Leftover Porridge Bread - Seeded Wholemeal Loaf

Seeded Porridge Loaf - Easy Homemade Bread Recipe

Do you ever make porridge and end up with a bit left over sitting in the pot wondering what on earth to do with it? Well THIS is what you do with it! This seeded porridge loaf is one of the most satisfying, hearty, and delicious loaves you will ever pull out of the oven. Leftover cooked oats are the secret ingredient that makes this bread incredibly moist, deeply flavoured, and absolutely packed with goodness. Sunflower seeds, walnuts, and chia seeds throughout, a touch of black treacle for depth and colour, and a gorgeous dark crust that makes you want to slice into it the second it comes out of the oven. Zero waste, MAXIMUM deliciousness. Let's bake!

Watch me make this on YouTube!

Recipe Details:

• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Prove Time: 2.5 to 3 hours
• Cook Time: 30 to 32 minutes
• Total Time: Around 3.5 hours
• Makes: 1 small loaf
• Difficulty: Medium
• Special Equipment: Small loaf tin (450g/1lb, approximately 20 x 10cm), wire cooling rack

The magic of this loaf is in the porridge oats. Cooked oats hold an enormous amount of moisture and when you fold them into the dough they keep the crumb beautifully tender and moist — giving you a bread that stays fresh longer than a standard loaf and has a depth of flavour that is completely unique. The black treacle adds a slight bitterness and that gorgeous dark colour, and the combination of sunflower seeds, walnuts, and chia gives every slice a satisfying crunch and nuttiness. It is a slightly stickier dough than you might be used to and that is completely normal — resist the urge to add too much flour and trust the process. The oats are doing their job!

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• Brilliant use of leftover porridge: Turn yesterday's breakfast into today's bread — zero waste and absolutely delicious
• Incredibly moist and flavourful: The oats keep the crumb tender and the treacle adds gorgeous depth
• Packed with goodness: Wholemeal flour, chia seeds, walnuts, and sunflower seeds make this a seriously nutritious loaf
• Keeps well: The moisture from the oats means this loaf stays fresh longer than most homemade breads
• Deeply satisfying to make: There is nothing quite like pulling a beautiful dark seeded loaf out of the oven!

Ingredients

For the Dough:

• 150g cooked porridge oats, leftover and cooled
• 175g strong white bread flour
• 75g wholemeal bread flour
• 100ml warm water (around 38°C)
• 7g dried fast-action yeast
• 1 teaspoon fine salt
• 1 tablespoon black treacle
• 1 tablespoon olive oil or neutral oil

For the Seeds:

• 30g sunflower seeds (plus a few extra to scatter on top)
• 30g walnuts, roughly chopped
• 15g chia seeds

Instructions

1. Activate the yeast: Dissolve the black treacle in the warm water (around 38°C), then stir in the dried yeast. Leave for 5 to 8 minutes until it looks frothy and bubbly on top. This confirms your yeast is alive and active. If nothing happens after 8 minutes, your water may have been too hot or the yeast is past its best — start again before going any further!
2. Combine the flours and salt: In a large bowl, whisk together the strong white bread flour, wholemeal bread flour, and fine salt. Make a well in the centre.
3. Bring the dough together: Add the cooled porridge oats and olive oil to the yeast mixture and stir briefly to combine. Pour this into the flour well and mix with a dough scraper or your hands until a shaggy dough forms. It will feel stickier than a standard bread dough and that is completely normal — the oats hold a lot of moisture. If it seems impossibly wet, add flour a tablespoon at a time, but resist adding too much or you will lose that gorgeous moist crumb.
4. Knead in the seeds: Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 8 to 10 minutes until smooth and slightly tacky but not sticky. About halfway through, flatten the dough out, scatter over the sunflower seeds, chopped walnuts, and chia seeds, then fold and continue kneading to distribute them evenly throughout the dough.
5. First prove: Shape the dough into a ball, place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a damp tea towel or cling film, and leave in a warm spot until doubled in size. In a cool kitchen this can take 1.5 to 2 hours rather than the usual 1 hour. Don't rush it — let the dough guide you. It is ready when it has clearly doubled and feels puffy and light.
6. Shape and tin: Punch the dough down gently to knock back the air. Shape into an oval and place in a lightly greased small loaf tin (450g/1lb, approximately 20 x 10cm). Press it in gently so it fills the corners evenly. Scatter a few extra sunflower seeds over the top if you like.
7. Second prove: Cover the tin loosely and leave to prove again until the dough has risen about 2 to 3cm above the rim of the tin. This will take 60 minutes to 1.5 hours depending on the temperature of your kitchen.
8. Bake: Preheat your oven to 200°C (180°C fan / 400°F / Gas Mark 6). Bake for 30 to 32 minutes until deep golden brown on top. To check it is done, tip it out of the tin and tap the base — it should sound hollow. If it doesn't, return it to the oven out of the tin and directly on the rack for a further 5 minutes.
9. Cool completely: Transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool for at least 45 minutes before slicing. Cutting too early causes the crumb to compress and go gummy, it is absolutely worth the wait!

