Honey Oatmeal Sourdough Sandwich Loaf

ByNatalya Syanova
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I have made this honey oatmeal sourdough sandwich loaf many times, and every time I am amazed by how soft and fresh it stays for days. It is great for sandwiches, toast, and PB&J’s. The combination of hearty oats, naturally fermented sourdough, and a touch of honey creates a loaf that is both flavorful and incredibly versatile. The honey adds just enough sweetness without overpowering the classic sourdough taste, while the oats contribute a soft texture and wholesome flavor.

One of my favorite things about this recipe is how well it keeps. Unlike many homemade breads that dry out after a day or two, this loaf stays soft and fresh for several days, making it perfect for meal prep and everyday use. It slices beautifully, holds up well to sandwich fillings, and toasts to golden perfection.

Whether you are making a simple peanut butter and jelly sandwich, packing lunches for the week, or serving toast alongside breakfast, this loaf fits the occasion. It has become a staple in my kitchen because it is reliable, easy to enjoy, and loved by everyone who tries it. The aroma that fills the kitchen while this loaf bakes is warm, comforting, and worth looking forward to. If you are looking for a sourdough sandwich bread that combines great flavor, a tender crumb, and excellent keeping quality, this honey oatmeal loaf is sure to become a favorite.

Here is the recipe.

Ingredients

Sourdough starter

Oatmeal soaker 

  • 50g roller oats 
  • 200g hot boiling water

Dough

  • 300g bread flour (100%)
  • 55g water, 
  • 30g soft or melted butter(10%)
  • 30g honey,(10%)
  • all porridge or soaker (250g)
  • 60g of levain (20%)
  • 6g salt (2%)
  • 0.5 g dry yeast (optional, to reduce the sourness)

Directions 

Day 1

Starter 

  • 10 pm add starter to the water and whisk together, add flour, mix well, cover loosely, let it sit at a room temp 74-78F for about 8-10 hours until starter reaches its peak (at least triples in volume).

Soaker

  • 10 pm boil water, pour the boiling water over the oats, cover it, let it soak until next morning.

Day 2

Dough

  • 8 am mix water, flour, honey, sourdough starter (60g on its peak, the rest use for future feedings), all the soaker, let it autolyse for 1 hour.
  • During the autolyse process the flour becomes fully hydrated. This activates gluten development.
  • 9 am mix dough on low speed of your mixing machine for 2-3 minutes, or KitchenAid on speed 3 for 3-4 minutes until well incorporated.
  • Add salt, mix for a couple more minutes. The dough should come up together.
  • Add soft butter, mix for 10 more minutes until the dough is well incorporated and comes up together.
  • Perform a windowpane test. Wet your hands and stretch the dough. You should be able to stretch it very thin, that’s a sign of a well
  • developed gluten, and that your final product will have a soft and light structure.
  • Cover and let it proof for 3-4 hours at 76-80F/ 24-28C.
  • During that time perform 2 stretches and folds.
  • The dough should become slightly puffy.
  • 1 pm transfer the dough to the fridge for cold fermentation till next morning.

Day 3

  • Remove the dough from the fridge.
  • Shape as desired. I rolled it into a long roll same length as a baking/loaf pan.
  • Put a sheet of parchment paper on the bottom of your loaf pan.
  • Transfer the shaped loaf into the loaf pan.
  • Cover the dough and let it proof for 5-6 hours at 76-80F /24-28C until it doubles in volume.
  • Now, sprinkle some flour on top of your loaf.
  • Preheat the oven to 375F.
  • Bake for 35-40 minutes until golden brown.

