Oatmeal Bread- No knead Sourdough Recipe

Instructions

Prep Starter:

NIGHT BEFORE BAKING:

1. Remove starter from fridge and allow to come to room temp.
2. Mix together 100 grams starter +100 grams warm water+100 grams flour. This balances the starter for baking bread.
3. Let sit overnight or until starter doubles in size.
4. Do the float test. If starter floats in a cup it is ready to bake bread. If it sinks repeat feeding.

Cook Oatmeal:

1. Mix the oatmeal with 165 grams of water.
2. Mix and microwave covered one minute.
3. Set aside to cool to 105 degrees F.
   

Make Bread Dough:

1. Set a large bowl on a digital scale.
2. Set the TARE button to zero.
3. Add the remaining warm water to the bowl. Set tare to zero.
4. Add the prepared starter. Set the TARE to zero.
5. Add the cooked and cooled oatmeal.
6. Mix together until cloudy.
7. Set Tare to zero. Add flours.
8. Mix it all together into a shaggy ball in the bowl.

Autolyse:

1. Let the dough sit covered 60 minutes. This hydrates the dough and allow the oats to also further soften.
   

Stretch and folds:

Complete four stretch and folds 30 minutes apart. As follows

1. Grab the dough on one side. (watch video for complete demonstration of stretch and folds)
2. Lift and stretch the dough to fold it across the dough ball.
3. Repeat this action on all four sides of the dough ball.
4. Cover and set timer for the next stretch and fold.

When all four stretch and folds are complete stretch the dough between your hands. It should be elastic and almost able to stretch to transparency. This is the window pane test. The oatmeal in the dough will confuse this a bit so just get close.

If your dough breaks easily do another stretch and fold and test again. When it is elastic and stretchy continue the recipe.

Bulk Rise:

Let dough sit in the bowl covered for 60 minutes at room temperature.

Long Cold Rise:

Set covered dough in the fridge 12 to 24 hours. The cold rise can be adjusted to suit your schedule but try to keep it in 12 hours minimum for best dough development. You can extend the long cold rise to 36 hours if necessary. notice the bubbles in the dough. This will happen as the dough ferments. It is normal and will continue through all development stages. You can degas the dough as much as you prefer at the bench rest and final forming stage.

Bench Rest:

1. Remove dough from fridge and bring to room temperature. (or pretty close so it's manageable- 2 hours or so)
2. Divide the dough into two dough balls of equal size. This recipe makes two 935 gram dough balls (or pretty close).
3. Roll the dough into tight balls by pulling the dough across your work surface until the dough surface is tight and the ball is round.
4. Leave the dough balls covered with a towel on your counter for 45 minutes.

Final Shape, Score and Bake:
To form Boules:
Watch our video below the notes section below for a recipe demonstration of forming and baking boules.

1. Prepare your banneton by liberally sprinkling with rice flour.
2. If using a bowl oil it. Use a smaller bowl that will support the dough.
3. Form the dough into a round and retighten the dough surface by pulling it tight several times. (watch video below notes for demonstration)
4. Flip the boule upside down and pull the sides all round to create a seam showing on top.
5. Put the bowl in a loose plastic bag and set in fridge 2 to 4 hours to chill.

To Bake Boules:

1. Set your COLD dutch oven with lid on the middle rack.
2. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. for an hour.
3. Remove one boule from fridge and turn the bowl quickly and firmly upside down on parchment paper.
4. Score the boule across the top both directions to allow rising. (or use your own method to score) This is our milk and honey sourdough bread scored as directed.
5. lift the boule on the parchment paper and set it carefully into the HOT dutch oven.
6. Cover and bake 20 minutes.
7. Reduce oven temp to 400 degrees F.
8. Remove the lid and bake an additional 15 minutes or until a digital thermometer reads over 200 degrees F. in center of boule.
9. Repeat with next boule. Preheat dutch oven at least 15 minutes covered.

For Loaves: Watch our soft sourdough recipe video in the sidebar of this post for a complete demonstration on how to form and bake loaves. Here are the listed steps:

To form loaves:

1. For each bench rested round of dough to make into a loaf
2. With your hands or a rolling pin squish out all the air from the dough. This gives a dense soft crust with no holes in the bread. Form the dough into a rectangle.
3. Pull the dough from the side and fold it to the middle of the rectangle.
4. Pull from the other side and fold it to the middle. Create a seam down the center of the rectangle.
5. Fold the front points of the seamed rectangle up to the seam. This creates a point.
6. From this end of the dough roll the dough tightly all the way up. so on the side of the rolled dough you see a spiral as shown.
7. Adjust the length of the dough roll to about the length of your oiled bread pan. (i'm using standard 9 x 5 pans).
8. Pinch the ends on the roll so it's tight and has no air pockets. Pinch the bottom seam if necessary also to smooth the loaf bottom and remove any air pockets.
9. Set the dough roll into the pan. It should touch the ends of the pan (or close).
10. Let rise on the counter for 2 to 4 hours until the dough reaches to top of the pan.

To Prep your bake:

1. When bread dough rises to the top of the bread pan preheat oven to 400 degrees F. for 30 minutes.
2. Set a pan with water in it on the bottom rack for a water bath. (this will steam the loaves and keep the crust softer.)

OPTIONAL egg wash:

1. In a small bowl whisk an egg with a fork until smooth. add 1 Tbs. water if thick. Brush the wash over the tops of the loaves. This makes the crust shiny

Bake:

1. Bake loaves in preheated oven for 40 minutes.
2. Check with digital thermometer by inserting through the end of the loaf and pushing it into the center.
3. When the thermometer reads 200 degrees F the loaves are finished.
4. Remove to counter and let sit 10 minutes in pans.
5. Insert a knife between the pan and the loaf to free the loaf.
6. Turn the pan upside down and allow the loaf to release.
7. Cool completely on a reck before cutting. (the long cooling before cutting at least 30 minutes helps set the crumb)