1. First, prepare the porridge. Mix the rolled oats with the oat milk, water, and salt in a small pot. Bring to a boil over medium heat and let simmer while stirring constantly, until the oats are soft and the liquid in the pot has thickened. Remove from heat and let cool completely. I usually prepare the porridge a day ahead and store it in an airtight container in the fridge. So if you like to make porridge for breakfast you could also use leftover porridge for this bread ;)

2. Mix the cooled porridge (you will need about 200g) with the cold water in a large bowl until well combined – it should look like a soupy porridge without any large pieces. Add both flours, dry yeast, and salt and mix everything. The mixture won’t really look like dough yet, but that’s ok. Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for about 10 minutes, then give it another quick stir. Cover the bowl again and let the dough rest for another 10 minutes. Repeat this procedure two more times – so in total, the dough has about 40 minutes to rest between mixing. With each resting time and stirring, the dough will become smoother and more elastic. After the last stirring, transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a lightly oiled plastic wrap (so it doesn’t dry out), and let rise in a warm place for about 1 hour.

3. Lightly grease a 9×4.5-inch loaf pan* and line it with a piece of baking paper. Place the risen dough on a lightly floured surface. Dust your hands with a bit of flour as well and then pull the dough up a little on one side and fold it to the center. Repeat the process on the opposite side, pulling and folding, as well as to the right and left of it. This means the dough is effectively folded once from four sides towards the center ;) Stretch the dough piece into a log that is more or less the length of the baking pan. Flip it over, so the smooth bottom side is looking up, and place it in the prepared pan. Sprinkle the bread with some (whole wheat) rolled oats, cover, and let rise again for another 45-60 minutes. The dough should have risen to the rim of the baking pan or slightly over it.

4. Preheat the oven to 200°C (390°F) convection heat. Place a metal bowl (or something similar ovenproof) on the lowest rack or on the bottom of the oven – this is where you have to pour hot water in when baking the bread. The baking pan with the bread should be on a rack that is a bit higher than the bowl with the water.

5. When the dough has risen enough, cut the top of the bread with a very sharp knife (be careful not to let the dough collapse), place the baking dish in the oven, and pour hot water into the bowl. Bake the bread for about 15 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 340°F (170°C) convection heat and bake the bread for an additional 30 minutes. The bread should have a nice golden brown color and sounds hollow when you tap it. Take out of the oven, remove from the pan, and let cool completely.