Enjoy your honey oatmeal sourdough sandwich loaf 😉

Honey Oatmeal Sourdough Sandwich Loaf

Honey Oatmeal Sourdough Sandwich Loaf

1692kcal
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Prep 45 minutes
Cook 40 minutes
Total 1 day 3 hours 25 minutes
Exceptionally soft, sliceable, and carrying a delicate floral sweetness, this pan loaf features a creamy oatmeal porridge base blended into a rich sourdough matrix. Enriched with fragrant honey and unsalted butter, this nutritious sandwich bread retains its moist, pillow-soft elasticity for days, making it the ultimate clean-label alternative to store-bought options.
Servings 1 loaf
Cuisine American / Enriched Sourdough

Ingredients

Sourdough Starter (Night Before)
  • 7 g Sourdough starter culture
  • 35 g Water
  • 35 g Bread flour
The Honey Oatmeal Porridge
  • 40 g Rolled oats (plus extra for topping the crust)
  • 120 g Boiling water (for scalding the oats)
The Enriched Sandwich Dough
  • 300 g Bread flour (100%)
  • 115 g Water (38% baseline hydration)
  • 30 g Unsalted butter, softened (10%)
  • 15 g Honey (5%)
  • 70 g Active levain (23% – From the stage above)
  • 6 g Fine sea salt (2%)
  • All of the prepared Oatmeal Porridge (cooled completely – From the stage above)

Equipment

Method

Night Before – Levain Setup & Porridge Preparation
  1. 10:00 PM – Levain Initialization: In a clean glass jar, whisk the 7g of starter culture into 35g of room-temperature water. Add 35g of bread flour and stir until a smooth paste forms. Cover loosely and leave at room temperature 74–78°F (23–26°C) overnight for 8 to 10 hours until it bubbles and triples in volume.
  2. The Oatmeal Scald: In a small saucepan or heatproof bowl, combine 40g of rolled oats and 120g of boiling water. Stir thoroughly, cover, and let it sit overnight at room temperature to absorb all the liquid, cool down completely, and form a thick, gelatinized porridge cream.
Day 2 – The Porridge Autolyse & High-Fat Mixing
  1. 8:00 AM – The Porridge Autolyse: In your stand mixer bowl, combine all 115g of water, 15g of honey, 70g of active overnight levain, and all of the cooled oatmeal porridge base. Whisk briefly to break up the porridge, then stir in all 300g of bread flour using a heavy spoon until a thick, shaggy dough mass forms. Cover and let rest for 1 full hour to hydrate the proteins and soften the oat fibers.
  2. 9:00 AM – Primary Gluten Mixing: Secure the bowl onto your stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Knead on low speed for 3 to 4 minutes (KitchenAid speed 3) until the dough develops a uniform, cohesive structure. Sprinkle the 6g of fine sea salt across the surface and continue mixing for 2 minutes.
  3. Butter Emulsification: Turn the mixer up to medium speed and add the 30g of softened unsalted butter one small chunk at a time. Once all the butter is introduced, mix continuously for 8 to 10 minutes. The sticky dough will gradually absorb the fat, clearing cleanly from the bottom and sides of the mixing bowl to reveal a smooth, highly elastic surface.
  4. The Windowpane Test: Wet your fingers, pinch a small corner of the dough, and pull it gently upward. It should stretch into a paper-thin, semi-translucent sheet without snapping, proving the gluten mesh is completely developed.
  5. Bulk Proofing Window: Cover the bowl tightly and leave it to ferment at a warm room temperature for 3.5 to 4 hours. Perform 2 gentle rounds of stretch-and-folds during the first 2 hours to organize the dough’s internal strength. By the end of the proof, the dough should feel pillowy, light, and visibly aerated.
  6. 1:00 PM – Cold Fermentation Retard: Seal the container tightly and slide it directly into your refrigerator. Leave it to rest slowly for 10 to 14 hours to solidify the butter fats and mature the dough structure for clean shaping.
Day 2 (Night) – Sandwich Shaping & Final Rise
  1. 10:00 PM – Rolling and Tension Shaping: Remove the cold, firm dough from the refrigerator and tip it cleanly onto a lightly floured counter. Using a rolling pin or your palms, flatten the cold dough into a long, uniform rectangle. Fold the left and right sides slightly inward to match the exact length of your 9×5 loaf pan, then roll the dough tightly from top to bottom into a compact, high-tension log.
  2. Pan Placement & Oat Topping: Line the base of your 9×5 inch loaf pan with parchment paper. Spray the top crown of your shaped log lightly with water, roll or press extra raw rolled oats firmly over the damp surface to adhere, and drop the log seam-side down into the pan.
  3. The Overnight Room Rise: Cover the loaf pan loosely with plastic wrap or an inverted bowl. Let it proof overnight on your kitchen counter for 8 to 10 hours at a stable room temperature around 70–74°F (21–23°C). The wild yeast will lift the heavy porridge structure slowly, allowing the dough to double in size and crest beautifully above the pan rim by morning.
Day 3 – The Golden Porridge Bake
  1. 7:00 AM – The Sandwich Bake: Preheat your home oven to 375°F (190°C). Slide the risen loaf pan directly onto the center oven rack and bake for 35 to 40 minutes. The oat-crusted top crown should puff into a rich, deep golden-brown hue.
  2. Cooling Cycle: Carefully turn the hot bread out of the loaf pan onto a wire cooling rack. Let it cool down completely for at least 2 hours before slicing to allow the internal crumb structure to set perfectly.