Chef's Tips

Don't panic about the sticky dough: This dough will feel stickier than any standard bread dough and that is entirely because of the oats. Resist adding lots of extra flour — a slightly tacky dough is exactly what you want for that moist, tender crumb.

Cool porridge works best: Make sure your leftover porridge is fully cooled before adding it to the dough. Hot porridge will kill the yeast before it has a chance to get started.

The treacle is important: Black treacle gives this loaf its beautiful dark colour and slightly bitter, malty depth of flavour. Don't skip it! Golden syrup or honey will work as a substitute but you will get a lighter, sweeter result.

Prove somewhere warm: In a cool kitchen the dough will take longer to prove. A good tip is to pop the bowl in your oven with just the light on, or in a warm spot near your fireplace or heater. The dough is ready when it has clearly doubled and springs back slowly when you poke it.

The hollow tap test: When you tap the bottom of the loaf it should sound distinctly hollow like a drum. If it sounds dense and solid, it needs more time in the oven. Pop it back in out of the tin for 5 more minutes.

Let it cool properly: I know it is incredibly tempting to slice into a warm loaf but please wait the full 45 minutes. The crumb is still setting as it cools and cutting too early will give you a gummy, compressed slice.

Substitutions & Variations

• Black treacle: Golden syrup or honey can be used instead for a lighter, sweeter flavour and a paler crumb
• Sunflower seeds: Pumpkin seeds work just as well
• Walnuts: Swap for pecans, hazelnuts, or leave the nuts out entirely and increase the seeds
• Chia seeds: Flaxseeds or sesame seeds are good alternatives
• Wholemeal flour: Use all strong white bread flour if you don't have wholemeal — the loaf will be lighter in colour and flavour but still delicious
• Add dried fruit: A handful of raisins or chopped dried apricots folded in with the seeds makes a lovely breakfast loaf

Storage

Room temperature: Store wrapped in a tea towel or in a bread bin for up to 3 days. The oats in this loaf mean it stays moist and fresh longer than most homemade breads.

Freezer: Slice the cooled loaf and freeze in a sealed bag for up to 3 months. Take out slices as needed and toast straight from frozen.

Avoid plastic bags: Storing bread in a sealed plastic bag creates moisture and makes the crust go soft and slightly soggy. A bread bin or wrapped in a clean tea towel is much better.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I use uncooked oats instead of cooked porridge? A: No — the oats need to be cooked and cooled for this recipe. Uncooked oats will not hydrate properly in the dough and you will end up with a very different result. This recipe is specifically designed for leftover cooked porridge!

Q: My dough is extremely sticky and hard to handle, is that okay? A: Yes! This is a stickier dough than you might be used to. Lightly flour your hands and work surface and resist adding lots of extra flour. A slightly tacky dough is exactly what gives this loaf its moist, tender crumb.

Q: Can I make this without a loaf tin? A: You can try shaping it into a round and baking on a lined tray, but the loaf tin gives the best shape and support for this particular dough. The tin also helps it rise upwards rather than spreading outwards.

Q: Can I use sourdough starter instead of dried yeast? A: Yes, if you have an active sourdough starter you can use it here — add about 100g of active starter and omit the dried yeast. The prove times will be longer and less predictable but the flavour will be incredible!

Q: Can I double the recipe? A: Yes! Double all the ingredients and bake in a larger 900g/2lb loaf tin. You may need to add an extra 5 to 10 minutes to the baking time. Check with the hollow tap test as always.

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Enjoy!

Del x

This seeded porridge loaf is the most satisfying way to use up leftover porridge — hearty, deeply flavoured, and packed with sunflower seeds, walnuts, and chia. A touch of black treacle gives it that gorgeous dark crust and malty depth. Zero waste, full of goodness, and absolutely DELICIOUS toasted with butter.