The process of making homemade yeasted bread can be fussy and complicated, but this no-knead honey oat bread recipe is straightforward and simple AND delivers delicious, flavorful results. Most of the “work” is completely hands off as the dough rises. If you’re new to working with yeast, reference my Baking with Yeast Guide for answers to common yeast FAQs.
This recipe is brought to you in partnership with Red Star Yeast.
Can you make a good thing… better? Originally published in 2013, this deliciously chewy no-knead bread is EASY to make. But over the years, I’ve added clearer instructions which are extremely useful for a bread beginner. I also made some small improvements to the recipe including reducing the honey and cinnamon, plus adding a little more yeast to achieve a better rise. I also updated the photos and added plenty of step photos, too.
So, to answer the question… when it comes to the original version of today’s bread recipe… yes!
Tell Me About This No-Knead Honey Oat Bread
- Texture: This dough is very hydrated, so expect a chewy, soft, and spongey baked bread. And by spongey, I don’t mean damp nor gummy. Rather, if you squish a slice, it will mostly spring back into shape. The crust is a little crisp when the bread comes out of the oven, but it softens over time.
- Flavor: Honey and oats provide most of the flavor while cinnamon adds a little something extra. You’ll notice the cinnamon is there, but it doesn’t overpower the other delicate flavors. This is a sweeter bread, so I wouldn’t serve it to soak up your savory tomato sauce (but honestly, it would still probably taste great that way!).
- Ease: Like my artisan bread, this is a very easy bread recipe and perfect for bread beginners because there’s hardly any hands-on work required. You don’t need a mixer, there’s no dough starter, no complicated shaping, and the dough doesn’t require kneading. In fact, the less you handle the dough, the better—the bread wants you to do less work. Set aside enough time to let the dough rise, at least 12 hours (or overnight) for the 1st rise and 1 hour for the 2nd.
- Serving: There are many ways you can serve this bread and my favorite is toasted with honey butter and a sprinkle of coarse sea salt or flaky sea salt. It’s hearty, so it’s the perfect bed for your avocado toast or dipper for soft/runny eggs. It also makes one heck of a pb&j and tastes phenomenal as a slightly sweet grilled cheese sandwich.
In a rush to start? You can find the full printable recipe below. If you have more time, the following headnotes will help you grasp a better understanding of the recipe before you begin.
Best Ingredients to Use for Honey Oat Bread
This is an egg free baking recipe and dairy free recipe.
- Bread Flour: For the chewiest and sturdiest no-knead honey oat bread, I recommend bread flour and I love using King Arthur brand (not sponsored—just a genuine fan of their flours). All-purpose flour definitely works, but you get a sturdier and more bread-like texture from bread flour. I love using whole wheat flour when I can, but this dough is not fit for all whole wheat flour. Over the years, I’ve found that replacing up to 1 cup (around 130g) of the bread flour with whole wheat flour works very well. The bread is a bit more dense, but has great flavor.
- Oats: Oats make up some of the dry ingredients in this dough. As the dough rises, the oats soak up some moisture and expand. You’ll love the extra texture they bring to the finished loaf! Whole oats are best, but you can use quick oats if that’s all you have.
- Yeast: You can use instant or active dry yeast, but I highly recommend an instant (aka “rapid rise” or “quick rise” yeast). The bread will rise faster. I usually use Platinum Yeast by Red Star, which is an instant yeast. 1 and 1/2 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 in step 5 may take longer.
- Salt: You can use regular fine table salt in this dough. If using kosher salt, no need to switch the amount. If you want to use a coarse sea salt, I would increase the amount to 1 and 3/4 teaspoons.
- Cinnamon: I do not recommend skipping the cinnamon. Again, you’ll note that it’s there but the bread is not necessarily cinnamon flavored. Without it, the bread tastes like denser white sandwich bread.
- Water: I normally encourage you to use warm liquid with yeast because warm liquid helps the yeast work faster. However, use cool or room temperature water here because you want a longer rise to help establish better flavor. 70°F (21°C) is great, but the exact temperature doesn’t matter as long as it’s not hot or warm. The cooler the water, the longer the dough takes to rise and, usually, the better the bread’s flavor.
- Honey: Honey adds flavor and helps give the bread the springy, sponge-like texture. I do not recommend any substitutions, but if you’re looking for a less sweet bread, I recommend the following recipes: multigrain bread, sandwich bread, homemade bread, cranberry nut no-knead bread, no-knead jalapeño cheddar bread, no-knead seeded oat bread, asiago-crusted skillet bread, or olive bread.
