My favorite stand mixer bread recipe is this Blue Ribbon Honey Oat Bread that earned first place at my county fair. It's incredibly soft, stays fresh for days, and is much easier to make than you might think thanks to the stand mixer and dough hook attachment.

If this is your first time making homemade bread, don’t worry. I’ll walk you through the process step-by-step so that you can confidently bake this bread on repeat.

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Why You’ll Love This Homemade Bread

Soft, tender crumb
Stays fresh for days
Mixed entirely in a stand mixer

A Quick Overview Before We Start

This is an overnight homemade bread recipe, but don’t let that scare you.

Day 1- Mix the poolish.

Day 2- Cook the oatmeal, mix the dough in your stand mixer, let it rise in a warm place, shape it, and bake.

The overnight step builds flavor and improves texture. It makes this sandwich loaf softer and more tender than most sandwich bread recipes.

What Is Poolish?

Poolish is just flour, water, and a tiny bit of yeast mixed together and left at room temperature overnight.

Think of it as a simple starter. It improves the dough and creates a fluffy texture.

You stir it together in a small container, cover it, and leave it on the counter overnight.

Ingredients

Here are the ingredients you’ll need to get the best results:

Bread flour- The best flour for structure. It helps the loaf rise tall and slice cleanly. You can substitute all purpose flour, but bread flour makes the best sandwich loaf.

Warm water- Activates yeast. It should feel warm, not hot .

Active dry yeast or instant yeast- Red Star yeast works beautifully here. If it foams in warm water, it’s alive and ready. Rapid rise yeast can work in a pinch.

Cooked oatmeal- Adds moisture and keeps the bread soft for days.

Honey- Adds sweetness

Olive oil or vegetable oil- Keeps the bread moist

Salt- Balances the flavor.

Old fashioned oats for topping- Give the loaf that classic bakery look.

Tools You Will Need

Stand mixer with dough hook attachment
Loaf pan or bread pan
Kitchen scale for best accuracy

Day One: Mix the Poolish

In a small container, combine flour, water, and a tiny amount of active-dry yeast.

Stir until there’s no dry flour left.

Cover and leave it at room temperature for at least 8 hours or overnight.

By morning, the surface should be covered in tiny bubbles.

Day Two: Make the Bread

Cook and Cool the Oatmeal

Cook the oats with water until soft. Let the oatmeal cool completely before adding it to the dough.

Activate the Yeast

In a measuring cup, combine warm water, honey, and yeast.

Let it sit for 15 minutes. It should look foamy and bubbly. If it doesn’t foam, your yeast may not be active.

Mix in the Stand Mixer

Attach the dough hook attachment.
Add the yeast mixture, flour, cooled oatmeal, poolish, oil, and salt to the mixing bowl.
Start on speed 1, which is low speed. This prevents flour from flying everywhere.
Mix for 2 minutes just to combine.

Increase to speed 4. This is the proper kneading speed. Don’t go higher because bread dough is heavy, and high speeds can strain your mixer.

Let it mix for about 5 minutes.

What Should the Dough Look Like?

It pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
It looks smooth and elastic.
It feels soft and slightly tacky, not sticky.

If it’s sticking heavily, add additional flour one tablespoon at a time. Be careful not to add too much flour. Too much flour makes dense bread.

First Rise

Lightly coat a large bowl with oil.
Place the dough inside and turn it gently so the top is smooth.
Cover with plastic wrap.
Let it rise in a warm spot for about 1 hour, or until doubled in size.

To test, press your finger into the dough. If the indentation slowly springs back, it’s ready.

Shape the Loaf

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface with the smooth top down.
Press into a circle about 8 inches wide.
Fold the top third down. Bring the sides inward like folding a burrito. Roll tightly into a loaf.
Press the seam firmly closed with your palm.

A tight shape gives you clean sandwich slices.

Add the Oat Topping

Brush water over the top of the loaf.
Roll the loaf in lightly ground oats or sprinkle them on top.
Place into a greased bread pan.

Final Proof

Let the loaf rise until it fills the loaf pan but doesn’t rise above the sides.
This can take 45 minutes to 2 hours depending on your kitchen temperature.
Preheat the oven to 350°F when the loaf is about two-thirds proofed.

Bake

Bake on the center oven rack for about 35 minutes.
The top should be golden brown. For best results, check the internal temperature. It should reach 190° to 200°F.
Remove from the pan and cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.

If you can resist cutting while the bread is warm, you'll have better texture when its cool!

Allyson’s Tips for Blue Ribbon Results

Let the bread cool fully before slicing.
Use a serrated knife for clean slices.
If you want perfectly even sandwich slices, wait until the next morning to slice.

Storage & Make Ahead Tips

Store at room temperature in a sealed freezer bag for up to 3 days.
Slice and freeze for up to 3 months.

Because of the poolish and oatmeal, this loaf stays soft longer than most homemade bread.

More Poolish Bread Recipes to Try

If you enjoy this stand mixer bread recipe and want to experiment more with poolish baking, try:

If you make this Blue Ribbon Honey Oat Sandwich Bread, leave a comment and rate it with 5 stars. I’d love to hear how it turns out in your kitchen.

Stand Mixer Recipe for Blue Ribbon Honey Oat Bread