Oatmeal Quick Bread Recipe Made with Sourdough Discard

Sourdough Oatmeal Quick Bread is a simple sweet bread recipe with all the nourishing goodness from rolled oats and sourdough discard. Brown sugar brings a deep, caramel flavor, and when it’s baked, a delicate, crispy crust forms on top. Each bite is moist, with hints of cinnamon throughout. Top with quality butter for a delicious breakfast or snack on the go.

I guess I’m on a quick bread recipes kick these days! If you missed my blog post from last week, Hawaiian Sourdough Banana Bread is another delicious recipe that also uses sourdough discard. I love baking with discard because it makes the most tender bakes. The acidity in the fermented flour slows down the formation of gluten, which can cause the bread to become tough.

Now, compared to banana bread, where almost everyone has a go-to family-favorite recipe, many may be unfamiliar with oatmeal quick bread. What a shame! My aunt shared this recipe with my mom and she would bake it for us growing up, especially during the winter months.

It’s one of those recipes that is great to have on hand because all you need are pantry staples and a little bit of time before you have a freshly baked treat straight from the oven.

So what makes oatmeal quick bread different? Instead of mashed bananas, this recipe uses cooked oats. Adding oats gives this sweet bread the moisture it needs while also bringing a pleasant chew to each bite. The crumb is light, tender, and will be moist for days.

Brown sugar gives this bread a deep caramel or toffee-like flavor and it beautifully compliments the hints of ground cinnamon throughout. This recipe makes two delicious loaves, perfect for freezing one and enjoying the other fresh!

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe:

Sweet and Moist:

Cooked oatmeal makes this type of bread super moist. Since oats aren’t as sweet as bananas, this recipe uses white and light brown sugar, giving the bread caramel or toffee-like flavors and a delicate, crispy crust once baked.

Quick and Easy Recipe:

Made with pantry staples, this delicious bread can be whipped up and baked in no time. No need for long bulk fermentation, either! Simply add all your ingredients to one bowl, mix, pour, and bake. This a great recipe for a delicious and nutritious morning breakfast.

Reduce Food Waste:

If you’re like me, I am always trying to find new sourdough recipes to put my discard to use. Recently I have been loving my Blueberry Lemon Poppy Seed Sourdough Muffins and Chewy Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookie recipes. This Sourdough Oatmeal Quick Bread recipe won’t have the full health benefits of long-fermented bread, but it is a great way to use any sourdough discard you might have around.

Ingredients

Oats – Quick or old-fashioned can be used, but I use instant oatmeal for this recipe.

Boiling Water – To soften the oats

Large Eggs – room temperature

Sugar – I use granulated sugar for this recipe, but other types of sugar, such as cane sugar, coconut sugar, or demerara sugar, can be substituted for a 1:1 ratio.

Brown Sugar – I use light brown sugar, but you use dark for a deeper molasses flavor.

Sourdough Starter Discard

Butter – room temperature

White Flour – I only tested this recipe with all-purpose flour, but if you happen to experiment with other types, like whole wheat flour or bread flour, I would love to hear how it tastes.

Baking Soda – Since we are using sourdough discard, baking soda will give this bread a little lift.

Cinnamon – A lovely flavor combination with brown sugar.

Salt – To balance out the sweetness of this oatmeal sourdough bread.

Vanilla – I use vanilla extract, but use whatever you have.

Supplies

Stand Mixer or Electric Mixer

Mixing bowls

Spatula

Sifter

9×5 Loaf pan

Kitchen Scale

How to Make Sourdough Oatmeal Quick Bread

Prepare the Oats:

In a small bowl, mix the oats and boiling water. Stir to combine and set to the side to soak for at least 5 minutes, or until all the water has been absorbed.

Cream the Butter:

With a hand mixer or in a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter on medium speed, for about 2 minutes.

Then, add both sugars and mix, stopping to scrape the sides when needed. Next, add the eggs, one at a time, mixing on medium speed until fluffy and lighter in color, about 5 minutes.

Finally, pour in the sourdough discard, and mix until combined.

Dry Ingredients:

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.

Add about a third of the flour mixture and stir on low speed. Wait for the flour to be incorporated into the batter before adding another third. This helps the flour mixture evenly mix into the batter and to prohibit it from flying out of the mixing bowl!

Once the flour mixture has been added, stir in the cooked outs until combined.

Bake:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees f.

Before you pour the batter, be sure to grease and flour a 9×5 loaf pan. To do so, grease the bottoms and sides with butter, then add a spoonful of flour to the pan. Shake the flour until it has covered the bottom and all of the sides. Discard any loose flour.

Divide the batter into two and pour it into the pans. Top with extra rolled oats, if desired. Once in a blue moon, I will even add a 1/2 cup of chocolate chips, for extra sweetness and crunch.

Place in the preheated oven and bake for 40-45 minutes or until golden brown. I like to poke a toothpick in the center of the loaf. If it comes out clean, then it is finished baking. The internal temperature of a baked banana bread loaf should be between 200-205 degrees f.

Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes before slicing.

How to Serve

Sourdough Oatmeal Quick Bread is best served warm. Cut thick slices with a sharp knife and top them with high-quality butter. The following day, I like to warm up a slice of bread in the microwave just for 15 seconds or so.

It’s the perfect way to start your morning with a hot cup of coffee or an easy grab-and-go snack.

How to Store

Once cooled, wrap the Sourdough Oatmeal Quick Bread in plastic and store it in an air-tight container at room temperature. It will stay perfectly moist for 4-5 days.

This sourdough sweet bread also freezes well. Wrap it tightly with plastic wrap, place it in a plastic bag, and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw on the counter until brought to room temperature before enjoying.

FAQs:

Why does sourdough quick bread call for baking soda?

Since we are using sourdough discard, rather than an active sourdough starter, it is necessary to incorporate a leavening agent in the recipe. That’s where baking soda comes in. Using baking soda will help our Sourdough Oatmeal Bread to rise and make it extra soft and tender.

What kind of sourdough starter should I use for sourdough oatmeal quick bread?

This recipe calls for sourdough discard, otherwise known as an unfed sourdough starter. If you do not have sourdough discard, you can substitute equal amounts of active starter instead.

Happy baking!

More Sourdough Discard Recipes:

Sourdough Hawaiian Banana Bread

Chewy Sourdough Oatmeal and Butterscotch Cookies

Sourdough Discard Banana Bars