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.
One reader, Rob, commented: “Best bread we’ve had in a long time! Crusty, chewy, flavorful, nutty, and delicious with some good butter. Will definitely be making this again. Thank you. ★★★★★“
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 no-knead bread, asiago-crusted skillet bread, pizza 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 no-knead 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. (And even these quinoa snack bars!)
- 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.
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 | Coarse Salt
- 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.
Reader Comments and Reviews
This is excellent bread!
I’ve made about 3 so far.
I have “experimented” a bit to suit my taste.
I’ve used equal parts of white bread flour and wheat flour with success.
I add an extra teaspoon of salt for my taste.
Thank you for the great recipe and how to videos.
I must be doing something wrong. I am carefully following the instructions. I left in the fridge this
time for 24 hours. It does not seem to puff back up after it deflates in the fridge. Could it be the yeast I am using?
Hi Deborah, it won’t puff up very much, and this will be a denser bread. Does it look like the photos above?
Can’t add stars yet. Just covered dough with saran wrap to rest for 3 hrs before putting in fridge. Will add more after the baking tomorrow.
I love this- its the best bread! I have made a 100 times already. The whole family loves it. And so easy !!
Would I be able to do this recipe in a loaf pan? Would love to try it, but the loaf shape is my favorite for sandwiches and what not..
Hi Leah, you can certainly try a loaf pan. You may want to try this honey oat bread instead, and you can add seeds to that dough.
I made an oversized hockey puck. I was not proud of the outcome. I waited 2 days to bake it. The dough was so dry. Lots of butter made it edible. Disappointed. I made it exactly as written.
I’m not sure what went wrong, I thought I followed the recipe, but it came out as a hard lump of bread! Maybe the yeast didn’t work right? It seemed like putting it in the fridge didn’t work. Any thoughts.
Hi Cecelia, did the dough about double in size during the rise time?
This is a wonderful recipe! I’ll definitely be making this on a regular basis!
Can I use gluten free flours instead of regular bread dough (which has gluten)?
Hi Nola, we haven’t tested a gluten-free version, so we’re unsure of the results. Although some readers report using an all-purpose 1:1 gluten-free flour in many of our recipes with success, you should expect slightly different results anytime you substitute ingredients. Let us know if you give it a try.
Absolutely loved this bread! The seeds gave it wonderful flavor and texture. I’d classify myself as an intermediate bread baker (not to put anyone off from baking, just clarifying for anyone else who may be reading). I refrigerated the dough for about 18 hours, and it did seem to fall in that time. I baked in a Dutch oven, and baked uncovered an extra 5 minutes (noteworthy as my oven runs hot and I typically need a few minutes less than stated). We had it with some cauliflower soup and herb butter for the bread and it was outstanding.
This was delicious, but extremely dense and heavy. I’m an experienced bread baker and I live at altitude where most things rise a little too much, but this just didn’t rise well, despite having healthy yeast and a good environment. I baked in a dutch oven and the crust is nice, but it’s so heavy.
Hi Alex! This is a denser bread and not expected to be light inside, due to the oats and seeds packed inside, plus the no knead technique. If you wish to try it again in the future, make sure to handle the dough with care after it rises to maintain all the air bubbles inside. Thank you for giving this one a try!
If you follow the directions you will have delicious brag worth bread! I did one last week using a baking sheet, and again this weekend using a Dutch oven and both loaves are beautiful and delicious!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Another absolute 5 STAR recipe, Sally!! I made this yesterday & baked it today. My whole house smells absolutely amazing – and the bread tasted – absolutely amazing!! Brilliant recipe!! Thank you so much. It has risen to the number 1 spot of the best bread I ever tasted – or baked for that matter.❤️
If I make 2 oblong loaves using this recipe, any recommendations for how long to bake in the oven?
Hi Jean, same temperature, but we’re unsure of the exact bake time for two smaller boules. Keep a close eye on them, and an instant-read thermometer is helpful for determining doneness. Hope you enjoy the bread!
I make this bread every week now, we love it !! I cut it into slices and freeze it and use when needed, and it freezes fine. I bake for 40 minutes in a fan oven on 180. I then turn it over and bake for a further 10 minutes to crisp the bottom and finish the middle or I find it slightly soggy. This is my forever bread now after trying everything. It is great for me in not creating a bloated tummy. Winner!!
I followed the directions except the water bath. I used an air bake non stick cookie sheet. I baked it for the time recommended at the temp. It was 140 inside after this time. Ive been Checking covered until it has reached 180.. it got to 190. It is very dense, tight and still slightly under done. I do not believe my oven is off.. im wondering if there are any other tips.
I forgot the oats. The bread turned out lovely, light, and delicious. If you want light and airy—I suggest leaving the oats out. Dense and meaty—add oats in.
I forgot to add the honey to warm water! Ended up kneading it in the best I could before first rise. And advise at this point?
