This seeded oat bread is crusty on the outside, chewy on the inside, and has the most delicious crunch in every bite, thanks to all the seeds. This is a hearty loaf that can stand up to any meal, from thick and chunky stews to delicate poached eggs. You’ll use an easy no-knead method to make this yeast bread, which produces a beautiful homemade loaf with minimal hands-on work.
This recipe is brought to you in partnership with Red Star Yeast.
You know those gorgeous seed-encrusted loaves of bread you see in bakery windows?
The kind that look like they took ages to make, and you wonder how much kneading, shaping, and work went into just 1 loaf? Well, you can make those same beautiful seeded loaves right at home, with hardly any work involved. No kneading, no complex shaping, no mixer needed.
Yes, this crusty, chewy, golden-brown, seed-speckled oat bread doesn’t require any complicated work.
This bread, like my homemade cranberry nut bread and olive bread, will convince anyone that you either bought it from a bakery or spent all day in the kitchen making it—which, of course, you didn’t. Don’t feel like you have to let them in on our little secret. 😉
Hearty Homemade Bread for Beginners
This texture-lover’s seeded oat bread recipe is based off of my homemade artisan bread, a wonderfully easy and widely popular no-knead bread that’s used by both beginners and experts.
If you’re nervous to try homemade bread, this recipe is a great introduction. Even though the recipe is easy, the bread does NOT skimp on flavor. It’s just a simple way of baking homemade bread inspired by the no-knead technique originating from bread expert Jim Lahey.
Here’s why it’s so simple:
- Absolutely no kneading (just like homemade English muffins)
- Zero complicated shaping
- No mixer required
- 90% of the time is totally hands off
- Dough can rest in the refrigerator for up to 3 days—a great make-ahead recipe
- Can bake in a dutch oven or on a baking sheet
The trick is giving the risen dough a rest in the refrigerator. The cool air slows the fermentation process and helps develop better flavor.
Grab These Ingredients:
Here’s why each ingredient is so important:
- Bread Flour: While you could use all-purpose flour in this recipe, I strongly recommend using bread flour. Bread flour produces a stronger, chewier bread, and that makes a big difference in an artisan-style loaf like this oat bread.
- Oats: Oats provide a little wholesome texture. As the dough rises, the oats soak up some moisture and expand. Whole rolled oats are best, but you can use quick oats if needed.
- Salt: I recommend using coarse sea salt because I find the bread’s flavor lacking with regular table salt.
- Instant Yeast: I always use Platinum Yeast by Red Star, which is an instant yeast (aka “quick rise” yeast). 2 teaspoons is a little less than 1 standard packet. (If using active dry yeast, there are no changes needed to the recipe. The rise time may just take slightly longer.) I use more yeast in this recipe compared to my cranberry nut bread and jalapeño cheddar bread. Why? Those doughs rest and rise at room temperature. However, for more flavor and just as much rise, I use more yeast and let this dough rest in the refrigerator.
- Seeds: Pumpkin, sunflower, and flax seeds are all highly nutritious—they’re pretty much superfoods. I love that these 3 types of seeds vary so much in size and texture, but if you’d like to change up the types of seeds in this mixture, go for it. I use a medley of seeds in this multigrain bread, too.
- Honey: Honey helps give this bread a springy, spongey texture. It also adds a little sweetness, but we’re using half as much honey here than in my honey oat bread recipe, so the bread isn’t super sweet.
- Water: You’ll also need a little warm water to bring all the ingredients together. I use cool, room temperature water in olive bread and artisan homemade bread, two other no-knead doughs, but with the addition of oats today, the yeast has to work harder, and warm water helps it work quicker.
Let Me Show You How to Make This Seeded Bread
The full written recipe is below, but use the following explanations and step photos to help you get started. Bring the dough ingredients together as instructed in the recipe. At first the dough will seem very dry and shaggy and you’ll question if it will even come together. It will. In fact, the dough is a little sticky after it has been thoroughly mixed:
Let it rise. Cover the dough and let it rise at room temperature for about 3 hours. Notice that the dough rises OUT more than it rises UP. That’s ok.