Nutrition

Calories1692kcalCarbohydrates297gProtein48gFat33gSaturated Fat17gPolyunsaturated Fat4gMonounsaturated Fat8gTrans Fat1gCholesterol65mgSodium2353mgPotassium495mgFiber13gSugar14gVitamin A756IUVitamin C0.1mgCalcium89mgIron5mg

Notes

– **The Softness Magic of Gelatinized Porridge:** Pre-cooking or scalding oats with boiling water creates a starch gel that locks water molecules deep inside the dough. This process slows down starch retrogradation (the primary cause of bread going stale), allowing the baked sandwich slices to maintain an exceptionally moist, flexible, and tender texture for 4-5 days naturally.
– **Why Cold Retard is Required for Porridge Doughs:** Mixing cooked oatmeal into bread flour introduces an immense amount of sticky, heavy moisture that can weaken dough stability. Forcing the dough into a cold fermentation step in the refrigerator firms up both the hydrated oat particles and the butter solids, making the dough highly cooperative and easy to roll into a taut sandwich shape without tearing the outer skin.
– **Troubleshooting Porridge Absorption:** Different brands of rolled oats can absorb boiling water at slightly varying rates. If your overnight oatmeal porridge still has free liquid pooling in the bottom of the bowl the next morning, drain the excess moisture off cleanly before adding the oats to your stand mixer to prevent accidentally raising the dough’s baseline hydration and making it overly wet.

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45 Comments

  1. I really want to make this! It sounds fancy! What size pan do you use? I have 9×5 and 8×4 inch pans. Will this work in either size? Thank you for your recipes and your time!

    Reply

      2. I know I’ve already asked one question. However, I’m starting this tonight and it occurred to me that you have made this as a regular loaf. Do you think it would be possible to make this in a medium Pullman pan? I am dying to make this, but am also dying to use my new Pullman pan. 🙂

  2. Thank you so much for the recipe . Iwas actually thinking of making this loaf and saw your post , now it’s in my notes for the next bake ..

    Reply

  3. I’ve always wanted to bake a no nonsense sandwich bread, so glad to see your recipe on the blog today. I’ve tried the Cheddar & Jalapeño Sourdough, it was delish. Thanks again for a great recipe.

    Reply

  4. Hi there! This looks so yummy. Can I substitute anything for the butter? I have a daughter who is allergic to dairy. Thanks!

    Reply

    1. Hind, thank you so much fir your feedback.
      You can substitute regular flour with whole wheat and ad up to 10% more of water(little by little).
      I think it should work.

      Reply

      1. Thank you for your answer ♥️
        Can you give me water with gram ?
        Maybe 65 g ?

        And flour same 300 g whole wheat ?

