Being gluten-free for many, many years, I find it almost torturous to witness people joyfully jumping into a basket of bread at dinner, bundling up with a hearty sandwich for lunch, or just opting for a comforting breakfast of warm, crispy toast. I explored commercial gluten-free bread options, but many of them were not feasible, as they were either not vegan or the rest contained oils and/or other additives.
Thus, I was eager to find an easy, DIY version that meets all of my requirements so I could keep it on hand at home as a staple. When I was writing The Vegiterranean Diet and developing its recipe collection, I found the perfect excuse to develop my ideal recipe. And that is when this Baked Oat Bread was born…
Baked Oat Bread Recipe
Eating Vegiterranean would be incomplete without a staple whole grain bread to add to a meal. Enjoy this gluten-free, soft, and sentimental pure recipe guilt-free. Baking bread is the ultimate in science meeting art, so follow the directions carefully, ensure the yeast is fresh, and that you begin preparation several hours ahead of mealtime.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
- 2 tbsp pure maple syrup
- 2 cups warm (not hot) water
- 3 1/2 cups oat flour
- 1 3/4 tsp teaspoons salt
- 2 tbsp hemp, poppy, pumpkin, sesame, or sunflower seeds (optional)
Directions
- In a large bowl, combine yeast, maple syrup, and warm water. Stir gently with your fingers, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside until bubbles rise to the top, approximately 10 minutes.
- Once the yeast become active, pour in oat flour, 1 cup at a time, stirring well. Add salt and stir until well combined. Cover with plastic and set aside in a dry, warm area and allow to sit for at least 90 minutes.
- When dough appears puffy, and as risen, push it down, using the plastic wrap (it is very sticky) and cover again.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Transfer dough to a silicon loaf pan and shape evenly throughout. You can sprinkle with a couple tablespoons of seeds, if desired. Bake for 20 minutes or until bread appears lightly brown on edges. Do not overcook. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
