilled Cheese, and Strawberry Shortcake made out of Buttermilk Pull-Apart Rolls (!!) and so much more. I’m anxiously waiting until our local strawberries make a showing for those pull-apart rolls!
While Bread Toast Crumbs is not a strictly vegetarian cookbook, there is plenty here to devour for vegetarians. It’s in similar form to her blog Alexandra Cooks and from her writing on Food52.
I chose Ali’s peasant oatmeal bread to share with y’all because a good sturdy breakfast loaf goes a long way in our home. I love the flavor and texture of oatmeal sweetened with maple so having that flavor profile in a breakfast bread flipped my switch!
How to Make Oatmeal Bread:
- First, hydrate the rolled oats in boiling water and a bit of maple.
- Next, whisk together the flours, salt, instant yeast and add the oat mixture. Mix, and knead then cover the bowl with a damp tea towel and set aside in a warm spot to rise for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
- Grease two, 1 quart (.94L) oven safe bowls. Punch down the dough and separate the dough into two equal pieces. Lift each half of dough into a prepared bowl. Set the bowls in a warm space (see tip below if your kitchen is cool) while the oven is pre-heating for 10-20 minutes.
- Last, bake the loaves for 40 minutes, or until golden all around.
This easy rustic oatmeal bread is hearty, soft but chewy and has a tender crumb perfect for catching all the good stuff you’ll slather on it. Lightly sweetened, the crust has a slightly crunchy texture and is enjoyed best toasted served simply with butter and jam.
A Few Peasant Bread Recipe Notes:
- Because kitchen temperatures vary so widely, be sure to use the time suggestions in the recipe as such. Let the bread guide your process rather than the clock. My kitchen is still cold (today’s high is 52F !!), so I use the following tip.
- TIP: Since kitchen temperatures vary, and in order to allow the bread to rise in a timely manner, you can use your oven or microwave to help control this process. Simply turn on your oven at the lowest setting for about 30 seconds, then turn it off. Place the covered dough into the oven. This will help the dough rise in a cool kitchen. This technique can be done for the first (fermentation) and second rise (proof). – OR – Place a heatproof bowl of boiling water in the microwave. Place the covered bread in the microwave next to the water. This creates a warm and humid environment which yeast thrive in! Do this for the first (fermentation) and second (proof) rise.
- For this oatmeal bread recipe, I use these two, 1 quart (.94L) oven safe bowls.
This peasant bread recipe is SO easy. If you’re new to bread baking, oatmeal-maple bread is a great place to start. I hope you’ll give this a go regardless. You’ll love it! For a little bit more of a challenge, try my Multigrain Bread. Their flavors are similar.
the recipe
Oatmeal-Maple Bread
Ingredients
- 1 C (114g) Rolled Oats not quick cook, + a bit more for topping the bread
- 1/4 C (80g) Maple Syrup
- 1 C (225g) Boiling Water
- 1 C (225g) Room Temperature Water
- 2 1/4 C (288g) Unbleached All Purpose Flour
- 1 C (145g) White Whole Wheat Flour (aka Ivory Wheat Flour) *see note
- 2 tsp Kosher Salt
- 2 1/4 tsp Instant Yeast
- Softened Butter, or sub Coconut Oil, for greasing
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the rolled oats, boiling water and maple syrup. Let stand for 10 minutes to hydrate the oats. Add room temperature water and stir to combine.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, salt, and instant yeast. Add the oat mixture. Using a rubber spatula and eventually your hands, mix and knead until the liquid is absorbed and the ingredients form a sticky dough ball. Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel or a plastic wrap and set aside in a warm spot to rise for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until the dough has double in bulk. (see tip in notes if your kitchen is cool)
- Set oven rack in the center of oven and preheat the oven to 375F (190C). Grease two, 1 quart (.94L) oven safe bowls with butter or coconut oil - be generous here. Using two forks, deflate the dough by releasing it from the sides of the bowl and pulling it towards the center. Rotate the bowl quarter turns as you deflate, turning the mass into a rough ball. It doesn't have to be perfect.
- Using your two forks, and working from the center out, separate the dough into two equal pieces. use the forks to lift each half of dough into a prepared bowl. If the dough is too sticky, wet your hands with water and scoop each piece up and transfer each half to a bowl. Do not cover the bowls unless the bowls are in a drafty area. Otherwise set the bowls in a warm space (see tip below if your kitchen is cool) while the oven is pre-heating for 10-20 minutes, until the top of the dough just crowns the rims of the bowls. Sprits the dough with a few sprays water and sprinkle just a little bit of oats on the top of each loaf (about 1 tsp each).
- Transfer the bowls to the oven and bake for 40 minutes, or until golden all around. Remove the bowls from the oven and turn the loaves out onto cooling racks. If the loaves look pale, return them to their bowls and bake for an additional 5 minutes. Turn the bread out to cool for 15 minutes before cutting.
- Store in a brown paper or plastic bag for up to three days. These loaves freeze beautifully as well. Wrap them tightly in a plastic bag and freeze for up to two weeks. Thaw at room temperature overnight.
Notes
Disclosure: I received a complementary copy of Bread Toast Crumbs and chose to share it in this space because I admire Ali’s work. All opinions in this post are my own.
