Breads (Sourdough) - Open Crumb
Oat Porridge Sourdough Bread with Butter-Toasted Oats (Soft & Flavorful)
August 29, 2019
| Recipe by Bake with Paws
Last Updated on 14 January 2026
By Bake with Paws
A Bread that Feels Like Warm Comfort
This Butter Toasted Oat Porridge Sourdough Bread is one of those loaves that makes you pause mid-slice and just enjoy the aroma. I first revisited this recipe two years after my original bake, this time using extra virgin olive oil to toast the oats — and the result was astonishingly similar to rich, butter-toasted flavor, with a soft, moist crumb that stays fresh longer.
Whether you’re baking this for a cozy weekend breakfast or to pair with soups and cheeses, this loaf brings wholesome nourishment with every slice.
Why You’ll Love This Bread
This sourdough loaf stands out because:
✔ The toasted oat porridge adds deep, nutty buttery flavor.
✔ The crumb is soft, slightly moist, and tender, perfect for toasting.
✔ Oats contribute fiber and heartiness that make the bread feel wholesome. (General nutrition of oat breads)
✔ You can tailor the butter or olive-toasted notes to your preference
Key Techniques For Better Open Crumb Sourdough Bread
- Start with a Healthy Sourdough Starter
- Your starter is the engine of your sourdough. For a good rise and open crumb, it should be:
- Bubbly and able to triple in 3–5 hours after feeding
- Mildly sweet in aroma, not overly sour or acidic
- Light and airy when stirred
- Tip: If your starter has been refrigerated and not feeding every day, feed it several times before baking to reactivate it fully. Please check out the Sourdough Maintenance "here".
- Watch the Temperature
- Ambient temperature plays a huge role in fermentation speed and gluten development. It will affect the dough temperature and eventually affect your fermentation time. Warmer ambient ferments faster, while cooler ambient takes longer. The ideal ambient temperature is around 24°C–26°C (75°F–79°F). If your environment is cold, you can use a warm spot like inside the oven with the light on, or a proofing box.
- Baking in a Tropical Country:
- In a warm kitchen (above 28°C/82°F), fermentation can move very quickly, which may lead to over-proofed dough. To control the temperature:
- Use cooler water when mixing your dough.
- Bulk ferment in a cooler room if possible, or use an air-conditioned room.
- Shorten the bulk fermentation time and watch the dough, not the clock.
- You can also place the dough in a cooler box (without ice) to create a slightly cooler and more stable environment.
- Tip: Warmer temperatures can create faster fermentation, but be careful — if it’s too warm, you risk over-proofing and weakening the dough.
- Nail the Bulk Fermentation
- Bulk fermentation is where most of the magic happens for an open crumb.
- The dough should rise about 50% to 75% — not double at the end of bulk fermentation.
- You should see bubbles forming on the surface and edges.
- The dough should feel lighter and slightly jiggly.
- In a Warm Kitchen:
- In tropical climates, bulk fermentation can finish much faster — sometimes in just 3 to 5 hours (or less), depending on your dough temperature.
- Always observe the dough’s behavior rather than sticking strictly to a timeline. It's better to slightly under-proof than over-proof when aiming for an open crumb.
- Tip: Stretch and folds (or coil folds) during bulk fermentation help strengthen the dough without deflating it. Typically, 3 to 4 sets spaced 30–45 minutes apart work well, but you may need to adjust depending on how quickly your dough is fermenting.
- Build Good Dough Strength
- For a beautifully open crumb, the dough needs enough strength to trap the gases formed during fermentation, but not be overworked. Too strong (tension or elastic) dough will take a longer time to increase (proof) in volume. So too strong dough may not have good oven spring and open crumb. While too weak dough (extensibility) dough may not hold it shape and rise with good oven spring too.
- Proper gluten development is key. This starts with gentle mixing and continues with lamination and folds during bulk fermentation. Over-handling can knock out the precious gas bubbles you're trying to keep.
- Tip: Think “gentle but firm.” Handle the dough carefully at shaping to maintain the gas pockets inside.
- High Oven Heat with Steam
- This gives the bread better oven spring and crust.
- Your starter is the engine of your sourdough. For a good rise and open crumb, it should be:
- Bubbly and able to triple in 3–5 hours after feeding
- Mildly sweet in aroma, not overly sour or acidic
- Light and airy when stirred
- Tip: If your starter has been refrigerated and not feeding every day, feed it several times before baking to reactivate it fully. Please check out the Sourdough Maintenance "here".
- Ambient temperature plays a huge role in fermentation speed and gluten development. It will affect the dough temperature and eventually affect your fermentation time. Warmer ambient ferments faster, while cooler ambient takes longer. The ideal ambient temperature is around 24°C–26°C (75°F–79°F). If your environment is cold, you can use a warm spot like inside the oven with the light on, or a proofing box.
- Baking in a Tropical Country:
- In a warm kitchen (above 28°C/82°F), fermentation can move very quickly, which may lead to over-proofed dough. To control the temperature:
- Use cooler water when mixing your dough.
- Bulk ferment in a cooler room if possible, or use an air-conditioned room.
