Breads (Sourdough) - Soft Buns/Rolls
Oat Porridge Soft Sourdough Buns – Moist, Fluffy & Naturally Fermented
August 27, 2020
| Recipe by Bake with Paws
Last Updated on July 7, 2025
By Bake with Paws
Oat Porridge Soft Sourdough Buns
Soft, fluffy, and moist sourdough buns made with oat porridge and sweet stiff starter—perfect for breakfast or snacks.
Why You'll Love These Oat Porridge Sourdough Buns
If you love soft, fluffy bread with wholesome ingredients, these Oat Porridge Soft Sourdough Buns are for you.
Made with creamy oat porridge and naturally fermented using a Sweet Stiff Starter, these buns stay moist and tender for days. The sweet stiff starter creates a mild flavor profile—less tangy than traditional sourdough—making these buns perfect for both sweet and savory pairings.
This recipe came from my experiments with soft sourdough breads that are enriched with porridge for added moisture and nutrition. Inspired by artisan porridge breads, but designed for softness and versatility, these buns have become a favorite in my home.
What Makes This Recipe Special?
✔️ Sweet Stiff Starter: Naturally leavened with a sweet stiff sourdough starter for a mild, non-tangy flavor.
✔️ Soft & Fluffy Texture: Oat porridge keeps the crumb exceptionally moist and tender.✔️ Stays Fresh Longer: The moisture from the porridge helps the buns stay soft for days.
✔️ Wholesome Ingredients: Oats provide extra fiber and nutrition.
✔️ Versatile: Perfect on their own, with butter, or as sandwich buns.
✔️ No Commercial Yeast: 100% sourdough-leavened.
How To Make Oat Porridge Soft Sourdough Buns
Ingredients (Yields: 9 buns in 8" X 8" Square Pan or 1 Loaf in 450g Loaf Pan
Sweet Stiff Starter:
60g sourdough starter (100% Hydration), preferably use at its peak
180g bread flour (I used Japan High Gluten Flour)
75g water
30g sugar (I used organic brown sugar)
Oat Porridge:
35g rolled oat or instant oat
110g milk
Main Dough:
140g bread flour (I used Japan High Gluten Flour)
All stiff starter (above)
20g honey or sugar
1 tsp salt (6g)
45g egg, whisked (from 1 medium egg)
30g butter, room temperature
Egg Wash:
1 egg + 1 tbsp water, whisked
Some rolled oats
Utensil:
8" square pan or 450g loaf pan for bread loaf
Step-By-Step Instruction
- Sweet Stiff Starter
- In a bowl of stand mixer, dilute starter with water, stir in sugar and add in bread flour. Mix with paddle attachment until well mixed and all come together. It can be done by hand mixing too.
- Cover and let it ferment until tripled. I prepared a night before and leave it in aircond room (approximately 24 - 25C room temperature) overnight until tripled. It took about 8 - 9 hours depending on your starter. It should take around 4 - 6 hours to get triple at room temperature at 28C - 30C.
- Oat Porridge:
- In a saucepan, cook the oats in milk until become thick porridge. Keep aside to cool.
- Main Dough:
- Put all ingredients (except butter) into a bowl of stand mixer. I usually slightly torn the stiff starter dough first.
- Slightly combine the mixture by hand with the paddle attachment before turning on the machine so that the flour will not splash out. Using the paddle attachment, mix for 2 minutes or until all incorporated. This step is critical to prevent an uneven mixed dough as the stiff starter is rather hard and a dough hook may not be able to mix it well enough.
- Change to hook attachment and knead for another 3 minutes or until the dough comes together. Add in butter and continue knead for 10 - 12 minutes or until the dough become smooth and reach window pane stage. Due to the presence of oat the dough is not very stretchy, a reasonable window pane is good enough. The whole kneading process, I stopped few times to scrape down the dough from the hook to be sure it is evenly kneaded and also to prevent the motor from overheating.
- 1st Proofing/Resting:
- In the same bowl, let the dough rest for 30 - 60 minutes. Keep it covered with clingfilm or use a lid. This dough I rested for 45 minutes and the dough rose slightly in 45 minutes.
- Shaping:
- Transfer the dough to a clean floured surface then divide dough into 9 equal portions (approx. 79g each). Please use a kitchen scale if you want to be exact.
- Form each portion to a ball. Please watch the video here "How to shape the bun"
- Place bun onto the baking pans lined with parchment paper.
- Final Proofing:
- Let the buns proof at a warm place until the dough rise double in size. This one took approximately 2 hours and 45 minutes at at room temperature of 29C - 30C. The duration of proofing depends on your ambient temperature and the starter.