You can move on to shaping and baking the dough, but for best flavor, I strongly recommend refrigerating the risen dough, even if it’s just for a couple hours. I usually refrigerate it for 12 hours.
After the dough rises and rests in the refrigerator, use generously floured hands to shape the dough into a round boule or ball-like shape.
Use a Baking Sheet or Dutch Oven
Baking the seeded oat bread in a covered dutch oven traps steam inside the pot, creating that perfect crispy crust. If you plan to bake a lot of bread in the future, you won’t regret buying a dutch oven. If you don’t have a dutch oven, a nonstick baking sheet is best. (I use a baking sheet in the video tutorial below. And even have a trick for creating a steamy oven!)
- Baking Sheet: If you’re using a baking sheet, dust the pan with cornmeal and/or a little flour. Place the dough on top, cover it, and let it rest as the oven preheats. You will find these detailed instructions in the recipe below, along with my optional steamy oven trick for a crispy crust in step 10. (Adding boiled water to a pan beneath the baking bread. Works great!)
- Dutch Oven: Place the empty dutch oven with lid in the oven as it preheats. Place the ball of dough on high-heat-resistant parchment paper (I use this parchment paper), and then fit it inside a bowl. Cover and let the dough rest as the oven preheats, then place it (with the parchment) in the hot dutch oven before baking. You will find these detailed instructions in the recipe Note below.
Whichever baking method you use, don’t forget to add seeds/oats to the exterior of the dough (I usually just press them on). And make sure you score the dough with a bread lame or sharp knife before baking. Scoring allows the wet, airy dough to “breathe” as it expands and bakes.
Baking sheet method:
Dutch oven method:
The bread is unbelievable when it’s fresh from the oven—warm, crispy, crusty, soft, and loaded with texture inside and out!
What Do I Serve With Seeded Bread?
Honestly, it’s fantastic plain, with a swipe of butter or a dip-dish of olive oil. The bread would also be delicious paired with homemade pesto or homemade honey butter.
But I especially love serving this seeded oat bread alongside a soup, like this creamy chicken noodle soup or homemade alphabet soup. It also gives phenomenal texture to grilled cheese sandwiches, and makes a hearty base for creamy smashed avocado and soft eggs.
If you manage to have any leftover, make use of the stale bread in this easy breakfast casserole!
Yeast Bread Success Tips
If you’re a bread beginner, reference this Baking with Yeast Guide for helpful, easy-to-understand answers to many yeast FAQs. And/or get on the fast track to baking bread like a pro with my free Beginner’s Guide to Yeast email series.
No Knead Seeded Oat Bread
- Prep Time: 4 hours
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 5 hours (includes slight cooling)
- Yield: 1 loaf; 10-12 servings
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Follow this easy no-knead recipe for a hearty loaf of homemade seeded oat bread. Review Notes before beginning. If you’re new to working with yeast, reference my Baking with Yeast Guide for answers to common yeast FAQs.
Ingredients
- 3 cups (390g) bread flour (spoon & leveled), plus more as needed for shaping and pan
- 2 teaspoons (about 6g) Platinum Yeast from Red Star instant yeast
- 1 cup (85g) old-fashioned whole rolled oats
- 1/4 cup (30g) unsalted pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
- 1/4 cup (30g) salted or unsalted sunflower seeds
- 2 Tablespoons (18g) flax seeds or sesame seeds
- 2 teaspoons coarse salt
- 2 Tablespoons (43g) honey
- 1 and 1/2 cups (360ml) warm water (about 95°F (35°C))
- optional: cornmeal for dusting pan
Topping
- 1 Tablespoon (5g) old-fashioned whole rolled oats
- 1 Tablespoon (8g) pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
- 1 Tablespoon (8g) sunflower seeds
- 1 teaspoon flax seeds or sesame seeds
Instructions
- Watch the video below before you begin, and let that be your visual guide for this recipe.
- In a large un-greased mixing bowl, whisk the flour and yeast together. Add the oats, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, and salt and whisk to combine. Mix the honey and water together, and then pour over the dry ingredients. Using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, gently mix together. The dough will seem dry and shaggy, but keep working it until all the flour is moistened. If needed, use your hands to work the dough ingredients together. The dough will be very sticky. Shape into a ball in the bowl as best you can. (Tip: Stir dough by hand. Dough is too sticky for a mixer.)