- Oil: 2 Tablespoons of fat gives the bread flavor and richness. I recommend vegetable oil or a neutral-tasting olive oil. You can use melted butter if you’d like, but keep in mind this dough sits out for 12-18 hours. (Shouldn’t be an issue, but keep that in mind.) Melted and slightly cooled coconut oil works, but taste testers preferred the flavor and texture of the bread made with vegetable or olive oil instead.
Step-by-Step Photos: No Knead Honey Oat Bread
Though this is a very hands-off recipe, let me show you a few process photos so you have a solid understanding of the instructions below.
This is a sticky dough, so a mixer will not do you any favors. Mix it by hand with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula (photo below, left). The picture below on the right shows the dough after the 1st rise. Notice how the dough rises OUT more than it rises UP:
Pictured below is a close-up of the dough after rising—I pulled the dough inward so you can see the strands of dough. This dough is full of AIR and that’s exactly what you want:
Next you will add a little flour to the sticky risen dough—just enough so that you can gently shape it into a loaf. Careful not to deflate the dough:
Shaping: The picture below on the left shows the loaf after you shape it. Do not overthink the shaping step because the less you handle and tinker with the dough, the better. As shown below on the right, place into a greased 9×5-inch loaf pan and use a sharp knife or bread lame to score it on top. Scoring allows the airy dough to “breathe” as it rises and bakes. (The pictured bread lame was a gift, but if you’re shopping for one, I also have and love this bread lame.)
Let the dough rise again in the loaf pan. This 2nd rise takes at least 1 hour.
After that, it’s time to bake the bread. Before baking, you can sprinkle the top of the loaf with oats or add a cinnamon-sugar topping. See details for both optional toppings in the recipe notes below. Usually my loaf is just covered in baked flour leftover from the shaping step:
Cool for about 15 minutes before slicing and serving. Again, homemade honey butter is a fantastic finishing touch and you can quickly prep it as the bread cools. And if you love honey in your homemade breads, you’ll enjoy these honey butter rolls too.
Additional Easy Bread Recipes
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 Honey Oat Bread
- Prep Time: 13 hours, 20 minutes (includes rises)
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Total Time: 14 hours, 30 minutes
- Yield: 1 loaf
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
The process of making homemade yeasted bread has the reputation of being fussy and complicated, but this honey oat bread recipe is straightforward and simple AND delivers delicious, flavorful results. Most of the “work” is completely hands off as the dough rises. If you’re new to working with yeast, reference my Baking with Yeast Guide for answers to common yeast FAQs.
Ingredients
- 3 cups + 2 Tablespoons (410g) bread flour (spooned & leveled), divided
- 1 cup (85g) old-fashioned whole oats or quick oats (not instant)
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons (4g) Platinum Yeast from Red Star or any instant or active dry yeast
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 and 1/2 cups (360ml) water, close to room temperature at about 70°F (21°C)
- 6 Tablespoons (128g) honey
- 2 Tablespoons (30ml) vegetable oil (or other neutral tasting oil)
Instructions
- In a large ungreased bowl, whisk 3 cups (390g) bread flour, the oats, yeast, salt, and cinnamon together. Set aside. In a medium bowl or large liquid measuring cup, whisk the water, honey, and oil together. Pour water mixture into flour mixture and gently stir together with a silicone spatula or wooden spoon to combine. Dough will be heavy and very wet/sticky. Do not overwork dough. (Tip: Stir dough by hand. Dough is too sticky for a mixer.)
- 1st rise: 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 12-18 hours. (See note if you need to extend this time.) Depending on the size of your mixing bowl, the dough will mostly rise out to the sides of the bowl instead of rising up. Some upward rise is normal if your bowl is on the smaller side. The dough will stick to the sides of the bowl and have a lot of air bubbles. You want it to almost double in size during this time.
- Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan.
- Gently shape: After rising, uncover dough and gently fold in remaining 2 Tablespoons (about 20g) of bread flour. Dough is very sticky, but the extra flour makes it more manageable. Pour dough (and any excess flour that is not mixing in) onto work surface. Using lightly floured hands, gently form into a loaf shape, about 8×4 inches. Does not have to be perfect, so don’t over-think the shape or overwork the dough. Place in greased pan and using a very sharp knife or bread lame (some even use kitchen shears), score the bread loaf with 1 slash down the center or off-center, about 1/2 inch deep. (“Score” = shallow cut.)
- 2nd rise: Loosely cover loaf with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and set on the counter at room temperature for 1 hour or until dough rises slightly above the rim of the pan.
- Meanwhile, towards the end of the 2nd rise, preheat oven to 375°F (191°C).