- Baking:
- Preheat oven at 190C (top & bottom heat) or 170C (fan-forced) for 10 - 15 minutes.
- Brush with egg wash and sprinkle some rolled oats.
- Bake in a preheated oven for 15 - 20 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Remove buns from oven and let them cool on rack.
FAQs & Troubleshooting
Why is my dough sticky and difficult to handle?
Oat porridge retains moisture, making the dough stickier. Lightly oil your hands and work surface for easier handling.
Can I replace steel-cut oats with rolled oats?
Yes, but rolled oats will soften more quickly and make a softer porridge. Adjust the water content slightly.
My buns came out dense. What went wrong?
Check that your sweet stiff starter is active and healthy. Also ensure you proof the dough sufficiently until light and puffy.
Can I bake this dough as a loaf instead of buns?
Definitely. Shape into a loaf and adjust baking time to around 30 minutes depending on your oven.
How should I store these buns?
Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for 2–3 days. For longer storage, wrap individually and freeze.
Tips for Perfect Results
- Sourdough Starter:
- A healthy starter is essential for successful bread baking. To ensure your bread rises well, it's important to feed your starter regularly and use it (the levain) at its peak. A consistently fed starter will be more active and reliable. If the mother starter isn’t strong, the dough may still struggle to rise properly, even if the levain is used at its peak. For more information, click the links: "How To Make Sourdough Starter" and "Sourdough Maintenance".
- Gluten Development:
- Essential for soft, airy bread, gluten is created when flour hydrates. To develop it, use techniques like autolyse or kneading. The windowpane test checks readiness—dough should stretch thin without tearing. From my experience, high hydration dough with high percentage of fat will be easy to stretch and achieve a paper thin windowpane stage.
- Kneading:
- Please regard the timing provided as an indication only. It is only meant as a guide. Times vary by flour and mixer type. For higher fat dough, knead longer (18–20 minutes).
- Flour & Hydration:
- Use high-gluten flour for optimal texture. Always reserve some liquid to adjust dough consistency for best results. If dough is too dry, add the reserve liquid one tablespoon at a time until the right consistency.
- Dough Temperature:
- Maintaining the right dough temperature during kneading is crucial for a fine crumb. If the dough becomes too warm, the crumb will become too big and uneven. To prevent this, use cold water, milk, or eggs, and chill your mixing bowl or hook attachment in the freezer. Knead at low speeds, and if your kitchen is warm, rest the dough in a cooler spot. Proper dough temperature ensures a soft, fluffy bread with a fine, even crumb.
- Proofing:
- Proofing time depends on your environment. Use the finger poke test to gauge readiness. To check dough readiness, lightly press the side with your finger:
- If it bounces back instantly, it’s under-proofed and needs more time.
- If the indentation stays, it’s over-proofed.
- If the indentation slowly bounces back, it’s ready to bake.
- There’s also a final rise called oven spring when the dough bakes, which adds to the bread’s height.
- Wrinkle Top or Shrinking:
- If your bread collapses or develops wrinkles on top after baking, it might be over-proofed during the second rise. Aim for the dough to rise to 80-90% of its final size or just below the rim of the pan to prevent this. Over-proofing leads to weaker structure, causing the bread to lose shape.
- Baking & Oven Temperarate:
- Do also note that the baking temperature and timing provided are what works for my oven and should also be regarded as a guide only. Every oven behaves a little differently, so please adjust accordingly for your oven.
Leave a Comment or Tag Me!
I hope this recipe brings a little bakery-quality magic to your home cooking. If you try it, tag me on Instagram @Bakewithpaws or leave a comment below if you have any questions regarding this recipe or any other post. I’d love to see your beautiful bakes!
Stay Connected with Bake with Paws
Love baking soft sourdough breads and learning new tips?
Subscribe to my newsletter and be the first to get new recipes and baking guides.
Simply sign up in the pop-up box on this page!More Recipes You Might Enjoy
Oat Porridge Soft Sourdough Buns

Yield:
9
Prep time: 30 MinCook time: 20 MinInactive time: 11 H & 45 MTotal time: 12 H & 35 M
Soft, fluffy, and moist sourdough buns made with oat porridge and sweet stiff starter—perfect for breakfast or snacks.
Ingredients
SWEET STIFF STARTER:
OAT PORRIDGE:
MAIN DOUGH:
EGG WASH:
UTENSIL:
Instructions
SWEET STIFF STARTER
- In a bowl of stand mixer, dilute starter with water, stir in sugar and add in bread flour. Mix with paddle attachment until well mixed and all come together. It can be done by hand mixing too.
