Honey Oat Bread
 
 
Makes 1 9"x5" loaf
Ingredients
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • ¾ cups rolled oats, plus 2 tablespoons for topping
  • 2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
  • 1½ teaspoons salt
  • 1 cup milk
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • ¼ cup lukewarm water
  • ¼ cup honey, plus 2 tablespoons (warmed) for topping
Instructions
  1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, oats, yeast and salt. I always make yeast breads by hand, but you could also mix everything in the bowl of a stand mixer.
  2. In a separate bowl, warm the milk until it's hot enough to melt the butter - a minute in the microwave should do. Stir in the butter, and then add the water and honey.
  3. Pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture, stirring everything until it comes together to form a shaggy ball. Then knead the dough by hand (or with a dough hook attachment) until it's smooth and elastic - this will take about 10 minutes (less if using a stand mixer). If you're making this recipe by hand, the dough may be very sticky at first, so flour your hands and work surface generously. Add more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough is smooth and doesn't stick to your work surface. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover and let it rise until doubled, 1-2 hours.
  4. Once doubled, place the dough on a lightly floured work surface. With your fingers, flatten the dough into a 12"x9" rectangle. Starting at the short end, tightly roll the dough to make a loaf shape. Pinch the seam and ends to seal and place the shaped dough into a 9"x5" or 8.5"x4.5" loaf pan. Cover the loaf with a clean kitchen towel and let it rise until doubled in size, 1-2 hours.
  5. During the last 15 minutes of rising, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place an empty oven-safe dish or baking sheet on the bottom rack of the oven and bring 1 cup of water to a boil.
  6. When the loaf has doubled in size, brush the top with the warmed honey and sprinkle with oats. Place the bread in the oven and quickly pour the boiling water into the empty dish or baking sheet. (This helps create a glossy crust.) Bake for 40-50 minutes, until the crust is a deep golden brown color.
  7. Transfer to a wire rack and let it cool completely before slicing and serving.
Recipe by Two of a Kind at http://www.twoofakindcooks.com/honey-oat-bread/