- After rising, remove plastic wrap/covering from bread and bake for 50-60 minutes. The loaf will begin to heavily brown on top, so tent it with aluminum foil after 30 minutes. How to test for doneness—give the loaf 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). (Tip: Keep in mind that the bread will continue to cook for a few minutes as it cools.)
- Remove from the oven and allow bread to cool for at least 15 minutes in the pan set on a wire rack before slicing and serving. Feel free to let it cool completely before slicing, too.
- Cover leftover bread and store at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions: This recipe is wonderful for making ahead because the 1st rise time (step 2) is so long. If needed, you can extend the 1st rise time by letting the dough rest in the refrigerator instead of at room temperature for up to 18 hours. Then, after refrigerating, let the dough sit at room temperature to warm and rise, about 4-6 hours. You want it to mostly double in size during this time. Do not extend these times further because the dough may begin to deflate.
- Freezing Instructions: Prepare recipe through step 4 and feel free to use a disposable loaf pan since it will be going into the freezer. Cover loaf tightly and freeze for up to 3 months. On the day you serve it, let the loaf thaw and rise for about 5 hours at room temperature. Bake as directed. You can also freeze the baked bread loaf. Allow the bread to cool completely and then freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature and reheat if/as desired.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Glass Mixing Bowl | Silicone Spatula or Wooden Spoon | 9×5-inch Loaf Pan | Bread Lame | Instant Read Thermometer | Cooling Rack
- Flour: For the chewiest and sturdiest bread, I recommend using bread flour. All-purpose flour definitely works, but you get a sturdier and more bread-like texture from bread flour. I love using whole wheat flour when I can, but this dough is not fit for all whole wheat flour. In my recipe testing, I found that replacing up to 1 cup (around 130g) of the bread flour with whole wheat flour worked just fine. The bread was a bit denser, but had great flavor.
- Yeast: You can use instant or active dry yeast, but I highly recommend an instant (aka “rapid rise” or “quick rise” yeast). The bread will rise faster. I usually use Platinum yeast by Red Star, which is an instant yeast. 1 and 1/2 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 in step 5 may take longer.
- Water: Use room temperature or cool water. Close to 70°F (21°C) is great, but the exact temperature doesn’t matter as long as it’s not warm.
- If You Want to Top with Oats or Cinnamon-Sugar: If you want to top the dough with oats prior to baking, carefully brush the dough after the 2nd rise (step 5) with 1 egg white beaten with 1 Tbsp water, and then sprinkle 2 Tbsp of oats on top. (The oats do not stick without the egg white and the bread will no longer be egg-free by doing this.) You can skip the egg white/oats and sprinkle cinnamon-sugar on top instead. Combine 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar and 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon. Sprinkle on top of the loaf right before baking.
- Recipe updated in 2022 with clearer instructions and less honey, cinnamon, and slightly more yeast. Older version of this recipe used 1/2 cup (170g) honey but over the years, I’ve reduced it down to 6 Tablespoons (128g) so the loaf isn’t as sweet and sticky. The recipe also had 1 and 1/4 teaspoons of yeast, but I slightly increased it for better rise and it also used to have 1 teaspoon of cinnamon in the dough. I find that much takes away from the honey and oat flavors so I cut the cinnamon amount in half.
- Can I make this in a dutch oven? Yes and the process is similar to Cranberry Nut No-Knead Bread. You need a 6-quart or larger dutch oven or any large oven-safe pot with a lid. Prepare dough recipe above through step 2. 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. Using a very sharp knife or bread lame, gently score an X into the top. 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) or heavy duty pot inside for 30 minutes so that it’s extremely hot before the dough is placed inside. After 30 minutes, remove the dutch oven from the oven and carefully place the dough inside by lifting it up with the parchment paper and sticking it all–the 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 10-12 more minutes or until the bread is golden brown. You can test for doneness exactly how you would in step 7 above. Remove pot from the oven, carefully remove the bread from the pot, and allow to cool on the counter for 30 minutes before breaking/slicing/serving.
- Can I bake this free-form outside of the loaf pan or dutch oven? No, this bread needs a pan to help it hold shape.
Wow, we loved this bread! I made this last night and baked it this afternoon. It was perfect. Thank you!
Which would you recommend for bet results, metal or glass loaf pan?
I usually use a metal loaf pan when baking bread.
I followed the recipe precisely and it turned out great. Easy to make and I will be making it again. It was delicious!
Can you use an air fryer instead of oven and if so, what’s the cook time?
Hi Lee Ann, unfortunately, we don’t have any experience with using an air fryer, so can’t give you instructions. But maybe another reader has tried it and will reply here!
