Heather Honey and Oat Loaf
A moist Highland tea loaf made with rolled oats, buttermilk, and aromatic heather honey. Perfect sliced thick and spread with salted butter.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 50 min
- Total
- 70 min
- Servings
- 8
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 285 kcal
Equipment
- •900g (2lb) loaf tin
- •greaseproof paper
- •mixing bowl
- •wire cooling rack
- •small saucepan
- •wooden spoon
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 285 kcal
- fat
- 9 g
- carbs
- 45 g
- fibre
- 3 g
- protein
- 6 g
- calories
- 285 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Heat the oven to 170°C (150°C fan) and line a 900g loaf tin with greaseproof paper.
- 2
Put the rolled oats into a large mixing bowl and pour over the buttermilk.
- 3
Stir well and leave the oats to soak for 15 minutes to soften.
- 4
Gently warm the heather honey and butter in a small saucepan over low heat until melted.
- 5
Sift the plain flour, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon, and salt into the soaked oats.
- 6
Add the brown sugar, beaten egg, and warm honey mixture to the bowl.
- 7
Stir gently with a wooden spoon until just combined into a thick batter.
- 8
Spoon the batter into the prepared tin and level the top.
- 9
Scatter the pinhead oatmeal evenly over the surface for texture.
- 10
Bake for 45 to 50 minutes until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
- 11
Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling rack.
Chef's tips
Soaking the oats in buttermilk guarantees a tender, moist crumb. If your heather honey is set or crystallised, warm the jar in a bowl of warm water before measuring.
Ingredient substitutions
- Scottish heather honey → dark wildflower honey or chestnut honey
- buttermilk → 250ml whole milk mixed with 1 tbsp lemon juice
- pinhead oatmeal → rolled porridge oats
Storage
Wrap tightly in greaseproof paper and store in an airtight tin at room temperature for up to five days.
Reheating
Warm individual slices lightly under a grill or in a toaster before buttering.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Overmixing the batter once the flour is added, which produces a tough, rubbery loaf.
- •Boiling the honey mixture rather than gently melting it, which dulls the delicate floral flavours.
- •Slicing the loaf while still warm, causing it to crumble instead of holding neat slices.
Serving suggestions
Cooked Heather Honey and Oat Loaf?
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