Most of the recipes I've seen (including Good Eats) recommend simmering the oats in 4 cups of liquid for 1 cup of oats. Alton Brown recommends 3 cups of water for ~25 mins and then (1/2 cup of milk + 1/2 cup of buttermilk) for ~10 mins.
However, I would like to do away with water entirely (just curious). Could I just simmer 1 cup of oats in 4 cups of milk for ~40mins? Or is the first ~25mins of simmering in water designed to maximize water absorption?
Also, if anyone has cooked oats mostly in milk before, I'd like to hear their opinion as well.
Best Answer
Yes, you can entirely replace water with milk. The main thing to be aware of is how prone it is to boiling over. Milk will eagerly do that on its own, and starchy water will too, so the combination has to be cooked on very low heat to avoid making a huge mess. (I think this is why the original recipe starts with water: less time with potential for boiling over, and more stable temperature when you add the milk.) You'll also probably want to be more careful about stirring the first time; if the heat is a little higher than you realize, you will start accumulating a layer on the bottom of the pan.
If you want them to cook faster and have less potential boiling over to worry about, you can always presoak in milk beforehand. I've done this overnight in the fridge, which was enough to let me make (admittedly slightly chewy) steel-cut oats in the microwave the next morning.