Kneading in the honey worked just fine! Bread had a sweet crispy crust to it!
Have you tried using kosher salt? Since my cookbooks mostly call for Diamond Crystal specifically, that’s what I have on hand. I imagine it’s also more flavorful than table salt because of the larger flakes.
Also, have you considered either letting us know what kind of salt you use in all of your other recipes, or providing weight measurements for salt? Diamond Crystal is half the weight of course sea salt or Morton kosher salt, for example, and if I don’t know what kind of salt a recipe uses, I can’t make a conversion.
Thanks!
I just made this recipe and it was wonderful!! I am a pretty good bread baker and I was impressed with this recipe. I did not have sunflower seeds so I substituted “toasted slivered almonds”. I am sure either way is very good.
I read the instructions and the bread did sit in my fridge for 2 days until I baked it. I used a cast iron dutch overn and only baked it with the lid on for 25 minutes and then baked another 10 without the lid. Fantastic!!!!!
Next time I should try omitting oats so it would not be as dense 🙂 my husband loved it though because it is crusty!
This is a great recipe! Very easy and comes out great. I also tried wheat and was pleased with the results.
I just made this incredible easy and so delicious bread. First time making bread. This is fantastic!!
Hi can this recipe be made with non gluten flour? Has anyone tried it ? Thank you
Hi Emily, we haven’t tested a gluten-free version, so we’re unsure of the results. Although some readers report using an all-purpose 1:1 gluten-free flour in many of our recipes with success, you should expect slightly different results anytime you substitute ingredients. Let us know if you give it a try.
Pleased help. ILOVE this bread. The 1st time I made it I thought it was too wet so I added a tablespoon or two of flour. When I stored it in the fridge my lid popped off and the dough got quite dry so I was concerned. When I went to shape, it was not sticky at all…a quite firm dough. I baked in a DO at prescribed temp with a little more time. It was perfect. 2nd one didn’t really rise and was a bit gummy and 3rd one stayed covered in fridge 24 hours like the 2nd one and I virtually didn’t handle it at all…a very gentle touch. It came out gummy too. Internal temp was around 200. I really want to perfect this recipe as I absolutely love it and it’s easy to pull together. How do you keep the dough from drying out on top while stored in the fridge or from being gummy when baked . I use KA bread flour and instant yeast. I also have a new oven which has been calibrated.Perhaps bake after 2 hours in the fridge and if so do you still rest 45 minutes?
Hi BJC, I find the best way to store the dough so it doesn’t dry out is to cover it tightly with plastic wrap, and make sure you use a big enough bowl. Are you letting the bread cool before slicing into it? Cutting into it too soon will give you a gummy texture. You can try extending the cooling time next time, to make sure. Hope this helps for next time!
I have never made bread before, and followed your recipe – even bought a dutch oven!
I LOVE this bread. It’s been a week since I made my first loaf, and since then I have made a loaf for my best friend, my dad, and my father-in-law, and they all say it’s the best bread they’ve ever had. I will now be making this bread for the rest of my life hahaha
side note – I’ve read three cups of flour is 360g, so I am so glad you included that your recipe with three cups was 390g – its perfect!
How long did you leave in the fridge or bake right away? Having trouble with it baking gummy.
Do you have the nutritional information on this?
Hi Laura, We don’t usually include nutrition information as it can vary between different brands of the same ingredients. Plus, many recipes have ingredient substitutions or optional ingredients listed. However, there are many handy online calculators where you can plug in and customize your exact ingredients/brands. Readers have found this one especially helpful: https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076
This bread is amazing! So easy and delicious. I’m wondering if I’m getting all the rise. My resulting loaf is may be 4 inches high and 6-7 round at the base. And not very open crumb. I’d this typical?
Hi Catherine! Yes, that sounds typical for this bread. Hope you enjoy it!
I Followed the instructions and even left the dough rest in the fridge for 12 hours the result was a dense bread I am not sure I like it
Hi Sally. I want to ask your thoughts on why my loaf came out heavy, like in weight. It was denser than I had hoped and a bit weighty. I followed the instructions and even removing it from the refrigerated bowl it was not as light a dough as I was hoping for. IDK what I did wrong.
How might I lighten this loaf up, if you can assist me I would appreciate your thoughts.
Hi Karen, This is a denser bread and not expected to be light inside, due to the oats and seeds packed inside, plus the no knead technique. If you wish to try it again in the future, make sure to handle the dough with care after it rises to maintain all the air bubbles inside. Thank you for giving this one a try!
Thank you for your response, it is very appreciated. I’m searching for a lite, fluffier sandwich style loaf that has seeds more. Hard to find a recipe for this yet I buy it weekly and wish I could just make one.
Hi Karen, You might enjoy this recipe for multigrain bread.
I am so excited to make this bread. I love seeded bread.
Could you use walnuts with sunflower seeds and instant oatmeal packets