- Keeping the dough in the bowl, cover the dough tightly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and set on the counter at room temperature (honestly any normal room temperature is fine). Allow to rise for 3 hours. The dough will just about double in size, stick to the sides of the bowl, and have a lot of air bubbles.
- You can continue with step 5 immediately, but for absolute best flavor and texture, I strongly recommend letting this risen dough rest in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours and up to 3 days. (Even just a couple hours is good!) Place covered dough in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The dough will puff up during this time, but may begin to deflate after 2 days. That’s normal and nothing to worry about.
- Lightly dust a large nonstick baking sheet (with or without rims, and make sure it’s nonstick) with a little flour and/or cornmeal. Using generously floured hands and gentle pressure so as to not deflate the dough too much, shape the risen dough into a ball. (I just do this right inside the bowl it’s in, or you can do this on a lightly floured work surface.) Dough is very sticky.
- Transfer ball to prepared baking sheet. Mix topping ingredients together. Sprinkle on top of dough, and if the seeds aren’t sticking, press them into the dough as best you can. Loosely cover and allow dough to rest for 45 minutes. You will bake the dough on this prepared baking sheet. See recipe note if you want to use a pizza stone or dutch oven.
- During this 45 minutes, preheat the oven to 425°F (218°C).
- When ready to bake, using a very sharp knife or bread lame (you could even use kitchen shears), score the dough with a slash or X about 1/2 inch deep. (“Score” = shallow cut.) If the shaped loaf flattened out during the 45 minutes, use floured hands to reshape.
- Place the shaped and scored dough (on the flour/cornmeal-dusted pan) in the preheated oven on the center rack.
- Optional for a slightly crispier crust: Place a shallow metal or cast iron baking pan or skillet (I usually use a metal 9×13-inch baking pan) on the bottom oven rack. Carefully and quickly pour 3–4 cups of boiling water into the shallow pan. Quickly shut the oven to trap as much steam inside. The steam helps create a crispier crust.
- Bake for 40 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. If you notice the exterior browning too quickly, tent the bread with aluminum foil. How to test for doneness: Give the warm bread a light tap. If it sounds hollow, it’s done. For a more accurate test, the bread is done when an instant read thermometer reads the center of the loaf as 195°F (90°C).
- Remove the bread from the oven and allow to cool for at least 10–20 minutes before slicing and serving.
- Store leftovers loosely covered at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: The dough can sit in the refrigerator for up to 3 days (step 4), so this is a wonderful recipe to begin ahead of time. You can also bake the bread, allow it to cool, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature before serving. You can also freeze the dough. Complete the recipe through step 5. Wrap in plastic wrap and place in a freezer-friendly container. Freeze up to 3 months. To bake, allow dough to thaw overnight in the refrigerator, or for 2–3 hours at room temperature. Continue with step 6, including allowing dough to rest for 45 minutes before baking. Keep in mind that the bread tastes a little heavier after freezing/thawing the dough and then baking it.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Glass Mixing Bowls | Baking Sheets | 2-cup Measuring Cup | Bread Lame | Instant Read Thermometer
- Flour: For absolute best flavor and chewy texture, I strongly recommend using bread flour. You can use a 1:1 substitution of all-purpose flour in a pinch with no other changes to the recipe. I recommend avoiding whole wheat flour in this dough; however, if necessary, you can replace up to 1 cup (about 130g) of the bread flour with whole wheat flour. The bread will taste a bit heavy.
- Yeast: I always use Platinum Yeast from Red Star, an instant yeast. You can use any instant yeast in this dough. If using active dry yeast, the 1st rise time is usually slightly longer, about 3.5–4 hours. Reference my Baking with Yeast Guide for answers to common yeast FAQs.
- Salt: Use a coarse salt, such as coarse sea salt, in this bread. I find the flavor slightly lacking when using regular table salt. If you only have table or fine salt, reduce to 1 and 1/2 teaspoons.
