Oat-Crusted Bread with Soft Starter

Amazing oat crust, incredibly soft inside

The crust is amazing! Crispy outside, so soft inside. This recipe uses a quick soft starter that becomes very active in just 15 minutes. Rolled oats are mixed into the dough AND rolled on the outside for a beautiful crust and incredible texture.

So soft and delicate! The oats add wonderful flavor and nutrition. It also lasts a long time (though I'll finish it by tomorrow!). The aroma is incredible when it comes out of the oven.

Follow the video below to see the soft starter technique and hear them sing when they're done baking!

Oat-Crusted Bread with Soft Starter Recipe

The soft starter gives this bread incredible rise and flavor. Rolling the shaped loaves in oats creates that signature bakery-style crust. The lift-and-slap technique keeps it simple and therapeutic.

For the Oat Mixture

230 ml Water(1 cup)
80 g Rolled oats(1 cup, plus extra for coating)

For the Soft Starter

50 ml Water(3 ½ tbsp)
1 tsp Sugar
3 g Fresh yeast(1 tsp, or 2g dry yeast (½ tsp))
60 g Bread flour(½ cup)

For the Main Dough

250 g Bread flour(2 cups)
9 g Salt(1 ½ tsp)

Step-by-Step Instructions

1
Prepare oat mixture: In a bowl, combine water (230ml) and rolled oats (80g). Mix and set aside.
2
Make the soft starter: In another bowl, combine water (50ml), sugar (1 tsp), fresh yeast (3g) or dry yeast (2g). Quick mix. Add bread flour (60g) and mix. Cover and let rise for 15 minutes - it becomes very active!
Timer Available:Starter Rise (15:00)
3
Mix the dough: Add the oats mixture to the starter. Quick mix. Add bread flour (250g) and salt (9g). Mix until there's no more dry flour - just mix, no need to knead. Cover and let rise for 30 minutes.
Timer Available:First Rest (30:00)
4
First stretch and fold: With a wet hand, stretch the 4 sides of the dough and fold to the center. Lift the dough from the center and slap it back - I call this technique 'lift and slap'. Let rest for 30 minutes.
Timer Available:Second Rest (30:00)
5
Second stretch and fold: Repeat the steps from before - stretch and fold the 4 sides, lift and slap. Let rise for 2 hours or until it doubles in size.
Timer Available:Main Rise (2:00:00)
6
Shape the dough: Sprinkle flour on work surface. Fold the dough so it's easier to cut. Cut in half. Fold each part into a ball. Rub against work surface to seal.
7
Shape into loaves and coat with oats: Flatten each ball. Roll and press down with your fingers. Seal the edge. Repeat with the second part. Brush the surface with water. Roll the bread in rolled oats to coat completely. Cover with a towel and let rise for 30 minutes.
Timer Available:Final Rise (30:00)
8
Score and prepare: Score the bread with a sharp blade or knife. Splash with water.
9
Bake: Cover with another tray. Bake at 430°F (220°C) for 20 minutes. Remove the top tray and bake for 10 more minutes.
430°F (220°C)
Timer Available:Baking Time (30:00)
10
Cool and enjoy: The aroma is incredible! They sing! The crust is amazing! So soft and delicate!

Watch the Video Tutorial

See every step in action! Follow along with the complete video guide for perfect results.