Your new favorite bread: Oat & Flax Skillet Bread, made with only 3 ingredients (excluding water and optional salt). It is vegan, oil-free, easy-to-make and so delicious, plus only 91 calories per big wedge.
Forgive me for sounding like Oprah, but I love bread.
At present, only one bread has my undivided attention and affection. I cannot get enough (although 1 big wedge is gratifying), and I love that I can whip up a batch with the most minimal effort.
It is my 3-Ingredient Oat & Skillet Bread.
It is:
*Vegan
*Oil-free
*Sugar-free
*High in fiber
*Gluten-free
*Frugal
*Only 91 calories per big wedge
No doubt about it, this was inspired by my last post, 3-ingredient Oat Pancakes. At present, I have an excess of oats on hand (I keep grabbing quick-cooking oats instead of old-fashioned oats at the store), so I decided to play around and see what other kinds of minimalist oat recipes I could conjure. At the very least, I would use up some of my oat surplus.
Good fortune and inspiration were on my side, because after only a few rounds of experimentation, I had a brand new bread that is worth more than a few hallelujahs.
You likely have the ingredient on hand: (1) rolled oats (old-fashioned or quick-cooking), (2) flaxseed meal, and (3) baking powder). You’llalso need some water, as well as (optional) salt.
Begin by combining the oats, flaxseed meal, and 3 cups water in a medium to large bowl. Do not add the baking powder.
Let everything soak for at least 30 minutes or up to 12 hours.
During the last 15 minutes of soaking, preheat the oven to 400F (200C). Place a (well-seasoned) 9- to 10-inch cast iron skillet in the oven to preheat, too. If you do not have a cast iron skillet, use a 9-inch high-sided cake pan or a 9-inch square metal or glass baking pan (you will need to rub with a bit of oil if they are not nonstick).
Vigorously stir the soaked oat mixture, breaking up most of the oats. Old-fashioned oats will need about 30-60 seconds more stirring than quick-cooking oats. Hurray, you just made a bowl of mush! (Ha-ha, that was my husband’s (unsolicited) comment as I powered my spoon.)
Stir in 1 tablespoon of baking powder and salt, if using. I found that 1/8 teaspoon was just about right.
Pour the batter into the hot skillet, spreading evenly.
Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown, set at the center, and the top has some fine cracks on top.
The bread has a natural springiness, so when testing for doneness, use your fingertips to see if the bread springs back, or insert a toothpick near the center. The toothpick should come out with nothing more than a few moist crumbs attached.
After cooling the bread in the skillet for 10 minutes, invert the bread directly onto the cooling rack. Ta-da! A smooth, beautiful round of bread! Let the bread cool completely.
Cut the bread into 8 big wedges and enjoy!
I di not call this a flatbread, because it isn’t a flatbread. When baked in a 9-inch skillet, the wedges are about 1-inch (2.5 cm) thick. I baked this loaf in my 10-inch skillet and the wedges are still about 3/4-inch (2 cm) thick.
Best to call this Oat & Flax Skillet THICKbread.
The texture of this bread reminds me a LOT of English crumpets (yum), which, likewise, have a light, springy texture, and a neutral flavor that goes with just about everything.
Splitting and toasting the bread is an option, as is slathering with orange marmalade :). Use it for all kinds of sandwiches, too.
May you fall head over heels for this easy bread, too!
Making this recipe? I would love to see it!
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3 Ingredient Oat & Flax Skillet Bread {Vegan, Oil-Free, Gluten-Free}
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Total Time: 35 mins
- Yield: 8 large wedges 1x
Description
Your new favorite bread: Oat & Flax Skillet Bread, made with only 3 ingredients (excluding water and optional salt). It is vegan, oil-free, easy-to-make and so delicious, plus only 91 calories per big wedge.
Ingredients
- 2 cups (180 g) rolled oats (certified gluten-free, as needed)
- 1/4 cup (26 g) flaxseed meal
- 3 cups (750 mL) water
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt (optional)
Instructions
- IN a medium to large bowl, combine the oats, flaxseed meal and water until blended. Let soak for at least 30 minutes or for up to 12 hours.
- During the last 15 minutes of soaking, preheat the oven to 400F(200C). Place a 9- to 10-inch (22.5 to 25 cm) well-seasoned cast iron skillet in the oven to preheat, too (see notes for pan options).
- Vigorously stir the oat mixture for 30 to 90 seconds (with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula) until the oats are mostly broken down (but batter is not entirely smooth). Stir in the baking powder and (optional) salt.
- Spread batter into hot skillet, smoothing the top.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown, set at the center, and the top has some fine cracks on top. Transfer skillet to cooling rack and cool at least 10 minutes. Invert bread onto rack and cool completely. Cut into 8 wedges.
Notes
Storage: Store the cooled bread in an airtight container at cool room temperature for 2 days, the refrigerator for 1 week, or the freezer for up to 6 months.
Tip: Use either old-fashioned or quick-cooking oats. They are nutritionally the same (quick-cooking oats are simply cut into smaller pieces after they are rolled).
Flaxseed substitute: 3 tablespoons of ground chia seeds can be used in place of the flaxseed meal.
Skillet/Pan Options: If you do not have a cast iron skillet, use a high-sided cake pan or a 9-inch (22.5 cm) square glass or metal baking pan. Two considerations if using one of these alternatives: (1) you will need to grease the pan a little bit, since it is not nonstick like a well-seasoned cast iron skillet; (2) if you choose not to preheat the pan, you will need to bake the bread a bit longer, about 5 to 8 minutes more.
- Category: Bread
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 wedge (1/8 of loaf)
- Calories: 91
- Sugar: 0.5 g
- Sodium: 182.9 mg
- Fat: 2.8 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 15 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 3.3 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
My son and I enjoy this recipe very much! I made it as is a few time and then played with it. I have added garlic powder, onion powder, cracked black pepper and red pepper flakes in one batch, and I am currently eating a piece from a batch with added blueberries, pecans, cinnamon and a small amount of brown sugar. Both worked great! Thanks for the recipe!
Michelle, your variations sound SO GOOD! I am just finishing up my (many) test loaves of zucchini oat bread from last week, I am going to have to try one or both of your variations for the skillet bread. Thanks for coming by to share your variations!
Hello Camilla, Thanks for sharing the recipe, I made a somewhat similar variant and tweaked it slightly. I’ve shared to my post page if you don’t mind.
How clever, Mike! Great idea to microwave it.
Haha, been playing with microwave for quite a while. Kinda lazy of me, plus in hope of shortening breakfast timing and applicability in office setting.
I’ve tried again 2nd time. hopefully nothing happens. – Although i usually made these variants before, just without the baking powder. Not very sure if it really makes a difference though.
Hi Camilla, I love your recipes! One question: is 1 tablespoon op baking powder correct?
Many thanks, Lyn
Hi Lyn! Good to check. Yes, it does call for 1 tablespoon (looking at my container, that is 13.8 g). Thanks so much, your note means a lot!
A friend just shared your blog with me and I am so thankful!! I am wondering how this would turn out made in a 9×13 glass pan for square “sandwich bread”? I love baking in my cast iron though. THX
Good idea, Jenn! I bet that would work great. Just be sure to reduce the baking time (by at least half, to start). Let me know if you give it a try!
Hi just trying get to sign up!
Hi Linda–would love to have you sign up! There are sign-ups via email located on the side and at the bottom of the posts. Let me know if you need more help, I can always sign you up manually (no problem)
I get so excited when I get your email with a new recipe. You never disappoint!!. Can’t wait to try this one. Yum!
Thank you SO much, Susan! That means a lot. I hope you like this one 🙂