This oatmeal bread is exceptional and makes the best toast ever. Serve it warm with robust fall soups and stews or use it for making a toasted cheese sandwich. You’ll never want to go back to store-bought bread again.
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup rolled old-fashioned oats (not instant)
2 cups boiling water
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup dry nonfat milk powder
2 packages active dry yeast or 5 teaspoons of bulk yeast
1/3 cup warm water
5 1/2 – 6 cups unbleached flour
Melted butter
METHOD:
Combine oatmeal and boiling water and allow the mixture to cool for 10 minutes. Add salt, butter, honey, and dry milk.
In the large mixing bowl of a stand mixer, proof yeast with warm water and a scant 1/2 teaspoon of sugar or honey.
When the oatmeal mixture has cooled to lukewarm, add mixture to the yeast mixture in the mixing bowl and add 2 cups of flour. Beat for 5 minutes. Add flour, 1 cup at a time, beating at least 1-2 minutes per addition.
Turn the dough out onto a floured board and knead it into a ball. Place dough into a greased bowl, cover, and allow the dough to rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour or so.
Punch down the dough and divide it into two equal pieces. Shape into two loaves.
Place loaves in well-buttered or greased standard-size loaf pans. Cover loosely with plastic wrap or a tea towel. Allow loaves to rise until almost double (top of the pan, or slightly higher), about 45 minutes or so.
Preheat oven to 400°F.
When ready to bake loaves, place bread in the oven and then IMMEDIATELY reduce oven temperature to 325°F and bake for 50 minutes, or until deep golden brown.
Brush loaves with melted butter and allow loaves to cool for 15 minutes in the pans.
Turn out loaves onto a rack to cool completely. Allow bread to cool before slicing.
