Sometimes it is just nice to make some bread and not think too hard about it. In the same way that one opens a cupboard, comes across a can of beans or a jar of pesto, I opened the fridge today and thought, ‘What is that?’

That turned out to be a carton of oatmilk. What was it doing in the fridge?

I reckoned it dates back to a cholesterol lowering bread challenge on Dan Lepard’s forum. Gill made a pea and wasabi loaf which I got to try, spicy pea bread, quite unique! But I passed on the challenge back then, too busy nattering.  Today though I saw the carton of organic oat juice languishing in the fridge and thought I must use that up or at least open it and see what it’s like…

I shook up the carton, opened it, had a suspicous sniff, poured a little out – yurg – realised I hadn’t shaken it up enough, so remembering to put the top back on for once, I gave it another chance.

I shook it up really vigorously and out came something that looked a lot like soya milk.  I had a little taste, sweet and oaty and to my mind a lot pleasanter than soya milk. I had nothing else planned and seeing as how that American starter was jumping up and down in his pot, saying, “Me, me – feed me, use me, even if I am just an extra bit of flavouring, take pity on me!”  You can see where I am going with this, can’t you? Do you have any idea  how mad you are getting when you hear the starter talking to you?

So to cut a long shaggy bread story short, here is my first crack at:

…Oatley Oatmilk bread with Whole Oat Flakes

I used:

• 200 g finest Oregon starter (100% hydration)
• 320 g oat milk
• 350 g organic strong white flour
• 100 g very strong white flour
• 50 g organic porridge oats
• 100 g swiss dark flour (wholemeal  type)
• 13 g salt
• 10 grams fresh yeast ( you can leave this out and you will get a more open and possibly chewier crumb)
• 25 g unsalted butter (can’t have my bread too healthy but I am sure it would be fine without the butter)
• Mixed, left for half an hour followed by 2 short kneads during the first prove, once the dough had doubled (after about 90 minutes)
• Shaped into two ovals, put into bannetons and left till doubled again, another 90 minutes or so.
• Into a pre-heated 220 º C oven, baked on a stone with a little steam for 40 minutes, turning the oven down for the last 10 minutes and cooled on a rack.


I love the smell of oats in bread

I was rewarded with this golden, well sprung loaf with a soft delicately oaty crumb and a crunchy crust. I’m looking forward to toasting this one for breakfast!

Does anything talk to you in your kitchen? Shh, I won’t tell….