        Its need more time autolyse ?
        ♥️

  9. This is by far the best sandwich bread I have ever made. Thank you for your recipes. Hopefully will try the double corn sourdough next.

    Reply

  11. Hello, in the video on YouTube the weight of flour and levain are little bit different.
    Which recipe is correct?
    Thank you.

    Reply

  12. Hi,
    I’ve baked this twice already and it’s excellent. Never baked tin loaves before and both time the loaves split on one side near the top. Could that mean it was under proofed?
    Thank you!

    Reply

    1. Ruth, hi!
      Thanks for your feedback.
      And yes. Proof it little longer, to prevent tearing up on the side.

      Reply

  13. I know I’ve already asked one question. However, I’m starting this tonight and it occurred to me that you have made this as a regular loaf. Do you think it would be possible to make this in a medium Pullman pan? I am dying to make this, but am also dying to use my new Pullman pan. 🙂

    Reply

    1. Lucky you with your Pullman pan 😉 sure you can, why not.
      But it depends on the size of it. How much dough you have to put.

      Reply

  14. Perfect! Thank you so much for your kindness and patience! It’s 9 x 4 (8×4?) , the site I bought it from says it’s a 1 lb pan. My only problem is that sometimes it takes 500 grams to make a full loaf in it, sometimes 750 and sometimes 800. It will be fun figuring it out. 😊 I love that kind of thing. Thank you again for your help.

    Reply

  15. Wasn’t thinking and just started this recipe with my 7g of starter straight from the fridge. Usually when I make sourdough I give it two good feedings before using in a recipe. Do you think i’ve ruined the recipe already? Or perhaps since it has overnight to feed and “wake up” it might work alright? Still new to this sourdough thing. Thanks for any help!

    Reply

  16. Sorry , I’m probably late. It would be nice if starter will have couple of feedings, before go into the dough 🙏

    Reply

  17. I borrowed a friend’s Kitchen Aid to make this!! My first pan loaf and first time using a Kitchen Aid! I bake a lot but only ever hand; for this loaf with the honey and late addition of the butter I wanted to try out the mixer. I am obsessed!! Popping the dough in the fridge for the cold ferment now. <3 thanks for the recipes!

    Reply

  18. Hello and thank you for this amazing recipe
    Can I bake the loaf same day?
    If it yes, please tell me all details

    Reply

    1. Thank you!
      Yes you can, after first proofing, shape it right away snd let it proof until double or more in volume.
      Then bake.

      Reply

  19. Hi Natasha thank you for sharing your recipes I’ve made some of your other recipes before with no trouble however with this particular one the loaf always ends up concave on the sides and I have a thin rim of what seems like uncooked dough running along the edges (except for the top). I’m assuming this could possibly because the sides Concave in but I’m not sure. And most times also with big holes like big air pockets. I was wondering if you had any thoughts on what might be going on. Am I proofing too long? However I always check w the poke test and it’s definitely not overproofed. Would be so grateful if you could kindly share your thoughts on my issues. Thank you so much in advance.

    Reply

  20. Hi. I’ve made this bread several times. The very first time it was so incredibly good but subsequent times it’s turned out a little damp feeling inside. I baked it longer to see if that was the issue but it was the same again. I really don’t know what I’m doing wrong. Any ideas?

    Reply

  21. Was thinking of trying this bread today, and I have a ripe starter to start, but I don’t have the oatmeal ready, can it be cooked and used in the recipe the same day or should I just omit the oatmeal ?

    Reply

    1. Hi there! You can definitely cook the oatmeal and use it in the recipe on the same day. Just make sure to let it cool down before adding it to the bread dough. Feel free to experiment and see what works best for you. Happy baking!

      Reply

  22. I’ve made this at least a hundred times and it’s foolproof. Perfect every time! My family loves it and it’s So delicious. Thank you!!!

    Reply

  23. I’ve made this at least a hundred times since I first found your recipe in 2020, and it’s foolproof. Perfect every time! My family loves it and it’s So delicious. Thank you!!!

    Reply

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