- Seeds: Feel free to use more/less of a particular seed you love, or skip any seeds if you wish. Around 1/2 cup of larger seeds and 2 Tablespoons of smaller seeds is ideal. I usually use unsalted pepitas and salted sunflower seeds. Salted or unsalted are fine, but I don’t recommend 1/2 cup of salted seeds, so if you want to use salted, use 1/4 cup of salted and 1/4 cup unsalted. If you want to add poppy seeds, replace 1 Tablespoon of flax seeds/sesame seeds with poppy seeds. Or just use 1 Tablespoon poppy seeds and skip the flax/sesame.
- Using a Dutch Oven: You need a 6-quart or larger dutch oven or any large oven-safe pot with a lid. Prepare dough recipe above through step 4, including refrigerating the risen dough for at least 12 hours. After refrigerating, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and, using lightly floured hands, shape into a ball as best you can. Doesn’t have to be perfect. Transfer dough to a large piece of parchment paper. (Large enough to fit inside your pot and one that is safe under such high heat. I use this parchment and it’s never been an issue.) Lift the parchment paper and dough up and place it all into a large mixing bowl. Cover dough lightly with plastic wrap and leave alone for 30 minutes. During this 30 minutes, preheat the oven to 425°F (218°C). Place your dutch oven (with the lid) inside for 30 minutes so that it’s extremely hot before the dough is placed inside. After 30 minutes, sprinkle seed topping all over dough. Using a bread lame or sharp knife, gently score a 1/2-inch-deep slash or X into the top. Remove the dutch oven from the oven and carefully place the dough inside by lifting it up with the parchment paper and placing it all—parchment paper included—inside the pot. Cover with the lid. Bake for 30 minutes with the lid on. Carefully remove the lid and continue baking for 10 more minutes or until the bread is golden brown. You can test for doneness exactly how you would in step 11 above. Remove pot from the oven, carefully remove the bread from the pot, and allow to cool on a wire rack for 10–20 minutes before slicing/serving.
- Using a Pizza Stone: If you want to bake your bread on a pizza stone, place pizza stone in the preheating oven. Remove hot pizza stone, dust with cornmeal or a little flour, and then transfer shaped and scored dough to hot pizza stone and bake as directed.
- No Nonstick Pan? If you don’t have a nonstick baking sheet, line it with parchment paper instead. Coat with a dusting of flour and/or cornmeal before placing the dough on top. Parchment paper can burn, so it’s best to check the box to see how much heat yours can tolerate. Lower your oven heat if necessary, and bake the bread for longer until it’s golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped.
Keywords: seeded oat bread
This bread turned out better than I expected. I modified the recipe a fair amount (sourdough starter instead of yeast, 2x honey, 130g whole wheat for 130g white, sesame seeds (vs. preferred flax seeds), and optional Dutch oven baking with added ice for steam). It’s fantastic!
★★★★★
Is it possible to make this with sourdough instead of yeast?
Hi Irene, we haven’t tested this recipe with sourdough, so aren’t sure of the result. If you try it, please report back and let us know how it turns out!
I just finished baking it. It did not rise as much as I expected but, after 4 hours in the oven in proof mode, I put in the fridge over night. I used Fleischmann’s Active Dry Yeast which as a use by date of 8/9/22. It has worked fine on my multgrain loaf that I bake every week, but not this time. I added Red Start to my shopping list just in case the yeast was the problem. The bread took an extra ten minutes to reach temperature. When I tried to slice off the first slice, my bread knife had trouble penetrating the crust. Eventually, I sliced off a piece from the end, and tasted it. The crust was thick, extra crunchy and tasty. The inside was dense, moist and tasty, too. I’m not counting as a failure but I was hoping for it to be a bit lighter. So I’m wondering why it didn’t rise enough. Oven proofing? Wrong yeast? Not enough kneading? Too much kneading? Should I attempt to use my stand mixer and dough hook next time? It is the style of bread I like so I’d like to get it right.
★★★★
Hi Pat! This is a denser bread, not expected to be light inside. Sounds like yours was just right! Make sure to handle the dough with care after it rises to maintain all the air bubbles inside.
Thanks. I’ll try it again soon.
Great recipe, thank you. I have made it many times. And have changed it a bit and it was just as delicious. Added chia 1/8 cup seeds increased water to 2 litres and used half wholemeal flour to white bread flour. My family loves it! It’s filling and so good for you nutritionally.
