How To Make Spiced Oat Flour Bread

Most people overlook oat flour, but it’s perfect for making gluten-free bread. This spiced oat flour bread is made with spices, honey, and homemade oat flour. That’s right; this bread is made with 100% oat flour. 

This oat flour bread has no wheat flour, almond flour, coconut flour, additives, or fillers. It’s made with pure oat flour, which creates a moist, delicious oat flour bread that is also good for you. 

However, before we get to the spiced oat flour bread recipe, let’s discuss the health benefits of the star ingredient: oats. 

Health Benefits Of Oats 

Oats contain many beneficial compounds, including fiber, calcium, protein, antioxidants, vitamins B, C, and E, and amino acids. Oats can decrease cholesterol, manage blood sugar and blood pressure levels, and support weight management. Moreover, oats can improve fecal bulk, which regulates stool and positively affects microbiome functioning. 

β-glucan is responsible for oats’ health benefits. They are soluble fibers. 

β-glucan works with avenanthramides to boost the immune system, improve lipid profile, break down fat in the body, and remove toxic substances from the body. β-glucan can also help control insulin secretion, thereby preventing diabetes. 

Can Yeast Be Used With Oat Flour

Oat flour does not contain gluten which is needed to help yeast bread rise slowly. Unfortunately, most gluten-free flours are not compatible with yeast. Therefore, choosing a gluten-free all-purpose flour containing xanthan gum is best when making gluten-free yeast bread. 

Does Oat Flour Rise With Baking Powder

Yes, oat flour rises with baking powder. However, baking powder does not interact with oat flour like traditional wheat flour. 

When baking with oat flour, use additional baking powder or baking soda so your baked goods rise properly. The general rule is to add 2 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder for every cup of baking powder. However, I always add a tablespoon of baking powder when making gluten-free bread. 

Is It Cheaper To Buy Or Make Oat Flour

It is much cheaper to make oat flour than to buy oat flour. Rolled oats are relatively inexpensive, so all you need is a food processor or blender and a fine-mesh sieve, and you can make your own oat flour at home. 

Tips For Making Spiced Oat Flour Bread

This spiced oat flour bread is a quick bread. Remember, oat flour does not contain gluten. It will have a batter-like consistency instead of a dough that you can shape into a loaf. 

Oat flour absorbs liquid pretty fast, so make sure your greased loaf pan is ready to go before you start making the bread. 

In addition to this, if it does not have a non-stick coating, line your loaf pan with parchment paper. My loaf pans are probably older than I am, so I always spray them with non-stick cooking spray and line the pans with parchment paper before adding the batter to them. The parchment paper helps you easily remove the oat flour bread from the loaf pan. 

If the oat flour bread begins to brown too much, loosely cover it with foil. The foil will prevent the oat flour bread’s exterior from burning while its interior continues to cook.

For a vegan oat flour bread recipe, replace the eggs with a mixture 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseed and 6 tablespoons of water. Let the flaxseed mixture sit for at least 5 minutes before adding it to the oat flour bread batter. Additionally, replace the honey with maple syrup. 

The psyllium husk or xanthan gum is an optional ingredient. The oat flour bread will be delicious without it. However, the oat flour bread will have a more delicate texture if you do not use the psyllium husk or xanthan gum. 

Let the oat flour bread cool in the pan completely. It could break apart if you remove it from the pan too soon, so let it cool completely. 

How To Store Spiced Oat Flour Bread

Place the remaining spiced oat flour bread into an airtight container. You can also wrap the spiced oat flour bread with plastic wrap tightly. Store the spiced oat flour bread at room temperature for 3 days.

However, if you reside in a hot climate as I do, I would not recommend leaving the spiced oat flour bread at room temperature for more than a day. You can always store the spiced oat flour bread in the fridge for 2-3 days and reheat it in the microwave. 

To freeze the spiced oat flour bread, wrap it tightly with plastic wrap and place it into a zip lock bag. Remove the excess air from the spiced oat flour bread and place it into the freezer for 2-3 months. 

References: 

Gilissen, L., van der Meer, I., & Smulders, M. (2016). Why Oats Are Safe and Healthy for Celiac Disease Patients. Medical Sciences, 4(4), 21. MDPI AG. Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/medsci4040021

Kim, I.-S., Hwang, C.-W., Yang, W.-S., & Kim, C.-H. (2021). Multiple Antioxidative and Bioactive Molecules of Oats (Avena sativa L.) in Human Health. Antioxidants, 10(9), 1454. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox10091454