Oatmeal bread is a form of bread which is made with the addition of oatmeal and sometimes a small amount of oat flour as well. The added ingredients make the bread very rich, with a nutty flavor and a chewy texture. In addition, they up the fiber content of the bread, making it a healthy addition to the diet. There are numerous forms of oatmeal bread, and many markets sell a few varieties; it is also possible to make it at home.
Oats have been cultivated and used in cuisine for thousands of years. There are a number of ways to use oats, and many people enjoy integrating them into baked goods for their flavor, texture, and nutritional benefits. However, oats lack the traits of wheat and other flours which contain gluten, so they cannot be used alone, or the resulting baked goods will fall apart. Therefore, people have to get creative about how they add oats and oat flour, and oatmeal bread is one solution to the problem.
In addition to being intrinsically tasty and fun to make, oatmeal bread is also a great way to use up leftover oatmeal. Some people like to make a big batch of oatmeal with plain rolled oats and then improvise with it, eating it hot, cold, and with an assortment of ingredients. Leftovers from this batch can be added to oatmeal bread, along with other ingredients.
When oatmeal bread is made, cooked oatmeal is simply added to the dough for a basic yeast or sourdough bread. You can either make oatmeal especially for the bread, or use leftovers, and many people like to add sweeteners like honey or molasses to the oatmeal as well. In addition to oatmeal, people may also add a small amount of oat flour to the bread, which can be made with white or whole wheat flour, depending on personal taste; people can also make gluten free oatmeal bread with a mixture of gluten-free flours.
There are all sorts of ways to jazz up the flavor of oatmeal bread. Buttermilk can be added, for example, to create a slightly soured, tangy flavor. Spices like cinnamon or nutmeg can zest things up as well, along with things like maple syrup and dried fruit. The result is generally a rich, hearty loaf which can be eaten with soups, toasted for breakfast, and used in a variety of other ways as well.