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 (spooned & 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 silicone 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 | Silicone Spatula or Wooden Spoon | Baking Sheet | 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
Hello, I wondered by how much you can increase the amount of oats in this recipie? I’m trying to find recipies that have a little less flour in them for health reasons. Thanks!
Hi Letisha, we haven’t tested a version with more oats, and unfortunately it wouldn’t be a simple 1:1 swap with the flour. You can certainly try experimenting, but it will take some trial and error. Let us know if you give it a go!
This was a great bread recipe. It tastes so good. I love all the seeds. My only question is about the backing time and the instant read thermometer. After 40 minutes it didn’t sound hollow and the thermometer read about 160 degrees. I ended up putting it back in the oven for about 12 minutes more but still never got past 180 degrees. It was baked through and as I said tasted good. The crust was a little hard to cut. Suggestions about the time. I’d like to try it again.
Hi Cynthia, We are glad you enjoyed this bread! It sounds like your bread was cooked through and you didn’t do anything wrong, so it could be your thermometer. The outside should be crusty/crunchy but not difficult to cut.
Instead of putting the dough in the fridge overnight, can you leave it on the counter at room temperature like you do with other no knead breads?
Hi Jennifer! This is a slightly different dough, with more yeast, so should not be left out at room temperature overnight.
Incredibly easy and delicious!! I’m an avid cookie baker. Decided to expand my horizons. This looked delicious. Followed the recipe as written. I only had active yeast, so I let it rise for 4 hours. 3 hours in the fridge. I couldn’t wait over night to try it. 100% a winner. My husband was so impressed. Perfect accompaniment to a big salad. Fantastic toasted. Looks exactly like the photos. Will definitely make it again.
★★★★★
This is an amazing recipe for any seed lover! I just made it this morning and added some chopped dates which is another thing I love. It is a wonderful blend of flavours and an amazingly chewy bread. I will definitely be adding this to my “must bake” list!!!!!
★★★★★
I used einkorn flour and it came out really dense. Should I adjust proportions with einkorn? Thanks.
Hi Ann, we haven’t tested this recipe using einkorn flour, but that was likely the culprit for an overly dense bread. We do recommend avoiding whole wheat flours 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.
This recipe is not hard to make at all! And it turned out delicious! I will most definitely make this bread again!
★★★★★
The bread turns out every time. Excellent flavour. My favorite bread.
Can you add eggs to the dough? Or is it necessary? How would it change the taste?
★★★★★
Hi Ruth, We don’t recommend adding eggs to this dough. Most traditional yeast breads are egg free (with the exception of richer breads like challah or brioche).
Hi Sally. I followed instructions but swapped 1x cup of wholemeal flour. Dough rose well first time round but deflated in the fridge. After 12 hours i left it for an hour but it never rose again and made a very dense bread.
i wonder if i had either overproofed it in the first rise, OR not left it long enough to warm up and rise again after being in the fridge?
Hi John, swapping for 1 cup of wholewheat flour will result in a denser bread. The bread only needs to sit at room temperature for 45 minutes while the oven is pre-heating, so it sounds like perhaps it rose for a bit too long during the first rise. Be sure, too, that you’re using fresh yeast. Again, this is a denser bread (especially with the addition of whole wheat flour) but you should still get a bit of rise. Hope this helps and thank you for giving it a try!
Amazing! So easy and it produces such wonderful results. I think it shouldn’t be legal. Make yourself a favor and double the recipe, you won’t be able to wait to repeat it.
★★★★★
Easy recipe to follow. The bread was amazing! Such a hearty bread.
★★★★★
Fantastic. The video and detailed instructions made this a success. I used “Everything Bagel” seasoning mixture (from Aldi) on the top instead of the seeds. Beautiful. Thanks for such an easy recipe and all the help with photos and video.
★★★★★
Amazingly easy to make. And so delicious
★★★★★
Love this
★★★★★
This recipe is easy to make and SO delicious! I will definitely make this again!
★★★★★
Hi, this bread looks amazing! Is there any chance I can make it half whole wheat and half bread flour?
Can’t wait to try it! Thank you
Hi Andy, we 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.
So easy and so good!!! Pretty to give as a gift also.
★★★★★
If using a Dutch oven do I skip the boiling water in the pan under the baking loaf? I saw the note that the lid creates the steam, and I realize that a closed pot would likely keep steam created in the oven out…but just wanted to double check. Thanks! My dough is currently doing the 3-hour rise before refrigeration. Looking forward to eating it for dinner tomorrow!
Hi Janet, no need to use the boiling pan of water if using a Dutch oven. The closed pot does all the work for you!
Loved this bread! I baked mine in a Dutch oven and over baked it a bit (forgot about it lol!) but the ‘ extra’ crunchy crust is delicious with my coffee. The flavor is sooo good. I can’t stop eating it lol. Oh I also ground up some granola I had hanging around (about a 1/2 cup) and it went great with the recipe.