This has become our favorite bread recipe! Tried it out in the cusinart bread maker- put in all the wet ingredients, then salt, then oats, then remaining dry ingredients. Put it on the white setting, lowest color, and 1 lb loaf. Cut the time by about 10 minutes and it turned out perfect!
Can I make this recipe in my bread machine?
Hi Shannon, we haven’t tried this recipe in a bread machine, but let us know if you do!
Easy recipe and delicious! I will say mine came out a little denser than I thought it would. I’m thinking maybe I knocked out too much air while shaping it. I will definitely try it again to perfect it!
This was super easy and delicious!
Mine came out just a little bit denser than I would have wanted but I think maybe after that first rise when shaping the dough I could’ve been more careful not to knock too much air out. I will definitely try this again to get it perfect!
My dough keeps deflating when I add in the 2tbsp of flour before the second rise. Is this 100% necessary? Or can I just transfer the dough straight into the baking pan without the extra flour?
Hi Emily, it’s okay for the dough to deflate a bit when mixing in the additional flour. Just gently add it so as not to overwork the dough. It will rise again once it’s in the pan, before baking.
I have Tastefully Simple’s mini bread silicone mold (1.5” x2.25” inch molds). Could I use this recipe in it to make tiny individual bite size type loaves? If so, should I adjust the steps and/or baking?
Hi Ashley, that should work, but we’re unsure of the exact bake time for smaller loaves. Let us know how it goes!
My oops! I used a whole packet of yeast even though I read thru the recipe first. Obviously missed it!! It turned out dense but had a stronger flavor. I left it rise for 15 hours. I will try it again sometime. Any suggestions/fixes if I happen to do it again??
Thank you for this recipe. I subbed “full flavored” molasses (NOT blackstrap) for the honey, used half fresh ground white whole wheat, half high protein bread flour, and old fashioned oats, and I loved the flavor. However, the bread was a bit denser than I would like. The first rising, at about 68 degrees, more than doubled the volume. The second rise, on my oven’s proofing setting, was about an hour, and the loaf passed the fingerprint test. Should I not have substituted molasses 1-1 with the honey? It’s worked in other bread recipes. Or was the problem the whole wheat flour? I did increase the hydration about 20 grams, as I do when I bake 50% whole wheat flour, water, salt, yeast loaves. Was that my problem?
Thanks! I’ll try it again, tonight, without extra water.
Hi Ruth, we don’t recommend any substitutions for the honey, so that could be contributing to the denseness of the bread. You can absolutely use some white whole wheat flour, and we often do so, replacing up to one cup of the bread flour with whole wheat flour. It has incredible flavor, but does indeed create a denser loaf. Using all bread flour and honey should help produce a lighter loaf. Thank you for giving this one a try!
Made this yesterday and it was delicious. The hint of cinnemom seemed to add a lot to the flavor. I had trouble shaping, did the best I could and placed in a loaf pan. From there I gently patted it into shape fitting the pan. The only recipe change was I added 2 tbs. of combined ground seeds (chia, pumpkin, sesame and sunflower.) for more texture. I don’t think it changed the consistency of the dough.
Thank you for another great recipe.
I messed up and put a whole packet of yeast in. It still came out absolutely delicious. I just cut the first rise time in half (6 hours) and kept the second rise at 1 hour. My whole family loved it. Thank you Sally!
Can I use a glass loaf pan to make this bread or do I need a tin loaf pan?
I can’t wait to try this recipe. It sounds amazing!!
Hi Esmeralda, yes, you can make this bread in a glass loaf pan. Bake time may be slightly longer. Enjoy!
I’ve had this recipe on my desk for months. Finally tried it last night. It was rising while I was sleeping and I did the rest this morning. It was ready to slice for lunch and I made turkey sandwiches with a fresh tomato from a friend’s garden. The bread was delicious and so easy. I’m ready to try it again and already have sent the recipe to my sister who is a big bread baker. She could make this bread blindfolded! But I am not as experienced as she is. When this recipe came out perfectly it was very rewarding and encouraging. Thank you Sally! I love it!
We’re so happy to hear that this recipe was a hit for you, Edie!
I tried this recipe today. I have made no knead bread recipes for years. Using my cast iron 8 qt. Dutch oven pan. They had always turned out great. You know the 3 cup flour, 1.5 cup water and yeast. Well I left the mix in my microwave coved for 14 hrs. It smelted great,. I then greased my loaf pan heated my oven baked for 30 min. covered with foil for 30 minutes then took it out to cool. It had not risen much. Very heavy , but my husband said the taste was great. I have honey we live in the north country of Michigan. Flour is kept in the cook area.
