With bread in the grocery stores reaching close to $5 a loaf, I thought it was time to share a great, easy, wholesome bread recipe that I have used for years.
I came across this in a Gourmet magazine, and found it to be perfect for our weekly loaves. Ideal for school lunch sandwiches, toast, and croutons if there are any leftovers. What I like about this loaf is that the oats keep the bread nice and soft with an added sweetness that is frequently lost on the usual “healthy” loaves. I have added flax meal to the dough on occasion, giving the loaves a nutter flavor and a nutritional punch. Adding different seeds is also an option you can play with when making this dough.
I have always made this bread by hand, mixing, kneading, all while soothing my soul. Take the time to bake this bread, your house will smell amazing, and you just may discover that homemade bread is easier than you thought.
Enjoy!
Oatmeal Wheat Bread
Makes 2 loaves
2 cups milk1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats-NOT quick cooking
1/2 cup warm water, about 105-115 degrees
2 tablespoons yeast
1/2 cup honey
1/2 stick unsalted butter- melted
3 cups stone-ground whole wheat flour
2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1 tablespoon salt (remember to use kosher or sea) Olive oil to oil bowl
1 egg for egg wash (optional)
Prepare 2 “8×4” loaf pans
Heat milk in a saucepan over low heat until hot but not boiling. Remove from heat and stir in the oats. Add butter. Let stand uncovered until slightly cooled.
Stir together water, yeast, and honey in a small bowl. Let stand until foamy. Stir yeast mixture into cooled oat mixture.
Stir together whole wheat flour, white flour, and salt in a large bowl. Add oat mixture, stirring with a wooden spoon until a soft dough forms. Turn out onto a well-floured surface and knead with your handy hands until the dough is smooth, soft and elastic. This takes about 10 minutes. Form dough into a ball and transfer to the oiled bowl. Cover bowl with a damp kitchen towel. Let the dough rise until doubled in volume, about 1 1/2 hours.
Lightly butter loaf pans. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead a few times to remove air. Divide dough in half and shape each half into a loaf. Place each loaf in prepared pan, seam side down. Cover pans with the damp kitchen towel and allow to rise for about 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
Place oven rack in the middle of a preheated 375-degree oven. Lightly brush the tops of loaves with the egg wash if you choose, sprinkle with a few oats. Bake until bread is golden and the loaves sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. Baking should take about 35-45 minutes. Mine usually take 40 minutes. Run a knife around the edges of the pans and remove the loaves, allowing to cool on a rack.
Bread keeps for about 4 days, wrapped in plastic or purchase bread bags from Cash and Carry.
Andrea Charroin was a trained baker and pastry chef in San Francisco before she and her family moved to Redding 10 years ago. After falling in love with Redding’s downtown, Andrea and husband Westley opened a little pastry shop, Rene-Joule Patisserie, across from the Cascade Theatre. For the three years Rene-Joule was in business, it was renowned for making everything from scratch, using the best ingredients and keeping with a seasonal menu. To this day, Andrea is asked about her Marathon Bars, Orange Twists and sourdough bread.
Copyright 2008 Andrea R. Charroin. Visit her blog at bakerslove.typepad.com