- Shorten the bulk fermentation time and watch the dough, not the clock.
- You can also place the dough in a cooler box (without ice) to create a slightly cooler and more stable environment.
- Tip: Warmer temperatures can create faster fermentation, but be careful — if it’s too warm, you risk over-proofing and weakening the dough.
- Bulk fermentation is where most of the magic happens for an open crumb.
- The dough should rise about 50% to 75% — not double at the end of bulk fermentation.
- You should see bubbles forming on the surface and edges.
- The dough should feel lighter and slightly jiggly.
- In a Warm Kitchen:
- In tropical climates, bulk fermentation can finish much faster — sometimes in just 3 to 5 hours (or less), depending on your dough temperature.
- Always observe the dough’s behavior rather than sticking strictly to a timeline. It's better to slightly under-proof than over-proof when aiming for an open crumb.
- Tip: Stretch and folds (or coil folds) during bulk fermentation help strengthen the dough without deflating it. Typically, 3 to 4 sets spaced 30–45 minutes apart work well, but you may need to adjust depending on how quickly your dough is fermenting.
- For a beautifully open crumb, the dough needs enough strength to trap the gases formed during fermentation, but not be overworked. Too strong (tension or elastic) dough will take a longer time to increase (proof) in volume. So too strong dough may not have good oven spring and open crumb. While too weak dough (extensibility) dough may not hold it shape and rise with good oven spring too.
- Proper gluten development is key. This starts with gentle mixing and continues with lamination and folds during bulk fermentation. Over-handling can knock out the precious gas bubbles you're trying to keep.
- Tip: Think “gentle but firm.” Handle the dough carefully at shaping to maintain the gas pockets inside.
- This gives the bread better oven spring and crust.
How To Make Butter Toasted Oat Porridge Sourdough Bread
Ingredients (Yields 1 Loaf):
270g bread flour (I used Japanese high gluten flour) - 90%
30g whole wheat flour - 10%
230g - 240g water - 78.7% - 82% final hydration (I used 230g water)
6g sea salt - 1.75%
60g levain - 20% (100% hydration active sourdough starter)
Toasted Oat Porridge (70g) - 23%:
60g levain - 20% (100% hydration active sourdough starter)
Toasted Oat Porridge (70g) - 23%:
25g rolled oat
7g butter or extra virgin olive oil
55g milk/water (I used almond milk)
- Please refresh your starter several times before baking day in order to get a better result if you do not feed your starter daily or regularly.
- Please reserve some liquid and not add it all in one go as each flour absorbs water and hydrates differently.
- Banneton (proofing basket)'s size - 6.5" oval shape
- Ambient temperature after adding in levain: 26C
- Bulk Fermentation Time: 5 1/2 hours
Step-By-Step Instruction:
- Feed starter :-
- Feed ratio of 1:1:1, keep at room temperature (28C – 30C) and wait until tripled, around 4 – 5 hours.
- Please feed your starter at the ratio that fit your schedule as long as the starter is at its peak when use. Please click here for here "Sourdough Starter Recipe"
- Toasted Oat Porridge:-
- Toast rolled oat with olive oil or butter in a saucepan until slightly golden brown and aromatic, then add in water/milk or almond milk and simmer till thick. You will get more or less about 70g toasted oat porridge. Keep aside to cool. It will become dry once it is cooled down.
- Mixing the dough :-
- Dissolve levain and water in a bowl of stand mixer. Add in flours and salt. Mix with paddle attachment for about 2 minutes at speed 2 (KA mixer).
- Then add in all the toasted oat porridge and continue mix for another 2 - 3 until the dough turns smooth, comes together and away from the sides of the bowl. If the dough doesn't come away from the sides of the bowl, you may slowly turn to speed 4.
- Transfer the dough into a greased square pyrex dish. Round up the dough. Cover and rest for 30 minutes at room temperature around 26C - 27C.
- Coil Folds -
- Coil Fold 1 - At this stage, the dough is weak and extensible. Fold the dough in the dish. Cover and rest for about 30 - 45 minutes or until dough spreads.
- Coil Fold 2 - At this stage the dough still extensible but stronger compare with the dough before the 1st coil fold. Fold the dough in the dish. Cover and rest for about 60 minutes or until dough spreads.
- Coil Fold 3 - At this stage, the dough is quite strong and not so extensible and will be the last coil fold. Fold the dough in the dish. Cover and rest for 60 - 120 minutes or until dough rise 50% in size since you added the levain.
- Shaping -
- About more than 90 minutes later, the dough had risen about 50% in size since adding the levain. The dough should look puffy. It should jiggling when you slightly shake it. This is the end of bulk fermentation. The total fermentation time was 5.5 hours for this bread.
- Flour the counter top. Shape and transfer to a flour banneton.
- Proof - Proof at room temperature for 15 - 20 minutes.
- Cold Retard - Then retard overnight in the fridge (4C) for 12 - 16 hours. This bread is about 14 hours.
- Baking -
- Preheat oven with the dutch oven (cast iron) at 250C (top & bottom heat) for 30 minutes before baking.