The flavor was great, but my loaf came out of the oven the same size as it went in. Is that normal?
Hi Christine, yes, that’s expected! This type of bread does not rise much during baking.
My first attempt at seeded bread and it was lovely. I followed the instructions exactly with the exception of baking time. I baked it in a Dutch oven as directed however, my oven needed an additional 20 minutes for the bread to get to 190 degrees. I let it cool a bit and it’s magnificent! Can’t wait to try more of your recipes. Thanks for making me look like a real baker
★★★★★
Made today with potato soup for the win! Had to use regular and wheat flour since didn’t have bread flour. Followed notes for ratio, and it was dense but in a good way. Cooked about 10 minutes longer and tented with foil. Definitely a keeper.
My grandmother was (by all accounts) an amazing and talented baker, but I unfortunately lost her to Alzheimer’s before discovering my own love for baking. Your website has helped me hone my skills, and nearly every recipe is met with incredible feedback. I may not have been able to learn hands-on, but I’d like to think my grandmother would more than approve of this medium of learning. Thanks so much for sharing your recipes, Sally – they help spread so much joy!
★★★★★
Thank you so much for this kind feedback, Aric—we’re so glad our recipes bring back sweet memories of your grandmother!
This is the recipe I was looking for – a seedy bread! Thanks, Sally & I look forward to making it!
★★★★★
Can this be made in a bread maker ( bread machine)? If so, what changes must be made to the ingredients
Hi Beth, we haven’t tested it, although a few readers have reported doing so with success. Let us know if you give it a try!
Hi ,
Am looking for a recipe to where I could add Rye flour? Can I substitute a bit of rye flour? If yes what would be the quantity?
Hi Arleen, we haven’t tested the addition of rye flour here, but it would likely take some tweaks to the other ingredients as well. You might wish to search for a recipe that is specifically written to include rye flour, or, if you decide to do any experimenting here, please do let us know how it goes!
And can I skip the honey? Don’t want sweet bread? Tia!
Hi Arleen, you can leave out the honey but we would add just a *touch* of sugar to help feed the yeast. Probably not 100% necessary, but it will help. Even a teaspoon would be fine. No need to change the amount of water, but if the dough seems really dry when you’re mixing it together, add another Tbsp (15ml).
I love this recipe and make it often. But I’m wondering if I can make it as a loaf in a 9×5 pan?? We eat a similar bread for sandwiches (a multigrain with seeds) but I’d love to make a homemade loaf for sandwiches with seeds.
★★★★★
Hi, I have made this bread three times now. The taste is wonderful, however it always seems very doughy and moist even though it has been in a dutch oven for 1 hour and 20 minutes. I preheat the oven to 220c with the dutch oven in there with lid on then I let it stay in there for a futher 30 minutes to get really hot. I then add the seeded dough on the parchment paper to the dutch oven. I am using the conventional setting on the oven not the fan setting. The yeast is good etc. Can you tell me where I am going wrong?
Hi Margaret, this bread is definitely on the more dense and hearty side, but shouldn’t be doughy. If your oven is known to run a bit cool (an oven thermometer is a handy thing to have), it would be expected for it to take a bit longer to bake, but try extending the bake time even just a few minutes longer next time if it was still doughy. And make sure to handle the dough with care to leave the air bubbles in tact for the best results. Hope this helps!
Tried this recipe twice, both times they’ve been raw! First time I used the wrong flour (my fault). Second time, followed to the letter, had a thermometer in the oven and also tested internally and was 95 degrees and it was still raw. Any ideas why this could be the case?! Tastes amazing but I’m going to give up soon!
★★★★
Hi Ellie, we’re happy to help troubleshoot. If the dough is still raw in the center, it sounds like it may simply need a bit more time in the oven. Every oven can be a bit different, so it’s okay if yours needs a few extra minutes to continue baking through. We’d try extending the bake time for your next loaf—please do let us know how it goes!
I have been experimenting with bread making this winter and this is hands down my family’s favorite so far! Will definatly try your other recipes. Thank you
★★★★★
I made this and followed the instructions to a ‘T” and it deflated in the fridge in the 12 hour proofing period and stayed deflated, resulting in a dense bread. That said, I should have accounted for the high elevation I’m at. Do you have a recommendation of how much additional water may be required for higher elevations?
Hi Brey, we’re so sorry to hear you had troubles with this bread. We wish we could help, but have no experience baking at high altitude. Some readers have found this chart helpful: https://www.kingarthurflour.com/learn/high-altitude-baking.html Our Baking with Yeast Guide will also be a helpful resource. Thank you for giving this recipe a try!
Hi Brey – i had the same issue. I had used 1x cup wholemeal flour but i dont think that was the prob. My dough had risen nicely outside the fridge, but like yours it deflated. i wonder if we need to either NOT put in fridge OR let the dough warm until it starts rising again?