Sourdough Pan Loaf with Oats
A soft, sliceable sandwich loaf with a tender, moist crumb from an overnight-free oat soaker, a gentle tang from sourdough starter, and a touch of honey. Baked in a standard loaf pan with a crunchy rolled-oat crust.
- Prep
- 37 min
- Cook
- 50 min
- Wait
- 7 hr 20 min
- Total
- 8 hr 47 min
- Makes
- 1 loaf (12 slices)
Steps
Before you start
- Feed your starter 4–8 hours ahead so it is bubbly and has at least doubled at its peak. A starter that floats in water is ready.
- Plan on about 9 hours start to finish at 75–78°F (24–26°C) room temperature. A cooler kitchen means a longer bulk ferment.
- Use a kitchen scale; the metric weights are more accurate than cups, especially for flour and oats.
- Lightly grease the loaf pan with butter or oil before shaping.
Soak the oats
- Place 90 g (1 cup) rolled oats in a large mixing bowl.
- Pour over 160 ml (⅔ cup) boiling water and stir.
- Let stand until the mixture is thick like porridge and cooled to lukewarm (below 100°F / 38°C).
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Ready when: Oats are soft, water is absorbed, and the bowl feels barely warm
Tip: Adding starter to hot oats can weaken or kill the culture, so make sure it has cooled.
Mix the dough
- To the cooled oats add 100 g starter, 180 ml lukewarm water, 40 g honey and 30 g melted butter.
- Stir until the starter and honey dissolve.
- Add 450 g bread flour and 10 g salt.
- Mix with a wet hand or sturdy spatula for about 2 minutes, squeezing the dough until no dry flour remains.
- Cover and rest.
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Ready when: Dough is shaggy, sticky and has no dry flour patches
Tip: The dough will be sticky because of the oats. Wet your hands rather than adding extra flour.
Stretch and fold
- Do 3 sets of stretch-and-folds, 30 minutes apart.
- For each set, wet your hand, grab one edge of the dough, stretch it up until it resists, and fold it over the center.
- Turn the bowl a quarter turn and repeat 4 times total (all four sides).
- Cover between sets.
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Ready when: After the third set the dough feels smoother, holds a rounded shape and is elastic
Tip: Set a timer so the sets are evenly spaced.
Bulk ferment
- Cover the bowl and leave the dough at 75–78°F (24–26°C) after the last fold.
- Continue until the dough has grown about 50% in volume (mark the bowl with tape), the top is domed and you can see bubbles at the edge and surface, and it jiggles when the bowl is shaken.
- This takes about 2½ hours more at this temperature.
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Ready when: Dough has grown about 50%, is domed, bubbly and jiggly
Tip: Judge by the dough, not the clock. Overproofed dough turns slack and sour; underproofed gives a dense loaf.
Pre-shape the dough
- Lightly flour the counter.
- Scrape the dough out gently, keeping the bubbles.
- Fold the edges into the center to form a loose round, flip it seam side down and let it rest, covered with the bowl or a towel.
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Ready when: Dough has spread slightly and feels relaxed and puffy
Shape and pan
- Butter the 9×5-inch (23×13 cm) pan.
- Spread 20 g topping oats on a plate.
- Flip the dough over, pat into a rough 8×10-inch (20×25 cm) rectangle, and fold the short sides in to the center.
- Roll up tightly from the short end into a log, pinching the seam closed.
- Brush the top and sides with the 30 ml water, roll it in the oats to coat, then place it seam side down in the pan.
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Ready when: Log is tight, even, and fills the pan about halfway
Tip: A tight roll gives an even crumb without big holes.
Final proof
- Cover the pan loosely and proof at room temperature until the dough crests about 1 inch (2.5 cm) above the rim of the pan and a floured finger leaves a dent that slowly springs back halfway.
- About 75 minutes.
- Alternatively, refrigerate overnight for 8–12 hours and bake straight from the fridge, adding 5 minutes.
- Preheat the oven during the last 30 minutes of proofing.
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Ready when: Dough domes about 1 inch above the rim and the poke test springs back slowly
Tip: Do not let it overproof; it will collapse in the oven.
Bake coveredOven 425°F / 220°C
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C) with a rack in the lower third.
- Tent the pan with foil, crimping lightly.
- Bake for 25 minutes.
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Ready when: Loaf has risen well and the crust is set and pale
Tip: Wear oven mitts when removing foil; hot steam escapes.
Bake uncoveredOven 400°F / 205°C
- Remove the foil and reduce the oven to 400°F (205°C).
- Bake 25 minutes more, until the top is deep golden brown and the oats are toasted.
- Check the internal temperature with an instant-read thermometer; it should read 205–210°F (96–99°C) in the center.
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Ready when: Deep golden crust, hollow sound when tapped on the bottom, and 205–210°F (96–99°C) inside
Tip: If the top browns too fast, loosely re-tent with foil.
Cool completely
- Immediately turn the loaf out of the pan onto a wire rack, standing it upright.
- Cool for at least 1 hour before slicing.
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Ready when: Loaf feels barely warm or room temperature at the center of the bottom
Tip: Cutting too early leaves a gummy, squished crumb.
Good to know
Tips
- Use a wet hand when handling the dough; it is stickier than plain bread dough because of the oats.
- A metal pan gives the best crust browning; if using glass or ceramic, check doneness a few minutes early.
- Check the starter strength: if it takes more than 6 hours to double after feeding, expect a longer bulk ferment.
- For a deeper flavor and tang, use the overnight fridge proof.
Make ahead
"After shaping, refrigerate the covered pan for 8–12 hours and bake the next day straight from the fridge, adding about 5 minutes to the covered bake. The oat soaker can also be made the night before and refrigerated; bring it to lukewarm before mixing."
Storage & reheating
"Room temperature: wrapped in a clean towel or in a bread bag for up to 3 days. Fridge: not recommended as it dries the crumb, but it will keep up to 7 days if needed. Freezer: slice, wrap well and freeze up to 3 months. Toast slices straight from frozen, or thaw at room temperature for 1 hour."
Substitutions
- honey → maple syrup. Use the same weight (40 g); flavor will be slightly more caramel-like.
- unsalted butter → neutral oil such as avocado or light olive oil. Use 30 ml; the crumb will be a bit less rich in flavor.
- bread flour → all-purpose flour. Works, but reduce the lukewarm water by about 15 ml and expect a slightly softer, less chewy loaf.
- old-fashioned rolled oats → quick oats. Reduce soaking to 10 minutes; the crumb will be a bit smoother.