Sourdough made with maple syrup and oats for an ultra-soft, slightly sweet, and very hearty loaf! The interior is so soft and chewy, with the classic sourdough crispy crust we know and love on the outside. It's good for sandwiches, toasted with jam or peanut butter, or all on its own.
I told Josh when eating this that if I had a restaurant, this would be the signature bread. (Though to be fair, I say this about a lot of breads.)
But this one is up there for one of my all-time favorites. It's sweet without a distinctly maple-y flavor, and lots of nuttiness from the oats and a bit of whole wheat flour.
I will warn you that I think the texture here is a potential turn off for some people. But if you love it, you will REALLY love it.
The Dough
It is very easy to mix this all together with a fork because it is so wet! It will look more like a perfectly cooked bowl of porridge at first, but that is a-okay. By your second set of stretch and folds, it will be looking more like bread dough.
And while I love to tell you to skip stretch and folds if possible, this is a loaf you'll definitely want to do them for - the dough transforms drastically with each one!
Two ways to add oats to bread dough
For your convenience (and because I can leave no stone unturned), I've tested two ways of adding oats to bread:
- Method 1: Cook the oats and add them as a "liquid". To do this, you'll mix the oats and the amount of water listed in the recipe (HOT) and let it sit for about 10 minutes to cool off before proceeding with the rest of the liquid ingredients. Then add the flours and salt.
- Method 2: Add the oats with the flours and salt.
Both methods will get you the same end result, but just be aware that if you add the oats dry (as in method 2), the dough will be really sticky! The oats will absorb the same amount of liquid as in method 1, it just will take longer. Even when shaping, the dough will be noticeably sticky.
I find cooking the oats before adding them to the dough to be an unnecessary extra step, and you'll get the same result either way. I tend to go with method 2, but if you're intimidated by wet doughs though, cooking the oats before adding them will be worth it!
Second rise
You'll do the second rise in the fridge for this loaf, and I really wouldn't recommend doing it at room temperature!
This is partially because it will be much easier to handle out of the fridge, but also for the benefit of flavors developing during a long proof.
Baking
I like baking this in a loaf pan for keeping the crust extra soft, but you can bake it in a Dutch oven (or however you do your regular loaves of sourdough!) as well.
If you like a darker crust, bake the loaf right on the rack for a few extra minutes.
Maple Oat Sourdough Loaf
Ingredients
- 360 grams water
- 90 grams starter
- 90 grams maple syrup
- 315 grams bread flour
- 45 grams whole wheat flour
- 145 grams rolled oats
- 12 grams salt
Directions
- Combine the water, starter, and syrup in a medium bowl. Add the flours, oats, and salt and mix until no dry spots remain. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and cover.Over the course of the next 2-3 hours, perform 3-4 rounds of stretch and folds, as your schedule allows. Then, cover and let rise for another 2-3 hours, until puffed up and airy. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Shape into a loaf and place in a proofing basket or a loaf pan lined with a floured tea towel and cover. Refrigerate for at least 12 hours, up to 48 hours.When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Turn the loaf out onto a piece of parchment paper and score. Transfer to a baking vessel and cover. Bake for 40 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 400 degrees, uncover, and continue baking an additional 10-15 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and a thermometer inserted into the center of the loaf reads between 200-205 degrees.Cool on a wire rack for at least 1 hour before slicing.
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