★★★★★
My first Sally recipe flop 🙁 I make your rustic artisan bread weekly and tried this one. Weighed the ingredients, fridge fermented for 16 hours, baked in a Dutch oven. It is SO gummy, nearly rubbery. I barely even handled the dough so I’m so confused 🙁 I’ve put it back in the oven to see if I can save it, but bummed that this didn’t turn out. The flavor itself was nice though.
★★★
Hi! When you pull the dough out from the fridge the next day, do you allow it to rest/come to room temp before baking? Also – if using quick oats instead of rolled, do I need to adjust the amount of water at all since the soak liquid up so quickly?
Thanks 🙂
Hi Lisa, We usually shape it into a ball shape right when it comes out of the refrigerator. Then it will rest on your baking sheet for 45 minutes while the oven preheats. It is sticky out of the refrigerator so make sure your hands are well floured and just do your best! If you use quick oats there are no changes to the recipe.
This recipe flopped for me and I’m not sure why. It barely rose and I had a dense “brick” for a loaf. Do you measure the flour in cups or by weight when you make it?
I used instant yeast that was still in date. I weighed the flour instead of measuring in cups. Then for the heck of it, I spooned the flour into measuring cups like I would have done if using that method. I had over 3 cups of flour! But I thought the weighed measurement would be better since it is more consistent. I let it rise on the counter for 3 hours and then refrigerated overnight. So bummed. The flavor is good, but it’s a brick. I added a handful of dried cranberries, but that’s the only change I made.
★★★
Hi Mary, I’m so sorry to hear this recipe was a flop for you! For best results, we recommend weighing flour, so if you used 390g of bread flour, that’s how we tested it. If it barely rose, it could have been an issue with the yeast. If the warm water was too hot or too cold, that can kill or not activate the yeast, so that’s one thing that possibly could have been the cause. The other causes I could guess at are the climate where you are, and the temperature of the room where your dough was left to rise. I hope you’ll give this recipe another chance!
Absolutely delicious and SO easy! I used the Dutch Oven baking method…turned out great! Got rave reviews from my husband as well. He’s usually the bread maker in the family…but no longer…lol. This bread makes for some fabulous toast as well!
★★★★★
It took 3 goes, first one too sweet, second under seasoned. All my doing! However, with personal adjustments I abolutely love this revolutionary way of making bread. I was never any good at kneading. Its completely yummy too.
★★★★★
Would it be possible make this bread using GF flour?
A member of my family is GF and can’t have this delicious bread which I have made a couple of times already.
Hi Gris! Although some readers report using an all-purpose 1:1 gluten-free flour in many of our recipes with success, you should expect slightly different results anytime you substitute ingredients. If you’re interested, here are all of our naturally gluten free recipes.
I would love to make this recipe but can’t use white flour. Could I use whole wheat or multigrain flour instead?
Thank you.
Hi Marge! We really recommend avoiding whole wheat flour in this dough; however, if necessary, you can replace up to 1 cup (about 130g) of the bread flour with whole wheat flour. The bread will taste a bit heavy.
Loved the bread but was wondering if you had some tips for making it a bit lighter?
Many thanks
Hi Maria, This isn’t meant to be a fluffy bread. It’s definitely on the more dense and hearty side. Make sure to handle the dough with care to leave the air bubbles in tact, and don’t over bake as that can also make the bread seem overly dense. Glad you enjoyed it!
I’ve made this recipe 10 times now and love it – it’s a great no fuss, healthy option for fresh baked bread for breakfasts.
Over time I’ve brought the amount of honey down to 1 tablespoon and that seems to suit our family’s palate better than the entire two.
★★★★
Outstanding bread! It was devoured in no time!! Absolutely delicious! This recipe is definitely a keeper! Thank you so much.
★★★★★
How would you suggest converting this from a whole loaf to rolls?
Hi Nikki, You can make smaller rolls, yes. Bake time and yield will depend on the size you make them. Bake until the crust is golden brown and when you tap the loaves, they will sound hollow when done. For a more accurate test, the bread is done when an instant read thermometer reads the center of the rolls as 195°F (90°C). Hope they’re a hit!