- Cover and let it ferment until tripled. I prepared a night before and leave it in aircond room (approximately 24 - 25C room temperature) overnight until tripled. It took about 8 - 9 hours depending on your starter. It should take around 4 - 6 hours to get triple at room temperature at 28C - 30C.
OAT PORRIDGE
- In a saucepan, cook the oats in milk until become thick porridge. Keep aside to cool.
KNEADING MAIN DOUGH
- Put all ingredients (except butter) into a bowl of stand mixer. I usually slightly torn the stiff starter dough first.
- Slightly combine the mixture by hand with the paddle attachment before turning on the machine so that the flour will not splash out. Using the paddle attachment, mix for 2 minutes or until all incorporated. This step is critical to prevent an uneven mixed dough as the stiff starter is rather hard and a dough hook may not be able to mix it well enough.
- Change to hook attachment and knead for another 3 minutes or until the dough comes together. Add in butter and continue knead for 10 - 12 minutes or until the dough become smooth and reach window pane stage. Due to the presence of oat the dough is not very stretchy, a reasonable window pane is good enough. The whole kneading process, I stopped few times to scrape down the dough from the hook to be sure it is evenly kneaded and also to prevent the motor from overheating.
1ST PROOFING/RESTING
- In the same bowl, let the dough rest for 30 - 60 minutes. Keep it covered with clingfilm or use a lid. This dough I rested for 45 minutes and the dough rose slightly in 45 minutes.
SHAPING
- Transfer the dough to a clean floured surface then divide dough into 9 equal portions (approx. 79g each). Please use a kitchen scale if you want to be exact.
- Form each portion to a ball. Please watch the video here "How to shape the bun"
- Place bun onto the baking pans lined with parchment paper.
FINAL PROOFING
- Let the buns proof at a warm place until the dough rise double in size. This one took approximately 2 hours and 45 minutes at at room temperature of 29C - 30C. The duration of proofing depends on your ambient temperature and the starter.
BAKING
- Preheat oven at 190C (top & bottom heat) or 170C (fan-forced) for 10 - 15 minutes.
- Brush with egg wash and sprinkle some rolled oats.
- Bake in a preheated oven for 15 - 20 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Remove buns from oven and let them cool on rack.
Notes
This recipe is suitable for shaping into loaf for 450g loaf pan (21.3 X 12.2 X 11.5 cm / 8.4" X 4.8" X 4.5")
Labels:
Breads (Sourdough) - Soft Buns/Rolls,
Oi, como faço essa receita com o fermento instantâneo?
ReplyDeleteMuito obriga ☺😘
,
Hi, thank you for asking.
DeleteI have not creaed a recipe with instant yeast yet. But, I will try and post. Hopefully soon.
Please stay tune...
Cheers :)
Hi Yeanley,
ReplyDeleteCan yudane method use in this recipe? If yes, do i need to deduct the water level use in yudane in the main dough?
Hi, If you want to use yudane dough in this recipe, you do not need to add any more liquid in the main dough. However, this recipe do not required yudane method as I afraid the bread will be too moist as the oat porridge itself already made the texture very soft, moist and better shelf life.
DeleteCheers :)
Hi, I noticed that your recipe doesn’t have eggs in it, why is that?
ReplyDeleteHi, thanks for reading this recipe and your question. Normally people said eggs make breads finer, richer and provide color. But, I found that this buns is good enough without egg. So, I didn't use.
DeleteCheers :)
Hi, your recipe always work :) just curious, I'm using same day levain at 1:1:1 you wrote 255g+95g levain to give 350g for 9 buns but you mentioned also 190g levain below. Should I follow 190g?
ReplyDeleteThank you!
Hi, thanks for trying and your feedback. 95g if the flour. 350g is the total flour. 190g starter contain 95g flour + 95g water.
DeleteCheers :)
Hi, are those recipe slightly different? In one says 45 gr. eggs in other 40-55 gr. milk?
ReplyDeleteHi, yes it is different recipe. The sweet stiff starter recipe that using egg is better which is less sour. I will remove the liquid levain recipe to avoid the confusion. Please let me know if you still want the recipe ya.
DeleteThanks
where is the video tutorial for how to shape the buns?
ReplyDeleteHi, Thank you for your interest in this recipe. The video is on the above post. Please look for "How To Shape Buns"
DeleteKindly double check again ya.
Cheers :)