Hearty Oatmeal Loaf

This bread machine oatmeal loaf is packed with whole grain goodness and gets its subtle sweetness from three natural sources: honey, apple juice, and orange juice concentrate. No refined sugar in sight.

The vital wheat gluten is doing important structural work here. Whole wheat flour is heavier and lower in gluten than white flour, so adding gluten flour gives the yeast something to grab onto and helps the loaf rise tall instead of turning into a dense brick.

Orange juice concentrate adds a citrus brightness you won’t quite be able to place when you taste the bread, but you’d miss it if it wasn’t there. It works with the apple juice and honey to create a complex sweetness that’s more interesting than sugar alone.

Pro Tips

• Add ingredients in the order your bread machine manual recommends. Liquid-first or dry-first matters for proper mixing.
• Use quick-cooking oats, not steel-cut or old-fashioned rolled oats. Quick oats absorb liquid faster and integrate smoothly into bread machine dough.
• The vital wheat gluten is a must for whole wheat bread machine loaves. Without it, the heavier flour can’t support a good rise and you’ll get a squat, dense loaf.
• Check the dough after the first few minutes of kneading. It should form a smooth ball. If it’s too dry, add water a teaspoon at a time.

Variations

• Replace apple juice with pear juice or cider for a deeper, more autumnal flavor.
• Fold in a handful of raisins or dried cranberries during the add-in beep for a fruit-studded loaf.
• Substitute rolled oats for quick oats if you prefer a chunkier texture, but soak them in the liquid for 15 minutes first.