- Take bread dough out from the fridge, invert onto a parchment paper and scoring.(Slash the dough approximately 0.5 inches deep at 45-degree angle). Immediately transfer the dough with the parchment paper to your preheated dutch oven.
- Lower the temperature to 230C (top & bottom heat) and bake with cover on for 20 minutes. Remove the cover and lower the temperature to 220C (top & bottom heat), continue bake for another 10 - 15 minutes.
- Remove bread from oven and dutch oven. Let it cool on rack before slicing.
Note:
Usually 3 coil folds should be enough. But, sometimes you may need extra coil fold if your dough is spread and not enough gluten develop.
Toasted Oat Porridge
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Not cooling the porridge completely before adding — warm oat porridge can slacken gluten development.
- Adding all water at once — pour gradually to avoid overly slack dough.
- Skipping extra folds — slack, high-hydration dough may need an additional coil fold for better structure.
Troubleshooting Guide
If your loaf feels gummy inside, it could be due to excess moisture in the oat porridge — ensure it’s well-cooked and cooled before mixing in. Too slack or loose dough often benefits from a few more coil folds during bulk fermentation to strengthen gluten structure. If your bread has a pale crust, the oven or Dutch oven wasn’t hot enough at the start; preheat longer and higher. Finally, slicing while still warm can make the crumb appear wet — always allow the loaf to cool completely for best texture. (General practice from recipe context)
Serving Suggestions & Storage
Serve this bread warm with butter, honey, or jam, or pair it with soups and stews — the oat porridge enhances softness and keeps it fresh longer. For storage, wrap cooled bread in a cotton bag at room temperature for up to 3 days, or slice and freeze for up to a month.
FAQ
Q: Can I reduce hydration?
Yes — start with slightly less water if your dough seems too slack, and adjust as needed.
Q: Can I make this without a Dutch oven?
Yes — use a baking stone and steam tray to mimic steam for crust development.
Q: Do I have to use butter?
No — olive oil works well and still yields that toasted oat flavor you love.
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Have a Question or Tried This Recipe?
Leave a comment below — I’d love to know how your loaf turned out! Tag your bake on Instagram @bakewithpaws so I can see your beautiful results.
Labels:
Breads (Sourdough) - Open Crumb,
I am curious why you make so much oatmeal (260 g) (48 g + 13 g + 101 g + 101 g) when you only use 88 g oat porridge in the recipe? I accidentally added the entire amount, and am hopeful I didn't ruin it! Time will tell!
ReplyDeleteHi, Thank you for asking and clarification. The liquid evaporated when cooking. You will get less than half of 260g after cooking. Mine just nice around 90g.
DeleteCheers :)
This turned out delicious, but I did have some doubts. I over-fermented it a bit, but it was delicious, and worked decently in a loaf pan. My artisan loaf fell flat however. That is on me, not paying attention to what the dough was telling me (faster ferment perhaps due to warmer ingredients). I will definitely make this again!
DeleteHi, thanks for trying this recipe and your feedback. This recipe quite high hydration compared with my other recipes. So, the dough will slack easily. Maybe need one more coil fold if the dough very slack.
DeleteCheers :)
Hi,
ReplyDeleteDoes the mixing of porridge interferes the hydration of the dough?
Hi, thanks for asking. The texture of this bread is slightly moist. You can cut down the water if you do not like too moist.
DeleteCheers :)
I have had trouble with porridge breads coming out way too wet - (the crumb of the finished loaf is really wet. Is there something I'm doing wrong?
ReplyDeleteHi, thanks for trying. It could be your toasted oat porridge is too wet or your flour absorb less water. My oat porridge become quite dry when I added in. I just added in the picture of the oat porridge. Please have a look.
DeleteCheers :)
Thank you for sharing your recipe. If i hand mix instead how and when would I incorporate the oats please. Thank you
ReplyDeleteHi, you are most welcome :) You can add in the oats porridge after mixing all the ingredients. You may need more coil foils if you do hand mix.
DeleteCheers :)
Hi, just wanted to check if this is actually a small loaf since you are using a 6.5” oval banneton
ReplyDeleteHi, thank you for your interest in this recipe. I would consider this as medium loaf. The total flour in this recipe is 330g.
DeleteCheers :)
Hi, just wondering did you use Salted or unsalted butter in the Porridge? Thanks.
ReplyDeleteHi, I used salted butter. But, actually doesn't really matter as the amount used is quite small.
DeleteCheers :)
Can you clarify the 1:1:1 levain? Is it 60g of starter plus 60g of water plus 60g of flour? Is this what rests for 4-5 hours?
ReplyDeleteHi, thank you for your interest in this recipe.
Delete1:1:1 is 1 portion of starter, 1 portion of flour and 1 portion of water.
We need only 60g of active sourdough starter, means you feed the ratio of 1:1:1 to get approximately 60g of sourdough starter. I usually, fed 25g of starter, 25g of flour and 25g of starter. You will get around 75g of active sourdough starter but we use only 60g.
Proof until it reaches its peak and triples in volume. If your starter triples within 3 to 5 hours, it indicates a healthy starter, which will improve the quality of your bread.
I hope this explanation is clear.
Cheers and happy baking :)