Will make again! I used 2 C whole wheat and 1 C bread flour and it turned out pretty good – a little heavy/dense, but I’m good with it. I used a pre-mixed lightly salted seed/nut mix from a local grocery and it worked very well. Will make great toast in the morning!
★★★★
Hi, I want to bake this for a colleague who loves seeded loaves. Do you use only kernels of the pumpkin and sunflower seeds? Do I need to soak the seeds for a bit before adding to the dough?
Hi Jess! Yes, you’ll want to make sure you are either buying shelled pumpkin and sunflower seeds (what we do), or shell them yourself. No need to soak the seeds first. We hope your colleague loves the bread!
Hello! This recipe looks so delicious. Thank you! Can I substitute ground flax seeds instead of whole flax seeds?
Hi Lisa, that should be fine in this recipe. They will be more of a dry ingredient than a seed add-in. You can also skip it entirely.
Loved this, tasted fantastic, lovely crunch from the seeds and used to make the best bacon sarnie ever
If my dough completely deflates during shaping have I ruined it?
Especially after refrigerator rise – it puffed up so much I don’t understand “try not to deflate”. Thanks for all your wonderful recipes! I’ve never had one disappoint! ❤️
You have not ruined it, but be sure to not handle it too much during that step. How did the finished bread turn out?
We haven’t tried making this bread, but am curious if anyone has made this in a Dutch oven while camping? We would bake over a wood fire in the Dutch oven. Another way would be to use a reflector oven which means turning your sheet while baking it. An experienced camp bakers out there?
This recipe looks so good, but it was completely flat when I pulled it from the fridge. I’m going to try baking it anyway, but do you have any suggestions? I’m pretty sure the yeast is good, I made a different recipe just before trying this one and the bread came out really beautiful.
Hi Kathleen, did you perhaps use more yeast than the recipe calls for? Slightly deflating in the refrigerator can happen, but falling completely is concerning. If you want to try the recipe again, leave out the oats and add an extra 1/4 cup (about 35g) of bread flour. The oats may be soaking up too much moisture.
This looks like an awesome bread I want to try making If I use a pizza stone, do I use the hot water for the extra moisture while baking with this method?
Hi Dee, we haven’t tested baking this bread on a pizza stone, but the additional moisture from the hot water does help guarantee a crisp crust, so we would recommend following that method. Let us know if you give it a try!
This looks yummy. Can you make as a sourdough?
We haven’t tested this dough with sourdough starter, but let us know if you do!
This bread is delicious. Thank you for easy to follow in depth instructions. Refreshing these days
★★★★★
Whenever I bake bread with seeds on outside, they always fall off. I’ve brushed bread with egg as it is a protein that acts as a glue so seeds stay on crust. Can I do that with your bread and have same crispy crust as you have?
Hi Joanne, you can absolutely brush the shaped dough with beaten egg white to help the seeds stick better. Hope you enjoy the bread!
Does it have to be made in a 6 qt. dutch oven? I have two dutch ovens, a 4 qt and a 22 cm or 8 inches in diameter. A 6 qt seems very large.
Hi Linda, if using a Dutch oven of that size, it would be best to divide the dough and make two separate loaves. Bake time will be a bit shorter. Hope you enjoy the bread!
Why do you refrigerate the dough? I just finished doing it the way you said and got very little rise from the yeast. Would it work to let it rise at room temp for 12 hours?
★★★★★
Hi Tom! You want to let the dough rise and about double in size before refrigerating (see step 3). The refrigeration step allows the flavor to develop more.
I started this recipe yesterday and the loaf came out of the oven about 20 minutes ago. It took longer to rise but its cool here. Its so delicious! I was worried it would taste heavy because of how dense the dough was. This not a heavy bread at all. I will definitely be making it again.
★★★★★
Can this be made in a loaf pan? I’m hoping to add seeds to a regular sandwich loaf but I can’t find a good recipe.
Hi Nancy, you can certainly try a loaf pan. You may want to try this honey oat bread instead, and you can add seeds to that dough.
This bread was delicious! The recipe was easy and the bread come out wonderful!
★★★★★
Another amazing recipe! Absolutely delicious! Many thanks for sharing.
★★★★★