Hi sally im reading the recipe. In the recipe section it says work the dough into a form to be placed in pan for second rise. I read in another section that you should be careful to not deflate it. In my experience I’ve flatten air out of doughs after first rise but with this recipe you want to retain the bubbles formed from first rise ? I don’t understand. Is this just one long rise? Thanks
Hi Win! You don’t want to knock the air out of the dough like you do with other yeasted bread – be very careful to shape it while maintaining as many air bubbles as you can. So let it rise, then gently transfer to the pan, and let it continue to rise there before baking. Hope this helps!
I loved this bread. My husband didn’t love the honey flavor – although he ate 3 slices! I know you mention no substitutions for the honey. But what if I used maple syrup?
Hi Robin! We have not tested it, but that swap should be fine. The bread will undoubtedly have different flavor.
Thank you very much. I’ve been looking for a good recipe for oat bread and this is perfect! I love the chewiness and bit of sweetness. This ranks right up there with your cheddar jalapeno bread.
I just made this recipe and I like the flavor and the crust, but it didn’t rise properly for me. I subbed one cup of whole wheat flour per the instructions (used bread flour for the rest), used instant yeast as directed, measured the temperatures, let it rise 17 hours for the first rise and 1.5 for the second, but the outcome was a loaf that is only 2.5 inches high. I am a new bread baker… any ideas on what I did wrong?
Hi Kim, Thank you for trying this recipe! Tt’s possible that your yeast wasn’t active or it was expired. We don’t usually proof the yeast in this recipe but you certainly can if you want to be sure you are working with active yeast. You can pour about half of the water ( at about 95 degrees) and mix it with the yeast plus one TBS of honey and mix it up, cover it with a town and let us sit for about 5 minutes. If the yeast is nice and foamy you know its active! Then you can mix the rest of the ingredients together and continue with the recipe. You can extend the second rise time when it’s in the pan if needed to make sure it’s above the loaf pan.
I just discovered this recipe and am so happy I did. It is the easiest bread I have ever made & plan to make it regularly!
The first time I forgot to score it and it still was fine, not as much lift, but holy wow when I scored it on my second time it rose impressively!
Can you provide the nutritional information ?
Hi Kat, We don’t usually include nutrition information as it can vary between different brands of the same ingredients, and many recipes have ingredient substitutions or optional ingredients. However, there are many great online calculators where you can plug in your exact ingredients like this one: https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076
This is a good bread, just ever so slightly sweet- perfect to my personal taste. I may have overworked it a tad because it ended up being denser than expected, but it still tasted nice.
Probably won’t make again but was fun to try out!
I accidentally added the 2tbsp of flour in the beginning 🙁 will this be okay? Should I add any additional after it rises?
Thanks?
Hi Christine, it should still be fine! If the dough is extra sticky, you can go ahead and add more, but you probably won’t need to.
Delicious and easy! Waiting is the hardest part. I used all purpose and 1 cup of KA white whole wheat. The smell of cinnamon was so wonderful while baking, but it’s not an overpowering taste when finished.
I turned my loaf out of the pan within a couple minutes of baking. Whenever I’ve left a regular bread loaf in the pan before, it made it moist and yucky, so I didn’t quite understand why the instructions said to leave it in the pan 15 minutes. That was counter-intuitive to me.
My dough was a bit wet when it went in the pan, but it still rose during the second rise and in the oven. I probably handled it too much trying to incorporate the last addition of flour. I thought a video would have been helpful for that part!
I left a review with a question last week about a line of flour in the baked loaf. Not hard to determine that I didn’t fold in the last flour sufficiently-twice! I baked another loaf which finally did not have the flour line but it is so wet -there’s no way to “form it” into the loaf pan and the bread lame just gets swallowed up in the batter. I measured everything so carefully. Do I need less water? More flour? Thank you!
Hi Judy! You can always add a bit more flour (and make sure to use floured hands) to shape the dough. Thank you so much for making this recipe!
I’m confused about the addition of whole wheat flour. Should this be whole wheat bread flour?
Hi Paula, we’ve use regular whole wheat flour (as per the instructions in the recipe notes) in the past, but whole wheat bread flour should work great!
Made this and love it! so far my favorite bread. Thank you for the wonderful recipe!
First try here! I split the dough in half and baked in 2 separate pans 30 minutes. Used avocado oil to coat the pan instead of butter.. it stuck to the bottom a bit but came out okay otherwise.
Thanks for the recipe!
My mom has pretty bad arthritis in her hands so she has trouble kneading. I found this recipe. No-kneading! We had a good time making and baking. It was absolutely delicious. We loved the subtle sweetness! It hit the spot with our Swiss steak! And it was a delicious toast in the morning! Thanks Sally!