Why Use Instant Oatmeal?

• Many instant oatmeals come in flavors that would enhance the flavor of applesauce oatmeal bread but all oatmeals are not created equal. Processing plays an important role in the distinction between one kind of oatmeal versus another. Processing affects the texture and cook time of the oatmeal and the bread into which it is made. Knowing a little about the differences in types of oatmeal will enable you to make an informed decision as to which applesauce oatmeal bread recipe is best suited for instant oatmeal and which will benefit from using another kind of oatmeal.

Kinds of Oatmeal

• Before adding instant oatmeal to a bread recipe or using only instant oatmeal when a recipe calls for another kind, become familiar with the different kinds of oatmeal so any recipe alterations will be met with success.

  Old-fashioned, regular, quick-cooking and instant oatmeals are whole grains, with bran and germ intact. They’ve all been steamed and flattened so they cook to a smoother, softer texture. They’ve been steamed, too, which shortens their cooking time. Old-fashioned oats will take the longest time to cook as they’ve been processed less than the other versions. Instant oatmeal is at the opposite end of the spectrum, highly processed so they cook in the shortest length of time possible.

  Steel-cut oats, also labeled Irish oats, retain the entire oat kernel, including the bran and germ. They are chewier than the other forms of oatmeal and have a nutty flavor. It takes longer to cook Irish oats than to cook instant oatmeal.

Nutritional Differences

• Oats are an excellent source of soluble fiber and are beneficial for lowering blood cholesterol levels. They’re rich in vitamins and minerals, too. Cooks who want to retain the highest level of nutritional value when making applesauce oatmeal bread are likely to prefer the less-processed, longer-cooking oatmeals instead of instant. The less processed the oatmeal, like steel-cut, old-fashioned and regular, offer a higher nutrient value. Processing destroys vitamins and can strip the oat of other important nutrients. The least nutritious oatmeals are those that cook the fastest because they’ve been processed the most, such as quick-cooking and instant oatmeals. In addition, instant oatmeals often have sweeteners, sodium, and other additives to produce a variety of flavors; these additives may be undesirable to the cook striving for the highest nutritional value.

Cooking Differences

• The least processed oatmeals require the longest cooking times and the water-to-oatmeal ratio is higher than with quicker-cooking varieties. These differences will affect the applesauce oatmeal bread recipe in question. If the recipe calls for slow-cooking oatmeals, it will have a higher ratio of liquid ingredients to dry ingredients to allow the slow-cooking oats enough time and moisture to become fully saturated and creamy soft. Substituting equal amounts of instant oatmeal for the slower-cooking oatmeals will affect the bread’s texture and cook time, possibly with unfavorable results. If the recipe calls for quick-cooking oatmeal, there will be little difference in the final product if you substitute instant oatmeal.