Honey Oatmeal Bread
Ingredients:
- 1 cup uncooked instant oats
- 2 cups boiling water
- 1 pkg. yeast
- 1/4 cup warm water (110 degrees)
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1 T. canola oil
- 2 tsp. salt
- 5 1/4-1/2 cup unbleached flour
Directions:
- Put oats in large bowl.
- Pour boiling water over oats and let stand for 15 minutes.
- Sprinkle yeast into the 1/4 cup warm water (use a meat thermometer to make sure it’s at least 110 degrees).
- Let the yeast/water mixture sit at least 5 minutes.
- After 15 minutes have passed, run a finger through the oat mixture on the bottom of the bowl. If it is lukewarm great. If it is hot, let sit a little longer until it reaches a lukewarm temp.
- Once the oat mixture is lukewarm, add yeast/water mixture, honey, oil and salt. Mix well.
- Add one cup of flour, mix a little bit, add the second cup of flour, mix a little bit, and so on until you have put in 5 cups flour.
- Place dough (even if it isn’t all together) on a floured board. Knead for two minutes letting it come together.
- Cover with paper towel and let rest for 10 minutes.
- After 10 minute rest period, add 1/4 to 1/2 cup more flour as you deem necessary and knead it briefly. Shape into ball like shape.
- Spray another bowl with cooking spray.
- Place dough in that bowl and turn to coat all sides.
- Spray plastic wrap with cooking spray and cover bowl.
- Let rise in a draft free place for about 1 hour or until double in size.
- Punch the dough down 3-4 times after the one hour rise.
- Take dough out of bowl and place onto a clean, not floured board. Divide into two equal parts.
- Knead one piece of dough to remove any air pockets (bread should be sticky). Shape dough into loaf shape and roll in extra oats.
- Place on lightly greased cookie sheet.
- Take the second piece of dough and repeat steps 17 and 18. (You will need two cookie sheets).
- Cover each loaf with plastic wrap that has been sprayed with cooking spray.
- Let rise 30 minutes or until double in size.
- While this last 30 minute rise is happening, preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- After rise is complete, remove plastic wrap, and place loaves in oven, side by side, on a rack that is in the middle of the oven.
- Bake for 45 minutes or until they are nicely browned and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.
- Remove from cookie sheets and cool on cooling rack.