Add the remaining flour and stir until a shaggy dough forms. Cover and set aside to rest for 10 minutes, to allow the oats to hydrate.
400 grams spelt flour
Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for 5-6 minutes, or until a soft, smooth dough forms. Add a light dusting of flour as needed to prevent too much sticking but avoid adding too much.
Place the kneaded dough back into the bowl and cover. Set in a warm, draft-free place to rise until doubled in size, about one hour.
Grease or line a standard bread tin. Mine is 25.5 cm (10 in.) long but a slightly shorter one won't make a difference to baking time.
Gently punch the risen dough down to deflate. Turn the dough out again onto a lightly floured work surface. Press into a rough square, about 24cm (9 in.) across or whatever the length of your bread tin is.
Tightly roll the dough into a log, pressing to seal with each roll to ensure good contact. Place into the prepared bread tin seam-side down. Cover again and set aside to rise until almost doubled, about 30 minutes.
While the bread is rising, preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F).
If you want to top the bread with oats as pictured, brush with milk or egg wash and sprinkle with extra rolled oats.
Place the risen bread into the oven and bake for 38-40 minutes, or until a dark golden colour. The internal temperature of the bread should be 90°C (194°F) when ready.
Cool the loaf for ten minutes in the tin before removing and cooling fully on a rack. Store in a sealed container for up to three days or freeze for up to a month.